Listening in prayer

waterfall

Hush.
Be still.
Hush.
Be still.
Hush.
Be still, and know I am God.

Rest.
Be still.
Rest.
Be still.
Rest.
Be still, and know I am God.

I am in control.
And I am in love with YOU.

So don’t be afraid.
Right now, I’m giving YOU breath.
Right now, I’m holding YOU.

Hush.
Be still.
Hush.
Be still.
Hush.
Be still, and know I am God.

Rest.
Be still.
Rest.
Be still.
Rest.
Be still, and know I am God.

Words by Michael Armstrong.

These words came to me tonight while trying to clear the noise and thoughts rolling through my mind. Always a great reminder – no matter how many times you hear them.

Photo from today’s trip to the Ft Worth Botanical Gardens.

This is your brain on God

Your Brain on God | Image from NPR.org

Ever wonder why Jesus says, “Pray for your enemies, bless those who persecute you.”? Ever started praying for someone and realize that while sometimes they may change — it’s usually you who changes the most in the process.

I had a friend in college that often warned me, “couples who pray together – lay together.” His logic was that if praying for your enemy changes you so much – then praying with and for your significant other makes the attractions that much stronger. Can’t say I disagree.

Scientists are now starting to see that in meditating and praying for people we physically mold our brains differently!

NPR reports

More than half of adult Americans report they have had a spiritual experience that changed their lives. Now, scientists from universities like Harvard, Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins are using new technologies to analyze the brains of people who claim they have touched the spiritual — from Christians who speak in tongues to Buddhist monks to people who claim to have had near-death experiences. Hear what they have discovered in this controversial field, as the science of spirituality continues to evolve.

Methodist minister Scott McDermott says, “I think we’re wired for the supernatural. I think we’re meant to sense a world beyond our five senses. Come on! Taste and see that God really is good.”

What do you think? Check out the full 5 part series on NPR.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

A prayer of benediction

Now, wherever we are, and in every place, and at every hour, throughout each time of each day, may all of us honestly and humbly believe, holding in our hearts to love, honor, adore, serve, praise, bless, glorify, exalt, magnify, and give thanks to the Most High and Eternal God, Trinity and Unity.

HT Paul Soupiset

The latest from Lanessa

My friend Lanessa has shared more on her situation including a thanks to all who have been praying for her and caring for her. Thought each and everyone of you who have been praying for her would like to know. Portions of her thoughts are below. You can read the complete update on her blog. (oh and yes – her boys are all named after the super heroes you see below :-))

I have been meaning to write this for a few days, going over what I would like to say every night as I go to sleep. This trial in my life the last month has shaken me spiritually too, not just physically. To wake up one day in a hospital room, nurses buzzing around you, IV’s in you and then to have a doctor you don’t know come in to tell you you had brain surgery was mind blowing, then to realize you can’t talk, can’t walk and your head has been shaved was even harder…

To those that couldn’t make my side, your prayers meant just as much. Thank you for believing that Christ could pull me out of the brain swelling and surgery alive. I have been learning to ask specifically to God what I am needing, and your prayers of hope and healing is exactly what I need….

Did you know we have had meals come every other night since this started?
Did you know I had girls I hardly know lend me a changing table and glider for the baby?
Did you know I now have formula and diapers till Clark is a year old?
Did you know women would come and play and do crafts with my children?
Did you know I had babysitters come anytime I needed, for long hours?
Did you know we never had to worry about $ for Jason’s gas and food?
Did you know I had churches all over the US praying for me?
Did you know I had a flower arrangement or gift sent to me every week?
Did you know I had a nurse make a CD of Christian singers she thought I would like?
Did you know I had my OB doc bring me a smoothie I wanted as a surprise?
Did you know my whole Sunday school came to pray over me?

Yes, they wrote an article in the paper about ME, but this trial has been about YOU, the person who cared enough to come, pray, and encourage. Thank you.

Prayer for today life

Tim and/or Rebecca (probably the former :-)) share this on their family blog today. I think its a fitting prayer for me right now.

The prayer comes from John Piper’s book Taste and See

O Lord, by the truth of your Word, and the power of your Spirit and the ministry of your body, build us into people . . .

Who don’t love the world more than God,
who don’t care if they make much money,
who don’t care if they own a house,
who don’t care if they have a new car or two cars,
who don’t need recent styles,
who don’t care if they get famous,
who don’t miss steak or fancy fare,
who don’t expect that life should be comfortable and easy,
who don’t feed their minds on TV each night,
who don’t measure truth with their finger in the wind,
who don’t get paralyzed by others’ disapproval,
who don’t return evil for evil,
who don’t hold grudges,
who don’t gossip,
who don’t twist the truth,
who don’t brag or boast,
who don’t whine or use body language to get pity,
who don’t criticize more than praise,
who don’t hang out in cliques,
who don’t eat too much or exercise too little;

But
who are ablaze for God,
who are utterly God-besotted,
who are filled with the Holy Spirit,
who strive to know the height and depth of Christ’s love,
who are crucified to the world and dead to sin,
who are purified by the Word and addicted to righteousness,
who are mighty in memorizing and using the Scriptures,
who keep the Lord’s Day holy and refreshing,
who are broken by the consciousness of sin,
who are thrilled by the wonder of free grace,
who are stunned into humble silence by the riches of God’s glory,
who are persevering constantly in prayer,
who are ruthless in self-denial,
who are fearless in public witness to Christ’s Lordship,
who are able to unmask error and blow away doctrinal haze,
who are tough in standing for the truth,
who are tender in touching hurting people,
who are passionate about reaching the peoples who have no church,
who are pro-life for the sake of babies and moms and dads and the glory of God,
who are keepers of all their promises, including marriage vows,
who are content with what they have and trusting the promises of God,
who are patient and kind and meek when life is hard.

reminds me of this litany from Shane Claiborne:

may they both ring true in my life.

140 characters of prayer

I feel like I’ve been sending a lot of prayerrelated txt messages and tweets lately. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I actually have only heard positive things from folks getting them (however please let me know if you’d rather not receive them).

I’ve found that txt messages, Twitter and e-mail have turned the traditional “prayer chain” into a rapid fire prayer blast. Within seconds/minutes folks all around the world can be updated with the latest prayer needs.

I’ve used txt messaging and e-mail for some time now. And with my new phone I love the ability to assign folks to message groups so I’m not selecting multiple people each and every time I send a message out.

But I have to wonder if there’s still yet a better way to send out rapid-fire prayer needs/requests. If more folks signed up to Twitter it could really become an informational network where folks could chose to receive updates via the web or txt messages. Perhaps an alternative Twitter feed could be setup just for prayer requests/alerts.

I wonder what it would take to build a system for churches or ministries where prayer alerts could be entered into a system and a message would be sent to Twitter, Plurk (get the most responses from Plurk), Jaiku, etc feeds (140 characters max of course), sent to those requesting cell phone updates, and then a longer more detailed message could also go directly to an RSS feed that could be subscribed to via traditional RSS readers and or e-mail.

Ultimately folks could subsubscribe, unsubscribe and also choose how to receive the prayer alerts.

Is this asking too much? Am I over thinking this? Is it already there? I bet with a little planning a system could be built using WordPress and a couple different plugins.

Hmmm…. could lead to some great possibilities.

What do you prefer? How is your church spreading news/announcements/prayer requests? Still using traditional mediums like bulletins, announcements and prayer chains? Are you on the “cutting edge” and using txt messages, or RSS?

Share you thoughts and ideas!

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