I have a very bad habit of procrastinating. I wait until the last minute to tidy up, make that important phone call, or write my latest blog entry…living alone for so many years, it went mostly unnoticed by others and unchecked by me. My husband is very patient about certain aspects of this habit, but he has taught me much about the value of getting on top of tasks, instead of always playing catch up.
One of the lies I have told myself is that “I just don’t have enough time..” to do certain things. But God has given every one of us the same 24 hours in a day. Some of us have more unstructured time, but no one has more actual time than anyone else. And I will always find time for the things I choose to do first–whether they are more important, more urgent, or just more fun.
Time is a gift. How we spend it shows how much we value it. I can waste time, invest time, spend time, hoard time, share time, or lose time, but I can’t buy, sell, or trade for more of it. I can pray for it– there is a precedent in the Bible. Hezekiah was the king of Judah. God told him that he would die soon, and Hezekiah prayed and wept. God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell the king that he would grant him another 15 years of life, as well as deliverance from his enemy, the king of Assyria ( see II Kings 19 and 20). Hezekiah was generally a good king, but in the extra 15 years that God granted him, he was foolish, and put his nation at risk. Having more time didn’t make Hezekiah a better king, nor did it bring his nation peace and security…all it did was prolong his life and defer Judah’s destruction for a few short years.
What makes time precious is that we don’t know how much of it we have here. Our lives pass in a flash– what we do today in haste or wasted pleasure can’t be recovered. But it can be redeemed. I can learn to use time more wisely. I can pray for good counsel in the stressful days as well as the times of leisure. Rather than ask for more time, I’ve started to ask for more wisdom to USE the time I’ve been given. I’ve been amazed at how much more I can accomplish when I seek God’s counsel about time, rather than worry and work at making “more” of it. And some of the other things that took up so much of my time? I still have time for some of them, too– after the important things get done.
What does prayer look like? Do I bow my head, Or lift my face toward heaven? Should I fold my hands, Or lift them up like an offering? Do I kneel? Should I fall prostrate on the ground? Should I sit in my favorite easy chair? Or stand in the corner of my closet?
What does prayer sound like? Is it sung in joyful cadence? Or murmured? Or chanted? Or recited? Is it poured out in an unknown tongue? Does it sound like groaning? Or humming? Or sobbing? Or laughter? Is it shouted on the street? Or mouthed in reverent silence?
What does prayer feel like? A weight lifted? A breath of pure majesty? A ray of cleansing light? A mist of living water falling on dry ground? Energy and motivation? Peace? Complete trust? Being held? Being overwhelmed? Being lifted?
Prayer cannot be defined or comprehended– Not because we cannot find ways to speak about it, But because it involves a God who is beyond our Comprehension. Our closest friend Is robed in impenetrable glory. Our Loving Father Is the King Above All Kings. We cannot be too bold or too quiet. We cannot surprise Him with our Emotional outbursts, or Our halting, awkward noises, Or our sophisticated verbiage.
Sometimes, when I pray for a particular person, I say, “God, please BE with …..” But I’ve had to rethink that wording. Because God is already with ….. Instead, what I really mean to pray is that God’s presence will be felt and acknowledged by the other person; that God will move and act in such a way that the focus will shift to HIS almighty power and provision in a certain situation.
God is omnipresent. There is no place in Heaven or on Earth where God is NOT. In fact, the only place where we could be removed from God’s presence is in Hell. In fact, the most horrifying aspect of Hell is that it is the complete absence of God’s presence. The misery, torture, and fear of Hell is a direct consequence of God’s absence.
There are many situations in our lives when it may seem that God is absent, or that God has turned His back on us. Sometimes, this is really because WE have chosen to turn our backs on God. He is right there, but we are deliberately looking the other way. Other times, God is there, but He chooses not to remove an obstacle or circumstance that is causing us pain or grief. We don’t always know why He seems silent or inactive. But He is there, inviting us to trust His timing and wisdom in every situation. He delights with us, and He grieves with us. He may not give an instant answer to our questions or doubts, but he sits with us, ready to hold our hand and wrap us in His loving care. He doesn’t give up and leave us when the going gets rough. He is closer than a whisper, and He sees and hears everything. No matter what darkness we face, His light can guide us through.
