Praying for Fiji

At least once each month, I want to encourage you with a practical step in pursuing a life of prayer. Today, I want to talk about how you can pray globally.

What does this mean, and how does it look? Well, it means making a concerted effort to pray for different places, people groups, and issues around the world. How you do that may look very different from how I choose to do it, but I’ll give you a peek into my method. You can tool around until you find what works for you.

I mentioned in a previous post that I once found a commercially-produced “Prayer Journal” on sale at a Christian Bookstore. It was a marvelous book with a world mission focus. Each week, there was a short discussion of a different “at-risk” people group. There was information about the region(s), the population, the average life expectancy, the literacy rate, the estimated percentage of Christians (as well as percentages for other religions) in the area, and more. There were suggestions about how to pray for the people/area, and then space to write notes and other prayer requests. I have never again found such a resource in a bookstore, but I decided to make my own journal.

My journal takes up four notebooks– one for each quarter of the year– roughly ninety-two days in each notebook. Each day has a heading with a geographical location: a continent, a nation, a state or province, a city or town, even major rivers, deserts, and oceans. (In addition, I have space for the names of individuals with birthdays or anniversaries, and a space for urgent and immediate prayer requests for that day. In the front of the journal, I have a list of “Prayer Points” for the various days of the week– you can check out my page on Prayer Points here Proactive Prayer Points. The notebooks can be used from year to year, and have space on the back of every page to record answers.)

I don’t have the marvelous demographic information that was in the earlier journal, but I have an almanac or the internet if I want to dig deeper. In putting the notebooks together, I alphabetized all the names of places I wanted to include, narrowed the list down to 365, and assigned one place to each day of the year. Yesterday, I prayed for Fennville, a small town in Michigan where I used to be a student teacher. Today is Fiji, which comes next alphabetically. So I will be praying for Fiji, along with other people, places, and issues on my list. I may not know a lot about Fiji- I know it is an island republic in the South Pacific. I know that many Fijians are Christian, while others are Muslim or Hindu. But God knows everything about this group of islands– He knows if it is the rainy season there now, or if the people are battling sickness or poverty, or if they are in a season of clear skies and abundance!

So WHY do I recommend praying for Fiji (and all the other nations of the world, as well as major cities and even deserts?) Why Global Prayer?

First, it is Biblical, and it is a step in obedience. We are to “go into all the world” to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15). So we should also pray “into all the world”– pray for those who are going to other nations; pray for those who need to hear the Gospel in other nations; pray for those who are going FROM there into all the rest of the world. “For God so loved the WORLD…” (John 3:16). And so should we. Whether we can travel or not; whether we can study all the needs and factors of each nation or area or not, we should remember them in prayer.
Second, it will change your prayer life. I believe it makes my prayer life richer and more effective. Once again, it takes my focus off of me and lifts it to the God who holds the whole world in His Hands. I’m not just praying to “my” Father– I’m praying to “Our” Father. He loves me, and He listens to me, but He is big enough, powerful enough, and compassionate enough for the entire world! Once I acknowledge that, it changes the way I approach prayer.
It also is a great way to learn about the world and about other people and cultures! Imagine meeting someone from Fiji, and being able to say, “I have prayed for your homeland!” Imagine how much joy it can bring to pray for those places that have special meaning to your family and friends. I haven’t traveled the world, but I have met people from many countries. I’m still waiting to meet someone from Fiji, but if I do, I will have even more joy in praying for it next year on this day!
It brings discipline to my prayer life. Sure, I feel an urgency to pray for “hot spots” around the world– wars and famine, political upheaval and natural disasters call to mind certain areas of the world for prayer. But praying for an area without such prompts requires that I have some system in place. And who knows what God’s plans are for any given region on any given day, or what needs may arise that I can’t know about in advance?

So HOW can you pray Globally? I can recommend a few first steps:

Make a list. Maybe start with a single week. List seven locations– nations, cities, even continents or oceans (there are seven continents and “seven seas” after all). Perhaps you want to list places both near and far– local towns or villages AND faraway lands–over the course of a month or even a year.
Set up a system–you may want to use a notebook, planner, or calendar. Or you may want to set up a database. Your system can be set up weekly, monthly, yearly— whatever will work for you.
Be flexible and persistent. It has taken me nearly 20 years to settle on a system that truly works for me. Don’t be afraid to make changes or say “no” to a system just because it works for someone else.
Pray about it!
Resolve to DO IT. Many years, I spent so much time trying to “perfect” my system that I neglected to do the actual prayer! Please don’t let this happen to you. And don’t let guilt or impossible expectations keep you from your pursuit. Even if you take a step backward, forget a day, stumble through a week– Keep going!
Thank God for the opportunity to pray for others. Thank Him for loving the whole world (including you)! Praise Him for being a God who watches over every grain of sand and every drop of water in the oceans, over every bird of the air, and every precious life!

