When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:4 NLT) When it finally hits you. Other people can talk about it, other people can highlight it and other people can make it their issue, but it is only when […]
Read More Prayer For Change: There Is A NeedOne of the saddest things anyone can tell me is that talk is cheap. I know where they’re coming from. They have the emotional scars to prove it, so I don’t dispute that experience. It’s a sad thing to hear, because talk at it’s best is designed to be enriching, not cheap at all. In […]
Read More Talk Is RichThe conversation was not initiated by me. I didn’t even know He wanted to talk to me. I wasn’t concerned about Him at all. When I heard people talking to Him, I dismissed it as babbling. People would go on and on. Even though it was with great emotion and gusto, after a while it […]
Read More Prayer for Change: An Opening for a Walk and TalkThere’s a difference between a release valve and a redistribution mechanism. Sounds obvious when it’s written, but in practice it’s not the same. For example having taken on a week’s worth of work hassles and pressures on the job, some look forward to the end of the week having a drink or two (or more). […]
Read More The Release ValveThere is something about being in their company. There was food. Decent food too. Drinking. Good drinks too. One person would ask a question and before in no time at all there was a conversational flow. Sometimes autobiographical, sometimes instructional, sometimes humorous, sometimes profound. There was no obligation to speak – it was voluntary. One […]
Read More When We Gather … A Few Key IngredientsThere’s something that’s been intriguing me about something Jesus says. I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. (Luke 11:8) The thing that’s been bugging me is Jesus’ encouragement to keep […]
Read More Keep KnockingWho are you talking to? Helping out people who are doing their English exams, one of the questions will ask them to compose a piece of writing, maybe a letter or an article. One of the key questions they answer to assist them in excelling is that question: Who are you talking to? The audience […]
Read More Praying In the Secret Life Of SaintsIt’s weird when I think about. There’s really nothing about me that would make me someone who is naturally inclined to enjoy prayer meetings. Growing up in a church background I genuinely found prayer and prayer meetings to be among the most boring parts of the Christian practices to which I was exposed. I remember […]
Read More Prayer, People and PersistencePraying on my own has a lot of pleasant aspects to it. I do love it. What I have grown to enjoy all the more this year, however, is the real joy to be found in praying with others. I love what others bring to prayer, how they pray and the insights they share in […]
Read More Grateful for PrayerA group of us met recently to look at the issue of prayer. A simple question was asked as to what was the stereotypical perspective on prayer. In the group was a range of ages from the very young to the not so very young and the responses that came back were to be expected. […]
Read More Holy Habits: Prayer
