I honestly don’t know. And who actually really does?

Certainty may sell — but as I marked out certain dates on the calendar this week, trying to map out this coming year, I kept thinking that I really don’t know what will happen by March, where we will all be by mid-June, what could all have unfolded by next September. Everywhere you turn, as this old hurting world keeps on turning, headlines are made to make your head spin fast & your brave heart break.  

How’s everyone feeling about their initial 7-day free-trial for 2026?  

In the midst of all kinds of uncertainty, strikingly, the disciples didn’t turn and ask Jesus:

“Lord, teach us to strategize for the days ahead.” Nor did they ask, “Lord, teach us how to prep, manage, reduce risk, contingency plan, or build habits, so we keep our heads above water & the days ahead are better than these.” 

When feeling pressed up against all kinds of uncertainty, what Jesus’ disciples then, and Jesus’ disciples now, see as their most pressing need is: “Lord, teach us to pray.” 

When you’re standing in the unknown, what you really need to know is how to pray. 

You have to cultivate a rich inner life with God, for God  grow any goodness in the outer world through you. 

“When you’re standing in the unknown, what you really need to know is how to pray. “

Everyone wants the world to change, but who’s willing to commit to daily praying, which changes our own hearts — and isn’t it all of our changed hearts that would change the whole world? 

When you feel small & powerless in the face of big things, small prayers of love, before the face of Love, this is what begins a little but literal ripple that can touch everything. 

In a world with all kinds of warriors, what the world needs is committed, daily prayer warriors. 

And here now in my third year of my doctorate in ministry at seminary, that’s what my professor, Dr. Coe has been teaching us over the last year, every day when we wake, how to pray, exactly as Jesus taught, and it’s what’s changing me and the new year:

“When you feel small & powerless in the face of big things, small prayers of love, before the face of Love, this is what begins a little but literal ripple that can touch everything. “

“Our father, who is in heaven, holy is your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 

It’s not mere recitation, it’s critical soul formation. 

Pray the Lord’s Prayer, and you purposely tend the world’s pain. 

Every prayer is a brave pebble in an ocean of pain, that wildly has the power to encircle us all in ever-enlarging rings of His peace, and marry us to Love Himself. 

It’s been changing my life over this past year, pausing throughout the day, to simply pray, exactly as Jesus taught us to pray.

Our Father, who is in heaven & here, right here, 

make my whole day honor Your holy ways,

may Your kingdom come with me wherever I go,

may Your upside-down Kingdom come and upend us all aright, and may Your will be all that we want. 

Keep us completely dependent on You for what’s fulfilling, 

Keep us forgiving others so we are forgiven by You,

Keep us from being deluded by ourselves or any dark powers. 

In it all, we lean all of who we are, up against You, and trust:

“To pray is to do nothing less than pledge your allegiance to a different kind of Kingdom, the one where peace, justice and cruciform love ultimately overthrows the darkness of fear, oppression and angry aggression.“

You’re over all, working through all, making all gloriously good and right, so all is grace, and all is well.

The world can feel like it’s on fire, and when you pray the Lord’s Prayer, your heart burns with the reality of what will survive fire. 

To pray is to do nothing less than pledge your allegiance to a different kind of Kingdom, the one where peace, justice and cruciform love ultimately overthrows the darkness of fear, oppression and angry aggression.

So, praying it slow, attentively, before I even put feet to the floor every morning, and then lacing hands with our little daughter each night, and praying it quietly with her after turning out the lights, this is what frames our days when everything can feel like it’s imploding:

Pray “Our Father” — and there’s a genuine

re-parenting of your own soul—- 

Pray “your will be done” and there’s a re-ordering of your soul’s focus to doing His good will and living His very real kingdom—

Pray “give us…” and there’s a re-training of your complete dependence on Him for daily provision, daily forgiveness, daily shielding from temptation, 

and a re-orienting toward us all belonging to the same family of humanity. 

Every prayer turns you to the loving face of your ABBA Father who’s the King of the universe, holding all the world and you close enough to whisper: “Isn’t My love for you far greater than anything you fear?” 

Headlines ache with chaos. Hearts can burn with a love that heals. 

You may not be able to argue all the ache into peace… but the way you fight fire is with the fire of a greater love.  

Small prayers can ignite your heart into a flame in the dark so others can still see the goodness of God. 

Because the reality is:

Prayer isn’t all you can do, and prayer isn’t just the least you can do, but prayer is certainly the most you can do.

Who knows what the days ahead for all us hold — but praying the Lord’s Prayer settles us into the arms of the One who holds us. 

Every prayer turns you to the loving face of your ABBA Father who’s the King of the universe, holding all the world and you close enough to whisper: “Isn’t My love for you far greater than anything you fear?” 

The Most You Can Do Right Now: SACRED Prayer

True, whole prayer  — is nothing but love,” writes St. Augustine.

It’s a tender question: Is the only reason we don’t truly pray more, because we don’t truly love God and His people more?  If one’s not praying regularly, is it only because something else is regularly loved more than God? Our prayer life reflects our real theology — or does it reveal our idolatry?

In SACRED Prayer, Ann shares her own personal prayer practice to journey with you to discover the power and beauty of prayer and intimacy with God.

Real prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind, but about finding God’s heart, and letting His heart change our minds!

Prayer, communion, and connection with God is a life-changing discipline and gift. SACRED Prayer will strengthen your heart by:

  • Growing your relationship with and faith in God
  • Transforming you to be more like Jesus
  • Aligning your thoughts and actions with His Word
  • Reducing stress and worry and increasing your peace

Take this sacred journey of prayer with Ann over the course of the next 90 days and be in awe of how God moves in your life and in your heart!

When you need hope, the first place to look is by getting down on your knees.

Pick up SACRED Prayer & pick up a beautifully different kind of new year