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok on Pexels.com

Imagine what can happen in our world if even a few of us are faithful in praying for all of us?! God is giving YOU an opportunity to be involved in HIS work throughout the world. Will you pray for Fiji today? Who can you pray for tomorrow?

April 28, 2023 0

When Prayer is Not Enough…

“Stop praying and DO something!”

“I’m sick of thoughts and prayers…it’s time for action.”

“Prayer doesn’t work!”

What happens when your prayers don’t seem to make any difference? People around you complain that you are passive, even apathetic about critical needs. “People are dying!” “People are suffering, and you want to stop and pray?!”

YES! Buy why do I continue to advocate for prayer in the face of overwhelming injustice and evil? Shouldn’t I be talking about action? Shouldn’t I be posting plans to end injustice or poverty or war? Shouldn’t I be willing to say that sometimes, prayer just isn’t enough?

Well, firstly, I believe that Prayer is far more powerful than most people know. Prayer IS enough, because GOD IS ENOUGH! I can’t stop gun violence, or human trafficking, or an epidemic. I can’t– not with all the resources in the world; not with all the action I can muster; not with any effort or plan or army of willing human helpers. And neither can anyone else. I can march in protest, I can write and call and badger legislators to change laws or enforce the laws we already have. Such actions might make me feel better– they might even have some immediate effect. But they won’t “fix” the continuing and underlying problem of Sin. Only God can do that, and He WILL do it. He may choose to work through human agency to right some wrongs or change the immediate future, but our world is broken, and God’s ultimate plan is bigger than just a convenient patch for Sin’s consequences.

However, I will concede that sometimes prayer, by itself, is not nearly “enough.” Prayer must be paired with Faith. I know many people who say that prayer “doesn’t work,” not because they didn’t pray, or weren’t sincere in their desire or their wish for God to act on their behalf, but because they believe in their desire– their wish or their plan– more than they believe in God’s goodness or His ability to bring good out of whatever struggle we are facing.

This is not a simple concept– that God is eternally good even in the midst of evil and horror– it can be painful beyond words. God may choose to allow the sin of drunk driving to take the life of an innocent person in our family, or leave us permanently paralyzed. Or He may allow war to strip us of all that we own– our home and our freedom. How can we possibly view such circumstances as “good?” Why does God allow for violence and injustice? Why does He allow it to continue– seemingly unabated and unchecked? How can God call Himself “Good” while letting evil touch our lives and the lives of millions innocent people? Praying — and continuing to pray– in such circumstances seems like a mockery of our pain and grief. It seems like God is deaf to our cries– indifferent, or even watching smugly from a distance. Why pray to such a God?

But IS this what God is really like? And why do we believe the worst about Him, rather than trust that His wisdom and Love are actually greater than what we can comprehend or experience in the present? Why do we blame God for the evil we see in others? Why do we ignore our own actions or inaction that often contribute to our situation? Why do we believe that God “owes” us a life without sorrow and pain– even as we see others suffering the consequences of sin– sometimes because of our failures? Why do we insist that God always act in accordance with OUR desires, when we often will not act in accordance with His? Why do we “test” God with prayers in our times of trouble, when we will not trouble Him with our prayers in times of peace and plenty? If anyone should have led a life without sorrow or pain, it should have been Jesus. Jesus prayed all the time– He even taught others how to pray (Matthew 6:9-15). He was completely obedient to His Father. Yet God’s own Son faced heartbreak, betrayal, and a painful, unjust death on the Cross. He wept over the death of a close friend– a death He Himself could have prevented (and later reversed)! (John 11) He was in such deep distress in the Garden of Gethsemane that He sweat blood! (Luke 22:44) God’s plan is not for us to live a life free of trouble, but a life of victory OVER despair and doubt!

Seeking “more” than prayer is often seeking “more” than God–as if we can do better on our own. As though we can out-love, out-give, out-do, and over-power the God of creation;the God of the Cross, and the God of the Resurrection and the Life. Deriding prayer is deriding the God to whom we pray– we minimize His power and His compassion while inflating our own. If God doesn’t exist, one might argue that it doesn’t matter– but then, why waste time deriding what doesn’t exist?! Prayer matters because God DOES exist, and because God matters Trusting God means being willing to wait and accept His will; even if we don’t get the answer we want. God’s ways are not our ways, but that doesn’t mean they are inferior or ineffective. God will not “undo” our circumstances, but He will help us through our circumstances. He won’t take away our grief. But He will shape it into something with purpose– if we let Him.

