Devotional

A few minutes ago I received an e-mail message from one of our sons in which he exulted about finally getting a 50-cc Honda dirt bike dating back to the early 1970's. The background, he went on to say, was … Read more

Our phone rang late the other evening — long after normal people would call. "Hi, this is Ted Anderson. Is Gordon there?" Jeannette gingerly handed me the phone. I am never in a terribly good mood for late evening phone … Read more

Prize above all else in the world those who love you and wish you well. Do not hurt them or scold them, and never part from any of them in anger: after all you simply do not know, but it … Read more

In the last days of war, and the first days of Allied occupation of Germany, Helmut Thielicke preached on the Lord's Prayer to a congregation under siege in Stuttgart. Thielicke shared his congregation's fear of the bombs, their relief that … Read more

Why pray, when God is all-powerful? God can do whatever God pleases. God created the universe, set it in motion. Why pray? How could we ever hope to move the great God's hand? We pray because something in us longs … Read more

"And lead us not into temptation." Perhaps it's better to say, "Don't let us walk into temptation alone." It also suggests, "Don't leave us to be tested beyond our strength." Of course it's hard to imagine God doing either of … Read more

"Give us each day our daily bread." Think of the manna in the wilderness. God provided enough bread for each day's needs. No more, and certainly no less. Pray for enough to meet our need. Trust that God will provide … Read more

What we pray for reveals what really matters to us. These words of Jesus show us what mattered to him, and what we should seek when we approach God. First pray that God's name will be honoured. In ancient times … Read more

If we look at Jesus' words in Luke 11, we can learn the who, the what, and the why of prayer. First the who of prayer. Luke tells us that Jesus began by saying "Father". It's a different form of … Read more

Over the years, people have told me that each Sunday the words of the Lord's Prayer strike them in a different way, as a reminder of something that's wrong in their lives, or challenging them to forgive others, to struggle … Read more