Deus Misereatur

  It sounds passé, or maybe blasé, but prayer is essential, vital for Christians. So, in our church, I will soon begin a short evening series on prayer and was excited to dive into "The Prayer that Turns the Word Upside Down: The Lord's Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution". It was published in 2018 by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of "The Briefing" and "Thinking in Public". This small, 224-page hardback is handy (even handbook sized), hardy, and heightening. Simply put, Mohler covers the biblical reasons for using the Lord's Prayer as both a prayer (Luke 11:1-4) and as a structure for our prayers (Matthew 6:7-13). He covers what prayer, in general is, and what it is not. He also develops each petition in the Lord's Prayer, delving deeply into redemption, relationships, resistance, and right-reasoning. From one end of the book to the other, the author reminds his readers that this "p

  This workbook is meant to take you through 52-weeks of self-care. It’s primarily for those in a relationship with a high-conflict spouse. It’s not filled with a tone of 15-step-how-tos per se. It’s really about coming to grips with your situation with a high-conflict person (HCP), and surviving. But more than just surviving, it’s about regaining your power of self-direction. As the author’s note, this book “is a wake-up call that you need to start taking care of yourself. You will see how well or sick you are at the beginning and at the end on your weekly journey to becoming a healthier human and parent” (9). There were several moments I found myself saying, “Yeah! What she just said! That’s how it feels and that’s what it’s like!” Other times the writers throw a good dose of reality in the reader’s way to make sure readers know the hard truth so as to make some rock-solid decisions. For example, “Your co-parent will never change. I can almost 100% guarantee that. But you can” (132).

  O LORD, who created the heavens (you are God!), who formed the earth and made it (you established it; you did not create it empty, you formed it to be inhabited!), you have spoken and said: “I am the LORD, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right” (Isaiah 45:18-19). It is to you we come to seek your face and call for help. We pray for your church world over, including this congregation, Victory Baptist Temple, Bible Baptist, Bodine, and Calvary Baptist Church. May we all be united together by your Holy Spirit, in your true Truth, and around your Son Jesus. We additionally pray for each of the congregations in our Hills and Plains Presbytery in Missouri, Arkansas, and throughout Oklahoma, that you would guide us in truly and humbly serving you in order that your name may be glorified before all people. Take notice, O God, of the nations of the