We pray. We pray because God tell us to. We pray because we need to. We pray because prayer matters. But do we pray with confidence that God is pleased with our praying? Do we pray with confidence that God is pleased with our praying even when he does not grant our petitions? Charles Spurgeon addresses those questions in this brief excerpt.

We have been pleading with God. Prayer after prayer has knocked at Heaven’s gate, entreating for the conversion of souls, and the upbuilding of the church.  I have no doubt that our prayer has been, in itself, acceptable with God, through Jesus Christ.
It is in itself a form of worship to which our gracious God hath much respect. The golden vials of the elders before the throne are said to be full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. Prayer is typified by sweet incense, because God delights in it. He loves to see our desires for the accomplishment of His purposes.
It is very pleasing to a father, as you who are parents can testify, to see his child in full sympathy with him, and anxious to help him in his work. Though he can do but little, and that little feebly and faultily, yet his eagerness to work with his father, and for his father, gives his father joy. Even thus does our Heavenly Father take pleasure in us, and in our desires for His glory.
“Thou didst well in that it was in thine heart,” said the Lord to David, even when He did not accept what David proposed to do; and I believe there may be glory brought to God, not only by those prayers which are manifestly answered, but by those which for wise reasons the good Lord is pleased to lay on one side. We are nothing better than children even in prayer, and therefore it is not every request that is wise; but yet we are children, and therefore the cries which come from our hearts touch the heart of our great Father in Heaven.
Our desires that souls may be saved, and that the church may prosper, are so much in accordance with the mind of God that they must be a sweet savour unto Him. Therefore, brethren, let us pray on as long as breath remains. If prayer pleaseth God, it should always please us.

Blessings to you as you work, serve, and/or worship this weekend.

Today’s Kindle deals include a few newer books as well as a few older ones.
(Yesterday on the blog: How to Read and Understand God’s Word)
Closeness Comes Through Fire: How Suffering Conforms Us to Christ
Ed Welch makes some helpful observations here about sanctification and suffering. (Though I’m not so sure about using both Ignatius of Loyola and Martin Luther as examples of the same virtue in the same article!)
Why Taiwan Loves This Canadian Missionary Dentist
With a title like that, I couldn’t help but read it. It’s a great account of a missionary that isn’t very well known outside Taiwan.
The New Public Liturgy
This is a fascinating “video essay” from Carl Trueman. (Note: There are one or two b-roll images in the early going to show just a little too much.)
Sin is Only as Hidden as God Allows
This is so important to keep in mind. “If we have been nursing secret sin and we have not been exposed, that is because up to this point, God has not decided to reveal it. Nothing we do is unknown to God, and in his omnipotence, he could expose us at any moment if he so chooses. Sin is only as hidden as God allows.”
Magnanimity and A Book Deal
“It’s been hard at times then, having been disciplined by God regarding these things, to know the difference between true humility and small-heartedness. Beset with self-doubts and fear of my own pride, and sometimes just in ignorance, I’m often slow to admit I have anything to offer. I want to grab a basket and put it over my lamp because it’s safer. This way I won’t make mistakes. Won’t sin. Won’t be tempted to boast. Won’t fail.”
Clarity from Schilder on “Paradox”
“Some theologians have a reputation for being consistently clear.  Klaas Schilder isn’t one of them.” Yet here’s one way in which he was very clear and very helpful.
Flashback: 7 Ways to Ruin a Prayer Meeting
Here are some ways you increase the likelihood that your prayer meeting will miss the mark.

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Ligonier Ministries. They are offering free admission to ten pairs of winners at their 2023 National Conference.

As Christians are pushed toward the margins of a hostile society, we cannot afford to surrender our convictions or to retreat in fear. By God’s grace, we have the truth that this lost world needs. Now is our time to stand with unrelenting devotion to God’s unchanging Word. Taking place in Orlando on March 23–25, Ligonier’s 2023 National Conference will encourage Christians to live courageously and without compromise amid changing times, finding stability in the eternal truth of God’s Word.
Enter this giveaway today to receive free admission to the 2023 National Conference. Ten winners will be randomly selected, and each winner will receive free entry for two people.
Even if you don’t win admission to Ligonier’s 2023 National Conference, you can still save on your registration with the early-bird discount for a limited time.

The Bible can be an intimidating book. I suppose any book of the Bible’s size can be intimidating merely by virtue of its page count. But then there’s also the claims people make about the Bible—that it’s a book that transforms lives, that it’s a book that reveals the mind of God himself, that it’s a book that is without error. And beyond that, there’s the nature of the Bible as a collection of writings that span centuries, peoples, cultures, and genres, not to mention the outsized importance of the Bible in shaping the Western world as we know it. For these reasons and many others, the Bible can intimidate people to such a degree that they read it without confidence or perhaps fail to read it at all.

