Tag: prayer
The Ups and Downs of Captivity: Or, Keep Your Knees Bent
The day my previous post appeared on deliverance and captivity, I experienced a little captivity and, fortunately, deliverance during an elevator ride in Shanghai. The basic story is that I…
Greetings from Italy and the Florence 1st Branch; Devotional in Rome on Feb. 2
On Sunday, Feb. 2, I’ll have the privilege of speaking at a devotional for LDS single adults in Rome. I will be talking about the Book of Mormon’s teachings regarding…
Trivial Miracles and Petty Prayer: How the Accuser Teaches a Man Not to Pray
Sometimes we create our own barriers to spiritual experiences. Many people, including some Latter-day Saints, struggle with the notion that God would or could answer individual prayers, especially those dealing…
About That Hong Kong Trip: Another Surprise Encounter
As I mentioned in my last post, even getting to Hong Kong yesterday was a huge blessing. After the small but gratefully received blessing during a moment of prayer that…
When Evidence Isn’t
“The Effect of Prayer on God’s Attitude Toward Mankind” is a mathematical analysis of prayer’s impact that was written not by some crackpot, but by a Nobel Prize Winner, James…
Don’t Begrudge Other Folks Their Miracles
“Do Big Tragedies Negate Small Miracles?” was a post from 2009 that I’d like to mention again today. It deals with the discrepancy between some people testifying of small miracles…
Barbara Bradley Hagerty’s Fingerprints of God
A new friend in Shanghai lent me her copy of Barbara Bradley Hagerty’s Fingerprnts of God: What Science Is Learning About the Brain and Spiritual Experience (New York: Riverhead Books,…
Little Answers to Prayer
On Sunday, I heard an inspiring talk on prayer from an American who desscribes himself as “just a normal person,” reminding us that kind answers to prayer are not just…
Is the Journey the Destination? My Decision to Move to China
A little over 30 years ago, I met a visiting scholar from China who would change my life. He was one of the kindest men I have ever met, one…
Pentecostal Minister Offers Sound Advice to Mormon Bishops (and All of Us)
Yesterday I had an uplifting conversation with a Pentecostal pastor who is assisting with congregations on the West Coast. He was extremely considerate and accepting, and never once tried to…
