Tracy's Blog

Prayer is integral to our lives with God. It is our opportunity to commune with Him, to pour out our hearts to Him, to bring to Him our problems and praises. When I was a young Christian, someone explained prayer to me in this simple phrase: "Prayer is talking with God". I still believe this (even as I've come to appreciate the listening aspect of my conversations with God - a topic for another blog). But what I'm thinking about today is the role of faith in our prayers. I read Jesus' words in Mark 11:22-25 and two statements fo Jesus' stand out: "Have faith in God" (vs.22) and "Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (vs 24). Prayer, like good person to person communication, doesn't just involve the act of talking or speaking words, there is another crucial element - faith/trust. Although I could start a litany of questions that stem from these two verses, I just ...

Has this ever happened to you? You are talking with someone at a social event and they are griping and complaining about someone else - their mother-in-law, co-worker, "friend", or even pastor - and then that person walks by and the complainer quickly puts on a smile and a sweet voice to talk with the person they have just been grumbling about. Inside you feel a little sick as you observe their great acting skills and wonder if they have missed their calling. Maybe they should be in Hollywood. I hate it when that happens.... when someone "puts on" a facial expression or presents themselves in a way that I know is not consistent with their true attitudes. It always makes me wonder what they say about me behind my back. But it also gets me thinking about the Christian life and how we are to "act". In Colossians 3:14 we are commanded to "put on love". Does Paul mean that we are to pretend that we love others?? That Christian virtue is really just an...

Now that we are out of bed, what do we do? There are many things that may make up a typical morning ritual – the paper, coffee, shower, checking your email – but one thing is pretty universal – getting dressed. Just as we put on clothes appropriate to the tasks of the day, we need to dress ourselves spiritually in preparation for the day ahead. The difference is that what we put on to equip us to face the spiritual battle of the day is not something different every day. In Ephesians 6 , Paul lays out what we need: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the readiness of the gospel of peace as our shoes, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God). We also ask for the ability to pray in the Spirit on all occasions. As I write this blog, I’m sitting in the dining hall of Beulah Camp in New Brunswick and although I’d like to write more (and even be a bit humorous), Timmy is potentially going to wake up any moment so I’m going t...