Thine is the Glory

The Lord's prayer begins with: "Our Father in heaven,  Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."


 We begin by bowing our hearts before God and in humble submission to Him we express our respect for God's Holy name and our desire for His kingdom and for His will to be accomplished, which will be done even if we do not pray. No one can hinder the will of God; no one can stop Him from performing His sovereign will upon our earth and in our lives. 


We close in prayer by honoring God's name again. “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matt. 6:13b kjv).


The purpose for which this earth and all its people were created, the end for which all Christians are called, and the main goal He desires we seek with all our hearts is that in all things He may be glorified.  (Ryle, Matthew,  39)


 “In all Christian prayer the overriding motivation is to glorify God and to discover his will for our lives. We glorify God by seeking to know his will, by beseeching him to disclose his will to us. We also glorify God when we seek his aid in order to accomplish his will.” (Donald G. Bloesch, The Struggle of Prayer, 71.)


Our chief purpose for praying and God answering is that He may receive all the glory and His name be praised. With one heart and mouth we are called to glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 15:6).  


Now may we offer the following Scripture prayer to our great and glorious God:

O Holy Spirit, You are God’s guarantee that You will give me the inheritance God promised and that You have purchased me to be Your own. You did this so I would praise and glorify You. Through Jesus, therefore, I will constantly and at all times offer up to You, O God, a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify Your name. “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” “I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.”

(Ephesians 1:14  NLT, Hebrews 13:15 AMP paraphrased; Psalm 69:30 NIV, Psalm 86:12 NIV not paraphrased).

Forgive us Our Sins

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.

 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

 On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

“Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us” (Matt. 6:12 nlt). If anything hinders our prayer-life it’s our daily need to seek the Lord’s forgiveness and our own unwillingness to forgive others, both of which I struggle with in my own life.

Forgiveness is such a serious issue, Jesus commented on it immediately after He gave the Lord’s Prayer. “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.” (Matt. 6:14-15, The Message)

Our part is to forgive others, to let go of hard feelings and grudges and prejudices. We think we hide those harmful attitudes, but most people see right through us and especially those we hold things against. We have no idea how much we hurt others by our lack of acceptance. Our critical attitude hurts and offends others even when we are unaware of it.

Why is it that God won’t forgive us if we don’t forgive others? How can He forgive us if we don’t forgive those for whom Christ died and saves from sin? Our hatred—that’s what unforgivingness is—dishonors His name and prevents us from glorifying Him. We honor God by forgiving, accepting, and loving others.

And as “bread" is the first need to the body, so forgiveness is for the soul. God’s provision for the one is as sure as for the other. We are children, but we are sinners, too. We owe our right of access to the Father’s presence to the precious blood and the forgiveness it has won for us.” (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  34.)

Deliver us From Temptation

“Don’t let us yield to temptation.” (Matt. 6:13a nlt). We are vulnerable at all times to temptation; how easily we are led astray and fall.

“We ask him, who orders all things in heaven and earth, to restrain us from going into that which would injure our souls, and never to let us be tempted beyond that we can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13). (Ryle, Matthew,  41)

I have been struggling with a rebellious attitude about doing what the Lord desires of me. I give into the temptation to do what I please rather than what pleases Him. He convicted me that if I continued  on this way, I would become more resistant to doing His will. The more I “get away” with doing what I want without consequences, the more I feel free to do as I please, the more resistant and harder my heart becomes to the Lord.

The Lord convicted me that I needed to make better use of my time, take better care of myself, and not stay up so late watching television at night. So what’s the big deal? you may think. That’s nothing! If only you knew what I’m doing wrong.

The Lord is teaching me that it is a big deal. I need to constantly battle giving into temptation and do what He desires. He commands obedience and any sacrifices I feel I am making or pleasures I’m missing are nothing in comparison to doing His will, His way.

