August 2009

Monthly Archive

August 28, 2009

Why I Love Prayer – Part 2

Posted by Jessie under knowing God
Leave a Comment 

Why I Love Prayer- Part 2

I love life!  I really do!  For the most part, I find myself to be a very happy person.  I’m clearly an optimist, and always have been.  My (step)mother actually pointed this out to me when I was quite young, “you’re what they call a ‘Pollyanna’ person”, she said.  Of course I was like “huh?”, and she explained it to me.  If you look it up, the definition is: an excessively or blindly optimistic person (see here).  Some people would see that as a criticism, but fortunately for me, my Mom seemed to paint the picture that this was a great thing to be, and I have always considered this a great gift of mine.  I see the good in nearly everything.  I like to see the good.  I prefer to give little attention to the ‘bad’.  I would even say that this has a lot to do with faith (see Hebrews 11:1).    

But, I have a confession to make.  I’m actually not satisfied at all with things as they are.

I find myself very often wishing that things were different, on pretty much every level.  To put it plainly, I don’t really like the way things are, and I wish they would change… 

Or, maybe I just see the good that could be, and I’m frustrated that it has not appeared yet. 

I long for my heart to be pure and more devoted to the Lord.

I long for my life and ministry to have a profound impact, to truly make a difference in Eternity.

I want to be the best husband and father that ever lived.

I want to love people deeply, purely, honestly, demonstratively, the way Jesus does.

I want every person I know to know Jesus personally.

I desire the Church to be mature, measuring up the fullness of Christ.

I desire to see a great Awakening yet again in our nation, particularly on college campuses.

I’m looking for the Kingdom of God to come on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Yes, I set my sights high.

I haven’t seen any of these things come to pass yet, but I’m convinced that they can, even more so, that they will.  The unfortunate part of the equation is that I have very little power, if any, to make any of those things happen!  I can’t do it!

But, I refuse to give up.  So, where do I go?

I go to the One who DOES have all power.  I seek the One who can do anything.  I speak to the Lord of Heaven and Earth and make my requests, believing that He will answer me with love and faithfulness.  My voice moves Him. 

I do my part – pray; talk to God; tell Him what He already knows; remind Him of His promises; declare my love and desire for Him to manifest His power (in whatever situation I’m longing to see change in).

Then, He does His part! 

He know what we need before we ask,

YET, he tells us to ASK!!  It’s about relationship, yes.  It’s about PRAYER.

He LOVES when we come to Him.  He LOVES when we ask of Him.  He LOVES to ANSWER us and grant our requests!!! 

Prayer is God’s chosen transaction method for change.  God gets what He wants = us, talking to Him, relating to Him.  In return, we get what we want = answer to prayer.  More importantly, we get what we need = nearness to God!  It’s amazing!   

When we pray, God acts, and things happen.  Conversely, if we don’t pray, nothing happens, nothing changes.  For real!  There are things in God’s heart that He wants to do, but He will withhold the blessing until we pray! 

Many people believe that because God is sovereign (and He is), He will do what He wants to do, regardless of whether we choose to agree with Him or not.  WRONG!  God has chosen to join Himself with humanity, and has limited (some) of His power because He desires partnership with us – that we would bring our hearts into agreement with His; that we would learn what He wants, and desire what He desires, and then ASK Him.  If we can put ourselves in the place, the guaranteed answer is YES!  He wants to do it, He’s just waiting for us to ask. 

The ultimate picture of this is Jesus Himself.  He is God, He is man, completely.  He is a perfect partnership of the two in One person.  And, He’s praying!!  He’s asking the Father for things that He knows the Father wants to do, and the Father says, “YES! YES! YES!” with a huge smile on His face, because He really enjoys this process!  

Check it out from Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:

“7  when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 9″This, then, is how you should pray:

   ” ‘Our Father in heaven “  

Jesus tells us that our Father already knows what they need, and then proceeds to teach us how to pray/ask God for what they need, and the clear implication is that He will give it when we ask!

