God is never too busy or preoccupied to receive you when you bring your burdens into his presence. God cares for your children. That is such an encouragement when we are struggling to persevere in prayer.
But it’s hard to know what to pray sometimes; or we’ve been praying for so many years that we’ve run out of steam and lost momentum. So, to reinvigorate your prayers for your children, here are ten ways you can pray. They’ve been drawn from conversations I’ve had with parents in pain who have shared some of the substance of their prayers. Each situation has its own complications, but over time several common themes have emerged.... continue reading
What is the meaning of life? It’s the question that sits at the very heart of our existence. Most of us have asked it. Some of us have tried, unsuccessfully, to answer it. And then there are those select few—the arrogant ones—who claim they’ve cracked the code.
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I love words. I love language and grammar, and the order and beauty they can convey. I love to read—to learn and to be transported to another time, place, or world. I love that Jesus my God is called—by the Gospel- and letter-writer John—Logos: THE WORD. I love it when Christian books are recommended and turn out to be as inspirational as they were described. Yet I know this is not true for everyone.... continue reading
A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have called myself a Christian perfectionist, but I did consistently have a vague and underlying sense of perpetual guilt. I believed that the Lord was pleased with me because of my Savior, Jesus, but I also lived with a partly subconscious suspicion that he might also be disappointed with me.... continue reading
For a long time, I wanted to be someone who runs. Over the years, I’d watched several family members and friends lace up their running shoes, bound out of the house and down the road, and return sometime later looking sweaty but invigorated. I’d like to be that person, I thought. But I’d tried it once. Maybe twice. And running was not something I did. Perhaps you feel something similar about spending time in God’s word. You know of friends or family members who make a hot drink and withdraw to a quiet room with their Bible in the morning, and emerge, sometime later, looking serene but invigorated. I’d like to be that person, you think. You’ve tried it once or twice or even a whole bunch of times over the years—or perhaps it was something you used to do regularly, but now you’re out of the habit. Reading the Bible is not something you do.
But it can be.... continue reading
I have never found prayer comes particularly naturally to me. I find it hard to concentrate and stop my mind wandering, and I regularly realize I need to repent of moving through my day without praying much at all. I know that prayer is a gift and a privilege, but I find it hard to live that out.... continue reading
They laughed behind cupped hands, grade-school whispers assessing her dress. Look! It’s as big as a tent! Peter’s face reddened as he accepted his forgotten lunch bag from his mother’s strong hand. Her face glowed, Scandinavian accent thick as she spoke love over her son in broken English. I dangled upside down from the playground bars, observing this heavyset woman adorned in a shapeless house dress swishing past her ankles.
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When childhood illness strikes someone we know, it tugs on our heartstrings. We want to help, but what can we do? As a mother who has endured an extended hospital stay with her newborn son and a few unexpected medical crises thereafter, and as the founder of a nonprofit that ministers to families navigating medical crises, I’d like to share 10 practical ways you can help a family when a child is seriously ill.... continue reading
March 8 is International Women’s Day, so we’ve compiled a few books to help you reflect on God’s good plan for women. Read on for our recommendations for every girl from 7 to 97.... continue reading
One area that seems to be particularly in the crosshairs of progressive governments is schooling. The moral formation of the secular education system is designed to produce model citizens who will help us move towards a more just and equitable society. So far, so good. That’s what a Christian education system desires also. Yet their methods are at odds with each other. Christianity’s doctrine of human flourishing is now regarded as part of society’s problem, not part of its solution.... continue reading
