February 2012

Prayer is not personal devotion; it is personal growth. Prayer enables us to be immersed in what is fundamentally and truly divine in life right now. It is not meant to be a bridge to somewhere else because God is not somewhere else. God is here.

I was pondering these words from Benedictine nun Sister Joan Chittister yesterday, Ash Wednesday, and asking myself, “How am I supposed to live this out?” Making prayer a part of the everyday, the here and now, seemed like a good goal for Lent ... but how would I do it?

There are many insights on prayer to be learned from the words and deeds of Jesus. Here are 9 to make your own.

1. Get by Yourself
“Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer.” I like to pray with others or in the middle of a busy day, but there’s spiritual work we all need to do alone, one-on-one with our Maker.

Here’s a way to mark the upcoming Presidents weekend—as well as the 50th anniversary of John Glenn’s trip into outer space on February 20. The source for all of these? Guideposts magazine, 1969.

John F. Kennedy
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)

My wife and I have a running argument about dealing with hardship. It can best be summarized by two quotes (neither of which are Biblical, mind you).

I say, “God broadens the back to bear the burden.” She disagrees and says, “God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.” Both things surely happen, but in the process, doesn’t your prayer life get an especially good workout? Of course, when you’re driven to your knees in prayer by hardship, you’re usually thinking, “God, I don’t need this!”

I always loved the Carol Burnett Show when I was a kid and was delighted when she recently did an episode of the show Glee. You might be surprised to learn that there’s a powerful story about the secret behind her success—a story she told in Guideposts. It’s a great reminder of what giving and praying in secret can do.

Recently I’d been struggling with the idea that God loves us, all of us, including me. I’ve heard it a million times, even said it myself, but it’s such a huge concept it boggles the mind. Sometimes I can’t get my head around it.