Prayer is vital to the Christian. Just as someone who is living must breath, someone who has been made alive in Christ MUST pray; not out of duty or obligation, but rather as a natural response to a humbling and awe-inspiring Gospel. If we are honest with ourselves, many of us, myself included, will admit that our prayer life is not consistently where it should be. There seems to be a desire, and yet in those precious moments when we sit down to focus and talk to our Savior, the phone rings, the baby starts crying, or the to-do list for the day comes into our minds. And then there are those moments where we actually DO focus, and begin praying and yet fail to pray in accordance to the Father's will. Our agenda takes a front row seat to what God wants, and somewhere in the midst of it all the focus has been taken off of Christ and put on us...what a shame.
So the next time we go to sit and talk with our Father, let's realize what exactly is going on and seriously evaluate our own prayer lives according to the Word of God. Here are three things God has really impressed upon my heart in relation to my own prayer life...I hope they will encourage you in your pursuit of your own understanding of yours.
(1) PRIVILEGE of Prayer
Stop for a moment and recognize WHO you are talking to when you pray...are you humbled? When a child of God comes to the foot of the Father's throne, he/she is in the presence of the One who created ALL the universe. What an astounding thought. What a privilege. We not only get to talk to the King of Kings, but HE listens and responds. What an amazingly incredible reality that is for the child of God. Each time we come into His presence in prayer, it should bring us to humility; like Isaiah we should recognize who we are coming before and rightly worship. And beyond that, we should express never ending gratitude to Christ for the intercession He provides so that we CAN come before the Father in prayer. We have a one-way line of communication...what a privilege. I love the Psalmists recognition of this powerful truth as displayed in Psalm 116:1-
"I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy."
Oh believer, what a privilege we have...the Lord hears us!
(2) PURPOSE of Prayer
Why do we even pray? Often we pray because of OUR wants or needs, and although there is nothing wrong with this, this must not be our focus. Prayer was never intended to be a one way communication to the "santa claus" in the sky, instead, it was meant to be a vital life line to our Father in heaven to sustain us during our earthly pilgrimage. We pray for the glory of God, we pray that His will might be done, and we pray to communicate with Him! Our hearts should be like that of the disciples in Luke 11:1:
". . . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . ."
Oswald Chamber said it well, "God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature." May we pray that we would be conformed more into the image of Christ and desire more of what His will each day.
(3) PATTERN of Prayer
There is so much we could say about "how to" pray. The Bible is full of examples of what to pray for and how to pray, and although these are useful resources and encouraging exhortations, I believe Jesus himself gave us a very specific command when it comes to prayer, and precious promise in that he says in John 14:4,
"Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
This verse, and similar ones, have been taken so far out of context to give people the assumption or assurance that they can ask God for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they want and as long as they say "in Jesus name", they are guaranteed it. What foolish and sinful thinking. Jesus is not commanding or promising anything of the sort, instead, he is teaching the disciple that prayer should be focused on HIS WILL. When we ask God for something, it should be directed toward the glory of HIS name and the purposes of His plan, not our own. We can rest assure that when we pray in this way, HE WILL DO IT!
So believer, let's throw off everything that hinders us or distracts us from this precious privilege and purposefully pray according to the pattern laid out in Scripture...and then stand back and watch God work!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Find Rest in HIS Solution
We live in a society with 'quick fixes' and 'microwave solutions'. We like 'how tos' and 'three easy steps' for everything. And if a book, movie, or even a sermon doesn't captivate our attention or benefit us in 5 minutes or less, we turn it off, either physically or mentally. And somehow we have allowed that mentality to infiltrate our thinking as believers, even when it comes to fighting sin and running the race we have been called to. The problem is, it doesn't work. And because it doesn't work, we find ourselves discouraged, beaten, and sometimes defeated. And this my friends, is exactly where the enemy wants us to be; because let's face it, if he can't win our souls, he will make sure that we are as ineffective as possible to win another. So what do we do, to fight the temptation when things get tough?
