Four Ways we can Practice Prayer with Confidence

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So, when it comes to prayer we should not be down on ourselves. Below, I suggest four ways we can practice prayer with confidence.Read More →

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I wrote this post some time ago about how I learned to pray with confidence. My hope is it encourages you to put aside your doubts about praying and feel positive when you come to God. Our Lord and our God, I turn my eyes to you, on your throne in heaven. Psalm 123:1 (CEV) When I pray, I come into God’s presence. I enter his throne room. This should be easy for a Brit. Kings and queens, castles and palaces, thrones and throne rooms; I’ve been raised on a history of royalty and rich imagery. Yet, I am not prepared for my heavenly Father’s throneRead More →

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There are many ways to pray. You may have been taught to put your hands together, bow your head, and close your eyes. Other people might say to face a certain direction, at particular times of the day, and use a prayer mat. Or you might have learned to recite prayers, like the Lord’s Prayer, or use steps to pray, such as ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Other times, people may insist you finish your prayer with the words “in the name of Jesus.” These are all points to consider and can teach us much about prayer. Yet, sometimes these different ideas can makeRead More →

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Whenever I’ve wanted to learn how to ski on harder terrain, I’ve taken a lesson. The instructor has always started me on a slope I consider to be way too easy. There he has taken me back to the basics of skiing. Initially, this approach made me feeling frustrated. However, after the lesson, I realized there were two reasons why the instructor did this. First, he wanted to observe and assess my skiing ability. Second, it’s because he knows it’s crucial to get the essential techniques right before moving onto harder terrain so as not to get stuck. It’s the same with prayer. Sometimes, weRead More →

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I have been humbled by the thankfulness of my friends. I’ve shared in their Thanksgiving Day celebrations, sat as their tables and heard them express their appreciation. Even if someone has had a tough year, they have managed to find something to be thankful for. By listening to them and sharing one small thank you myself, I have found my spirit lifted and my attention has shifted from my needs to my riches. It’s good to cultivate contentment. It is beneficial to practice appreciation. Often, though, I find my prayers are made up more of gripes than gratitude. It’s not that I’m ungrateful; I’m justRead More →

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A bag of leftover Halloween candy sits in our pantry tempting me to slip in my hand and take one piece as I pass the doorway. I know it’s not good for me. I can fool myself, though. “One small piece does no harm at all,” I convince myself. After all, they are only bite-size. Pop it in the mouth, and it’s gone. But, then I lose control. Before I know it, I’ve consumed a bag of pretzel M&Ms, a Twix bar, and a Reese’s peanut butter cup. When I purchased the candy to give out to the trick or treaters visiting our apartment, IRead More →

God wants to celebrate the good with us as well as carry us through the bad. Let our problems and our praises keep us on our knees.

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  Sometimes I have to remind my children “don’t just text me when you’re having a problem. Get in touch when things are going well.” I am glad to help sort out the insurance claim when a driver failed to brake at a stop sign and crashed into the side of my daughter’s car. Well, actually, my husband was more help than me. Or I’m happy to proof read my son’s application for an industry placement next year. However, I’m also over the moon when everything is running smoothly with their college flat mates, when they have enough money for the semester, and they’re gettingRead More →

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Sometimes, I’d rather stay furious than take seriously the words: don’t go to bed angry. I find some satisfaction in being annoyed. If I back down too easily, it’s like I’m letting off the other person who has wronged me. I can think of at least one occasion when this has happened. Returning from a pediatrician’s appointment with my daughter, a driver suddenly cut in front of me from the right-hand lane of the highway. I jammed my foot on the brake, so as not to hit her. “You idiot,” I yelled while thumping my fist on the horn. However, this reaction did not placate me.Read More →

God sometimes feels far away when we are in a mess.

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Why is it God often seem distant in the middle of trouble? Often, when we’re struggling, he seems silent. I remember crying out to God when my six-week-old twins were diagnosed with meningitis, when I discovered a lump, when my son faced his second emergency surgery in two weeks, wondering if God was there with me. God hadn’t turned his back. He’s always close. Yet, it felt like he was a long way off. Fear, it seemed, kept me from knowing his presence. I pleaded for a good outcome, but I feared I hadn’t reached the bottom of the pit. I begged for relief, butRead More →

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Sometimes God seems no closer than the Milky Way. What is it that makes God seem distant? Is it because he is holy and majestic and needs to be detached from a far from perfect mortal like myself? Are my day-to-day activities too insignificant to receive his undivided attention? Does he withdraw because, well frankly, I miss the mark—too often—and could do better? How do we pray when God feels far away? To begin, we must understand God’s purpose is to be near us and with us. Always. God does not deliberately separate himself from us. From day one, God intended to be intimate with peopleRead More →