Then, a little later in the same sermon, Jesus says:

7″Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

 9″Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

The clear implication here is that if we don’t seek, we WON’T find; the good things come, when we actually ASK God. 

James 4:2 . . you do not have, because you do not ask God

Now, there are many things that may come to your mind during the day, which you don’t like, and where you wish for a change – perhaps “big” things like the government, economy, etc.  Perhaps its “smaller” things, like your job or a strained relationship.  We spend a lot of mental energy grumbling to ourselves and wishing for something different.  Sometimes we even tell ourselves that these musings are prayer, and would tell another “I’ve really been praying about that.“  But, wait.  Did you really stop to talk to God about it?  Did you turn your dissatisfaction into an asking before our Loving Father at His Throne?  Don’t fool yourself and then wonder “why isn’t God answering me?” if you didn’t really pray about it, with your mouth, out loud to Him. 

There’s a completely different dynamic that happens when actually take the energy to turn those thoughts into prayer.  It changes you.  And, yes, it will change your situation. 

That’s why I love prayer!  It works!  God always answers us when we truly call out to Him with a sincere heart!!  I could begin to list numerous things that I have sen change in direct response to prayer, but, this post is already quite long.

I love prayer, because it works.

 

August 20, 2009

Why I Love Prayer- Part 1

Posted by Jessie under knowing God
Leave a Comment 

1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:5  God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The one thing that has always brought me to my knees before Jesus is this:  He loves me.  He loves me.  He loves me.

Unbelievable!  Without any doing on my part, He has loved me.  He has chosen to love me.  He has seen me in my weakest moments, in my deepest sins, my good times, my bad times, my ho-hum times, and in those moments, He has loved me.  He WANTS to love me.  Not just in a conceptual way, either.  He has been so faithful to demonstrate His love to me.  Oh, how He loves to show us His affections!  I can’t even begin to explain how in every season, I have seen His goodness and faithfulness, and yes, felt His embraces.  And, I am fully confident that He has, is, and will continue to do the same for you.    

What I’m saying is, I’m in love with Jesus – because He is in love with me!         

This is why I love prayer.

What happens when you fall in love with someone?

You want to be with them – all the time!  You want to understand what makes them tick.  You want to know what’s on their mind.  You want to feel what they are feeling and share the things that they feel are important.  And, if it goes right, you want to give them of yourself. 

I always remind myself that we don’t have any “original” love for Jesus.  He loved us first, and He always will love us first!  He will always be the One found to move in our direction, way before we move in His direction.  I love that about Him!  He has loved me.  He has loved you.  So, all those those ways we feel when we are in love – He feels for US!!  He wants to be with us, ALL the time.  He wants to know what’s on our mind and heart. He wants to share what is important to us.  What matters to us matters to Him, because He loves us.

To spend time with Him and share ourselves with Him is the very essence of prayer.

But, even as we begin to share our deepest thoughts and feelings with Jesus, spending time with Him, and experiencing His love and affection in our hearts – we find that we want to respond to Him in kind!  I’ve discovered in me a deep longing to find out what is on His mind, and be with Him, doing what He is doing.  This is the place of prayer!

Once again, I find He beat me to it.  This was His desire first!  As He prayed in John 17:  24“Father, I desire those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25″Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

The deep deep desire of the Son of God is that we would be with Him, right where He is, and that He could share the depths of His heart — even share His glory with us. US!  You and me!  This is THE thing that He asked His Father for!

[stunned pause]

So, what is He doing?  Where do we find Him?  And, where does He desire for us to be?

Where He is:

Ephesians 1:21 . .seated .  above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

What He’s doing:

Hebrews 7:25 . .  He always lives to intercede.

Forever and forever, the place where Jesus has chosen to be is on His Throne, PRAYING!  And, it is our grand and royal privilege is to join Him there. 

To be with the King, ruling with Him, in the Throne room = Prayer. Wow.

This is why I love prayer.

