“Praying is just so hard.”“I always lose my focus.”“I don’t know what to say.” As a child of God there are times when praying is easy. There are also times, perhaps, when it’s not. In The Up Devotional I often provide you with ideas that I think are practical and down-to-earth. They are intended to … Continue reading Praying out loud
prayer
Pray attention
“pray continually…” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) “Pray attention” is a phrase coined by Ross Lockhart in his book Beyond Snakes and Shamrocks.* Ross is the intelligent, energetic, and mission-focused Dean of St. Andrew’s Hall at the Vancouver School of Theology. Plus, he can rock a bowtie like nobody else I know! Here’s how he explains it: … Continue reading Pray attention
The prayer of a righteous person
James offers a bold word: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16 ESV). Wow. Let’s unpack that a bit. First, what does it mean to be “righteous”? In the New Testament, that word can have different nuances based on the context. Here it most likely refers to … Continue reading The prayer of a righteous person
Breathe the Name
Do you ever find it hard to pray? If so, you’re not alone. There are times when we’re so tired or frazzled that we just can’t muster the energy for a talk with the Almighty. Maybe those are the times when we need to talk to him most. But depending on the day and on … Continue reading Breathe the Name
Prepare to worship
Prepare to worship The “Up!” Devo for October 29 Worship is a big part of what we do as God’s people. First and foremost, God deserves it. He’s THAT good. No wonder Psalm 96:9 encourages us to worship God “in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.” Worship also nourishes us … Continue reading Prepare to worship
The hedge of protection
As a pastor, I’ve had many people pray for a “hedge of protection” around me. I’ve also prayed it for other people. Maybe you have too. But what is it? And where does the idea come from? As far as I can tell it comes from the biblical book of Job. Job was a faithful … Continue reading The hedge of protection
Knocking on a locked door, knuckles bleeding
Yesterday I encouraged you to pray as a first resort—not just as a last resort. Today I want to encourage you to not give up. To be persistent in prayer. Why? Because of Jesus. In Luke 18:1-8 he tells the parable of a persistent widow. The point of the parable is to teach his disciples … Continue reading Knocking on a locked door, knuckles bleeding
Attack them first!
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). There’s a story about Ethelfrith, the Saxon king of Northumbria in the 600’s. He had invaded Wales and was on the verge of battle. The Welsh people who were about to be attacked were Christians. Ethelfrith looked out upon the Welsh as he … Continue reading Attack them first!
It determines the day
Good morning! Many of you are opening this in the morning, whatever your time zone happens to be. If you fall into this category, I hope your sleep was refreshing, long enough, and didn’t include any creepy dreams. Let me get right to it. Even when times are tough—and especially when times are tough—your morning … Continue reading It determines the day
Not a prop
The Bible. How do we use it? How do we treat it? Like fancy family china that stays in a box somewhere? Or maybe like a prop? I loathe the Bible being used as a prop. Loathe. It is the Lord Almighty’s sacred word to his people through all time and through all generations. Speaking about … Continue reading Not a prop
