Tag Archives: fear
A Prayer on New Year’s Day 2020
New Year’s Day 2020 is a time for celebration, reflection, and prayer. The change of calendar empowers many to revive imagination and renew hopes dashed by disappointment. While people pack into places like Times Square in New York City and … Continue reading
Prayer for the Abused
In Luke 4, Jesus reads in Nazareth’s synagogue from what we call chapter 61 of Isaiah. He affirms that the reading reveals his mission, that his presence and his ministry fulfills the words of the prophet. Jesus says, “The … Continue reading
Praying with Desperate Repentance
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” (Psalm 130:1-2) That prayer of desperation begins a song sung by pilgrims … Continue reading
If the Lord Had Not Been on Our Side
Psalm 124 expresses thanksgiving and praise for the Lord who is on our side. The exuberant wording of the poem envisions the catastrophic alternative that would have occurred had God not intervened. The psalm begins with recognition of God’s protection, … Continue reading
Prayer When Hope Has Been Exhausted
The prophet Hosea, in chapters 8 and 9 of his prophetic book, proclaimed a message of warning and impending doom to his contemporaries in Northern Israel. The ominous nature of what the future held emerged in images like “reaping the … Continue reading
A Prayer When Afraid
Did you ever notice that the words “Don’t be afraid” are spoken when you are most afraid? In Mark 4, a storm arises while Jesus and his disciples are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. His disciples are … Continue reading
A Prayer for the President
On this icy (in Kansas) day after Presidents Day in the United States, I meditate on the prayer recorded in Psalm 72. The psalm is a prayer for Israel’s king. In some verses (11, 17), the universal appeal suggests anticipation … Continue reading
