Daily Prayer for July 2

I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Proverbs 4:11–12, NIV Dear Father in heaven, you are our God. You rule and guide us, and our trust remains in you even when many needs pull at our hearts and try to draw us into their whirlpool. Protect us, we pray. May your divine hand govern us so that we remain aware of the calling we receive from you and always have a light shining into our lives to show us how to serve you. Let your power work wherever hearts respond to you on this earth, wherever the strength of Jesus Christ is revealed, so that people acknowledge his deeds to your honor. Be with the lowliest and least noticed of your children. Keep them in your hands and enable them to be fellow workers who persevere courageously and confidently until the time when you reveal yourself to all peoples on earth. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Merelots: Armenia’s Day of the Dead Narine Abgaryan “What use do the departed have for liturgy?” an Armenian mother reflects on a visit to the grave of her step-son, in this short story. Read now The Exploitation of Immigrant Care Workers Hazel Thompson Hidden in plain sight, foreign health aides in UK care homes face exploitation. Read now Against Self-Optimization David Zahl The wellness industry sells you a version of yourself it can’t deliver. Hope lies elsewhere. Read now In Defense of Pint and Pipe Malcolm Guite Smoking and drinking carry known risks. Here’s why I haven’t given them up. Read now In Pursuit of Homefulness John Swinton The biblical understanding of health is not biomedical. Read now

Daily Prayer for July 1

People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last. Luke 13:29–30, NIV Dear Father in heaven, Almighty God, grant that the nations come under your rule, under your judgment from morning to evening, from east to west, from north to south. For your will must be done, and your name must be honored among all nations. Yours alone is the kingdom; all kingdoms belong to you. Your heavenly kingdom must come so that at last we learn to be at peace and become your children, who submit to you. For your Christ shall carry out your loving, merciful, and perfect will throughout the world. We thank you for all the good you want to provide for us. May your angels watch over us this night. Be with us in all we do or leave undone. Help us with your strong hands, that we may rejoice at heart in all the good you give us. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough The Exploitation of Immigrant Care Workers Hazel Thompson Hidden in plain sight, foreign health aides in UK care homes face exploitation. Read now Against Self-Optimization David Zahl The wellness industry sells you a version of yourself it can’t deliver. Hope lies elsewhere. Read now In Defense of Pint and Pipe Malcolm Guite Smoking and drinking carry known risks. Here’s why I haven’t given them up. Read now In Pursuit of Homefulness John Swinton The biblical understanding of health is not biomedical. Read now What Is Health? Peter Mommsen My grandfather’s best summer was the one he spent dying. Read now

Daily Prayer for June 30

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” Matthew 11:25, NIV Lord our God, we thank you for your Word, which is light and strength to us. We thank you for all you give us. We thank you that we may be counted among the simple-hearted, among the children. We do not want to be anything great in the world. We want only to be with you as your children, helpless little children, watched over by you, the Creator and Father of all. Grant us your blessing. Help us in all that is good and right, also in our daily work, so that we can be your children and do what you have commanded. May your name be honored at all times, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who have wronged us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough In Defense of Pint and Pipe Malcolm Guite Smoking and drinking carry known risks. Here’s why I haven’t given them up. Read now In Pursuit of Homefulness John Swinton The biblical understanding of health is not biomedical. Read now What Is Health? Peter Mommsen My grandfather’s best summer was the one he spent dying. Read now The Myth of the Nature Cure Polly Atkin In the English Lake District I found companionship in nature, not a cure. Read now The Strange Love of a Strange God Esther Maria Magnis When my father got cancer, we prayed desperately. No answer came. Or did it? Read now

Daily Prayer for June 28

All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his sons. For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. Romans 8:19–21, TEV Lord God, we thank you for all you reveal in your creation so that our lives may be fruitful. Reveal your wisdom and strength among people everywhere so that death and destruction do not have their way, but your will, your love, your mercy shall prevail. Let our age learn that power belongs to you and not to men, and that you will at last fulfill all your promises of good. Your day of justice and holiness will break in, and all misery will be removed through your great mercy. Watch over us as you have done till this hour, and keep us safe during the night. Be present and carry out your will wherever there is misfortune. May your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough In Pursuit of Homefulness John Swinton The biblical understanding of health is not biomedical. Read now What Is Health? Peter Mommsen My grandfather’s best summer was the one he spent dying. Read now The Myth of the Nature Cure Polly Atkin In the English Lake District I found companionship in nature, not a cure. Read now The Strange Love of a Strange God Esther Maria Magnis When my father got cancer, we prayed desperately. No answer came. Or did it? Read now Community of Sourdough Bakers Kendall Vanderslice Sourdough microbakeries are strengthening local neighborhood bonds one loaf at a time, though it’s not always as delightful as it looks on Instagram. Read now

