Better Words Than Mine

This blog originated because some friends suggested that I publish a book of some of my writings. I demurred, perhaps more out of fear than humility. Someone I respected suggested instead a blog, and so I began.

Yesterday I read a book which was written under contract. (You’ll see commentary on it here in a couple of weeks.) I say that the words I post here are meant to be meditations, since invariably that is how they started in my mind. They weren’t little ditties that amused me, nor simple sayings; my mind pondered on them. So I was interested to read these contracted words, meant to be spiritually enlightening words. How did they come about in the author’s mind? My words were things I thought about, I meditated on. I can’t imagine how I could have planned topics for me and God to think on, nor the structure of words to describe them.

Which is why when I don’t have any particular insights, I don’t hesitate to print here the words of others, who I believe do. Today I’ll give you some words about stress and prayer, from some authors I believe will give you something to meditate upon.


Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive (Mt 21:22)

Stress can grasp up with such a powerful grip that we feel helpless in getting free. On our own we feel caught, unable to change our experience. That’s when we must remind ourselves that we have powerful assistance available to us. Prayer is a way of changing our way of thinking as well as calling for God’s help in our struggle. Even asking for help begins to turn our experience in a more positive direction. Believing that we will receive help is a wonderful expression of faith. So what we find is that help comes from two directions: from God’s response to our prayer as well as from our own willingness to change our attitudes and thoughts.

This is a joint endeavor, dear God. I’m calling on you to help me with your powerful love to surrender my stress, which keeps me so caught in its grip. I trust that you will help me. And I see that I must do my part too. By my willingness to ask for your help, I want you to know that I’m serious about letting go of my stress. I’ve always taken my stress as a given, and then I’ve just settled down and lived with it. But now I’ve decided to turn to you. Help me trust in you and your power to support me in releasing this stress in my life.

Surrendering Our Stress, by Joan Guntzelman (Surrender in Prayer, P72)


• Our Father, we confess we are in danger of slipping away from the moral and spiritual values which have made us great. We are in danger of losing our way in the midst of other voices that would urge us to put our trust in man rather than You. Give us a new passion for justice, a new zeal for peace, a new commitment to compassion and integrity, and a new vision of what you desire us and this nation to be.
• There is no scriptural basis for segregation. The ground at the foot of the cross is level, and it touches my heart when I see whites standing shoulder to shoulder with blacks at the cross.
• Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength.
• There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.
• Everybody needs some friends around him who will say, “You are wrong!” And that includes me. I really value the friendship of people who’ll just tell it to me like it is, even though I may try to defend my position for a while.
• When I stand up and preach the Gospel, I no longer worry about whether anybody is going to respond or anybody is going to find Christ. I know that in every audience I talk to, there are some people whose hearts God has prepared if I am faithful in presenting the message of Christ. I may not see any visible results. We are not to preach for results. We are not to count. We are to be faithful and vindicate the righteousness of God by presenting His Word.
• The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course.

---- Life Wisdom from Billy Graham (Hallmark Books)