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How Can I Have a Closer Relationship With God?
The curtains wave in the breeze and a dozen songbirds chatter on the lawn. I sit with iced tea and a deep longing in my soul. At first, it feels like physical hunger. But as I sit in the silence with the longing, a question rises up from within me: How can I have a closer relationship with God? How Can I Have a Closer Relationship With God? Francis Chan speaks through the computer screen. There’s a tent on the stage. It’s a red and white camping tent, a modern-day illustration of the place Moses went to meet face-to-face with the Creator of the world. God spoke to man in…
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How to Live for God and Find Deeper Joy in Life
The rhythm of the elliptical is like a cadence keeping time with my prayers. I pray while I exercise. Today I’m praying for single-minded focus to help me live for God in a world so full of distractions. I stare at a beautiful landscape background on my computer while a worship mix stirs my soul. I’m listening to Israel Houghton’s moving rendition of “To Worship You I Live” when a question startles me from my daze. How to Live for God I think of Paul’s words: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NIV). The song prompts me to consider what I live…
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5 Uplifting Prayers for Joy and Peace
The box elder by the creek adorns herself in summer vestments before her taller cousins. I rest in her shade while the little one collects the wispy seedlings and sends them racing down the river. As I watch him play, I talk to God, praying through a series of prayers for joy and peace. Prayers for Joy and Peace I’ve been on a journey of slowing down to be more engaged in the quiet moments of our days. The following prayers flow from me as I watch the clear water flow past, cleansing the sandstone and washing away my cares in the process. If praying for joy and peace sounds…
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Four Lessons from the Woman at the Well
The dust from the road sticks to the roof of her mouth as she forces her feet to carry her heavy jar just a few more steps. The reprieve of a cool drink of water awaits her at the well, and her motivation for continuing forward is the satiation of her thirst. She glances up and sees him sitting there, right beside the well – a Jew. She thinks little of his presence. Jews don’t associate with Samaritans. She’ll simply draw her water and be on her way. “Will you give me a drink?” he startles her with the question, and she studies him for some sign of ill-intent or…
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How to Be Satisfied in Jesus When You’re Struggling in Life
The lake is flat and grey today. The surrounding hills roll lavender beneath an ashen sky, and I pray for just a glimpse of blue overhead. I’m here because I long to be satisfied in Jesus, especially when the winter season feels like it might last forever. I close my eyes and ask God to speak to my soul. I want to know how to be content when the landscape of my days seems desolate. A startling truth settles upon me as a red-tailed hawk cries out to its Maker: I can spend all day seeking an emotionally riveting encounter with God by this water, and I may or may…
