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In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns his followers not to repeat empty words and phrases in their prayers like the Gentiles do. Instead, he gives them what we call the Lord’s Prayer. If we’re going to repeat anything, the prayer Jesus taught ought to be that prayer. In fact, the people of Israel… Read more
Most ancient Middle Eastern cultures related to their gods in a very transactional manner. If you wanted something, you had to give the gods something they wanted. This even included the way you prayed. In 2 Kings Chapter 18, the prophets of the god Baal did all kinds of things to earn their god’s attention. Read more
In Jesus’ teaching on prayer, he tells us to pray to our Father where nobody will see. And when we do that, God will reward us for our prayer. It seems rather strange to be rewarded for praying. What kind of reward do we get? A new car? More points toward heaven? While psychologists and… Read more
A few years back, I attended a conference at a summer camp in central California. As I was walking around during free time, I noticed all kinds of plaques: plaques on buildings, plaques on tables, plaques on pianos, and even plaques on trees! Turns out these plaques had names on them, names of those who… Read more
