Tag: Prayer

God’s View of Circumstances

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Job is the classic example of bad circumstances and wondering what God is up to. His life was a mess, family died, health and wealth were gone and Job knew knowing from God’s perspective (Job 1:2-6, 2:1-7).

Job’s friends thought they knew God’s perspective and said Job needed to confess his sin. Had we not read the first two chapters of Job, we would conclude that God was being mean and cruel.

Have you ever been through an experience of confusing circumstances and in your prayers accused God of things that you know are not really true? My stories where the birth of my son (in the NICU for a week) and my leaving the mission field (in my previous post).

It is at these times that we question God’s love and wisdom. We tell God that he has deceived us, following him in what we thought was his will, only to experience his silence. The first thing we must do is to ask God to help us see things from his perspective.  We must look back at our circumstances with the heart of God.

Here are things to keep in mind:

  1. Settle in your own mind that God will never demonstrate anything but absolute love, the cross is that evidence.
  2. Don’t try to understand what God is like from the MIDDLE of the circumstances.
  3. Ask God to show you the situation from HIS perspective.
  4. Wait on the Holy Spirit and use the Bible to help you understand your circumstances.
  5. Adjust your life to God and what you SEE him doing in your circumstances.
  6. Do all he tells you to do.
  7. Experience God working in and through you to accomplish his purposes.

Jesus watched the circumstances to know where the Father wanted to involve him in his work. So, to understand your circumstances, God’s perspective is vital.

What Happens During Prayer?

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It is a reality that we often do not know how to pray, or what to pray for, and the Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26), but it is also true that we usually pray for far less than the Lord desires for us (Ephesians 3:20-21). It is the Holy Spirit who knows what God is doing or wants to do in your life (1 Corinthians 2:10-12).

In prayer, we go before God and seek clarification in what we sense to be God’s will. We are not to simply run ahead and ask God to bless what we want to do for him. We must seek where he is working and decide to join him in that work.

Spiritual Concentration:

In prayer, the greatest need we have is for spiritual concentration. Then we are to anticipate the activity of God in answering our prayer. Most of the time we pray and then forget about what we just prayed; we get distracted and are not concentrating on seeking God’s answer. We must immediately begin to watch and anticipate how God will answer.

How often have you prayed for something and not received it or receive something different? I have a friend Tony, whose father had cancer. We prayed as a church for healing and then one day I received a call that he was at death’s door at the hospital. The family had been called in. At some point I asked him about his prayer life and faith, having so fervently prayed for his father’s healing. His response was inspiring to me. He said, “He IS healed, no more suffering and no more pain. The cancer is gone.”

So, what are you praying for right now and God is not granting? For me, I have been a fan of men’s ministry. I know the statistics and the value of men leading their families in faith and integrity, that accountability and involvement in a small group community is vital to being successful husbands and fathers. That is what the Men of Steel is all about. I have prayed over and over for God to bless what I want to do and only THIS WEEK have realized that men’s ministry is what I want to do. I have valued the relationships of several men who have participated but God has not blessed these efforts with growth or numbers.

So it is a time of seeking God, to discover if this is what HE wants me to do. When he is silent, it does not mean that he is not present or working.

God Takes the Initiative

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God reveals his activity as an invitation for you to join him. When he reveals, it is up to us to adjust our lives to God.

What happens when we see God at work? We often get self-centered rather than God-centered. We must reorient our life toward God, seeing life from his perspective. We must allow God to develop his character in us. He is always at work and we must assume that he wants us to join him.

God always takes the initiative. He waits for us to respond to him by adjusting our lives. Perhaps you’ll read a brief story in the life of George Muller and how God worked through this man of faith.

I never remember a period that I ever sincerely and patiently sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have always been directed rightly. But if honestly of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes.

Three things helped him:

  1. He sincerely sought God’s direction.
  2. He waited patiently on God until he had a word from God.
  3. He looked to the Holy Spirit to teach him through the Word.

These things led to making mistakes:

  1. Lacking honesty of heart.
  2. Lacking uprightness before God.
  3. Impatience in waiting on God.
  4. Preferring the counsel of men over the declarations of God.