It’s little wonder than that Christians have often written books meant to help introduce people to the practice of reading the Bible and to help them read it profitably and in its entirety. New among them is The Epic Story of the Bible: How to Read and Understand God’s Word by Greg Gilbert. Using his own trek to Mount Everest (base camp, not summit) as a backdrop and illustration, Gilbert says his book is meant to “give you a briefing about what you’re going to see, what you’re going to experience, what you should look for and look out for as you set off on the long trek of reading the entire Bible.”
The key to reading the Bible well, he says, “is to understand that all of those authors and books—all 1,189 chapters of them—are actually working together to tell one overarching, mind-blowing story about God’s action to save human beings from their high-handed rebellion against him, and from the effects and consequences of that rebellion.”
That story is nothing short of epic as he illustrates in this very brief overview: “Wars between angels rage in the spiritual realm, while on earth kingdoms rise and fall, empires clash, cities are built and destroyed, priests perform sacrifices, and prophets point their bony fingers to the future. And in the end, a great throne is toppled and a great crown falls to the ground, only to be given finally to one thirty-year-old man—a subjugated peasant from a conquered nation—whom God enthrones over the entire world as the one who alone can and does offer mercy to rebels. If there’s ever been an epic story told in the history of mankind, this one is it!”
A story so epic is certainly worth reading and Gilbert means to help by introducing his readers to some of the things they will encounter and come up against as they attempt to do so. He begins with a description of what the Bible is and where it came from. From there he traces its grand storyline in a way that may be at least somewhat familiar to those who have read Graeme Goldsworthy—an author whose work on this subject Gilbert much admires.
Having done this, he turns to some of the major themes readers will encounter as they make their trek from Genesis to Revelation, which is to say, he introduces some biblical theology, a practice that “tries to see how different truths sit and develop as the storyline of the Bible unfolds.” In other words, rather than systematically studying what the whole Bible says about a theme, it studies how a theme develops from beginning to end and how it helps propel the narrative forward. Thus over four chapters he traces the theme of God’s presence, the theme of covenant, the theme of kingship, and the theme of sacrifice. The final chapter, “Setting Out,” offers a number of tips and practices that will assist people to make the journey well and to take it all the way to completion.
It is an unfortunate fact that many Christians have read parts of the Bible, but have never read the whole Bible. They have read parts of the narrative, but never followed it all the way through. They don’t know what they are missing! The Epic Story of the Bible is meant to help them not only learn what they are missing but also help them to set out and complete that epic, beautiful, and rewarding trek. And I am convinced it will serve well in accomplishing that very purpose. I highly recommend reading it—and highly recommend buying a few extra copies to give away to others so they, too, can embark on a life-changing journey.

Buy from Amazon

I think we’ve come to the end of a nice little streak of daily Kindle deals. We’ll hope for better things tomorrow.

On the printed book front, Westminster Books has deals on books about parenting, headlined by a new edition of one of Paul Tripp’s works.
Jordan Peterson’s Christian Problem
I’m not familiar with Michael Warren Davis and suspect we would disagree on quite a number of matters of theology. But I really did appreciate this expression of his concerns with Jordan Peterson and what he teaches about living a meaningful life (even if that life makes use of the Bible).
How regularly do we expect Luthers to pop up in church history? Apparently, a lot!
This article isn’t really about Luther but more about some of the challenges pastors face. “We simultaneously complain that our leaders aren’t leading and then get angry when they do because we don’t like the way they’re doing it. People don’t seem to know what they want but they are adamant that whatever it is, it’s not whatever you’re doing!”
Rejoicing in the Truth (Even When It’s Taught By Someone Else)
“I gasped when I saw the description of the podcast episode. An author was being interviewed about their soon-to-be-released book. Nothing remarkable there. But the subject of the book was a topic I had been thinking, teaching, and writing about for a couple of years. That author stole my book idea!” Well, not really…
Why We Sleep (And the God Who Doesn’t)
Nick Tucker: “To think about God’s greatness, we naturally tend to talk about what God can do. We, however, are going to consider what God can’t do—and when you realise what God can’t do, his greatness might just blow your mind.”
Do People Die Too Soon?
I tend to agree with Blake that it’s not terribly helpful to say of someone that “he died too soon.” Not if we want to affirm a high view of God’s providence.
How Should The Church Raise Money? Reforming Practices
I have been enjoying Conrad Mbewe’s series on the church in Africa. “If the church in Africa is to mature and take its place in the missionary movement that will usher in the Lord’s return, we must reverse this trend. Our church members must learn to be faithful, generous, and deliberate about financial matters in the context of the church. It is important that church leaders teach young Christians about financial giving so that they develop the habit of giving early in their Christian lives.”
Flashback: Condone, Condemn, or Mourn?
“We cannot be proud and mourn over sin at the same time. We cannot be judgmental toward other believers, or even toward unbelievers, if we are truly contrite and brokenhearted over our sin.”

