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Prayer for the President of the United States

I posted this prayer four years ago, Jan. 20, 2017 and I thought I'd share it once again. It's a beautiful prayer from 1947, when Dr. Peter Marshall, the Chaplain of the U.S. Senate prayed it. The words still resonate today, and my hope is that we can unite our hearts in this timeless request for peace, wisdom, and good governance.

Blessings, Rachel

 

 

 

 

We pray, Lord Jesus, for our President.

We are deeply concerned that he may know the will of God,

and that he may have the spiritual courage and grace to follow it.

 

Deliver him, we pray, from all selfish considerations.

Lift him above the claims of politics.

Fill him with the Spirit of God that shall make him fearless to seek, to know, to do the right.

Save him from the friends who, in the name of politics or even friendship, would persuade him from that holy path.

 

Strengthen and empower his advisers.

Bring them, too, to their knees in prayer.

May their example and their influence spread, that we, in these United States,

may yet have a government of men who know Thee, the Almighty God, as their Friend,

and who place Thy will first in their lives as well as in their prayers.

 

Hear and answer, we pray Thee,

forgiving us all our unworthiness;

cleansing us from every ignoble thought and unworthy ambition

that we may be renewed in spirit and mind and heart, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

 

from: The Prayers of Peter Marshall, by Catherine Marshall

Do your teens/young adult kids need prayer today? This is for you.

 

My mom has always told me, "you never stop praying for your kids." Now that I've made it through the teen years and am well into the adult phase of parenting, I know this to be true. Our mama-hearts still hurt over them sometimes, and we wish we could just "fix" things and make them all right...just like we could when they were little. Things are so much more complicated now, aren't they?

The very best thing we can do for our kids is pray for them.

A few years ago I put together a couple of special printable prayers and made them available on my blog. They've been downloaded thousands of times, and I thought I'd go ahead and link to them again today.

Today, I'm standing with you. I know some of you are in tough spots with your kids. You worry. You fret. You keep giving them to God, and then you worry some more.

For today, just let that worry go, wont you?

 

Breathe these prayers and know that your heavenly Father loves that young man, or that young woman, more than you can imagine.

God is working in their lives, even when you can't see it.

He is using their choices and situations to bring them to Him and remind them that he is for them. 

 

He will work it out. It may take some time, but you can trust Him.

You can find the printable prayers here.

Feel free to leave a comment, maybe with your child's name (or pseudonym for privacy) so we can all join together and lift him or her to God today.

 

What to do when life's interruptions make you feel afraid, anxious, and overwhelmed

 

 

But first, an embarrassing story.

 

 

When Toy Story 3 came out in 2010, we were super excited to see it. We had loved Toy Story 1 and 2 – they'd been family favorites and the source of perfect quotes ("That's not flying, it's FALLING....with style!") for years.

But what made Toy Story 3 so anticipated was the fact that it had 3D animation.

Every review we read regaled us with how this incredible new technology made the colors more vivid, the action so real, and the animation unbelievable! On and on went the accolades, so that the entire country was abuzz over it.

We couldn't wait! When it finally arrived at our theater, we bought our tickets, received our packages containing special 3D glasses, and sat down in the best seats, ready for this transcendent experience we'd heard so much about.

 

 

I put my glasses on, and then good golly, oh for crying out loud. I immediately needed to make a last minute run to the ladies' room. I put the glasses in my purse and made a beeline so I wouldn't miss anything.

I made it back to my seat just as the movie was beginning, so I pulled my glasses out and sat back to enjoy the new wonder of THREE DEE.

Instantly, I knew we'd been had.

This whole 3D hype was a sham!

Not only was the animation NOT better, it was worse! The colors were muddy. The picture was blurry. The animation was dim.

It was terrible. Ridiculous! A huge disappointment!

And the worst part was that everyone in the theater was pretending to enjoy it!

Well, I was upset. I felt like the little boy in The Emperor's New Clothes, the only one in the crowd with the courage to see right through this hoax. I was about to stand up and shout the naked truth to the capacity crowd, when my husband glanced at me...and then did a double-take.

"Rachel, why are you wearing your sunglasses?" he whispered. He had that one-eyebrow-up look I've come to know so well.