Finally, there are times when prayer must be paired with action. It IS enough to pray for God to act. But when God prompts US to act, and we do not, our prayers are empty words. Faith may lead us to wait, but it won’t lead us to sit idly by when we have the opportunity to help. Faith may lead me to keep taking the next step– even when I can’t see the way forward. Faith may lead me to let go of a dream I thought would be “enough.” It may lead me into the valley of the shadow of death– in my own life, or on behalf of someone else. I can’t take away someone’s grief at the loss of a child– but I can share in it. I can listen and offer friendship, rather than a quick platitude and a few empty words. I can continue to be there when others fade away. I can’t undo the horrors of war– but I can help care for refugees, and I can work to build peace in my neighborhood, even as I pray. I can take the next step in making someone else’s burden just a little lighter, and making the world a little brighter wherever God gives me the chance. And prayer is one way I can focus on the source of strength, wisdom, and compassion to allow me to do my part better.

The next time you hear someone saying that prayer is “not enough,” remember that no human effort will ever be “enough” to do what only God can do! But prayer taps into the power and grace that is “sufficient” for all our greatest needs.

April 26, 2023 0

I Can Always Pray

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Of course, we can’t literally pray all the time– we need to eat, sleep, work, travel, and talk with other people as we go through our days. But we always have the ability and the access to cry out to God. There is never a time when God is too busy, or we are unable to formulate a prayer in our hearts and minds. Even if we can’t find the words!

This was borne to me again in the last few months of my Mom’s life. As her health deteriorated; as she started to have trouble remembering names and seeing faces, she still remained committed to prayer. She was always eager for information– who was traveling; who was celebrating a birthday; who was in the hospital; who was in the middle of a divorce; who was moving to a new community, or had just moved here from elsewhere? Even if she couldn’t send a greeting card, or attend a wedding or other event, she could pray.

I know several moms and dads whose lives are hectic. They don’t have the luxury of hours to devote to prayer and Bible study. They may have minutes! Their lives are filled with the morning commute, with cleaning up small disasters everywhere, with trying to balance family life and work life. But they can pray– they can pray as they ride the train, or at their desk; they can pray as they sweep up the latest mess, or as they take a precious (and too-short) bathroom break! They can pray with their children, for their children, or surrounded by co-workers. They can pray silent, desperate prayers or short bursts of praise.

I know several others who are in my mom’s situation. They are aging, or ill; they are bedridden and in pain. They can’t get up; they can’t DO the things they would wish to do. They can’t give hugs or write letters or make phone calls to encourage others. Many of them cannot feed themselves or talk. But they can pray! They have the same access to God’s comfort, wisdom, and Love as everyone else. They can pray with groans and thoughts– even scattered and burdened ones.

I know some people who “don’t know how” to pray. They are new to Faith, or they have strayed so far, they just can’t seem to concentrate on what they want to say to God. They are plagued by guilt, shame, or unresolved bitterness. They feel unworthy, or unclean. Yet, they can still pray. They can cry out in lingering doubt and despair– “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) They can ask the difficult questions for which only God has the answers– questions about forgiveness, injustice, pain, and grief.

I am fortunate. I have a lot of “down time” at our shop. It’s not a very busy (or very prosperous!) shop. But it offers me the opportunity to pray, and to write about prayer. I have the time to think about prayer– what it means, how it works, why it is so vital. And even after a lifetime of praying, I still get surprised by new opportunities for prayer. The other day, a customer walked in, very upset. She was a stranger to me, but I was prompted to ask if I could just take a minute to pray for her. Suddenly, her heart spilled out. The details are her story, and not for this blog post, but God gave me the opportunity to offer encouragement and hope and (hopefully) wise advice as she has many life-changing decisions to make.

I can continue to pray for her situation today. And I can lift up prayers for family, friends, neighbors, and so many others throughout the day. I can pray for Estonia– a nation I’ve never visited and know very little about, but one that God knows and loves dearly! I can pray for K____, one of our “regulars” who stops by the shop to talk and look around, and occasionally to buy something small that he can afford. I can sing praises for all the many attributes or our Amazing God! I can thank God for His many blessings, including a praying mother! I can seek wisdom for the days ahead, and forgiveness for the sins of the past.

