This is an informal statement of my faith. For the most part, I am writing in my own words about my beliefs and about my life as a Christian. Depending on where I have lived, I have worshipped in various communities. As I moved around the country in my 20s and 30s, I was surprised to note that denominations common in one part of the country are not necessarily common in other parts. So, I have tried to find churches with similar beliefs wherever I have lived.

As I write and speak to encourage people to pray, you will note that I rarely mention church. I find churches and denominations can be topics loaded with emotion and focus on deep theological issues. I try not to major on any minors, and I tend to think of myself as a “one-trick pony” in that I encourage people to pray and ultimately to improve their relationship with God. Other matters I leave to others to encourage.

Here is what I believe:

I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God, the Father, Who created the universe and everything in it whether it is visible or invisible.

I believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ, as my Lord and Savior. I believe Jesus paid the price for my sins with His shed blood on the cross. I believe in Jesus as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb Whose shed blood didn’t just cover over my sins like the sacrificial lambs in the Old Testament, but rather Whose shed blood has taken away my sins and cast them as far from God as the east is from the west.

I believe my eternity is heaven is secured by Jesus’s shed blood, and there is nothing I (or anyone else) can do that would be good enough to earn my way into heaven because all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags as compared to God’s perfect goodness.

I believe Jesus was both fully man and fully God – even though I don’t necessarily fully understand that. I rely on the fact that God’s thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are not my ways when I cannot fully understand something.

I believe Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life here on earth, and He has returned to heaven with a promise that He is preparing a place for His followers and will come again to get His followers, and He will live with us in heaven for eternity.

I believe that Jesus is the Word that was with God in the beginning, and He is the Word that was God in the beginning.

I believe in God the Holy Spirit, our Comforter. I feel I know the least about the Holy Spirit but perhaps rely on the Holy Spirit the most – because the Holy Spirit is my Comforter.

I believe in a triune God that is eternal, omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), omnipresent (everywhere present always), and omnificent (all-creative).

I believe in both predestination and free will because the Bible talks about both. How the two interact, I know not, and it is a question that has concerned me since I was a very young child; nevertheless, I no longer spend a great deal of time discussing it or hashing out the issues because I think God knows exactly how everything works, and He will work everything out justly and for His glory.

I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior with the help of my mother when I was three years old, and I have asked Him to “take the reins” and be Lord of my life. I was baptized when I was seven years old.

I believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell, and I believe there will be people who spend eternity in each place.

I believe in prayer, and I believe God answers all prayers. I believe God’s character never changes, but I believe God can and does change His plans or what He does or what He allows to happen in response to our prayer requests.

I believe prayer is a conversation between God and us, and I believe good communication is the foundation for any strong relationship, and without good communication, a relationship suffers whether the relationship is between people or between God and us.

I believe my calling is to help people to pray, pray more, and pray more effectively. I believe my passion is to encourage people to pray. Everyday. One prayer at a time. I am honored if you allow me to help and encourage you to pray.

Blessings,