prayer – Page 2 – 300 words a day

learning while saying a little prayer.

“As a pastor I was charged with, among other things, teaching people to pray, helping them to give voice to the entire experience of being human, and to do it both honestly and thoroughly.” That’s what Eugene Peterson wrote. Give people a sense of what is possible and acceptable and available. Give them a sense […]

by Jon Swanson

On laughing and praying.

I was praying with a friend for that friend. I was, as I often do, just talking, asking God for what seemed to be a response to the concern on my friend’s heart. And then, as I sometimes do, I just started laughing. People who know me know that this is one of my odd […]

by Jon Swanson

An early morning leadership prayer. (Also good for followers)

He was alone. I mean, he was surrounded by colleagues and dependents, allies and offspring. But up before dawn, he was alone. David was in the desert. His to-do list today, like every day, was simple. Six important things. find water avoid Saul find food avoid Saul find grass for flocks avoid Saul. If he […]

by Paul Merrill

Prayer warrior

She lived by prayer. Every surface of her apartment walls was covered with photos of people that she prayed for. Including me. My mom was a very faithful pray-er. She kept written journals to see how God answered prayer. After she died, I talked with her pastor, and he jokingly said, “There has been an […]

by Jon Swanson

“I’m listening”

Samuel was a young man, probably in his teens. He’d been living at the tabernacle since he was young, maybe five or six. Eli slept within earshot of the tabernacle. Samuel did as well. It meant that they could protect and pray, that the holiness of God wasn’t left alone. Every night at twilight, a […]