What???? 

No.

Seriously?

I slowly removed them and took a look.

Yep.

Sunglasses.

Ignoring Tom's snicker, I rummaged around in my purse for the correct pair and put them on.

Oh. my. word.

AMAZING! Such vivid colors! Such incredible animation! The picture just sparkled!

It was magical! I was mesmerized.

Here's the thing: It was the same movie...I just had different lenses on.

 

You see, the right lenses made all the difference.

 

This weekend, I spoke to a wonderful group of people in Arkansas, who had read Flash as part of their state-wide book club, and asked me to come and share personally with them "beyond the book." It was so much fun to hear their stories, and learn how my four-legged "interruption" had impacted them through the lessons I wrote about in the pages.

I was reminded that no matter what our stories are, it seems that life's interruptions are unavoidable.

Problem is, not all of them are cute, fuzzy ones with long ears.

Some of them are just plain hard. They can make you feel afraid, anxious and overwhelmed.

Things like a divorce, a job loss, a relocation, loss of a loved one...things that just knock the stuffing right out of you.

Even the "good" interruptions like new babies, kids growing up and moving away, job promotions, new marriages...well, they can make you feel off-kilter and anxious as well.

But even though we may not be able to change our circumstances, we CAN change the lenses we view them with.

Viewing our interruptions through the right lenses transforms how we respond to them.

And our responses have the power to change the world around us, because transformed people transform the world.

 

If you are facing an unexpected or uninvited interruption today, let me suggest three lenses that will make all the difference in how you view it.

 

 

The first is the lens of Faith.

This is not a "just believe harder" kind of exercise, but more of a "rest in God's presence" point of view.

This lens doesn't deny that what you're experiencing may be hard. It is hard. It may be very hard. But it also acknowledges that God is present with you in it.

He is with you.

He will never leave you.

He will never abandon you.

He is at work in the reality you can't see...behind the reality you CAN see. Think of a microscope, and how it sees beyond the surface to the amazing world going on beyond what our natural eyes are able to see.

The lens of faith is the lens of trust. Today, choose to trust Him with your circumstance...even if you don't understand the "why" or "how" of it.

He is Emmanuel, God with us. And He is with you.

You can trust Him. Jesus says, "I am with you always, even to the end of the world." John 28:10

 

The second is the lens of Hope.

This is the lens that looks past the present and toward the future. It takes the long view, like binoculars would.

It sees a harbor, waaaay off in the distance....and tells you to keep on rowing.

This is the Romans 8:28 perspective that all things really WILL work together...some day, somehow, some way. And it will be good.

God will make all things right.

He is redeeming all things.

Restoring all things.

Wherever you are right now, remember that THIS IS NOT THE FINAL CHAPTER.

This is not the end.

The good stuff is yet to come.

Keep on going.

 

The third is the lens of Love.

This is the lens that, like a prism, takes and bends the light of God's love toward you, and sends it out in all directions, in a rainbow of magnificent colors.

This lens changes our words from "IF God really loved me," (this thing wouldn't have happened) to "BECAUSE God loves me..."

Because God loves me, I have strength for today.

Because God loves me, I am surrounded by people who care about me.

Because God loves me, this difficulty has not destroyed me.

Because God loves me, I'm still standing.

Because God loves me, I can freely love others.

God IS love, says 1 John 4:8. Just THINK about that for a minute! God is love.

Wherever you are, whatever you are facing...you are loved. You are being held by His loving arms.

He will not let you fall.

 

We are told in 1 Corinthians 13 that when all the gifts pass away, there will always remain faith, hope, and love.

Yet how seldom we think about their significance and power!

Faith: God is present, here and now.

Hope: God is taking care of our future.

Love: Because He loves you, you are free–FREE–to let that love bend, reflect and refract out in all directions.

 

Choosing new lenses with which to look at our interruptions allows us to see the "God moments" that we wouldn't otherwise see.

And something else happens, too.

All that fear, anxiety and overwhelm?

They seem to fade into oblivion, just like when you take off your sunglasses in a 3D movie....and put the right glasses on.

All the beauty, the vividness, the brilliance, and the incredible pictures of God's love come to life, before our very eyes. 

