Prayer
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There are those times when God just doesn’t seem to be there. It’s really as if the darkness does hide him. These words from Job are powerful: 8 Look, I go east; he’s not there, west, and don’t discover him; 9 north in his activity, and I don’t grasp him; he turns south, and I don’t see.… Read more
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We don’t often look into the “minor prophets.” It’s “flyover country” for us. They are too far removed. They are too “mean.” We have all kinds of excuses. Habakkuk gives us some insight into prophetic complaining. He has a case against God and he is willing to voice it. 2 How long, Lord, must I call for… Read more
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This particular article by Richard Stearns captures the dream that has been stirring in my heart. I only wish I had been able to find a way to act on the stirring as well as the pastor in the story. But that dream is still there. I’ve known in my heart the shift that has… Read more
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1 Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 2 May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. (Ps. 72:1-2, NIV) And a prayer for the mission of the Church: Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified:… Read more
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Bill Mounce has some great thoughts on learning to pray. “Please notice how the discussion starts: “Pray then like this.” The Lord’s Prayer was never intended to be mindlessly repeated as if it were some magical incantation. It is not to be recited in church while we were thinking of who is playing football this afternoon. In… Read more
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I am preparing for my Acts class this week and find myself in Acts 19, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. The sons of Sceva always intrigue me. They are the picture of spiritual formulas. This is the picture we get when we are so caught up in the design of a program… Read more
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The news sometimes seems to pile up. A man chases down his wife and kills her. Then, he turns the gun on himself and commits suicide. Not long before this, another man did almost the exact same thing. People living in pain and anger. Rage that simmers beneath the surface, then explodes. In the middle… Read more
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From The Daily Office (which, it turns out, has nothing to do with the sitcom on NBC): Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Catholic (universal) Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it… Read more
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A few translations on Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (NIV) Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (ESV) Enjoy the Lord, and he will give what your heart asks. (CEB) Our extreme pleasure should be found in the Lord. Read more
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if you open your heart to the hungry, and provide abundantly for those who are afflicted, your light will shine in the darkness, and your gloom will be like the noon. (Isa. 58:10, CEB) When do we find freedom in our own lives? We all live broken lives in some way. Yet, in Christ, we… Read more
Apprentice 2 Jesus 