He summed up the way he entered into a heart relationship with God:

  1. Seeking to get his heart into a state where it has no will of its own in the matter. Here is 9/10 of the problem.
  2. Don’t leave the result to feeling or simple impression; or we can be liable for great delusions.
  3. Seek the will of the Spirit of God, through the Word of God. These must be combined.
    1. The Spirit alone can bring delusions.
    2. The Word alone can bring legalism.
  4. Take into account providential circumstances.
  5. Ask in prayer for God to reveal his will.
  6. Through prayer, study of the Word and reflection come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge. If the mind continues at peace, then proceed.

When Your Faith Falls Short

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Today we are going to continue in the series for the month, called Encounters with Jesus. This message begins with the transfiguration, one of the more spectacular events in the life of Jesus, and involves three of his closest men. Then, what follows the transfiguration story is of particular interest because hopefully we will identify with this man who had a son with an unclean spirit. So turn to Mark chapter 9 where we can find a little background to our encounter with Jesus.

The Preliminaries– Mark 9:14-16

  1. The Disciples – Mark 9:14-15 – The disciples were not allowed to stay on the mountain, holding on to that experience. In the valley below was hurting and suffering mankind. A world of need lay at their feet. When Jesus and the three disciples reached the base of the mountain, an animated discussion was going on among the scribes, the crowd, and the other nine disciples.
  2. The Discussion – Mark 9:16 – Perhaps they were debating the reason WHY this boy had a demon.  Maybe the scribes were taunting the disciples about their failure, calling into question the authenticity of their conversion, or their commitment to Jesus. As always, Jesus is the one who steps in to solve a problem. As soon as Jesus appeared, the conversation broke up and the crowd rushed to HIM. Jesus then inquires, “What are you discussing with My disciples?” Then the crowd starts telling him what has been going on.

The Particulars– Mark 9:17-29

  1. The Victim– Mark 9:17-22
    1. The Helpless Father – Mark 9:17a – A distraught father excitedly told Jesus about his son, who is possessed with an unclean spirit.
    2. The Hopeless Son– Mark 9:17b-18a, 20-22
      1. The Source of his Problem – Mark 9:17b – he is demon-possessed, which makes him mute.
      2. The Symptoms of his Problem – Mark 9:18a, 20 – the evil spirit cause fits and convulsions, seizing him, throwing him to the ground, foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth and he stiffens out. This must have been a pretty horrible sight.
      3. The Span of his Problem – Mark 9:21-22 – he has been possessed since childhood. This was a father searching for relief, for his son and for himself. He says, “IF YOU can do anything, take pity on US and help US.” We find TWO people in need in this story..
      4. The summary of his problem – The disciples had failed and this man was NOT SURE that Jesus could do anything for them. I like the honesty of this father, admitting that he had doubts and unbelief. How often have you allowed doubts keep you from totally trusting Jesus, for your salvation, but also for your future? We often are not convinced that Jesus actually has our best interest at heart. We believe that WE know better and don’t have the confidence that following God will lead to fulfillment, joy, peace, healing, restoration or contentment.
    3. The Hapless Disciples – Mark 9:18b-19 – the disciples are miserable and unfortunate, they are unable to help this father and his son, and Jesus appears to be frustrated with them, “How long shall I put up with you?” It’s like, “My time is short and you’re not catching on. I’m not going to be with you for much longer.” Jesus had given the disciples the authority to cast out demons (Mark 6:7, 13) so no wonder Jesus was grieved with them. So what about YOU? How often do we grieve God by not using the spiritual resources that he has already given to us? We try to do things in our way and in our own timing, with self-effort rather than Spirit-led power. No wonder we epic fail in our walk with God, because we don’t really have the power of God working for us. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us today. We are not second class followers of Jesus; he is not holding back on us… but we often hold back from HIM.
  2. The Victor– Mark 9:23-29
    1. Jesus Reassures the Father– Mark 9:23-24
      1. The Strength of Faith – Mark 9:23 – “If you CAN!? All things are possible to him who believes.”
      2. The Struggle for Faith – Mark 9:24 – the father declares, “I DO believe, help me overcome my unbelief.”  He is basically telling Jesus to help him when his faith falls short. We all want to believe, yet we find ourselves filled with doubt. We hate this inward, unreasonable contradiction, yet seem to fight it in vain. How often is the statement of the father what we cry out to God? The positive part is that when we cry out to God, he does not scold, but reassures the father.
    2. Jesus Rebukes the Spirit – Mark 9:25-26 – As the crowd was gathering, he wanted to take care of this quickly and commanded the spirit to come out of him and not return. In dramatic fashion, the demon causes a scene and then the boy was still as a corpse, and the people thought he is dead.
    3. Jesus Restores the Son – Mark 9:27 – Jesus takes the boy’s hand AND RAISED HIM.
    4. Jesus Reveals the Secret – Mark 9:28-29 – Later when Jesus was alone with His disciples in the house, they asked Him privately why they hadn’t been able to help the father and his son. Jesus said that certain miracles require prayer and fasting.