Same circumstance, new lenses. 

But what a difference they make.

 

 

More stories and life lessons like this one are in Walking with Henry, my newest book.

This post first appeared here in 2017, but it's worth revisiting as I'm #preachingtomyself today.

Is the Apostles' Creed even relevant anymore?

 

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

 

(Flash, all by his lonesome.)

 

In my book Walking with Henry, I relate how my donkey Flash didn't know he was a donkey.

I think Flash thought he was just another human...or at the very least, a horse (like the ones next door).

Let's just say he had "identity issues."

Suddenly, Henry showed up. Henry is the miniature rescue donkey we brought in to be Flash's companion. I thought the two donkeys would immediately be best buddies. The thing was, Flash HAD NO IDEA what to do with this small, long-eared intruder!

 

(Henry always has food in his mouth.)

 

Flash didn't know how donkeys were supposed to act, how they played, or how they communicated! He couldn't figure out who was supposed to be in charge, or how to even get along. Flash was pretty confused.

But the first time Flash heard Henry bray, it was like a light clicked on in that big ol' noggin of his: "HEY! You sound just like me!"

 

It took getting to know another donkey in real life for Flash to realize his own identity.

 

Like Flash, I was having some identity issues. I needed to find my own identity as a believer. I needed to peel back the layers of my modern evangelical sensibilities to find the DNA strand that connected me with the very first Christians, as well as Christians on the other side of the world...or across the street from me.

 

I found it in the Apostles' Creed.

 

Now, I grew up in church, but the Creeds of the church were not part of my particular faith experience. In the non-denominational settings of my childhood (Charismatic) and adulthood (Bible Church), I have few if any memories of reciting the Apostles' Creed as a congregation. I have to reach all the way back to summers spent with my Lutheran grandparents to recall being exposed to this set of core Christian beliefs that were assembled by the earliest believers in Christ.

I love my background and I do treasure the wonderful worship and teaching I've experienced throughout my life. But when a mid-life faith crisis of sorts hit me a few years ago, I found myself searching for the central tenets of what I believed. I decided to put everything on the table and start at Square One: who is God, who is Jesus, and what makes me a Christian? What do I have in common with other believers in other denominations and cultures?

I felt like I was starting over. It was both scary AND frightening. :)

That's when the Apostles' Creed came to my attention.

The Apostle's Creed has been in existence (at least orally) since the first-century Christians began to share their faith. It was what new converts to "The Way" would recite before their first baptism to show that they understood the crucial story, unity, and themes of the Christian faith. We had the Creed long before we had a canonized Bible.

Each line of the Creed tells us what we agree upon as Christians, and I love that these words have stood the test of two thousand years.It is the "good bones" that the rest of our faith practice is built upon. As I began to make the Apostle's Creed part of my daily prayer time, I felt my roots growing deeper..and my fingers loosening on some of the unnecessary dogma that had been become burdensome to hang on to. I began to see walls that I'd built between other "kinds" of Christians and me start to crumble.

 

You see, if we can affirm the Apostles' Creed, then we share the same spiritual DNA. We are all one family.

 

Far from being irrelevant, the Apostle's Creed still holds true and still defines what it means to be a Christian.

 

I found my spiritual identity after all.

 

Here are a few resources that can help acquaint you to this creed, if you would like to learn more:

 

What Christians Ought to Believe, by Michael F. Bird

 

 

A Deeper Christian Faith, by Ted Campbell

 

Online Article:

Why "No Creed But the Bible is Misguided"

 

What are your thoughts about the Apostles' Creed?

Is it something you are familiar with, or is this new to you?

Is the Creed something that you could commit to memory?

 

 

 

 

You can read more of my faith journey in Walking with Henry.

Prayer Resources from Walking With Henry

 

I've been getting lots of questions about the prayer books and resources I talk about in my new book.

Walking with Henry tells about how I found myself at a point in which I felt unable to pray. I was frustrated by my distractedness, my inability to get past, "Dear Lord please help me" prayers, and a feeling of anxiety over doing it "wrong."

A friend suggested using the Book of Common Prayer.  As an evangelical who is at home in non-denominational settings, this was completely new to me, even though it is a collection of prayers and scripture readings that has been used by other branches of the church for literally HUNDREDS of years. Some of the prayers go back to the first few hundred years of Christianity.

