Are we to thank God for everything– or in everything? In Ephesians 5:20 the apostle Paul describes giving thanks for all things as one of four evidences of being controlled by the Spirit of God. By contrast to being under in influence of alcohol, Paul describes those who are filled with the Spirit as: Speaking […]
Looking back, it seems that life is full of answered and unanswered prayers. It’s clear that, as a wise Father who for our good thinks in ways far beyond our ability, our God has every right and responsibility to say “Yes,” “No,” or “Not Yet.” But how, as we live with unanswered requests, can we […]
In the public trauma of 911, religious leaders gathered for an interfaith public prayer service. While Muslim clerics prayed for the United States in the name of Allah, some Christian leaders did not begin or end their prayers in the name of Jesus. I remember a well known author and pastor who, in a 2002 […]
Go public with faith-based actions. Hide them. Which is it supposed to be? Jesus taught his disciples to do both: To go public with the good that they did. To keep their good actions as a secret between themselves and God. How are we supposed to sort that out? In the Lord’s Sermon on the […]
Paul’s strategy for spiritual battle ends with a call to intercede for one another in prayer (Eph 6:18). It’s a humbling thought… to realize that we are dependent not only on God, but on each another-even to the point that, while being accountable for our wrong thoughts and choices, we cannot take credit for the […]
My computer went down yesterday. Tried to fix it myself. Made things worse. Now can’t even boot it up. Am hoping I didn’t lose a bunch of photos and articles I haven’t backed up. Using my wife’s now just to stay in touch. Real smart. Wasn’t doing back-ups. Then too impatient to wait a couple […]
“Our Father, At the end of another day, we come to you not just by ourselves– but together. Many of us will readily admit that you have given us again today far more than we deserve. But some of us find ourselves reeling with news that we have not yet been able to understand or […]
We recently talked about the fact that there is a logic to faith even as there is also a mystery. According to the disciple who not only walked on water for a few seconds, but later denied that he ever even knew Jesus, faith expresses itself first in a desire and choice for virtue…rather than […]
When Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father, who is in heaven…,” he is encouraging us to bring our daily needs to his Father. The second half of this brief model prayer teaches us to say, “… give us, forgive us… and lead us…” (Haddon Robinson gives the most helpful summary explanation I have ever […]
When it comes to prayer, less can be more. A few words expressed from the heart, can be far more meaningful and timely than an hour spent covering a long list of praises, confessions, requests, and intercessions. Who hasn’t been bored to death by long prayers that are less than heart to heart communication? We’ve […]
