Daily Reading
March 26, 2025
The battle of desire is not something that just takes place within us or even between us. It is also taking place against us, all the time. Our desire is under nearly constant attack. “We come into the world longing,” says Gil Bailie, “for we know no...
Daily Reading
March 25, 2025
Now — to find God, I have to look where God is. This might help folks who report that God “seems distant,” or as a friend recently commented (with a touch of cynicism), “He doesn’t seem to come around much.” If I want to find a hawk I look up in the ...
Daily Reading
March 24, 2025
The way to render a man happy, is to engage him with an object that will make him forget his private troubles. — PascalDon't be fooled by the apparent innocence of the object you've chosen as an idol; what is the function of it? Most of our idols als...
Daily Reading
March 23, 2025
I was reading the prophet Jeremiah a few weeks ago when I ran across a passage that referred to God as "the Lord Almighty." To be honest, it didn't resonate. There's something too religious about the phrase; it sounds churchy, sanctimonious. The Lawd...
Daily Reading
March 22, 2025
I think everyone prays at some point in their life, even if they’re not sure someone is listening. And I’ll bet that one of the most common prayers goes something like, Lord help me; give me strength.I really like that prayer. It has a genuine humili...
Daily Reading
March 21, 2025
Years ago some kind soul sent me a book on the devil. It was rather dated, from the 1960s I believe, complete with little caricature drawings of Satan as our adversary. I’m ashamed to admit my first thought was, I know plenty about spiritual warfare;...
Daily Reading
March 20, 2025
Spiritual warfare often tries to work like a computer virus — it loves to transfer around to as many people as it can, infecting whole households or even churches. You can witness this with great clarity when you are standing outside of it. You will ...
Daily Reading
March 19, 2025
You can tell a lot about a person by his effect on others. What is Jesus like to be around? What is the aftertaste he leaves in your mouth? Is this someone you’d want to take a long car ride with? We saw Zacchaeus’ reaction. Here are two more, from p...
Daily Reading
March 18, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!To be a human being is to be stained glass—beautiful in our brokenness, but a collection of many parts nonetheless. Someone once wrote, “You are every age you have e...
Daily Reading
March 17, 2025
Written centuries ago by St. Patrick, this is a profound and simple prayer for protection. We find ourselves returning to again and again:I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity. Through belief in the threeness, Through...
Daily Reading
March 16, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!Jesus sustains all creation by the mighty power of his command. Obviously, or Satan would have torn all creation to pieces long ago. Jesus—through whom all things we...
Daily Reading
March 15, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!We are seeking refuge as ordinary mystics growing into mature mystics who recognize that the refuge of God is dynamic and requires our participation—as when we conse...
Daily Reading
March 14, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!In Deuteronomy and in Hebrews we are reminded that our God is a jealous God, a consuming fire:Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made...
Daily Reading
March 13, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!Love is something we are going to have to firmly protect.Now here is the problem—as soon as I say the word “love,” many different things come to your heart and mind....
Daily Reading
March 12, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love. –King DavidYou are safe and secure in the refuge of God. That is the major theme.The min...
Daily Reading
March 11, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!Remember now—we are maturing in our understanding of how we actively participate as ordinary mystics in God as our refuge and stronghold; these passages are critical...
Daily Reading
March 10, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!Let’s return to that gripping scene in the Judean wasteland. Imagine Jesus walking around his desert camp, fasting, praying, quoting Scripture, and no doubt declarin...
Daily Reading
March 9, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!The spiritual warfare of the hour we are living in is no different than what Patrick and his disciples faced. It might be worse because of the lateness of the hour, ...
Daily Reading
March 8, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!Let me suggest for you one practice that is sustainable and very fruitful: the daily declaration, or proclamation, of essential truths. Returning to Psalm 91, notice...
Daily Reading
March 7, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!More corrosive than all of these are the personal assaults of the enemy’s lies whispered to our hearts. They are far more brilliant than AI and utterly precise in th...
Daily Reading
March 6, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and prop...
Daily Reading
March 5, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!The mighty refuge psalm, Psalm 91, has a progression to it. First comes the promise:Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of th...
Daily Reading
March 4, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available today! Order your copy here.“Turn to God with all your heart,” wrote Thomas à Kempis, “and Christ will come to you.” First thing every morning, I pray something like this before I do anything e...
Daily Reading
March 3, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is releasing March 4th! Order your copy today!One of my favorite Gospel stories takes place on Easter morning; it centers around Mary Magdalene. Heartbroken, devastated, Mary has gone to the tomb of Jesus t...
Daily Reading
March 2, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is releasing March 4th! Order your copy today!David was a hunted man. He often had to hide in severe wilderness conditions from his pursuers, who would kill him in an instant if they found him, just like ma...
Daily Reading
March 1, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is releasing March 4th! Pre-order your copy today!When the author of Psalm 91 invites us to take refuge in the shelter of the Most High, where does he have in mind? What actual place in the actual universe ...
Daily Reading
February 28, 2025
We don’t know much about stages of development in our instant culture. We have someone else make our coffee for us. We no longer have to wait to have our photos developed — not even an hour — for now we have digital cameras that deliver back to us th...
Daily Reading
February 27, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is releasing March 4th! Pre-order your copy today!Twice, the refuge of God is described in terms of rescue, or deliverance:“I will rescue those who love me.I will protect those who trust in my name.When the...
Daily Reading
February 26, 2025
Of all the prayers that rise from human lips on this troubled planet, the vast majority must be some version of, “Help!” That’s why we began with the Cry of the Heart. But second place of “most often prayed” has to be in the genre of, “God — what am ...
Daily Reading
February 25, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is releasing March 4th! Pre-order your copy today!Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place ...