How was it that I'd never heard about it?

 

 

 

Now, I'd been warned against "rote" prayers, and anything that smacked of "vain repetitions," but at this point I was feeling desperate for something that could help my prayer life. It was explained to me that written prayers like these were nothing to be afraid of. In fact, by following along with the order set out for morning and evening prayers, I'd be praying right along with millions of other Christians around the world...and would be joining in with the prayers of the "saints gone before." I could simply step into the stream of prayers that was already flowing, and let them carry me. It's a wonderful thought, isn't it?

I purchased a copy of the Book of Common Prayer and found the prayers inside beautiful....aaaaand the order of services and prayers quite confusing and difficult to follow. It takes some time to become familiar with how it is set up: for example Rite 1 prayers use "thee's and thou's" and Rite 2 prayers are the same ones except with modern language. The Psalms are included in the book, as well as prayers for specific things like baptisms, funerals, the nation, thanksgivings, etc. There is a lot of page-flipping involved.

But, filled with solid theology and well-crafted words, the prayers in the book became a comfort for my soul. I could rest on each line, let the words sink in, and simply breathe them to the Lord.

I needed this, oh how I needed this.

 

 

Perhaps you're looking for a little booster shot in your prayer life, too. Maybe you're "out of words," just like I was. Or maybe you've been so preoccupied with the idea of spiritual warfare that you don't know what it's like to simply meet with God in quiet prayer. I think we've been so conditioned to think of prayer as something we "must do," and that our prayers must be "powerful" and we should "expect great things" or we're doing it wrong....whew. Perhaps there is truth in all that, but to be honest, it sometimes makes me feel tired and anxious.

Maybe it's time we stopped trying to fight the devil at every turn, and simply open our hearts in new (or tried and true) ways to the living, sweet Spirit of God who longs for us to draw close to Him.

Maybe we can rest in the Prayers and give our spiritual lives a chance to grow without having to work at it so hard.

I discovered that there are online apps for the Book of Common Prayer and "The Daily Office" (the daily prayers), and these have been hugely helpful in making the prayers accessible and understandable...no page-flipping involved.

My favorite apps are My Daily Office and thebookofcommonprayer.net.

 

Here are a few books that have helped me as well:

 

 

Flee, Be Silent, Pray

Ancient Prayers for Anxious Christians

by Ed Cyzewski

This is hands down the best book I've read on prayer in a long, long time. I've underlined and highlighted nearly every sentence.

 

 

 

A Diary of Private Prayer, by John Baillie

A 30 day collection of morning and evening prayers that are absolutely wonderful.

 

 

 

Every Moment Holy, by Douglas Kaine McElvey

A lovely collection of prayers for every occasion, great for family prayer.

 

The Divine Hours, by Phyllis Tickle

There are three volumes (Spring, Summer, Autumn/Winter), plus other volumes for Christmas and Easter. I love that the author includes hymns and poems with the readings. It follows the Church calendar and includes morning and evening prayers, along with midday and compline (night) prayers.

There is an online version of the Divine Hours here, which has the morning and evening prayers.

 

Praying written prayers shouldn't take the place of prayers that you "make up" on your own. For me, they have inspired me to live in a state of prayerfulness, the new vocabulary of prayer entering my own prayers in beautiful and unexpected ways. In my personal experience, I was ready to move beyond my "Lord I just wanna ask you for" type prayers, and these resources have been invaluable in helping me learn how to do it. 

After a few years of praying this way, I have created my own "daily liturgy" from the prayers and creeds, and I can say that all of this has transformed my spiritual life.

 

There are many more books and resources listed in the back of Walking with Henry.

You can learn more about my own journey into new prayer practices in the book, and I think you'll be inspired to rethink some of your own ways of approaching prayer. In Walking With Henry I've included a listing of the prayers and creeds I use in my personal daily liturgy, with a private link to where you can find them written out for you on my website rachelanneridge.com.

 

How about you?

What are your thoughts about written prayers?

Are you curious about beginning a new kind of prayer practice?

What questions do you have about doing something like this?

Would this be a prayer practice you would like to do together?