Deliver us From the Evil One

“Deliver us from the evil one.” (Matt. 6:13b nlt). “We are here taught to ask God to deliver us from the evil that is in the world, the evil that is within our hearts, and not least from the evil one, the devil. We confess that, so long as we are in the body, we are constantly seeing, hearing and feeling the presence of evil. It is about us, and within us, and around us on every side. We entreat him who alone can preserve us, to be continually delivering us from its power . . .” (Ryle, Matthew, 41.)

Jesus cared so much that we be protected from evil, He prayed on our behalf, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15).

If we are ever going to grow in our prayer-life, we need to realize that the fight is not with ourselves, but our struggle is “against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 nlt). They tremble when we pray, and so they fight hardest against it.

The only way we can overcome our struggles with prayer is to continually “use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy” (Eph. 6:13a nlt). 

I have been in situations where the presence of evil seemed so strong that in order to combat it, I prayed, He [Spirit of God] who is within me is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).  That simple prayer is powerful and I have offered it up repeatedly until the presence of evil leaves. 


These prayers also have great effect:


 1.  Jesus, deliver me from evil. 


2.  Jesus protect me from the evil one.

 3. Your name, Lord, is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.  You are my loving ally and fortress, my tower of safety and deliverer from evil. You stand before  me as a shield, and I take refuge in You (Prov. 18:10, Ps. 144:2). 

Give us Our Daily Bread In Celebration of Curt's Birthday & Mother's Day

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.

Simple prayer is asking God to provide our basic needs. “Give us our food for today” (Matt. 6:11 nlt). “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time”  (Ps. 145:15).

Early in our marriage, forty-nine years ago, we were truly poor. We were living in Oregon and expecting Curt, our first son. We hadn’t been able to pay hardly anything to the doctor and had no medical insurance to cover the hospital. I had nearly miscarried and the medication I was taking to keep from losing our firstborn was extremely expensive. Our car was broken down, so we took buses to work.

Ron worked at a car dealership in the parts room and I taught preschool. Our gross income was $250 per month. After state and federal income taxes and a tithe of $25, we had $175 left to live on.

Ron has always prayed with the complete trust that the Lord would provide. I easily became anxious and worried. During that time we experienced the Lord’s faithful provision in marvelous ways. We owned our own home, an old 31-foot trailer and lived in a trailer park. Our neighbors, the Millers, were as poor as we were. He was attending Bible college, and they often went to see their parents and brought back fresh food from their farms that they shared with us.

I was also able to eat a hot noon meal, which was like a Thanksgiving feast, at the preschool where I worked, which I needed as an expectant mother. We couldn’t have afforded such delicious meals. The father and son pastors of the church and preschool were hunters, and so the children and staff had wild deer and elk meat and salmon fresh from the Columbia River. I also suffered from evening sickness with my pregnancy and couldn't eat much, but we had enough to fix a meal for Ron. 

It was an extra cold winter and butane gas heated our trailer. As each freezing month passed, we kept thinking we’d soon be out of heat. We didn’t have the money to buy another tank of gas and kept praying for the Lord’s provision.

The butane tank should have been refilled a couple times, but we did not have to fill it because the fuel never ran out that entire winter. This provision of the Lord was a miracle to us and reminded us of the story of Elijah and the widow.

She was preparing what she thought was her last meal certain that she and her son would die. God sent Elijah who asked her to make a cake of bread for him and then make some for herself and her son. Elijah told her that the jar of flour would not be used up and the jug of oil would not run dry until the famine ended, which happened as the Lord had promised (1 Kings 17:12-16).

A couple months before Curt was due, we had a borrowed bassinet but very few clothes and necessities. A missionary friend in Alaska surprised us by sending a big box of baby clothes her child had outgrown. Friends and family from California had a baby shower for us. But we still had no idea how we would pay for our baby’s birth. I was feeling desperate but kept praying.

