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Tag Archives: Prayer
Why Bother? The Problem of Prayer
Why should people bother to pray? For many people, both religious and irreligious, this question does not seem to have a satisfactory answer. They still pray when desperate – who doesn’t? – but even then, they can’t see the sense in it. If God already knows everything that is going to happen, if he has already decided what he is going to do, our prayers are irrelevant.
One way Christians have responded to this problem is to say, “We don’t pray to change what is going to happen but to change ourselves,” but this answer seems quite inadequate. If nothing changes because of our prayers, then, perforce, the person praying does not change either. If prayer can change the person praying, then it can change other things too. Continue reading
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Chris Pratt Abused for Admitting That He Prays
When the actor Chris Pratt tweeted that he was praying his derriere off – he didn’t use that French word but a ruder English equivalent – for filmmaker Kevin Smith, he was roundly criticized. That is putting it too mildly. … Continue reading
Why Do People Fast During Lent?
The students in our church have begun what they’re calling “Fast Week.” It has nothing to do with how fast they drive their cars or how quickly they can get what they want. Quite the contrary: it’s about their willingness … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Lifestyle, Spiritual life
Tagged biblical heroes, credit card debt, Daniel, Elijah, Ezram Esther, Fasting, Jesus, King David, Luke 5:35, net worth, Prayer, self-denial, St. Paul
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The Surprising Problem of Prayer
In Christian devotional writings it is common to come across the phrase, “the problem of prayer.” The fact that prayer has problems is widely acknowledged, and the one that gets the most attention is the problem of unanswered prayers. For … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Spiritual life, Theology
Tagged Day of Judgment, James 1:8, Prayer, problem of prayer, The Lord's Prayer, why pray is not answered
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Devotional practices that have stood the test of time
Many Christians from various doctrinal streams and denominational traditions practice some kind of devotional exercise each day. These exercises are known familiarly as “doing devotions,” or “having a quiet time,” and usually include Bible reading and prayer. Some people also … Continue reading
How to pray in times like these
In the light of recent events in the news – the ISIS threat, the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, the continuing erosion of religious freedom, and the slaughter of nine Christians at a Bible study in a South Carolina … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Faith, In the News
Tagged ISIS, John 17, persecution, Prayer, propaganda, protection, religious freedom, same-sex marriage, South Carolina Church, Supreme Court, unity, violence
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Unanswered prayer: a thorn in theology’s side
Every branch of knowledge has its ongoing problems. Philosophy has the free-will problem, economics has the gambler’s fallacy, physics has the problem of why there are three space dimensions but only one time dimension. Sociology, mathematics, astronomy – they all … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Faith, Spiritual life, Theology
Tagged gambler's fallacy, Oklahoma Land Run, Prayer, theology, unanswered prayer
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No-oh-oh, it’s not magic
A Kansas City Royals fan puts his lucky hat on the couch, five minutes before the first pitch – and it must be facing south. Another drinks only one kind of beer on game days. Still another watches a different … Continue reading
Can we forgive when we are still angry?
One of the great examples of forgiveness in our time comes from Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch Christian woman who, during the Second World War, was arrested by the Nazis for harboring Jews. She was imprisoned, along with her sister, … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Lifestyle, Spiritual life
Tagged Betsie ten Boom, concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom, forgiveness, Jesus, Matthew 5:44, Prayer
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