Prayer restores life after the oil spill
Can your prayer reach an oil pipe on the sea floor? Can it protect the creatures and coastlines caught in the spreading slick? Can it strengthen the efforts of relief crews?
Yes—because effective, healing prayer isn’t asking a distant Deity to engage in a human disaster and mysteriously disentangle us from these overwhelming problems.

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Global Team


Last year my studies at college seemed particularly difficult. Even though I enjoyed studying, I had to work hard to make up for deficits, or areas in which I was behind. Although during my course of studies I’d learned to let God guide me when I had to choose courses or solve complicated calculations, a certain pride had gotten hold of me. It was an I can do it myself attitude.
I’ll be honest with you, I’ve been dreading the American president’s State of the Union on TV this week. Don’t get me wrong, I’m interested in politics and I like following the news and staying informed about what’s going on in the United States and around the world. But recently I’ve seen so many Facebook statuses with political rants, name-calling, and frustration that my interest in politics has worn thin.
I was praying about Christmas a few weeks ago. From the news around the world to some news in my own family, I was starting to feel that this would not be a joy-filled Christmas but rather one filled with doubt, fear, and loss. But I LOVE Christmas! There is no other time of year I like better. I love the decorations, the spirit, and most of all, I love the focus on the Christ that my family has always brought to the season. So I was feeling like all the unhappy news was coming at such a bad time. Not that there would be a good time for it, but coming at Christmas just made it worse.
What I remember about seventh grade is finding myself in a new school about five times as big as I’d ever known—I was stumped by algebra, and the girl who wanted to help me get through that class was my only friend. Neither of us were cool, and she didn’t care, but I longed to be accepted by the in-crowd. But every attempt to connect with them ended up in some awful embarrassment. It was a painful time of learning how to make friends and how to be a friend.