Afraid to Pray?

Are you ever afraid to pray? Afraid that God will not hear, or worse yet, that God will hear but reject your prayers?

The Bible has much to say about fear and our worship of God and in our conduct before God. We are supposed to have a healthy “fear of the Lord.” After all, God is Sovereign. He holds absolute power over life and death, both in this life and throughout eternity! We should have the kind of awe and respect we have for one whose power is so great. We fear forces of nature, such as fire, floods, earthquakes and tornados. We should be afraid of God’s power in relation to our own. But what does this mean in relation to prayer? Does fear have any place in our pursuit of prayer?

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:16-19 (ESV)

The “fear of the Lord” has to do with God’s power and authority to punish sin. We live in a fallen, sinful world, and we are fallen, sinful people. Our natural response is that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden– to hide from God, and try to avoid His righteous judgment against us. Those whose consciences have been seared will lose this healthy and natural fear– they will be proud in their defiance against God. They will say that God is not sovereign or Holy; that He does not have the power to judge them; that they can “bargain” with God about their eternal destiny– they will even deny His very existence. Others will claim that God is Holy, but not “Good.” They claim that He is disposed to judge harshly; that He is vindictive and without mercy; that He demands too much of us. On the other end of the spectrum, Christians and others can become so disposed to seeing God as their friend and advocate that they forget His awesome Holiness and Power. Christians have no reason to be afraid of God, but we have every reason to stand in AWE of Him!

The Truth of God, as revealed in Jesus Christ is that God is LOVE– perfect and everlasting Love! While He has the power and the authority to judge, it is His desire to lavish mercy on us! Such love should compel us to run TO God, rather than run away from Him! We fall on our knees in worship and adoration, not in abject terror.

So what could still cause us to be afraid to pray?

Perhaps we are still in sin, or we have strayed back into sin. Christ has already paid the penalty for Sin– it has no real power over the believer who “abides in God.” But it still has the power to draw us away from God and damage our relationship so long as we hide it, refuse to confess it, or repent of it. Even as we know that Christ has paid the price for our Sin, we also know that we need to abide in His Love to grow into a more perfect relationship with Him.

Perhaps we are holding on to old patterns of thinking and old guilt. Satan is an accuser. Even after we have confessed our sin and received God’s forgiveness, Satan will try to keep us enslaved to our guilt and shame. He will try to bring it to mind, or have others treat us with condemnation or condescension, so that we feel unforgiven or unlovable. We need to follow the advice of the Apostle Paul:

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)

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God’s love is PERFECT. But our love is not. Sometimes we are praying, not out of love, but out of duty or even selfish motives. We pray for God to give a green light to our wants and desires and plans, rather than listening for His wisdom and grace in our situation. We pray for God to “change” that person who annoys us or persecutes us, rather than praying for God’s blessing on them, and listening to the ways He may want to “change” us! Sometimes we cannot see the wisdom of an outcome we don’t like, and we are afraid of the unknown path we must take– even with God’s continued presence by our side.

We don’t have to be afraid to pray. But when we feel apprehensive, it may be a sign that we NEED to pray–honestly telling God what He already knows and asking for the grace and wisdom to listen to what He so lovingly wants to tell us.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (CSB)

June 5, 2024 0

Over There…

Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there,
That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming everywhere.
So prepare, say a prayer,
Send the word, send the word to beware,
We’ll be over, we’re coming over,
And we won’t come back till it’s over over there.
“Over There” by George M. Cohan, 1917

In 1917, as war was raging in Europe, songwriter George M. Cohan wrote a song urging young men in America to take up arms and fight in a war that seemed remote and unconnected with American interests (at that time). Americans were reading about the atrocities and massive numbers of dead and dying in the fields and trenches of France, Germany, Belgium, and Russia (among other places), and they were moved to do something bold and dramatic. Little could they imagine the true horror that awaited them in the mud- and blood-covered lands across the sea. Driven by emotion, rage, and a certain optimism that came from being an emerging “world power,” the “Yanks” swept into Europe, and they fought and died to bring an end to “the war to end all wars.”