The main lesson for this miracle is the power of faith to overcome the enemy (Mark 9:19, 23-24, Matthew 17:20). Why had the nine disciples failed? Perhaps they had been careless in their personal spiritual walk and neglected prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29)? The authority that Jesus had given them was ONLY effective if exercised by faith, and cultivated through spiritual discipline and devotion.

It could be that the absence of Jesus, who had gone up the mountain with Peter, James and John, and the fact that they were left behind, had dampened their spiritual passion and had diminished their faith. THAT too is a danger for us today. When we neglect gathering for worship and small group interaction, our spiritual passion WILL diminish, and we will lack faith to make a difference in the lives around us. The sad fact is that these disciples had no clue why they were so powerless. When people slip away from the church and from God’s presence during worship, they wonder why their lives lack power and passion for God’s kingdom.

Not only had this failure embarrassed the disciples, it robbed Jesus of the glory he deserved and gave the enemy an opportunity to criticize God, (his ability and his willingness), and the people of God (who are Ambassadors for Christ). Remember that it is our faith in him that glorifies God (Romans 4:20).

Which of us is not faced at times in our Christian service with a sense of defeat and frustration? We have labored tirelessly and conscientiously, yet there has been no evidence of the Spirit of God working in power.

Perhaps these disciples had been arguing about ministry styles or the proper way to help this boy and his father, all the while helpless to do anything that brought relief. Maybe this is a challenge for each of us to focus on strengthening our faith. Is it your desire to ask that God help you when your faith falls short?

I believe that our faith will be strong in the valley ONLY after we have experienced God’s glory on the mountaintop. Oswald Chambers says that,

We are not built for the mountains; those are for moments of inspiration. We are built for the valley, for ordinary life. When you think about it, it is spiritual selfishness that wants repeated moments on the mountaintop. God calls to us to make a difference in the lives of people, down in the valley. It is in the valley where we grow and learn. The mountaintop is not meant to TEACH us anything, it is meant to MAKE us something (like becoming holy, grateful, and dependent). We LEARN only in the valley.

As we participate in the life of the church, we hope to SEE God’s glory, here on the mountaintop, but we are never supposed to LIVE for His glory there. We are to make a difference in the valley.

As we close for today, now is the time to make decisions that will affect the rest of your life, don’t put it off another week.

Let’s pray: This is the time that we confess to you that our faith often falls short, but right now, today, we declare and submit to you our request for you to help our unbelief, help us when our faith falls short. I pray that no one will leave this place with unfinished business with God. All things are possible with God, and we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. As people are making decision to make a difference in the valley, Father, we ask for your power to experience a life well lived for your glory and kingdom. AMEN

NEXT STEPS: You’ll notice two questions at the bottom of your outline, which are designed to make this lesson practical. How are you going to respond?

  1. How will you evaluate the connection between your mountaintop experiences and life down in the valley?
  2. How will you exercise and increase spiritual disciplines in your life?
    1. Prayer
    2. Fasting
    3. Bible reading
    4. Solitude
    5. Scripture memory


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[Go to Part 1, The Transfiguration] [See the Video]

Decision-Making and Prayer

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This is the sixth study in the series about Decisions: Seeking God’s Guidance:

Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8

Purpose: To encourage us to keep praying about the decisions we face.

