Prayer | Brian Rants

From the Blog

Jan

Snowballs chances improving in hell – Obama and Al Arabiyah have a chat

Posted by brianrants at 3:56 pm

I believe in the power of restoration and reconciliation. Obama’s father may not have been able to be served in a DC restaurant as a young man, but his skin color is now no longer a barrier to the highest office in the land.

Obama’s Muslim middle name (Hussein) sends shivers down many American’s spines, but it is my prayer that he will lay a foundation of reconciliation between the Arab world and the west. He took the first step giving his first televised interview to Al Arabiya. (more…)

Oct

The power of the Spirit

Posted by brianrants at 4:03 pm

Yesterday, a group of simple church leaders met to discuss what God is
doing in Denver.

At the end we had a time of prayer about Denver. We weren’t really
focusing on any one person, just for God’s healing and transformation
for Denver.

A friend who I had not spoken with for a month was moved to pray
specifically for me, and named 2 emotions I’ve been deeply struggling
with, and prayed for God’s healing for me. He also spoke several words
directly to my heart about what my family is going through.

Thank you Lord that out of 6 billion people you had a word just for
me. I needed to hear that.

–
Brian Rants
brianrants@gmail.com

Mar

Praying with faith

Posted by brianrants at 5:18 pm

The book of James says that when we make a request of God, we must
believe he will answer.

A bit of a strange thought. I mean, why would we ask God for something
if we do nor think he will do it?

But that is frequently the case with me. I pray because I should, or
as a last ditch attempt to affect the circumstances of my life. In
fact, I pray much more with the attitude of an agnostic.

I have met significant obstacles in my personal and professional life.
Yesterday I was so stressed I think I scared my employees last
might as I lay in bed I approached God and asked him to give me faith
as I prayed. Then I brought my requests with an expectant heart,
praying even with language that believed he would answer.

It changed my mindset. I began to pray more out of hope than fear. I
began to sense God guiding my thinking, and today have already seem
him answering.

Is prayer God intervening or meditation that releases answers we
already know? Is it God's voice speaking into the stillness, or the
quiet voice of inner wisdom finally finding room to speak?

Yes.

Brian Rants
*Sent from my mobile device

Jun

Flooding in Ireland…

Posted by brianrants at 2:53 pm

From: Tim Pynes

If this doesn’t tug at your heartstrings nothing will. We’ve all

seen the faces of those ravaged by the floods of Sri Lanka and

New Orleans….

This “award-winning” photograph of the recent floodwaters rising

in Ireland captures the horror and suffering there.

Keep these people in your thoughts and prayers…

Jun

An ex-Agnostic

Posted by brianrants at 10:41 pm

I have honed my worrying talents to the point where….it would make you sick to your stomach.

And I just got to the end of about 3 big projects with my business, with not alot on the dock to come next.

So I called in the anxiety troops and sent them into war on my nerves, my marriage, and my life.

Then, the Spirit of the living God called them out of service, and asked me to trust him.

Being a theological theist, but a practical agnostic, I decided to show my agnosticism the door and prayed with several groups of people about my desire to trust God.

Well, today I received a reimbursement check from an insurance policy (expected), a good sized check from my wife’s former employer (totally unexpected), and a call from one of my client’s saying he wanted to give me a large sum of money to keep working on his project (also totally unexpected).

Hmmm…maybe practical agnosticism is overrated. I mean, even if God didn’t choose to answer my prayers in this way, the whole worrying thing is WAY overrated.

Mar

The Statue Fell

Posted by brianrants at 8:07 pm

heart
prayer

A childhood enchanted
Precious naivete
But those bonds were broken
Though unknown to me

How I need an angel
To break the spell
That fell on my family
The day the statue fell

“Things aren’t as they seem
But please don’t tell”
So I kept living
In my private hell

They just can’t seem to deal
Our hollow monument fell
So they keep living
in their private hell

This tired tragedy limps
To a certain bitter end
Every hope vanquished
My heart grief has rent

All that was light is darkened
All that was straight is bent
Cry for every heart broken
Weep for every prayer sent

“Things aren’t as they seem
But please don’t tell”
So I kept living
In my private hell

They just can’t seem to deal
Our hollow monument fell
So they keep living
in their private hell

Jan

Dr. Thunder

Posted by brianrants at 6:13 am

You ever been at a party where you are ready to wash down the chips and salsa with, say, a nice cold Dr. Pepper. You spot the deep red can across the room, but as you move in you see it is actually “Dr. Thunder.” Wal-Mart’s rip off of the original.

Nothing is as good as the original…unless you are in the Christian Music World. There is a disturbing trend to rip off styles and conform them to a “Christian” message. What is a christian message? Hope…read Lamentations. Purity? Read the Old Testament…any of it. Morality…once again, the OT.

But the most unbelievable rip off I heard was tonight…they actually covered “Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys. The LLB are Tex-Mex Rockers, whose guitarist has one of the must luscious throaty Fender tones out on mainstream right now. It is a captivating prayer of a man who stepped back from his world and cried out to God with some deep questions.

Why cover it? Why use a guitarist who isn’t as good, sung by a vocalist who doesn’t have the same spontaneous passion, and put this sub-par rendition out when the other song is currently being played across the nation. If you are gonna play the song, play the dang original!

I would hate to see what art would become if Christians were the guiding force. Case and Point: the painter of light…

(Writers note: it pisses me off because I am an artist. And I know other passionate and talented artists who are Christians)