Of course, they didn’t abolish war– less than a generation later, Europe and Asia were engulfed in World War II. Wars have been almost constant– somewhere in the world– throughout history. Violence, vengeance, terror, torture, oppression and lawlessness well up and spill over all the time. Just over the past weekend, terrorists carried out vicious attacks on Israel, and Israel has responded with vicious retaliation.

The soldiers who went “over there” in WWI and WWII were no safer or braver or smarter than the many thousands who had already died. They arrived, and they were forced to march through mud, suffer through trench warfare, breathe in deadly mustard gas, and risk dying in order to bring peace–just like their European counterparts. Many of them died within days, never knowing the outcome of their sacrifice. And many of them were too young to remember first-hand stories of our own horrible Civil War and the devastation in our own land, or the full-scale destruction of the Napoleonic, Germanic, and Crimean wars of the nineteenth century.

I have seen memes and posts, sent from Americans, asking for prayers for Israel, prayers for Gaza, prayers for Palestine, and prayers for peace in the Middle East. We are moved and horrified by what we see and hear on TV or over the internet. Some of us are moved to pray; some are moved to seek governmental or even military intervention. And this is natural– we can only imagine what horrors have already taken place, and what others await as the violence continues to escalate.

But, in another sense, it is all happening– “Over There.” We see footage of atrocities– families being ripped apart or slaughtered in front of cameras– many recorded precisely to amplify the terror of their actions. But we sit in comfort and safety. We imagine that such viciousness would not happen in our own neighborhood; would not affect our own families–not that it NEVER could; but that it would not– not here; only “over there.” The Middle East, or central Africa, or Eastern Europe.

Among American Christians, there is a dangerous mindset that such atrocities might not happen here because we are a “Christian” nation, or just because of our geographical distance from some of the current “hot spots.” But God has no sacred contract with the United States. There is nothing sacred about the North American continent that God will not allow terror to overwhelm us (We should know this from 9/11)! He does not “owe” us His sovereign protection; we do not “deserve” a pass on hard times, violent conflict, or upheaval. And we must resist the urge to “explain” away such horror. “Oh, they’ve always had conflict in the Middle East.” “Well, if ________(event) hadn’t happened, this wouldn’t have been necessary.” There were many here in America who tried to rationalize the wars of the 20th century by referring to colonialism and reparations– as though war and violence, genocide and massive destruction are rational acts.

We SHOULD be praying for the region of Israel and Gaza– as well as the conflicts going on elsewhere around the world. We should speak out against the horrors and atrocities of terrorism and war– wherever we find them. But we must do so with the humility and humanity that recognizes the following:

God is still sovereign– these attacks and retaliations have not taken God by surprise. The chaos and bloodshed break His heart– but they do not change His plans, or alter His Holiness, or nullify His mercy. We can pray with hope and confidence in His timing and judgment, but we cannot pray in our own “righteous” opinions or knowledge. He is God– We are NOT.
God sends rain and sunshine on both the “righteous” and the “wicked.” We can take sides in any conflict, but we cannot know God’s full plan or His purposes in letting conflict arise, or letting it continue. Our prayers should reflect that, even as we pray for peace.
God’s message to us is the same as always– Trust Him and Obey His Word. Go, and preach the Gospel; make disciples, and BE disciples. Whether we are called to fight, to provide help and support, or even to wait in silence, we need to seek God’s wisdom, not our own.
God Loves Israel with an everlasting covenant–that does not mean that God does not love other nations and peoples, but it should cause us to remember that His covenant is with the descendants of Abraham and Isaac– not because they are holier or more worthy of His love, but because God chose them to be an example of His Mercy and His Wrath.
God is omnipresent– He is WITH all those who are suffering during this time. He is not willing that any should perish, not willing that any should succumb to hatred and destruction. Yet He is willing to allow for free will and giving people a chance to repent and turn from the path of violence and death. And, if such horrors rise up “over here,” God will still be the same God, the same all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful, and all-gracious God He is now, and always has been.

