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In Psalm 139 David goes into great length to explain how the Lord knows him in deep, personal ways. In the fourth verse he declares, “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”

In Isaiah 64:1, the prophet declares, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might shake at your presence.” Isaiah’s cry was for the power, holiness and glory of God to manifest among the people of Israel due to her sin and rebellion.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul instructs his spiritual son Timothy with the following words, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

The author of the famous allegorical book Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan, once said, “You can do no more than pray until you have prayed.” His statement is still true and needs to be heard and understood in this hour of church history.

Paul E. Billheimer once stated, “Satan does not care how many people read about prayer if only he can keep them from praying.” What a sobering statement that rings true in this modern church age!

First Chronicles 16:12 (ESV): “Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.”

I have spent the last several weeks on the road preaching in various settings in America. Due to the coronavirus, my international travel, along with that of many others, has been halted. The result has been what feels like a forced experience that has caused a deeper burden for America (my own nation). This burden seems to only increase as so many things are playing out during this season of our history.

In a time when there is clearly a large focus on performance, talent and production when it comes to ministry and even the Christian life, the truth is that character still matters deeply and when we neglect it, the results are tragic!

In recent decades there has been a great change or shift in the way many within Western civilization think and process basic ideas about how culture should function and exist. In truth, this shift is more like a megashift in comparison to the way that many, if not most...