It's Book Launch Day - Walking With Henry arrives today!

 

 

Walking with Henry arrives in bookstores and mailboxes today!

I am beyond excited to launch this book into the world, and I want to thank you all for helping it make a splash today.

Your pre-orders have put this little book about rediscovering faith and prayer into top spots for new releases on Amazon!

For new books, the first week "out" is everything. Book sellers and buyers look at the lists of books that are doing well and make their decisions on placement in stores and quantities to stock. I never knew anything about this before becoming an author! I never realized just how much those first purchases meant.

I've never been one to worry about numbers. I don't ever write thinking about making any kind of charts.

I only write from my heart and let the chips fall where they may.

Walking With Henry is that kind of book. It's about finding myself in the midst of questions, doubts, and honest wrestling with my faith...and what that looked like as I learned to walk with a little donkey by my side.

 

The reviews on Goodreads have warmed my heart. You can pop over there and read what early readers of the book are saying. It's made me realize that I am not alone, and that this world needs people to are willing to lay it all out there and let others see what real-life faith journeys look like.

 

A faith journey is not always pretty.

But there are real pockets of joy and hope along the way that propel us forward into peace and deeper faith. I hope that's what my story communicates.

 

What I learned during this pathway through my questions, is that God loves each of us dearly. He is not fazed by anything we throw at Him, and He will never condemn us for asking gut-level questions of Him or any of the things we believe.

Some of our old beliefs and practices can be left by the wayside as we make room for a God that is bigger and better than we ever imagined. His infinite care and grace for us draws us upward and inward--and allows us to live in freedom and compassion for everyone around us.

 

 

If you have not yet purchased your copy of Walking with Henry, would you do me a favor and do so today?

 

Maybe it will sit on your shelf until you have the time to read it, but it would mean the world to me if you'd take the time to order it now.

And when you do read the book, I hope you'll find a comfy chair with a cozy blanket, pour yourself some tea...and settle in for a journey with me. I'm convinced that you'll not only fall in love with darling little Henry as our companion, but you'll also rediscover God's love and find that your own faith can once again bloom.

 

 

So, thank you, thank you, thank you, my dear blog readers! You have made this book launch possible, and you're helping to bring this little book into the world with a Hee-Haw and a splash!

With deep love and appreciation,

Rachel (and Henry)

 

The Lord's Prayer

 

 

The Lord's Prayer is a prayer I learned as a child, and prayed every now and then as an adult. It's one that is frequently brought out at funerals or special occasions, but honestly it was never really a big player in my regular daily life.

In recent years, I've made The Lord's Prayer part of my daily prayer time. I'd been struggling to pray regularly, and began looking for some new ways to approach prayer. I noticed that it was always in the rotation in The Book of Common Prayer, and as I began to create my own "set" of prayers, I included it so I could pray the words every day.

Praying The Lord's Prayer is a simple way to bring my heart into perfect alignment with the Lord's heart. It's one of the few explicit things He commanded His followers to do...and I'm amazed at how long I overlooked this small practice.

Prayer, to me, had always been about me bringing my requests to God. I usually have a pretty good long list of things I need Him to attend to, and I know He doesn't mind it - in fact He tells us to bring those requests to Him.

 

But I must say that in all my years, I never thought of prayer as "spiritual formation."

 

I never considered that by praying a prayer like The Lord's Prayer, I was helping to form my own soul into that of a mature Christ-follower. But I've found that these words have a lasting effect on me: my demands are fewer, my perspective is shifted, my heart is settled. Rather than rote words on repeat, they have become life and strength to my soul.

 

The prayer in the photo above is a printable I've made for you.

You can find it at rachelanneridge.com/henry when you pre-order my book, Walking With Henry there and sign up for the "Flash and Henry" email newsletter. There are a few other gifts for you there, such as a hoof-print bookplate and more printable prayers I know you'll enjoy.

You'll also be entered for a chance to win a pretty sweet gift package! All the information is on my website.

 

Is The Lord's Prayer something that is part of your daily life? Perhaps you could simply incorporate it into your prayer time, as a small act of obedience to Jesus' directive? You don't have to expect anything grand--there's no magic result--but I will tell you that you may find something stirring in your soul.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done."