The Psalmist, King David spoke of this with wonder:
7 I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you. (Psalm 139:7-12 The Living Bible)
The Apostle Paul also spoke of God’s abiding presence, through Jesus Christ:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 ESV)
Jesus Himself promised His eternal presence as well:
Matthew 28:20–“…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Hebrews 13:5 (quoting Jesus)…’for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”’ John 14:18– “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
No matter where you are today, God’s already there! No matter what difficult road you have to travel; no matter how long it takes you; no matter what other obstacles you will face, God’s already there! Whether you are resting in green pastures or walking through the valley of the shadow of death (see Psalm 23), God is with you– He’s already there!
And as we pray, God is already there– He already sees the future. He’s already redeemed the past. He has already seen the end from the beginning, and yet He patiently sits with us in the present, offering comfort and hope.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his— his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 23 New King James Version (NKJV) The Lord the Shepherd of His People A Psalm of David. 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
The Bible is filled with imagery of sheep and shepherds. Growing up, I lived in the countryside, but we never raised sheep, and I had little experience with livestock of any kind. We had one neighbor who had sheep, however, and he shared a lot of insight into why we should pay attention to what sheep can teach us about ourselves, and our God.
Not only does God use the imagery of sheep and shepherds, He uses examples throughout the Bible of actual sheep and shepherds. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the sons of Jacob, David, and the prophet Amos– all were shepherds. When the Messiah was born, the first announcement went to shepherds in the fields, keeping night-watch over their flocks!
Jesus used stories of sheep and shepherds in his parables, as well. There is a lot to understand, and I am not qualified to teach anyone about shepherding, but there are several wonderful principles that don’t require a lot of in-depth knowledge:
Sheep NEED a shepherd. There are breeds of mountain sheep that live independently, but the Bible stories speak of domesticated sheep…they are “high maintenance” animals– they need food and water, shelter, protection, and a lot of guidance and supervision! We NEED God–He understands our situations, our weaknesses, and our strengths, far better than we do. He knows the future; He has a plan, and He provides all that we need. We may not see the road ahead–we may not see the green pasture or the still waters where He wants to lead us–but He IS the WAY, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and we can trust Him to get us there.
Sheep need to be sheared. Left unsheared, the sheep’s wool will become matted, filthy, and a potential source of danger and disease. The sheep cannot get rid of its wool on its own. However, once the old wool is sheared off, the sheep is clean, and new wool can grow. Not only does God provide for our immediate needs, He provides for our renewal and growth–physical, emotional, and spiritual growth. Sometimes, that means we need to be “sheared” of habits, people, or situations that have become “matted”, and filthy. We haven’t even noticed the change, and we don’t see the danger. God wants to free us from the “baggage” we accumulate, and help us experience new growth.
Sheep depend on others to stay safe, healthy, and fed–there may be “lone wolves”, but there are no “lone sheep”. God will bring us into “flocks”. We learn to eat together, travel together, rest together, live together, and follow our shepherd’s voice together. Trying to be a “lone sheep” makes for a lot of trouble!
Shepherds make great sacrifices to care for their sheep– they provide, protect, rescue, heal, guide, and clean their sheep. A good shepherd is watchful, faithful, caring, and gentle, even as s/he must be strong, brave, and fiercely protective, risking their lives (or even giving their lives) for their flocks. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, knows each one of us intimately– He knows how to heal and guide us. He wants us to recognize His voice above all others, and to stay close to Him. He died to redeem you and me!
May we trust our Good Shepherd today, and every day. May we spend time acknowledging Him as our loving and faithful Shepherd, and call out to Him– in praise, in adoration, in supplication, and in loving gratitude.
Prayer doesn’t have to be BIG to catch God’s ear or His heart. God cares about the “big” things– war, cancer, broken relationships. And we must be persistent in our prayers about such things. But God also cares about stubbed toes. He cares about the illness of pets and the pop quiz at school and “that noise” the car has been making lately. And we are not just encouraged; we are commanded to come to Him about the ordinary and “little” things in life.
