Although the original readers of Peter’s letter were experiencing relatively mild opposition from their neighbors, in I Peter 3:8-22, he wanted to prepare them for worse persecution to come and the unfair suffering they would have to endure. As in all the letter, God calls on us both to preach and to practice what we preach, no matter how others might be treating us. In fact, when we endure unfair suffering as Christians, we receive special blessings and opportunities to demonstrate our faith.
In his opening thanksgiving and prayer, Paul focused on our three most important days.
In prayer, the natural counterpart of giving thanks is to make requests. Together, thanking and requesting help us live out the uniquely Christian combination...
In Jonah 2, we take a break from the narrative to read a poem of thanksgiving that Jonah prayed when he was detained for...