Rooted in Jesus Grace

  One of the most dangerous things about transactional prayer is not that it is loud or obviously wrong—but that it is quiet, reasonable, and easily baptized as wisdom. It rarely sounds heretical. It often sounds like encouragement, urgency, or faith. “Pray intentionally.” “Fast with expectation.” “Don’t miss what God wants to do.” None of these statements are false on their own. That is precisely what makes the damage so subtle. How the Transaction Sneaks In Transactional prayer rarely announces itself as a bargain with God. It slips in through emphasis and omission: emphasis on outcomes, omission of formation emphasis on technique, omission of trust emphasis on testimony, omission of faithfulness without reward Over time, people absorb an unspoken equation: If I pray the right way, with the right intensity, for the right amount of time, God will respond in a recognizable way. Prayer slowly becomes a system that can be optimized. And once prayer becomes a system, God becomes eithe...

  Recovering the Heart of Spiritual Disciplines from the Obsession with Results In many churches today, prayer and fasting are taught almost exclusively as tools for outcomes. Fast so God will answer. Pray harder so doors will open. Sacrifice food, time, or comfort and expect a breakthrough in return. The language is often subtle, but the message becomes clear: results validate the discipline. This approach feels practical and measurable. People want solutions. Pastors want testimonies. Congregations want evidence that spiritual practices “work.” But when prayer and fasting are reduced to spiritual leverage, something vital is lost — and something dangerous quietly takes its place. The Problem: Turning God into a Means When prayer and fasting are framed primarily around results, they begin to reshape our theology. God slowly becomes the means to our desired ends rather than the end Himself. The assumptions may go unspoken, but they are deeply felt: If nothing changes externally, th...

  This post concludes a three-part reflection on a recent sermon series about prayer. The previous messages framed prayer as something that produces results when practiced correctly and explained delays through a growing list of spiritual conditions. This final sermon,  “Unforgiveness Hinders Prayer,”  moves even further in that direction — and unfortunately crosses into territory that can deeply wound sincere Christians who are trying to follow God faithfully. Let me say clearly at the outset: Forgiveness is central to the Christian life. Jesus commands it. Scripture takes it with utmost seriousness. But when forgiveness is presented as a mechanism that determines whether God hears our prayers — or worse, as something that places salvation itself in jeopardy — the gospel itself becomes obscured. Prayer is not leverage. And forgiveness is not a spiritual payment required to keep God responsive to us. The Core Claim of the Sermon The sermon argues that unanswered or delaye...

  In a previous post, I reflected on a sermon teaching that unintentionally framed prayer as something that produces results when practiced correctly. This second message,  “Why God Delays in Answering Our Prayers,”  continues that same framework — and unfortunately deepens some of its problems. Again, the concern here is not sincerity or desire to encourage prayer. Christians should pray. Jesus calls us to pray continually. But when prayer is explained through a system of spiritual mechanics — reasons, steps, formulas, and techniques for increasing answers — something essential is lost. And the people most harmed are often the believers trying hardest to follow God faithfully. This review seeks to examine the teaching biblically and recover a clearer evangelical understanding of prayer rooted in the gospel rather than spiritual performance. The Stated Question — and the Shift That Follows The sermon begins with a good and honest question: If God wants to answer prayer, w...

  Recently I listened to a sermon on Luke 11 titled  “God Desires to Answer Your Prayers.”  The message was clearly delivered with sincerity and a genuine desire to encourage believers to pray more. And that desire is good. The church should be a praying people. But as I listened carefully, I became increasingly concerned — not about passion for prayer, but about  how prayer itself was being framed . Because when prayer is subtly misunderstood, sincere Christians can end up discouraged, confused, or quietly blaming themselves when life with God does not match what they were led to expect. This post is not written to attack a pastor or question motives. It is written because doctrine matters — especially when we are talking about how believers relate to God Himself. And prayer sits at the very center of that relationship. The Main Concern: Prayer Presented as Outcome-Production Throughout the sermon, a repeated idea emerged: If you keep asking, God will keep giving. I...

Understanding the Culture Behind the Message Over the past two articles, we’ve explored two questions: first, how modern language about “finding your calling” can unintentionally burden believers, and second, what Scripture actually means when it speaks about calling. But another question naturally follows: Why has the language of calling become so central in charismatic and Pentecostal churches in the first place? This emphasis did not appear randomly. It grew from deeply sincere theological instincts, historical movements, and ministry practices that shaped charismatic spirituality over generations. To understand the modern fixation on calling, we need to understand the culture that produced it. This is not an argument against charismatic faith or spiritual experience. Rather, it is an attempt to understand how certain emphases—good in themselves—can unintentionally reshape expectations about how God normally guides His people. A Spirituality Shaped by Encounter Charismatic Christian...

Few ideas shape modern Christian thinking more than the belief that each person must discover their unique calling. Christians are often encouraged to pray for clarity, wait for direction, and seek the one path God designed specifically for their lives. Calling is frequently described as something hidden — a divine assignment waiting to be uncovered. But before asking  how  to find our calling, a more basic question deserves attention: Does Scripture actually teach believers to search for a personalized life calling? When we examine the Bible carefully, the answer requires some theological recalibration. The modern concept of calling often assumes meanings the biblical authors themselves did not intend. Recovering the biblical meaning of calling does not remove purpose from the Christian life. Instead, it places purpose on firmer theological ground. The Biblical Meaning of Calling In the New Testament, the language of calling carries a consistent and specific meaning. The Gree...