Tag Archives: pray

April 29, 2013 · 12:44 PM

Spiritual Poverty

On day three, we went to a remote area outside of Gonaives. After traveling down a dirt road for a while we finally arrived at Myan. We hiked a small hill that allowed us to see the entire area. One of the first things that hits you is the stark contrast between the beauty of the land and the extreme poverty that almost overpowers it. As we began to pray over the orphanage being built at Myan, several locals hiked up to meet us.

After praying we went down, got a quick tour of the orphanage being built and then started helping out where needed. They were pouring the footings and part of the foundation on the third building. I saw a guy carrying two 5 gallon buckets full of water. I took one from him and hauled water the rest of the day. Some of the other men moved mounds of dirt and others moved rocks.

As all of that was going on, the rest of the group disappeared into the cactuses that surround the property. A couple of hours later, I went to check on them. There were more than 30 kids from the community around them singing songs and hearing the Gospel preached. Different members from our group would get up and share from their heart about God’s love for the kids. One of our drivers, Kinson, helped with the translating.

The workers at the site wrapped up around 2 since it was a holiday. With nothing more to do there, we went to the other orphanage in Gonaives to love on the kids. We also worked on a plan for the next day to get a lot of the maintenance that needed to be done. We got a list of what supplies we needed and went back to playing with the kids and the locals. After wrapping things up, we headed back to the guest house for dinner and devotions.

God came down and met us that night like only I’ve experienced a few times in my life. We had a powerful time there on that balcony that attracted a crowd of people who wanted to see what was going on. Each of us called out to God on behalf of Haiti that night. We warred for the lives of those orphans and for the people of that country. When people live in poverty they often think that God has forgotten them. We want them to know that God loves them and has not forgotten them.

I’ve learned that even in a land of plenty, there is spiritual poverty. There are people all around us every day that are suffering from spiritual malnutrition. That malnutrition leads to the belief that God has forgotten them too. It’s our responsibility as Christians to show them God’s love. We need to be the channels that spiritual change comes through to those who cross our paths every day. Just as we met the physical needs of the children in Haiti, we need to meet the spiritual needs of those around us.

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April 11, 2013 · 8:47 AM

Pray Like Rain

Last night I got to hear Doug Stringer from “Somebody Cares International” preach. One of the things he said really stood out to me. He said, “Prayer is the rain in our lives.” It’s what waters the seeds we’ve planted. It’s what makes things grow. I loved this analogy because so many of us plant seeds in our lives or into the lives of others and wonder why they don’t grow.

To me, he answered the question. We don’t water them enough with prayer. Planting a seed is not enough. If it is not watered by you or someone else, how can it grow? I Corinthians 3:7 says, “It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” It’s our prayers that water it and move God to grow it.

In my personal life, I’m not a big fan of rain. When I wake up in the morning and hear rain, I know immediately that 30 minutes just got added to my commute. Rain creates traffic. It also creates the beautiful flowers we see each Spring. We have a saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” We endure the rainy season to enjoy the beauty of Spring. So it is in the spiritual realm.

The rain from our prayers create traffic. I don’t mind spiritual traffic though. Traffic is a sign that things are moving. Things are happening. That kind of thing gets me excited. Spiritual rain also causes the seeds in our lives to grow and produce fragrant flowers in our lives or in the lives of others. The difference is we create the rainy season. If we aren’t experiencing many flowers or growth, chances are we haven’t been creating rain through prayer.

Things don’t just happen because we were faithful to plant seeds. We must pray through that season to make things grow. We read in Daniel 10 where Daniel needed an answer from God. When things didn’t happen, he didn’t quit praying. Instead, he prayed more. He prayed for 3 weeks for this one answer. Finally an angel showed up in verse 12 and said, “Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in Heaven. I have come to answer your prayer.”

Just like if you were planting a garden, you can’t plant the seeds and water it once. You have to keep watering them daily, even when you see the sprouts come up. You keep watering until you receive the harvest. If you stop any time before then, you run the risk of no harvest or a small harvest. Seeing growth should encourage us to pray even more, but for some reason it has the opposite effect. We see growth and think we can stop praying, but we can’t.

