A PERSONAL PRAYER God of Love, It seems that in my spirit, there are two songs playing, both demanding my attention, both wanting me to sing along. One song is full of discord, anxiety, worry. It is a song with many voices, the voices of expectations at work, the challenges of relationships, the nitty-gritty demands of getting from one day to the next. It is the song of a world that is in turmoil, of fussing and fighting, of regrets about the past and fears about tomorrow. But the other voice, God, is your voice. It is a [...]

A PERSONAL PRAYER Gracious and Loving God, Today, I am filled with joy. I am so grateful that on Sunday morning, you finally healed my mom, taking her to be in your presence. Her confusion and anxiety are replaced by perfect peace, her pain and isolation have now disappeared. Before, she saw you only through a glass dimly. Now she sees you face to face. She has fought the good fight. She has finished the race and received the crown of righteousness you have for her. How can one be sad, grieve, and be joyous all at the [...]

A PERSONAL PRAYER God of love, I have been waiting, longing for you to save me. Yes, you entered my life with your grace a long time ago, and began that process of salvation. I responded to that grace as a youth, and knew that my sins were and are forgiven, and that I am loved and accepted just as I am. I guess I thought that is what salvation was really all about. But as the days and years have passed, I see that there is so much more to salvation than that. I am praying for [...]

A PERSONAL PRAYER God, There are so many broken hearts who need to know your saving love. During the Christmas season, the hurt and emptiness from loss, from betrayal, from loneliness can be overwhelming. I pray today for those who grieve, for those who have lost the ability to experience great joy or great pain, for those who live each day with overwhelming anger, for those who smile on the outside but weep in their souls. God, come and save them and heal their hearts. In the name of the coming Christ Child, I pray, Amen. SOME THOUGHTS [...]

A PERSONAL PRAYER Dear God, Do you remember the little boy and his family that I met at the hospital? I pray that you would keep that little boy alive, that he would recover from the terrible disease from which he is suffering. Do you remember the lady I met who showed me pictures of her bombed-out home in Syria? I pray that her family back there would be able to rebuild their lives and return to their homes and that the war there, and every war, would come to an end. Do you remember the girl I [...]

A PERSONAL PRAYER God of my salvation, What must I do to be saved from my sins? Is it saying the right words, that I "accept you" as savior? Is it actually believing that? What changes do I have to make in my life? Do I have to behave a certain way along with saying it and believing it? Surely there is something I have to do. Surely there is a formula of some kind, a protocol for salvation. If I do X, I will receive salvation... so what is the X I have to do? Show me, [...]

A PERSONAL PRAYER God of yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever... Sometimes, life just doesn't seem at all right. I see the pictures from around the world where people are suffering. I catch a glimpse of families who work hard at two jobs and earn just a sliver of what I am so blessed to receive. I have been given a wonderful education, with every break possible provided to me, and yet others must go to schools which are little more than babysitting. Warfare is just something on television, a long way away from my door, but for others, [...]