Paltry Prayer

What do I mean by “paltry” prayer? “Paltry” is more than just small or weak. It is “inferior; trashy; trivial; measly; despicable…” (Merriam Webster dictionary)

Paltry prayer is generic and insubstantial. It’s like the horrible small talk at a social event one doesn’t want to attend, but feels obligated to show up at, because it’s expected. When we throw up a prayer, but we really don’t want to get “real” before God, we’re offering crumbs instead of a sacrifice; face-time, instead of intimate conversation.

There are times when we cry out in desperation; we have no words or fleshed-out thoughts, only groans. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the times when we want to reassure ourselves that we’re one of the good guys– that our plans and wishes have God’s stamp of approval–without actually risking God’s authoritative answer. “God, help me to do your will today,” sounds like a great prayer, but do we really mean what we’re saying? Or are we really asking God to approve of our own will and plans as we go through the day?

I’m especially concerned that we are offering paltry prayers in regards to evangelism and revival. We want it to come– we want God to send a fresh wave of revival to our communities, our country, and our world– but let it begin and end without making us too uncomfortable, too aware of our own need for confession, forgiveness, or change. We want our neighbor to be saved– without the pain of witnessing and being laughed at or ostracized. We want to be emboldened to witness, but we don’t want to be humbled into listening. We want to be blessed; we don’t want to be tested.

I get very discouraged sometimes, when I realize that my own prayers have been paltry. But there is good news– the same loving Father that wants deeper conversation with me is endlessly forgiving, encouraging, and loving. And I am not alone in offering meager conversation or selfish complaints before His throne.

Jonah (yes the “Big Fish” guy of the Bible) was a prophet– a very successful one, except for the episode with Nineveh. Not only did Jonah run as far from Nineveh as a ship could take him; he basically committed suicide to avoid doing God’s bidding. When his shipmates are in a panic, Jonah demands that they throw him in the sea. This is not as a result of consulting with God, nor does the Bible suggest that it is at God’s command. The sailors continue to panic at the thought of throwing Jonah overboard, and are astonished when the storm stops as Jonah sinks toward the ocean floor. If not for the fish, Jonah would have drowned. God sent the fish to save Jonah, but there is nothing to suggest that Jonah had any idea of being rescued. However, from the belly of the fish, Jonah lifts up a poetic prayer, in which he sings the praises of the God who spared his life. He marvels at his rescue and restoration, and vows to go back to Nineveh and fulfill his destiny. His prayer strikes all the “holy” notes one would wish to see, but I would contend that this is, at its heart, a paltry prayer– sincere in the moment, but not the prayer of a man fully transformed by his near-death experience.

Fast forward to the fourth chapter of the book of Jonah. Nineveh has heard Jonah’s message about God’s wrath and impending judgment; the people have had a miraculous change of heart, and God has agreed to spare them from destruction (for a time– the Ninevites went back to their old habits and were eventually destroyed). Imagine if the late Billy Graham had held a rally in Moscow or Tehran or Los Angeles and the ENTIRE CITY had repented?! This is success beyond imagination. But we don’t find Jonah grateful and poetic as he was at the end of chapter two– instead, he is hateful and bitter, and praying for death! God causes a small vine to grow and provide some shade for Jonah as he sits and sulks, but then he sends a worm to chew up the vine so it withers. Jonah is more heartbroken at the loss of the vine then he was over the possibility of the destruction of an entire city. Jonah’s story doesn’t end in triumph, but in triviality.

Prayer is a great opportunity to pour out our hearts before God– but it also reveals the content and character of our hearts. If our prayers are paltry and our hearts shallow, God will often humble us. But he will also rescue us from our own sinfulness and sulking, and give us all that we need to finish victoriously. The book of Jonah is a great cautionary tale– let’s learn from it, today.

What can we do to make our prayers less “paltry” and more proactive? Check out the suggestions on the attached pages of this blog, or look online for prayer groups and prayer sites that offer constructive ideas.

September 2, 2026 3

Prayers In the Half-Light

We’ve had electrical problems at our apartment for the past few days. We haven’t lost all our power, but the overhead lights are all connected to wall switches that aren’t working. The repairman is supposed to come today or tomorrow to address the issue. But it’s been a weird experience to say the least.