During Jesus' earthly ministry, He spoke often about the "Christian" life. Two statements, seemingly opposing, yet perfectly harmonious, teach us exactly what we need to renew our strength as we run this race.
In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says to His disciples...
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."
This is COUNTERCULTURAL today, just as much as it was back then. There is no denial of self proclaimed in modern society, in fact it is the exact opposite. BUT, we must come to realize it is EXACTLY the fuel we need to ignite our passion, to spur us on, and to aide us in fighting the good fight. When we realize that we have been called to DENY ourselves, we are immediately pointed away from within and towards Christ. There is no pleasure principle here, there is no comfort, but radical obedience and humble following. When we focus on the Truth of this, we realize that it isn't easy, in fact it goes against EVERYTHING not only our culture is telling us but also what our body, our flesh, is telling us.
When the fight of sin is hard- we can find strength in knowing the Spirit is working in and through us, and know we are doing exactly what we are called to do- DENY SELF!
When the trials in our lives are discouraging- we can find joy and hope in knowing that God is sovereign and working in and through it to make us more like Christ as we DENY ourselves, our comforts, wants, desires, in order that His glory might be shown.
When we lack desire to run hard- we can remind ourselves that it is not about US, but rather all about DENIAL of our desires, wants, and feelings.
The thought of denial, although tough, is actually incredibly motivating and powerful to the believer...REMIND yourself of it daily!
Secondly, Jesus says the following in Matthew 11:30,
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
What?! Didn't you just say that the Christian life was all about denial, and that seems HARD, not easy. Yes, exactly. But what we must come to realize is that what Jesus is speaking here is not what you might think-being a Christian is not EASY from a wordly standpoint. But our eyes must not be fixed on the world, on what is temporal, but rather on the eternal, we must be heavenly minded. The yoke Jesus calls us to "bear" is one that is lined with love. Matthew Henry said it well when speaking of the "yoke" believers bear, "Such is the nature of all Christ’s commands, so reasonable in themselves, so profitable to us, and all summed up in one word, and that a sweet word, love. So powerful are the assistances he gives us, so suitable the encouragements, and so strong the consolations, that are to be found in the way of duty, that we may truly say, it is a yoke of pleasantness. It is easy to the new nature, very easy to him that understandeth, Prov. 14:6. It may be a little hard at first, but it is easy afterwards; the love of God and the hope of heaven will make it easy."
And the burden...light? You might be thinking, you have no idea what burden I have had to bear, or am bearing. But Christian, Jesus is not negating the fact that you may suffer affliction for His precious name, but rather that it is light and momentary- as the Apostle Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians where we read about the lack of comparison of the trivial trials on earth to the glory we will one day behold; or in Philippians 1 where we read, "to live is Christ and to die is gain". Our eyes must always be fixed on the eternal, never the temporal, and in the hope and glory that is to come!!
Here we can be encouraged, no matter where we may be in life, with the precious promise, that the life you have been called to is easy because Christ is leading and carrying you along the way!
So believer, find rest for your soul...we don't need a quick fix, or a how to in three easy steps...we simply need the Words of our Savior to find peace and instruction in the midst of it all, to live a life that is for Him and for His glory. Find rest in His solution...the cross of calvary, and run towards Him!
"The truths Christ teaches are such as we may venture our souls upon. The affections find rest in the love of God and Jesus Christ, and meet with that in them which gives them an abundant satisfaction; quietness and assurance for ever. And those satisfactions will be perfected and perpetuated in heaven, where we shall see and enjoy God immediately, shall see him as he is, and enjoy him as he is ours. This rest is to be had with Christ for all those who learn of him." -Matthew Henry
During Jesus' earthly ministry, He spoke often about the "Christian" life. Two statements, seemingly opposing, yet perfectly harmonious, teach us exactly what we need to renew our strength as we run this race.
In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says to His disciples...
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."
