Many Christians think of prayer as our list of requests, worries and admissions of guilt with requests for forgiveness, given to God in a one-sided stream of words and thoughts, and we hope we get it right. But that's only part of the Bible's teaching on prayer. In my reading, I've found more than a dozen different types of prayer, each appropriate for a specific time or use! Today I want to outline two of them for you. I am grateful for the detailed descriptions given in Adele Ahlberg Calhoun's excellent work, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us. (The link will take you to christianbook.com where you can purchase it if you like, but I don't get any commission or anything.)
But first, why pray? Jesus said "your heavenly Father already knows all your needs" in Mat. 6:34 shortly after teaching the disciples how to pray. So prayer is not informing God of our needs or worries or fears or pain. To paraphrase many different authors over the centuries, prayer is entering into an intimate conversation with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, where we may freely speak but where God also may freely speak to us. It includes becoming quiet before God so he can respond to all our temporary concerns with his eternal love.
Breath Prayer: perhaps the simplest form of prayer, certainly the shortest. A breath prayer might consist of breathing in while thinking of one of God's names such as "Lord of heaven's armies" or "Jesus, Son of David;" then breathing out and saying "Hear my prayer" or "You are my God forever" or another term of praise or a request. It's helpful to do the same prayer several times in a row as a way to slow down and focus, perhaps in preparing for another spiritual activity.
Conversational prayer: you may have experienced a prayer group, where people take turns praying, often about many topics at once. In conversational prayer, like in a discussion among friends, everyone takes turns, briefly, praying about a specific topic and listening to one another pray. It is like a discussion with God and one another, prompted by the Holy Spirit moving within each of us, until we feel prompted to move to a new topic. It's a type of prayer that takes sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice in ourselves and in one another.
These are only two forms of prayer that you may not have practiced. I suggest you give them a try, though, as they can enrich your prayer life and your appreciation for the Lord's intimate concern for you and others.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Lazarus, the Rich Man, the Older Brother...and Us?
You might want to read this post from my brother pastor / writer Jonathan Stepp:
http://trinityandhumanity.com/2012/02/16/lazarus-the-rich-man-and-the-prodigal-son/
What do you think? Tell him, and let me know too.
http://trinityandhumanity.com/2012/02/16/lazarus-the-rich-man-and-the-prodigal-son/
What do you think? Tell him, and let me know too.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
God's Love, Our Life
I've been writing about how God tells us he has already redeemed us through Christ, and we don't have to earn his love. So how we can more fully live in that amazing reality of God's love and acceptance? How can we deal better with everyday life, with its struggles, temptations and failures, learn to "imitate Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1) and show God's power and love to others? We will find that the answer to all these questions is the same: a more focused daily walk, using some common and very useable tools.
We were created "in the image of God" (Gen. 1:26) with the capacity for a relationship with God. But because of humanity's initial and ongoing rebellion against God, we have been wandering around in the dark and subject to death (Rom. 5:12-14). It took another "Adam" -- Jesus Christ -- to set things right, including restoring that broken image of God in us (1 Cor. 15:45). Because of Jesus, and only through Jesus, we have a new, clear and open relationship with God.
A few points to remember before we start to talk about specific tools:
First, these are 'tools' not 'rules.' These help us on our journey, they're not more and burdensome commands (sigh) to remember.
Second, these are not ways to convince God to reward us; they are part of "a process of involvement in God's gracious work" through the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, according to M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. in his well-written book, Invitation to a Journey.
Third, we don't change ourselves; we are changed by God in the process of walking with Jesus, caught up in his relationship of love with the Father. We are not in control, God is; so the best thing we can do is surrender to his plan for us "to become like his Son" (Rom. 8:29.
Fourth, these are ways to remove the veil that is over our eyes so we can see Jesus more fully. Paul writes in 2 Cor 3:16-18, "But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."
Fifth, it's a process, not something we do just once. Life with Jesus is a relationship, like two friends taking a long walk together, or a marriage.
Sixth, being conformed to Christ means new and renewed relationships with others. As we become more like him, we will be able to relate to others with his love and not our own brokenness. (Isn't that alone worth the whole journey??)
So as we look at these tools one by one, we will see why each one fits into God's plan to conform us to a whole new Person, Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13).
We were created "in the image of God" (Gen. 1:26) with the capacity for a relationship with God. But because of humanity's initial and ongoing rebellion against God, we have been wandering around in the dark and subject to death (Rom. 5:12-14). It took another "Adam" -- Jesus Christ -- to set things right, including restoring that broken image of God in us (1 Cor. 15:45). Because of Jesus, and only through Jesus, we have a new, clear and open relationship with God.
