Have you ever felt the frustration of unanswered prayers or questioned your faith journey? As Christians, we often encounter these challenges. This week let’s look at Matthew 7:7-12 and discuss the pivotal role of prayer in strengthening our faith. Let’s examine the core lessons from Jesus’s teaching and how these principles can actively nurture and enhance faith.

Are you a worrier? Are you sometimes overwhelmed by concerns, doubts, and anxieties about the future? If so, you're not alone. We all have moments when worry seems to drag us down. But here's the good news: your worries can be a catalyst for positive change in your life.

Three pillars of righteous living are highlighted by Jesus: giving, prayer, and fasting. It's not a question of "if" but "when" you engage in these acts, implying that these should be standard practices for the faithful. While these aren't the sole measures of righteousness, neglecting them can turn our other righteous deeds into displays of self-indulgence and arrogance.

New Testament believers in Christ live in an era of grace. By God's grace, we are born again and empowered for service. God’s grace, however, does not mean we are permitted to become “lawless.” Pastor Denn Guptill offers seven words that form modern Christians' greatest “cop-out”: "I’m not under law but under grace!" Yes, we are under grace, but does “The Law and the Prophets” no longer apply to any aspect of our lives?

When you profess faith in Christ, you become salt and light to a decaying and dark world. It’s not really an option. That radical transformation makes you unique—distinct from the world around you. Our goal from that point on is to “let [our] light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:18).

Most of us are not in positions of power in this world. Many of us are not in charge of community projects or programs that require large amounts of cash. But that does not mean we are powerless. I may not have power, but I do have influence simply because I am in a relationship with the LORD of the universe – Jesus Christ. What do I mean by the word influence?” It is our capacity in Christ to positively affect someone’s character and behavior, or the direction of a group of people, by consistently acting in agreement with the will of God.