Baseball season is off to a great start! I love baseball, and I love word-play, so it’s probably no surprise that I really love the Abbot and Costello routine, “Who’s on First?” (watch here)
The idea behind the famous routine is that Abbot is trying to explain the positions on the baseball team, but the players’ names lead to all sorts of needless confusion. You don’t really have to know a lot about baseball to be entertained by the comedy routine, but the more you do know, the funnier it gets. Baseball depends on coordinated team effort– knowing who is playing where can make the difference between spectacular plays and disasters– both offensively and defensively. But as much as I would love to talk about both baseball and comedy today, I really want to use baseball as a metaphor for prayer.
Prayer is very personal, especially confessional prayer, but often it is also communal and a coordinated team effort. Every player (pray-er) wants to play our best, and we are gifted for certain positions on the “team.” Some of us are great at pop-ups– catching people “in the moment” and praying with them, sharing their burdens and joys with concise sentence prayers. Some are sluggers– prayer warriors who “knock it out of the park.” Some are outfielders, patiently persistent in praying for the lost, and ready to chase down a line drive or jump up to make the save. Some are basemen– praying to keep the enemy from gaining ground, or catchers, defending home base from all attempts to score. Some are good at bunting–providing the necessary support and sacrifice so that someone else can advance. And some are master pitchers–crafting prayers that strike out or even shut-out the enemy. Our coach, our mascot, our general manager and MVP? The Almighty, Triune God! He knows our strengths, weaknesses, and how we can improve our performance and standing. He also wants to help our team become closer and stronger. After all, baseball is wonderful, but Christian living is even better– it has eternal consequences!
When we ask, in relation to prayer, “Who’s on First,” we need to remember a few things:
Always listen to the coach!
Remember you are not alone.
PRAY to win!
Look out for and support your teammates.
Each inning is a new beginning– don’t live in the last inning.
Don’t let the current score determine your play.
Don’t let the other team’s players or their fans take you “off your game.”
(Spoiler alert)– We are the champions!
Let’s get suited up and ready to take the field for today’s game…after all, you or I may be on first!
Pursuing a lifestyle of prayer means more than just coming to God with a list of requests and a couple of scattered “Thank You’s” every now and again. Prayer is a discipline– that means being a disciple of prayer! How can I learn to pray for effectively? Commune with God in a richer and more satisfying way? There are many tools and methods that can help with this. One of them is called the ACTS method.
ACTS is an acronym for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. And praying in this order can radically transform the way we enter into prayer and the way we respond to God’s answers. On a busy day, I often start prayer with my supplications– my requests, my needs, my hopes and desires. I may be approaching God, but my thoughts and heart are all about “what’s in this relationship for me!” “I want healing for ______, and protection for my family, and a resolution to this problem at work, and…”
But the ACTS method flips this order–it starts with Adoration. It begins by coming to God and acknowledging who HE IS. Worship will outweigh worry. Adoration accentuates God’s Ability and His Authority over whatever is on our mind. It also leads naturally into
Confession. Not the kind that masks false humility– “Woe is me, I’m so unworthy. I am a worm, and I don’t deserve to be happy or free or victorious in Christ.” Rather, confession comes as we recognize who we are in relation to God. We are not worthy of God’s blessings in our own righteousness, but IN CHRIST, we are able to come boldly before God in dependence and joyful acceptance of HIS righteousness. And we can’t accept it if we are still hanging on to old habits and sinful ways of thinking. We must agree with God, let go of whatever is holding us back, and gladly prepare to move forward!
Now we are in Thanksgiving mode. We are reminded of God’s mercy, and His faithful care of us. He has been faithful to answer prayers in the past, and to be with us, even in times of trouble and seeming silence. He IS there. He DOES listen. His mercies are new every morning! (Lamentations 2:22-23)
NOW, we are ready to present our Supplications. In fact, we are ready to follow the direction of the Apostle Paul, when he told the Philippian believers: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV).
