The book I quoted from is titled Lightning From the East: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship by Timothy Slemmons.

Additional resources on prayer that I’d recommend are:

Prayer by Tim Keller

Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney

Understanding Prayer by Sam Storms

Valley of Vision

1. If God is not a person, how can he know you, and know your past and future?
2. How can he hear/answer prayers when he was never a human?
3. How can you know God is real when no one has ever seen God, and that Jesus was just a miracle?
4. How can I answer questions that my kids ask?

Nathan, thank you for your questions. Here are some of my thoughts in response to your questions.

First, regarding your statements about God not being a person and never being a human, as Christians, we believe that in Jesus Christ, God did become man. So Jesus throws a wrench into both of your statements about God.

Additionally, Jesus, in being God, both shows God as a person and a human. And though there are many miraculous things about Jesus, Jesus is more than a miracle. He is God. To demote him to a miracle is to not recognize his divinity (or Godness).

One final thought about Jesus. Though no one has ever seen God the Father, in the gospel of John we read…

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18 NIV)

In Jesus, though we haven’t seen God with our eyes, we can know what God is like.

Second, though not human, the Father and the Spirit are the other two persons who, along with Jesus, make the Trinity. Early on, the early Christians had to wrestle with two truths: 1) There is only One God, and 2) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each God. This is where the doctrine of the Trinity comes in, which articulates our belief in One God who is Three Persons.

Third, regarding God knowing our past and future, this is part of the doctrine known as God’s omniscience or that God knows all things. Isaiah 46:9-10 state…

Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God!  I am God, and there is none like me. ¹⁰ Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. 

About God’s knowledge of us as individuals, Jeremiah 1:5 states…

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” 

The first half of the verse applies to all of us, while the second half (being appointed a prophet) was specifically for Jeremiah. My point is that in these verses, and many more, we find ample evidence that God not only knows all things, but he knows each of us intimately, and because of his knowledge, he is able to hear and answer our prayers as he sees fit.

Finally, regarding how to answer questions your kids may ask, the greatest piece of advice I can give you, especially if their questions are spiritual or faith-based questions, is to read and study the Bible so you can give them answers based on the truth. I know it’s a big book and can be intimidating for many. That’s why also being part of a Bible-based church and getting into biblical community with others to read and study the Bible are also key.

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What a great question! Essentially, what’s being asked is “How do I take Scripture and turn it into a prayer?” Below, I’ll use Isaiah 43 as an example, but as far as “rules” go, the only thing to make sure of is 1) to not make something into a guaranteed promise if it isn’t in Scripture and 2) to be careful to not apply something to us today that was for a specific individual/nation in the past.

Here’s an example using Isaiah 43 as a prayer for your child.

Isaiah 43:1-3a (NLT)

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.

O Israel, the one who formed you says,

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

I have called you by name; you are mine.

2 When you go through deep waters,

I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty,

you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression,

you will not be burned up;

the flames will not consume you.

3 For I am the Lord, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Prayer: God, you created my child. You formed them in the womb. My child has claimed belief in you, which means you’ve ransomed him/her. You have purchased their salvation on the cross. You have called him/her by name. You have said, “He/she is mind.” Father, right now, ___ is going through the deep waters of life. Rivers of difficulty are surrounding him/her. It’s as if he/she’s in a fire of oppression. So I’m asking you, Lord, my and his/her God, the Holy One of Israel and the only Savior, to reveal to him/her how you are with them, for you have promised to never leave nor forsake him/her. Help them to know of your saving presence. Help him/her to tangibly see how they are not drowning because you are keeping their head above water; you’re keeping the flames of the fiery trials from scorching them. You do this because you love ___. May he/she know your love more deeply and intimately because of this season of life. And may I, his/her parent, know your love more deeply and intimately as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

That’s an example using just the first two and a half verses. But it could continue through the rest of the psalm. When you come to a verse where there’s no specific direct application to your situation, just skip it. It’s OK to do so. This is between you and God anyway. He understands and is delighted in you spending time in prayer with him.

I want to begin with a few comments about the Bible verses quoted in the question.

First, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths” isn’t the entire verse. In fact, Paul shows us that his statement isn’t culturally specific, but is rooted in being transformed by faith in Christ. For he writes…

You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 NET)

In no culture is it appropriate to allow unwholesome words to come out of your mouth. And, in all cultures, it is wholesome to speak words that build up others.

Second, “neither…the effeminate… shall inherit the kingdom of God” is from the King James Version (KJV). If you don’t know, the KJV uses English from centuries ago, which can make it challenging to interpret as we impose modern English definitions on a non-modern translation.

Here are some modern English translations of the entire passage being quoted (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – ESV

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, 10 thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – NET

These modern translations shift our focus from masculinity or femininity (which is what comes to mind with the KJV’s use of “effeminate”) and show us that the verse is focused on sexually immoral behavior. And the morality or immorality of sexual behavior is not dependent upon the culture in which we live, but is based on the authority of God’s Word.

