Summary In the fifth word from the cross, Jesus says simply, “I thirst.” This is an expression of Jesus’ humanity. Because of the Incarnation, which was the intersection of eternity with history, we can be those who experience what is eternal within ordinary, earthly moments.   Episode 49:  I Thirst: The Humanity of Christ and […]

Summary Christ’s lament from the cross, “My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?” is the fourth and most important of the seven last words. By praying this prayer, Jesus transforms our own experiences of godforsakenness, enabling our words of lament to become seedbeds for hope. Episode 48: Christ’s Cry of Godforsakenness: The Trans-Formation […]

Summary “Woman, behold your son. Behold your mother.” With these words, as he was dying on the cross, directed to Mary and to the disciple John, Jesus founded the church. By praying these words our vision is transformed, enabling us to see anyone and everyone as a beloved child of God, and so continue to […]

Summary As Jesus is dying on the cross, a conversation occurs between the two convicts who were crucified on either side of him. One of these men then says to Jesus, “Remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” Then Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” By allowing this conversation to […]

Summary In this first episode of a seven-part series on the last words of Christ, we examine Jesus’ prayer “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In order to forgive we must first realize our deep need to be forgiven. We also can pray this prayer before we really “mean it.” Episode […]

Summary Psalm 115 is a profound examination of the shadow side of our souls, what the Bible calls ‘idolatry.’ In this episode we examine how our souls both “make idols” and are in turn made by them. Episode 44: Souls are Idol Making Factories (Then Sings my Soul Pt. 3) Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute’s […]

Summary God has designed the soul for beholding, and we become what we behold. 2 Corinthians 3:17-19 lays out how this works, and how prayer can be a participation in beholding Christ and becoming more like him. Episode 43: Soul Work (Then Sings My Soul Pt 2) Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute’s Vice President of […]

Summary In this first episode on the soul and prayer, we look at an underutilized form of prayer found in the psalms – talking to ourselves. This kind of self-talk is different from other popular conceptions, because God is listening in. Psalm 42 commends a kind of prayerful self-talk in which we discover what is […]

Summary When Charlie Brown famously asks, “Doesn’t anybody know what Christmas is all about?!” Linus responds by reciting the King James Version of Luke 2. As it turns out, Philippians 2 is also a good answer, leading us to pray about the wonder of God becoming flesh. Merry Christmas! Episode 41: The Play within the […]

Summary For the fortieth episode of Teach Us To Pray I discuss the first few verses of Psalm 40, one of my favorites, and also one of the best U2 songs ever. Prayer is about waiting, and about God stooping to hear us, and about God putting a new song in us that we can […]

Summary In part 2 of this series, I return to the Jesus and Peter conversation on the beach scene, and raise the question of how God might want to talk about painful memories, the idolatry of work, and using our wounds to heal others – but don’t worry, this episode is merrier than you might […]

Summary This is the first of three episodes on the convergence of beauty and brokenness as found in Scripture, and how we might learn to pray about God’s redemptive activity in our lives. In this episode, I explore the famous conversation between Jesus and Peter on the shore of lake Galilee, examining how Jesus might […]