Today, I want to encourage you to keep praying even if you haven’t seen growth yet. Who knows what battles in the spiritual realm that God is fighting just to get that seed to sprout. Just because it hasn’t broken the surface yet doesn’t mean it isn’t growing or God isn’t moving. Keep watering it with prayer. And when you start to see the results of your prayer, keep watering until you get your harvest. Then, start the cycle again. May you never leave a rainy season in your life and always see your seeds grow!

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April 9, 2013 · 8:03 AM

Purposeful Prayers

When you read the Gospels, it’s clear that Jesus was a man of prayer. He often went away from the group to pray. I’m sure He prayed a lot with His disciples and in front of them. It was one such occasion a disciple asked Him to teach them to pray like Him. I’m sure they could tell there was a difference in His prayers compared to theirs. There was power and authority in His prayers.

They wanted that and so should we. After the question was asked, I’m sure all the disciples and everyone sat up and started to really pay attention. Now I’m not going to go into the Lord’s Prayer and break it down here, but I’m going to talk about the importance of not only praying, but praying with a purpose. I think we as Christians miss out on this and our prayers lack power because of it.

When I send an email to my boss or any other person with a title higher than mine, I sit down and think through what I want to say and how I want to say it. I think about what questions they might have that will need to be answered and how they might take the wording. I also try to keep the email as succinct as possible so they can get the info they need and then move on.

Why don’t we take such great care when we are crafting a prayer to the God of Creation? Why do we think it’s ok to just throw something together and hope He hears it and responds to it? I’m not saying that those prayers shouldn’t exist or we shouldn’t pray them, but when it comes to prayers of authority and meaning, we need to think through what we’re saying. The example He gave us was succinct, meaningful and to the point. He didn’t fill it up with the word “God” or “Lord” every other word. He thought through the prayers and prayed with purpose.

I grew up where the faster and louder the prayer was the more others and hopefully God would get excited about it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with those prayers either. What I’m talking about is your every day communion with God. Where you spend time with Him and talk with Him. Slow down. Listen to what you are about to say to Him. Think through how you want to say it and then speak it to Him. It doesn’t have to be super fast. He’s got time.

There are lots of ways to pray and I’m not saying any of them are wrong. God is happy when we speak to Him. But if you’re like the disciple who asked Jesus to teach him to pray knowing that there’s another level, I encourage you to start practicing slowing down your prayers and being more contemplative with them. If we take time to think through what and how we should say something to others, we should do the same for God. Purposeful prayers are powerful.

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February 20, 2013 · 8:19 AM

God’s Golden Scepter

I love the story of Esther. There are so many old things in that book that I could go on and on for days. If you aren’t familiar with her story, the king had a beautiful wife and wanted to show her off after partying for seven days. When she refused to be shown off, he killed her. He then held a beauty pageant to find a new queen. Enter Esther. She was an orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai. The king loved her more than the others and made her queen.

After some time the king promoted a man named Haman. He was prideful and arrogant. He wanted people to bow to him as he paraded through the streets. Everyone did except Mordecai. Haman was upset, talked to the king and got him to agree to kill all of Mordecai’s race. Mordecai sent word to Esther to see if she could go to the king for help since she was the queen. Esther’s response is what I want to discuss today. She said, “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless he holds out his golden scepter.”

The God we serve is the King of Kings. He is above all others who are here on this earth. He does not behave like earthly kings though. We don’t have to be afraid to go into His inner court. We do not have to worry about Him killing us if we go before Him without an invitation. In fact, He encourages it. There is nothing that God wants more than for you to pray and go before His throne.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (NLT).” We don’t have to be afraid to enter the throne room of the King of Kings. The scripture says we’ll find both grace and mercy when we do! Esther didn’t think she would receive either when she went before the king. In fact, later on in her conversation, she knew she had to go in there to do something. She said, “Although it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”

When is the last time you went to God that determined with your needs? When is the last time you were willing to risk everything by going to God and entering into His presence to the point that you were willing to die? I think if our prayers had that kind of guts, that kind of determination and that kind of boldness we’d see a lot more answered. Instead our prayers are weak, timid and frail. I’m putting myself in the mix with you. I’m guilty of offering timid prayers.