This is COUNTERCULTURAL today, just as much as it was back then. There is no denial of self proclaimed in modern society, in fact it is the exact opposite. BUT, we must come to realize it is EXACTLY the fuel we need to ignite our passion, to spur us on, and to aide us in fighting the good fight. When we realize that we have been called to DENY ourselves, we are immediately pointed away from within and towards Christ. There is no pleasure principle here, there is no comfort, but radical obedience and humble following. When we focus on the Truth of this, we realize that it isn't easy, in fact it goes against EVERYTHING not only our culture is telling us but also what our body, our flesh, is telling us.
When the fight of sin is hard- we can find strength in knowing the Spirit is working in and through us, and know we are doing exactly what we are called to do- DENY SELF!
When the trials in our lives are discouraging- we can find joy and hope in knowing that God is sovereign and working in and through it to make us more like Christ as we DENY ourselves, our comforts, wants, desires, in order that His glory might be shown.
When we lack desire to run hard- we can remind ourselves that it is not about US, but rather all about DENIAL of our desires, wants, and feelings.
The thought of denial, although tough, is actually incredibly motivating and powerful to the believer...REMIND yourself of it daily!
Secondly, Jesus says the following in Matthew 11:30,
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
What?! Didn't you just say that the Christian life was all about denial, and that seems HARD, not easy. Yes, exactly. But what we must come to realize is that what Jesus is speaking here is not what you might think-being a Christian is not EASY from a wordly standpoint. But our eyes must not be fixed on the world, on what is temporal, but rather on the eternal, we must be heavenly minded. The yoke Jesus calls us to "bear" is one that is lined with love. Matthew Henry said it well when speaking of the "yoke" believers bear, "Such is the nature of all Christ’s commands, so reasonable in themselves, so profitable to us, and all summed up in one word, and that a sweet word, love. So powerful are the assistances he gives us, so suitable the encouragements, and so strong the consolations, that are to be found in the way of duty, that we may truly say, it is a yoke of pleasantness. It is easy to the new nature, very easy to him that understandeth, Prov. 14:6. It may be a little hard at first, but it is easy afterwards; the love of God and the hope of heaven will make it easy."
And the burden...light? You might be thinking, you have no idea what burden I have had to bear, or am bearing. But Christian, Jesus is not negating the fact that you may suffer affliction for His precious name, but rather that it is light and momentary- as the Apostle Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians where we read about the lack of comparison of the trivial trials on earth to the glory we will one day behold; or in Philippians 1 where we read, "to live is Christ and to die is gain". Our eyes must always be fixed on the eternal, never the temporal, and in the hope and glory that is to come!!
Here we can be encouraged, no matter where we may be in life, with the precious promise, that the life you have been called to is easy because Christ is leading and carrying you along the way!
So believer, find rest for your soul...we don't need a quick fix, or a how to in three easy steps...we simply need the Words of our Savior to find peace and instruction in the midst of it all, to live a life that is for Him and for His glory. Find rest in His solution...the cross of calvary, and run towards Him!
"The truths Christ teaches are such as we may venture our souls upon. The affections find rest in the love of God and Jesus Christ, and meet with that in them which gives them an abundant satisfaction; quietness and assurance for ever. And those satisfactions will be perfected and perpetuated in heaven, where we shall see and enjoy God immediately, shall see him as he is, and enjoy him as he is ours. This rest is to be had with Christ for all those who learn of him." -Matthew Henry
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
The GOODNESS of God
Do you ever have those moments when the reality of God's goodness hits you like a ton of bricks?! You stand amazed, humbled, and so thankful. If I'm honest, these moments are not as often as they should be and result in a lack of true, heartfelt gratitude and praise to the King. And yet, as I ran around today chasing after a precious little one year old in the rain, I stood humbled, and dumbfounded at how blessed I truly am. This inspired me to make a list, to count my blessings so to speak...obviously it isn't comprehensive because I could go on for pages and pages, but it is just a start and it has left me praising God in a way that He deserves, but in a way I can neglect.