There are many times when we pray in desperation or in a hurry about a specific need, when this approach can be modified. But for deep prayers during a quiet time, or in a small group, the ACTS method can really boost our connection with the Holy Spirit. We begin by thinking we are praying about “something,” and are amazed to re-discover that prayer is really about “someone!”
I have found that such prayers also cause me to more readily ACT in the matters I bring up for request. I’m not just turning them over to God because I am helpless and He is my last resort. Even when I “know” that is not the case, when I focus on the problem and not the Provider and Protector, I forget that He can give me the power to “do all things” (see Philippians 4:13) in Christ’s strength and for His Glory!
Note: This is a re-post from seven years ago, but I thought it was worth revisiting…
Have you ever had one of those days where things just don’t seem to make sense? It doesn’t have to be a “bad” day, necessarily–just a day when things don’t seem to “fit.” I had one of those days yesterday.
I journal my prayer life– I have notebooks with names and places for each day of the year. Yesterday, my notebook included the city where my daughter lives and the names of three people celebrating birthdays, among other needs. One of the names was a complete mystery to me. I couldn’t remember who this person was, or how I knew either her or her name…I was drawing a blank and didn’t know how I should pray for her. Was she a former classmate? Was she a daughter or mother or sister of someone I knew better? I ended up praying a very general prayer– for her health, her family, etc., but it bothered me.
Hours later, speaking with someone on the phone, another name came up, along with a prayer request– a man suffering with an illness who happened to have the same surname. Coincidence? Possibly, but the name stood out, and I prayed again– for both. Now I was really curious. I did some digging. The first person WAS the sister of someone I knew, and their father is the one suffering from an illness.
God is amazing, and one way is how he gives us the opportunity for “a-ha!” moments like the one I had yesterday. I have spoken to several Christians who are sometimes separated by several time zones from those they normally call on for help or advice. In crisis moments, they have cried out to God. Thousands of miles away, someone will be awakened from a sound sleep with a sudden urge to pray for their distant friend, or another will be stopped in their tracks and send up a random prayer as their mind wanders. Often, this will be in the exact moment of the crisis, and God will intervene with a miraculous healing or rescue or provision. Days later, the two parties will connect and be astonished at the timing.
What used to puzzle me about such prayers was this– if God already knows the need, and plans to act, why involve the second (or third) party? Because stories like this, while impressive and inspiring for those who believe, rarely cause a skeptic to come to faith, and aren’t necessary for those who already believe.
I think God has many answers, and I know I don’t have all of them, but here are three things I believe God is doing through such puzzling circumstances and outcomes:
While it doesn’t turn a skeptic into a believer, it DOES give the skeptic something to explain away– one such instance might be ignored as coincidence, but five? two hundred? And we have a Biblical precedent in the book of Acts, chapter 12, when Peter is rescued from prison and shows up at the very house where believers are praying for his release! Even they didn’t believe at first, and left Peter out in the cold!
It IS an inspiration and an encouragement as a follower of Christ to know that he not only hears our prayers, but he recruits others to think about us, bear our burdens, and share in our trials.
Last (on my short list; I’m sure God has many other wonderful answers I haven’t imagined yet), I believe that God’s purpose for us involves communion– eternally living, sharing, and loving together with Him and with each other. It is one of the highest honors and greatest privileges to be involved in God’s work through prayer…it is something we all can do, anywhere, anytime, but it requires being humble and willing to stop what we’re doing, commit our moments and our hearts in prayer for others (sometimes without knowing why!), and trust God to do all that we cannot.
Prayer sometimes seems puzzling, but that’s because we don’t see all the answers– yet. Someday, what a marvelous and miraculous picture will unfold– and we have the opportunity to fill in the gap; to be the answer to 34-down; to be the missing piece of the pine tree in the upper right corner– to answer the call and finish the puzzle!
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. James 5:13-18 (NLT)
I heard someone the other day claim that a friend of ours “has a direct line to God.” The implication was that our friend’s prayers are more powerful and more effective, because she has an “in” with God that others just don’t have. The friend in question was quick to point out that God does not have “favorites.” He loves us all the same, and He listens to all our prayers with the same loving care and goodness.
