Category

We close the prayer ascribing glory to God. This is based on the ancient Jewish practice of closing prayer with a doxology. The life of faith ultimately lifts glory to God. Read More →

We can and must look to God for deliverance from evil. Read More →

Temptation is a spiritual trial in which we are lured away from God. But God is with us in the midst of trial, to enable us to endure. To pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” is to look to God for strength hold firm in faith. Read More →

In this installment of the sermon series, Dr. Palmer discusses experiencing God’s forgiveness, and likewise forgiving others. Read More →

In this sermon, Dr. Palmer discusses trusting in God for what we need and looking to God as the source of what we most deeply need. Read More →

In this sermon, Dr. Palmer discusses seeking to bring one’s personal life, and one’s society, into harmony with the will of God. Read More →

The opening petition of the Lord’s Prayer directs us to focus upon God, recognizing God’s love, power, and goodness, and giving honor and glory to God. Read More →

The picture of God is as our heavenly Parent, who cares for us and who is perfectly good.  The beginning of prayer is to focus not on our needs but on God. Read More →

Jesus, in teaching about prayer, draws his hearers from thinking about how they look to directing themselves truly to God. Genuine prayer involves doing what Mary did – sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to what he was saying. This also means avoiding what Martha was doing –... Read More →

Prayer as the practice of ongoing communion with God; prayer is not an emergency appeal to God but a receptive connection with God. Such prayer involves intentional focus; we need to “do things that draw us closer to God” (one of the Methodist General Rules). Read More →