Our refrigerator, stove, air conditioning, water heater, and computer are all functioning as usual, but there is no light in the bathroom at all, and only window and skylight available in the rest of the rooms. We were able to find one floor lamp, which gives some light in the living room– just enough to read for a few minutes, but not enough to light up the other rooms, including the kitchen, where I need to cook and do dishes. Most of our life continues as normal, but at night, or during the recent rains, it gets very dark. We have flashlights and candles, but it is difficult to take a shower or cook in the dark!

I’m not complaining. We are marvelously blessed to have the appliances working as they do. But it changes one’s perspective. We take our lights for granted.

I like to think that I see the world around me clearly; that I know where I am going and understand my surroundings. I take for granted the illusion of control and clarity. Even in my prayers, I like to think that I know what to pray about, who to pray for, and how to approach God in prayer. But often, I am praying in the half-light. I don’t really see things clearly, I’m not in control of my own circumstances, and I’m only guessing at what I need (or what anyone else needs). I see God as part of my surroundings, or distant, rather than the One who holds all things in His hand while being ever-present with me.

But God delights to hear us even when– especially when– we can’t see the next step clearly. Faith that is never put to the test isn’t given a chance to be strengthened. Faith can shine through during moments of crisis. If we lost our power completely, it would be easier somehow to fall back on Faith, knowing that God sees and hears; that He will provide. But in the half-light, it is tempting to look for ways to rely on my own ingenuity to “manage” the crisis and not “bother” God with my temporary struggles.

And I find that I do this with emotional, relational, and even spiritual struggles, too. Of course, I turn to God in the dark, when I can’t see to do anything. But what about when I can “handle it” for a while. I have all that I need to survive, but I’m facing a new challenge, or a temporary disruption?

When I pray for my unsaved neighbors or family members, I can’t see what they really need. I can see that they are lost– perhaps miserable and struggling, but also perhaps believing that everything in their life is fine. But I can’t dictate to God how or when or what will be best for them. Often, they are living lifestyles that are taking them further away from God. Sometimes, they are entrenched in philosophies and experiences that cut them off from the truth. In my limited wisdom, I would pray for immediate results– that they would repent NOW. I don’t think that’s wrong to want, but it may not be God’s plan for them. It may be that God will redeem them from such thinking and situations only after they have experienced heartache and suffering– so that they will be in a position to help people who otherwise will never hear the Truth. God’s ways are not my ways– and His ways are ALWAYS best!

Jesus said, “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12). The overhead lights I think I depend on in my apartment cannot give me the light of life. All they can do is shine light on the things in my apartment. Only God can shine His light in my heart, mind, and soul! And that’s where my focus needs to be in prayer– not on what I can see around me, but what God will light up as I walk with Him.

August 31, 2026 0

Prayer Brings Peace

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my soul;
When sorrows, like sea-billows roll–
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
‘It is well–it is well– with my soul.'”

As I write this, all is not well with my life. I have bills looming, a leaky roof, and I’m grieving a recent family loss. I worry about my husband as he travels and faces danger on the job, about my aging relatives, and our kids and grandkids. All is not well with our nation– we have anger, division, violence, and strife; a breakdown of families, moral decay, and corruption. All is not well with our world–nations are at war, we are destroying our environment, and all the progress that was supposed to make our lives easier seems to have made life more complicated and frantic, instead.

But all is well with my soul–not because of anything I have done or anything I do– peace and assurance are mine solely through the grace of God, which he gives in abundance.

Prayer does not bring peace automatically, nor does its haphazard and occasional practice guarantee instant or lasting peace. Meditation, solitude, and other prayer-like exercises may bring a temporary calm, a respite, and a relief. Closing our eyes and laying our burdens at his feet can bring the same feeling. But prayer is more than just an exercise in making us feel better. It isn’t meant to take us away from our circumstances, or to hand them off to God while we waltz away from our burdens. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Coming to God in prayer doesn’t make burdens disappear. But it does mean that we no longer carry them alone, and that gives us rest for our souls. God is not in the business of making our lives easy, carefree, and comfortable. But he promises that as we share our lives with him, trusting that his ways are good and righteous, he will not only come alongside and share our burden, he will teach us and give us rest.

This is why the pursuit of prayer is so important. The discipline of daily and personal prayer teaches us how and where to find peace that lasts– peace that “passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:6-7). Like the cool, refreshing water of a river soothes and gives life, so God’s grace flows into our lives as we walk and talk with him every day.