There are, however, some prayers that are more “powerful” than others. There is an oft-quoted verse from James, chapter five that says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James goes on to present the example of the great prophet, Elijah, whose prayers caused God to stop the rain for three and a half years and then caused the rain to fall again. Unfortunately, the lesson we often take from this passage is that Elijah was a powerful pray-er. If we were a great prophet like him, maybe we would pray powerful prayers as well. But James is clear– “Elijah was as human as we are”–in fact, this same Elijah, after his “powerful” prayer that brought the rain back, ran and hid in a cave and begged God to let him die!
There are two things that make prayer powerful, and neither of them have to do with WHO is speaking! The first is that prayer has to be earnest. Prayers that are sincere, heartfelt, and consistent with God’s will are powerful– regardless of the words used, the length of time the speaker has been following Jesus, or the “importance” of the subject. God looks at the heart; He sees (and hears) right through the words! He sees the motives. And if our motives are impure or selfish, our prayers will still be heard and answered, but perhaps not with the miraculous flourish that we expected.
Secondly, powerful prayers are lifted up by “a righteous person.” And this is where many people miss the blessing of this verse. Who, exactly, is “a righteous person”? NO ONE! At least, not on our own. If we think that our prayers will be powerful because of who we are, what we have (or haven’t) done in the past, or how religious we claim to be, our prayers will actually be LESS effective. Like so many things in the Christian Life, this concept is counter-intuitive and counter-cultural. Powerful prayers are not the ones delivered by those who think they are powerful. Powerful prayers come from those who accept that all power, and all righteousness as well, comes from Christ alone. Such people know they are not innately “righteous.” Their righteousness comes from Christ– through His death and resurrection– alone. And such prayers reflect a wholehearted trust that God knows best and will answer in His own loving and wise way.
Truly powerful prayers come from anyone who is fully trusting in God– not because of who they are, but because of who GOD is. My friend does have a “direct line to God”– but so does anyone who trusts Him completely! You don’t have to be an Elijah to have a powerful prayer life. And that’s a great comfort, because even Elijah wasn’t always a mighty prophet. Sometimes, he was frightened, defeated, and depressed. Sometimes, he was hurt and sullen. Sometimes, he was just plain worn to a frazzle! But God still heard him and used him to inspire a nation.
Abraham put the wood on Isaac’s shoulder, but he carried the hot coals and the knife. As the two of them walked along, Isaac said, “Father, we have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” “My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the lamb.” (Genesis 22:6-8 Contemporary English Version)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 NIV)
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10 NIV)
In my last post, I spoke of Jesus being “The Good Shepherd.” But He is also the Lamb– the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This image may seem to contrast with the previous Names of God– names full of authority, power, might, wisdom, and strength. A lamb is powerless and has no authority. So, what can this name possibly tell us about God?
From the beginning, God used a lamb to represent innocence and sacrifice. Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God– Cain brought crops he had grown; Abel brought a lamb. God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice, more than Cain’s. The Bible doesn’t spell out exactly why, but I think the context of the rest of the Bible gives us a clue. When God gave His laws and regulations to the nation of Israel, He specified that the sacrifice for sin, for guilt, for peace, and for worship were to be animals–pure and innocent– their blood the factor that would bring atonement and peace. The innocent lambs would be killed, their blood poured out on the ground, their meat sacrificed on the altar, and the rest of their bodies (skin, bones, offal, etc.,) taken outside of the camp and destroyed. Vegetables, bread, herbs, wine– these could all be offered as free-will offerings, but they were not to be used for sacrifice. And the lambs (or other animals) had to be spotless and free of disease or disfigurement– perfect.
Sin is death– it doesn’t just bring disruption– it is fatal. Because God is HOLY, He cannot dismiss Sin with a shrug and say, “humans will be humans…”, or “it’s ok this once…” or “at least you learned your lesson.” But because the world is infected with Sin, even lambs and goats are not good enough to fully remove the stain and sentence of Sin. Only Holiness could do that.
