From St. Basil the Great (330-379) As thou takest thy seat at table, pray. As thou liftest the loaf, offer thanks to the Giver. When thou sustainest thy bodily weakness with wine, remember Him Who supplies thee with this gift, to make thy heart glad and to comfort thy infirmity. Has thy need for taking food passed away? Let not … Read More
It has been a joy, and a bit overwhelming, to pray for those who recently sent me names of people for whom to pray. As I replied to many, it is a great honor and privilege to lift you up along with the people you hold dear. So far, so good – morning and evening your names are mentioned in … Read More
I once foolishly told a friend as we discussed revitalizing our Wednesday night “prayer meeting,” “Prayer is not all that important. What we need to do is study the Bible.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. This showed that I did not know prayer. Even worse, I did not know God in prayer. Thankfully, God has not allowed me to … Read More
One of the reasons you struggle with prayer is that you have no one to guide you out of their authentic experience of prayer. What you have are plenty of people who write, preach, and talk about prayer – and now even make movies about it. But what’s missing is someone you know who prays who can teach you to … Read More
Yesterday I had an email conversation with a friend who responded to the “tea” post. He gave me a brief glimpse into his morning routine which included a variety of ways he connects to God. He chooses each day how he’ll spend his time with God. I admire him for his consistency and devotion to being with God. Yet, having … Read More
Almost every morning, I heat water, select a tea, steep a tea bag or some loose-leaf tea, add a couple teaspoons of local honey, and sip it while I sit in silence with God. Anyone can do this. You just have to wake up early enough to fit this into your morning routine before heading off to work or into … Read More
I want to attempt to connect some dots that will help summarize the last few posts on prayer. Dot 1, Prayer. Dot 2, Communion. Dot 3, The Trinity. Prayer is a relational love activity allowing entry into the fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Communion is “co” – with (co-captain, co-conspirator) + “union” – onenness = being in oneness … Read More
We need Christians to learn prayer. Only then will politics find its rightful place. Politics cannot produce for you what only prayer can provide. [featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]
Generally speaking, there is nothing instant in the Christian life. Most of what you learn about your relationship with God comes over time. There may be “Ah-ha” moments that surprise and delight you. Yet, there follows the need to appropriate and practice a different set of activities until real change happens. You would like it to be different perhaps. Yet, … Read More
A couple weeks ago, I posted some morning liturgical prayers in response to a fellow-journeyer’s desire for some practical ways to pray more effectively. As a result, many have benefitted from using these prayers in the morning. This makes me very happy!! A few days ago, another fellow-journeyer, who began using the morning prayers regularly, asked if I could send … Read More