I was challenged in this a few weeks ago when someone disparaged the prayer group I belong to. We meet every Wednesday morning to pray. And we have a running list of concerns that have been brought to our attention– some requests come from our members, some from prayer cards and requests that have been turned in after Sunday Services at our church. Some of our requests are about “big” things– social issues, wars, the persecuted Church around the world, etc… And some of our requests stay on the list for months. We don’t give up– we rejoice in God’s timing. For instance, we were praying for several months for a dear sister who was having housing issues. She was in assisted living because of her many health issues. But she wanted to live independently. So, we prayed. Miraculously, many of her health issues disappeared, and it seemed that she would be able to move out of the facility, but she didn’t know where she could go on her limited budget, and she still had some issues with mobility. So, we prayed. We got updates– it seemed that a situation would be opening soon, only to find that she had been denied. And denied again! Still, we prayed. Then, a couple of weeks ago, God acted by taking her Home to Heaven unexpectedly. It wasn’t the answer we imagined, but it was God’s perfect timing to answer her greatest needs.
Often, the stories are much smaller. One of the children in our church filled out a prayer card asking for us to pray for their pet cat, who was ill. So, we prayed. There was more to this request than just an animal feeling sick. This child had just lost a grandparent. The family was already dealing with loss, and this child did exactly what Faith tells us to do– call on the LORD in our distress. Bring “everything” to God in prayer (“Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7)And as brothers and sisters in Christ, we were encouraged by this child’s faith and willingness to share. We pray for twisted ankles and hip surgeries. We pray for broken-down cars and those who are struggling to buy groceries this week.
And when someone seemed to disparage our group’s efforts, I was confused and a bit hurt. The other person wasn’t saying that the requests themselves were wrong, but they felt that we might be “wasting” time on such requests at the expense of “more important” issues. Instead of praying for “uncle Joe’s stubbed toe,” we could be praying for social change in our community. “Uncle Joe” was on our list, but world peace was not. Their approach was that such “small” requests might be dealt with in a more personal and immediate way. And that shows another marvelous aspect of prayer. We don’t need to wait for Wednesday, or Sunday, or for a particular group to pray for our needs. In fact, on the strength of their suggestion, our church now announces that there is a “prayer team” at each Sunday service who will take time to offer immediate and personal prayer for those who want it. And both the weekly prayer group and the weekly prayer team can joyfully bring prayers before the Throne of Grace– no matter how big or small, dire or fleeting, personal or corporate.
Our group still offers to pray for “Uncle Joe’s stubbed toe” or Wendy’s car trouble, or Alice, who would like someone to help with yard work. Some of these requests also get passed on to or from our “Help” team, connecting them with practical help from volunteers in our congregation AND prayer support. Because it is our privilege to pray for others– to share their sorrows, struggles, and joys as we travel life together. And we also pray for war-torn areas, our persecuted churches around the world, and spiritual battles taking place in our congregation– addictions, ruptured families, stroke victims and their families, and much more.
Jesus told the three stories of people facing “loss” in Luke, chapter 15. The first story is of the lost sheep and the shepherd who is willing to abandon 99 sheep in order to look for one sheep that is lost. The third, and most famous of the three stories, is of the Prodigal Son, who runs away, spends all of his inheritance, and returns home to find that his father not only forgives him, but celebrates his return. Tucked in between is the story of a woman who loses one silver coin and sweeps through her entire house looking for it. When she finds it, she wants to celebrate with all her neighbors. THAT is what prayer can be–we don’t pray for lost coins or stubbed toes because they are earth-shaking events–we pray because that is how we share life with our neighbors, our brothers and sisters around the world, and the God who Loves each and every one with boundless, eternal, extravagant Love!
I gave that fellow a piece of my mind! I let him know how wrong he was, how backward, how ill-informed. And he just wouldn’t see reason. He had the nerve to call me hateful, judgmental, and “toxic!” Doesn’t he understand? He is selfish, rebellious, arrogant, and “lost.” I was just trying to give him a warning. If he doesn’t repent, he will end up in Hell. I was good enough to spend my valuable time trying to set him straight, and all I got for it was abuse! Well, you know what they say, “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” At least I tried.
