After a recent protest at the US Capitol turned violent, many of us were left reeling. We felt angry, afraid, even enraged. God understands these feelings, but He does not condone violence or hatred. No matter how you are feeling right now, these 5 prayers will help you to surrender those anxious thoughts and refocus on the Lord.

“Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12).

Most of us have been on the receiving end of God’s kindness at one time or another. We have said a prayer for blessing and have experienced his answer. And we can give powerful testimonies of His goodness to us, whether the gifts we’ve gotten have been more material, emotional or spiritual in nature.

For me, God’s blessings have come in many different forms. But I didn’t always recognize them as His handiwork. I confess that early on in my Christian walk, I often mistook His provision as coincidence. But as I grew in understanding, I realized just how much He provided for me each day, in big and small ways.

Then I began to learn that God actually wanted to hear my prayers for blessings. I was amazed and thrilled that I could ask the Lord for anything. But, I soon saw that learning how to lift up requests in a way that would please Him, and seeking things that He would want to give me, were both crucial parts of the process.

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“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:8-10).

The Lord Jesus has been called a master storyteller, and the Gospels are filled with His tales. In His hands, each one entertained, connected with and taught whoever heard them. 

Jesus used parables in particular to reach his listeners in a powerful way. One, known as the parable of the lost coin, imparts a basic and wonderful truth about His Father’s love. It is a timeless lesson, meant to encourage us in our faith.

It’s easy, though, to read through these stories too quickly. I’ve found that slowing down and settling into a parable often brings out its deeper meaning, and what I learn sticks with me better. With that in mind, let’s explore this “Lost Coin” parable to find its treasures.

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"Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth." The images in this story evoke a sense of wonder and awe in so many hearts. In fact, many music composers have been inspired to base chants, songs and carols on these verses.

God has always possessed the quality of glory - it is part of His essence. This truth is reflected all through Scripture, and in the world He created. The theologian Thomas Merton found excitement and delight in the idea, writing, “The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet.”

King David was another author inspired by this trait. From youth into old age, he tried to capture a sense of the Lord’s majesty by using powerful images in his songs. One in particular, Psalm 24, announced the ultimate sovereignty of God with the evocative phrase, “King of glory.” This wonderful name sets God in His proper place, and reminds us of ours. 

Starting with verse 1 of the Psalm, David clearly stated that God is the Creator and Owner of all. He went on to describe the people who are allowed to come into His holy presence, and how they will find blessings there. We can be part of that chosen group today, if we follow David in claiming God as our glorious King.

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In Galatians 6:9, Paul wrote "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." In our fast-paced, modern world, burnout seems to be something that we all have felt and understand. But when we are called to lives of Christian service, how can we avoid this feeling?

As Halloween approaches, it’s natural for our thoughts to turn to spooky images and tales. Believe it or not, the Bible has its share of scary stories to read. In both the Old and New Testaments, we can find accounts that are as frightening as any horror movie!

Reading these kinds of passages for the first time left me feeling fearful and anxious. They seemed to either show God’s wrath or terrible things people did. Each of these stories on their own is certainly alarming. But as I’ve grown in my understanding of God, I’ve started to see a deeper meaning to them as well.

Within the chilling drama of each story, I’ve discovered some important truths about God’s character: that even in the worst of circumstances, He always stays near us, He always desires us to live rightly, and He will always look for ways to show His love to us. Even more, I can see glimpses of how God calls us to join Him in building His Kingdom.

The Sanhedrin were the ruling governmental body during Jesus time. In the Bible, they are most famous for condemning Jesus to death in a sham trial. Their story is not a good one, but they were still used deliberately by God for His glorious plan. By taking a deeper look at this group of men, we can draw several warnings for our own walk of faith.

There is nothing quite like the gnawing feeling of jealousy. It is fiercely strong, but can be sneaky, creeping in without us knowing until we are caught up in the thoughts and emotions it produces.

Many of us have experienced jealousy at one time or another, and felt the anger and angst. I've had my share of bouts with it, and they are moments I'm not proud of.

Jealousy can have such a negative impact on us and those around us - but is it actually a sin? The not-so-simple answer is that it could be, because surprisingly, the Bible mentions a second kind of jealousy. It comes from a very different motivation, and has a much more positive result. 

To answer the question of whether jealousy is sinful, it's important to understand both kinds of jealousy and the contrast between them. Thankfully, Scripture gives us clear examples of each to learn from.

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"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).

Jesus spoke this familiar verse on a hillside near the town of Capernaum. It is one of the Beatitudes, a group of instructions the Lord gave to the people. In some ways, they echo the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses, in that they provide directions for righteous living. These focus on characteristics believers need to possess.

I have to confess that I used to look at this verse as if it were an item on a spiritual to-do list, but that is much too shallow a view. I was also puzzled a bit by it - I wondered what it meant to be meek and how that would lead to blessing. Have you wondered that as well?

As I've explored this verse more, God has shown me that it holds a lot deeper meaning than I realized. Jesus' words challenge my desire for instant gratification, and offer me blessings as I let God be in control of my life.

"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way" (Psalm 76:9).

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