One Saturday afternoon a life insurance man came to our door to see why we hadn’t paid on Ron’s policy. We explained why and to our joy, he told us we could cash in the policy. We received  enough to pay part of the medical bills.

Soon after, the Lord provided the remaining amount needed to pay the doctor and hospital bills in an unexpected way through the owner of the company where Ron worked. Ron had not shared our need with him, but the Lord who heard us in secret provided openly right before the birth of our son. 


Ron also found a 1941 Ford for $18 and kept it running by pouring egg-preserver in the cracked engine block; the car had no heat and bounced like a buckboard, and I was sure it would induce labor. 


We had prayed for a baby for four years before Curt was born and nearly lost him while I was pregnant, but God heard this mother's cry and preserved Curt's life.  We were overjoyed when he was born and we loved him dearly and are grateful and blessed and proud of him. 

Shortly, after Curt was born, we sold our tiny trailer and rented a fully furnished home and bought a better car. He is a faithful God, and we praise Him for His  provision all these years as we approach our 53rd wedding anniversary. 

Our part is to ask the Lord to provide our basic needs and His part is to meet our needs, but with one condition that He receive all the glory. Dr. John Piper said, “Here is a great discovery. We do not glorify God by providing his needs, but by praying that he would provide ours — and trusting him to answer.” (Piper, Desiring God: 140.)


"You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes" (Philippians 4:19-20, (The Message).

May Your Will Be Done

May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10 nlt). “Our truest happiness is perfect submission to God’s will, and it is the purest love to pray that all mankind may know it, obey it and submit to it.” (Ryle, Matthew, 40.)

Why should we request that God’s will be done since everything He planned will be done? “My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:1).

“The will of God is the glory of heaven, doing His will brings the blessedness of heaven. As the will is done, the Kingdom of heaven comes into the heart. And wherever faith has accepted the Father’s love, obedience accepts the Father’s will. The surrender to, and the prayer for, a life of heaven-like obedience is the spirit of childlike prayer.” (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  34.)

We also pray to know God’s will because how else can He reveal it to us? If we don’t ask, how can we see what He is accomplishing in the world as His Word tells us? He reveals His plans and purposes through Scripture.

Reading and learning His Word is an essential part of our prayer-life for through it God speaks to us.  Listening to Scripture is prayer.

We also need to know the Lord’s will for our own lives. That’s a daily request; it’s not reserved for a special calling to the ministry or serving in church. What is God’s will for me today? If we ask this question and follow the Lord’s guidance everyday we’ll do what He desires over a lifetime.

I’ve been struggling with God’s will in my own life, daily not doing the things I know I should be doing. I know what the Lord desires of me, but I’m not consistent in doing it. I have been having devotions one day then two or three days skipping them. I feel spiritually empty.

Our life has been so fragmented that I haven’t been maintaining a writing schedule, which I should be doing.  The following was written more than ten years ago,  but our life is still about the same, along with the added exhausting joy of helping raise our three young grand-girls. 


It’s January and in the first fifteen days of this New Year, our sinks in one bathroom had been leaking and towels and lots of other things were mildewed or ruined. It was a time-consuming mess.

I’ve spent a couple days waiting while the car was repaired. Christmas decorations are still piled on the table. Plus we’ve had hours of doctor’s appointments. I am anxious about Ron’s two-hour eye operation that was suddenly scheduled for tomorrow.

 I carry most of the responsibilities since Ron became legally blind more than a year ago, which I am grateful to be able to do. But all the ordinary tasks and unexpected problems that are a part of life make concentrating on writing books difficult. I’m a slow writer, and it is hard work for me.

Besides I’m sixties, and isn’t it time to retire? Yet I know Christians who are sacrificially serving the Lord in their eighties.

Yesterday I was praying about my frustrations and failures. I finally took time to have devotions, which the Lord was strongly convicting me to do. As I was talking to the Lord, I was torn between being obedient to His desires while not wanting to do His will even in some of the most basic things. I wanted to be free to do as I pleased.

