The title of a book by Bill Hybels sticks in my mind: Too Busy Not to Pray.
It's catchy because it seems so completely opposite to the facts. Prayer obviously takes time and who has time to waste?
If we sat down and thought things through, most of us would realize that we have lots of time. It's just that we fill our time with things that often don't need doing.
But that's not Hybels' point.
His point is that we are so busy running around that we waste time simply running around. Sometimes we do things that are not going anywhere because we haven't consulted the one who knows what's going to happen.
Hybels, pastor of the world-famous Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago area, is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie. In his book, he says he loves getting to the office and plunging into the many things that need doing. And, with a church like Willow Creek, there's lots to do.
But years ago, he felt God telling him to pray. So he spent a lot of time reading about prayer, studying Bible passages on prayer, and - finally - praying.
He shares what he has learned about prayer in his delightfully-written book.
For me, the most important lesson is that priority number one is getting to know God intimately through talking to him and listening to him. After that, other issues start falling into place.
Jesus is our best example. In Luke 6:12-13, we read that he spent a night praying before choosing his disciples. Frequently, we are told that Jesus prayed before spending a tumultuous day preaching to -and healing - thousands of people.
What Jesus gained from prayer was assurance and direction from the Father in what he was to do. The Father and the Holy Spirit strengthened him and prepared him for his crowded and strife-torn days healing, speaking and debating with hostile enemies.
Hybels talks about calming his active mind by "journaling", talking to God in a written journal. I find this a very helpful practice, often bringing a quick solution to a problem by presenting it to God and receiving his response.
But you can come into God's presence and present concerns to him and receive his inner strength and assurance - whether or not you write in a journal.
As a believer, I know that it makes sense to bring God into my daily life. If his thoughts are greater than my thoughts, why not get his input?
It will save a lot of time if I make the right decision early rather than late.
Sunday 27 January 2013
Sunday 20 January 2013
Victory in surrender
I can't think of a more powerful prayer in the Bible than Jesus' statement to the Father on the eve of the crucifixion: "Not my will but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)
Jesus, who was fully human, had just finished pleading with the Father to spare him the cross on which the whole of history hung. He knew that God the Father would have to turn his face from him when, on the cross, he took on himself all of human sin. The unbelievably close relationship between Father and Son would be broken for an instant.
Though sweating blood, Jesus surrendered to the Father's will. And he won the greatest victory the world has ever seen.
By this act, he opened the way for reconciliation between God and man. And he defeated Satan, ensuring that God's great plan for the world would triumph.
A friend of mine made the same decision when struck with cancer. After hearing the news from his doctor, he knelt beside his bed and prayed: "Not my will but yours be done."
During the last few months of his life, he spoke to many people about Jesus, leaving this world a victor.
It's hard to pray those words. I know it may mean giving up my own dreams and hopes.
To pray those words, I must trust that God's will is best. I must believe that God knows better than I do what is the right path to take in my situation.
Sometimes, God pours out amazing blessings upon people who surrender to his will.
George Muller, founder of orphanages in Britain, always sought God's will in his prayer life and he lived by what he learned. He never campaigned for money but always received just enough to feed and take care of the orphans. He died with not much more than pocket money to his name.
There are other similar stories. But sometimes we don't see what others would call a happy result.
My friend died of cancer. Yet he left behind him a wonderful legacy of faith. I am one person he touched during his last months of life.
Jesus, who was fully human, had just finished pleading with the Father to spare him the cross on which the whole of history hung. He knew that God the Father would have to turn his face from him when, on the cross, he took on himself all of human sin. The unbelievably close relationship between Father and Son would be broken for an instant.
Though sweating blood, Jesus surrendered to the Father's will. And he won the greatest victory the world has ever seen.
By this act, he opened the way for reconciliation between God and man. And he defeated Satan, ensuring that God's great plan for the world would triumph.
A friend of mine made the same decision when struck with cancer. After hearing the news from his doctor, he knelt beside his bed and prayed: "Not my will but yours be done."
During the last few months of his life, he spoke to many people about Jesus, leaving this world a victor.
It's hard to pray those words. I know it may mean giving up my own dreams and hopes.
To pray those words, I must trust that God's will is best. I must believe that God knows better than I do what is the right path to take in my situation.
Sometimes, God pours out amazing blessings upon people who surrender to his will.
George Muller, founder of orphanages in Britain, always sought God's will in his prayer life and he lived by what he learned. He never campaigned for money but always received just enough to feed and take care of the orphans. He died with not much more than pocket money to his name.
There are other similar stories. But sometimes we don't see what others would call a happy result.
