Episodes

Today, a prayer of celebration, our hundredth episode, and for strength in this season of upheaval, and for a year of jubilee, for God is working to do His will and give His beloved Kingdom, victories, and Himself as Yahweh-Nissi, God the banner over our heads. Echos of Holy Writ, some Puritans, and the heart of the podcast host, in our supplication and worship to our Savior: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be h...

The words of Richard Baxter are earthy, moving, and convicting. He echos the truth, that we can begin to enjoy God's rest as we seek Him foremost. Baxter in "The Saints Everlasting Rest" brings us to tears, and He laments in the voice of God: "How must we offend our dear Lord when we give him cause to complain, as he did of our fellow idolaters: "My people have been lost sheep; they have forgotten their resting-place. My people can find rest in anything rather than in me. They can delight in o...

After a Fight, Fall, Fight, I experienced a Funeral. It was the funeral of my dad. The worst tragedy of my life. You can listen to the series in order. Personal/Powerful Prayer Lesson published March 20, 2023. Personal/Powerful Prayer Lesson 2 - The Fight, from March 28. The Fall was posted on April 14. The Flight is on April 28. God worked all those together, along with an accident, a letter, and a reminder, "Dad, you're my hero.." To save the soul of my dad. The breadth and length, height a...

Joshua's words are a challenge of belief. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. But what after you have made that decision? What is our process when facing a below-average life in this flesh? As we will see from J.C. Ryle, our first response to every circumstance should be, "As for me, I will seek the Lord." Richard Baxter adds his most probing Question: "Are not the comforts you desire neglected or resisted?" "Oh that men would understand that happiness, does not depend on outwar...

God answered my prayer in the third quarter of 1984 and sent Cathy and me back to Phoenix to continue and finish my education. On the way back, we desired to fish and camp from Boise to northern Idaho and visit with every friend who wanted to join us. Our desire would never come to pass. God used a broken deal at work, a broken truck, broken ribs, whiplash, and a necessary recovery time to provide the most profound comfort I would ever need after the saddest event I have yet to experience. Go...

Category: Our Extended Ryle. “Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer. Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer. Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there...

Category - Devotional Humanity, one and all, are a bruised reed and smoking flax. It is not until the pain makes us desperate for mercies outside ourselves we will not call out to the only name given among men, by which we must be saved! So writes Richard Sibbes: "The bruised reed is a man that for the most part is in some misery, as those were that came to Christ for help, and by misery he is brought to see sin as the cause of it, for, whatever pretences sin makes, they come to an end when w...

Category: Biblical - Exhortation In 1984, a death would occur, the death of my father. As God used a single prayer of faithful Hannah to give her a son, give a prophet to Israel (Samuel), and fulfill His promise to judge the unrighteous priests troubling all of Israel, He answered my prayer to lead me back to Phoenix to finish school, encourage my heart, refresh my vision of my dad, and lay the groundwork for His salvation, all through what looked to me to be a fall. Ponder your life carefully...

Category: Our Extended Ryle We view the most sweeping and joyous section of “A Call to Prayer.” Today is the most extended quote from J.C. Ryle thus far, and that is a blessing. More of the genius of Bishop Ryle and less of me is always a good thing. “Some without doubt have a larger cup of sorrow to drink than others. But few are to be found who live long without sorrows or cares “of one sort or another. Our bodies, our property, our families, our children, our relations, our servants, our ...

Category: Biblical Our expectation for this episode is twofold: Malachi 3:6 6 “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. Hebrews 13:8 Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. He takes His word seriously, Luke 6:26 27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. So what? He listens to our prayers, and amid His answers, He orchestrates th...

Category: Our Extended Ryle What do you think when you hear duty, glory, and excellence? When in "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment," Jeremiah Burroughs talks of the "Duty, Glory, and Excellency of a Christian," being our goal in Christian contentment, which can be seen as a summary of the Puritan thought on the Christian life. "And what is the best means of cheerfulness in such a world as this? How shall we get through this valley of tears with least pain? I know no better means than t...

Growing - Encouragement (A republished episode in preparation for parts 2-7 in the same series.) God’s abundant life is learned through prayer. In the book "Devoted to God" by Sinclair Ferguson writes of God's perfect will: "The Lord is the Master of the jigsaw puzzle of our lives. The pieces may be strangely shaped; often we cannot see how they fit together; but eventually when the big picture is complete we will see that each piece was perfectly shaped. He leads us by ways we could not hav...

Hebrews 13:7-8 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. Our devotion, our prayer is summed up in the words of Samual Rutherford: “I would not exchange the joy of my bonds and imprisonment for Christ with all the joy of this dirty and foul-skinned world. I am filled with Christ’s love.” Brethren let us pray for one another. "What a man is on ...