The devotional was about the Apostle Paul, who served the Lord with gladness but had terrible hardships I’ve never experienced. Wouldn’t you know the Lord always has a way of making me put things in perspective?

Five times Paul was nearly whipped to death, three times beaten by rods, stoned once, three times shipwrecked, spent a night and a day in the open sea, was in constant danger, went without sleep and food and water, was cold and naked, besides daily feeling the pressure of his concern for churches under his care (2 Cor. 11:24-29). 

So what did I have to complain about? Then this verse said, “‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you’” (Acts 26:16).

Then I read how we often blame our trials on Satan’s attacks, not willing to admit that we are being disciplined by our Father. “What is often mistaken as Satan’s attack may actually be chastisement from our loving Father.  . . . “God is disciplining you in order to gain your attention  and bring necessary change to your life. How tragic never to make the connection between your problems and God’s discipline.” (Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, Jan. 14, 14.)

My first thoughts were of someone else who needed to hear this rebuke, but God quickly reminded me that He was speaking to me.

“Only the power of God can free us from our natural self-centeredness and reorient us toward the mission of God.” (Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, Jan. 15, 15.)

“Not every hardship you face is the chastisement of God, but Scripture indicates that God will discipline you. . . God, whose nature is perfect love, will correct you because He has your ultimate good in His heart.”  (Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, Jan. 14, 14.)

What I read was not what I wanted to hear. I wanted the Lord’s sympathy, but His rebuke is what I needed. I asked the Lord to show me His will and He clearly answered in a simple, straightforward way. I assure you that the peace and joy of gladly doing His will is far better with the inner tension and troubled spirit that I struggle with when I don’t do as He desires.

May Your Name be Honored

“May your name be honored” (Matt. 6:9 nlt). We’re to pray with an attitude of loving respect for our Father’s holy and awesome name (Ps. 103:1). We are in the presence of our Father, whose name is mighty in power and equally as great in love and compassion (Jer. 10:6).

“By the ‘name’ of God we mean all those attributes through which he is revealed to us—his power, wisdom, holiness, justice, mercy and truth.” (Ryle, Matthew,  39)

We will never be ashamed of the Lord as some are of their earthly father. Our own fathers may have a bad name due to a poor reputation, may be uncaring and irresponsible, and break their promises.

God our Father is in no way like that. “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” (Ps. 145:13b). We are secure in Him for He is loving, responsible, and totally trustworthy. “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (Ps. 9:10).   

Above all Jesus desires that we give glory to His Father’s name just as He did, “‘Father, glorify your name’” (John 12:28)! When we honor our Father’s name in our prayers and by our godly life, we are glorifying Him.

“In true worship the Father must be first and He must be everything. The sooner we learn to forget ourselves so that He may be glorified, the richer our own blessing in prayer will be.” (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  32.)


May Your Kingdom Come Soon

When we pray, “May your Kingdom come soon,” we are asking our Father to fulfill His plans for this world, which is people coming to faith in His Son, Jesus Christ our Savior (Matt. 6:10 nlt). “By his kingdom, we mean, first, the kingdom of grace which God sets up and maintains in the hearts of all living members of Christ by his Spirit and Word. . . .” (Ryle, Matthew, 40)

“The coming of the Kingdom is the one great event on which the revelation of the Father’s glory, the blessedness of His children, and the salvation of the world depend.” (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  33.)

A Cup of Cold Water

Sunday, I had an unusual faith-testing experience. In many ways it was a trivial trial, certainly nothing to be overly upset about. I confess that I was anxious and stressed about what happened. At the same time, I realized that God was teaching me about His Sovereign relationship with us and what He chooses to bring into our lives that we might serve others and in so doing serve Him. 

Sunday evening Ron wanted to go to church extra early as he was singing a solo that night. He was upset and wound up and certain we weren’t going to make it on time. As it was we waited outside the church for fifteen minutes until the doors were opened.