Finally, regarding what the Bible does say about men, women, and what they wear, I’d suggest considering Deuteronomy 22:5 (though carefully, as it’s easy to become legalistic in defining which clothes are men’s and which are women’s).

Regarding the topics of transgenderism and transvestitism, two different issues by the way, the primary biblical categories to consider are God as Creator and that of lying (especially as it pertains to the ninth commandment).

As Christians, we believe that God is the Creator of everyone and everything. Just as he had Adam name all of the creatures in the Garden, God has an even greater authority over all of his creation. Those he creates as men are men. Those he creates as women are women. God, not us, has the final say on who we are sexually (and gender, for those who separate sex and gender).

Regarding lying and the ninth commandment, the Westminster Larger Catechism question 144 asks, “What does the ninth commandment require?” It’s answer…

The ninth commandment requires that we maintain and promote truthfulness in our dealings with each other, and the good reputation of others as well as ourselves. We must come forward and stand up for the truth, speaking the truth and nothing but the truth from our hearts, sincerely, freely, clearly, and without equivocation, not only in all matters relating to the law and justice but in any and every circumstance whatsoever. We must have a charitable regard for others, loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good reputation as well as regretting and putting the best light on their failings. We must freely acknowledge their talents and gifts, defending their innocence, readily receiving a good report about them and reluctantly admitting a bad one. We should discourage gossips, flatterers, and slanderers; we should love and protect our own good reputation and defend it when necessary; we should keep every lawful promise we make no matter what; and finally we should do the best we can to focus our lives and thoughts on things that are true, noble, lovely, and admirable.

Question 145 asks, “What particular sins does the ninth commandment forbid?” It’s answer…

The ninth commandment forbids everything detrimental to the truth and the good reputation of others as well as our own, with special reference to legal matters in the courts. We must not give untrue evidence, suborn perjury, knowingly appear and plead on behalf of an evil cause, or engage in overbearing and boastful exaggeration. We should never participate in passing an unjust sentence, call evil good or good evil, or reward the wicked in a way appropriate to the righteous or the righteous in a way appropriate to the wicked. Forgery is forbidden, as is concealing the truth, remaining silent in a just cause, and not taking it on ourselves to reprove or complain to others about some wrong. We must not speak the truth at an inappropriate time, or maliciously to promote a wrong purpose, nor pervert it into a wrong meaning, into ambiguous equivocations, or in such ways as to undermine truth and justice. Also forbidden are: saying anything untrue, as well as lying, slandering, backbiting, belittling, gossiping, whispering, ridiculing, reviling, and expressing any kind of judgmental opinion that is rash, harsh, or prejudiced; misconstruing intentions, words, and actions; flattery and ostentatious boasting; thinking or speaking too highly or too poorly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts of God or the effects of his grace on us; exaggerating the significance of trivial faults; concealing, excusing, or rationalizing our sinful behavior when we are called to confess it voluntarily; gratuitously revealing the problems and failings of others; spreading false rumors, receiving and approving evil reports, and refusing to listen to a just defense; harboring evil suspicions; being envious of or grieved by the deserved honors others receive, trying to discredit those honors, and rejoicing at someone else’s disgrace or evil reputation; scornful contempt and foolish admiration; breaking our lawful promises; and, finally, failing to promote everyone’s good name, and doing, not avoiding, or not hindering in others, as we can, those things that give people a bad name.

If, as Christians, we believe that God created everyone and everything and that his words are true, just as he is Truth, then, when it comes to human sexuality, God’s truth of who we are must influence our view of transgenderism and transvestitism. Especially if we want to obey the ninth commandment.

The people, as you rightly observe, must mean something more than slavery to another nation. For, indeed, they were slaves in Egypt. Not to mention them being conquered and subject to Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Syria, and Rome.

The Jews speaking to Jesus would have had more freedom under Roman rule than their ancestors had previously experienced. Yet they were a conquered, not free people, nonetheless.

So what did they mean by “we have never been enslaved to anyone?” I think we find a clue to the answer by following the conversation between the Jews and Jesus.

Jesus points out their contradiction of claiming Abraham as their father while not doing the works of Abraham (ie, living by true faith in God). They then argue that God is their Father. These are spiritual claims of freedom, which Jesus is trying to show them are untrue, for they are, in fact, spiritual slaves.

Jesus is pointing out to them that, just as they are not free from the rule of Rome, they are not spiritually free from the devil.

Yes. But for 99% of Gateway’s members, being an EPC member will mean little difference than just being a member of Gateway. Here’s why.

Gateway’s Church Constitution is the EPC’s constitution. As a local church, we don’t have separate governing documents from the EPC. The parts of the constitution that are denominationally focused matter little to those who are members in a local church and aren’t officers (elders or deacons).