I can pray from my seat behind the counter. I can pray in a booth at the local fast food place, and with my husband at our dinner table. I can pray while I wait in line at the grocery. I can pray as I sort through my Mom’s papers and clothes, or as I clean around the shop or at home. I can pray in bed. And yes, I can even pray in the bathroom! I can pray whether I am happy or sad; whether I am under stress or breezing through the day. I can pray in English or “Spanglish” or with groans or snatches of song. I can pray with my eyes open, with my fingers flying across the keys of my computer, or as I walk to the post office.

Children can pray; prison inmates can pray; patients in hospitals can pray; soldiers and construction workers and chefs can all pray. Sewer workers and surgeons, clowns and corporate CEOs, gardeners and guards, taxi drivers (eyes opened!) and teachers– all can pray. Moms and Grandfathers, sisters and uncles can all pray. Those who are blind, lame, mute, or mentally challenged can all pray. Wise men and fools can pray. Strong or weak, rich or poor, king or captive– all can pray.

The question today is, WILL WE?

April 24, 2023 0

Debt Free!

7“Blessed are those

    whose transgressions are forgiven,

    whose sins are covered.

⁸Blessed is the one

    whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
Romans 4:7-8 (NIV) via biblegateway.com (See also Psalm 32:1-2)

Ask me about my most embarrassing moment, or my greatest failure..better yet, ask one of my friends or relatives! We tend to hang on to our past, especially our mistakes, our hurts, our missed opportunities, and our shortcomings. When I taught public speaking in a local high school, I heard horror stories about why “I can’t get in front of people and talk.” The fear of public speaking rates higher in some studies than the fear of Death! And often, the fear is based on an incident from early childhood of people laughing at a small, but very public mistake. Such moments haunt us.

As we grow older, we let our regrets live large– those things we “would have, should have, could have” done, or the things we shouldn’t have said, but can never un-say. And even if we try to move on or forget the past, there always seems to be someone who cannot let go, cannot forgive, or cannot forgive. Lives have been stunted and ruined by the ghosts of “what happened” when…

Photo by Wildan Zainul Faki on Pexels.com

God is all-knowing. There is nothing we’ve ever done, said, or even thought, that He “missed,” ignored, or “lost track of.” God has total recall over all the centuries and eons of time– past, present, and even future! And yet, God offers to forgive ALL our sins, and to “remember them no more.” God will never bring up “that time when you disappointed me…” God will never look at you with condemnation over anything you have confessed and repented over. It’s not that God will never be able to recall what happened; but He will no longer “charge it to your account.” He has chosen to pay the consequences in His own Blood, so that you can be debt free.

Imagine if you had no bills. If all your mortgages, utility payments, credit card debt, medical bills–everything that you were responsible to pay– all were stamped “Paid in full.” You never had to worry about interest payments, late fees, repossession, evening phone calls from bill collectors, credit scores, etc. What a weight off your shoulders! Imagine if you had no reason to fear getting in front of a room full of people to speak or sing or give a presentation– no fear that others would judge your every hesitation, or whether your tie was straight, or your hair was mussed, or you stumbled over a word or phrase or tripped on the steps leading up to the podium. Imagine being accepted and embraced by the very one who, by rights, should be your most severe critic.

Sometimes, when we see God as our critic, our judge, or our opponent, we’re not seeing God as He really is– we’re seeing a reflection of ourselves– harsh, judgmental, unwilling to forgive others; unwilling to forgive ourselves. The very first deception of the Enemy was to distort God’s image from Creator and Sustainer to Judge and Tyrant. Yet Satan is called “The Accuser,” not God. God’s Holy Spirit may convict us of Sin– causing us to see that we have done wrong– but His purpose is always to correct and restore us, not to haunt and condemn us. Even the “worst” sins are not beyond God’s ability or willingness to forgive. Jesus forgave His accusers, His betrayers, and His executioners from the Cross!

Forgiveness is not easy. Sin is real; it has real and terrible consequences. Sin hurts, humiliates, victimizes, and traumatizes. And its effects do not simply vanish if we say, “I forgive.” But hanging on to the pain and anger keeps us from finding and experiencing the healing and wholeness that Jesus offers. Forgiveness does not mean that the sin, or the pain, never happened– God will not “forget” injustice just because we forgive the unjust. Forgiveness means that we no longer need to try to collect the debt from someone else– because God has already promised to pay it back with interest! And forgiving yourself doesn’t mean that your past actions didn’t happen or didn’t cause pain. In fact, whenever there are opportunities to atone for past actions, or ask forgiveness from those we have wronged, we should take them. But where such opportunities are impossible for us, even when we cannot see how such pain could be redeemed or relationships restored, God has promised that we can move beyond our past mistakes and live a new , blessed, and debt-free life.