When I went to start my car to move it out of the driveway, it wouldn’t turn over. Two of the men who arrived early, pushed the car out of the fire lane and into a parking spot. I mentioned I would need help getting the car started after services. Now there is nothing I hate more than being stuck with a broken car. It unnerves me.

I went into the auditorium, where Ron was practicing and sat on the front pew next to a developmentally disabled man. He said his name was Chuck (not his real name) and began to tell me about the church and how he had belonged to it for years. He told me he had taken the bus to church, and then asked, “Can you take me home?”

I replied, “My car is broken down, but I will be glad to find a ride for you.”

Because I was feeling anxious about the car, wondering if it would be an alternator or starter or battery and not knowing if a battery jump would work or if the car would have to be towed, I felt it was best for me to help Chuck find a ride rather than take him home. It was going to be difficult enough for Ron who becomes disoriented  and upset when he is out of his comfort zone and thrust into unfamiliar situations.

As we waited for the evening service to start, Chuck continued to mention every few moments that he needed a ride home, and I kept reassuring him I would make sure he got one. But he wasn’t convinced because he could see that I was anxious and uncertain.

After the service we waited at the front of the church, thinking that one of the men would help us, but they left. Then I mentioned our need to a staff member who said he would get help for all of us.

I asked a couple if they could take Chuck home, but they said they were going shopping. My first thought was, Why couldn’t they take him home and then go shopping?

Ron, Chuck, and I left the auditorium and waited in the hallway for help but no one came. Chuck didn’t look directly at me but spoke to the air saying, “There are no more buses coming, and it’s dark.”

I again promised him, we would make sure he got a ride home.  I was feeling overwhelmed by two needs I could not take care of without help. I don’t remember praying at all, but God was fully aware of my concerns.

By then I thought about calling a towing service, but I don’t have a working cell phone. I started to see if I could find a phone when the staff person saw me and realized we had not gotten the help we needed.  He came and said someone was outside ready to get our car started, and he would make sure Chuck got a ride home. Our car started and we were able to get home. It turned out that our car needed a new battery.

What did I learn from this unnerving experience? 

First, one of the major things God is teaching me is that serving Him is an everyday experience, an every moment exercise. I must be open and aware when He charges into my life and presents me with a divine appointment to serve others. These moments usually come crashing in as unwanted intrusions. They are the last problem I want to deal with, because I was most likely right in the middle of taking care of some duty and have so many other pressures to handle. Nonetheless, God calls me to respond, Now.

Second, God presents people needs to us when we least expect it, and we need to be willing to shift gears to help and not lock into our own agenda.

Third, we need to change our attitude and mindset. If we act like the person is intruding on us and that we really don’t want to help, we only make the person feel humiliated and small and that we don’t care. It was the reaction of Job’s friends to his losses and needs that increased his pain to an intolerable level. No one should have to feel ashamed that he/she needs help. We need to feel reassured and loved and cared for.

Fourth, we need to reach out to those who are vulnerable, whose lives may be difficult, who need that extra mile of giving from us, and extra assurance that we care and will follow through to help or get needed help even if it is inconvenient and when we cannot do it and need to ask others to help.

Finally, this is the least of reasons for giving, but it is a reminder of Jesus call to serve. “If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded”
(Matthew 10:42 NLT).

Scriptures to Ponder from The Message

 Deuteronomy 15:7-11  “When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don't look the other way pretending you don't see him. Don't keep a tight grip on your purse. No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs. Don't count the cost. Don't listen to that selfish voice . . . and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He'll call God's attention to you and your blatant sin. Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God's, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors.”

Luke 6:31-34"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.”

1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.”

A Simple Answered Prayer

Yesterday, the Lord answered a simple prayer. It had been raining most of the morning and along with the wind, it was a chilly Santa Maria day.  I got up at  6:30 am, showered and dressed, then went to help get my grand-girls off to school, urging them to dress, eat, brush their teeth, comb their hair, and get their backpacks and lunches. It's always a race against the clock with me urging the girls to get moving while they move at a poky pace.

