My wife, Marla, has a small kneeling angel figurine decoration on her bedside table in our bedroom. Once a year in December, for just an hour or two, a single ray of early morning sunshine finds its way through the bedroom window and illuminates the angel like a spotlight in a theater. It’s as if we have our own Yosemite Firefall right in our bedroom. Suddenly, the angel’s soft, carved wooden features are bathed in a golden glow, as if touched by God himself. With its bowed head and hands gently in prayer, it is as if, for a moment, the angel is bright as fire against its dark surroundings, whispering silent prayers into the stillness of the room.

When I catch this, joy fills my heart. It reminds me of how I have my true Father to call on in prayer. Prayer is truly an opportunity to grow closer to God. It is my act of submission to His will. I ask God to align my will with His, directing my heart for the day. Prayer is my lifeline to God.

Mount Hermon

Since the book came out (Surfing in Heaven), I’ve had several questions about why I am donating 50% of book proceeds to the Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center. My immediate response is to tell them to “read the book!”. 🙂

My wife and I just returned from Mount Hermon’s annual “All Comers” weekend, where we were fully fed, entertained, and taught in the wonderful truth of God’s Word for the 3-day weekend. The theme was “Learning to Pray Like Jesus”, and we were led by Tim Lundy, who serves as the Senior Pastor at Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California. It was an uplifting weekend for both Marla and I as we drew closer to God in ways that could only produce joyful fruit for us down the road.

How to Pray Like Jesus

Over four teaching sessions, Tim stepped us through a simple outline of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5-13). He assured us that following Jesus’ instructions for prayer will enrich our understanding, appreciation, and intimacy with God. He opened with three important points for how we should pray:

• Make it private (be alone with God)
• Make it purposeful (avoid mantras or rote repetition)
• Make it patterned (more than sporadic thoughts)

Following is a brief outline of the Lord’s prayer from the book of Matthew. Tim encouraged us to go through this daily. I have heard this before (thanks René!), so I am going to give it a try. I encourage you to come along with me and let me know what you are noticing. I know for me; although I do have a daily prayer ritual, Tim’s talk reminded me that I have been very sporadic and not purposeful in my prayers. I want to change that but I have never understood how. Here is a simple methodology Tim outlined for getting yourself on track.

Matthew 5:9 starts with,

This, then, is how you should pray.

Our Father in heaven, (5:9)

• Remember that God is our perfect Father—powerful, loving, and always near.

Hallowed be your name, (5:9)

• Worship aligns our hearts with God’s presence and holiness.

Your kingdom come, (5:10)

• Live as a citizen of His kingdom and trust in His active work in the world.

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (5:10)

• Surrender to God’s plan, even when we don’t understand it.

Give us today our daily bread. (5:11)

• Trust God to provide what we need each day.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. (5:12)

• Remember our need for forgiveness and learn to model Christ in giving it.

And lead us not into temptation. (5:13)

• Pray for strength to resist temptation and stand firm in God’s Word.

But deliver us from the evil one. (5:13)

• We live in a world under the power of the evil one. Prayer reminds us of who is greater.

How Joyful People Surf

One of the great things about Mount Hermon weekends is the unexpected encounters with people you were meant to see. This year, I ran into René Schlaepfer outside The Fountain (where they serve Marianne’s ice cream). We had a great chat about his latest series, How Joyful People Think.

Speaking of joy—if you ask me about the joy of surfing, you might have trouble getting me to stop talking! René recently shared this video devotional on joy, and I think you’ll enjoy it too:

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Also, check this out—our second bookshop placement at the Mount Hermon Bookstore.

Thank you all for being part of this journey. The best waves are still coming!