October 13, 2023 0

Flee!

As we bid goodbye to September and enter October, we are entering the season of Halloween and horror movies. I’m not too fond of this cultural phenomenon–I don’t like horror movies, and, while I don’t mind handing out candy to kids dressed up in clever costumes, I’m not thrilled about kids and adults “celebrating” witches, vampires, zombies, etc..

While I don’t watch horror movies, or read horror novels, I have noted what others have told me about them. One of the strangest phenomena they report is the seeming inability of innocent people to escape the horror stalking them. This is sometimes part of the horror and the plot, but often, the “victim” has many chances of running away– but never does! (Or they wait until it is too late.) In fact, movie-goers often report the audience will sometimes yell at the characters to, “Run!” But they simply stand, fascinated or paralyzed by fear, waiting for their doom to catch up to them. Of course, this adds to the suspense of a fictional scenario, but it sets a terrible example for real life.

Recently, I heard an interesting and disturbing parallel in reports about real “victims” from a public safety official. He said that in various crime scenes, like those involving a violent confrontation or an active shooter, many people who could reach safety, don’t. This is because they continue to watch the horror unfolding around them. They do nothing to stop it; nothing to avoid it; nothing to protect themselves. In fact, some of them take out their phones and start filming it–creating their own “real-life” horror movie. Instead of taking common sense precautions, they seem more interested in watching the “story” unfold, as if it had no power to touch them. Normally compassionate people will watch someone else being bullied, tortured, harassed, and even killed without calling for help or protecting themselves or others who could be pulled into the violence.

There is nothing “entertaining” about violence and evil. There may be something instructive about watching evil being defeated, or violence being stopped, but there is greater wisdom in avoiding evil and violence in the first place. Evil should not make us curious– it should repulse us, and make us want to flee. Seeing a rattlesnake coiled and hissing should not cause us to reach out and try to pet it! Watching someone waving a loaded gun around should not cause us to whip out our phone and record it for later viewing.

As Christians, we are warned to “flee from temptation” in the same way we are urged to flee from danger and horror. When we know something is evil, harmful, unwholesome, corrupt, poisonous, and unholy, we are to have nothing to do with it. This is not because we feel powerless in the face of evil. God is with us in any situation. But we are to stay away from situations and relationships that threaten our ability to do what we know to be honest, compassionate, and “right.” Jesus warned His disciples to “watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 ESV) And in The Lord’s Prayer, He prayed that we would not be led into temptation, but delivered from evil. (Matthew 6:13) Jesus wasn’t saying that we should live in perpetual fear; rather that we should make it a priority to avoid ANYTHING that would draw us away from the goodness and mercy of God. Even in our prayers, we should ask God to keep us on the path of righteousness and keep us away from temptation and failure. Common sense alone will not keep us from dangerous behaviors like flirting with sin or dabbling in danger. God will provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13), but how much better to avoid the need for constant rescue!

As this season approaches, I pray that God would keep me far from the path of evil. I don’t want to be like the “victim” in a horror film, paralyzed by fear or fascination, while sin and death come stalking. Nor do I want to be the bystander, filming someone else’s pain and torture instead of seeking help and protection. The spirit indeed is willing– willing to fight against evil; willing to grapple with it; willing to learn more about it; willing even to flirt with it. But the flesh is weak and vulnerable to deception, traps, and failure.

We are not to follow after the empty promises of temptation–“thrills and chills,” titillation, “secret” knowledge, “spine tingles,” etc.. Instead, we are to seek the sure promises of a Loving God– His guiding presence, His joy, His eternal Love, and His abundant Life.

Flee temptation; Run to Jesus!