Jesus is the Lamb of God. Just as Abel offered a lamb for a sacrifice; just as Abraham was ready and willing to offer his beloved son of the promise, God offered His only begotten Son as the only possible perfect sacrifice for Sin. Jesus came as a helpless, powerless babe. He lived a humble and obedient life of service and sacrifice. And He became the ultimate Sacrifice on the Cross.
Jesus is also the victorious Lamb of Revelation, worthy of all praise and adoration! God’s Might and Power are equaled only by His Grace and Lovingkindness. He is both Shepherd and warrior– fiercely protective of His people– and the sacrificial Servant Lamb who humbly serves both God and mankind. He is NOT a lamb without power or authority. But He willingly lays aside all the trappings of authority in order to teach us how to obey and follow Him.
He is God ALMIGHTY, and Ruler of All– but He is also gentle and humble. I do not pray to a God who is far off, aloof, distant, or unfeeling. I pray to the Lamb of God who was wounded for me, who willingly offered to become the sacrifice for my sins, and who died the death I deserved. And I pray to the Lamb who rose victorious, making what should have been the darkest day of history Good Friday!
I’ve been looking at the Names of God lately. In my last post, I meditated on “Adonai”– The LORD. God has the ultimate authority over all things. He is the Master; the King; the Ruler; the One LORD of All.
Today, I want to explore a related Name– Almighty. It is often used in conjunction with LORD. God is the LORD ALMIGHTY. Whereas LORD refers to God’s ultimate authority, Almighty refers to His Absolute Ability. He is all-powerful, all-wise– able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or imagine (see Ephesians 3:20). There is literally nothing that God cannot do. There are many things He WILL not do– He will never leave or forsake those who are His; He will never be untrue to His own Word or break His promises; He will never change His nature or be untrue to it– but He CAN do whatever He wants.
And this is where we sometimes fail to grasp the fullness of His name, Almighty. We know that He is Mighty; that He is mightier than we are, at least. But He is the source of Everything! He is mightier than Nature–He spoke all of it into being! He is mightier than Time– He is unbound by time or age or deterioration. He is mightier than Sin and Death– He proved that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is mightier than the dark emptiness of space– He holds the entire Universe in His Hands!
And that brings me to the subconscious wonder of the name, Almighty. God is not JUST all-powerful and eternally capable. His Almighty nature is GOOD! All of His power is regulated and matched by Mercy and Grace! He has the authority (as LORD) and the power (as the Almighty) to be a terrible enemy. In fact, Job speaks of this repeatedly when he feels that God is punishing him unfairly (see Job 27). I can’t argue against God and win; I can’t grapple with God and defeat Him (Jacob tried that in Genesis 32). I am powerless against God– physically, mentally, spiritually–I cannot “win” against God by fighting, arguing, cajoling, bargaining, or using any weapon. There is no army, no spirit, no power that can budge God from His plans.
But God is NOT my enemy or my rival! Only Sin and my own rebellion and pride can make me an enemy of God. In fact, He wants a relationship with me; He wants me to live in peace and harmony with Him! He has moved Heaven and Earth to reconcile me to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is like a mama bear or a lioness with their cubs, jealously guarding me from Sin and Death. He is my Father, my protector, my provider, and my Shepherd– the ALMIGHTY! And yet He cares about the smallest details of my life– He numbers the hairs on my head and keeps track of any injustice that has ever been done to me (or by me!) to be settled and made perfect on the Day of Judgment.
What a humbling thought! What a joyous reality! The Almighty LOVES ME! He LOVES YOU! And His Love is all-powerful and eternal. The ALMIGHTY IS LOVE! How can I not praise Him! How can I not see Him in every moment!
I’m choosing to focus for a few posts on the Names of God– titles, descriptions of His Character–that we can (and should) use in thinking about and praying to God. Today, I want to look at the term LORD, or Adonai, and what it signifies.