Keeping My Eyes on the Prize

We have to follow the Lord, and Jesus promises to empower our becoming like him through the Holy Spirit. Politicians talk about change as if it is some precious metal not easily mined or the holy grail to be recovered. They tout their ability to bring change. They may even talk about the quality of change they hope to bring. They all seem to ignore one fundamental truth. Change is easy. Please understand me. The experience of that change may not be easy. However, change is as predictable as the sunrise. Change is everywhere. Change happens whether we do anything or not. Whether we want it or not. Change is the constant that interrupts, redirects, and enlivens each of our lives. Change happening is redundant! However, the transformational change we desire is hard, complex, and challenging. Transformation is a change with a focused goal and a clear outcome. Transformation removes the steady, mundane, and predictable and replaces it with a whole new way of being. Transformative change, the process of genuine transformation, is radical. Going through it is challenging. Most importantly, transformation is life-altering. So, what kind of change, what kind of real transformation does God want to see in each of us? Throughout the New Testament, God has a clear destination for our transformation. God wants us to become like Jesus: A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40 ESV). My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you (Galatians 4:19). To [his people,] God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end, I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me (Colossians 1:27-29). Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the freedom to be transformed, “with ever-increasing glory,” to become more and more like Jesus: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). In a previous post on Mark 1:17, Jesus invited disciples into the journey of transformation. Jesus described three stages to this journey: Come, now!We have to decide to begin the process of transformation as an immediate priority. Follow me.We have to spend time with Jesus and learning from him daily if true transformation is going to take place. I will help you become.Jesus has promised to help us in this journey of transformation; in fact, his job is helping us become and be transformed. A key part of stages two and three is re-emphasized in Paul’s words to the Corinthians. We have to follow, and Jesus empowers the becoming through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul is more specific with the Corinthians. He’s basically saying, “Keep your eyes on the prize! Focus on and contemplate Jesus — focus on what he taught, rejoice in who he is, and notice how he did it. As you focus on Jesus, reflect on who he is and how he lived among others. As you do, the Holy Spirit will transform you to be like him!” Our goal, our prize, is to become like Jesus. We want to be “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” as we “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). This transformation may not happen quickly. However, like water running consistently over limestone, the nature of Jesus wears its way into our demeanor, our character, and our compassion. The Holy Spirit transforms us because we make Jesus our all-consuming passion. If we want to become more like Jesus, we must realize that the goal of our lives is not changing, but Jesus. He is the prize we hope to become. We cannot attain this prize on our own. Incredibly, as we focus more and more on Jesus, we find ourselves transformed by the Holy Spirit. As Paul emphasized, mature disciples realize they haven’t yet attained their goal of full Christ-likeness (Philippians 3:12-14). God, through the Holy Spirit, is still working on each of us (Philippians 2:13; Romans 8:28). As Jesus becomes our focus, our all-consuming passion, the Holy Spirit continues the work, doing what we cannot: he transforms us to be more like Jesus. The Spirit is responsible for handling stage three: “I will help you become.” Does this take a while? Yes, a lifetime. Will I get impatient with my setbacks and the long wait to become all I want to be? Yes, but you will find life so much richer and Jesus so much more than you ever imagined as you see yourself becoming what he wants you to be. So, where do I start with this focus? How do I keep my eyes on the prize? You can find a more detailed explanation below, but the bottom line is really pretty simple to understand. Focus on Jesus each day. Read some of his story daily from one of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Memorize some of his words regularly. Consciously react to a situation NOT as you are tempted to react, but as you believe Jesus would try to act in that situation. Thank him for the good things that happen — not necessarily in a specific prayer, but as the companion who walks with you. Share with him the things that make you struggle. Is transformation really that simple? We will add a tweak or two to the process, but remember, we supply the focus — we come to Jesus, and we follow — he promises to use the Spirit to help us become!

Daily Prayer for June 25

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13, NIV Lord our God, grant us courageous hearts, we pray. Grant that we may always find our strength and support in you and may bear with joy whatever the present days bring us. No matter how much evil occurs, we know that your peace is already prepared. We await your peace, and we are allowed to believe that everything will turn out according to your will and according to the good you have prepared for your people on earth. For in faith your people overcome the world, and at last through their faith others too may receive something from you and may lift their eyes to you, the God of truth, of justice, of salvation, and of peace. Be with us every day, Lord God. Help us. Bless us, and bless all who try to bring help where it is needed. Let us praise your name forevermore! Amen.   Recent articles on Plough The Strange Love of a Strange God Esther Maria Magnis When my father got cancer, we prayed desperately. No answer came. Or did it? Read now Community of Sourdough Bakers Kendall Vanderslice Sourdough microbakeries are strengthening local neighborhood bonds one loaf at a time, though it’s not always as delightful as it looks on Instagram. Read now Beholding the Ordinary Arthur Aghajanian By depicting quotidian scenes of workers, neighbors, and strangers at heroic scale, photorealism invites us to reconsider what’s worthy of attention. Read now Food Is Not Magic Garth Brown You may not be able to eat your way to immortality or manliness, but food is something we can make and enjoy together. Read now The Truth About Liars Adrienne von Speyr Wait, is that a mote, speck, splinter, or sawdust in your eye? A Swiss mystic learns to get past the obvious faults in others. Read now