A few points to remember before we start to talk about specific tools:
First, these are 'tools' not 'rules.' These help us on our journey, they're not more and burdensome commands (sigh) to remember.
Second, these are not ways to convince God to reward us; they are part of "a process of involvement in God's gracious work" through the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, according to M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. in his well-written book, Invitation to a Journey.
Third, we don't change ourselves; we are changed by God in the process of walking with Jesus, caught up in his relationship of love with the Father. We are not in control, God is; so the best thing we can do is surrender to his plan for us "to become like his Son" (Rom. 8:29.
Fourth, these are ways to remove the veil that is over our eyes so we can see Jesus more fully. Paul writes in 2 Cor 3:16-18, "But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."
Fifth, it's a process, not something we do just once. Life with Jesus is a relationship, like two friends taking a long walk together, or a marriage.
Sixth, being conformed to Christ means new and renewed relationships with others. As we become more like him, we will be able to relate to others with his love and not our own brokenness. (Isn't that alone worth the whole journey??)
So as we look at these tools one by one, we will see why each one fits into God's plan to conform us to a whole new Person, Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13).
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Facing Jesus and Reality
Last week I wrote about spiritual reality: that we have already been given "every spiritual blessing in Christ," and that we can learn to live in those blessings every day, by perceiving and focusing on that reality. In this pattern of life, when God speaks to us, we actually hear his will for us and are ready to respond.
The Triune God said "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us" (Gen. 1:26), and we were created as relational people, so God could have a mutual relationship of love with us. We are, at the core, spiritual beings (1 Thess. 5:23) so having a spiritual connection with God should be a natural part of life. The Holy Spirit, who is our guide and helper (John 14:16-17) has come to help us perceive and live within that.
Some think that, if they "get more of the Holy Spirit" then they will achieve mastery over life, sort of like a Jedi in Star Wars. But that's emphasizing our self-will, when in fact, it is God who gives us both the idea of pleasing him and the strength to follow, Phil. 2:13. Our life with God is a matter of becoming quiet before God and surrendering our will to his; placing ourselves before God, deliberately, day by day, through practical, useable tools of spiritual development.
The Triune God said "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us" (Gen. 1:26), and we were created as relational people, so God could have a mutual relationship of love with us. We are, at the core, spiritual beings (1 Thess. 5:23) so having a spiritual connection with God should be a natural part of life. The Holy Spirit, who is our guide and helper (John 14:16-17) has come to help us perceive and live within that.
Some think that, if they "get more of the Holy Spirit" then they will achieve mastery over life, sort of like a Jedi in Star Wars. But that's emphasizing our self-will, when in fact, it is God who gives us both the idea of pleasing him and the strength to follow, Phil. 2:13. Our life with God is a matter of becoming quiet before God and surrendering our will to his; placing ourselves before God, deliberately, day by day, through practical, useable tools of spiritual development.
These tools are not mysterious matters that can only be practiced by monks in a cave somewhere in France. They are exercises any of us can do, nearly anytime or anywhere, to experience a deeper Christian life: "And this is the secret: Christ lives in you" (Col. 1:27). Human life gets chaotic and broken because we neglect this spiritual journey we are on with Jesus. Wholeness, the repair of our thinking and our emotions, can only take place as we surrender our self-will in the only truly safe place there is: the arms and heart of the Father, as we are brought there, in Jesus, through the Holy Spirit's guidance.
We're going to continue exploring, slowly and one little piece at a time, what that spiritual journey is like. This is not something any of us achieves in a short time, dear reader, so as we journey together with Jesus, let's allow him to lead us one step at a a time, being patient with the process and with ourselves. I believe we will both find spiritual riches as we go.
We're going to continue exploring, slowly and one little piece at a time, what that spiritual journey is like. This is not something any of us achieves in a short time, dear reader, so as we journey together with Jesus, let's allow him to lead us one step at a a time, being patient with the process and with ourselves. I believe we will both find spiritual riches as we go.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Already There
"Are we there yet?" "When will we get there?" Every parent has heard these questions. Guess what -- God hears this kind of question from his children all the time! I used to be told that I was waiting for something called "the Kingdom of God" and until that "came" I just had to wait for anything really good to happen. I hear people say "Oh, I just can't wait to get to heaven" and they seem to be simply gritting their teeth and enduring physical life so they can be blessed by God after they die.
