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Inner Light of the Heart — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 7  Read: Ezekiel 7  Listen: (4:32)  Read: Romans 10 Listen: (3:21)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections on prayer and devotion.

Barbara, TN — Praise the Lord!  Powerful, Erin, and passing it on. Thank you.

This post was originally published on September 30, 2026, based on readings from Lamentations 5:20-22.

Scripture Focus: Lamentations 5:20-22

20 Why do you always forget us?

    Why do you forsake us so long?

21 Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;

    renew our days as of old

22 unless you have utterly rejected us

    and are angry with us beyond measure.

Reflection: A Terrifying, Absent God — Readers’ Choice

By Erin Newton

I have been teaching a study on Job and horror. Initially the combination raises a lot of questions and concerns. How can these two things go together? Are we allowed to talk about the places in the Bible that absolutely terrify us?

As I prepare each week, it becomes increasingly clear that the emotions of being afraid or terrified are quite common in the Old Testament. We like to think that it was the raging seas or the catastrophic floods that encapsulate all that is terrifying in those books. But what I have found, and what has been pointed out by other scholars, is that one of the most terrifying realities, or at least perceptions, is the terror of being alone, forsaken by God himself. 

When you think about the book of Lamentations, we often assume it’s just a long poem of sadness. We see it as a cry from the prophet to God about all that is wrong in the world. While that is not untrue, I want to highlight for a moment the scary aspect of a world where God does not see you.

Job often cries out asking God to look away, give him less attention. But there is also the terrified pleas for God to show up and give him an explanation. Lamentations has that same sense of terror. The book closes with this dreadful thought—what if God is done with us? What if we’ve gone too far? What if we have outrun his love? What if we are alone?

If this was our only book in the Bible, we’d all be a miserable lot. Thank God for the testimony of so many others! We know we are not alone. We know we cannot outrun the love of God. We know that Lamentations is voicing the terrifying doubts and worries we all have and we know that it is not the last word. 

But the cry is familiar: Why do you forsake us for so long? When we are suffering, when the world continues its merciless series of catastrophes and abuse—it feels like time is at a standstill and that God is silent. 

Do we close the book of our faith with these final words of Lamentations? Absolutely not! Immanuel has come. God With Us is here. Despite the dark nights and shrill winds that obscure our ability to hear God, we are not alone.

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of prayer and devotion:

Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly, day by day. Amen. — Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Readers’ Choice is Here!

This month, we reshare your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. There’s still room for more. Tell us about one we should include.

What posts helped you heal?

https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

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Posted on

A Terrifying, Absent God — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 7  Read: Ezekiel 7  Listen: (4:32)  Read: Romans 10 Listen: (3:21)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections on prayer and devotion.

Barbara, TN — Praise the Lord!  Powerful, Erin, and passing it on. Thank you.

This post was originally published on September 30, 2026, based on readings from Lamentations 5:20-22.

Scripture Focus: Lamentations 5:20-22

20 Why do you always forget us?
    Why do you forsake us so long?
21 Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
    renew our days as of old
22 unless you have utterly rejected us
    and are angry with us beyond measure.

Reflection: A Terrifying, Absent God — Readers’ Choice

By Erin Newton

I have been teaching a study on Job and horror. Initially the combination raises a lot of questions and concerns. How can these two things go together? Are we allowed to talk about the places in the Bible that absolutely terrify us?

As I prepare each week, it becomes increasingly clear that the emotions of being afraid or terrified are quite common in the Old Testament. We like to think that it was the raging seas or the catastrophic floods that encapsulate all that is terrifying in those books. But what I have found, and what has been pointed out by other scholars, is that one of the most terrifying realities, or at least perceptions, is the terror of being alone, forsaken by God himself. 

When you think about the book of Lamentations, we often assume it’s just a long poem of sadness. We see it as a cry from the prophet to God about all that is wrong in the world. While that is not untrue, I want to highlight for a moment the scary aspect of a world where God does not see you.