I wrote last time about that peace, and how it comes from having our hearts and minds “stayed” or fixed on Jehovah. It was modeled for us by Christ, who spent hours in prayer– in private prayer and praying with, for, and in front of others. Jesus often went into the wilderness to spent time alone with God– praying, meditating, and listening to His Father’s voice. As Peter encouraged the early believers, we are to be “..casting all (our) anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 ESV)

We don’t pray because we are already at peace. We pray because that is where we FIND peace!

August 28, 2026 0

Perfect Peace

³You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
⁴Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
Isaiah 26:3-4 (NKJV)

We spent last weekend saying goodbye to my sister-in-law. NOT a final goodbye– more of a “see you later!” Wendy had suffered for years from both rheumatoid arthritis and stage four cancer. Many of her days were spent in agony, back and forth from hospital to home. In the middle of her battle, she had to say goodbye to her husband and navigate widowhood.

“Peace” would not seem to be a word connected in any way to Wendy’s struggles. Yet, the verses above from Isaiah kept speaking to me throughout last weekend. Not because Wendy ‘finally’ found peace and rest. But because she had a sustaining peace that “passes all understanding.” She lived with peace, trust, hope, and even joy, even while she suffered.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.⁸Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:6-9 (NKJV)

Perfect peace does not come from perfect circumstances. It does not come from willpower, or even positive thinking (notice that verse 7 precedes verse 8 in the passage above!) It comes from having your mind “stayed” on the great I AM. Not just thinking about Him in passing, or knowing a vast amount about Him, but keeping your focus and thoughts directed to Him. Peace is a by-product of a close and constant relationship with the one who is the “Prince of Peace” and the author of “shalom.”

We cannot generate perfect peace within ourselves because we are not perfect. We are not Holy, Righteous, or complete. But God is! And Paul’s advice to the Philippian believers above was written, not from peaceful surroundings, but from prison! His advice begins with prayer! Pray about everything! We can pray prayers of supplication (asking for healing, help, wisdom, direction, etc.) WITH thanksgiving– not because our circumstances are wonderful, or even because we expect God to work miracles to change our circumstances. We can thank and praise God from prison, from hospital beds or homeless shelters, refugee camps, storm shelters, blizzards, hurricane-battered houses, or sinking ships. Because God’s promises are faithful and true. They may not look like what we expect, imagine, or even hope for. They will involve pain and suffering because we still live in a broken world. God may bring us out of suffering, or help us avoid suffering, or He may settle in with us through the suffering. In every case, we can fix our eyes on the one who loves us perfectly, the one who has perfect power over every circumstance, perfect wisdom and vision to lead us through, and perfect plans for redemption, healing, hope, and eternal joy!

Wendy wasn’t perfect in this life. Suffering hurts. Pain ravages the body, and preys on the mind. Sleepless nights, loss of appetite, and nausea when one eats– such things cause us to cry out, to lament, and to ask “Why?!” Wendy did all that. But when we choose to focus less on the temporary trials of this life and look beyond to the greater story of redemption and ultimate glory, there is a peace that revives us, refreshes us, and strengthens us beyond what we can imagine. God is trustworthy– We can depend on Him when all around us is chaos and suffering. We can have hope and strength and blessed peace!

And that same peace is available to all of us who grieved for Wendy during her long illness. It sustains us with hope and strength that rises above the questions or doubts, beyond the tears and the memories of the past. We will have the joy of seeing Wendy (and many of our other family and loved ones) perfected. No more suffering; no more questions; no more separation. Perfect. Peace.

My challenge today is to stay focused on what really matters– on WHO is really in control. I pray that whatever you may be going through, that you will also find God’s perfect peace as you look to Him!

August 26, 2026 0

Praying Through the Eclipse

Last week we experienced a partial eclipse of the sun– a solar eclipse. This happens periodically, when the moon’s orbit causes it to pass between the earth and the sun, casting a shadow that temporarily blocks light from reaching the earth. The opposite can also happen, when the earth passes between the sun and moon at night, casting a shadow on the moon and keeping it from reflecting light at night– a lunar eclipse.

I was thinking about eclipses and how our spiritual lives can be impacted in ways that behave like an eclipse. We are to be a reflection of the light of Christ– in His own words, “The light of the world.” (see Matthew 5:14-16) So we are to act like the moon, reflecting the powerful light of the “Son” in a dark world. But we don’t always do that. Sometimes, as in a lunar eclipse, we allow the “world” to block out the light of the “Son”. The darkness and evil in the world can rob us of the light of hope and faith, causing us to live in shadow, and the darkness to triumph– temporarily. Other times, we actually get in the way of the “Son’s” light– grandstanding and promoting our own self-righteousness. Whether deliberate or just thoughtless, our actions can “eclipse” the Gospel of Jesus Christ and block out the truth of His Light.

