Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 11051 How long should a prayer be? It is a question that many Christians feel but few ask, partly because it sounds slightly embarrassing to admit uncertainty about something so basic. Yet it matters, because wrong assumptions about prayer length can produce guilt, pretence, and a distorted understanding of what prayer actually is. What…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 11046 Every Christian has heard it thousands of times. Prayers end with it, hymns close with it, and congregations say it together as naturally as breathing. But what does “Amen” actually mean, and why do we say it? The Meaning of the Word The word Amen (Hebrew: אָמֵן, ‘amen; Greek: ἀμήν, amēn) derives from…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 11047 The phrase “in Jesus’ name” at the close of a prayer is so familiar that it can become an unthinking formula, a verbal punctuation mark before “Amen.” But it originates in something Jesus Himself said, and understanding what He meant transforms how we pray. What Jesus Actually Said The instruction comes from Jesus’…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 02020 Should Christians direct their prayers to the Father, to Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit? The question is not trivial, because it touches on the doctrine of the Trinity and the practical outworking of that doctrine in the believer’s devotional life. Getting the answer wrong does not invalidate prayer, but understanding the biblical…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 12029 The transgender movement did not emerge from nowhere. It has intellectual roots, ideological commitments, and a traceable history that stretches back further than most people realise. Understanding where the movement came from is not an exercise in conspiracy thinking. It is essential for the church to engage the ideas critically rather than simply…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 12060 Money is one of the subjects Jesus addressed most frequently, and debt is woven into the fabric of modern Western life in ways that would have been unimaginable to the biblical authors. Mortgages, student loans, credit cards, car finance, and business borrowing are so normalised that many Christians never stop to ask whether…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 12011 The question of charging interest on loans has a long history in Christian ethics, and it is one where the biblical evidence requires careful handling. For centuries, the church debated whether any interest was permissible, and the Old Testament passages on the subject continue to generate discussion among believers who want to handle…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 11038 The question of whether Christians should leave an inheritance is one that touches on stewardship, family responsibility, generosity, and the purpose of wealth. Scripture has direct things to say about passing on resources to the next generation, and the principles involved are worth understanding clearly. Inheritance as a Biblical Principle The Bible speaks…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 12012 The question of whether Christians can be landlords has become increasingly sharp in a culture where housing costs are a source of genuine hardship for many. Some voices suggest that profiting from another person’s need for shelter is inherently exploitative. Scripture, however, does not support so sweeping a conclusion, though it has a…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 11034 Student debt has become a defining financial reality for millions of people, and Christians entering higher education face the same practical calculations as everyone else. The question is whether Scripture has anything to say about taking on educational debt, and how believers should think about borrowing, obligation, and the stewardship of their financial…