How much attention do you pay to the superscriptions in the book of Psalms? There are 150 psalms in the psalter, and 117 of them have a superscription note before the actual psalm. They have always fascinated me. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are inspired. It doesn’t mean that they are important. But their presence … More Psalm 48: Preparing Worship Leaders to Lead Worship
Three Excerpts from My Forthcoming Book: Praying the Scripture: Learning to Pray the Psalms from Chapter 15: Psalm 88: The Prayer God Kept I want to stay with Psalm 88 a little longer, because I think it is one of the most important psalms in the book for anyone who has ever felt that prayer … More God Interprets Tears Fluently
INTRODUCTIONWhen Prayer Becomes Breath I was driving home from helping my daughter move sheep when the thought hit me. It wasn’t profound at first. Just a whisper. A nudge. One of those quiet moments when the Spirit seems to lean in and say, “Pay attention.” Missouri has given us many gifts, but being close enough … More Tinkering Before I Give it Over to an Editor
Chapter 2The Psalms as the Prayer Book of Jesus The longer I walk with Christ, the more convinced I become that the Psalms are not optional for the Christian life. They are essential. They are like oxygen. They are the Spirit-inspired vocabulary of the people of God in every generation. And they were the prayer … More Chapter 2 Draft of Forthcoming Book
INTRODUCTION — When Prayer Becomes Breath I was driving home from helping my daughter move sheep when the thought hit me. It wasn’t profound at first. Just a whisper. A nudge. One of those quiet moments when the Spirit seems to lean in and say, “Pay attention.” Missouri has given us many gifts, but being … More Introduction Galley Proof of My Next Book on Prayer
“My heart is steadfast, O God;I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.” Psalm 108:1 Sometimes, when I read my Bible, I can’t get through the first verse before I collapse into the need for my soul to be honest. All real Bible study starts with honesty. Without an honest soul–a willingness … More Interpreting the Bible Well
The ESV editors supply the three-word heading, “Revive Us Again,” as a summary of Psalm 85. An outline of the content of the psalm might look something like this: Stanza Description Verses. Contemporary Re-phrasing How God was faithful to Israel (vss. 1-3) … More Dissipating the Anger of God: Psalm 85
I heard someone say, “Social Media Apps are Lament Platforms.” It’s not my phrase, but when I heard it, something rang true and false in my ear at the same time. Like a chord misplayed, it hinted at something that was jarring and yet suggestive of something important and true. I wrote it down til … More When Can Christians Lament?
We need help. I think this could serve us well. You will have to decide for yourself. “O God, would You bring forth such tears as would float us out of our lethargy and out to the world to proclaim Your gospel? Make us a people who treasure obedience to You over comfort and security … More How to Pray for a Deaf Nation
Still getting settled in at our new digs in Pleasant Hope, MO. Culling more books from my library, sorting papers, hanging pictures, meeting neighbors, sharing the gospel, volunteering at the new Library, spending time with our grandchildren, daughter, and son-in-law, trying to nurse my back into health. These have been the primary activities of the … More Meditating About, Before and To God
