There is no question that the most famous labyrinth to be found in a church is the one built into the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. It was created by stones set carefully into the floor of the cathedral’s nave. And yet, while it’s the world’s most recognized path, it’s shrouded in mystery. Why … Read more
A labyrinth is a flat circle or square consisting of a path that winds around to its center. They’ve been found all over the pagan world. But, interestingly enough, they’ve also been found in churches (!) as far back as the 4th century. The earliest known example of a labyrinth in a Christian church dates … Read more
I have to say, I, like many of you, struggled with prayer. First, you wonder, why should I pray, God knows everything. Second, you might say, He never seems to answer my prayers so what’s the sense. Third, I can never stay focused. I am always distracted. Fourth, I feel weird when I pray. We … Read more
Prayer is a great unifier: it pulls together seemingly disparate parts of the believer’s life. While we have a tendency to divide our life into the “Christian” parts and the “other” parts, the Bible recognizes no such distinction. A.W. Tozer called this the “sacred/secular antithesis.” I think we might better call it the “sacred/secular fallacy”. … Read more
I remember those early days. I was saved in 1984 in Sicily. I was in the Navy back then, but left the service soon after. I married my best friend and we moved to Rhode Island. We were both new believers, babies in the faith. I remember those days like they were yesterday – which … Read more
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). In all our praying, however, it is important that we keep in mind that God will not alter His eternal purposes at … Read more
“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live” (Psalm 116:1-2). I think that some of the greatest prayer is prayer where you don’t say one single word or ask for … Read more
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). Among the enemies to devotion none is so harmful as distractions. Whatever excites the curiosity, scatters the thoughts, disquiets the heart, absorbs … Read more
“My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue” (Psalm 39:3). Prayer among evangelical Christians is always in danger of degenerating into a glorified gold rush. Almost every book on prayer deals with the “get” element mainly. How to get things we want from God occupies … Read more