Prayer has always been the way God has chosen to show himself strong on behalf of those who called upon him. If prayer is that powerful and has that kind of value, then the practice and habit of prayer ought to set a whole new direction for each of us. The brief expositions that followContinue reading “Can You Hear Me Yet?”
Category Archives: Prayer
If We Had Nothing Else to Be Thankful For
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Psalm 119:28 Heavenly Father, whether we’re “feelin’ the love,” or are in a difficult place, we want to wage war against comparing, coveting, and carping. If we had nothing else to be grateful for, you’ve already givenContinue reading “If We Had Nothing Else to Be Thankful For”
Weeping Over Kenosha
I feel—as I imagine you do—the dismay and sadness over what’s happening in and to our city. People’s lives here have been forever changed. A man likely paralyzed. A police officer’s reputation at stake. Fires burning. Businesses boarded up. People having to evacuate their homes. Most of us live here. Many of us grew upContinue reading “Weeping Over Kenosha”
11 School Prayers
The following is a collection of prayers related to the start of school. As both a professor of worship and a parent of two school-age children, I tried to imagine the sorts of things that parents and kids, teachers, school administrators, and community leaders might be feeling in light of the unpredictable realities that faceContinue reading “11 School Prayers”
August marks six years since ISIS rose to power
August marks a dark anniversary. Six years ago, ISIS captured the Nineveh plains in Iraq, including the city of Mosul. They captured and killed Yazidi and Christian men and women with savage zealotry. Thousands lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands were displaced. Many still haven’t returned home. The official position of most governments involved isContinue reading “August marks six years since ISIS rose to power”
Prayers for Beirut after huge blast leaves at least 100 dead
Christians are being asked to pray for victims and their loved ones after a gigantic blast tore through Beirut’s port area on Tuesday night, killing at least a hundred people and injuring thousands. The Middle East Council of Churches said it was “devastated Beirut is facing a tragedy”. “Let’s stand together. Let’s rescue the woundedContinue reading “Prayers for Beirut after huge blast leaves at least 100 dead”
Praying for Our Children
As a father, I try to make it a habit to pray for my children each day before they even crawl out of bed. Before they’ve begun their day, I want to have already asked the Lord to bless, keep, and prosper them. Praying for my children was on my mind as I read thisContinue reading “Praying for Our Children”
Servants, Not Sheriffs
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else… Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? Rom. 2:1–4 Heavenly Father, this passage underscores how much we’ll need the Gospel every day this new weekContinue reading “Servants, Not Sheriffs”
If Ever I Have Longed for My Bed
Yesterday I returned from a journey. It was not a particularly long one—just a week at a little vacation home five hours away. But even at the end of a relatively short journey, it was a joy to return to my home, to my place, to my bed. And it got me thinking about thisContinue reading “If Ever I Have Longed for My Bed”
Accepting Change Gracefully
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Heb. 13:8 Dear Jesus, I really don’t like change. I like newness, excitement, and adventure; but when it’s all said and done, I love to come home to the normal, comfortable, and predictable. But normalcy, as we’ve known it, has “crashed and burned” in the firstContinue reading “Accepting Change Gracefully”