God’s light is Holy, Powerful, and Eternal. We cannot offer a greater, wiser, or brighter light than Jesus. Our best efforts are darkness compared to His Holiness. Our job is to reflect HIS light to a darkened world as it awaits His return!

Wherever you were last week; whatever your experience of the eclipse, I hope you are able to rejoice in God’s light today! What a wonderful, powerful reminder that God’s Glory is brighter than 1,000 suns, and it will never be dimmed! What a privilege to reflect HIS love, mercy, grace, and wisdom to those around us!

August 17, 2026 0

Praying and Waiting

I write a lot about praying. I believe in the power of prayer. But I am often challenged by people who say, “God helps those who help themselves.” The power of prayer is not found in the people who pray but in the God who answers. And sometimes, those answers take time and require patience.

I’ve had prayers that were answered almost before I finished saying, “Amen!” But there are other prayers that tested my patience and my faith; prayers for which I’m still waiting for a definite answer; prayers that were answered with a final and unexplained, “NO!”

But some of the most amazing moments in my life have been the ones where God “showed up” at just the right (and seemingly last) moment. The time that we needed a certain amount of money to pay bills– and it showed up almost to the penny! Or that time I prayed about the teaching position. I lost out to another, more experienced candidate and spent much of the year doing substitute teaching in another county. And then, without warning, the school called to ask if I would consider coming back on probation for the same position I had lost out on– the teacher they had hired had developed significant health issues, and they needed a permanent sub for the end of the year. I was able to prove my worth, restoring order and bringing the classes back on track– I stayed for seven more years!

Waiting is not easy or pleasant. When I was almost five, I had a chance to go to kindergarten– My birthday is in November, and the school would allow “young fives”– students who would turn five before December 1st could interview for a chance to be accepted in the current year’s kindergarten. My parents considered it. I desperately wanted to go to school. But I had some lingering health issues from early childhood, and my parents worried that I would be susceptible to viruses and injuries. So, they held me back. I can still remember the ache of watching the school bus pass by my house– the humiliation of having adults ask if I was in school and having to answer, “not yet. I got held back.” It was like a badge of failure in my mind. “Not ready. Not healthy enough. Not good enough.” Years later, I can say that my parents made the best choice they knew how, and it worked out just fine for me. I loved school. I loved my classmates and teachers. And I had more time to be with my baby sister before I spent every day at school. I was older when I made decisions about college and career. I was more mature.

I waited a long time for a husband. I prayed for decades about marriage. And always, the answer seemed to be, “Not yet!” No explanation. No insight into whether I ever would be married. But in the waiting, I grew as a teacher and librarian. I found out that I could not have children of my own. I learned to manage on my own, and also how to reach out for help when needed. And I developed habits of Bible Study and Prayer that have become precious to me. My marriage is a fulfillment of patient waiting and listening to God’s voice, instead of making impatient and rash choices and shutting out the lessons along the way. Oh, and those children I could never have? I never had them. But I ended up with stepchildren and grandchildren who bless my life with love, laughter, and excitement.

God’s best is worth waiting for! I can testify to this on many levels. God doesn’t help “those who help themselves.” They literally “help themselves!” But God blesses those who wait patiently for Him. He doesn’t just show up at the last minute. He stays beside us in the waiting, He encourages us along the way, and He rejoices with us when we see the end from the beginning.

For more, see the following verses (and their context!):
Isaiah 40:31, Lamentations 3:25, Micah 7:7, Psalm 130:5, Romans 8:25, Psalm 40:1, Isaiah 49:23, 2 Peter 3:9, Psalm 27:13…

August 14, 2026 0

My Next Breath

Wildfires have been raging in Ontario, our neighbor to the north. Hundreds of thousands of acres of forest, land, homes, and towns have been destroyed. And the smoke from those fires is also causing damage hundreds of miles away. My husband and I woke up last week to bits of ash on our flowers and thick, smoky air causing visibility to shrink drastically, and breathing to become difficult– especially for those with lung damage or asthma, like my husband.

