Skip to main content

“Pray creatively. Sigh. Shout. Sing. Or try something else.”

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Dare to Drop the Pose (p. 96). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Creativity and variety can make activities more meaningful.  Because doing things the same way can lead to boredom. 

Craig says, “You might try: 

Writing your prayers. That’s what I do on Mondays. After a hard weekend of preaching, I sit at my computer and talk to God in writing. Some weeks I write a thank-you letter to God. Other weeks it’s more like a complaint letter. Sometimes it’s like an e-mail to a close friend. If you’ve never tried writing your prayers, grab a pen, paper, laptop, iPad, or iPhone and pray away.

Praying during routine tasks. Praying while commuting to work can make a long drive pleasurable and valuable. (Just don’t close your eyes. Remember, Jesus said, ‘Watch and pray.’) Maybe you can pray while you’re grocery shopping, doing the laundry, or working out at the gym. Turn your common activities into uncommon time with your Father.

Praying in different places. I’ve got a favorite prayer chair. I also have a special place in my yard that’s holy to me. You may enjoy praying in your office, in your shower, or in your bed before sleeping or after you wake up. You can clean out a closet and make a private altar. Get out of the box and turn an ordinary place into an extraordinary place for God.

Varying your body’s position. Onetime, pray sitting. Another time, try standing or walking. At times you may enjoy the reverence of kneeling. Sometimes you may be so overwhelmed by the glory and presence of a holy God that you fall face down on the floor.”

He goes on, “I’ll never forget an awesome moment I had with my oldest daughter, Catie. When she was seven, she burst into my home office, beaming with excitement. ‘Daddy! Daddy!’ she shouted. ‘God will tell you He loves you, if you listen closely enough.’

“I didn’t understand, but I respected her passion and enthusiasm, so I asked her to tell me again. Smiling from ear to ear, she repeated herself word-for-word: ‘God will tell you He loves you, if you listen closely enough.’ Then she got very quiet and looked toward the heavens.

“Pause. (Still pausing.)

“Then, glowing, she said slowly and deliberately, ‘See, I told you He would! You just have to listen closely.’ I’ll be honest. I didn’t hear anything at that moment … but I’m convinced that my sweet seven-year-old did.

Craig then says, “God will speak to you, too. If you listen closely enough.”

Maybe trying something different would make a difference?

Yes, yes!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

“We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives.”

A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 118). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But is that all that is important? Jon says, “We want to realize an immediate return from whatever we invest in. I am prone to this way of thinking in so many areas of my life. ‘I paid a lot for that meal, yet the portions were not that big.’ ‘I invested two hours in that movie, and it was just okay.’   ‘I went to church, but the sermon wasn’t that profound.’ We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives. But beauty doesn’t fit within that framework. When Mary anointed Jesus with oil, there was an immediate outcry against her extravagant generosity. ‘It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ (Mark 14:5) One gospel depicts the disciples crying, ‘Why this waste?...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“Hurry and love are incompatible.”

A thought by John Mark Comer from his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (p. 23). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Wow, pretty strong thought isn’t it? John says, “All my worst moments as a father, a husband, and a pastor, even as a human being, are when I’m in a hurry—late for an appointment, behind on my unrealistic to-do list, trying to cram too much into my day. I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging—the antitheses of love. If you don’t believe me, next time you’re trying to get your type B wife and three young, easily distracted children out of the house and you’re running late (a subject on which I have a wealth of experience), just pay attention to how you relate to them. Does it look and feel like love? Or is it far more in the vein of agitation, anger, a biting comment, a rough glare? Hurry and love are oil and water: they simply do not mix.” He goes on, “Hence, in the apostle P...