... love for our neighbours does not die the minute we enter heaven it intensifies.

Contemporaries relate that hearing Martin Luther pray was an experience in theology. They said the reformer began praying with such humility that he could be pitied only to proceed with such boldness before God that the human hearer would fear for him.

To neglect ones own ability to laugh is the greatest form of Blasphemy for to laugh is to pray.

Theres a traditional Kenyan prayer From the cowardice that dares not deal with new truth from the laziness that is content with half-truth from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth Good Lord deliver me.

Be still and lay aside all thoughts of what you are and what God is all concepts you have learned about the world all images you hold about yourself. Empty your mind of everything it thinks is either true or false or good or bad of every thought it judges worthy and all the ideas of which it is ashamed. Hold onto nothing Do not bring with you one thought the past has taught nor one belief you ever learned before from anything. Forget this world forget this course and come with wholly empty hands unto your God.

Gods side is determined not by geography but by those who do His will. If Germans English Japanese and Americans prayed right they would all be praying for the same intention Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. And what is that Will The reign of Justice and Charity in the hearts of men. Through a prayerful contemplation of war we will see not soldiers of different nations in combat but one great family quarreling fighting wounding and all in need of the peace and charity of Christ which we hope to obtain by our supplications.

Every morning I was renewed though. Air and light healed me over and over. I got to where I depended on it. When I was feeling my worst I would step out into the yard and put my hands on the branches of the little redbud. It made me feel like I was saying a prayer to do this. I know that sounds like foolishness but that little tree was like an altar for me. I stood there in the cold of early winter wishing for the redbud to bear leaves so that I might put my face against them.

I had no tears to shed nor a prayer for the deceased... There is no hope for the hopeless.

Jesus designed the Lords prayer to reveal His desire to give us more fully graciously and suitably the very things we most want but seek elsewhere. He does not want to deny us our desires but helps remove the false objects of our affections so that we will have the greater blessings he longs to lavish on us.

The child asks of the Father whom he knows. Thus the essence of Christian prayer is not general adoration but definite concrete petition. The right way to approach God is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a Father.