I was reminded of the time, in 1980, when Mount Saint Helens erupted in Washington State. Even though it is hundreds of miles away, some of the ash from the eruption made it to Michigan and coated our cars and plants. The smoke and ash caused many breathing problems and killed plants across the nation. Smoke doesn’t just “get in your eyes” as the old song claims. It gets into your lungs, it chokes out fresh air and light, hijacks rainwater, and settles in a coating on vulnerable plants, cloths, animals’ coats, standing water, and much more.

I normally don’t spend much time thinking about my next breath. I take it for granted that I will fill my lungs with fresh air and breathe out again. The carbon dioxide I produce will be absorbed by plants and fresh oxygen will be replenished into the air. I don’t have to “decide” to breathe– it happens automatically unless I choose to “hold my breath” and NOT breathe. But I also don’t think about WHAT I am breathing in. I take for granted that the air contains the appropriate amount oxygen to keep my body energized and working properly, and that it doesn’t contain noxious gases, carbon monoxide, tar, ash, etc.

I read somewhere once that God’s name (Yahweh) actually mimics the breathing process. Yahweh is two syllables– the first requires you to inhale in order to produce the right sound. The second allows you to exhale for the exact same reason. You cannot say “Yah-weh” without breathing! (Actually, you can, but you have to make a conscious effort to do so– breathing comes naturally in the two syllables otherwise.) The Bible never actually suggests this, and some religions and sects have misused this idea to suggest that God is somehow IN our breath or in the way we breathe. But I think there is something else to be pondered here.

My next breath depends absolutely on God’s sovereignty. I assume that the air I breathe is pure, healthful, and life-giving. And even when it isn’t– like the past week or so– I assume that air filters, breathing masks, or other mitigations will make the air “safe” to breathe. My husband is a little more aware of his breathing, because he has suffered from asthma attacks, apnea, bronchitis, and lung damage from COVID. Still, he doesn’t spend most of his waking hours in fear of his next breath. And even if we both spent time thinking about it, we have no way to control Earth’s atmosphere, no way to create our next clean breath and guarantee that it will be pure and good. We can buy tanks of oxygen, but even that requires that we trust what is in the tank. Our lives, and every function that sustains it– breathing, blood circulating, brainwaves, digestion, nerves, etc., are in God’s hands. And that’s an amazing and comforting thing, indeed!

Imagine a world where God was NOT in control; where the very air around us might quietly morph into noxious fumes with no warning– no smoke or clouds, no smell–just instantly shutting down our lungs, brains, heart, and life. Such things have been known to happen, in isolated incidents or in the deadly gas chambers of World War 2. We know that we could not breathe the air on other planets, such as Venus or Jupiter. But our Earth was created and is sustained by an abundant life-giving God, who cares about every aspect of our life, including our next breath.

“Father, I am so grateful for your Sovereignty and your compassion. I will fill my lungs with your gift of breath today, and I will use it to pour out praise to You!”

August 5, 2026 0

The God of All Comfort

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ESV)

What is Comfort? If you trace the origins of the word back to Latin, it comes from the same root as forte or fortify (fort, or fortare). The idea is one of strengthening, encouraging, giving courage and vigor. The prefix, com-, means jointly, or together. Comfort is what gives us strength as we come together. So, when I say that I am comfortable lying inert in an easy chair all by myself, I am actually missing the real gift of comfort.

Comfort is not the absence of pain or suffering. We cannot give comfort to someone who is enjoying a trouble-free life. In fact, when Jesus spoke to the crowds during His ministry on earth, He often made some people very ‘un’-comfortable by jolting them out of their self-righteousness and self-importance. Jesus did not lead a ‘comfortable’ life of ease and plenty; instead, He lived a life of comforting those in distress– the sick, the outcasts, the guilty, those who had little hope and even less strength. He went without many of the conveniences and securities we take for granted– a house, steady income, status, luxuries, a bank account, a college degree–He didn’t treat Himself to the perks of being a Rabbi or take vacations at a resort on the Sea of Galilee– instead, He spent some of His ministry calming the stormy waters and comforting His terrified disciples! (See Mark 4)

When we pray for someone to be comforted, we long to see them strengthened and encouraged. But sometimes, we also desire that God would make their life easy and free of problems. This is natural– no one likes to suffer– but the promise of comfort is NOT to make our life easy and full of constant happiness. The point of comfort is to help us strengthen each other, cheer each other on, encourage one another, and thrive together, no matter our circumstances.

