Friendship, Listening, and Empathy: A Prayer GuideTwo Hands: Grief and Gratitude in the Christian LifeSabbath Keeping FastingA Renewed SpiritualityNurturing Hope: Christian Pastoral Care in the Twenty-First CenturyThe Power of ListeningJoy Together: Spiritual Practices for Your CongregationPersonality Type in CongregationsPrayers of the Old TestamentPrayers of the New TestamentSabbathFriendingA Garden of Living Water: Stories of Self-Discovery and Spiritual GrowthDeath in Dunedin: A NovelDead Sea: A NovelDeadly Murmurs: A NovelBeating Burnout in CongregationsReaching Out in a Networked WorldEmbracing MidlifeAdvent DevotionalDraw Near: Lenten Devotional by Lynne Baab, illustrated by Dave Baab

Praying about Jesus’s miracles: Jesus withers a fig tree

Lynne Baab • Thursday July 18 2024

Praying about Jesus’s miracles: Jesus withers a fig tree

One interesting way to study the Gospels is to note the sequencing of stories. Looking at the events in Mark 11 helps me find meaning in an otherwise baffling miracle. Why would Jesus cause a fig tree to wither? I love trees! I assume Jesus loves them, too, because he made them. 

Mark 11 opens with the events of Palm Sunday: the colt never before ridden, the leafy branches strewn on the road, and the songs of “Hosannah.” Jesus visits the temple and returns to Bethany with the twelve (Mark 11:1-11). The next day, Jesus and the disciples again walk the two...

Read full article »

Praying about Jesus’s miracles: The second miraculous catch of fish

Lynne Baab • Tuesday July 9 2024

Praying about Jesus’s miracles: The second miraculous catch of fish

In Matthew's and Mark’s versions of the day of Jesus’s resurrection, the women at the tomb are told to pass a message on to the other disciples. Jesus wants the disciples to go to Galilee and meet him there. In Matthew, the disciples receive the Great Commission in Galilee. In John, one of the events in Galilee after the resurrection involves a large catch of fish (John 21:4-11).

In the early morning, the disciples are fishing close to the shore and see a man they do not recognize on the shore. He tells them to cast the net to the right side of...

Read full article »

Praying about Jesus’s miracles: The first miraculous catch of fish

Lynne Baab • Tuesday July 2 2024

Praying about Jesus’s miracles: The first miraculous catch of fish

One of my favorite prayers is “Lord, you know.” Sometimes, I’m troubled about something and confused about what to ask God for. Other times, I’m tired and can’t organize my thoughts, but I feel deep concern about something. Sometimes, I feel blue, and I don’t know how to pray for my mood.

I tend to pray “Lord, you know” about my personal life and the needs of friends and families. The miraculous catch of fish widens the options for when and where to pray that helpful prayer.

Luke 4 describes the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. After Jesus fasts in the wilderness and is...

Read full article »

Praying about Jesus’s miracles: Touching the fringe of his cloak

Lynne Baab • Tuesday June 25 2024

Praying about Jesus’s miracles: Touching the fringe of his cloak

Ten years ago this week, I wrote the first post on this blog. I’m praising God for this cool anniversary. Today, I’ll begin with some reflections about blog writing and then get to some miracles that I had never noticed before, described briefly by Mark and Matthew.

In 2014, my website had been in existence for about a decade. I viewed it as a place to promote my books and make articles that I’d written for magazines available. I got the idea of having a blog on my website to further promote my books, so I hired a wonderful web designer (Blair...

Read full article »
<< Newer | Older >>

Featured books

Featured articles

NEW: Nurturing a contemplative stance for navigating challenging times

Lynne Baab • Friday August 11 2023

By Lynne M. Baab

NEW: Spiritual Practices for People in Ministry

Lynne Baab • Sunday June 26 2022

Making Space for a Continuing Conversation with the Living God

NEW: Yes, Jesus Told Us to Pray in Secret. But He Also Prayed with His Friends.

Lynne Baab • Saturday October 9 2021

By Lynne M. Baab. Originally published in Christianity Today, July 8, 2021