Here's the truth: in many ways we've already arrived! When the Son of God took on human flesh (John 1:14) and made his home among us, the universe changed. Instead of being distant from God, as we have perceived ourselves since the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-11) the entire human race, indeed the whole of creation, was joined to God as the Son of God entered the physical world. The whole universe is now contained in Christ and is sustained by him -- and if it weren't, it would cease to exist! (Col. 1:17, Heb. 1:3 etc). Because of the self-sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, and because he was raised from the dead and because he returned, in his human body, to the Father, people are no longer cut off from God, but all of us are brought to God through Jesus: "through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross" (Col. 1:20). And Jesus says "I am with you always" in Mat. 28:20 -- not "will be with you" if we pray hard enough, but is with us now.
In Eph. 1:3, Paul says we have been given "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms." Note the past tense -- we have been given those gifts already. But what if we don't perceive the blessings God has already given us? If we live as if those blessings don't exist, how much are we missing out on? Yet, sadly, that's how a lot of Christians live -- sadly, as if they are poverty-stricken children of the Most High -- a contradiction in itself! (No, we're not talking about health-and-wealth, as though Christians are never supposed to have any wants in this life. Instead, we learn how to take all our wants to Jesus.) The difference is, we have been given spiritual blessings, and they are spiritually perceived -- not physically, although they do impact our physical lives as a result.
Paying attention spiritually is the key, then. Since you are a disciple of Jesus, then it's important to focus on that reality. How do we do that? We'll talk about that next time. Here's a hint: it's something 'spiritual.'
Here's the truth: in many ways we've already arrived! When the Son of God took on human flesh (John 1:14) and made his home among us, the universe changed. Instead of being distant from God, as we have perceived ourselves since the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-11) the entire human race, indeed the whole of creation, was joined to God as the Son of God entered the physical world. The whole universe is now contained in Christ and is sustained by him -- and if it weren't, it would cease to exist! (Col. 1:17, Heb. 1:3 etc). Because of the self-sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, and because he was raised from the dead and because he returned, in his human body, to the Father, people are no longer cut off from God, but all of us are brought to God through Jesus: "through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross" (Col. 1:20). And Jesus says "I am with you always" in Mat. 28:20 -- not "will be with you" if we pray hard enough, but is with us now.
In Eph. 1:3, Paul says we have been given "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms." Note the past tense -- we have been given those gifts already. But what if we don't perceive the blessings God has already given us? If we live as if those blessings don't exist, how much are we missing out on? Yet, sadly, that's how a lot of Christians live -- sadly, as if they are poverty-stricken children of the Most High -- a contradiction in itself! (No, we're not talking about health-and-wealth, as though Christians are never supposed to have any wants in this life. Instead, we learn how to take all our wants to Jesus.) The difference is, we have been given spiritual blessings, and they are spiritually perceived -- not physically, although they do impact our physical lives as a result.
Paying attention spiritually is the key, then. Since you are a disciple of Jesus, then it's important to focus on that reality. How do we do that? We'll talk about that next time. Here's a hint: it's something 'spiritual.'
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Jesus Is on Time
I'm enrolled in a Master's program, and I'm behind in my class work. Last semester was supposed to be over around the first of December, but I didn't finish the papers I was to write, and now I'm having to do those papers plus all the other stuff I'm supposed to be doing now. I may procrastinate, but God is never late. His timing is always "just right."
We Christians have been hoping for the full, visible establishment of Jesus' kingdom for almost 2,000 years now. His disciples thought it would be right away after his resurrection: “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6), but Jesus ascended to heaven instead. Hundreds of people over the centuries have calculated or guessed at the date of his return, and they've all been wrong, (including the ones on television who move the date forward every time the last one passes.) In Springs of Grace, and Living Grace Christian Fellowship, we'll get to hear a sermon this weekend, going over some of the detail in Matthew 24 that I think will help with some of those concerns.
The pressing question is, since we're still here, what we do while we're still here? One thing we don't want to do is forget that God is with us, and Jesus is continuing to work out his will through us, individually and as his Body, the Church universal. He encourages us in Matt. 24:45-46, "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward." Our job is to continue doing whatever part of that work God has given each of us to do.
The warning Jesus gives next, in Mat. 24:48-50 is the reverse: "But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected" (and this guy is not rewarded). Why is the master's "return" unexpected? Because that servant focuses on physical pleasures instead of the joy of serving his master faithfully. We don't want to make the same mistake.
We have plenty of distractions in this life, but serving our Lord brings the most joy of all. And when Jesus appears -- at just the right time -- the reward of having served faithfully will be worth the wait. He's already promised us that. What exactly has God given you to do? Whatever it is, today is a good day to be doing it!
