5 Things to Pray for a Suffering Friend
New Year – new opportunities to pray
The new year is here. The old has gone. And, whilst on one level the calendar turn changes very little, January 1st is traditionally a time to pause and take stock. As individuals we often use this time of year to thank God for his immeasurable kindness to us. Sometimes we use it to ask […]
The Christmas family gathering
Cards portray it. Adverts encourage it. Tradition dictates it. Christmas is seen as a family time. The expectation is often of multigenerational bliss: children, parents, grandparents, and more, all gathered around a highly decorated table straining under the weight of festive food. We are told that everyone should be smiling, jolly jumpers be worn – […]
Boasting or beauty?
Boasting – it’s an ugly trait. That tendency to speak about something – often ourselves – in ways that are extravagant, in ways that are full of pride. Most of us naturally recoil from a boastful person. Yet another tale of how they excelled or saved the day is rarely what we want to hear. […]
Weakness Our Strength – a review
How do you feel about weakness? If you’re anything like me, you’re not a fan. There are moments when we want to shun weakness and pretend we are strong. Other moments when we are overwhelmed by weakness and feel there is no hope. Weakness rarely feels like something to welcome. Yet, in his latest book, […]
Time to trust
How often do you encourage others to trust God? If you are active in your local church, quite regularly. When someone is anxious or angry, doubting, or depressed, grieving or grumbling, one (of the many) topics we might discuss with them is how to turn to the Lord in trust. It makes sense, doesn’t it? […]
Growing in care
August, for me, is a month of getting jobs done. Work is a little less busy, so I have more time to make those calls – or pop into stores – to progress the tasks of daily living that pile up for us all. Whether it’s sorting out banking or broadband, there’s always something on […]
A time to sing
Songs and hymns are a beautiful part of the Christian life. We sing them when we are praising, we sing them when we are lamenting – and somehow, they move us in ways that the spoken word rarely does. It’s God’s plan that we sing – whether we can hold a tune or not. He […]
Asking for help
It’s mental health awareness week and, up and down the country, initiatives are launching to encourage people to access the help they need when life is hard. There is plenty of help out there – in the world and in God’s word – but so often people struggle to ask. Why is that? Here are […]
Easter grief – Easter hope
There’s something profoundly wrong about death. It rips apart, ends, and destroys in ways that we were never meant to experience. Eternal life was our original design – life unending in a context of perfection – day after day without disease, despair or death. But that all ended at the fall. Since then, most of […]