 

August 14, 2009

This is [part of] My Story

Posted by Jessie under knowing God
Leave a Comment 
Why I love Prayer
 
This week I’d like to start a series that’s a bit more personal in nature, at least in contrast to my usual “weekly word” posts.  I still think you’ll find it useful, hopefully even inspiring (which is why I’m sharing it).  I want to talk about something that has been a part of my life for a long time, something that is ever continuing to grow . . .  Prayer. 
 
I would like to call it, “Why I Love Prayer”.  It could just as easily be entitled, “Why I’m committed to Prayer” or “Why I believe Prayer is Essential” . . . But, mostly it’s about my Love for this thing called “prayer” in all of it’s various forms: devotional prayer, listening prayer, but perhaps the main focus being Intercession (there are others, too).  I probably won’t spend much time defining the different “kinds”, but just the concept of prayer in general, and in that vein, why I enjoy giving vast amounts of my time and energy to it. 
 
First, let’s answer the most basic of questions:  What is prayer?  Some would say it is “talking to God”, or even better “talking with God”, etc.  More specifically, I would contend that actually prayer is the way we work out relationship with God and walk out friendship with Him.  In light of that, is it possible to be a true Christ-follower without a life of prayer? 
 
Don’t get me wrong, I think that most of us who call ourselves Christians believe in the idea of prayer.  We have some understanding of what it is and why it’s important.  But, when it comes to how we live our lives, day in and day out — eating, sleeping, driving, taking care of kids, business, appointments, paying the bills, and a little recreation here and there – where does prayer really happen? 
 
But, I digress.  Let me share where my journey began. 
 
Jesus came into my life when I was about 8 years old.  He really did come in, with peace and His Presence, which I have never doubted since.  I suppose I might not have been your “average” eight-year-old.  Once I met Jesus, I believed everything I heard about Him and everything I read in the Bible.  I believed and received.  I guess that’s what they call “faith like a child”.  I worshipped with the hymns (that’s all they knew at the church my grandma took me to) and cried many tears as I poured out my heart to Him and felt His Presence, even at that tender age.
 
One Sunday, the pastor was preaching about prayer.  Some Sundays, I just fell asleep on my grandma’s shoulder.  Other times, the Word would really touch my young heart.  This was one of those.  The gist of his message, which I have never forgotten, was “God blesses those who take time to pray”.  Seems simple, but, in my heart I said, “Yes!  I want to live a life that God blesses!”  That day, I made a committed to give God time in prayer every day.  I didn’t know how or what to pray, but every day I did.  And , I loved it!  Little did I know, that I was stepping into my destiny just by saying yes in the simplest way to the Holy Spirit. 
 
Life changed many times over in the years that followed.  We moved away from my grandma (the one who took me to church, no one else in my family was a believer at that time), I came crashing into puberty, and had no one to lead me in God.  But, I talked to Him every day.  A few years later, we ended up in church again, the church split, I graduated high school, struggled with major depression and sin, found some victory, and entered the University.  And, I still prayed every day.
 
I dove into campus ministry and was recruited to lead prayer meetings (nobody liked leading the  prayer meetings, and only a few came).  I LOVED leading prayer!  Every time we met, I knew God was there.  I was hooked.  One day, in my personal prayer time, the Holy Spirit highlighted to me the Scripture in Isaiah 26:8-9:
8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
       we wait for you;
       your name and renown
       are the desire of our hearts.
 9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
       in the morning my spirit longs for you.
       When your judgments come upon the earth,
       the people of the world learn righteousness.
And, I specifically heard the Lord say to my heart, “I’m calling you to be a watchman, one who stands and prays, one who intercedes and sees what is coming, and waits upon Me.”
 
Isaiah 62:6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
       they will never be silent day or night.
       You who call on the LORD,
       give yourselves no rest,
 
 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
       and makes her the praise of the earth.
 
I knew at that time that this was a lifetime “call” to stand with the Lord in prayer.  It may not be the only thing I do (I feel called to other things as well), but it will be an essential part of my life, forever.  Again, I said yes.  Again, not knowing what it really meant. 
 