When we approach God in prayer, we come as we are– people with past mistakes, very human emotions, including doubt and fear, and unworthy to stand on our own before a perfect God. But it is God who invites us to come to Him– debt free and embraced by His limitless Grace!

April 21, 2023 0

Seasonal Prayers

It is supposed to be springtime in my neck of the woods. We’ve had two days of snow this week, chilly winds, and frost/freeze warnings. Fruit farmers are worried about losing the fragile blossoms that we need for apples, peaches, and cherries later this year. Many of the spring flowers are also in jeopardy. People are joking that we need to “unplug” springtime and “reboot” it, because it seems not to be working! The seasons seem “out of time.”

Sometimes our lives seem the same. We expect a season of growth or warmth, only to feel the cold winds, or we experience drought when we expected rain. Our prayers will change as the seasons come and go– young parents pray for patience as their days are hectic; aging parents pray for visits from their busy children and grandchildren. We go through seasons of success, seasons of stress, seasons of forced immobility, seasons of grief, and seasons of distracted activity.

Throughout the Psalms, David and the other psalm writers sang of woes and wonders, praises and problems– sometimes within a single Psalm! We have seasons of questioning, and seasons of confidence. Sometimes, we feel close to God; other times, we wonder why He seems so far away. Our “songs” and prayers will change over the course of our lives and according to our moods and circumstances– desperate, worshipful, even indignant. Yet God hears them all– He wants us to pour out our hearts in all seasons!

Our seasons may change, but God is Eternally Loving and Sovereign. Our moods and changing circumstances cannot remove us from His watchful eye or His tender care. Our momentary anger and doubt are not beyond His willingness–even eagerness– to forgive and redeem! God is Lord of all the Seasons– seasons of snow and sunshine; seasons of joy and sorrow. Even when our seasons seem “out of time,” we can lift our voices to a God who never changes.

April 19, 2023 0

But I Didn’t…

I could have welcomed that visitor at church this morning…
The one who looked a little lost; a little overwhelmed.

I could have smiled when I paid my utility bill the other day–
When the clerk asked if she could help me, and thanked me, and sent me on my way.

I might have offered my unused coupons to that young man who was shopping–
The one with two boisterous kids in the cart, and very few groceries.
Maybe he would have been offended. But maybe it would have given him an opportunity
And a little hope.

I thought about calling an old friend and asking if we could pray together.
Maybe we could have met for tea or gone for a walk together.

I had planned to clean out the closet and set aside some clothes to take to a local shelter.

I considered calling my sister, sending a card to that widower from church, or e-mailing my cousin…

I really needed to spend a little time in confession and repentance, and cleansing.
I needed to be renewed, recharged, and transformed. At least, I thought I did.
But something else claimed my thoughts, and my good intentions.
Now, I just feel worn and guilty and unworthy.

And the “thing” is– I didn’t do anything horrible. I didn’t make anyone cry, or rob a bank.
I didn’t burn dinner or break the speed limit. I didn’t break my marriage vows or embezzle a fortune.
I didn’t break the law– I didn’t even break a sweat!

I just
Didn’t.

Lord, today, I pray that you would light a fire under me. Help me to see the opportunities all around me– tiny acts of kindness, and truths that I need to hold tight. Show me people who need a listening ear, or a helping hand, or a word of encouragement. Help me to move “at the impulse of your love.” And when You direct me to be still, help me to be still and KNOW that You are a God of purpose and hope; joy and abundance. Help me to BE first–to Be obedient, to Be humble, to Be available. But then, help me to DO what you would have me do for Your Great Name. Thank you for second (and third) chances to BE and DO all that brings You honor. Amen.

April 17, 2023 0

Developing Discipline

In my last post, Pursuing Discipline, I spoke of journaling and being consistent in prayer as part of learning discipline. Discipline is an important part of the Christian Walk; one that we don’t always talk about. Discipline is difficult. Discipline is developed over time. And I want to be clear that keeping a Prayer Journal, like other forms of discipline, will take time and effort.

My current prayer journal is the result of years of effort, changes, failures, and baby steps. Several years ago, I found, in a Christian Bookstore, an item called a “Prayer Journal.” It was pre-printed with wonderful facts about different unreached people groups to pray for each week of the year. It was set up in a “planner” format, with each week spread out on a double page, and areas for each day to write in appointments, notes, personal prayer requests, etc. I loved it. But it was specific to that year. As the year was drawing to a close, I went back to the same bookstore, eager to get the next year’s edition. I could not find it.