Job often cries out asking God to look away, give him less attention. But there is also the terrified pleas for God to show up and give him an explanation. Lamentations has that same sense of terror. The book closes with this dreadful thought—what if God is done with us? What if we’ve gone too far? What if we have outrun his love? What if we are alone?

If this was our only book in the Bible, we’d all be a miserable lot. Thank God for the testimony of so many others! We know we are not alone. We know we cannot outrun the love of God. We know that Lamentations is voicing the terrifying doubts and worries we all have and we know that it is not the last word. 

But the cry is familiar: Why do you forsake us for so long? When we are suffering, when the world continues its merciless series of catastrophes and abuse—it feels like time is at a standstill and that God is silent. 

Do we close the book of our faith with these final words of Lamentations? Absolutely not! Immanuel has come. God With Us is here. Despite the dark nights and shrill winds that obscure our ability to hear God, we are not alone.

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of prayer and devotion:

Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly, day by day. Amen. — Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Read more: Prescription for Peace

There are many saying the wounds of sin are not serious and “No harm will come to you.” Promising false peace is…deceptive and dangerous

Prescription for Peace
Readers’ Choice is Here!

This month, we reshare your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. There’s still room for more. Tell us about one we should include.

What posts helped you understand the Bible?

https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

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Boldly Asked and Answered Prayers — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 6  Read: Ezekiel 6  Listen: (2:49)  Read: Romans 9 Listen: (5:15)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections on prayer and devotion.

Peter, Singapore — Thank you for the encouraging reminder that we “do not pray boldly based on our merit, but on the merit of Jesus.” Also, I loved seeing the ways these two Psalms are linked. God’s Word is so beautiful and intricate!

This post was originally published on February 3, 2026, based on readings from Psalm 20.6-9 and Psalm 21.1-5.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 20.6-9

6 Now this I know: 

The Lord gives victory to his anointed. 

He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary 

with the victorious power of his right hand. 

7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, 

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 

8 They are brought to their knees and fall, 

but we rise up and stand firm. 

9 Lord, give victory to the king! 

Answer us when we call! 

Psalm 21.1-5

1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. 

How great is his joy in the victories you give! 

2 You have granted him his heart’s desire 

and have not withheld the request of his lips. 

3 You came to greet him with rich blessings 

and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. 

4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— 

length of days, for ever and ever. 

5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; 

you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

Reflection: Boldly Asked and Answered Prayers — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

Psalm 20 and 21 mirror each other. The poetic pairing includes the people’s intercessory prayer for the king going out to battle and the king’s prayer of praise to God when returning from battle. 

The requests in Psalm 20 are answered and celebrated in Psalm 21. We hear proclamations of faith in Psalm 20 and hear testimonies of God’s faithful provision in Psalm 21.

The people ask the Lord to answer, giving the king what he desires. (Ps 20.1, 4) The king praises God for granting his desire and hearing the prayer of his lips. (Ps 21.2)

The people proclaim that the Lord will give his anointed victory. (Ps 20.6, 9) The king joyfully praises the victory given by God. (Ps 21.1, 5)

The people proclaim that they trust in the Lord for victory, not in the king’s chariots or horses. (Ps 20.7) The king rejoices that victory came, not through his strength or armaments, but through the Lord’s strength. (Ps 21.1, 8-9)

These boldly asked and answered requests can inspire our prayers, but there is a difference between boldness and brashness. There are several keys to these bold prayers.

These prayers focus on God’s nature. God is our savior, provider, and the one who fights all the battles that matter. We can boldly appeal to God’s nature.

These prayers recall God’s promises. God’s promises to his children are sure, and we can boldly pursue them in prayer.

These prayers request God’s power for God’s purposes. These are not self-focused trivialities but God-focused priorities. We can boldly ask God to grant his power to accomplish the purposes he calls us to.

These prayers embrace confession and humility. The king does not ride out to war in pride or self-righteousness. He rides out smelling of sacrifices and burnt offerings after confessing his and the nation’s sins and throwing his hopes on God’s mercy. We do not pray boldly based on our merit, but on the merit of Jesus.