Daily Prayer for June 24

I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy. Psalm 123:1–2, NIV Lord our God, we lift our hearts to you, our help in every need. You do so much for us even in difficult times, letting us always see your light and giving us your help in the many things you want us to bear in your strength, O Almighty God. In the end you will help our age come to your light. Through your great mercy let us receive your Word. Bless it within our hearts, and help us to serve you everywhere we go and in everything we are allowed to do. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Community of Sourdough Bakers Kendall Vanderslice Sourdough microbakeries are strengthening local neighborhood bonds one loaf at a time, though it’s not always as delightful as it looks on Instagram. Read now Beholding the Ordinary Arthur Aghajanian By depicting quotidian scenes of workers, neighbors, and strangers at heroic scale, photorealism invites us to reconsider what’s worthy of attention. Read now Food Is Not Magic Garth Brown You may not be able to eat your way to immortality or manliness, but food is something we can make and enjoy together. Read now The Truth About Liars Adrienne von Speyr Wait, is that a mote, speck, splinter, or sawdust in your eye? A Swiss mystic learns to get past the obvious faults in others. Read now The Abyss of Beauty Ian Marcus Corbin Why do we shy from paying attention to nature’s beauty? Read now

Daily Prayer for June 23

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:14–l5, NIV Lord our God, grant your peace in our hearts. Grant that we may be your children, allowed to serve you in true peace through the forgiveness of sins. Turn your eyes to the world and its sin, that something new may come for all who are deeply unhappy, groaning under the anguish of their lives. Your mercy is great, your compassion is beyond measure. For Jesus Christ’s sake you will bring into the world the salvation that is promised. You will bring the great day of Jesus Christ the Savior, who has shed his blood for us. He can come to those now in need and misery, bringing his peace and his power into their hearts so that even death turns into life and everything serves your praise and glory, Lord our God and Father in heaven. Bless us and bless our nation. May life from heaven grow in those who understand you and who are to be your people. May your will be done, Lord God, until your kingdom comes in its fullness and all the world may see that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to your glory, O God our Father. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Beholding the Ordinary Arthur Aghajanian By depicting quotidian scenes of workers, neighbors, and strangers at heroic scale, photorealism invites us to reconsider what’s worthy of attention. Read now Food Is Not Magic Garth Brown You may not be able to eat your way to immortality or manliness, but food is something we can make and enjoy together. Read now The Truth About Liars Adrienne von Speyr Wait, is that a mote, speck, splinter, or sawdust in your eye? A Swiss mystic learns to get past the obvious faults in others. Read now The Abyss of Beauty Ian Marcus Corbin Why do we shy from paying attention to nature’s beauty? Read now Home Is Not Just a Place Edwidge Danticat With words we build homes no separation can take away. Read now

Daily Prayer for June 22

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21, NIV Lord our God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who is close at our side as the risen and living One, we lift our eyes to you in prayer. Bless us. Bless us through your Word, and let our hearts become quiet in you. Free us from all restlessness and from the turmoil of the present age, for we belong to you, not to the world. We want to find peace in you and remain in you. You will care for us as your children, whom you will never forget in all eternity. Bless us and renew the riches of your grace in us every day, for you, O Lord our God, remain our Father. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Food Is Not Magic Garth Brown You may not be able to eat your way to immortality or manliness, but food is something we can make and enjoy together. Read now The Truth About Liars Adrienne von Speyr Wait, is that a mote, speck, splinter, or sawdust in your eye? A Swiss mystic learns to get past the obvious faults in others. Read now The Abyss of Beauty Ian Marcus Corbin Why do we shy from paying attention to nature’s beauty? Read now Home Is Not Just a Place Edwidge Danticat With words we build homes no separation can take away. Read now Community Is Born Emmy Arnold A founding member recalls turmoil and searching that led to the start of the Bruderhof community. Read now

Daily Prayer for June 21

Father! You have given them to me, and I want them to be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory, the glory you gave me; for you loved me before the world was made. John 17:24, TEV Lord our God, we thank you that you have revealed your glory in your Son Jesus Christ. We thank you that today we can still see and feel the glorious grace which streams out from Jesus Christ in his victory over the world, the powerful help which benefits all those who find faith. Grant that a further glory may be revealed, faith dwelling in the hearts of all people, faith that can conquer all the need and suffering on earth, faith that is the power to look to you, to become inwardly quiet in you, and to hope in you at all times. Then your help will come quickly, more quickly than we can imagine. It will come on us unawares, for the Savior has said, “See, I shall come quickly.” We want to hope and believe and trust till the end. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough The Truth About Liars Adrienne von Speyr Wait, is that a mote, speck, splinter, or sawdust in your eye? A Swiss mystic learns to get past the obvious faults in others. Read now The Abyss of Beauty Ian Marcus Corbin Why do we shy from paying attention to nature’s beauty? Read now Home Is Not Just a Place Edwidge Danticat With words we build homes no separation can take away. Read now Community Is Born Emmy Arnold A founding member recalls turmoil and searching that led to the start of the Bruderhof community. Read now How the Opioid Epidemic Changed My Life Tom Andrew and Reuben Zimmerman Disturbed by the number of young bodies showing up in his morgue, New Hampshire’s Chief Medical Examiner decided to do something about it. Read now