God honors bold prayers. He honors us if we are willing to go beyond the outer courts of His presence and enter into the inner courts. Hebrews 4:16 ends with “we will find grace when we need it most.” When we need something most, we don’t let barricades stand in our way. We don’t let what others will think of us sway us. We don’t let tradition stop us. We go to God in desperate need with boldness to present our needs. When we do that, He will raise His golden scepter and we will receive mercy.

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February 19, 2013 · 8:43 AM

Front Row Seats

Our church class was watching the video from the group study version of “Greater” by Steven Furtick when he said something that has had me thinking for a while now. He referenced Luke 5 where Jesus called Simon (Peter) to follow him. Jesus was walking on the shore of Galilee and the crowds were pressing in to hear Him speak. He looked over, saw a couple of boats and asked to borrow one. Peter rowed a little from land and Jesus spoke to the crowd.

Here’s what Steven asked that got me: “Why did Jesus ask for the boat? He didn’t need it. He later proved He could walk on water. He was looking for obedience.” I hope that sinks in for you like it has for me. Jesus performed many miracles in His ministry. He could have easily walked on water this day as He did later. Instead He chose to ask Peter for his boat.

Isn’t that like God? He doesn’t need our help or resources, but He chooses to give us opportunities to obey and to collaborate with Him. He doesn’t need what you and I have. After all, it’s His anyway. He simply is wanting to know if we recognize that and are willing to give back to Him what He’s given to us. Obedience is more important to Him than anything. The level of obedience we give Him is the level of greatness we can attain through Him.

Many of us wait for a sign or confirmation before we’re obedient. We often think we have to be doing amazing things for God before He uses us or asks something of us. In Luke 5, Peter had just finished fishing. He had emptied his boat and was cleaning his nets. That’s every day mundane stuff he was doing when Jesus approached him. He wasn’t looking for Jesus to come interrupt his day. He wasn’t praying and asking God to give Him something to do. He was cleaning his nets.

To you and me, that’s like sending emails, filing paperwork, submitting reports and things like that. God can enter your workspace, your everyday life, and ask you to be obedient. Letting Jesus use the boat was no big deal. He rowed out a little ways and dropped anchor. Because of his obedience though, he got a front row seat to a sermon from Jesus. He got to see the faces of the people Jesus was ministering to and healing. He got a glimpse of what life would be like if he obeyed what Jesus asked him to do next: come follow me.

You may not be looking for Jesus at work or in your every day life today. You may be doing your regular schedule of things to do on a day like today. If God comes in and asks for something from you, no matter how small, do it. He doesn’t need what you have to accomplish what He wants. He’s simply giving you the opportunity to partner with Him through obedience. Who knows what you’ll have a front row to. I bet it will be amazing!

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February 18, 2013 · 7:04 AM

Stop. Breathe. Pray.

I, like you, have a pretty busy day and week ahead of me. From the moment I woke up I started thinking of all the things I need to do to accomplish everything today. My mind races to find solutions to scheduling conflicts, deadlines and how to be in two places at once. I’ve got a to-do list a mile long and a very short time to accomplish it. I’ve got a presentation today to give at 9, but I’ve got several hours of work that need to be done before I start it. With all of that happening, do I have time for God?

It’s tough not to put God on a back burner on a day like today. He’s the easiest one to “reschedule”, but He’s the last one I need to reschedule. “He’ll understand”, I reason in my mind. “I’ll read my Bible and pray later”, I tell myself. The truth is that I won’t have the time later either. If I don’t make Him a priority right now, I won’t make Him one later. If I don’t slow down now and take time to reflect on Him and His Word, I won’t do it.

God told David, “Be still and know that I am God.” David was a king and I’m sure he had a lot on his plate too. He would cry out to God in times of need and celebration. He would throw those 911 prayers up to Heaven like you and I often do. “God, I have a lot to do today. Help me to get it all done”, is what we pray. God wants more than that. He wants us to stop, take a moment and spend some time with Him.