Kings and priests were anointed with oil, symbolically pointing forward to Jesus, the ultimate anointed one. The gospel is the announcement of Jesus’ victory, which is for us and all who respond to the gospel. We are Jesus’ “anointed ones,” and he anoints us with the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray boldly, confessing our sins and our nation’s sins, sacrificing self-sufficiency, calling on God’s promises, and raising up a banner to call all people to join us in repentance and victory.

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of prayer and devotion:

Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly, day by day. Amen. — Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Read more: Praying for Rain

Elijah and James encourage us to keep planting seeds of truth in a drought and pray for rain.  Watch for clouds…that show that God’s Spirit is moving

Praying for Rain
Readers’ Choice is Here!

This month, we reshare your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. There’s still room for more. Tell us about one we should include.

What posts helped you pray?

https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

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Prayer in our Vocation — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 5  Read: Ezekiel 5  Listen: (3:28)   Read: Romans 8 Listen: (6:22)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

This week of Readers’ Choice looks back at reflections on prayer and devotion.

Barbara, TN — Thank you, John. We have firsthand stories of Mister Rogers in his very neighborhood as Pittsburghers!  We and our children and everybody else in Pittsburgh treasured his consistent Christlike behavior! And he continues to be an excellent example of a follower of Christ in a difficult world.

This post was originally published on April 16, 2026, based on readings from Matthew 20.25-26.

Scripture Focus: Matthew 20.25-26

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”

Reflection: Prayer in our Vocation — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

In his book, Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer, C.S. Lewis complained that he found it ironically unhelpful to turn into a church for midday prayers.

There always seems to be someone practicing the organ or noisily going about cleaning and mopping. “Of course, blessings on her,” Lewis says. “‘Work is prayer,’ and her enacted oratio is probably worth ten times my spoken one.”

We have not held tightly to the concept of work as prayer. We see work as occupation—something that takes time we would spend elsewhere. Christians have the unique opportunity to see work as vocation—choosing to give to others on behalf of Christ.

To some, it might be a surprise that one of the primary definitions of the word “vocation” is a divine calling. One does not have to be a staff member of a church or an employee of a Christian ministry (or even a volunteer, noisily cleaning up the sanctuary and disturbing an Oxford don’s prayers) to turn grudging occupation into prayerful vocation.

One prominent example of prayerful, secular work is Fred Rogers. Despite the lack of overt religious expression on his show, Mister Rogers was an ordained minister whose specific assignment was to serve children and families through mass media. And serve them he did.

Paying tribute to Rogers on NBC Nightly News, reporter Bob Faw said, “The real Mister Rogers never preached…he never had to.” Following his spiritual calling in no way interfered with Rogers becoming one of the most successful and respected television professionals of all time.

For every believer, the gospel is our vocation. We learn to express it through our occupations.

Rogers’ spiritual discipline and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit made his show a vehicle for the gospel without explicit language of faith. Many of our readers work in faith-negative environments where faith is unwelcome, but that doesn’t mean each action can’t communicate a gospel-filled love to others.

In our careers, we have a choice between the drudgery of meaningless tasks and the honor of serving others around us in Christ’s name. If we need a picture of what that looks like, it may be helpful to us to turn on an episode of “the neighborhood.”

May we make our work our prayer.

By every action, may we pray for our co-workers, our customers, our city, and our world.

Prayer for the week:

We are taking a break from the Divine Hours Prayers this month. Each week, we will pray a prayer from Scripture or Christian history related to the week’s theme. This week’s prayer is related to our theme of prayer and devotion:

Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly, day by day. Amen. — Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Read more: Unprecedented Peace

War is so entrenched…Violence so widely lauded as a solution. Christians can shine in darkness by clinging to our identity as people of peace.

Unprecedented Peace
Readers’ Choice is Here!