I gave that woman a piece of my mind! I let her know how judgmental and backward and hateful she is. Who is she to tell me what to think? She called me a sinner and told me I was going to Hell– and then she wants me to thank her for it?! She was completely unreasonable. Why would I want to spend time with someone like that? People like her are what’s wrong with this world. They talk about love, but only if you act and think exactly like them– what kind of “love” is that? What a hypocrite!
It’s so easy to give others a “piece of” our minds– to make snap judgements or lash out with a “gut” reaction. And social media makes it that much easier! I see someone’s post or a viral meme and I react immediately. I “like” it or I laugh at it as ridiculous. I quickly type an angry “correction” or point out why the other person is “wrong.” (And they may genuinely BE wrong– sometimes their posts are out of date or contain verifiably false information.) But is my hasty reactionary post really necessary? Is it really my place to humiliate someone else in the name of (self) righteousness? Have I mis-read or misunderstood what I saw? Am I so much more righteous, that I can point my finger? What is the true purpose of my response– to provide constructive correction, or to signal my own virtue and superiority? How did Jesus give a “piece” of His mind to sinners in His own ministry?
This is especially problematic within the Christian community. There are some doctrinal issues that are of great importance, that should not be misused. But it is the Holy Spirit that brings correction. That doesn’t mean we must stand silent or give acceptance to heresy, but we should do it humbly, with love and thought. Anger is often the mate of arrogance and pride. We are quick to dish out correction, but slow to accept it! We need to exchange “piece” of mind with “Peace” of mind!
Christ’s Example of Humility 2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Lights in the World 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
Philippians 2:1-18 English Standard Version (ESV) (www.biblegateway.com) Emphasis added.
Through Christ’s example, and through the working of the Holy Spirit, we are to let Him transform our minds:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)
Lord Jesus, help me to give others the “Peace” of Your mind today, rather than a “piece” of mine! Help me to offer, not my opinion or my “superior” understanding of the Gospel, but rather your humility and devotion to speaking the Truth in Love for my neighbor.
I was reading in the Bible the other day in the first chapters of 1 Chronicles. I must admit I did a lot of skimming, rather than reading everything word for word. There were lists and more lists of names and genealogies, and my eyes started to cross after the first hundred or so– and I like genealogies! Some of the names are familiar ones– Abraham, Judah, David, Saul, Jonathan. Other names meant nothing to me– Malkishua, Ram, Othniel. Most were names of fathers and sons, but there were a few scattered women– Tamar, Zeruiah…And there were references to other books of names about all the Kings of Israel and Judah, listing their deeds and accomplishments–books that might be more interesting than what I was reading!
I felt like I was wasting my morning, reading nothing but names. There was no story here– no spiritual lesson to be gleaned. And yet…
There were hundreds of names in the lists I read. Each one carefully recorded for posterity. The names are in the Biblical account because they MEAN something. Each one represents someone God created. Each one was loved by God, watched over and blessed by God. And even if their stories are not all recorded, or their stories are not all interesting or instructive, they all HAD a story, just like each of us. I get excited when I come across information about one of my ancestral families– the maiden name of a seventh great-grandmother, the birth record of a sibling of one of my ancestors, confirming the names of the parents who are also my ancestors, the death certificate that reveals the date and cause of death for someone I’ve been trying to prove existed. Imagine the size of a book that could contain all the life stories of every person who ever lived!
Everyone has a name. And after 40 years of pursuing the hobby of genealogy, I know that there are some names and stories that history has forgotten– names that I cannot find–families that seem to come to a dead end. But that can never be the case with God. He KNOWS ME by name. More than that, He knows every hair on my head (Luke 12:7). He knows my every thought (Psalm 139: 2-4). More than even THAT, He has my name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (see Revelation 13:8 and 21:27). My name is not just whispered or even on God’s mind– He has kept an eternal, written record with my name in it. It can’t be erased or burned up or lost on a back shelf somewhere.
Earlier today, our prayer group met, and we prayed for several people on our prayer list. The list is only four pages long and covers only a few people. Some names will be added to the list; other will be subtracted in the coming weeks. But there are several names and concerns we each have that don’t end up on our list. We forget, or we don’t think the concern is “worth” the ink to print, or the request is meant to be private and not printed. And that’s just one small church in our community.
