Preface

Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places.

The prophet Habakkuk had asked God hard questions about injustice and suffering. He had also heard that a feared invading nation was coming. By the end of his book, he names what it would mean if crops failed and the animals that sustained his people were gone. Then comes his remarkable word: yet. He chooses to rejoice in God even before his circumstances improve. “Hinds’ feet” means the feet of deer, able to find firm footing on steep, rocky ground. The image of sure-footed movement on high ground does not mean the danger has disappeared. It tells us where Habakkuk finds strength to keep going. That is an honest place to begin a book about prayer: we can bring God our questions, acknowledge what we fear, and trust Him for the next step.

How much of Prayer Post Office was already being written before we knew it was a book?

Some books begin with an idea.

Others are lived for decades before the first chapter is named.

Prayer Post Office may be new as a title, but not as a testimony.

This book is being written in the middle of several storms.

As my family navigates Hurricane Nolo, I am preparing for a heart ablation and a hip replacement.

Decades ago, after my wife and I returned safely from island-hopping in Hawaii, Hurricane Iniki came crashing into Kauai while Jurassic Park was being filmed there.

Now, all these years later, another storm has entered the story.

I look back with immense gratitude—and forward with the same trust—not because I know how every circumstance will unfold, but because I know Who has carried me before.

PPO is not being written after the storm.

It is being written through it.

That distinction matters.

Prayer is not merely something we practice after life settles down.

Prayer belongs in the uncertainty.

In the waiting.

In gratitude.

In disappointment.

In celebration.

In changed plans.

And in those moments when we do not yet know how the story ends.

These pages are not an attempt to teach readers how to sound religious.

They are an invitation to talk honestly to God, trust Him with the answer, discern His direction, and recognize His grace along the way.

Say it.
Send it.
Surrender it.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Heart Behind Our Work

At Prayer Post Office, we seek to serve with the humility Scripture calls us to practice: to “regard one another as more important than yourselves.” —Philippians 2:3 (excerpt)

For us, that begins with listening carefully, speaking graciously, and treating each person’s questions, burdens, and hopes as worthy of our time and attention.

We are fellow travelers, still learning to love as Jesus loves. Our desire is that every story, reflection, and invitation offers something of value to the person receiving it.

May our words make room for others, and may our work reflect His love.