The subject of “The Passion of the Christ” movie came up in our class yesterday. Those vivid images portrayed in the movie of what Jesus did on the cross came back to my mind. Then I thought, “Think of what Christ went through and what He did for us. What does He ask of us in return? It’s not as much as what He did.” He took time out of His eternity to come into our temporary. He went to the cross to suffer and die so that I could spend time with Him. Until the cross, we were separated. We couldn’t have the personal time that we now enjoy.

He paid a huge price. The least I can do is sacrifice a few minutes with Him in a jam packed day. To be still and know that He is God. To rest in His presence and to concentrate on Him. To reflect on the sacrifice He made for me. The other things on my schedule can wait. My phone has already begun to make noises reminding me of appointments. My email is coming through asking for answers. Silencing it is more important right now to me so that I can know Him more.

In the world we live in, it’s easy to mix up the temporary with the eternal. It’s easy to reverse their importance. Today, stop. Breathe. Meditate on His Word. Thank Him. Rest in His arms before you do anything else. Give Him more than a 911 prayer and truly thank Him for another day of life. Thank Him that you have things on your schedule. Know that He is God and really that’s what matters more than anything else I’ll accomplish today.

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January 23, 2013 · 7:42 AM

Praying Isn’t Complicated

I wonder if we try to complicate prayer sometimes. We think that God speaks King James English and try to pray that way to Him. We try to use big words we barely understand hoping to impress Him. We make a list of what we’re going to pray for as if He doesn’t know our needs. We make sure we are serious and have a somber attitude because somehow we aren’t respecting Him if we’re not. We practice the structure to make sure it includes certain things as if the right structure will move Him to act and make my prayer more powerful.

The truth is that prayer is simply a conversation. God isn’t concerned with the format or syntax of your prayer. He’s concerned about the heart that it is coming from. The most powerful prayers are the most well thought out ones. They are born out of a heart in need of communicating to God. They are given in desperation. They are the most honest ones. God desires to have a real conversation with you. One that is born out of your need and desire to hear from Him.

I grew up believing the loudest, fastest prayer is the one that’s heard. I’ve read books that say slow contemplative prayers are the ones that work. What really works is when you pour your heart out to Him and tell Him what’s on your mind. He’s not scared of the doubts you have or the thoughts you think. He knows them already and He still loves you and desires to meet with you daily.

I think even daily is too far a part between prayers honestly. I Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to never stop praying. How can we do that? Simple. Prayer is simply communication with God. We just don’t stop communicating with Him throughout our day. Just like you would call, email, text or Facebook someone throughout your day as you thought about them, you would send little prayers to God throughout the day as you needed.

Don’t get me wrong. There are still times you need to have longer than a text conversations with God just like you would have longer conversations with a friend. A relationship is built on time and communication. God desires both from you. He wants to spend time with you, hear what you have to say and also say things to you. Most of us rarely stop to listen to what He has to say to us. It could be that we’re scared of what He’d tell us or ask us. It could be that doubt of thinking it’s your own mind talking that keeps you from listening. Whatever it is, be honest with Him about it.

In John 10:27, Jesus said, “The sheep that are my own hear and are listening to my voice (AMP).” There are two verbs in that verse that are important. We need to hear His voice and be listening for it. Don’t be afraid to stop and listen to what God is saying to you today. Write it down if you want. Put it in a journal. Measure it against the Bible. God will never contradict Himself or what He said in the Bible. That’s one way you can know if it’s God.

Today, I want you to have an honest conversation with God. Tell Him your fears, hopes and dreams. Ask Him the questions you’ve been afraid of asking in the past. Speak to Him like you would a friend. Don’t complicate it. Be real. After that, stop and listen. Hear what He has to say to you. It could be a little or a lot depending on how long it’s been since you’ve given Him the opportunity to speak. Let me know how it goes.