The Lord's Prayer reminds us that we are here for a greater purpose than we can imagine. We are here to participate in God's beautiful kingdom, and there is great joy in being part of His family here on this earth.

This New Day: Replacing anxiety with trust

 

 

 

Are you feeling anxious?

Are you worried about what might happen tomorrow?

Do you struggle with "what if's" in life?

A few years ago, I experienced an episode of anxiety that caught me by surprise. I was folding laundry and mindlessly watching a television show (BBC's Escape to the Country - so good!) when suddenly my heart began to pound and I broke out in a sweat. My thoughts became jumbled and I felt overcome by intense anxiousness. I sat down on the bed and tried to breathe and pray my way out of it. Eventually it passed and I've only experienced this kind of episode a few times since, but it was a wake-up call to the seriousness of anxiety as a real mental issue.

There is another kind of anxiety though, a low-level worry that hums in the background of my mind that presents a daily challenge to my mental and spiritual well-being. It's the fear of what might happen: the "what if's" that seem to find their way into my thoughts.

What if I get cancer?

What if my marriage fails?

What if something happens to one of my kids?

What if I'm wrong about all the things I've believed?

What if I never achieve anything worthwhile?

I've found great comfort in meditating on scriptures like Romans 8:28 (all things work together for good) and Isaiah 41:10 (Do not fear for I am with you). I've made lists of go-to verses to let them sink into my soul for such moments.

This prayer, from the Book of Common Prayer, never fails to soothe my anxious thoughts:

 

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: 

Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity;

and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

Amen.

 

What I love about this prayer is that its focus is on today. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, but this present moment.

This new day.

He has brought me here through difficulties and challenges, joys and heartaches.

He is with me still.

And He is with you, too.

Praying these words reminds me to leave the "fulfilling of your purpose" to God. Rather than pleading for my desired outcome (and feeling anxious about making sure everything goes according to my plan) I can put my situation into His hands, knowing that His purposes are so much better than my own.

It's so easy to let our anxious thoughts take over, so that we begin to live from a position of fear. When we adopt an attitude of looking for God's purposes in whatever struggle we face, we can step into a place called "trust."

You can breathe. You can rest.

God has brought you this far.

He is not going to leave you now.

He is going to fulfill His purposes in your life.

He loves you and wants you to flourish in every circumstance.

He is with you in this new day.

 

With love,

Rachel

 

Pre-order your copy

The Means of Grace: Learning to Pray Again

 

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,

we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made.

We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life;

but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;

for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives,

by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages.

Amen.

(Prayer of General Thanksgiving, Book of Common Prayer)

 

 

A few years ago, I found myself unable to pray.

 

I don't really know how or why it happened, but somehow I just couldn't find the words to talk to God---this, after a lifetime of easy conversation with Him.

I found myself wondering:

Is prayer all about me asking for things?

Is prayer a battle, to be fought in a "war room?"

Is prayer silent meditation, or loud declarations of scripture?

Is prayer more effective (i.e. getting God to answer) if I use the right words or get enough people to agree with me in prayer?

What is the purpose of prayer, if "God has everything under control" anyway?

 

Maybe it seems like these are pretty basic questions for a (ahem) "mature believer" to be asking, but I had to be gut-level honest for once in my life, and there I was.

I was at a standstill with my doubts and questions.

I didn't know what to do.

Someone suggested to me that I simply stop trying so hard. They pointed me toward The Book of Common Prayer, and the idea of praying a "Daily Office," which meant following a liturgy--a prescribed list of prayers and readings--morning and evening.

This was absolutely so foreign to me, I instantly rejected the idea.

I didn't believe in engaging in vain repetitions and meaningless rituals...at least that's how I had always thought about it.

But then I thought, "What do I have to lose?"

Since was not currently praying AT ALL, what could it hurt?

I purchased a print Book of Common Prayer and gave it a try. Right off the bat I found it confusing. There was too much page-flipping involved, and trying to figure out my place each day proved difficult. I almost gave up.

That's when I discovered online versions of the Daily Office. And APPS! There were apps.I could easily open an app (here is my favorite) and have the daily prayers and scripture readings organized for me in one place. This made all the difference.