September 30, 2022 0

Holy Terror

It’s the end of October, and tomorrow will be Halloween. Stores and houses around the neighborhood are decorated with frightening figures of skeletons, witches, ghosts, and gravestones. Some of my friends love this time of year, and they look forward to binge-watching movies about zombies or vampires– anything scary, spooky, or terrifying.

I don’t like Halloween. I don’t like scary movies. But I believe in the value of fright. Life is filled with things–natural and supernatural– that fill us with real fear. And that is as it must be in a fallen world. Sin and death, evil and darkness, fires, earthquakes, violence and plague–they are real and should produce both fear and caution. The Bible is not silent or dismissive of such things. God’s laws warn against evil spirits, calling on the dead, consulting with witches, fortune telling, even giving in to anger, envy, and hatred. God’s laws also provide for hygienic practices to ward off disease and plague.

And yet, the Bible also gives hundreds of warnings against giving in to fear and letting it control our lives. We are to be cautious and wise where fear is concerned. Over all, we are to remember that God is bigger and more powerful than our fears. God can calm storms, put out fires, even conquer disease and death! There is no power, no force, no terror, that can overwhelm God, or touch those under His protection.

Terror holds no power in God’s presence. Therefore, if we know God, we can experience no true terror. But where there is no God, terror will reign. It’s like the saying: “No God; No Peace–Know God; Know Peace”. Terror comes with darkness, with chaos, with lawlessness and loneliness.

There is only one other kind of terror– a Holy Terror. We can be terrified by the awesome Holiness of God. It is altogether more powerful and alien than anything we can even imagine. Even for those who know God, there is the knowledge that God is GOD, and we are not worthy to look on His face or enter into His presence on our own. Normally, when we think of terror, we think of things that are very unholy–evil things; supernatural forces of darkness. Yet Holiness can also inspire terror because it causes us to see our own unworthiness; our own sin and failure. I am reminded of the “face-melt” scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark– Nazis, who have been fearlessly and relentlessly pursuing the Ark of the Covenant, believing that it holds supernatural powers they can use to gain power over life and death, are suddenly and horrifically destroyed when they gaze inside–as they come in contact with the very Glory of God, their terror is absolute, and they are destroyed by its presence.

This season, may we celebrate that God, in His awesome and mighty power, constantly reminds us that we can “Know” Him without fear; instead of running, cowering, or melting, we can come to Him with confidence and joy! And in doing so, we can face any other terror, knowing that God is with us, and for us, and even filling us with His peace! We need not be filled with Holy Terror– instead, we can be filled with the Holy Spirit!

October 30, 2020 0

Thy Rod and Thy Staff, They Comfort Me

I don’t know about anyone else, but this phrase always made me feel uncomfortable. Growing up, I thought of rods and staffs (staves?) the same way I thought of the teacher’s wooden paddle at school– something to be avoided at all costs. They didn’t comfort me one bit; instead, they inspired fear and loathing. “Spare the rod and spoil the child (Proverbs 13:24)*,” meant that someone was due for a spanking. Spanking was in fashion when I was young, though my parents used it extremely rarely, and the dreaded teacher’s paddle never touched my tiny terrified tush. A rod, staff, switch, paddle, or hand– all were threats of punishment– sometimes inspiring fear and even resentment.

And yet, in all my youth, I never stood in fear of my parents. They never beat me, or spanked me without cause, or withheld loving forgiveness and reconciliation. Their discipline, which rested almost exclusively with other methods, was for my benefit– teaching me to respect just authority, recognize the limits of my will, and develop patience, compassion, and responsible behavior.

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God does not hold the rod and staff as instruments of terror. God’s love and wisdom are infinitely greater than the love and wisdom of human parents. And God’s sovereignty and authority are infinitely greater than that of any ruler or earthly power we know. God’s rod and staff are not weapons to be used against us. Instead, they are the symbols of authority and tools of our Good Shepherd. His staff is like the scepter of the King of Kings, or the staff of a warrior. He will gently use the rod to direct our steps or keep us from going off the path. And he will use the staff to protect us from the advances of the enemy. He has the authority to use these tools, and the grace and wisdom to use them for our good.