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January 1, 2013 · 8:06 AM

A New Year’s Prayer

Heavenly Father,

I want to thank you for the new year. With the new year comes new beginnings, new opportunities and new goals. Help me to keep You in all three. I know that there is nothing I can do to change the past. I can learn from it and move forward. 2012 is now history. Another chapter in the story of the world has closed. It may not have been the greatest year, but You were there with me even when I couldn’t feel You.

I want to say “thank you” that you have never left me nor abandoned me. You have kept true to your promise. Your faithfulness is unfathomable to me. No matter what mistakes I’ve made or am going to make, You have and will remain by my side even though I don’t deserve it. I rest in the fact that nothing has or will come my way that You don’t know about and I believe You will give me the strength to endure.

For the new beginnings that will occur this year, I ask that You help me to embrace that change. I realize that while I’m not a fan of change, You use it to continuously mold me and to shape me into being who You want me to be. May I recognize these new beginnings new ways to bring You glory. Help me to embrace the change that comes and to focus on pleasing You.

For the new opportunities that will arise this year, I ask that You will give me wisdom to discern which opportunities provide the best investment of my time and resources. Help me to choose the opportunities that will help me to grow Your kingdom and further Your cause. On the opportunities that You ask me to pass by, I pray that You help me to let go so that You can bless my life at the right time with the right opportunities.

For the new goals that have been and will be set for this year, I ask for endurance and guidance. Some goals will be met quickly while others are more long term. Help me to run the race You have called me to run. Help me to keep my eyes on the prize without looking back or getting off track. I will need Your strength in me to accomplish all that You have for me to do. When my strength runs out, remind me that it is not by might nor by power, but by Your Spirit that I can do all things.

Guide me in this new year. Help me to hear Your voice daily and to obey. Help me to see Your handiwork in my life and to embrace it. Help me to be Your hands and feet so that I may show Your love to others with all my strength. Help me to speak Your words to others. Words that will bring life and not death. Words that will build up and not tear down. May I honor You in all I do this year.

In Jesus name I pray,
Amen.

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August 22, 2012 · 7:40 AM

Looking for Zacchaeus

I love the story of Zacchaeus. Here was a man who wasn’t as tall as everyone else. He wanted to get a glimpse of this Jesus that everyone was talking about. He couldn’t see over anyone and the crowd around Jesus was huge. He decided to run down the road where Jesus was heading and to climb up a tree so he could see over everyone. When Jesus got there, he looked up, called him by name and told him He wanted to go to his house. The people around Jesus grumbled that Jesus had gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner.

There are a lot of great things in this story that too often we read for our children, but rarely do we look into what’s actually happening. First, you have a notorious sinner trying to just get a glimpse of Jesus. He was desperately trying to see Him. How many of our friends, who are notoriously sinners, can see Jesus in our lives? Have we given them a reason to look? Zacchaeus was determined just to see Jesus and went out of his way to get in His way.

When Jesus got to where Zacchaeus was, he noticed him and called him by name. Each one of us who are Christians were called by name at some point in our lives and salvation was extended to us. We may or may not have been as notorious in our sin as Zacchaeus was, but that doesn’t matter to Him. What matters to Him is if you are willing to accept His invitation to be your guest today.

When Jesus entered the home of Zacchaeus as his guest, He changed who Zacchaeus was. Jesus didn’t demand that he change, Zacchaeus realized that he needed to change. He offered to give away half of what he had and to repay those he stole from. Jesus’ response was that salvation had come to that house. It wasn’t because he decided to give away his belongings, but because he accepted the invitation to let Jesus in. Jesus doesn’t care how bad of a sinner we are, He only cares that we invite Him in when He asks.

While Jesus was inside with Zacchaeus, the people who had been following Jesus all the while began to get upset. “Can you believe He went into the home of that sinner,” they asked each other. I find it difficult to find more than one or two instances when Jesus went to the home of someone who wasn’t a notorious sinner. Even in those times, it was interrupted by a notorious sinner that Jesus had compassion on. Jesus came for the sinner. It doesn’t matter how bad a person is or how good a person is without Him. He wants to come into your life and make it better.