As far as the EPC goes, members of local churches are simply a statistic for the denomination, indicating how many members are part of our denomination overall. Even non-members are included in our denomination’s statistics, as local EPC churches also report our average worship attendance, which is then totaled to produce an overall denominational worship attendance figure.

If you’re wondering, “But what about the 1%, those for whom being an EPC member will make a difference?” Beyond church officers, such as elders, who have rights and responsibilities at the denominational level, for the average church member, being a member of the EPC gives one confidence in knowing that they have a denomination to which they can appeal if they believe that the leaders of their local church have done something unbiblical. There’s a layer of protection, beyond the structure of the local church, for all members. Hopefully, this is a rare situation (thus my 1% analogy). Still, it should reassure members that the purity and holiness of the church matters, not just to the local church, but to the denomination of which they are part.

I understand the text before and after, but the portion of not needing to teach neighbors or relatives just felt confusing. Isn’t that evangelism?

Great question! In the previous covenants, the Old Covenants, God’s law wasn’t written on the hearts of his people. It was written on stone tablets. The promise in the New Covenant, as recorded by Jeremiah, is that God’s law will now be written on the hearts of his people instead of on stone tablets. That’s the key difference.

This means that all true believers will know the law, in the sense that it’s written on their hearts. Knowing, in this sense, means more than intellectual knowledge, but an intimacy with God where his desire (or law) for your life is now your desire. This is what it means for the Spirit of God to have impressed upon every Christian God’s law. Obviously, there’s still a need to be taught God’s Word, to be discipled, to repent when we sin, and so on…yet Jeremiah’s prophecy indicates that there will be a difference in the new covenant given that the law is now written on people’s hearts.

So what about unbelievers today? Given that they do not believe in Jesus, they do not have God’s law written on their heart (this comes after a person believes). Thus, we are to evangelize and share the gospel with them so that they might believe and have God’s law written on their heart.

Or, to explain it another way, unbelievers are not included in the words “neighbor” or “brother” in verse 34. Why? Because “neighbor” and “brother” would only include those who believe in Jesus in the context of Jeremiah’s words. Not every person living in a neighborhood or every relative in a specific family. They have a specific and limited meaning: those who believe in Jesus.

“If the disciples already had some faith, then why did Jesus say that’s still not enough faith? This is why this verse confused me until I found out what the mustard seed truly is. In the first century, the mustard plant was invasive. Once it took root in the garden, it spread fast. It crowded out and destroyed other plants. It dominated the soil until it owned the whole field. It was feared by farmers because it couldn’t be controlled. It became massive and it was impossible to get rid of. So when Jesus spoke and said, have faith as a mustard seed, his listeners at the time did not hear tiny. They thought uncontainable, invasive, dominating and unstoppable. This is the kind of faith Jesus was pointing to. Not just fragile or small, once planted, it spreads into every part of your life. It is unshakable and unwavering.”

From WHOA That’s Good Podcast
(Sep 29, 2025)

I had never heard this verse interpreted like this before so I was wondering what your thoughts were. Thanks! 

Unfortunately, none of the Bible dictionaries and other resources that I reviewed in my Logos Bible Software mentioned anything about the mustard seed becoming a plant that “dominated the soil until it owned the whole field” and the rest of the comments.

My resources do say things such as, “The tiny seed would grow into a remarkable size plant (anywhere from 4-15 feet tall)” and other such statements to show the drastic change from small to large, which is what Jesus is conveying in his statement.

Without knowing what resource the podcasters were getting their information from, there’s not much more that I can say for or against their point. Either way, their point that “This is the kind of faith Jesus was pointing to. Not just fragile or small, once planted, it spreads into every part of your life. It is unshakable and unwavering” is biblical, even if their facts about the mustard plant are inaccurate.

In my recent three-part series on How to Disagree (part 1, part 2, part 3), I talked a lot about maintaining unity while recognizing that there may be (most likely, are!) disagreements among us.

One thing I didn’t say is that we should practice division. What we should practice is unity despite disagreements we may have with one another on non-essential beliefs and/or practices. This is what Paul is stressing in Romans chapter 14 and into the beginning of chapter 15. And he makes it clear that disagreements don’t have to end in division for God’s people. In fact, maintaining, unity even while we disagree with one another on non-essentials, is quite possibly one of the strongest witnesses we can offer to an unbelieving world as to how following Jesus changes a person.

For our world is divided. Unity is no longer maintained simply by being from the same country or neighborhood. Unity is no longer maintained merely by being part of the same political party or the same church. Even rooting for the same sports team won’t keep folks united these days.

The question Paul is forcing us to answer is this: Will we follow the path of a divided and divisive world, or the path of our united and unifying God? For followers of Jesus, there is only one answer.

On the topic of fasting, I’d recommend the following resources where I’ve already covered the topic:

Fasting and Feasting

Podcast Episode 118: Q&A