I got Sierra out the door to catch her ride and watched the other two girls until right before 10 a.m. when I  took Sadie to Kindergarten and Delaney to preschool and then went to a doctor's appointment. I was done by 11 a.m. and ready for a nap. Grandma's need them.

I sat in the car for a few minutes and read, which is my respite from the insistent needs of Ron and the girls and the phone and all the other tasks that call my name. It started to pour, a pounding rain that thundered and rattled, so I thought I better get home. I put my key in the ignition, but my car would not start. I waited and tried and it would not start. I panicked when the car didn't start after several tries.  I didn't have a working cell phone, so it meant I needed to go back to the doctor's office and use their phone, which I did.

I was told it would be a thirty minute wait for an Automobile Club tow truck. I've been stuck with a broken car many times, and the wait had been that long if not longer. I had eaten a piece of toast for breakfast, but I am a diabetic, and I was starting to have a low blood sugar attack. There was no place to eat close by; besides it was pouring rain. If the car had to be towed to the mechanic, how could I pick up the girls at school? I was fearful about the cost of car repairs. Our bank account was already broken. I was playing the "anxious" game in my mind; I am a winner when it comes to worry at times like that. Finally, I simply prayed for the Lord's help. It was a quick cry of the heart.

Within a few minutes, the tow truck arrived in the thundering rain. The driver reminded me that my car lights were on, which I had forgotten. The car has this annoying habit of not turning off the lights when you turn off the ignition. The battery needed charging, and so did my faith. Within five minutes I was on my way relieved that the car was fine and grateful that God had heard and responded to my simple prayer.

Simple Prayer

Soon after my husband Ron suddenly lost his eyesight we went to the Braille Institute, which offers many helpful services for blind people. I was trying to lead him by the hand into the building.

He was frightened by the changing shadows and the rough and smooth textured sidewalks, certain I was leading him into an obstacle he would trip over.

I kept saying, “Trust me. Just trust me.”

But he was terrified as we walked from the sunlight into the shadows, and from darkness back into the light again. I kept reassuring him, “The sidewalk is clear.”

He still didn’t believe me, and I couldn’t understand why he didn’t trust me to safely guide him.

As we inched our way into one of the rooms, both of us feeling forlorn and frightened, Pablo, one of the employees, said, “Let me show you how to guide him.”

Pablo told us about his grandmother who had been blind as he showed me that Ron needed to hold onto my arm instead of trying to pull him along by the hand as I was doing.

Finding Time to Pray

A few years ago, I met with Lisa and Peggy who expressed similar frustrations. We discussed the barriers and fears that we have about prayer. Why don’t we pray more? One shared how a woman in their church had started an intercessory prayer group and no one came. Why? we questioned.

Peggy, a mother of five and caretaker for her own mother,  said, “Sometimes I think God doesn’t see what I have to do in a day. If He only knew, He’d understand why I don’t have time to pray. Of course, I know He knows,” she said, suggesting “Perhaps, we could try praying for two minutes at a time throughout the day.”

We also realized that we become caught in the trap that we don’t have enough time to  pray now, but we’ll spend those hours in prayer when we get older and have more time. But will we have more time? As I pointed out, I’m in my sixties (71 now) and working harder and have as heavy of obligations as I did when I was younger. So the three of us agreed that waiting for the days when we had more time to pray might never come.

We agreed that we needed simple, practical ways we could pray. We needed a balance between developing a more disciplined prayer-life and not becoming too legalistic and rigid.

Prayer needed to be attainable and doable. We needed concrete ideas and clear direction on how and what to pray specifically for others. We needed to have a beginning place to build our prayer-life on, and not start off by trying to be an on your knees at 4 a.m. prayer-warrior.

