John Mark Hicks

Psalm 26 is a plea for grace and a thanksgiving for God’s response. The heart that trusts God rather than the heart that devises evil is heard, and the people who meditate on the works of God rather than those who pursue their own evil works are heard. God is not silent. God responds, evil […]

Whom shall I fear? There is only one thing that I want and that is to sit in the house of the Lord, inquire of the Lord, and wait to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27 is a confidence song, a song of trust. Though surrounded by […]

“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.” Psalm 20:7. Israel prays for their king but trusts Yahweh to provide rather than military might. Israel does not boast about its military, but boasts about their covenant God who saves the Messiah, and through the […]

This PDF provides a history of Lent, a theology of Lent, and some theological suggestions for preaching the lectionary texts of 2026.

Post #3 Carthage, North Africa, in 197 CE. Tertullian describes a gathering of believers in Jesus for his Roman audience. “We pray, too, for the emperors, for their ministers and for all in authority, for the welfare of the world, for the prevalence of peace, for the delay of the final consummation.” (Oramus etiam pro […]

Post #2. Carthage, North Africa, in 197 CE. Tertullian describes a gathering of believers in Jesus for his Roman audience. “We meet together as a gathering and congregation, marshalling our troops to surround God with prayerful supplications. This force is pleasing to God” (Coimus in coetum et congregationem, ut ad deum quasi manu facta precationibus […]

When we pray against evil (as Psalm 140 does), Psalm 141 reminds us that our lips (words), heart, and actions must be aligned with God’s way or agenda. Before we pray against evil, we must first orient ourselves to the way of God and seek it. Psalm 141 prays for God’s protection and guidance as […]

The focus of Paul’s prayer is not that the Ephesians would be filled with information (though Paul does want them to understand the mystery of Christ and live with wisdom) but that they might be filled with the fullness of God. He prays that through the Spirit strengthening their inner persons and Christ dwelling in […]

Ephesians has two lengthy prayers. The first is in Ephesians 1:15-19, and the second is Ephesians 3:14-19. The first is followed by teaching material about God’s exaltation of Jesus to the right hand of God (1:20-23), and the second is followed by a doxology (3:20-21). Ephesians 1-3 begins with a doxology (1:3-14) and ends with […]

[An English version is available here.] Este salmo es el favorito de muchos. Los primeros dieciocho versículos son algunas de las descripciones más íntimas y elevadas de la relación Dios-humano en el Salterio. La mayoría lo encuentra reconfortante, incluso afirmativo. Pero luego nos golpea una sacudida cuando leemos el Salmo 139:19-22. ¿Qué tiene eso que […]