In English, we use the word “lord” to refer to someone who has power or authority over something– think “Lord of the Rings” or “lord and master”– someone with the power to control. In Hebrew, the word “Adonai” also means “Lord”, but in the plural form, denoting special respect or reverence. In the Bible, when we see LORD (in all capitals), it refers to the ONE who has power over all things– THE LORD, or MY LORD. (For a more detailed explanation, see https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-does-adonai-mean.html)
There is an interesting passage in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus uses the term “Lord.” He warns that not all those who use the phrase, “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
21 “Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 At the Judgment many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we told others about you and used your name to cast out demons and to do many other great miracles.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘You have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil.’ (Matthew 7:21-23 The Living Bible)
We can use the name “Lord” and still not understand how fully Sovereign and Holy He is. When we acknowledge Jesus as “Lord”, we may simply mean that we think of Jesus (and the Father) as a “Lord” over certain aspects of our lives– He controls the weather, or we can pray to Him to change our present circumstances or make someone else do what we can’t make them do. But Jesus is not just a “Lord.” He is THE LORD–He is Adonai. This name (when printed in all caps) is often used as a substitute for the given Holy Name of God (Yahweh or YHWH). It IS who He IS– the One LORD over all creation. The One who is the Master of ALL. If we call Him, “Lord,” but ignore what He says, and only turn to Him as a last resort, or use His name only to sound Righteous, we are literally taking His Name in Vain and breaking the third Commandment!
What amazes me is that THE LORD of the universe wants to hear from me! He has no need of a relationship with me; there is absolutely nothing that I can bring to Him– even my obedience is only an acknowledgement of who He already IS, and the power He already has over me. He CAN make me obey Him; He has the power to circumvent my will and impose His will upon it. Yet, He chooses to ask me to follow Him; He not only tells me to obey Him, He tells me why and how! And He gives me the power (through His Holy Spirit) to do it!
God is ADONAI– He is THE LORD! And He is patient, compassionate, and humble. When Jesus came, lived among us, and died on the cross, it wasn’t because any of us deserved His substitutionary sacrifice for our Sin. It was an extension of His nature AS “LORD.” And isn’t that worth a prayer of worship today!
There are many great examples of prayer throughout the Bible, but there are two that are often used out of context and applied wrongly. One is found in the book of the Judges; the other in the Chronicles.
Jephthah was a mighty warrior– the son of a mighty warrior and a prostitute. He had several half-brothers, but they wanted nothing to do with him. He was an outcast for much of his life, but when things got tough, the people of the region changed their tune and begged him to be their leader and help deliver them from the oppressive Ammonites. Before going into battle, Jephthah prayed, and made a tragic vow. In fact, his vow has become a model of what NOT to do in approaching God.
Judges 11:30-31New American Standard Bible (NASB)
30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand,31 then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
Upon returning from his success in battle, who should come out of the door of his house, but his only daughter, singing and dancing in celebration of her father’s victory! Having made such a rash vow, Jephthah now has to fulfill it, and sacrifices his only child on the altar.
Many people read this passage of scripture and are shocked– how could God be so cruel? Why didn’t he stop Jephthah from making such a rash vow? How could he hold Jephthah to such a vow? Doesn’t this prove that God is either clueless or deliberately cruel? Either God knew that the tragedy would happen, and failed to prevent it, or he had no idea of the outcome.
But I think this is a misreading of events and a misrepresentation of God. Just before Jephthah makes his vow, the text states that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced upon the Ammonites.” People make note of the first part of verse 29, that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah prior to his making the rash vow. But we should note that God’s Spirit did not require Jephthah to make ANY vow. Jephthah’s vow was rash and ill-considered– these are not attributes of God or of His Spirit. And God’s Spirit came upon Jephthah before he crossed his own native territory– territory he had fled early in life. In crossing back through lands that now welcomed him after making him feel unwanted and ashamed, Jephthah gets cocky. His vow is not about saving his nation from harm and oppression, or about bringing God glory. It is about himself. He mentions himself five times; his enemies, God, and his sacrifice, each twice; Israel never.