Grace and peace to you today, my friends.

(Yesterday on the blog: Once Again Honestly Assessing Our Decision to Public School Our Kids)
Seeking and Following God’s Guidance
Vance Christie: “Recently while seeking God’s direction about quite a significant ministry decision in my own life, I was encouraged by going back and reviewing some of the specific details of how the Lord led George Muller into his great orphan ministry.” That turned out to be a good idea.
Entrusting My Treasure
Jennifer McPhail explains how she came to entrust her treasure to the Lord and his purposes.
Honour & respect are culturally bound
“Honouring one another is most definitely a biblical concept.” But, as Stephen explains here, it’s also a concept that needs to be worked out according to context and culture. (I especially enjoyed his discussion of the difference between American and British/Canadian forms of giving honor.)
This Journal Fought Beside Me
I appreciate Grace sharing this account of throwing away a journal—a particularly significant journal.
Newsletters aren’t news anymore. But they’re not going away.
Here’s an interesting take on the rise (and perhaps settling) of the email newsletter. “The Substack frenzy seems like a thing of the past. But lots of publishers are still leaning into newsletters. ‘They’re a great minimally viable product.’”
The Filthy Will Still Be Filthy
“Sin is filth. It is soul pollution. It makes us vile in the eyes of God, and no matter how much pride we take in our sin now, we will one day even be offensive in our own eyes. As sinners, we may do everything we can to maintain our delusion that we are honorable, but every one of us has fallen short of God’s glory. We cannot roll in the mire without eventually being repulsed by our condition.”
Flashback: Who Gave You The Right?
The sanctified instinct of the Christian heart should not be to discourage but to encourage, not to further demoralize other people but to give them strength, to give them heart, to give them courage.

Many years ago, Aileen and I made the decision to enroll our children in the local public school. This was a decision we made as carefully and thoughtfully as we knew how to at the time (which was way back in the early 2000s). We decided we would take the approach of “a child at a time, a year at a time, a school at a time.” But even as we kept options open, we never felt the need to change course. Neither did our kids. A lot of time has gone by and two of our children have graduated those public schools while the third has completed as far as tenth grade.

