Category: prayer

Feb 25

Anyone need a “One-Minute Pause?”

I know those of you reading this blog have many burdens on your hearts. Some for friends and family. Some for crises you’ve heard or read about. And others for situations which haven’t even happened, but you fear they will.

Me, too.

And sometimes it feels overwhelming.

That’s why I’m so thankful I came across bestselling author and counselor John Eldredge’s “everyday practices for a world gone mad.”

“You’ve got to release the world…people, crises, trauma, intrigue, all of it,” Eldredge advises. “There has to be sometime in your day where you just let it all go. All the tragedy of the world, the heartbreak, the latest shooting, earthquake–the soul was never meant to endure this…It’s way too much. Your soul is finite. You cannot carry the sorrows of the world. Only God can do that. Only He is infinite.”

When I first read those words, I felt such relief. All of the day’s sad/disturbing/painful stories were too much for my soul to bear.  And that was ok because it’s not my job to bear them.

“Somewhere, sometime in your day, you’ve just got to release it,” Eldredge adds. “You’ve got to let it go.”

We do that, he says, by stopping throughout the day for a “One-Minute Pause” as we pray:

“I give everyone and everything to You, God.”

I love how The Message Bible paraphrases the call of Jesus to lay down our burdens:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
Matthew 11:28-30

Eldredge describes the One-Minute Pause as an invitation to “benevolent detachment,” which is the ability to let things go–“not so much physically, but emotionally, soulfully.”

It’s not a call to stop caring, but to surrender all those cares to the One who ultimately is in control.

This releasing of our heartfelt concerns to God helps clear out our “cluttered soul,” Eldredge explains.

It’s a “turning over into the hands of God whatever is burdening us and leaving it there,” he adds.

We empty our souls of the burdens we never were meant to carry and the Lord fills our souls with what we always really needed: Himself.

Go ahead and breathe deeply. Then take a One-Minute Pause to pray:

I give everyone and everything to You, Lord.

Then pray it again every time you find yourself trying to carry the burdens your soul never was meant to bear.

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Please open in your browser to hear  “Come to Me (The Rest Song)” by Steven and Hannah Musso. (Click on CC at the bottom for Closed Caption lyrics.)

CC

Feb 11

How do you feel about interruptions?

“Mommy is going to go pee and I’m closing the bathroom door!” I remember announcing to my three very active daughters–then ages 3, 5, and 7. “I do NOT want to be disturbed unless someone is bleeding or the house is on fire!”

Those four minutes of peace were wonderful.

I think most of us have times we really dislike interruptions. If we’re sleeping, we usually don’t  want to be disturbed by loud noise. If we’re watching an exciting movie, we probably don’t appreciate being interrupted with a bunch of questions. If we’re trying to play a quick round of online Boggle with our friend Gigi, we hate to be disturbed by our husband making a smoothie in his very loud Ninja blender (hypothetically speaking, of course).

I’ve been thinking more about “interruptions” ever since I was sitting at my favorite local coffee shop and watching a woman at the nearest table. She got up, walked four tables away, and said to the guest: “Can I ask you a question?”

The second woman responded “of course” and a conversation ensued about finding a certain building in town. The two ladies ended up chatting quite a while.

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the reporter in me had a lot of questions.

I especially wondered why the woman interrupted the person who was obviously working as she typed on her laptop, while I was much nearer and not engaged in any work.

No satisfactory answer came to mind until I got up to clear my dishes and noticed the working woman’s table sign:

I smiled and decided to interrupt her and ask about the sign.

“I stole the idea from someone else,” acknowledged Beth, pastor of a local church. “I’m a planner and don’t really like interruptions, so this is good for me.” (We exchanged contact info, I gave her a couple of my books and now she wants me to speak to some of her church folk. )

Planning is basically my middle name, so I  am not a happy camper when “interruptions” upset my plans.

I remember almost 35 years ago when God allowed cancer to “disturb” my world. I eventually became so disturbed by the thought of people fighting cancer without knowing Jesus or at least without sensing His care that I founded a cancer prayer support group. And I continued to be so disturbed that patients and caregivers needed understandable truth in their minds and real hope in their hearts that I literally could not sleep until my thoughts spilled into books.

Have you or your loved one experienced any interruptions which sidetracked your plans?

They don’t have to be as seismic as a life-threatening diagnosis; interruptions can be anything or anyone that stops us from what we were doing.