Billy Graham has said, “Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask.”

What has been your most amazing answer to prayer?

Corrie ten Boom once asked, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” How would you have answered her?

Although most Christians believe in praying about important decisions, they often make their decisions without prayer. There are many reasons for this: They question whether the particular decision they are facing requires prayer. They do not have time to pray because a decision is needed immediately. They do not know what to ask. They don’t really believe that God will give them an answer. Even Jesus’ closest disciples needed instruction in prayer. Read Luke 11:1-13.

1. What one idea about prayer stands out to you the most in these verses?

2. What kinds of things does Jesus tell us we should pray for in Luke 11:2-4?

The petitions of the Lord’s Prayer include

  • “Father, hallowed be your name” – a request for a proper attitude toward God
  • “Your kingdom come” – a desire for God’s kingdom to be fully realized
  • “Give us each day our daily bread” – acknowledgment of our continual dependence on God
  • “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” – a recognition of the need to forgive and be forgiven
  • “And lead us not into temptation”-a realization of our weakness and the ease with which we give way to the temptations of the world.

3. Which of these has been most prominent and most lacking in your own prayer life?

4. How would you feel about a friend who would be so persistent in bothering you in the middle of the night (Luke 11:5-8)?

5. How would you characterize the awakened neighbor?

Here’s some helpful background information: The setting is a small village where there are no shops. A household would bake its bread each morning. Jesus pictures a man whose household has used its supply and on whom a journeying friend makes an unexpected call. It is at midnight, which probably means that the friend had traveled after dark to avoid the heat. The man must feed his friend, for hospitality was a sacred duty. So he goes to another friend for three loaves, after all, three small loaves which would suffice for one man. But this second householder has shut his door and gone to bed with his children. Evidently he was a poor man living in a one-roomed house. The whole family would sleep on a raised platform at one end of such a room, possibly with the animals at floor level. A man in such a situation could not get up without disturbing the whole family. He raises no difficulty about giving the bread, but the bother of getting up is quite another matter. It is much easier to stay where he is.

6. How does the awakened neighbor differ from God?

The point of this parable is that God is not like the awakened friend. If even an imperfect human being, notwithstanding the inconvenience to which he is put, will arise at midnight to give a friend what he needs if he comes and asks him for help, how much more will God, the heavenly Friend, who is perfect in love, listen to the sincere prayers and supplications of His children who are really in need!

7. In what ways are we to be like the persistent neighbor?

It is important that we should remember that in the parable there is a friendship existing between the one who asks and the one who rises and gives, and that the request arises out of necessity and not out of selfishness.

8. How are we to practice asking, seeking and knocking?

The lesson is clear. We must not play at prayer, but must show persistence if we do not receive the answer immediately. It is not that God is unwilling and must be pressed into answering. The whole context makes it clear that He is eager to give. But if we do not want what we are asking for enough to be persistent, we do not want it very much. It is not such weak prayer that is answered.

9. What assurance do we have that God will give us good gifts (Luke 11:11-13)?

No regenerate child of God should ever doubt that when he prays to God out of real need his prayer will be answered. He who doubts this does Him the greatest dishonor, for by not believing that He will give what we really need we in fact appear to regard Him as less sympathetic and less faithful than an ordinary earthly friend. Therefore unbelief in relation to the answering of prayer is not only a weakness, but a serious sin and utter folly.

10. Read Luke 18:1-8. Why would Jesus compare God to an unjust judge? How does this comparison help Jesus to make his point?

Jesus is certainly not suggesting that God is like the unjust judge. This is a parable of contrasts. If a wicked man can sometimes be cajoled into doing something good, then how much more will God do right.

11. When in your prayer life have you felt like the widow in this parable? How do you think that God would prefer that you pray?

The widow stands in “sharp contrast to the elect of God who call upon Him in prayer. In the eye of the unjust judge she is an unknown, troublesome person in whom he takes no interest and about whose fate he does not worry. But the chosen ones of God are well known to Him and loved by Him, and He takes the keenest interest in them.

