Mary's Christianity Blog

This week's post is a member-submitted Christian poem called Bedtime Prayer. It is a prayer of thankfulness to God for the blessing of today and the hope for tomorrow.

Image: © Davide Guglielmo
Bedtime Prayer

Now, I lay me down to rest
I thank the Lord; my life is blessed
I have my family and my home
And freedom, should I choose to roam.

My days are filled with skies of blue
My nights are filled with sweet dreams, too
I’ve no reason to beg or plead
I have been given all I need.
Read more ... Bedtime Prayer by Jill Eisnaugle.

Do you have an original Christian prayer that would encourage or benefit a fellow believer? Perhaps you've written a unique poem you'd like to share with others. We are looking for Christian prayers and poems to encourage our readers in their communication with God. To submit your original prayer or poem, please fill out this Prayer / Poem Submission Form.

More Bedtime Prayers:

• Children's Bedtime Prayers
• Prayers for Protection

Job pressure ... temptations ... doubts ... embarrassment. Are you having second thoughts about being a Christian?

As a Christian man, do you feel mostly like a fool and rarely like a faithful follower of Christ? You're not alone. In this devotional for Christian men, Jack Zavada of Inspiration-for-Singles.com reminds us that even the greatest men of the Bible had second thoughts.

Jack writes, "A man who follows Christ sticks out in this world, and as the old saying goes, the nail that sticks out is usually pounded down." Yet Jesus knows about these frustrations and second thoughts, and he doesn't think you are a fool. Rather, like John the Baptist, he'd probably call you great!

• Read more: Second Thoughts About Being a Christian

These new audiobooks for Christians offer some fresh listening options for those who don't have time, or (inconceivable for me) don't like to read (gasp!). Perhaps you have a long drive to work, or you'd like to enhance your work-out experience with the newest in Christian audiobooks.

My list includes some great Christian fiction and non-fiction choices to consider, starting with The Shack by William P. Young. This book has stirred a great deal of interest, both positive and negative. Dealing with the question, Where is God? in the midst of tragedy, it presents the path to healing in a beautiful way. If you like to "think outside the box," The Shack is worth a listen.

Right now Audible.com is offering a special edition audiobook that includes an interview with the author.

• New Audiobooks for Christians

From Fear to Faith
Tom was toughened by life at an early age. Abandoned by father and mother, he became a fighter. Yet one day this fighter surrendered to God. Although his battle was not over, he now served in a different war. He traded his firearms for spiritual weapons, and gave up his dependence upon drugs and alcohol. Tom found new courage that came from walking with God.

This account is one of our featured testimonies from you, the members and visitors of this site. Each story reveals a life transformed by Christian faith. If your relationship with God has made a significant difference in your life, we would like to hear about it. Submit your testimony by filling out this Submission Form. To receive weekly messages of hope and encouragement from real-life stories of changed lives, sign up for eTestimonies.

• Read: Tom's Courage

Recently I launched a new section of the site devoted to guest book reviewers. Christian readers and book enthusiasts are now welcome to submit original book reviews to be considered for publication on the Christianity site. To find out more or to submit a book review, check out this Christian Book Review Submission Form.

I'm kicking off the project with this review of Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy submitted by Guest Reviewer, Lee Franklin. Lee says, "This is the first book I've read by Mary Connealy but it won’t be the last. A lot of authors attempt romantic comedy and fail, but Mary Connealy managed to pull it off."

I confess that I have not yet read a book by Mary Connealy. My mother, however, who is in her 70s (sorry Mom), and my niece who is in her early teens, have read a previous novel by Connealy titled Petticoat Ranch. Both of them absolutely loved it! I think it's safe to say, even without reading one myself, Connealy's romantic comedies offer wide appeal among Christian women.

• Read Review: Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy

This week's post is a Parent's Prayer for a Child. The Bible tells us that children are a gift from the Lord. This parent's prayer will assist you in reflecting on God's Word and remembering his promises as you dedicate your precious gift back to God in prayer.

Image: © Davide Guglielmo
Parent's Prayer for a Child

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this treasured child of mine. Although you have entrusted him/her to me, I know he belongs to you. Like Hannah offered Samuel, I dedicate my child to you, Lord. I recognize that he is always in your care.

Help me as a parent, Lord, with my weaknesses and imperfections. Give me strength and godly wisdom to raise this child after your Holy Word. Please supply what I lack.
Read more ... Parent's Prayer for a Child.

Do you have an original Christian prayer that would encourage or benefit a fellow believer? Perhaps you've written a unique poem you'd like to share with others. We are looking for Christian prayers and poems to encourage our readers in their communication with God. To submit your original prayer or poem, please fill out this Prayer / Poem Submission Form.

More Children's Prayers:

• Children's Prayers for Protection
• Children’s Morning Prayers
• Children's Bedtime Prayers

Submit to authority. Honor those in leadership. Obey your parents. Respect your elders and teachers. These are not popular messages in today's culture. What if that authority is wrong? Do I still have to show respect? Certainly God would not require this of me?

Take a look at what God says about respecting authority with guest contributor, Karen Wolff of Christian-Books-for-Women.com. In this devotional, Karen also shares practical tips for submitting to God's authority with a good attitude.

• Read: The Ultimate Definition of Respect

Ayana grew up never feeling her mother's favor, unless she did something to please her. This confusion about love spilled over into Ayana's relationship with God and developed into a compulsion to please and serve the Lord in an effort to win God's love. Eventually her quest for love was satisfied when illness brought her to a weakened place where the only thing she could do was receive the love of God.

Ayana's true story is one of our many featured testimonies from you, the members and visitors of this site. Each story reveals a life transformed by Christian faith. If your relationship with God has made a significant difference in your life, we would like to hear about it.
• Submit your testimony by filling out this Submission Form.
• To receive weekly messages of hope and encouragement from real-life stories of changed lives, sign up for eTestimonies.

• Read: Ayana's Quest for Love

Still Growing is Kirk Cameron's recently released autobiography. In the book, Cameron, who says he was once an atheist, tells of his conversion to Christianity, his stand for Christ in Hollywood, and his conviction to live a dynamic life of faith.

Giving it 5 stars, guest reviewer Venice Kichura said, "The book is a breath of fresh air as it shows how a young teen idol can survive in Tinsel Town, standing up for Christian values." She also commented, "When I read how he refused to do a scene waking up in bed with a beautiful young woman, I shouted aloud, 'Amen, Kirk!'"

• Read the full review: Still Growing by Kirk Cameron.

This week's post is a prayerful Christian hymn called Dear Lord and Father of Mankind. Are you lacking peace? Are you feeling stressed? This timeless hymn written by John Greenleaf Whittier is a wonderful prayer for stress relief. It assures us that with confidence, trust and rest, we can be led by God's still small voice of calm.

Image: © Davide Guglielmo
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our fev'rish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind;
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper rev'rence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow Thee.
Read more ... Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892.

Do you have an original Christian prayer that would encourage or benefit a fellow believer? Perhaps you've written a unique poem you'd like to share with others. We are looking for Christian prayers and poems to encourage our readers in their communication with God. To submit your original prayer or poem, please fill out this Prayer / Poem Submission Form.

More Stress Relief Prayers:

• Prayer for Peace
• Prayer for Dealing with Stress and Anxiety
• True Rest