Category: Word, Real Life, and Prayer. Prayer is doubt's destroyer, ruin's remedy, the antidote to all anxieties. C.H. Spurgeon As we consider our groaning, in our use of our difficulties, the content of our prayer reflects on God's will in our groaning. We grow into a godly desire for our Savior's will alone. Matthew 6:10 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Luke 22:42 "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done."...

Category: Word, Real Life, and Prayer. "Prayer is doubt's destroyer, ruin's remedy, the antidote to all anxieties." C.H. Spurgeon As we consider our groaning in our use of our difficulties, the content of our prayer reflects God's will in our groaning. We grow into a godly desire for our Savior's will alone. Matthew 6:10 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Luke 22:42 "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done." ...

Category: Our Extended Ryle A cheetah housed in zoos that are too small for their created design… that is to run, jump, pursue, all with deft agility, become increasingly unhealthy. Just so for the new creation of Christians. Whether exasperated struggles or long-term backsliding, J.C. Ryle encourages us to consider what part our lack of daily private prayer might play in our sad demeanor. “It is a miserable thing to be a backslider. Of all unhappy things that can befall a man, I suppose it i...

Category: Word, Real Life, and Prayer. Prayer is doubt's destroyer, ruin’s remedy, the antidote to all anxieties. C.H. Spurgeon We saw last in part 1 of “Use the Difficulty” trials drive us to pray for wisdom. Along with the insight God provides lavishly, we gain His magnificent presence, and our resulting maturity is revealed. We now see our tribulations develop our perseverance, character, and hope. Our hope: determination, i.e., we overcome. Therefore having been justified by faith, we ha...

Category: Word, Real Life, and Prayer. Have you ever heard the question, “how can we pray without ceasing?” I have asked it myself; J.C. Ryle has some thoughts to help us answer the missive. Bibles read without prayer; sermons heard without prayer; marriages contracted without prayer; journeys undertaken without prayer; residences chosen without prayer; friendships formed without prayer; the daily act of private prayer itself hurried over, or gone through without heart: these are the kind of d...

Category: Word, Real Life, and Prayer. "Anything is a blessing which makes us pray." C.H. Spurgeon A lesson from a stage actor we find surprisingly Biblical. God, in His word, informs us, commands us, and illustrates trials are painful but also terrific. God has engineered what we see as terrifying events for terrific results. The terrificest result of our various trials is to lead us to community with Almighty God, working for our eternal good and seeing His glory. Consider it all joy, my ...

Category: Marvin and Chapman This interview is a real treat for me, and I know it will be for you. Just in time for Valentine's day, Marvin and Chapman debut their new song, a little ditty titled "I Love You Tonight." (They call it a folk song, so it probably is!) The song is upbeat and moving. You will love the song's story and their parent's reaction to the beautiful truth that true love is for growing old together. More of them and less of me! Enjoy. "What a man is on his knees...

Personal positive habits in devotion are the first line in the virus of backsliding in our community with the Savior. How long can you sustain lying to your closest confidant? "Now what is the cause of most backslidings? I believe, as a general rule, one of the chief causes is neglect of private prayer. Of course the secret history of falls will not be known till the last day. I can only give my opinion as a minister of Christ and a student of the heart. That opinion is, I repeat distinctl...

Category - Introductory Stuff We are committed to praying for God's people a year of jubilee and for profound forgiveness. For the podcast, we pray a time of consolidation and clarity in our discussions of prayer. We review and update one of our earliest episodes in this episode: "A Preface to the Foreword to the Introduction of The Free Range Preacher on Prayer Podcast." We review the purposes of the ministry, our reliance on the Holy Spirit and His will for our audience, how we got...

Category: A Layman's Commentary on the Whole Bible. (The "So What" at mark 32:58 is the Holy Spirit's "So What"; listen until then is my encouragement.) We are not: All powerful. Eternal in our being. Infinite in knowledge. Holy in our essence. In other words: We did not create ourselves. We are not: The most beautiful. The wisest person on earth. (most assuredly not) the arbitrators of morality. Just Holy. We are the creatures, not the Creator, even though we act like we are. We...

Category - Exhortation. Suppose I have been listening to the Lord; His will is evident now. In that case, 2023 will be a year of not only jubilee and forgiveness but also consolidation and prayerfully more precise communication on prayer and our community with Almighty God. Concerning that, today's episode will cover some thoughtful basics on our prayer lives and their purpose. The center of today's episode is the quality of our Christian lives, humility, and community in our relationship wit...