12. How do the lessons of these parables apply to your prayers concerning your decisions?

Thank God for his past answers to your prayers and ash again for his guidance in the decisions you face.

Now or Later

“Reading a book about prayer, listening to lectures and talking about it is very good, but it won’t teach you to pray. You get nothing without exercise, without practice. I might listen for a year to a professor of music playing the most beautiful music, but that won’t teach me to play an instrument” (Andrew Murray, “The Spiritual Life,” Christianity Today 34, no. 2).

Outline of Luke 11 – Warren Wiersbe

His Generosity (Luke 11:1–13). If Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Twelve all needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray! We must put God’s concerns first (Luke 11:2–4), because prayer is based on sonship, not friendship. God is a loving Father, not a grouchy neighbor; He gives us what we need. He neither slumbers nor sleeps; and He doesn’t become irritated when we ask for help (James 1:5).

His Authority (Luke 11:14–36). More dangerous than open hostility (Luke 11:14–22) is attempted neutrality (Luke 11:23–26), for an empty life is an opportunity for Satan to move in and take over. The only sign we need is the “sign of Jonah,” our Lord’s resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:22–36). Jesus has won the victory over the prince of darkness. Obey Satan and you let in darkness rather than light, and soon you will not be able to distinguish between them (Matthew 6:22–23).

His Honesty (Luke 11:37–54). He was a guest in the home, but Jesus did not flatter His host or the other guests by avoiding the truth. He exposed their hypocrisy and condemned them for their sins (Matthew 23). They defiled people (Luke 11:44), burdened them (Luke 11:46), and locked the door on them (Luke 11:52), all the while posing as holy men of God. Instead of taking the opportunity of repenting and being forgiven, they opposed Jesus and attacked Him. What fools!

Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in Heaven, but for getting God’s will done in earth. -Robert Law

Outline of Luke 18 – Warren Wiersbe

Confident Prayer (Luke 18:1–8). If an unjust judge helps a poor widow, how much more will a loving Father meet the needs of His children? We have open access into His treasury (Romans 5:2) and can claim His gracious promises (Luke 11:9–10), so we ought to pray with faith and confidence. No need to argue—just come!

Arrogant Prayer (Luke 18:9–17). True prayer should humble us and make us love others more. We should be like children coming to a Father and not like attorneys bringing an indictment. If prayer doesn’t bless the one praying, it isn’t likely to help anybody else.

Ignorant Prayer (Luke 18:18–34). Although the young man had many good qualities, one of them was not spiritual understanding. He did not really see himself, Jesus or the peril he was in because of his riches. The publican went away justified (Luke 18:14) while the young man went away sorrowful (Luke 18:23). What happens at the close of your prayers?

Persistent Prayer (Luke 18:35–43). The blind man was not to be stopped! He had his great opportunity, and he would not let it pass. Our Lord stopped, looked, listened—and healed! Jesus is not too busy to hear you. Just be sure you are in earnest when you pray.

The revelation of our spiritual standing is what we ask in prayer; sometimes what we ask is an insult to God; we ask with our eyes on the possibilities or on ourselves, not on Jesus Christ. -Oswald Chambers

America's Prayer of Repentance

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I have these words framed on my office wall, it is a prayer of repentance for America. As I read these words, my heart is broken over the direction our country has turned. Can God bless America again?

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance. We know your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that’s exactly what we’ve done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that…

We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism.

We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.

We have abused power and called it political savvy.

We have coveted our neighbors’ possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us O God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by you, to govern this great state.

Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will. I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

This is the text of the original prayer delivered January 23, 1996 by Pastor Joe Wright to the Kansas House of Representatives in Topeka.

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Being a Man of Persistence

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I recently read a story about a TV preacher who said that you should never ask God for something more than once. To pray for something even twice, he said, was proof of a lack of faith and meant that God wouldn’t respond positively to the request. When we ask God for something and he doesn’t answer right away, we tend to ask him again. So, is this okay? Or is this wrong?