A good beginning place would be to pick a routine task and commit to joining it with a time of prayer until the task was done. When we have our morning coffee, it could become a time of prayer rather than reading a newspaper. We don’t have to keep thinking that we have to squeeze an extra minute to pray. We can do tasks that don’t require our attention and pray at the same time.

We could build a habit of coming into the Lord’s presence for a few moments at a time as we were doing our regular tasks. While we’re driving, doing dishes, laundry, vacuuming, or any other routine task that doesn’t require much thinking but would provide an opportunity to pray.

Though we didn’t realize it at the time, we were talking about Simple Prayer, “the most basic, the most primary form of prayer.” It is called the” Prayer of Beginning Again.” (Foster, 9.)

Simple Prayer

Simple prayer is just that basic requests, short and to the point, talking to the Lord about our daily concerns. It’s everyday talk not flowery words or theological language that sounds super spiritual. Just being yourself and talking the way you do in daily conversation.

Richard Foster wrote, “There is no pretense in Simple Prayer. We do not pretend to be more holy, more pure, or more saintly than we actually are. We do not try to conceal our conflicting and contradictory motives from God—or ourselves.” (Foster, Prayer, 10.) Simple prayer is being as real and truthful and transparent with the Lord as we can be.

We don’t have to be afraid that the Lord will criticize or tune us out. We can talk to the Lord without thinking ahead of time about what we need to say in order to persuade Him to hear and answer us.

Rosalind Rinker said, “The more natural the prayer, the more real He becomes. It has all been simplified for me to this extent: prayer is a dialogue between two persons who love each other.” (Rinker, Prayer: Conversing with God, 23.)

Simple prayer is conversational prayer. It is like curling up on a soft sofa for a leisurely chat. It’s talking heart to heart with our beloved Friend who knows us better than anyone else.

We can relax in His presence and be ourselves without apology or explanation. It’s a mutual friendship for the Lord desires we know Him with the intimacy that He knows us.

We are safe and secure and can have complete trust in our soul Friend, the One with whom we can tell our greatest concerns and will keep our deepest confidences. We can even sit quietly together without trying to fill silences.

Some Christians may feel that simple prayer is too self-centered, always asking, begging, and pleading is not pleasing to God. Our prayers need to be more centered on others.

Foster said, “What these people fail to see, however, is that Simple Prayer is necessary, even essential, to the spiritual life. The only way we move beyond ‘self-centered prayer’ (if indeed we ever do) is by going through it, not by making a detour around it.” (Foster, Prayer, 10-11.)

The Lord cares about our personal concerns. The Bible is filled with cries for help. “Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior” (Ps. 38:22). “Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need . . . ” (Ps. 142:6a).

Simple prayer is a beggar’s plea. When blind Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging and heard that Jesus was coming, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  The crowd rebuked Bartimaeus, but he shouted the same prayer all the louder until Jesus stopped and called to him (Mark 10:46-50).

“‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked him. The blind man said, ‘Rabbi, I want to see.’ ‘Go,’ said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you’” (Mark 10:51-52b).

What a simple exchange between Bartimaeus and Jesus. We have this misconception that the longer and more eloquent the prayer the more power we have to persuade God.

In Hallesby’s book, Prayer, he wrote, “Prayer is something deeper than words. It is present in the soul before it has been formulated in words. And it abides in the soul after the last words of prayer have passed over our lips.”  (O Hallesby, Prayer, 16.)

Simple prayer is so much deeper than talking to the Lord, which we think it must be. “Prayer is a definite attitude of our hearts toward God, an attitude which He in heaven immediately recognizes as prayer, as an appeal to His heart. Whether it takes the form of words or not, does not mean anything to God, only to ourselves.  (O Hallesby, Prayer, 16.)

