I ask for one thing; he gives another. I want some unpleasant situation removed; he knows that this is the very situation that will deepen my faith and reliance on him.
All tagged prayer
I ask for one thing; he gives another. I want some unpleasant situation removed; he knows that this is the very situation that will deepen my faith and reliance on him.
As I learned the examen practice, I discovered that I wasn’t examining myself nearly as much as I was examining the presence and movement of God in my life.
The church minister occupies a unique space. It is a difficult space inhabited by critique and pressure both from within the community and from without.
May we too continually be surprised with the moments of joy in our care that reflect God’s presence in the world!
The time is short. In the military, you often get 18-30 months to make a difference where you are assigned. Depending on your faith tradition, the timeline is often the same.
Our ability to enter into His presence with thanksgiving and praise comes only from His power within us. Often, we find that the cards we have been dealt could never warrant thanksgiving or praise.
We must begin to view the world through a different lens, one that adopts the priorities of the Kingdom over those of our culture.
The sneaky thing about renewal is that it is not up to us—it is up to God. God cannot do the work God desires to do when communities of faith assume that they are the center of things.
When we intentionally choose to name the blessings in our lives, we engage in a transformational experience. It gives us a lens through which we will begin to see life and God differently.
I find myself so busy that I often neglect my own spiritual development and renewal. Can I give to others what I am not currently experiencing myself?
So, even if we pass through the waters, even if we walk through fire, we can find rest in knowing that God has chosen us, redeemed us, and won the battle for us.
Let God hear you, restore you, and bring you hope. Call out to God and run TO Him. He is waiting to receive you with open arms!
Spiritually, revival is not something one can do. I can restore a house, rebuild a car, or renew an old orchard. However, when it comes to congregational life, revival is God’s work alone.
God deeply desires our presence. God never makes it difficult to experience His presence, but we can make it hard through our “spiritual A.D.D.”
Moral injury can cause us to turn inwards due to guilt, grief, or shame. Lament exposes dark deeds to the light and brings God’s mercy and grace to bear.
I’m not sufficient unto myself. Without God, I am nothing! We will never be content in ourselves. We only find ourselves when we lose ourselves.
If your biggest news is about an interesting insect whose path you crossed on your walk, then you’re onto something.
If we began our congregational ministry by assessing what we have to offer, we’d likely find it’s a lot.
The truth of God’s saving grace through faith becomes realer than real when experienced in life, interacting with those who wear skin. We need to have, to be, a friend.
If what the Breastplate of St. Patrick claims is true, then both a physical body and a congregational body can rest in its truth.