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9)

In this passage, Jesus uses a story to encourage us to pray and keep on praying. In his parable, he asks you to suppose that a friend visits you late at light. Since you have nothing to eat, you go next door and ask for food. This neighbor at first does not want to be bothered, but, Jesus says, if you keep on knocking, eventually you’ll get the food you need, thanks to your “shameless persistence.”

Jesus is not saying the Father is like the selfish friend who won’t get out of bed, but rather, he’s pointing out that even someone who is slow to respond will eventually give in if you are persistent.

The next verse provides a punch line for the parable: “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9). Rather than the traditional “ask, seek, knock,” the New Living Translation has a better grasp of the verbs.

Greek verbs have different imperative forms. The present imperative form, used in Luke 11:9, was used for repetitive or continual action. So, in fact, “Keep on asking… Keep on seeking… Keep on knocking” reflects the original words more precisely. Following this story of the shamelessly persistent friend, Jesus makes the application to our prayers crystal clear.

So, it is okay to persist in prayer. In fact, it’s not only acceptable, but it is exactly what Jesus commands. There are times when God will answer our prayers immediately, but there are other times when we will need to ask and seek and knock, and then ask and seek and knock, and then ask and seek and knock….

We may not be able to fully fathom the theological reasons for this, but Jesus couldn’t be clearer about the need for persistence in prayer. I personally believe that the persistence is for our benefit, it does something for us and in us, rather than changing God (who is immutable).

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Being a Man of Prayer

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The disciples specifically asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, so what does he tell them? Take a look at Luke 11:1-4 (I’ve typed out the NASB).

An introduction to the Lord’s Model Prayer:

  1. Revelation of Prayer:  “after he had finished” praying (Luke 11:1): We often don’t realize that prayer is a practice in which we need to engage. The discipleship are now aware that Jesus is a man of prayer and want to become like him. I was responding to a friend on Facebook and mentioned that I would pray for an upcoming interview. Another person responded that he did not believe in prayer but told her “good luck.” Many people are simply ignorant to the power of prayer and ridicule those who engage in the practice.
  2. Rule of Prayer: “When you pray, say” (Luke 11:2): notice that Jesus did not say “if” you pray, but “when.” This tells me that prayer is a rule of life, a practice that spiritual people engage in. It will come to us more naturally the more we practice prayer.
  3. Relationship of Prayer: “our Father” (Luke 11:2): The Christian faith is one of relationships, not a list of rules. If God is our Father, we are supernaturally made one of his children, adopted into the family of God, heirs with Christ himself. We must never forget that religion saves no one, it is only by a relationship (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).
  4. Reverence of Prayer: “hallowed be your name” (Luke 11:2): Hallowed is not a word used much in everyday language but it simply means to have reverence for God. We approach him as one of his children, but we cannot strut into his presence. We bow low recognizing the fact that we do not deserve salvation or to come into his presence.
  5. Resignation of Prayer: “your kingdom come” (Luke 11:2): Pride is one element of the human experience that prevents many people from following Jesus, and if we have a prideful attitude, this part of the prayer is disingenuous. We must actively believe and live the fact that God’s kingdom is more important and significant than our personal agendas. We must resign our personal will and agenda in order to embrace God’s purpose and mission for the world and our participation in it.
  6. Request of Prayer: “Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3): It is sad to say but true, this is the only part of prayer that we seem to believe, practice, and expect. Notice that “give us” is not at the beginning, perhaps we should follow the order of this prayer more closely. I believe that God desires that we develop relationship with him through prayer; when that happens, the “give me” request should become more in line with God’s character and mission.
  7. Repentance of Prayer: “and forgive us our sins” (Luke 11:4): It seems to be especially difficult to request to be in God’s presence through prayer all the while knowing that we are unrepentant. God desires to forgive, and can do so only on the basis of the sacrificial substitutionary atonement of Jesus on the cross. We are never perfect in this life, but we should work toward sinning less as we grow in godliness. Repent of known sin and ask God to help you sin less.
  8. Responsibility of Prayer: “for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4): Jesus was pretty direct about this, we are to forgive others because God has graciously forgiven us (Luke 6:37, 17:4). That is our responsibility, forgive others when they have wronged us. The result of not forgiving is that a root of bitterness will begin to grow (Ephesians 4:31-32, Hebrews 12:15).
  9. Resolve of Prayer: “And lead us not in to temptation.” (Luke 11:4): One reason that prayer is vital to our spiritual life is that we all like sheep are led astray (Isaiah 53:6). We are tempted to go in our own direction and forsake the guidance of the Lord. We need for God to lead us in the right direction and keep us in the ruts of righteousness (Psalm 23:3). Men, resolve to avoid temptation!

