Blog
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Praying with a Painting: Let it rain
In the typical fashion of island weather, I’m sitting here enjoying the sunbeams streaming into my study. But this morning I walked to the gym in pelting, cold rain. It was a bit miserable, the experience at least woke me up. I love this painting of Paris in the rain by my dad. He says…
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“Creative Ways to Pray” by Anita Kelly: 7 Ways to Pray blog series
Anita offers some wonderfully engaging creative ways to pray. I love how she involves her body in praying and worshipping God, and how she outlines the practice of slowing down to pray with a passage of Scripture through coloring. I hope you’re inspired to try something new. Being able to go on retreat has really…
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“Learning to Listen” by Jo Acharya: 7 Ways to Pray blog series
How can we hear God? Jo Acharya shares helpfully how she’s been making space for God through silence, minute by minute at first. I especially appreciate her explanation of how she’s been learning to discern when it she’s hearing God and when it’s ‘just her’. In prayer, as in life, I’m a talker. For as…
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New Online Resource! The Prayers of Jesus
Looking for resources for Lent? Last year we released an interactive small-group resource called The Prayers of Jesus, published by Waverley Abbey Resources, in which we explore 6 of the 7 prayers of Jesus in the gospels. It gives you the tools for leading the session, such as prayers, activities, background on the particular prayer of Jesus,…
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“Praying When it Hurts” by Liz Carter: 7 Ways to Pray blog series
Watching Liz Carter during the pandemic via social media moved me as I wondered how she coped with shielding even from her own family over so many months. How did she not lose hope? One way was praying through worshiping, as she outlines in her powerful post. I’m grateful she shares with us the wisdom…
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Happy birthday, BRF!
Happy 100 anniversary to BRF, the Bible Reading Fellowship! (Scroll down to learn how to win a copy of The BRF Book of 365 Bible Reflections.) Today, BBC1’s Songs of Praise will feature a programme on “The Power of the Bible,” including an exploration of this wonderful ministry of BRF. I’m delighted to be part…
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“Falling into God” by Keren Dibbens-Wyatt: 7 Ways to Pray blog series
I simply adore Keren’s description of contemplative prayer. She shares how she’s come to practice centering prayer – focusing on God while giving herself to him. And how he meets her so lovingly in this practice. I love her grace-filled advice about what happens when the mind wanders too. I highly recommend her book, Recital…
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Praying with a Painting: Clouds of Glory
Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. Psalm 147:7–8 Photos on social media of all of that snow in the States sparks memories of tromping joyfully in the freshly fallen wonder of it all. The…
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“Learning to Trust Ancient Ways of Praying” by Kathleen McAnear Smith: 7 Ways to Pray blog series
I’m humbled by Kathleen’s wonderful post about how she’s come to pray with the ancient practices I outline in my book, 7 Ways to Pray. When writing I prayed so much that it would be a means of introducing some of these time-tested practices to people who might not only not have heard of them,…
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Praying with a Painting: A Winter’s Walk
I invite you to spend some time praying with my dad’s painting, which he entitled, “Winter’s Day.” Yes, he lives in Minnesota where they enjoy scenes just like this. I miss the sunshine gleaming on the snow, the sound of the crunch under your boots, the brightness of everything covered in white. Mind you, I…