This month, we reshare your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. There’s still room for more. Tell us about one we should include.

What posts challenged you?

https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

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Songs of Ascent Playlist – Joy Chose You — Readers’ Choice

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 2  Read: Ezekiel 2  Listen: (1:38)  Read: Romans 5 Listen: (3:53)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Oct 3  Read: Ezekiel 3  Listen: (4:41)  Read: Romans 6 Listen: (3:28)
Oct 4  Read: Ezekiel 4  Listen: (2:56)  Read: Romans 7 Listen: (4:09)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

John Tillman, TX — To kick off this year’s Readers’ Choice, I want to start with a personal favorite: the “Songs of Ascent Playlist” series. Usually Erin and I work independently on whatever scripture comes up on our particular day. However, when all fifteen of the psalms of ascent landed within the five days of one week, it felt like a providential opportunity to do something thematic. Yesterday, I reposted the first one, which introduced the series, and today, I’m reposting one of Erin’s devotionals from the series. I’ve also added links to the other four at the end.

This post was originally published on July 29, 2026, based on readings from Psalm 126:1-2, Psalm 127:1-2, and Psalm 128:1-2.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 126:1-2 

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

    we were like those who dreamed. 

2 Our mouths were filled with laughter.

Psalm 127:1-2

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,

    the builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

    the guards stand watch in vain.

2 In vain you rise early

    and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

    for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Psalm 128:1-2

1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,

    who walk in obedience to him.

2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;

    blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Reflection: Songs of Ascent Playlist – Joy Chose You — Readers’ Choice

By Erin Newton

These three psalms of ascent are mountain peak songs: the rescue is complete; the singer arises out of the valleys of despair and enjoys the glories of restoration.

Laughing and dreaming—the scene probably looks like Maria twirling and singing, “The hills are alive with the sound of music.” It’s pure joy. It’s not only restoration of finances, but also of the soul.

Psalm 127 is the disclaimer amid the hill-frolicking joy. Restored fortunes, restored joy only lasts if it’s built by the Lord.

Finally, Psalm 128 returns to the restoration of blessings.

Restoration plus the Lord equals blessedness.

For those who were reading and singing these songs after the exile or during their routine visits and escapes from everyday duties, taking time for joy is spiritual discipline.

“Count your blessings” is said as a reproof for not being grateful. In other ways, it can be a good reminder to acknowledge the goodness of life here and now.

Donna Ashworth wrote a poem called “Joy Chose You,” which highlights the rarity of joy. Two lines help us here:

             “Joy does not arrive with a fanfare
            on a red carpet strewn
            with the flowers of a perfect life…

             … joy is supposed to slither through
            the cracks of your imperfect life…”

Whenever someone compliments our kids’ behavior or our relationship, my husband and I exchange a calm and knowing smile. Through fire and by God’s grace—that is the only answer we can give them. Like the psalmists here, we have been rescued (this time at least and in this area) so we have been granted moments of restoration and now we worship.

Have you taken time to count your blessings? Do you stop for a moment to acknowledge where God has restored you?

Admittedly, there are still many broken pieces in my life. I am still praying for a way out, a helping hand, an ease to a burden, but so far those are still unanswered.

The songs of ascent remind us that life is not just one mountain to climb but a series of peaks and valleys. We are not on a linear path from rescue to worship; it’s an ebb and flow, an up and down, an ascent and descent.

But here, now, let joy slither into the cracks of your imperfect life. Donna Ashworth says “joy chose you,” and I believe that “our God of joy chose you.”

Songs of Ascent series:

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Come now and see the works of God, how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people. — Psalm 66.4

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Songs of Ascent Playlist – Songs in the Dark

In your “playlist” of prayers, you need songs that cry out, “How long, O Lord? Even if your back has never been plowed with furrows, others’ backs have been.

Songs of Ascent Playlist – Songs in the Dark
Readers’ Choice is Here!

There’s still room to include your favorite. Tell us about a post we should share again.
What posts helped you pray?

https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

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