God knows EVERY name! He knows EVERY concern or request, every confession, every praise, every question, every whispered cry for help! Every one, everywhere, through all time!
There is nothing too small, too “boring” or too fleeting in our prayer life. Someday, we may find that all or our prayers have been written on a scroll or in a book in Heaven. Not because God would ever forget, but because God will always remember!
Billions of names, billions of stories. And God will not skip over or omit mine– or yours. He KNOWS your name!
When I was just a girl, many of my cousins and playmates were fans of comic-book heroes: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, X-Men, Spiderman, and many others. In fact, in second grade, we had a “superhero” club that met at recess and played out scenarios. Most of us got to be heroes; a few had to take turns being villains. We ran as fast as we could; we pretended to fly; we pretended to save the world!
Each super hero has a special super power (or several super powers), and each one has a “fatal flaw”– some weakness that could keep him (or her) from easy victory over a villain. Superman can fly; but he cannot overcome the effects of Krypton. Batman has a seemingly endless array of cool gadgets, but they are not always enough to counter the cool gadgets of his foes. Spider-man can spin webs, but being a superhero doesn’t pay his bills. Wonder Woman has a lasso of truth and an invisible airplane, but she must struggle between promoting peace and fighting to stop violence and war.
I was reminded recently that we often confuse Biblical characters with comic-book superheroes. Moses had his staff. Samson had great strength. Methuselah lived to be 969 years old. David wrote poetry and killed giants…and so on. And each “hero” of the faith seemed to have a “fatal flaw”– Abraham did not wait for God’s promise of Isaac. Moses had a temper. Jacob was hunted by his twin brother. Samson was arrogant and forgot the source of his strength. David was tempted by lust, which led him to commit adultery and murder!
There is nothing wrong with reading about comic book superheroes, or with honoring men and women of faith and courage and obedience. The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is devoted to “heroes” of the faith, and the faith of Godly heroes.
But we can turn heroes into idols, and that leads us to false thinking. We falsely believe that God only calls those who are already heroic and strong. We sometimes feel that God cannot use us unless we first show that we have some superpower. We also carry a false guilt about our “fatal flaws,” feeling that we have somehow ruined God’s plans or let the enemy “win” whenever we stumble. Finally, we fail to see that our ordinary obedience–even our shaky and stumbling faith– IS heroic.
The biggest difference between Biblical “heroes” of the Faith and comic book superheroes, is that the latter often inhabit a world in which there is no Sovereign God. Often, comic book heroes come from a distant planet, or are “accidentally” created by exposure to radiation. Their actions “save” the world when ordinary people cannot overcome evil and villains. They may appear ordinary some of the time, but their lives are actually very different from ours. Biblical heroes, on the other hand, are ordinary people who were used, not because of who they are, but in spite of who they are!
Superheroes are exciting and noble, but they are not Biblical, and Biblical characters are not “accidental” superheroes. They are ordinary men and women who were used by God to do extraordinary things– things that only God can really do! Most of them spent their lives doing mostly ordinary things– farming, fishing, carpentry, tax collecting, herding sheep! There is only one actual “superhero” in the Bible– God himself–and He has no fatal flaw. Instead, He chooses flawed and ordinary people to obey Him as HE does extraordinary things through them. Even in our own time, God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary “super” things in the lives of others. We may not see anyone killing giants or parting the waters of the Red Sea. We may not see anyone slinging webs, leaping over tall buildings or single-handedly saving Gotham City, but we can see how faithful Christ-followers can transform their families and communities because of God’s power working through them. No capes or costumes needed!
One consistent thing about the people we celebrate as “heroes” in the Bible– they all prayed! They all knew that real power (and wisdom and help) comes from God alone. Prayer and obedience are not guaranteed to make us famous or heroic. But God can use the simplest acts and the smallest measure of true faith to do great things in, and around, and through ordinary people just like us!
Do you ever suffer from “prayer’s block”– those times when you bow down, and your prayers seem stilted, or your mind keeps wandering, and you find yourself coming to God with…less. Not necessarily with nothing– you can always thank God for your daily bread, or worship the fact of his majesty or holiness or search your heart for confession or praise. But you’re left feeling like you really want to bring more…
Am I the only one who ever feels this? I don’t think so; and I don’t feel it often, but when I do, I just wish I had something like a prayer prompt to take the conversation to another level.