My friend died of cancer. Yet he left behind him a wonderful legacy of faith. I am one person he touched during his last months of life.
Sunday 13 January 2013
A blessing revolution
The Lord is turning my mind increasingly to the importance - and power - of blessing others.
I have written about this in an earlier post. But I have just finished reading about a powerful example of a blessing place in Wales - Ffald-y-Brenin in Pembrokeshire. The book, The Grace Outpouring, is inspiring.
The author, Roy Godwin, and his wife Daphne direct a retreat house where miracles happen routinely. There are miracles of people finding faith in God, of emotional healing, of physical healing.
Early on in their time as directors, the Godwins began blessing people who visited the retreat centre. The first time came after a couple of strangers dropped in to ask what the retreat centre was all about. After a cup of tea, the Godwins took them on a tour of the grounds, ending at the chapel.
The couple seemed touched by the presence of God so Roy Godwin offered to pray a blessing on them. They agreed and he prayed:
"I bless you in the name of Jesus to know God, his purpose for your life, and his blessings on you and your family and the situations of your life. Amen."
"They started to weep," Godwin writes. "The sense of the presence of God seemed tangible. I quietly let myself out of the chapel so they wouldn't be embarrassed by my presence. It was time to let God do what he wanted to do with that couple."
They came to him afterwards to say how grateful they were for this experience of God and he shared with them the good news of Jesus before they left.
In the following days, there were many more of these unusual and unexpected visits from people drawn inexplicably to Ffald-y-Brenin for life-changing blessings. And over the years, there have been miracles.
Godwin puts this all down to God's grace.
"God's desire to bless is absolutely outrageous," he writes. "Nothing can stop him. He has set himself with immovable intent to bless mankind. His longing is that Jesus shall have many brothers and sisters."
He notes that Jesus did not dwell on someone's sin before healing that person. He poured his grace out first, sometimes telling people to sin no more after healing them.
He suggests that Christians often focus on convincing people they are sinners before extending God's grace to them in love, hospitality and prayer.
He notes that God asked Moses to instruct Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this blessing (Numbers 6:22-27):
"May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favour and give you peace."
And God followed that up by promising to bless the people when Aaron and his sons blessed them in his name. That is a great promise.
For me, it calls for a change in the way I look at people and the way I think. It calls for a change of heart from critical and judgemental to loving and grace-giving.
It might even be revolutionary.
I have written about this in an earlier post. But I have just finished reading about a powerful example of a blessing place in Wales - Ffald-y-Brenin in Pembrokeshire. The book, The Grace Outpouring, is inspiring.
The author, Roy Godwin, and his wife Daphne direct a retreat house where miracles happen routinely. There are miracles of people finding faith in God, of emotional healing, of physical healing.
Early on in their time as directors, the Godwins began blessing people who visited the retreat centre. The first time came after a couple of strangers dropped in to ask what the retreat centre was all about. After a cup of tea, the Godwins took them on a tour of the grounds, ending at the chapel.
The couple seemed touched by the presence of God so Roy Godwin offered to pray a blessing on them. They agreed and he prayed:
"I bless you in the name of Jesus to know God, his purpose for your life, and his blessings on you and your family and the situations of your life. Amen."
"They started to weep," Godwin writes. "The sense of the presence of God seemed tangible. I quietly let myself out of the chapel so they wouldn't be embarrassed by my presence. It was time to let God do what he wanted to do with that couple."
They came to him afterwards to say how grateful they were for this experience of God and he shared with them the good news of Jesus before they left.
In the following days, there were many more of these unusual and unexpected visits from people drawn inexplicably to Ffald-y-Brenin for life-changing blessings. And over the years, there have been miracles.
Godwin puts this all down to God's grace.
"God's desire to bless is absolutely outrageous," he writes. "Nothing can stop him. He has set himself with immovable intent to bless mankind. His longing is that Jesus shall have many brothers and sisters."
He notes that Jesus did not dwell on someone's sin before healing that person. He poured his grace out first, sometimes telling people to sin no more after healing them.
He suggests that Christians often focus on convincing people they are sinners before extending God's grace to them in love, hospitality and prayer.
He notes that God asked Moses to instruct Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this blessing (Numbers 6:22-27):
"May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favour and give you peace."
And God followed that up by promising to bless the people when Aaron and his sons blessed them in his name. That is a great promise.
For me, it calls for a change in the way I look at people and the way I think. It calls for a change of heart from critical and judgemental to loving and grace-giving.
It might even be revolutionary.
Saturday 5 January 2013
Seeing the world differently
In the early days of World War II, Germany was sweeping through Europe and Britain was on the endangered list.
If you asked a reasonable observer at the time, he would likely have said that Britain was finished and should sue for peace.