In sharing with you 'my' blessings, I pray that you might be encouraged or inspired to look around, look inside, and reevaluate the goodness of our Lord in your life, and too glorify Him with all that is within you. For as Jerry Bridges said so well, "Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God."
10 Things I'm Thankful For:
(1) Salvation- It all starts here with my new birth as I was given the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to respond...for this I am eternally grateful.
Ephesians 1:3-6 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."
(2) Sanctifying Grace- The ongoing work of the Lord Jesus in my life, DAILY!
Romans 6:22- "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life."
(3) My Husband- The second greatest treasure in my life. For His love, leading, friendship, and encouragement I am so thankful!
1 Corinthians 11:7- "For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man."
(4) The Body of Christ- My true family, the ones who I will spend eternity with, who encourage, spur on, and compel me to love Christ more.
Romans 12:5- "so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."
(5) Creation- Every sunset, every raindrop, every mountain, ocean, and flower...I truly am amazed by it all. It is such a picture of the beauty of Christ.
Isaiah 40:26- "Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing."
(6) My Job- I get to spend my days with a precious 16 month old who reminds me to "stop and smell the roses". He reveals to me the intelligent design of our mighty God, the reality of our sinful condition apart from Christ's saving work, and the powerful witness we have in all the world. Not to mention he is pretty darn cute and can always make me smile :)
Matthew 5:16- "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
(7) Kindred Community Church- It is a gift to attend and serve at a church that teaches the unfailing Word of God with boldness and conviction.
Colossians 1:17-20- "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
(8) My Blood Family- I am so grateful for my parents who raised me to love and fear God and for a little brother who spurs me on!
Ephesians 6:4b- "...bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
(9) Provision- From a roof over my head to the shoes on my feet, God takes care of my little needs and then some!
Matthew 6:26- "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
(10) Enjoying Life- I am so thankful that God has given us good things to enjoy, gifts, such as vacations, and walks on the beach...thank you Lord!
James 1:17- " Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
May your hearts be refreshed by the goodness of God!!
In sharing with you 'my' blessings, I pray that you might be encouraged or inspired to look around, look inside, and reevaluate the goodness of our Lord in your life, and too glorify Him with all that is within you. For as Jerry Bridges said so well, "Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God."
10 Things I'm Thankful For:
(1) Salvation- It all starts here with my new birth as I was given the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to respond...for this I am eternally grateful.
Ephesians 1:3-6 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."
(2) Sanctifying Grace- The ongoing work of the Lord Jesus in my life, DAILY!
Romans 6:22- "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life."
(3) My Husband- The second greatest treasure in my life. For His love, leading, friendship, and encouragement I am so thankful!
1 Corinthians 11:7- "For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man."
(4) The Body of Christ- My true family, the ones who I will spend eternity with, who encourage, spur on, and compel me to love Christ more.
Romans 12:5- "so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."
(5) Creation- Every sunset, every raindrop, every mountain, ocean, and flower...I truly am amazed by it all. It is such a picture of the beauty of Christ.
Isaiah 40:26- "Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing."
(6) My Job- I get to spend my days with a precious 16 month old who reminds me to "stop and smell the roses". He reveals to me the intelligent design of our mighty God, the reality of our sinful condition apart from Christ's saving work, and the powerful witness we have in all the world. Not to mention he is pretty darn cute and can always make me smile :)
Matthew 5:16- "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
(7) Kindred Community Church- It is a gift to attend and serve at a church that teaches the unfailing Word of God with boldness and conviction.
Colossians 1:17-20- "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
(8) My Blood Family- I am so grateful for my parents who raised me to love and fear God and for a little brother who spurs me on!
Ephesians 6:4b- "...bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
(9) Provision- From a roof over my head to the shoes on my feet, God takes care of my little needs and then some!
Matthew 6:26- "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
(10) Enjoying Life- I am so thankful that God has given us good things to enjoy, gifts, such as vacations, and walks on the beach...thank you Lord!
James 1:17- " Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
May your hearts be refreshed by the goodness of God!!
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