We Christians have been hoping for the full, visible establishment of Jesus' kingdom for almost 2,000 years now. His disciples thought it would be right away after his resurrection: “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6), but Jesus ascended to heaven instead. Hundreds of people over the centuries have calculated or guessed at the date of his return, and they've all been wrong, (including the ones on television who move the date forward every time the last one passes.) In Springs of Grace, and Living Grace Christian Fellowship, we'll get to hear a sermon this weekend, going over some of the detail in Matthew 24 that I think will help with some of those concerns.
The pressing question is, since we're still here, what we do while we're still here? One thing we don't want to do is forget that God is with us, and Jesus is continuing to work out his will through us, individually and as his Body, the Church universal. He encourages us in Matt. 24:45-46, "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward." Our job is to continue doing whatever part of that work God has given each of us to do.
The warning Jesus gives next, in Mat. 24:48-50 is the reverse: "But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected" (and this guy is not rewarded). Why is the master's "return" unexpected? Because that servant focuses on physical pleasures instead of the joy of serving his master faithfully. We don't want to make the same mistake.
We have plenty of distractions in this life, but serving our Lord brings the most joy of all. And when Jesus appears -- at just the right time -- the reward of having served faithfully will be worth the wait. He's already promised us that. What exactly has God given you to do? Whatever it is, today is a good day to be doing it!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
How to Please God
I've spent most of my life trying to please God, working harder and studying more, beating myself up for my failings -- and only recently starting to find out what really does please him. It's much simpler than I used to think!
My wife, The Amazing Joanne, puts it this way: God can do anything he wants for fun, and he decided to adopt us! That's a paraphrase of Eph. 1:5, which says "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (See Genesis 1:31, where God calls us, as part of his creation, "very good.") So in that broader sense, you have already pleased God, just by existing! But how do you know what to do after that?
Imagine you were an orphan living on the streets in the wrong part of town, hungry and dirty and sick and alone, sleeping in your rags at night. One day an incredibly rich family sees you, loves you that instant, and takes you home to their mansion, where you have more food, clothing and love that you ever imagined existed in the whole world together. How could you show that family appreciation for their love and generosity? Would you reject their gifts and insist on earning them first? You would be wise to decide that, since they've been so good to you, then you should learn their values and ways, and find how to be good to others also.
After describing who we are -- being securely "in Christ"-- in Ephesians 1-3, Paul finally gives us something to do in the latter chapters. He says in 5:1-2, "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ." In verses 8-9, "For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true." And in verse 10, "Carefully determine what pleases the Lord." There are other commands and cautions in these verses too, but the core is this: we are God's children -- adopted through Jesus Christ -- so our new family values are love and generosity and light.
What pleases God? That, since we are "in Christ," we live by our new family values of light and love and acceptance, loving others as generously as we've been loved by God, and by following the Holy Spirit's lead, "carefully determine what pleases the Lord." That's enough to keep us fully occupied the rest of our lives until we see God -- when we will finally start to understand just how much he really loves us.
My wife, The Amazing Joanne, puts it this way: God can do anything he wants for fun, and he decided to adopt us! That's a paraphrase of Eph. 1:5, which says "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (See Genesis 1:31, where God calls us, as part of his creation, "very good.") So in that broader sense, you have already pleased God, just by existing! But how do you know what to do after that?
Imagine you were an orphan living on the streets in the wrong part of town, hungry and dirty and sick and alone, sleeping in your rags at night. One day an incredibly rich family sees you, loves you that instant, and takes you home to their mansion, where you have more food, clothing and love that you ever imagined existed in the whole world together. How could you show that family appreciation for their love and generosity? Would you reject their gifts and insist on earning them first? You would be wise to decide that, since they've been so good to you, then you should learn their values and ways, and find how to be good to others also.
After describing who we are -- being securely "in Christ"-- in Ephesians 1-3, Paul finally gives us something to do in the latter chapters. He says in 5:1-2, "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ." In verses 8-9, "For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true." And in verse 10, "Carefully determine what pleases the Lord." There are other commands and cautions in these verses too, but the core is this: we are God's children -- adopted through Jesus Christ -- so our new family values are love and generosity and light.
What pleases God? That, since we are "in Christ," we live by our new family values of light and love and acceptance, loving others as generously as we've been loved by God, and by following the Holy Spirit's lead, "carefully determine what pleases the Lord." That's enough to keep us fully occupied the rest of our lives until we see God -- when we will finally start to understand just how much he really loves us.
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