Category Archives: prayer

A Very Personal Blessing

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Bad news about the global financial system is pouring out of our news media as if from a fire hose.  For anyone out there who has been tempted to trust in Mammon, I offer my condolences.  This is no doubt a very tragic and stressful time for you.

I would also offer the encouragement that trusting in Jesus and Him alone is not so bad.  It can even be kind of fun once we have the right perspective.  For example, take this experience from a week or so ago. 

The Lord had been speaking to my heart through recent Bible studies about giving.  After talking and praying it through with Ginger, when I recently received my paycheck, we decided to give most all of it back to the church.  It seemed like the right thing to do.  How surprising it was to then receive a check in the mail for $1000 a few days later from some out-of-state friends. 

Now let’s be clear, our donating large sums of money to our church is not very common.  Even more unusual is our receiving large unexpected cash gifts.  I wouldn’t have mentioned either except that I felt this was a story that needed to be shared.  It makes the reality of serving a Living God just that much more real to us right now.

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” – Philippians 4:19-20 (NKJV)

Help in the Battle

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Even the most enthusiastic reader of the Bible would probably agree that the genealogies are not very exciting.  Lists of names, mostly difficult, are hard to get through and even harder to learn anything from.  Still, here and there, we can find a little lesson.  This passage, from the early chapters of 1 Chronicles, that longest stretch of geneaological data, contains a simple, timeless truth.

The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war. They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.
                    – 1 Chronicles 5:18-20 (NKJV)

Daily we face the onslaughts of the world, the flesh and the devil.  We’re stupid to try to fight these battles on our own.  We’re way too weak and we ought to know it.  So what hope do we have for victory?  The same hope these ancient tribes of Israel possessed.  We can cry out to God in the battle and put our trust in Him.

Praying about Prayer

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I’ve often considered that if Jesus never prayed, or didn’t pray much, I’d be OK with that.  He was, after all, God the Son.  If He interacted with the Father by means of some spiritual osmosis, which just happened without actual prayer taking place, who could really argue or challenge the concept? 

Still, pray He did, frequently and for long periods.  So much so that it made a real impression on His disciples.  It also impresses me.  And so, I want to join with the disciple mentioned in Luke 11:1, by asking Jesus about prayer.

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.'” – Luke 11:1 (NKJV)

I need to pray more and pray better – and I sense I’m not alone in this need.  What better way to start than by asking Jesus to teach us?  If we’re looking for something to pray about, let’s begin by praying about prayer.  It seems like just the kind of prayer that the Lord would love to answer.

“Father, Glorify Your Son.”

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The disciples really didn’t know what was coming.  After the crucifixion – and even shortly after the resurrection had already taken place – they still didn’t understand.  

But Jesus knew all along.  He saw into the glory of eternity.  He saw every failure and victory in the history of the church.  He saw you and me right now.  He saw the resurrection and He no doubt saw the cross.  And this is how he began His prayer – knowing that trials and suffering and death were the first things on His agenda:

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.'” – John 17:1-5 (NKJV)