Jephthah had an incredible opportunity, not only to save his nation, but to redeem his reputation and become a leader of might and integrity. Instead, he is remembered for his rash vow. I believe that God could have stopped Jephthah from making such a vow; and God could have kept his daughter from coming out of the house that day of her father’s return. But I don’t believe it was cruelty that prevented him from acting. I believe God is both omnipotent and good. Jephthah learned the hard way that his rash self-promotion had disastrous consequences. His daughter, who was innocent, could have berated her father, or cursed God– instead, she honored them both in a way that reflected her culture and teaching. We are given a shocking reminder not to play games with our unknown future. God does not keep us from our own folly, nor from its consequences, when we fail to seek His wisdom above our own pride.
In contrast, we see another prayer in 1 Chronicles:
1 Chronicles 4:9-10New American Standard Bible (NASB)
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.”10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.
Once again, this prayer is sometimes taken out of context and misused to suggest that God is like a genie in a bottle, and that a pain-free life and expanded riches are ours just for the asking. If we pray the prayer of Jabez, and we don’t see an immediate change in our circumstances, we sometimes question God’s goodness and His provision– doesn’t He care about our needs? Doesn’t he hear our prayer?
Jabez, unlike Jephthah above, is described as honorable. His prayer is more balanced and conscious of God’s sovereignty. Jabez mentions himself five times, just like Jephthah; but he mentions God three times in supplication– asking God to be with him, help him, and bless him, rather than vowing what he can do for God if God grants him victory. Notice also the context of the preceding verse. His prayer is partly asking God to remove the sting and curse of his name, which meant “pain.” He is not asking for enormous wealth or power, so much as asking for God’s presence and blessing. There is a subtle, but important difference here. Jephthah is playing at making a deal with God– If you grant me a victory, I will make it up to you by offering whatever comes out of my house. Jephthah is asking for God’s help, but he is also vowing to give God “whatever comes out of the doors of MY house” (emphasis added). If a rat had come scurrying out, would Jabez have offered that? If it was a chicken or a lizard, or a lame sheep? And “whatever” came out of Jephthah’s house already belonged to God, and came from the hand of God, didn’t it?
Jabez comes with nothing and asks God to be his portion and protection. He makes no bargain with God contingent on God’s answer. There is nothing in this prayer that assumes God’s riches will be his or that God owes him anything; only the faith that God is able to bless him, and that God, in his goodness can keep him from harm.
Jephthah, or Jabez? Two examples…two very different outcomes. May we have the wisdom not to confuse the two, or lose the lessons they teach.
Psalm 46 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song. 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
When I am tempted to fret or worry, I like to read through Psalm 46. I love the way the psalmists use hyperbole to shrink fear and maximize faith– God is an “ever-present help”, we will not fear, “though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea”, “He lifts his voice, the earth melts!” And I love that the phrase is repeated– “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
There is so much to unpack in just 11 verses of psalm! But I want to stick to two that always stand out to me.
First, the phrase, “the God of Jacob.” God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God of Moses, the God of Israel, the God of David…His titles are many. But in this case, He is the God of Jacob. NOT the God of Israel– even though God changed His name. No, He is the God of Jacob– the “heel grabber,” the son who stole his brother’s blessing and tricked his brother out of his birthright– the same Jacob who fled his homeland and worked for twenty years for his duplicitous uncle Laban. This is not the God of the victorious, but the God of those who have had to learn the hard way. He is the God of the one who has acted unjustly, and the God of one who has been treated unjustly. He is the God of the one who wrestles and demands a blessing, the God of the second son, the disappointed husband, and the grieving father. THAT is the God who is with US when we are in trouble and feeling overwhelmed by our own past mistakes, or our own inadequacies, or our unfair circumstances.