Comfort, strength, encouragement– they are meaningless to someone who never has had to struggle. But to anyone who has felt alone and abandoned IN their struggles, comfort is a priceless gift– one that God gives us in abundance so that we can pass it on. It is exactly what Jesus practiced during His earthly ministry– He traveled dusty roads, enduring hardship and discomfort to bring healing and hope to thousands and gave His very life ‘a ransom for many.’ (Matthew 20:28 KJV)

Who could use your gift of comfort and encouragement today? Say a prayer of comfort– thanking God for the times He has given you strength and courage– and practice giving that comfort to someone else! Send a note, lend a hand, make a phone call, visit, give a smile to a stranger– it doesn’t take a lot– but make the most of every opportunity to strengthen those around you.

July 22, 2026 0

Praying it Forward

Have you ever been the recipient of a small act of kindness, and “paid it forward” by doing something nice for others? It doesn’t have to be an extravagant gesture–someone holds a door open for you, so you do the same for someone else when your hands are free; you give someone a compliment, and as you walk on, you hear them complimenting the next person they see. It doesn’t even have to be the same action–you may see someone pick up trash along the sidewalk, and later you make a small donation to a local charity that collects gently used items for needy residents…

The idea is that when we see good things happening, we can be inspired to join in and “spread the good.” In a world full of things that are not so “good”– bitterness, greed, hatred, pushing and shoving, name-calling, apathy, sadness, shame, and evil–good deeds stand out. Even the smallest kind word, smile, or simple act can have an exponential impact when it gets passed on.

Have you ever considered “Praying it forward?” Not as a substitute for “paying it forward”, but as a supplement? When you see someone doing a kindness, or when you are the recipient of that kindness, you can pray:

Thank–of course, if you have the opportunity, thank the other person first, but then thank God for HIS goodness and kindness; thank Him for the person you’ve seen or interacted with; thank Him for giving you eyes to see (or ears to hear, etc.) the goodness around you; thank him for others who have blessed you in the past
Bless–if you have the opportunity, bless the other person with a smile, or a reciprocal act of kindness, but then ask God to bless the other person–and/or someone else who is on your mind.
Ask– ask God for opportunities to “pay it forward”, or just to spread more kindness! Ask how you can show kindness, mercy, and love to others throughout the day. Even more, ask God to intervene (or help you intervene) in places and lives that need more than a small act of kindness.

Confess/Repent–sometimes a small act or word of kindness will convict us, reminding us of a time when we have withheld mercy, or have been the means of causing harm or destruction. Use this time to confess and seek to make amends (if possible), or seek forgiveness.

May today offer you opportunities to “pay it forward”, and then to “Pray if forward!”

July 17, 2026 0

I Sing Because I’m Happy

There is a great old hymn– His Eye Is On the Sparrow– and the chorus says:

I sing because I’m Happy,
I sing because I’m Free.
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Full lyrics here

It is a great reminder that, as followers of Christ, we always have a reason to be happy and to sing his praises, even when circumstances are confusing or situations are trying.

I love this old song, but sometimes, even though I have reason to be happy, I don’t feel like singing. The same happens with prayer. Some days, I’m just not feelin’ it. It’s not necessarily that I’m miserable or angry. Sometimes, I’m distracted, or even happy doing self-centered things.

I find it easier to pray when I’m sad or needy– my brokenness brings me closer to God. When things are going along just fine, I sometimes forget the true source of my joy and strength. I take for granted that God and I are close, not realizing that I haven’t spoken to him lately, or that I have whispered a quick, shallow prayer, but I haven’t spent much quality time with the lover of my soul.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says: “I don’t sing because I am Happy– I am happy because I sing.”

At first, it may sound like this is a contradiction of the beloved hymn, but really it is a complement. I sing because I’m happy, but if I sing no matter how I start out feeling, I find myself happier! I pray because I want to be close to God, but I stay closer to God because I pray. When I was younger, I used to base my prayer life on how I felt. It’s yet another reason I now use a prayer journal. Read more about keeping a Prayer Journal It keeps me disciplined and helps me maintain a stronger prayer life. We all know that prayer is a key element in building a strong relationship with God and others, but it has to be practiced to be effective. Other key elements are:

Reading the Bible/doing a Bible study
Fellowship with other believers
Obedience– Actively following God’s example
Confession/Forgiveness

Any of these elements can become lackluster and difficult, especially if we aren’t practicing them daily. And all of the elements will become stronger through practice. Not only that, but they will blend together better, and the end result is a stronger, healthier, happier you.

And that’s worth singing about!

July 8, 2026 0

Tag: Christian living