'prayer' Tagged Posts (Page 5)
Daily Devotions: November 27, 2019
November 27, 2019 For full passage click: Philippians 4:4-9 … “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” vs. 6 Thanksgiving Eve has become a favorite time for interfaith services. It seems that we can, for at least one day, put aside differences and concentrate on that which we have in common. And that’s a good thing! All of us, regardless of religious affiliation, receive amazing…
Daily Devotions: November 6, 2019
November 6, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 17:6-9 “Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me.” vss. 8-9 We live in a dangerous world and the Psalmist knew it. Likely he’d experienced the pain and suffering that can come our way. He craved the assurance of God’s protection in time of danger and so do we all! We know…
Daily Devotions: July 28, 2019
July 28, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 11:4-13 …“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” vs. 13 According to Luke, Jesus says some important things about answered prayer to his disciples. Evidently they had the same questions as many of us. As soon as we start talking about prayer the conversation often shifts to the…
Daily Devotions: July 27, 2019
July 27, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 11:1-4 …“He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’” vs. 1 There is a poem by James Montgomery that has been set to music and can be found in many collections of hymns. The lyrics speak to the essence of prayer: “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed, the…
The Spiritual Practice of Prayer
The Spiritual Practice of Prayer… Prayer may be the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about spiritual practices. And it should be – prayer is the oxygen of our life as Christians. Without prayer in our lives we are merely observers of a relationship with God rather than participants. Why do I say that?… As in any relationship, our relationship with God can never grow if there is not some level of communication. Prayer is that means of…
Daily Devotions: April 24, 2019
April 24, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 118:21-29 …“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” vs. 24 An increasing number of people are uncomfortable using religious language in their daily lives; some because they don’t believe in God, and others because they have abandoned religion in favor of what they call ‘spirituality.’ As a result, they are limited in their ability to express wonder at the sheer gift of life.…
Daily Devotions: February 15, 2019
February 15, 2019 To read passage click: Luke 6:17-19 …“They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.” vs. 18 During his ministry, Jesus functioned both as a teacher and a healer. Luke says that great multitudes of people gathered to hear him speak and to seek healing from various diseases, and he didn’t let them down. They eagerly received his words of insight and wisdom…
Daily Devotions: February 6, 2019
February 6, 2019 To read full passage click: Psalm 138:1-4 …“On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.” vs. 3 Even though countless books have been written about prayer and its efficacy, we still wonder from time to time if it really makes any difference. Often we pray for God’s intervention and nothing seems to happen. Answers are unsatisfying and we question whether God has even heard. Presumably, the psalmist had similar experiences; but…
Daily Devotions: December 22, 2018
December 22, 2018 To read full passage click: Luke 1:39-42 …“And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.’” vss. 41b-42 The scriptures report that Mary, though initially concerned about her son’s mission, became closely associated with his disciples after his death and resurrection. It even seems that by the time Luke wrote his gospel, some had begun to recognize her special…
Daily Devotions: October 10, 2018
October 10, 2018 Psalm 90:12-17 …“Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil.” vs. 15 The psalmist isn’t asking for the moon here, his request is simple, “O Lord, may we at least have as many good days as bad days in life.” We can understand his thinking because sometimes it seems as though things have gotten out of balance. So, if we’ve had a string of years…
Daily Devotions: October 9, 2018
October 9, 2018 Amos 5:12-15 …“Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.” vs. 13 These words from Amos seem a bit strange in their context. He’s been railing against injustice and taking shots at the excesses of the wealthy. We’d expect that he would encourage his listeners to speak up and join the crusade. But he doesn’t do that. Instead, he says that the prudent will keep silent in such a…
Daily Devotions: September 27, 2018
September 27, 2018 James 5:13-15 …“Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” vs. 14 James opens a window into the life of the early Christian community and gives us a glimpse of an early faith practice that has persisted until our time. Always, in every place, followers of Jesus have offered prayers for the sick. We wonder…