The P-attern of Prayer:

  1. To be Definite in our Asking: no more generic prayers, let’s get specific.
  2. To be Desperate in our Approach: desperation often drives us to our knees. Let’s not wait that long.
  3. To be Doubtless in our Attitude: asking in faith is the way to go; the more we know God, the better we pray.

The R-equirement of Prayer:

  1. Requires Time: set aside a definite time and place; make prayer a habit.
  2. Requires Toil: it is important to work at getting better at praying; don’t expect an easy path.
  3. Requires Tears: pour our your heart to him, that is where the relationship develops.

The A-ction of Prayer:

  1. Power for our Work (Philippians 2:12-13, Ephesians 2:10): for God to work through us in the marketplace.
  2. Power with our Witness (James 5:16): effective and answered prayer gives us a testimony.
  3. Power in our Worship (John 4:23-24): as we pray, we open our spirits to God’s will and direction, and we are able to worship him in spirit and truth.

The Y-earning of Prayer:

  1. A Desire for Secret Prayer: have alone-time with God, where you find solitude in the midst of a busy life.
  2. A Desire for Scriptural Prayer: use God’s word and pray it back to him, I like to say, “use God’s own words against him” meaning, he cannot refute or diminish his own words.
  3. A Desire for Spiritual Prayer: the Bible mentions praying in the spirit (Ephesians 6:18, Jude 1:20) which means to allow your spirit to commune with the Holy Spirit, because sometime the Holy Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26).

The E-nlistment of Prayer: (Matthew 9:38)

  1. Our Master’s Orders: “Pray” – global evangelization is not up to us alone, God wants us to pray, as well as go.
  2. Our Master’s Ownership: “Lord of the harvest” – Jesus is the only one who can bring lost people unto himself.
  3. Our Master’s Option: “send” – sometimes God asks us to go, and we must be ready and obedient. I’ve heard Keith Green say that “we should all plan to go, until God specifically calls you to stay.”

The R-esults of Prayer:

  1. It was the magnet that drew Eliezar and Rebekah together: Genesis 24
  2. It was the mystery that opened the Red Sea: Exodus 14
  3. It was the medicine that added 15 years to Hezekiah’s life: Isaiah 38
  4. It was the muzzle used on the lions’ mouths for Daniel: Daniel 6
  5. It was the messenger who delivered Peter from prison: Acts 12

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Prayer During Tough Times

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I had several people tell me last week (November 20) how meaningful my invocation prayer was for them, so I told them I would write it out for future reference:

Father, we love you, and we thank you very much for the love that you have demonstrated for us; that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Words cannot express how thankful we are for that gift of sacrifice. As we think about all that goes on in our lives, the busyness, the things that seem to go wrong, the distractions, the things that are not going our way, Father, we wonder where you are. It appears that we are walking through this life alone.

Remind us that when we feel as if we are in a wilderness, we know that it is not a wasteland, because it is in the wilderness where we learn, where we grow, where we trust, where we have hope for the future. We know that you have been faithful before and we understand that you will be faithful again. We are so thankful that we have a consistent God (James 1:17, Hebrews 13:8).

As we think about Thanksgiving, remind each person, heart and mind of the things for which we are truly thankful. Hear as each person voices their prayer, deep within their spirit, about how thankful we are for what you have done, and for who you are. We share our lists in prayer, and at times it seems just like a list, but these are the things that you have spoken to us about, and we cast our cares upon you (1 Peter 5:7). Help us to be mindful of you, and thankful. Amen.

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