But big or small, these intrusive events can be “holy interruptions” when we allow God to capture our attention, speak to us and draw us to Himself. It’s how we seek God in the midst of them –and even let Him shine through us–that make them sacred.

As the lyrics of the song below remind us:

“Where did you see God today? Was it in an unexpected place? …
Time to open up our eyes and see for ourselves the holy interruption up ahead.”

I don’t think I’ll make an actual sign encouraging interruptions when I’m eating out, but I am entertaining the idea of adding “watch for holy interruptions” to my daily to-do list. How about you?

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Open in your browser to hear the song  “Holy Interruption,” a simple, short tune with profound words by Jeff Lowery.

Jan 28

Why I Never Pray on My Knees

I’ve been pondering knees lately.  My knees, my husband’s knees,  even the “bees knees” (whatever that old expression means).

I’m not exactly sure why knees are on my mind.

Maybe I’ve been watching too much football and all those kneel-downs before the game or as time runs out (like THE Ohio State Buckeyes did on their way to winning the College Football Championship last week–oops, how did that get in here?)

Our posture–whether standing, sitting or kneeling–often can reveal the intentions of our heart.

Many years ago I heard a humorous story about a little girl who was reprimanded at school for repeatedly standing up in class. Her teacher insisted she must sit down, which the girl finally did, while loudly muttering “I’m still standing up on the inside!”

Kneeling can symbolize many attitudes–surrender, reverence, repentance, humility. Desperate prayers of weary folks often are voiced on bended knees.

Image by Yvonne Huijbens from Pixabay

The New Testament doesn’t command kneeling, but does mention many examples of it.

Servants falling on their knees begging for mercy.
A kneeling mother asking Jesus to favor her two sons.
A rich young ruler on his knees inquiring how to inherit eternal life.
A gratefully kneeling, no-longer-hemorrhaging woman.
The Apostle Paul on bended knee, crying out for a blessing on God’s people.
Peter kneeling in prayer petitioning God to heal a little girl.
Jesus refusing to kneel down and worship Satan.

Kneeling days are long gone for my 78-year-old husband and me. He’s had three knee replacements (not a typo–one had to be done twice because of an infection) and can’t put full weight on all that metal, ceramic and  plastic.

Thankfully, I haven’t had to have any knees replaced–nor do my 71-year-old knees hurt–but for the past several years I’ve had an issue with my psoas muscle (yeah, I never heard of it either). Despite spending a couple thousand dollars on imaging, physical therapy and chiropractic, I cannot go down on my knees without causing severe lower abdominal pain which lasts for days.

I still bow my head and my heart in thankfulness to start and end each day, but now you know why I never pray on my knees. 

Perhaps you do literally pray on your knees. Or maybe you’re like my husband and me and physically unable to. Or you don’t go down because you know you can’t get back up!

Take heart, a new day is coming when our hearts and knees will be bowed:

Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor
and gave Him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

In the meantime, I’ll be sitting down as I surrender myself to the Lord. And I’ll stay seated while I cry out for His grace, mercy and healing on friends, family and weary folks around the globe whom I don’t even know.

But I can tell you that even if I’m sitting down…on the inside I’m still kneeling.
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Open in your browser to hear the song “Fight on My Knees” by Evan Croft.

Jan 14

Planning to get in shape in this new year?

Many people make New Year’s resolutions to get in shape–perhaps walking or maybe strength training. But I’m wondering if you’ve considered any “internal jogging?”

That’s the phrase some researchers use to describe the therapeutic benefit of laughter because it increases our heart rate and our body’s ability to use oxygen much like physical exercise does. I don’t know about you, but I like the idea of “yucking” it up much better than the notion of pounding the pavement!

When I was first diagnosed with cancer as a young wife and mother, I honestly wondered if I would ever really laugh again.

That’s why when I came home from the hospital I sent my husband to the video store (remember them?) to get every “Pink Panther” movie he could find. I don’t know if you enjoy Peter Seller’s slapstick comedy as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, but I always have found it impossible not to chuckle.

So I watched them all. I laughed through them all. And it was very good medicine.

I certainly don’t believe laughter always can cure what ails you, but I definitely believe the proverb that tells us “a cheerful heart is good medicine.” My Bible footnotes say the literal translation is “a cheerful heart causes good healing.”