After Nick wrapped up his high school education, I did a little interview with him. I wanted to hear about this experience, whether he felt public schooling had been good or bad, wise or foolish, and what he intended to do if the Lord granted him children. You can read that here. I recently asked Abby the same questions because I wanted to her take on it as well. In both cases I really encouraged them to be as honest as possible without any fear of offending their parents. Here are Abby’s unedited answers.
What do you think were the benefits of being in public school?
I think that one of the main benefits to public schooling is that I learned very early in my life about the brokenness of the world and about the people who are living apart from the Lord. I was still young enough that I saw what was going on around me and I could return home and talk to my parents and older brother about it who would explain the brokenness to me and point me back to Christ. As I explain a bit later on, seeing this brokenness is a large part of my testimony. 
Another benefit is that I learned how to be friends with non-believers very early on in my life. I started public school in junior kindergarten and continued all the way until I graduated high school. I was around unbelievers constantly, and most of my friends were not Christians. While this also proved to be a challenge, it allowed me to learn how to be a loving friend to them, and also provided me opportunities to share my beliefs (looking back I wish I had taken more of these opportunities). Now that I have graduated high school and moved out of the area, I still have some of those friendships and can still minister to my unbelieving friends as we continue to get older. 
Are there ways in which you think public school may have harmed you or otherwise been a negative force or influence?
I don’t think public school harmed me. However, I do think there were negatives to my experience. The negative influence of public school came more from the people I was around than public schooling itself. I knew what I believed and by God’s grace I was not swayed. However, being in the world and being around so many people who were living unrepentantly in sin weighed heavily on my heart. By the time I graduated highschool I was ready to be in a Christian environment, surrounded by believers. However, through this I learned how to pray for, serve and love those unbelievers in my life. 
Did you find it hard to be a Christian in public school?
Yes and no. For the most part I did not find it terribly difficult, especially when I was younger. Most of my peers did not care about my religion. I grew up in a very multicultural area so a lot of people identified themselves with one religion or another and I was just another one of the religious kids. However, I think it was more difficult as I got older. There was the pressure to be and live like everyone else. Being around unbelievers constantly and hearing about their sin weighed heavily on my heart. It was also hard when I was expected to complete assignments or read material that I did not agree with. I found that most of the difficulty came from teachers and the pressure to agree with what they were teaching even when I knew I did not. 
Did you feel pressure to conform to a non-Christian standard?
Yes. I think that the pressure I felt came the most often from the teachers I had throughout the years and less from my peers (although I did experience this as well). When I was younger (young elementary school age) this pressure was less intense. The older I got the more of this pressure I felt. Multiple times there were assignments I was expected to complete, books I was supposed to read or movies I was told to watch that were thoroughly against what I believed. Specifically in classes like Canadian Law and English class. I was expected to debate or write papers defending subjects that I disagreed with. I was expected to agree. This is where I found the most pressure to conform to a non-Christian standard. Not agreeing could have serious consequences and I felt the pressure to conform heavily. 
In terms of my peers, I found that they for the most part, did not care much about what I believed. I did have to choose my friends carefully however, and I lost a lot of them as we continued to get older and found we had less and less in common. While they did not understand, they did not pressure me to do things that went against what I believed. However, as I started to get older and my opinions and beliefs on major issues (abortion and discussions of sexuality) differed so fundamentally from many of my friends, these pressured increased. I found myself avoiding the subjects more often than not. Avoiding subjects like this is where I think I found myself succumbing to pressure the most amongst my peers. 
Do you feel like your faith would be stronger if you had been homeschooled or Christian schooled?
No. I think that the Lord used public schooling and the experiences I had during my time there to show me the brokenness of the world. A large part of my testimony includes seeing the way that the Christians in my life were living their lives dependent on the Lord, and in contrast, watching the non-Christians that I had grown up with fall deeper and deeper into sin while at the same time becoming more and more miserable. I think that seeing this contrast first hand every day strengthened my faith, and it made me realize that I wanted no part of the world that my friends were living in. I also had to learn how to trust the Lord with my friends. 
Are there ways in which you think homeschooling or Christian schooling would have been a more positive experience for you?
I do not feel like public schooling was an overall negative experience for me. However, had I been homeschooled or Christian schooled it could have potentially saved me from being influenced by some friends who I should not have been influenced by. It could have also allowed me to avoid some of the heaviness on my heart from being around and hearing about unrepentant sin so constantly. I do not think that the negatives I experienced in the public school system outweighed the positives I walked away with. 
As much as you can put yourself in our shoes, would you have made the same decision?
I think that I would have made the same decision as you. I do not feel as though public school was an overall negative experience for me. The world has changed since I first started my education. Through public school, I learned a lot and it is a huge part of my testimony. In his kindness the Lord used it to show me my own sinfulness and His grace. He also used it to show me the sinfulness of the world. As I said earlier I think the positives I walked away with far outweigh the negatives I experienced and I’m glad I went through the public school system. 
As much as you can project into an uncertain future, how do you think you’re likely to educate your own children? 
I think that in answering this question it is important to know just how much the world has changed since I started my public school education. Schools have become much more liberal and much less tolerant than they were when I was in them. If I could have my children repeat the experience I had in public school I believe I would send them into the public school system. However, with the way the world seems to be moving and what I know of that’s being taught in schools now, I would be more hesitant to send my children, especially little ones into them as I believe they would have a much different experience than my own. I think I would be more comfortable sending my older kids into public schools however. I believe I would lean more toward a Christian school education where I could be more confident in the teaching they were receiving and the peers they would have.
OK, back to Tim so I can wrap up as I did last time. I guess the big question at the end is this: If Aileen and I had to begin again, would we choose the public schools or would we instead go with one of the alternatives? To be honest, we just don’t know and we can’t put ourselves back in that situation. But we agree with what Abby said at the end—some key cultural factors have changed between then and now. Regardless, we gratefully acknowledge God’s hand of blessing on the decision we did make while also acknowledging that same hand of blessing would have been upon us whichever path we chose. We’re so deeply grateful to Him.

