Sermon Illustrations

Jim Cymbala stated in his book Breakthrough Prayer, “The God who delights to show mercy is near, waiting for us to call on his name” (page 54).He adds "Today prayer for personal guidance is almost a lost art. Our tendency is to run around doing what we think best and then ask God to bless our activity. We can learn a lesson from the leaders of Israel who approached the prophet Jeremiah in the midst of a political and military crisis. Their request was simple: “Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do” (Jeremiah 42:3). God’s plan for our lives includes the “where” we should go and the “what” we should do"(page 57).