(I was considering inserting an illustration here about how my husband and I got a lot of good medicine last Friday night as we watched THE Ohio State Buckeyes beat Texas and advance to the national
College Football Championship, but decided you might think that was tacky of me.)

Even if my last comment didn’t make you smile (pretty sure I can still hear my Penn State friends groaning), I absolutely believe it is possible to find joy every day. Consider Psalm 118:24:

The psalmist isn’t waiting to rejoice when there’s good health news. Or if the issue is resolved. (Or after his team wins.) No, he’s rejoicing in this day. God has made this day and it is a gift.

No matter what else happens–or doesn’t happen–go ahead and simply be glad in today. It will be good medicine for your soul.

Here’s a prayer for all you joy-seekers (based on Nehemiah 8:10 and Numbers 6:24-26):

Lord, I pray that You will give me a cheerful heart, in spite of all the struggles and heartaches in my life
and in this messed-up world. I don’t want merely to smile and pretend I’m happy.
But I do want to feel Your quiet joy and perhaps even hear laughter from my lips.

Please help me to heed Nehemiah’s words not to be dejected and sad, for “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” And Holy Spirit, please develop in me the fruit of joy—not based on my circumstances, but on my relationship with my heavenly Father. Let it be a joy that simply is grateful for a day to love and be loved.

I pray, Lord, that You will bless me and protect me. That You will smile on me and be gracious to me.
And that You will show me Your favor and give me Your peace. Amen.

(This blog is adapted from my devotional published in Praying through Cancer: Set Your Heart Free from Fear, ©2006 Susan Sorensen and Laura Geist, W Publishing Co., a division of Thomas Nelson Inc.)
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Open this music video in your browser if you want a chance to smile because ain’t nothin’ gonna steal one little girl’s joy!

Dec 31

Are you tired of all the bad news?

Interviewing Atty. F. Lee Bailey 1989

Sometimes I miss my days of being a newspaper reporter–reading three daily papers and chasing after big stories (like interviewing F. Lee Bailey, attorney for such notorious defendants as the Boston Strangler, O.J. Simpson, and Dr. Sam Sheppard, a.k.a. “The Fugitive.”).

But most of the time nowadays I don’t even want to hear much of the news.

Devastating wars, the constant threat of terrorism, political unrest,  severe weather disasters, so much hate, and too many friends and relatives battling illnesses.

Life is not only hard; it’s downright unfair, as some people seem to have more than their share of trouble. You or your loved one might even be one of those people.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we lived in a world where everything was fair, people didn’t get sick and sad things didn’t happen? That would be a great place to call “home.”

Did you ever wonder why there’s such a longing in each of us for just such a place? It’s a longing for home, you know.  A longing for our real home. You see, we weren’t created to live in Pennsylvania or New York or anywhere else on the face of this planet. We were created for our real home…Heaven.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

The Bible describes Heaven as the place where God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.” (Revelation 21:14)

And why won’t there be any more tears or death or pain? Not because we’ll have all the money we ever wanted. Or all the success. Or all the beauty. Or any other tangible item.

It’s because we’ll have God Himself.

“Look! God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them and they will be his people.” (Revelation 21:13)

We’ll have what we always really needed to be whole—the constant presence of God Himself.

The great 17th-century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal wrote that we all have a “God-shaped vacuum” inside. There’s a hole, so to speak, in our souls that leaves us longing for something more than this world has to offer.

God has “planted eternity in the human heart” the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us.

God knows only He can fill that hole of longing even though we try to fill it ourselves. Some of us try to fill it by buying “stuff” or with relationships or with work or sports or with learning or religious rituals. Some even try things like food or sex or drugs or alcohol. But none of these can fill the God-shaped vacuum in us…instead they only make it bigger.

The only thing that fills that hole and makes us whole is when God fills it with Himself by putting His very Spirit inside us. And when God’s Spirit lives in us, we discover our purpose for living.

It’s really quite simple…Do you know what it is?

We were created to praise God.

That’s right. We find true joy, true fulfillment, when we realize there’s Someone bigger than us. Someone greater than us. Someone worthy of every bit of praise we can give.

If you’ve not really had praise for God well up in your heart lately (or ever!), I pray that you will today.

And if you’re still trying to fill that God-shaped vacuum with other things, I pray you’ll allow God to fill you with Himself and satisfy that longing for your real Home

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Open in your browser to hear “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin and please sing along–out loud or in your heart.

And here’s a bonus video of Chris singing about “Home.”