MEN WHO PRAY
“Therefore I want the men in every place to pray,…”
1 Timothy 2:8 (NASB)
Hi Men:
I pray that, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds ‘in’ Christ Jesus.” With everything going on around the world, from the massacres in Haiti and Nigeria, the glacial mudslide in Nepal, AI to the wars and rumors of wars, has your mind been fixed on Phil 4:7 this week? One of the brothers sent me this just yesterday:
So, [Insert your name here], are you spending your life preparing only for this world, or investing your days in what will matter for eternity? Our purpose is not merely to live longer, become richer, or make life easier. It is to know Christ, obey Him, serve Him, and prepare to stand before Him. “Father, teach me to number my days. Help me use the time You have given me wisely, faithfully, and with eternity always before me. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
A few months back I attached this short video by Chad Vegas:
What Are the Things That Distract Churches From the Great Commission?
YouTube (2:35 Min)
I can see why it only received 100+ views and no comments. Chad Vegas makes several sobering points — here’s one of them: Parents can become consumed with their children’s sports, activities, academics, college and careers, preparing them for success in this world, while giving far less thought to whether they are prepared to live for Christ and make Him known. Good things can easily distract us from the Great Commission.
Remember: “Good is the Enemy of Great”
PHOTO ABOVE
There is something powerful about men gathering together around the Word of God, encouraging one another, and praying together. Here are three opportunities coming up
Southwest Men’s Retreat (Phoenix, AZ)
October 2-4, 2026
Contact: Trevor McDowell (trevor@mcdowellaz.com)
Register Here
Zion Boot Camp (Las Vegas, NV)
December 4-6, 2026
Contact: Dan Russell (dan@russell.vegas)
Register Here
MIM Northeast Retreat (Pennsylvania)
February 5-7, 2027
Contact: Chris Martin (chris@millpondprop.com)
More conferences will be added in the days ahead…….
IN RAY COMFORT’S BACKYARD!
Men:
When I watched this Living Waters Video, one statement from the angry student to Ray Comfort grabbed me: “…you’re making people very uncomfortable.”
That is exactly what the Gospel does. Not only is it an offense, but Jesus Christ brings light into the darkness, and darkness does not welcome the light because it exposes what we would rather keep hidden.
“People loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”
— John 3:19
Watch What Happens while Ray Comfort is sharing the Gospel. Pray for this young man. I shudder to think, that during my days at UNLV, I could see myself doing exactly what that student did. Thank you Jesus for rescuing me….. at such a great cost!
Astounded by His Love,
Dan
John Bunyan’s Quote on Reproof and Admonition
Also, how well does 2 Timothy 3:16-17 sit with you?
“When you make the wrong choice, you do so to your own hurt”
“…..Do not lean on you own understanding” Prov 3:5-6
Men:
C.S. Lewis in his “Screwtape Letters” reminds the readers of the very real spiritual battles going on around them. It is truly a “must read” book if you haven’t read it already. I love this quote that Uncle Screwtape sends to his nephew Wormwood:
“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,…Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.”
An Unwise Decision – Day 242 Red Book
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
(1 ) Gen 13:10-14 (2) Prov 3:5-6
DALLAS CONFERENCE 2026
Men, make some time this weekend to listen to Jim Gustafson’s message, Investing in Your Relationship with Jesus. Here are just four thoughts that grabbed me:
- Christianity is not an add-on to a self-directed life. Jim’s point is simple but penetrating: “He is our life.” Our relationship with Christ must be invested in and protected.
- “Prayer is evidence of a migration of hope from self-reliance to God-reliance.” Jim goes even further: “The relationship is won or lost in prayer.”
- “The goal is to know Him.” Not merely to become more disciplined or even to concentrate on making ourselves holy. Know Him first—holiness will result.
- “The fear of God protects us from ourselves.” Jim makes the sobering point that the fear of God can override our willfulness, put every other fear into perspective, and move God’s commands from being negotiable to mandatory.
There is much more in Jim’s message than these four thoughts. I think you’ll find it challenging, thought-provoking, and well worth your time.
Listen to Jim’s Message Here
Daniel Janagam just sent this discipleship testimony from India:
“Pastor Mark, a Methodist pastor overseeing 170 families, attended our two-day interactive Discipleship e2 workshop in Karnataka state. He made a life-changing decision to shift his church’s focus toward disciple-making, empowering his congregation to bring evangelism into their workplaces. Hope This Video Testimony blesses you.” (YouTube 1:51 Min)
Thank you 🙏
Do people in other religions go to Heaven?
John MacArthur
Men:
This Is A Hard-hitting Biblical Message. What MacArthur states is 100% true!
(YouTube 5:13 min)
Quote from: “The Discipline of Delusion” – How secular ideas became the new idolatry
“The cost of following Christ has always been high. We in the modern West have paid little to follow Him, and as a result have lost the ability to see the plain truth of the Bible. The world is opposing Christ and His followers with increasing ferocity, and that cost to follow Him is about to go up for us. War is being waged against the truth of Christ, yet the modern church does not know how to biblically wage war. She has forgotten the truth.” (Page 182)
I turned off my kids’ devices.
They came back to life.
If you have kids, you will want to read this article….and send it to your friends
Famous Quotes on Prayer
Martin Luther’s most famous statement on the priority of prayer is: “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
- C.S. Lewis: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless… It doesn’t change God. It changes me.”
- Søren Kierkegaard: “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”
- Corrie ten Boom: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”
NORTH KOREA
I have been involved with Cornerstone Ministries for over 20 years, and their work among the suffering and persecuted Christians of North Korea has been remarkable. Over the years I have heard stories of faith and courage that are almost impossible for us to comprehend. Let me share just one account of a North Korean Christian woman—and what she endured rather than deny her faith in Jesus Christ. Read This Courageous Story Here.
You can also read what Open Doors Says about North Korea.
Sometimes we get so busy with other concerns, we forget about our brothers and sisters in countries that persecute Christians severely.
This is the full quote. Below, in the image, is what we read most of the time……
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
“The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with His death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise God-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.”
Luke 9:23
“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”
As you guys know, a cross is an instrument of death