That’s when I find books extremely helpful. I recommend a personal prayer journal– one that has pages for each day, and lots of space to write requests and reminders as you pray. I’m on my tenth year through a journal, and it has names of people who are celebrating birthdays or anniversaries on that day– including sad anniversaries of losses or challenges. But even if you don’t have a journal, there are other great and creative ways to jump-start a great conversation with God. See the Edit Page “Prayer Journal” ‹ Pursuing Prayer — WordPress page on my ideas for a Prayer Journal, or search for other wonderful ideas online to get you started.
Have you ever prayed a page from the phone book? (or your personal address list? or another list?) It can feel awkward and impersonal to pray for people simply by name and without knowing anything about them, but it can also be instructive. How so? It reminds you that:
You are one person in a larger community of people you may not even know. We live in a world that is more connected than ever before; yet we can be more isolated than ever before. Neighbors come and go, communities grow (or shrink) without our awareness, unless we make ourselves look around.
Your problems are part of a larger reality. Sometimes, our prayer life becomes narrow as we focus on our own struggles and needs. Looking around doesn’t mean that our struggles are any less painful, important, or real; it does remind us, though, that we live in a big world– and that we have an even bigger God!
You may be the only Jesus another person will ever know… your prayers for a stranger may have unexpected consequences for them, as well as for you.
Similarly, you can pray through an old yearbook, or your friends list on Facebook or LinkedIn, the members of your favorite band or the cast of your favorite movie or TV show, the members of your local government. The list goes on. Rummage through your closet or look at old photos– are you finding anything to be thankful for, or reminded of times when God or others blessed you? Pray the newspaper (or your news feed)–there’s plenty of fodder there!
Of course, there is also an opportunity to ask God to bring things to mind as you struggle. You can pray and praise all the names of God– Almighty, Prince of Peace, Savior, Redeemer, Lamb of God… Or you can pray about His attributes– His sovereignty, His Holiness, His Mercy, His Faithfulness… We serve a very BIG God!
Prayer’s Block can happen to anyone and for many different reasons. I may need to confess a sin that is getting in the way of my relationship with God. Or I need to slow down my thoughts and meditate, rather than rushing through a list of requests or burdens. There are days when my heart is just too full (or maybe too empty) to concentrate. And it’s not that God doesn’t know or understand such times. But in this pursuit, I want to bring my best, and if “prayer’s block” comes, I don’t want it to be an excuse for missing out on the best that God has for me.
Some time ago, I wrote about the famous Dr. Seuss book, “Green Eggs and Ham.” In it, a character, named Sam (“Sam I am”) encourages the nameless narrator to try a strange dish– ham and eggs that are bright green! After several exchanges in which the narrator insists he will NOT try the dish, Sam’s enthusiasm wears him down and he agrees to try a bite. Surprise– He LOVES green eggs and ham! He spends the rest of the book enthusiastically affirming how much he loves the dish, thanking Sam for insisting that he try them.
We just celebrated Easter. The Resurrection, I would argue, is much more important than trying a new breakfast dish. But how many of us are as enthusiastic as Sam in trying to get our families, friends, and neighbors to “taste” the amazing gift of Eternal Life? Would we witness on a train? In a car? In the rain? Would we witness to a grumpy, resistant person like the narrator of “Green Eggs and Ham?” And if not, why not?
And would we pray for the unsaved? In a tree? On a boat? With a goat? In our house? With a mouse? Here or there? Anywhere? What kind of enthusiasm do we show for making disciples? Do we seek to pray for our neighbors? With our neighbors? With those who are struggling with doubts or fears? For those who resist the message of Christ? Does our confidence in the Gospel of Christ equal the confidence of Sam in ham and eggs? Shouldn’t our joy and commitment exceed Sam’s? After all, our “product” is unending, everlasting, unconditional Love from a God who came to earth and died to save each one of us!
We carry the amazing treasure of God’s Power to save, redeem, and reconcile! Let us not get discouraged as we share the good news and as we pray for God to continue His work in a broken world!
Pursuing Prayer 