prayer – Page 9 – 300 words a day

more than watchmen waiting.

You are waiting. You aren’t sure what’s happening. You can’t see to the end of today. And you are waiting. It reminds you of that summer before your senior year of high school, the summer that you worked third shift. All alone in the building, all alone working on the computer. Sometimes alone is okay. […]

by Jon Swanson

Waiting is hard. Really.

(first published October 19, 2010) I wrote to a friend yesterday. I said, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” It wasn’t very original. It was the end of a prayer that David wrote (Psalm 27). But it’s what came across my desk yesterday and I passed it […]

by Jon Swanson

On praying, part 8,397.

I sent words from Proverbs to a friend. Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good. Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place. My friend said, “But how?” Here’s part of what I said: We create plans all the time, plans that don’t […]

by Jon Swanson

renewing habits – 6 am

Four years ago this month, I started setting my alarm for 6 am. At the time, I needed to build a habit intentionally, almost any habit it seemed. Since then, the alarm has been set for 6 am most mornings. And now my body is set for 6. Back then, I had a plan for […]

by Jon Swanson

A litany for the last Monday in July

Leader: Our God, it’s Monday. All: Hear our prayer, O Lord. A: I’m empty, O God, as empty as the heart of the widow walking next to the coffin of her only son. Do remember her, Jesus? No options? No hope? You healed her son. Please raise my heart. All: Hear his prayer, O Lord. […]