Ten years later . .  Marriage, ministry, first child . . and here I am, still learning to pray.  But, I’m enjoying the journey, and have been learning a lot over the years.  And, I just want to tell you why I like it.  So, look forward to “Part 1” next week.  I’m gonna go pray.  Seriously. :)
-Jessie
 
 

August 4, 2009

Let Your Kingdom Come

Posted by Jessie under knowing God
1 Comment 

  

Luke 11
  1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”  2He said to them, “When you pray, say:
   ” ‘Our Father,
   hallowed be your name,
   your kingdom come.
 3 Give us each day our daily bread.
 4 Forgive us our sins,
      for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.  And lead us not into temptation.

 
this same prayer is completed in Matthew 6 with this:
 but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Interesting to note: my last “word” was on one of Jesus last prayers, and this one regards one of the first prayers he used as to teach.  However, I was actually inspired to this from the sermon last Sunday on the Kingdom of God — not us going to Heaven, but Heaven coming to Earth (!).  It is startling to begin thinking of God literally making His dwelling ON Earth, WITH mankind.  But, this was the way it was always meant to be. 

 
But, have you considered that we get to partner with God as He brings His Kingdom??  How?  Through prayer, also known as “intercession”!  More specific, through corporate intercession.  If you look at this passage, it really is quite clear. 
 
In the Luke 11 passage, Jesus has just finished praying.  It’s not completely defined, but it seems that His disciples were with Him, and perhaps He was leading them in a time of prayer.  But, one of them, probably being struck with the power and authority in Jesus’ manner of prayer, asks Him to teach them how to do “that”.  Jesus responds by giving them an outline model of how to pray.  If you take time to dissect the different parts, it’s really a great study (perhaps for another post?).
 
Now, we should consider here that Jesus is the “Great Intercessor”.  He is the One who has and always will “live to intercede” for us:
 
Hebrews 7:24-26
but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.  Such a high priest meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
 
Intercession is the way that Jesus runs His Kingdom (also seen in Revelation 4-5).  And this kingdom, His government, is ever expanding and increasing (Isaiah 9).  As He was praying this day, He was ruling His government, from Earth, through prayer.  His disciple was looking for an invitation into this glorious governmental expression. 
 
Jesus was more than happy to oblige.  He shows them how to approach God, what the primary focus of this prayer is, and the way it’s meant to happen:
1.  Worship the Father  (“our Father.. hallowed be Your name”)
2.  Focus on the Kingdom  (“Your Kingdom come . . “)
3.  Don’t just pray alone, in fact, the way to do it is TOGETHER, i.e. corporate prayer. 
 
I hear you saying, “Ok, I get the worship part and the kingdom part, but where do you see corporate prayer?”  Well, it’s almost so obvious that it’s easy to miss.  It’s through the whole prayer!
 
Our Father
Give us . . .
Forgive us . . .
Lead us . . .
Deliver us . . .
 
All of the words in the prayer are plural pronouns, as if you’re praying this WITH others.  It’s a little odd to be praying for “us” when you’re alone, isn’t it?  Think about it.
 
I added in the Matthew 6 version of the passage because it goes even further to illustrate that us doing this TOGETHER and in right relationship with others is essential to prayer working right (if you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven).   
 
This does not replace the power and necessity of personal prayer/devotion.  Remember Jesus also instructed, “when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and the Father who sees what is done in secret…” (Matthew 6:6).  Prayer is not just a show to do the “religious” thing.  If the only place you ever prayed was in front of others, you might find yourself in the camp of the “hypocrites” of which He is speaking . .
 
But, what I’m highlighting here is what I see as the very misunderstood power and necessity of corporate intercession.  Am I simply trying to get more people to show up to our weekly prayer meeting.  No, but if you understand what is being said, you might just WANT to show up there…. and anywhere else where people are praying!! 
 
It’s our grand privilege and honor to join with Jesus in the ministry of intercession!!  Why wouldn’t you want to?
-Jessie