Daily Effective Prayer

I was watching a basketball game when I caught myself doing something I wasn't particularly proud of. One of the players made a mistake, and before the coach could say anything, I had already decided what should have happened, what the player needed to work on, and how the whole situation could have been avoided. From the bleachers (aka as my couch), everything seemed fairly obvious. It's amazing how much easier life looks when you're not the person living it. That thought stayed with me because I'd been doing something similar in my prayers for my family. I was asking God to help the people I loved, but I also had some very specific opinions about what that help should look like. In certain situations, I'd practically planned the entire answer before I finished praying. I love my family. I want them protected, healthy, happy, making wise decisions, and walking closely with God. I don't think there's anything unusual about that, but I've had to examine h...

There are some names you don't particularly enjoy bringing before God. I had one of those names in mind recently. I was sorting through some paperwork when I found an old document connected to a disagreement I'd rather have forgotten. Nothing had happened between us that day, but seeing that piece of paper brought back a conversation I hadn't thought about in months. I was annoyed all over again. The funny part was that I'd already forgiven this person. At least, that's what I would've told anyone who asked. I wasn't planning revenge, wasn't going around criticizing them, and genuinely wanted to move on. Apparently, though, I still had a remarkably detailed record of everything they'd done wrong stored somewhere in my head. I could remember exact sentences and even the tone they used when saying them. Meanwhile, I couldn't remember where I'd put an important document the previous afternoon. It's amazing what your mind decides is worth kee...

It's funny how somebody else's testimony can make you question your own relationship with God. A Christian shares how clearly God directed them through a difficult decision. They explain what happened, what God showed them, and how they knew exactly what to do. You listen, and somewhere during the conversation you start wondering why hearing God doesn't seem quite that straightforward for you. I've seen people get frustrated over this. They love God, they pray, they read their Bible, but they're convinced they're missing something because another Christian seems to have a much better handle on hearing His voice. I've wondered about it myself. Especially when someone describes an experience with such confidence that you almost feel embarrassed admitting your own experience was considerably less dramatic. I've heard testimonies that genuinely encouraged me. I've also heard some that left me with questions I didn't want to ask out loud. Not necessar...

There was a box in my garage that I walked past for months. Nothing interesting in it. Old paperwork, a few cables, instructions for things I probably don't own anymore, and several objects I had apparently decided were too important to throw away but not important enough to identify. Every once in a while I'd move the box. Not empty it. Move it. That distinction matters because moving something can create a wonderful feeling of progress without requiring you to actually deal with it. I've discovered I can do something similar with problems. I move them around. Think about them. Talk about them. Pray about them. Then occasionally I realize there is something fairly obvious I could do, and I haven't done it. Prayer can become part of the moving. I don't love admitting that. I believe in prayer. My life and ministry are built around encouraging people to pray. I've seen God answer prayer in ways I couldn't have arranged myself, and there are situations where p...

I have asked God the same question more times than I care to admit. Not because the question was especially complicated. I just kept hoping the answer might change. There was a decision I needed to make, and for a while I genuinely didn't know what to do. So I prayed about it. I thought about it. I talked with someone I trusted. I prayed some more. Nothing unusual there. Eventually, though, one direction started making considerably more sense than the other. I didn't like it. So I continued asking. “God, please show me what to do.” A few days later. “Father, I really need Your direction here.” Then again. “God, make this clear.” At some point I had to admit that clarity might not be the problem anymore. I simply preferred the other answer. That happens to me more than I'd like. I Like Options I was looking for a tool at a hardware store once and found three versions of basically the same thing. One was cheap. One was expensive. The third one seemed to exist primarily to mak...

I knew I needed to make a phone call. The number had been sitting in my contacts for days. Nothing catastrophic had happened, nobody was threatening anybody, and there wasn't some enormous family feud worthy of its own television series. I'd simply handled something badly, knew I'd handled it badly, and didn't particularly want to hear myself admit it out loud. So naturally I prayed about other things. Quite a few things, actually. I prayed for my family. I prayed about work. I prayed for somebody who was having a difficult time. I thanked God for several things and probably found another legitimate request or two hiding somewhere in my head. Very productive prayer. Except for the phone call. I knew what was happening too. That's what made it worse. There are times when we don't know what God wants us to do. I've experienced plenty of those. This wasn't one of them. I knew. I just didn't want to do it. There Are Prayers That Feel A Little Dangerous “...