7 Prayers That Work

Dear God, You understand heartbreak.  You know what it is to lose a child to senseless violence . Lord, fall on us and blanket our misery! Bring vengeance on the perpetrators of injustice. This latest act of violence against a child sickens and saddens me. No parent should lose a child because someone else's child is angry, confused, or traumatized. Or just a sinner, committing a sin. And now another child has died. Sometimes the killed child is an unborn baby. Sometimes it's a neglected child. Sometimes it's a teenager, caught up in drugs or theft  or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sometimes a child's death is caused by someone's trauma , someone's desperation, someone's mental illness someone's cruelty. It's shocking what we humans are capable of doing. It's all so horrible, and I know it grieves you. You desire hope, healing, peace, love, forgiveness, restitution, belonging. May my heart always break when your heart break...

How should you pray? What if Jesus could show you how to pray a prayer that works? Most of us have probably prayed the Lord's Prayer. We've sung it or recited it in unison in church, at a large event, at the dinner table. It's fast, simple, and maybe a little high-church in its feel. But it's not really a dinner prayer or a convocation prayer. It's not designed for cathedrals. It's merely a sample of how to communicate with God Almighty about both big and little things. Jesus formed this prayer himself, so I'd say this is a reliable template for your prayers, too. You can use this for a model. Here's little breakdown of the topics:  1) worship 2) faith 3) obedience 4) mission 5) request 6) confession 7)    praise (It's always a good idea to start and end with adoration of God--it straightens out our perspectives.)  In other words, I can't ask God for something when my heart is still hiding selfishness or pride. I can't ask for his will w...

Lord Jesus, Bring relief to the marginalized people in this country. Comfort the grieving families of this recent attack in Georgia. Bring awareness, empathy, and compassion to all of us-- but particularly your children-- so that we reach out to those who wander, suffer with those who hurt,  and offer belonging to everyone. I pray your special blessing on Asian-Americans, on immigrant children separated from their parents, on single parent-families living in poverty, on inner-city kids without the resources to reach their dreams. Fill each with the assurance of your love and a desire to know you. Comfort and protect them. And God, change us into your image before them! Stir our hearts to break down stereotypes, partisanship, and elitism and embrace the diverse world you created. You love us all. You offer salvation freely to everyone. You call us to reach the world. Now convict us to reach the world you've brought to us, to think of safety for all instead of safety for ourselves. H...

What are you praying against? Today I read Ephesians 5-6. Although the words are very familiar--I have a lot of it memorized--one section jumped out at me. It's where I've been living and struggling. It's time to face the music. The passage introduces a reason and a strategy for defeating everything that's wrong in the world and everything that's wrong inside me. All my anxiety and stress. All my misguided competitiveness. All my pride and confusion. All my "righteous" indignation. I'm reminded who and what I fight against. What I've forgotten to fight against. Reading this liberates and challenges me in my focus. Perhaps it will help you as well... Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world...