I began.

One day at a time, one moment at a time, one prayer at a time.

 

I simply let the prayers--beautiful, heartfelt words that were full of good theology and grace--carry me forward.

 

I didn't expect anything grand. To be candid, I really didn't expect anything at all.

But something, something was changing inside.

As I prayed along with the daily liturgy, I felt a shift.

I found life being breathed into my spirit.

I began to find the words to pray, not just in the letters on the page, but on my own...from my heart.

I started to listen more.

I worried less.

My anxieties about prayer faded away.

I was learning, slowly, that God can surprise us in unexpected ways, and His grace can meet us wherever we are.

 

 

 

You can read more about my prayer journey in Walking With Henry, my newest book that releases March 5.

 

 

 

Walking With Henry - My upcoming book!

 

I was stuck.

Mired in regret, frozen in my faith, I was afraid of the future, and feeling so very alone.

I should have been excited about a new season of life: my kids were grown and doing well. I had accomplished a dream of writing a book. My marriage was solid.

Instead, I found myself unable to move past one huge mistake I'd made that had had devastating consequences. Simultaneously, the faith I'd grown up with didn't seem to answer new questions and doubts that arrived out of the blue.

To make matters worse, after a lifetime of easy conversations with God, I no longer had any words to pray.

 

I didn't know what to do.

 

That's when Henry, the adorable miniature rescue donkey, arrived in my life.

 

Henry was brought in to our farm to be Flash's wing man. Flash was the "star of the show," my original donkey who had been instrumental in so many life lessons, and whose story inspired my book. Now Flash needed a companion...especially after my awful mistake. 

When we picked Henry up from the donkey rescue facility in west Texas, I hoped that somehow he would help fix everything, including the spiritual fog that had me at a standstill.

I knew it was a lot to ask of such a little guy, but I was desperate and obviously not thinking clearly.

However, Henry -- "Henderson Number Ten," is his official name -- came with his own ideas.

He was not about to be anybody's wing man. He wanted to be the top banana, the boss, the lord of the pasture.

And Flash? Well, he was none to pleased with having his well-ordered life upset by a diminutive know-it-all.

Worst of all, it seemed that neither one of them was interested in helping me with any of my other problems.

 

Walking with Henry is a very personal story.

 

It's a story of learning how to let go of regrets, and journey forward with hope.

It's a story of coming to terms with doubts, facing tough questions about my faith, and finding comfort in new forms of prayer and practice.

It's a story of how God used a tiny donkey to create an open space in my heart for wonder, and mystery, and joy.

 

 

Walking with Henry releases on March 5.

 

I'm both excited and nervous about it. I'm excited because I love how the story turned out...but nervous because I have taken a huge risk in being so vulnerable.

It's not easy for me to share my struggles. I'm a very private Norwegian, after all. But faced with a choice to pretend I've had it all together all along, or allow my authentic journey to be seen and known, I swallowed hard and wrote my truest story. I couldn't NOT be honest...and it's my hope that you'll find encouragement and comfort in the pages of this book.

March 5 is just around the corner....

Which brings me to this question:

 

Would you consider being part of my launch team?

 

Book babies need help getting out into the world, and this one is no different.

I need people who will be willing to read advance copies, and share reviews and promotions on their blogs and social media spheres. 

If you are active on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and (preferably) if you have a blog, would you be part of Team Henry?

 

I need you. I really do.

 

To thank you for your help, Team Henry members will receive a free SIGNED HARDCOVER COPY of Walking with Henry, some personal time with Henry and me via Skype, premier access to a prayer devotional, and the undying love of an adorable miniature donkey in Texas!

If this sounds like something you want to be part of and can commit to, simply send me an email with "Team Henry" in the subject line and I'll give you more information. The official team will be limited to 25, but everyone will be welcome to help in whatever way they can.

In the meantime, Walking with Henry is already available for pre-order at places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Tyndale.

I'm looking forward to sharing more of my journey here on the blog, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I hope you'll follow along and be part of the experience. As always, I am deeply appreciative of your friendship, readership, and encouragement.

You bless me.

With love,

Rachel

PS Did you know that Flash and Henry have their own Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram? I mean, of course they do. :)