Posts by Scott Tolhurst
How to Pray Without Words
For many, from childhood, we were taught that, “prayer is talking with God.” We learned to recite a nighttime prayer before sleep, to express gratitude in Grace before a meal, to verbalize our concerns, hopes and praise. What we learned at home was echoed in church. Pulpit prayers, prayer meeting around a circle, prayers that were read aloud – all of these modeled articulations of our hearts.
READ MOREHow to Know Your Prayers Are Working
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” – 2 Cor.3:18
READ MOREHow to Pray When God Seems Deaf
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?” – Ps.13:1 (ESV)
How to Pray With Authenticity
Prayer is central in the life of a Christian. It is modeled and taught by Jesus (Lu.11:1). It is given voice throughout the Psalms. God’s expectation for the pattern of our prayer is described as, “always, constantly, at all times, steadfastly, unceasing.”[1]
READ MOREPart 5: When You Wrestle With God
“And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day …. Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.'” Genesis 32:24,28 (ESV)
READ MOREPart 4: Moving From Independence to Dependence
“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to your gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and save.” – Isaiah 46:3-4
READ MOREPart 3: Moving into Mystery
It is said there is wisdom in our senior years. Education, experience, and reflection yield insight reserved for the second half of life. What needs to be recognized is that senior sages are not simply a well of answers. They also learn to embrace the mystery of life. Their wisdom is evident in becoming comfortable with not knowing the answers. The Psalm above reflects the wise acknowledgement that there are things above our understanding. Rather than trying to solve the questions that can’t be solved, the writer nestles into the arms of God, and is quieted by the hope placed in Him. A peaceful posture of wisdom.
READ MOREPart 2: I Am More Than What I Do
“…the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was…
READ MOREPart 1: Are You on the Wrong Side of 50?
“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me,…
READ MOREHow to Feel the Difference Easter Makes
Easter Curiosity It’s common to approach Easter from a theological perspective. We study the Gospels and delve into 1 Corinthians 15 to sort through the nature, timing, and intent of…
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