Peoria Prayer Center

What’s the objective here? What happens when you break through? The objective is what we are tying to accomplish, the goal, the target. When it comes to discipleship we often think that being a great Christian is being the best person we can be. But that’s far from what God desires. Sadly, to the self, being fulfilled is not anywhere close to being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Yes, I know that we spin things around so that early on Christ followers are carried along by the goal of self-fulfillment. We teach them and encourage them in how to obtain a new and rewarding life. We motivate them with prosperity, grand spiritual gifts (spiritual gifts are grand) and hopes of being a world changer. But we don’t tell them we mean "change their world", we let them think we mean “the world.” So, this redneck mystic wants to shout out what I personally feel is the real objective, the real goal of Christianity. Transformation! Look good on the outside ...

I have been teaching and writing on intimacy with God for some time now. Below is a portion of that work. My goal is to share some over looked aspects of life with God. Aspects that might help people awaken, be revived or renewed in their pursuit of God. Overcome. You can do it. You can overcome everything you need to. God has provision and power waiting for you, to help you. Your journey will include wholeness and balance. Wholeness and Balanced Growth [i] God is good at what He does. He knows how to bring us into wholeness and health. Here is an example. To awaken our calling He brings someone into our life (relationship) that is a challenge to us (Inner life). Over time this person motivates us to call on the Lord more and more. As we long for God to deal with them, God deals with us. Our response, we get more irritated and impatient with God’s lack of focus. “I’m not the problem here, why can’t God just help me?” After even more time, we surrender to God. A surre...

Light – You were made for this! Light is the first created thing. Light is at the end of the story. Gen 1:3  Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. In the end, created light is consumed in the eternal lite. Life as we know it changes. The Lord becomes the light. Rev 22:5   And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.   Our lives parallel this process. When we are born, we are birthed into the created light, into this world. As we are reborn in Christ Jesus our illumination changes. We learn to see what cannot be seen. We are illuminated, directed, kept safe by an uncreated eternal light. But the final goal is not the plan. The plan is the pathway of transformation, of illumination. All who are being changed into the image of Christ Jesus are called to be light for t...

When we walk with Jesus, life doesn’t have so many distractions, last minute changes and unmet expectations. All those anxiety builders are put in their place the closer you walk with God. Life is easier to navigate, because you are following a set course and not feeling the pressure to make your own way. Even when that course changes direction every fifteen minutes, you have assurance in the one leading. People who have never experienced this kind of walk with God will tell you it is not possible. People who serve the Lord passionately, will sometimes tell us that life is just full of anxiety, stress and unexpected demands, but this is not true. Anxiety and stress come from our disconnection with God. When the peace of God rules our heart and mind, we live in peace. Being near God alters darkness and confusion. Even in moments where we don’t know what to do, we know that being close to God is what we should do, and we have peace in the “not knowing.” Life has more rest then w...

Got a minute? You can change the world. Well maybe not the world. But maybe one life. Follow the Peoria Prayer Center blog or facebook page. Check out R A Torrey's book on prayer with spiritual formation insight from Rod.

What’s going on? Who’s knocking on your door? What if “what’s going on is not what’s going on? What if we are caught up in a story that is mostly NOT the real story of our lives? Let’s say you and I are like the two children in the book, “The Cat in the Hat.” We’re setting around, somewhat board, but not unhappy with our lives. OK, we’re a little unhappy with the day, the present moment. But for the most part, we have great lives. Then…. The Cat in the Hat By Dr. Seuss The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house All that cold, cold, wet day. I sat there with Sally. We sat there, we two. And I said, “How I wish We had something to do!” Do you recall what happened next? In came a cat in a hat. The cat in the hat was the driving force in the lives of Sally and Conrad from then on. And what did that cat do? He brought in thing 1 and thing 2. Two kids, trying to make it through a day got sideswiped by a cat and a couple of things....

Pray Need help to pray? Here is a prayer adventure that seeks to connect your life with God. In the 17 pages of this booklet you will find directions and reflective questions. There should be enough material here to help your prayer life for weeks and weeks. Need more help with Prayer?  Want a great book? Amazon has the book by R A Torrey and I added some prayer helps.