I thought, “How hard could it be to create my own?” HARD! I did not have the resources to update the information about various countries. I did not like many of the other “planners” I came across. I wasn’t satisfied with apps and on-line planners and calendars. And I wanted to add space for local and personal prayer requests, including all the birthdays and anniversaries of people I know. I wanted a format I could use from year to year, so I wouldn’t have to enter the information over and over again. And I wanted a format where I could see it all, spread out in front of me.

More than twenty years later, I began using the system I currently use– four notebooks for each quarter of the year. Each page is a single day, with the names of people celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, or (in some cases) families mourning the loss of a loved one on that day. In the top corner, I have the name of a country, city, community, or geographical area. These are my daily focus points. In the front of the notebook, I have a reminder of the “Prayer Points”– those topical areas for each day of the week. The bottom half of the page is free for me to add in immediate prayer requests– hospitalizations, those who are traveling or moving, etc.. Each “new” request I add at the bottom gets “tagged” with the year of the request. This way, the journal can be used year after year, until I run out of space for requests, or it wears out! I leave the back of each page for answers. Some days, I go back and look at prayer requests from the previous week and write in the answers or progress. Sometimes, I am reminded to update the request. Sometimes, I see a request from a previous year, and I have not yet written the answer, or there has been an update. In this way, I can help focus my daily prayer time in the morning and/or evening. Of course, I can pray about anything, any time; this is just a way to pursue a more disciplined approach to prayer.

For anyone wanting to use or create a Prayer Journal– please take time to build it prayerfully and deliberately. But also be prepared to “fail.” I went through several notebooks, purchased planners and ready-to-use prayer journals before I found one that works well for me. And even now, there are days when I do not open my journal and use it as it was intended. It is not, after all, a ritual or a code to follow. Prayer is a pursuit– but it is just one part of the pursuit of a closer relationship with God. Disciplined prayer helps me focus on God, helps me understand more of His Character, and helps me build our relationship. Perfect prayer is not the goal, but building on prayer is the objective toward reaching the goal. Part of the building of character and discipline is the journey!

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He did not give them a formula for a prayer journal. He did not give them a system for prayer. He gave them a very simple sample format. But Scripture gives us several other examples of prayers– long and anguished, poetic and joyful, even quick bursts of panic or exasperation. Prayer is far too complex to boil down to a single formula or system.

I hope that what I write here helps you on a journey to discover the complexities of prayer. I hope that you, like me, will draw closer to God as you pursue ways to think about and to practice praying. Your journey, and your journal, will look and function far different from mine. But I hope you find one that helps you grow in discipline, in compassion, in knowledge, and in character. As for me, I will be turning my focus on East Timor, my nephew (who is celebrating his birthday today!), and business and financial issues. And then all the other things on my heart throughout the day! Because God is always listening, and God is always everywhere!

April 14, 2023 0

Pursuing Discipline

Prayer can take many forms and be many different things. I write about prayer as a pursuit– something done with purpose and with some kind of discipline. Prayer is not meant to be just another discipline in the life of a believer. “Pray without ceasing,” Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17; but this is not meant as an exercise to pursue quantity of prayer over quality, or to spend every waking moment consumed with prayer to the exclusion of all else.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

However, we are called to be disciples– and that necessarily entails learning discipline. Any activity taken on without discipline can’t really be called a pursuit. It may be a hobby or an entertainment, but pursuit involves direction, dedication, and focus. And this includes our prayer life.

I want to be very careful in discussing this aspect of prayer, because I believe that there is a real danger of letting the discipline overshadow the purpose of prayer. HOW we pray is never more important than WHY we pray, or to WHOM we pray! But failing to make a plan for prayer can cheat us of the benefits of learning to pray deeply, consistently, and with greater focus.

With this in mind, I want to spend some time each month talking about ways to “grow” a life of prayer. Today, I want to focus on journaling as a way to pursue prayer.

As with any discipline, the key is consistency. That’s why journaling can really help. Keeping a record every day of things to pray about, of reasons for praise, of people or issues to bring before the throne of Grace, can keep us focused. It can also help us chart God’s answers and His work in our lives and the lives of others. I keep four separate notebooks– one for each quarter of the year. But there are wonderful daily journals and notebooks that can work as well. Some come pre-printed with scripture or prayer prompts for each day. Some people use a pocket calendar or calendar app on their phone or computer. The method isn’t as important as having a planned approach.

