Tag Archives: spirituality

Prayer from a Song about Signs

When I was a teenager and a preacher’s son in Weirton, West Virginia, one of my favorite popular songs was “Signs,” originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band. The song protests the limitations imposed by signs. Several examples of … Continue reading

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Prayer in the Rain

Headlights sparkle, then glare.Startled passengers scream.Trucks zoom past as we stare,Mesmerized in dark dream.Boundaries dissolve, turn black.Maneuver, stay on track,I peer ahead, intent,Hopes of safety now rent,Like Paul off Malta’s coast,I pray devoid of boast. I cry out, silent scream,Envision … Continue reading

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Memories of the Aroma of Diesel and Prayer

Whether with vehicles lined up before movement at a military camp in Arkansas, or in Tennessee, Germany, Georgia, Arizona, California, or Afghanistan, I associate the smell of diesel with memories of Army vehicles, Soldiers, vehicle maintenance, preaching, and prayer. As … Continue reading

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Prayer and Defining Success

How do you define success? In different parts of my life, I have measured success by attainment of goals or by consistency of effort. At this time in my life, I still run, but I measure success in frequency of … Continue reading

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Why I Write about Prayer

The reason why I began to write about learning to pray from the Bible began with a discovery I made back in the 1980’s. I was preaching for a church in Aberdeen, Maryland, and needed to put together a thirteen-week-long … Continue reading

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Prayer and My Earliest Memory

One morning in 1959, I awakened, rolled out of my bed, and toddled over to a crib nearby. I peered in at a baby, my little brother Mark. That’s my earliest memory. Mark and I have shared many memories since. … Continue reading

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Prayer to Proclaim God’s Enduring Word

Things change. That truth has become clearer to me each day of my life. On the national level, heads of state finish their term of office or pass away, as the Queen of England did recently. She was 96 years … Continue reading

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A Prayer that Helps Us Know What to Pray

The tenth prayer in Psalm 119 is a template for praying. Although these verses repeat themes from earlier in the psalm and foreshadow later passages, the psalmist prays in a way in verses 73-80 that suggests content for our prayers. … Continue reading

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Prayer and the Mystery of Christ

Mysteries grip our imaginations. Whether questions concerning commission of a crime or suggestions of conspiracy to obscure historical truth, we want to know more…and more. What has any of this to do with prayer, with calling for fire? Prayer itself … Continue reading

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Prayer and Bridge Building

I run several days each week. Several of my routes include a half-mile-long paved trail that includes a bridge over a creek near the small waterfalls from which the creek and the trail derive their names: Angel Falls. Bridges enable … Continue reading

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