Simple prayer can be one word, such as, “Jesus.”  It can be a passing thought about a need or talking to another person about our concerns that was not prayer at all. For the Lord hears and knows everything on our hearts. “You know my every thought when far away.”  “You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord”  (Ps. 139:2b; 4 nlt).  As Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8b).

 Simple prayer is a moan or cry of the heart without words. For He sees our tears and hears our weeping. In Genesis we see such an example in the story of Hagar and her son who were lost in the desert. She was so desperate she went off a short ways from her son because she could not bear to watch him die.

God sent an angel who told Hagar, “‘Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there’”  (Gen. 21:17). Then the angel led Hagar and her son to a well of water and provided for their needs (Gen. 21:16-20).

Simple prayer can even be a conversation with other people that the Lord overhears. The Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron because they didn’t have food. The Lord heard and provided for their needs, but He was angry with the people for grumbling intead of simply asking and trusting Him to provide (Ex.16:1-4).

Then there was the woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She came up behind Jesus and touched the hem of his cloak because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed” (Mark 5:29).

She immediately stopped bleeding. Jesus felt power going out of Himself and asked who had touched His clothes. She came forward and told Him that she had been healed.

“He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering’” (Mark 5:34). Jesus overheard her thoughts and responded even though she wasn’t praying to Him.

Let us be encouraged that Jesus hears our thoughts we don’t realize are prayer. He desires to show us that He is aware of our every need. He longs for us to watch and see how He is working and answering.

Our Father in Heaven

"In this manner, therefore, pray: 

      Our Father in heaven,
      Hallowed be Your name.
      Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done
      On earth as it is in heaven.
       Give us this day our daily bread.
       And forgive us our debts,
      As we forgive our debtors.
      And do not lead us into temptation,
      But deliver us from the evil one.
      For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:9-12).

Jesus gave us the perfect model for simple prayer (Matt 6:9). Yet the Lord’s Prayer is so profound and has such great depth it covers all the essentials of prayer including everything we need to bring before our Father.

This prayer shows us that we don’t have to say many words to reach His heart. “It is so simple that a child can say it, and so divinely rich that it encompasses all that God can give. A model and inspiration for all other prayer, it draws us at the same time back to itself as the deepest utterance of our souls before God,” wrote Andrew Murray. (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  30.)

In the Lord’s prayer, we are saying we will give honor to our Father’s name, our Father’s kingdom, and our Father’s will. We present to Him our daily needs, our daily sins and weaknesses, and our daily dangers. We confess our daily need for forgiveness and to forgive others. We pray “our” and “we” that we may include others as well. We begin by honoring our Father and end by glorifying Him with praise.

Our Father in Heaven

Start prayer like this, Jesus said. “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9a). Call him “Father, dear Father” (Rom. 8:15). He is a caring, loving Father who welcomes us. For we are His very own children, adopted into His family, and He desires our companionship.

Murray said that when we say our Father we are placed “at once in the center of the wonderful revelation that Jesus came to make: His Father is our Father, too. It is the essence of redemption: Christ delivers us from the curse so that we can become the children of God.” (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  30-31.)

“The title Father tells us much about God’s character. It reveals that He cares about us and takes us responsibility for us. As our Father, He desires what is best for us and loves us so much that He disciplines us for our own good. He is approachable and is involved in all aspects of our lives.” (Lee Brase, Praying From God’s Heart, 28) 

“The knowledge of God’s Father-love is the first and simplest, but also the last and highest lesson in the school of prayer,” wrote Murray. “Prayer begins in a personal relationship with the living God as well as a personal, conscious fellowship of love with Him. In the knowledge of God’s Fatherliness revealed by the Holy Spirit, the power of prayer will root and grow.”  (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  31.)


The word “heaven” may give us the feeling that our God and Father is far off and impersonal. But the Lord promises, He “is near us whenever we pray to him” (Deut. 4:7b).

So let us come to Him as children excited to see our Father who waits for us with open arms. His door is always open. He is the only one we can be sure will hear us and talk to us, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.