God, on this inauguration day we come to you almost breathless. We have lived through so much that tested us, exhausted us, and called us to action in ways we never would have expected. We have watched our Muslims friends be barred from entering our country and protests at airports. We have watched children from …
prayer
Prayer for the Grieving Mother
Today, October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day. I’m lighting a candle alongside so many of you for all the children in my life who could have been. In the deepest points of my pain of child loss and infertility in 2011, I found myself on a plane headed toward Israel on an …
When You’ve Lost a Child
One of the deepest heartaches for any parent is the loss of a child. No matter if the child was a grown adult, a school aged student or a still-born infant . . . I would even add to this list that there’s also great pain in the loss of a child who did not …
An Inauguration Day Prayer for the Heartbroken
Holy God, The hearts of so many Americans are breaking today. A bully with undisciplined tongue– a man who does not show regard for any who do not look or think exactly like him will be our new President. (TEARS) So, today, we’ll try to go about our day as normal to give it less …
Why Pray?
As a child growing up in an evangelical branch of the church, I was taught that prayer was talking to God. It was right to give thanks to God for food. (God is great. God is good, anyone?) I was encouraged to pray for those who were going through difficult times. (There’s nothing longer than …
A Prayer for Brussels. A Prayer for All of Us.
Our hearts are overwhelmed this morning as we woke to the news of another act of terror. Another mass attack. Another senseless taking of lives. How can it be? Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. How could this happen to the innocent again? How could this happen in an airport? How could this happen …
A Blizzard Prayer from DC
Lord, The weather folks make it sound like Jesus is coming back this storm is going to be so bad. First 12 inches, then 18, and now they say 30! Is that even possible? From our airwaves, we’ve heard: “Prepare promptly.” It will be the worst, worst than 2010! It will be the worst, worst …
What Americans Can Learn About America From Not Being in America: Part 1
This week, I’m on travel with Feed the Children. Kevin and I have come to Africa to support the launch of the new Feed the Children brand and do some other important work as part of moving the mission of this organization forward. It’s been a joy for me to reconnect with the larger FEED …
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Bucking the Rules of Prayer
As a child, I was taught that prayer was talking to God, but because God was God prayer came with a lot of rules. Rules like: 1. Always start with thanksgiving. 2. Always confess your sins after that. 3. Don’t be surprised if God doesn’t hear your prayers if you have unconfessed sin. 4. The …
Holding One Another in the Light . . . and the Dark Too
Recently, I’ve found myself in circles of people where the word “prayer” is not often used in conversation. No one seems to talk much about actual talking to God or Jesus. They just promise to hold one another “in the light.” I’m not quite sure what it means other than sending good energy toward a …
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Prayers for an Uncertain Future
How do you pray when your heart is full of uncertainty? How do you pray when you see the structures you once leaned on for security like a good paying government job fail you? How do you pray when a simple drive across town pulsates fear as imagines of gunfire and hate mongering have filled …
Prayer for Those Who Wait for Justice
Oh Lord, we’re stunned. We’re angry. We’re disillusioned. We’re afraid. Even several days later, we still wonder how in America could verdicts like “not guilty” come down when a life was clearly taken. We wonder how a mother, a father, an entire family can go on after all they’ve lived through. We wonder how boys …