The Lord be with you and bless you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include another good-sized list of books.
Westminster Books has ESVs on sale this week. You’ll also find a discount on a book meant to provide daily liturgies.
(Yesterday on the blog: Seasons of Sorrow: A Special Pre-Order Offer)
A Crucial Court Case Exposes the Darkness of America’s Worst Industry
This is difficult to read, but important at the same time. Let’s not allow ourselves to be fooled about the reality of pornography.
From Rage to Repentance
“Hamid unexpectedly walked in just as the service was beginning. At once I felt anxious chills in the back of my head and neck, my body’s way of telling me that it feels threatened.” Here’s an encouraging dispatch from Central Asia.
Whip the Devil with the Golden Chain
“Foreknew Predestined Called Justified Glorified. These five words capture the drama of redemption. The salvation God gives is all-encompassing—we are cocooned into the grace of God from eternity past to eternity future. Each link is an act of God to bring us into his grace, keep us in his grace, and bring us into eternal life on the New Earth. Grace upon grace.”
How to become a Calvinist in 5 easy steps:
This is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek (yet also not altogether unheard of) way to become a Calvinist.
A community response to an adverse event
“Recently I was attacked while walking along a beach near our friends’ place out of town.” Thankfully Tamie was not hurt. In this article she relays how justice and restitution can look different in a different culture.
Look for Your Moral Blind Spots
“We all have blind spots preventing us from pursuing true, biblical justice.” This article at STR explains why it’s important to look for our own moral blind spots.
Flashback: The Utter Devastation of Sin
Sin isn’t here for a moment and then gone. No, sin is so evil that it leaves its lingering scent behind.

I recently announced my forthcoming book Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God. In the weeks and months that followed the death of my son Nick, I wrote a series of meditations, some of which I shared through this blog, but many of which I did not. As that first year drew to a close and I came to the first anniversary, I wrote one final meditation, then sent it all to my publisher in the hope that it would be able to bless and serve others. The result is Seasons of Sorrow which will be published on September 13. The book is not a thorough theology of grief or an exhaustive tome on suffering, but neither is it meant to be. It is a real-time, first-person, present-tense series of reflections on the pain that comes with loss and the comfort that God provides. It is my fervent prayer that it will give help, hope, and comfort to others who are enduring hardship as well as to those who may be seeking to help them.

Today I want to tell you about a pre-order offer that we’ve just managed to put together. If you pre-order the book through Westminster Books, you will also receive a printed edition of some supplemental material (while supplies last—one per order). It includes additional chapters along with some especially meaningful quotes and poems from other authors. This has all been printed as a softcover book that combines the words with some beautiful images. It’s a neat little product in its own right that settles nicely alongside the book. (If you have already pre-ordered through Westminster Books, you will receive it automatically.)

Once again, the request from the publisher is this: If you intend to order the book anyway, please consider pre-ordering it as this helps the retailers gauge interest in it.
Please also consider joining Alistair Begg, CityAlight, and yours truly at a special launch event in Nashville.
If you choose to pre-order the book elsewhere or prefer non-printed material, you can still receive the bonus book in a downloadable format through the Seasons of Sorrow site. Simply fill out the small form there and it will be sent to you.
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Logos users will want to take a look at this month’s free and nearly free books.

Meanwhile, there’s a nice collection Kindle deals to sort through today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Cast Your Burden Upon the Lord)
It can’t be both depending on how we feel
Stephen points out one of the massive contradictions among those who are pro-choice.
New Resolve After 55 Years in My Wheelchair
Joni Eareckson Tada reflects on the anniversary of the Disabilities Act and tells how great a difference it has made in her life.
God’s Plan Was Better Than My Plan
Micheal tells of one of those times when–difficult though it was–God’s plan was better than his own.
How Job Teaches Us to Grieve With Hope
“When deep pain and sorrow come into our lives, we experience a crossroads of sorts. We can either turn away from the Lord—deciding that God is not who he says he is and that he is holding out on us in some way— or we draw closer to God, believing that God’s character is unchanging and is always good”
How Harry Emerson Fosdick’s ‘Open Membership’ Overtook the Northern Baptist Convention
This is a good look at an interesting little piece of church history.
What Your Eyes Have Seen
“The human eye finds no match for its intricacies. High-end cameras still can’t compare to the technology found in this tiny little organ. Photographers who capture gorgeous landscapes must grapple with focus, dynamic range, filters, color consistency, and brightness adjustments to match the scene that lays before them. Our eyes do this all in an instant.”
Flashback: A Picture of Perfect Rest
…the rest God promises and the rest we enjoy comes amid the battle, not outside of it, during the race, not only after we have resigned. It is a rest that comes amid the turmoil, that flows when circumstances are dire, that rises up when hearts sink low.