The first petition in the Lord’s Prayer is that God’s name be hallowed. The second petition, “Your Kingdom come,” builds on the first by showing us how God’s name is hallowed in the world. God reveals His character and reputation as His Kingdom spreads to every corner of the earth and as citizens of that…
The Purpose of Prayer
The function of prayer is… to change the nature of the one who prays. — Søren Kierkegaard Scripture shows us many types of interactions with God. We see Jacob wrestling with God for hours, and Job overcome with doubt and bitterness in His presence. We see Moses’ fearful excuses and Jonah’s stubborn resistance. Then…
Hope During Unemployment
I lost my job! I was jolted by my husband’s words. Later that morning when he arrived home, I hugged him, then listened to him share the details of this unexpected happening. His position was eliminated due to budget cuts in defense spending. I encouraged him to take time to grieve the loss of his job. Over the…
Prayer Combats Worry
Editor’s Note: In 1964, Margaret Fishback Powers wrote poem called, “Footprints”. It’s become a well-known and widely loved poem that has reminded those who read it and re-read it that the Lord will never, ever leave us in the hardest of times. In fact, if we allow Him, He’s happy to carry the heavy…
Compelled to Pray
Compelled by Problems in Our World Daniel’s prayer pulsates with this type of emotional conviction. His life for sixty-seven years had been difficult at best. As an old man, he lived through another violent regime change as the Medo-Persian Empire overthrew the Babylonians. His position was uncertain under the new ruler. He may have…
Are You Painting Your Masterpiece with My Pain?
Honest Prayers for The Darkest Times Dear God, I was making a list of things I know for sure, but when I went to write “God loves me,” I couldn’t — it felt like a lie. I believe You love me, but I don’t know it. I think You do. Your book says You…
Thanks, Just the Word Lifts the Spirit
I’m thankful for… Andy. He’s the dog Denalyn rescued from the shelter. Rangy as a coyote when we got him. He’s chubby now. He jumps into bed with us every morning and scampers through the yard like a deer in the pasture when we come home. Bald spots. I was standing in line at…
Your Spark and God’s Calling
Our calling changes and evolves over the years as we grow and our circumstances change. My calling, during my high school years, was to connect with that spark, to develop a lifelong spirit of determination, and to learn grit, gumption, and scrappiness. Those virtues served me well in my callings that followed — as…
This Throne Room Prayer Changes Everything
What’s the one prayer that is spoken every day, every hour, every minute, even now? It’s a simple but potent prayer tucked into the book of Revelation. The beloved disciple, John, finds himself trapped on the island of Patmos. He blinks and suddenly sees an open door. A familiar voice beckons, “Come up here”…
How Are You Praying for Our Leaders?
Since our nation’s very first days, God’s greatest movements in our midst have been fashioned and sustained by prayer, from the signing of our earliest documents, to our triumphs over days of darkness, to the spiritual awakenings that have sustained our faith and resolve over the centuries. Throughout Scripture and throughout our history as a…