But Winston Churchill did not see it that way. He believed Britain could win.
The difference between the reasonable observer and Winston Churchill is the way they look at the world. Churchill did not accept the supposed overwhelming evidence - he looked beyond that to what could happen with a people willing to give everything to defend their country.
Churchill's great weapon was his force of will and his inspiring words and personal example.
Equipped with the weapon of prayer, Christian believers can accomplish much by trusting that God can do impossible things in the darkest situations.
We just have to see the world the way it can be under God - not the way it is.
Rees Howells prayed with that kind of faith through the worst days of World War II.
Howells was a Welshman who took part in the Welsh Revival of the early twentieth century. He went on to become a powerful man of prayer, creating a Bible college where prayer played a central role.
During World War II, Howells and many young men in the college spent long hours praying against the German war machine and saw dramatic turns in the tides of battle. They helped pray the allied forces to victory.
There are examples from scripture, too.
Joshua and Caleb entered Canaan with a number of other Israelite spies to see how the land could be conquered by Moses and the Israelite army.
The other spies saw nothing but doom, talking about the huge men in Canaan. But Caleb and Joshua believed the Israelites could win because God was on their side.
Unfortunately, the Israelites believed the nay-sayers and Israel's entry into the promised land was delayed for another 40 years.
How do we see the world around us? Do we believe God can do the impossible?
If our answer is yes, we must pray that way. We must pray that God will transform our world.
Tuesday 1 January 2013
It's God speaking!
Last night, we talked as a family about how we hear God.
Our granddaughter and grandson said they hear God as they worship in song. Our daughter-in-law said she sometimes hears God through comments from other people.
For me, God often speaks through scripture as I ask him questions in my journal.
Our son said that God is always speaking and I agree with him.
I go back often to God's words to the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:20:
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me."
The picture that springs to my mind is of Jesus knocking on the door of my mind and heart, asking for entrance. He wants to talk with me. But I must hear his voice and I must stop what I'm doing and open the door and invite him in.
In other words, hearing God means being alert to his voice and then taking time to hear what he's saying.
Of course, I must want to hear what he says. Perhaps I am afraid of what he might say or what he will ask me to do.
That's where my view of God comes in. Do I believe he really loves me and wants the best for me as the apostle Paul says in Romans 8:28? If I do, I will listen attentively and with a willing heart.
There is a great example in scripture of a boy who heard God audibly and was puzzled as we are often puzzled (1 Samuel 3).
The boy Samuel was living with Eli the priest as a young helper. God spoke to Samuel one night and the boy thought it was his master Eli. This happened a couple of times until Eli realized Samuel was hearing God's voice. He told Samuel to reply to God: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
From that time on, Samuel listened to God and obeyed what he said. He shared God's words with the people of Israel, becoming a great prophet.
It's clear to me that God wants us to seek him and what he has to say to us. Obviously, it is just as important to hear what he has to say to us as to tell him what we want.
Prayer is really a two-way street - approaching him with our praise and concerns and listening to his thoughts.
Opening the door to Jesus can lead to a fulfilling life.
Our granddaughter and grandson said they hear God as they worship in song. Our daughter-in-law said she sometimes hears God through comments from other people.
For me, God often speaks through scripture as I ask him questions in my journal.
Our son said that God is always speaking and I agree with him.
I go back often to God's words to the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:20:
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me."
The picture that springs to my mind is of Jesus knocking on the door of my mind and heart, asking for entrance. He wants to talk with me. But I must hear his voice and I must stop what I'm doing and open the door and invite him in.
In other words, hearing God means being alert to his voice and then taking time to hear what he's saying.
Of course, I must want to hear what he says. Perhaps I am afraid of what he might say or what he will ask me to do.
That's where my view of God comes in. Do I believe he really loves me and wants the best for me as the apostle Paul says in Romans 8:28? If I do, I will listen attentively and with a willing heart.
There is a great example in scripture of a boy who heard God audibly and was puzzled as we are often puzzled (1 Samuel 3).
The boy Samuel was living with Eli the priest as a young helper. God spoke to Samuel one night and the boy thought it was his master Eli. This happened a couple of times until Eli realized Samuel was hearing God's voice. He told Samuel to reply to God: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
From that time on, Samuel listened to God and obeyed what he said. He shared God's words with the people of Israel, becoming a great prophet.
It's clear to me that God wants us to seek him and what he has to say to us. Obviously, it is just as important to hear what he has to say to us as to tell him what we want.
Prayer is really a two-way street - approaching him with our praise and concerns and listening to his thoughts.
Opening the door to Jesus can lead to a fulfilling life.
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