I recommend having a daily focus that is consistent from week to week. For instance, on Sunday, I focus on The Church– missions, local church congregations, persecuted churches, evangelism effort, etc.. On Monday, I focus on Family and Friends. Tuesday, I pray for the Government– local, state, federal, and leaders of other nations. Wednesday is Community–community services, schools, businesses, neighbors, even roads and parks and utilities! Thursday is Global Day– things like war and drought, natural disasters and diseases. Friday, I focus on business and finances– my own, and others. Saturday is a day to pray about cultural issues, like abortion, marriage, gender issues, etc. That doesn’t mean that I don’t pray about family members on Thursday, or about a school shooting on Sunday. But it means that I pay special attention to those matters on particular days. Here are some reasons why:

God wants to hear from me about everything. But without a plan, I tend to pray about the same few things over and over. I pray about whatever is worrying me in the moment. And only that. God wants me to be aware of all that He is doing. He also wants to remind me that He is LORD of everything; big and small, immediate and long-term, far away or around the corner.
God wants me to be consistent and persistent in praying. But that doesn’t mean praying obsessively. Obsessive prayer can become nagging, doubt-ridden, desperate pleas. God listens to our prayers. And we can trust Him, even when we don’t get immediate answers or relief. We don’t stop praying, but we also don’t stop trusting Him for the next step in the journey. God is bigger than just one aspect of my life– no matter how urgent or overwhelming that aspect may seem today. My focus needs to be on God’s sovereignty, and not just my immediate circumstances.
God works in mysterious ways. I may not feel like praying for my Governor, or my neighbor, but it may be that my faithful prayer today is what God will use to make changes in some other aspect of my life. Praying for what I have on my list, rather than just what pops into my mind may actually remind me of something else, and help me see how God is working in an area I might have missed otherwise!
By practicing this discipline in prayer, I am learning discipline in other areas of my Christian walk.

I read an interesting article on-line the other day about the late Duke of Windsor. Born as the heir to the throne of Great Britain, he was trained from an early age. His father, the King, wanted him to learn discipline and honor, so as to be prepared to assume his role. But Edward despised his father’s training. He found his father to be harsh and critical, prim and joyless. And he rebelled. He took little interest in the affairs of state, preferring to focus on his own pleasure. As his father grew older and weaker, Edward was asked to take on more royal duties. He enjoyed making appearances at parties, but despised many of the other tasks– letter writing, or visiting factories or various parts of the Commonwealth. He refused to settle down and marry, until he met Wallis Simpson, who was twice-married, and separated from her second husband. She was also an American citizen.

Edward VIII wanted to defy the laws and traditions of his own nation in order to marry. When this proved to be contentious, he decided to abdicate his throne, marry Mrs. Simpson, and live abroad. Instead, his brother became the next king (George VI), guiding his nation and the commonwealth through the difficult days of the second world war.

For many years, the myth of a king who gave up his throne to be with “the woman I love” has prevailed. But there was more to Edward’s abdication than blighted love. Edward was not incapable of ruling, but he was unfit to rule it well. His lack of dedication to his duties and citizens became evident in the very first crisis. Those who were working with him during his short reign witnessed his lack of care or concern about paperwork, and his selfish insistence on doing what he wanted to do, and not what was expected of him or of benefit to his people. He was a man without discipline and without a clear moral compass https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-417388/Prince-Charmless-A-damning-portrait-Edward-VIII.html.

The Bible is filled with many examples of kings throughout the history of Israel and Judah who also failed to learn discipline or restraint. Their desire to reap the benefits of their position without learning to fulfill their responsibilities led to the moral, and eventually the physical and political collapse of their nations. They did not make a habit of seeking God, or of listening to His prophets. They sneered at good advice, and defied the laws of Moses and the rules God had given for the kings. Some of them worshiped other gods; some even sacrificed their own children to foreign gods or goddesses. They failed to keep the sacred holidays; they failed to read the Word of God; they failed to pray– except as a last resort!

We often perceive prayer as a personal practice– and it is. But how we choose to develop our prayer life may be tied to how we choose to develop the rest of our lives. We don’t need to be rigid and legalistic about it. But we do need to live– and pray– with purpose, if we wish to follow the example of Jesus and grow in our walk with Him. Not only does it impact our life and growth– it impacts our witness and our influence as well. Pursuing prayer in a disciplined way may have a far-reaching impact on our life and the lives of others– even in the generations to come. For more, see the page Why I Keep a Prayer Journal

April 12, 2023 1

Where is the Sting?