Secondly, the phrase “be still and know that I am God.” This same God who wrestled with Jacob, who blessed him in dramatic fashion, was the God who was with him through all the long and lonely night watches as a shepherd. Jacob, with his two wives, their two servants, and all thirteen or more of his children (12 sons and at least one daughter, Dinah)–spent a lot of his time surrounded by noises, nagging, responsibilities, and discord. Yet he took time to ‘be still.” And, though it took many years, and often came “the hard way,” Jacob did learn to “know” his God. He learned to trust that God would protect him, guide him, and bless him– and the generations that would follow him!
I am so grateful for this Psalm to remind me of God’s everlasting presence, His power to save and protect, and His sufficiency for every circumstance in my life. I’m so glad that the “God of Jacob” is the same God who sees me, loves me, and rescues me. I’m humbled to know that I don’t have to be clever enough or brave enough, or “righteous” enough to earn God’s help. I’m glad that the Lord Almighty is always with me. (see Hebrews 13:5) However, I still struggle to “be still and know…” I want to know by doing; by studying and making things happen. But to know God– to really know Him– I have to be still, to wait in silence and anticipation, to trust in what I cannot see and cannot do in my own power. I have to know Him as the Almighty, Omnipotent, Sovereign God that He is, rather than a God of my own imagination or the God I hear about or read about from someone else.
What a mighty God! The God of Jacob is MY fortress! And in stillness, meditation, and trust, I can KNOW Him!
This cute meme has been making the rounds on Facebook and Pinterest a couple of years ago. It suggests that prayer turns meek kittens into mighty lions. And it can. Most times it should. But how often do we experience this level of transformation when we pray?
I write this blog, partly in response to comments I’ve heard or read that belittle the effectiveness and the power of prayer. I talk a good game when it comes to prayer–I pray daily, I keep a prayer journal, I consider myself a prayer veteran, even a prayer warrior. I believe in the transformative power of prayer. So why do I often feel like a kitten both before and after prayer?
I’m afraid that, too often, I really don’t want to be transformed when I pray. I want to be heard; I want to be comforted; I want to be refreshed. But I don’t really want transformation. Transformation is not cute or comfortable–it hurts, it stretches. Transformation requires risk and commitment in the face of uncertainty. I want to be a kitten who thinks of herself as a lioness, but I want a cozy lap to rest on, and a bowl of gourmet cat food laid out for me. Kittens may wrestle with yarn or mice; lionesses wrestle with crocodiles and wildebeests. I want to lift up those in pain, those who struggle, those in need– but I want to do it from the comfort of my own quiet corner.
If my prayer life isn’t causing changes in every other aspect of my life, I need to be concerned. Prayer that never calls me into battle; prayer that leaves me feeling comfortable while others suffer..that isn’t really prayer. That is giving lip service without heart-service.
But I also need to be careful to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (See Romans 12: 1-3). Prayer should be transforming my heart and mind, but in Christ’s likeness. Christ, who is not only the Lion of Judah, but the Lamb of God. There are times when I should charge out of the prayer room, energized and ready for battle. But it must come from God’s spirit, and not my own pride or in conformity to the world’s pattern of fighting. Transformation doesn’t come about just because I say any prayer– it comes about as I walk and talk with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I don’t have the power to transform myself, nor do I have the power to decide the nature and speed of my journey.
I think sometimes, I see it as all or nothing– either I am running full speed ahead and making great conquests (Lioness), or I am mewling and helpless (Kitten). But God sees the bigger picture. Sometimes, we should enter the prayer room as kittens and leave like lions; other times we should enter as lions and leave as lambs– recognizing that our own roaring will never win the battle, and also recognizing that sometimes, in quiet obedience and sacrifice, we are doing what is necessary in the larger plan. What should never happen is that we go running into the prayer room eager and ready to serve, and come sauntering or swaggering out, puffed up with our own importance, but unmoved toward others.
So the challenge is to go into the prayer room, expecting to be transformed– by God, for God’s glory, into the people God wants us to be– expecting to be changed, stretched and challenged.
Pursuing Prayer 