prayer
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The Power of Delight: Four Ways to Experience It
When I think of the power of delight, I think about my mother’s mission trip to China. In 1980, China opened its doors to the Western world to tourists. My mother took part in the first Christian envoy into China after decades of exclusionist policies. The difference in the quality of life between the Chinese and the Americans was striking. Of course, this phenomenon is still not unusual when one travels. The little group was only the second American group allowed in; the first honor going to Bob Hope, the late actor, and his entourage. The Wretched Power of Complaint: The Minister of Tourism, Mr. Woo accompanied each group, presumably…
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Prayer as a Competitive Sport
Sometimes it is possible to read too many books on one subject. One’s head gets filled with all theory and no practice. I found myself in this position a number of years ago when I had read as many books on prayer as I could get my hands on. I became very sensitive to the various approaches to prayer and observed carefully the people around me as they prayed. Some seemed to be in earnest, actually too earnest, as if trying to prove their sincerity. Others shouted at the devil, and still others read long and eloquent prayers out loud. The cool pastors were all very casual as if talking…
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My First Adventure in Prayer
Nearly twenty years ago, I taught at a very rural high school where I had the leisure of an entire school year to explore my profound inability to discipline tenth graders. The school was so rural that when students heard my California accent, their first question was to ask me if I was from “off”. This referred to anyone that came from outside their county of around six thousand citizens. “Yes,” I assured them, “I am from way “off”. And it was here, at this little country high school that I learned that God answers prayer in crazy ways sometimes. I had a co-worker I will call “Jane” who was…