This has been a season of death and loss for us, but where is the sting? Mom passed just over a month ago, but where is the gnawing ache of loss?

Because of Easter, we remember that Death is swallowed up in victory, and His Divine Power gives us Everything we need for Life! (2 Peter 1:3)
Have we had moments of grieving this past week (and month)– Yes. But we choose to focus on the larger picture. Easter isn’t just a day to celebrate something miraculous in the past or the distant future. It is a very present reality that changes EVERYTHING. Death is not the end. Failure is not the end. Our weakness is not the end. Good Friday was not an end. Easter (and every day since!) is a new beginning. It is the promise of life– not just eternal life in heaven, but abundant Life here and now. There is a purpose to life– to the joy and the pain, the grief and the struggle, the search for answers and the even the questions that remain. There is hope and there is renewal. There is a reason to get up, a reason to fight, a reason to cry, a reason to sing, and a reason to rest. Most of all, there is a reason to LOVE and rejoice in being loved!

YOU are loved! Extravagantly, eternally, without limit or condition. And yes, it seems too good to be true, too simple to accept, maybe even too frightening in its intensity. But it IS true. It IS that simple. It IS that complete and perfect. And it is a free gift for all who will accept it and live in it.
Please let this Easter fill your heart with the Good News that You are loved– to death and back– by your gracious creator.

April 10, 2023 0

One Man’s Junk…

The story is told of an old, worthless-looking violin that came up for auction. No one wanted to bid on it. The auctioneer began with a modest call for three dollars. No bids. Two dollars? Nothing. One dollar? Surely someone would spend just a single dollar. The violin was in working order. It had all its strings and a bow. No one was willing to spend one dollar for an old violin?

Suddenly, an old man came forward and took the violin off the table where it lay. He picked up the bow and began to play a famous violin concerto. In the hands of a master musician, the old violin came to life. Its haunting and soaring music brought the entire room to tears. The old master came to the end of the piece, and there was a hushed silence as he lay the bow and violin back on the table and returned to his seat. Clearing his throat, the auctioneer started a new bid– one thousand dollars. Several people placed a bid. Two thousand? Three? What had been worthless in the eyes of so many just minutes ago suddenly had great value.

That’s a nice story, but it rarely happens that way in real life. I run a resale shop– antiques, collectibles, vintage and retro items, and yes, what most would probably call “junk.” People come in and look around– sometimes they find a piece or two that they like. Sometimes, it’s priced at just a dollar or two; sometimes the price is a little higher. Some people think my prices are too high; others find them on the low side. They think they are getting a real bargain, and they are convinced they will be able to resell the item for much more on-line or elsewhere. They may be right. They may be wrong. Most of them are just doing what I’ve already done– find an item that seems to be undervalued, and sell it to someone else who may value it more highly.

“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” That saying applies to many of the objects in my store. But it should never apply to a person. We tend to place a value on someone else based on many superficial factors. We judge people by the way they look– their clothing or their hair or the expression on their face when we first meet. Sometimes we judge them by their skin color or the way they speak– the words they use or if the have an “accent.” We judge some people to be smarter or more important based on who else pays attention to them or how much money they have (or don’t have). We judge their talents and experience based on hearsay or gossip. And we allow others to place their “value” on us. As though some people deserve more attention, more resources, or more love than others.

God sees through all the tarnish, the guilt, the low esteem, and shame that we carry around. Each one of us is equally precious in God’s eyes. There is no “junk” in God’s economy, when it comes to a human life. No matter how dirty, broken, used, misused, patched up, trampled on, or worthless we may seem to others (or to ourselves) we are priceless and cherished by our Heavenly Father.

Jesus sought out the “junk” people of his time– lepers, widows, children, the blind and lame, the sick and weary, diseased, depressed, and demon-possessed. He touched the untouchables, loved the unlovable, and forgave the unforgiveable. Even when He was condemned to die as a criminal, and rejected by His friends and followers, Jesus remembered the Father’s love for others.

In this Holy Week, I pray that I would not lose sight of God’s Amazing Love for us. When we were His enemies– fallen, ruined by Sin–“junk”, Jesus was willing to reach out, to walk with the marginalized and sick, and more than all that, to DIE in order to make us joint heirs and give us the glories of Eternal Life with Him! And when Jesus was taken down off the cross– broken, dead, and “worthless”, God raised Him to Life and gave Him a “Name that is above all names” (Philippians 2).

We pray to a God who cherishes our very thoughts–a God who delights to hear from us! What a powerful thought. What an Amazing Love!

April 7, 2023 0

Author: Ljfair