Jesus didn’t care what others thought about going into the homes or hanging out with sinners. What He cared about was their soul. We are not so different than those who grumbled. When we see people trying to reach the lost differently than we would or having church somewhere without a steeple, we claim they must not be true believers. The truth is that we as the body need to reflect Christ in all we do so that when the world is looking for Jesus they can find Him, even if it means hanging out with notorious sinners. That’s what Jesus did to reach them.

Here is a prayer you can pray written by Michael Moak
Jesus, today I’m reminded of all the brokenness in our world and the broken people that continue to struggle to find true meaning and purpose in life.
However, I also realize that through Your mercy I have found complete healing and freedom from the brokenness of my our sin. So, why do I struggle so hard with giving away that which you so freely gave me?
I don’t want to be selfish or stingy with your love, grace, and mercy. Actually I want to have the spiritual courage to share my testimony with the dirtiest and most hard core sinners. So, today Lord help me to pause before judging my neighbor to consider their need for spiritual healing and hope. Bring me face to face with someone who is truly broken, no matter how uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone it could take and make me. I want to represent you to the Zacchaeus’ of this world who just need someone to recognize their broken and battered heart inside a shell of false self-confidence and pride. I ask you to give me divine opportunities today to share YOU with this broken world. Amen.

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July 30, 2012 · 7:43 AM

Reignite, Renew and Rekindle

There have been times in my life where I’ve felt so close to God and other times when I felt so far away that I didn’t think he could hear my prayers. In my relationship with Him, as in relationships with others, I’ve had to maintain it. There are ups and downs, there have been times when I’ve been upset and angry, there have been times when I’ve been so excited that I wanted to shout from the rooftops.

How about you? Have you experienced that? Have you had to work on your relationship with Him? We all get complacent at times in our relationships whether it is with God or someone else. We have those times when we set it to cruise control and just go with the flow. It’s in those times that our relationship with Him wanes. We get out of touch with God and start to lose our way.

Here are three things I’ve found to reignite that passion in your relationship.

1. Reconnect through communication

The best relationships fail when communication ceases. We’ve all been there where we either don’t know what to say or have just gone so long without saying anything. The good news is that God doesn’t hold a grudge when life gets so busy that we forget to stop and talk with Him. He’s there waiting for you to starts talking.

Talking with God requires time and effort. I remember when I was a kid and would talk on the phone with someone. If I was too nervous about what to say, I’d write a list of topics we could talk about. Talking with God can be that way too. When it has been a while, it’s ok to make a list of what you want to talk about. There are no do’s and don’ts to prayer. It’s just talking to Him however you want.

2. Spend quality time

Quality time is more than just a few minutes a day. It’s about making time for Him and giving up other things you could have done to spend with Him. God wants to make sure your time with Him is well spent. He wants us to come and to spend time with Him daily. He not only wants to hear what you have to say, but He wants you to hear what he has to say.

Quality time is about giving God the ability to speak to you. Many times we go to spend time with Him in prayer or meditation and we don’t even let Him speak. God desires to spend time with you wherever you go. He wants to use situations and things throughout our day to speak to us. There are no relationships that last where you don’t spend time together.

3. Do things for Him

One of the easiest ways to build or reinvigorate a relationship is to do things for them. When you love God, you do things for Him. Look for ways to bless others. It could be paying for someone behind you in the drive through. It could be volunteering at church, a homeless shelter, a food bank or just helping out a neighbor in need. Jesus said when you do something for the least, you do it for Me.

We are not saved by our works, but our works show our faith to others. The Bible says that faith without works is dead. We can show our love for God by doing things for others. We shouldn’t do it to get anything out of it or to be seen by others. When we do it to be seen, we have our reward. When we do it for God, we will be blessed by God.

From my own experiences I can tell you that by doing these three things, you will reignite your passion for God, you will renew your commitment to the Kingdom and rekindle your relationship. If your relationship with God is stagnant right now, I challenge you to try these things and see if it doesn’t make a difference. No matter where we are in our relationship, we all have room for growth.

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