We're treading on holy ground when we listen to someone who is in earnest prayer. Yet Paul invites us to do just that. If read superficially, Paul's prayers may seem to be rather general and don't apply to those for whom we pray. On the contrary, Paul requested exactly what produces spiritual maturity. Often we pray prayers that a hundred years from now it won't matter whether they were answered or not, but answers to Paul's prayers have eternal consequences.

Today is the last day of 2019 AD.

2010 BC means 2010 years before Christ's birth.

2010 AD means 2010 years after Christ's birth.

Kerrie awakened from a dream with a pounding heart. In her dream, a beautiful young woman asked her daughter Tricia to walk across a narrow bridge and talk with her. The bridge spanned a park that was lined with concrete sidewalks far below the bridge.

Marcy shared that she and her extended family had met in the mountains for a family reunion. One morning she awakened, praying for all the children in the family--her own plus her nieces and nephews. She wondered if her prayers had made any difference. Was God really listening?

One early morning as I drove to a meeting, I realized I had failed to have personal devotions. I was tempted to feel unworthy of drawing near God, but I remembered the blood Jesus shed and realized that even three hours of devotions wouldn't earn me a place in His holy presence. Because of the blood, with boldness I drew near and enjoyed communion with Him as I drove.

When Mary said to the angel Gabriel, "May it be to me as you have said," she had little idea of the impact of her words. God had caesar Augustus issue a degree that affected the entire Roman world. Micah 5:2 prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and Mary was about to give birth in Nazareth. So to obey the decree, Mary and Joseph must travel to Bethlehem for the census.