At its simplest, prayer is communicating with God. Prayer is the language of our hopes, dreams, and ambitions. The Bible teaches that we should pray without ceasing, in good times and bad, when we are tempted, and when we are under attack. While God can do whatever He wants without the help of man, in […]
Lent
Lent: a season of empty to full, examen
Welcome to week 2 of Lent: a season of empty to full. This week our focus is examen and self-denial—two of our favorite subjects! I know there’s nothing we like better than taking a deep look at ourselves (warts and all) and saying no to our flesh. While these spiritual disciplines may be uncomfortable, they […]
Lent: a season of empty to full, simplicity
“For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.” 2 Corinthians 1:12 I like simple. Simple pleasures, simple foods, simple days. A flower in an unexpected place. […]
Lent: empty to full, Ash Wednesday
Lent is a season of opposites. We weep so we may rejoice. We sacrifice so we may receive. We empty so we can be filled. In Hebrew the word for empty transliterates as reyqam, which means in vain, empty, idle, without affect. I must admit I have been reyqam — vainly focused on myself, idly wasting […]
Empty to Full: 7-Week Guide to Lent
Would you like to approach Easter this year with a heart that is prepared for the Resurrection? Too often it seems, Lent flies by and before we know it, Holy Week is upon us and we’re rushing to prepare home and heart for Easter. At Only By Prayer, we’re ready to help you more mindfully prepare with our 7-Week […]
Five Ways to Pray in February
