Always Lifting

One of the great prayer traditions that may go missing in the frenzy of contemporary life is intercessory prayer in the moment.

When God brings someone to mind, stop. Take time to picture that person in your thoughts and recall the very best of his or her character and giftings. Thank God for that person. Ask the Lord to equip and use that person fully. Then recall any of that person’s struggles and lift them up to the Lord for resolution. And if God brings to your prayer any concern that appears to be sourced in Him and beyond what you might know in the natural about that person, pray it through.

One of my great concerns for the Body of Christ today is that we are becoming a loose, disjointed entity, with all the parts going on their merry way, losing connection to each other and subsequently to the Head.

Always lifting. Be that person who considers others at all times, and lift them up to the Lord.

No more simple exercise exists, yet it is one we Christians practice all too infrequently as the pressing needs of the day crowd out our concern for others.

Live differently. Pray differently.

How You Can Support Cerulean Sanctum

Dan Edelen thanks you for your support! Cerulean Sanctum exists as a help for Christians who are seeking to experience the 1st century Church in 21st century America. From its inception in September of 2003, this blog has provided thousands of readers with support for their walk with Christ, comforting words in tough times, challenging essays on issues facing the American Church, and answers to difficult questions few are willing to ask. The number of Christian blogs today is an order of magnitude larger than when Cerulean Sanctum began, yet many blog readers continue to come here to find content rarely discussed elsewhere.

One of the unique aspects of Cerulean Sanctum is the readership. People from nearly every denomination in Christendom read this blog. Because the readers demand more than easy answers and bring a wealth of experience to every comment they leave, the discourse here remains unusual, insightful, high quality, and civil. The community of readers at Cerulean Sanctum is one of the best out there. Readers bless each other and bless me. I even have a few readers who have been with me since this blog’s inception. Whether a recent drop-in or a veteran of the dialog here, I thank you.

Over the years, I have received many private e-mails from grateful readers who inquired how they could support this blog financially. I have always thanked them for their offer, but requested instead that they use their gift to help someone in their local body of believers who is hurting. If you’ve read some of the posts here, you well know my views on this issue.

Today’s post exists because this past year has been a difficult one for my family and me. Myriad challenges continue to rise up, including ones I could never have anticipated. But God is faithful and good. I’ve considered my options and discussed them with some of my faithful readers. They all agree on the course of action I’m taking.

At the top of the blog you’ll see a tab labeled “Support Cerulean Sanctum.” If you click on the tab you’ll now have the option to financially support the writing that makes Cerulean Sanctum what it is. If you’ve been blessed by the content of this blog or have wanted to support it financially in the past, I’m making that option available to you as of today.

Thank you. I can’t tell you how much your support means to my family and me.

Most of all, I ask for your continued prayers. My family has been through a series of ordeals in the last few months and the end is not yet in sight. I know that many others are struggling in these times, too. If you have a prayer request you wish to share, please leave it in the comment section of this post or e-mail me. I pray for every person who writes me with a need.

I’ve written dozens of posts on how we in the Body need to support each other. I think the time is near when we’ll have to lean on each other like never before. I hope and pray that Cerulean Sanctum will continue to be a blessing to you and a place where you can find deeper truths in Christ to meet the challenges of days to come.

Blessings,

Dan Edelen

An Update from Here at Home

Yeah, I need to put up a newer picture... Some have asked how things are at home in the aftermath of illness from a couple months ago. Thank you for asking. It’s been a difficult time and we’re by no means done with it.

This situation has led me to consider some changes here at Cerulean Sanctum. I’ve thought about solutions for several months, even before illness struck. I keep coming back to the same answers.

Many readers have written in the past to ask why I don’t put up a tip jar. A few have even e-mailed me to ask how they can support this blog financially. In the past, I’ve rebuffed those offers as I believe there are always people more needy than this blog author. But in light of what’s happened in recent months, I’m rethinking my position on setting up a support page. I’m also exploring other options.

I know that a few readers may feel betrayed by my even entertaining these thoughts. My apologies. If the situation were different, I wouldn’t be posting this. Like I said in my post from yesterday, I think we as a country are in for some tough times ahead. Tough times require tough solutions.

I’m open to hearing what you think about this because this blog exists for you, the reader. If this blog didn’t have readers, there’d be no sense in devoting the time it takes to make Cerulean Sanctum what it is.

I’ve always been thankful to God for this site and for inspiring the content here. My inbox contains numerous emails from people who were blessed by coming here. Though it’s been up for nearly five years, Cerulean Sanctum continues to be one of the more unusual sites on the Web. We talk about many subjects that get little exposure otherwise. I have you to thank for that support and for your commentary.

Let me know what you think. Your opinion matters.