I’ve written about other songs that have been particularly inspiring for me at various points in my life. I recently downloaded Casting Crowns’s “The Altar and The Door” CD off iTunes. (Don’t even ask how much money Apple has gotten out of me because of that site over the years…) A few of the songs have made it to my local radio station, but there were plenty left for me to discover. The one that has been the most powerful this past week is a song called “Prayer for a Friend.”(Listen to it here.)

Apparently it was written more than 15 years ago, at a time when Mark Hall was heartbroken before God for a friend who wouldn’t listen. Mark says God showed him that nothing is impossible with God. It was inspired by the following verses: Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:3-11, 1 John 3:16, Proverbs 17:17, Proverbs 18:24, Job 6:14, Philippians 2:2-4, 1 Timothy 2:1, 1 Peter 3:8, Romans 14:19, Luke 18:1-8, Proverbs 12:26, and 1 Corinthians 15:33.

Prayer For A Friend
Written by Mark Hall

Lord, I lift my friend to You, I’ve done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You
Complicated circumstances have clouded his view
Lord, I lift my friend up to You

I fear that I won’t have the words that he needs to hear
I pray for Your wisdom, oh God, and a heart that’s sincere
Lord, I lift my friend up to You

Lord, I lift my friend to You
My best friend in the world, I know he means much more to You
I want so much to help him, but this is something he has to do
And Lord, I lift my friend up to You

‘Cause there’s a way that seems so right to him
But You know where that leads
He’s becoming a puppet of the world, too blind to see the strings
Lord, I lift my friend up to You
My friend up to You

Lord, I lift my friend to You, I’ve done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You

As it turns out, I downloaded this song the same day I found out about struggles some friends are experiencing. I spent much of that day in prayer for them, and this song was a beautiful extension of my prayers. I am posting it here in hopes you might also find it helpful when faced with friends and family who are hurting. Thank you to Mark Hall for putting these words to music.

So I’m working on the final chapter for my HTML: A Beginner’s Guide book. It’s a new chapter discussing how to translate your freshly acquired HTML skills into the world of HTML email.

While researching some online resources for the chapter, I came across a site that beautifully illustrates the answer to what is probably the number one question posed by companies seeking to send marketing and advertising emails to customers:

Can I Use a Purchased Email List? (click for the answer)

The answer comes from MailChimp, which is one of the top email service providers (ESP) for businesses. Here’s a little more explanation if you’re still confused: “If you’re not sure why importing a purchased email list into a 3rd party ESP is a bad thing, then promptly turn off your computer and unplug it from the wall. Thanks.” Gotta love a company with a sense of humor .