During times of trial and confusion, the Shepherd’s authority should bring us enormous comfort. When disease and fear are closing in, when we travel down the valley of the shadow of death, when evil seems to be prowling, stalking, and ready to pounce– we have a Shepherd who has every resource to keep them from devouring us. Circumstances like the current pandemic are not sent by God to terrorize us. In fact, God holds the rod and staff in hand– He has set the limits of COVID-19; He has provided (and will provide) opportunities for us to learn many good lessons and see many astonishing developments– treatments, protocols, cooperative efforts– that will be for our ongoing benefit; for those who do get ill, suffer loss, or even die from COVID-19, He gives grace and peace to those who seek Him. He comforts us in ways that go beyond our natural understanding.

One of my favorite stories is The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkein. In this saga, the wizard, Gandalf, always carries a staff. It looks harmless enough– a walking stick in the hands of an old man. But when faced with an enemy, or when members of the Fellowship are threatened, Gandalf uses his staff effectively to chase away shadows, defend his friends, and battle the most fearsome of monsters. Gandalf is no threat to the frightened Hobbits, or even to the mad king Theoden. But to the traitorous Saruman and wicked steward, Denethor, he stands in fearless opposition. That doesn’t mean that the Hobbits never face danger or that Gandalf fights all their battles for them. And, because Gandalf is not all-powerful and omniscient, he cannot guarantee their ultimate victory. But his presence is enough to instill hope and comfort wherever he goes.

God will let us see uncertain days– days when things look grim and we don’t see how anything good can come of our circumstances. But one thing is certain–our God is ever-present, and more than able to bring us hope, peace beyond understanding, joy, and comfort along the way– no matter, where; no matter what!

Note–If we see the “rod” and “staff” only as instruments of punishment, we are missing the point of this proverb. If we “spare” the rod of authority– never providing discipline and correction or teaching respect and responsibility– that is when we spoil the child. And whatever one’s views about corporal punishment, it should never be used to promote terror or abuse.

March 20, 2020 0

Holy Terror

All Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween, brings out the fearsome, garish, gory, scary, and macabre in many people. Movies, costumes, and stories concentrate on death, mystery, nightmares, ghosts, and terror.

I am not a fan of horror in any of its forms. I don’t like to be scared, startled, tricked, haunted, or frightened. I don’t like seeing others being terrorized, tortured, or hurt.

So it is with great interest and some surprise to find that the Bible tells us to fear. Of course, it also tells us NOT to fear– several times, in fact. We are told that we need not fear the future (Matthew 6:34), struggles, battles, or long journeys (Joshua 1:9), shame or disgrace (Isaiah 54:4), terror, evil, and the “shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4), actual death, angels or demons (Romans 8:38), or anyone at all (Psalm 27:1; Psalm 188:6). But there is one fear the Bible does nothing to dispel.

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There is a Holy terror that comes from the recognition that God is Holy– and we are NOT. There is a very real, very terrible chasm separating us from an eternally sinless and perfect God. There is nothing we can do on this side of the chasm to close the gap– no way to escape the eternal. hopeless and horrific state of being separated from all that is good, and noble, and peaceful, and joyous. In life, we get glimpses of glory–flashes of amazing grace at work in the world around us. Even though we live in a fallen world, we do not live in a place rejected or abandoned by God.

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This should cause us to have a healthy “fear” of God– a soul-deep awe of His “Other-ness”, His Authority, and His Pre-eminence. And it should give us a terror of remaining in separation from Him– especially as He offers the very restoration and renewal we can never achieve for ourselves. And He offers it as a free gift to ANYONE who will receive it!

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Far from trying to “scare someone into Heaven,” sermons and admonitions about Hellfire and eternal damnation are meant as very real warnings with real and eternal consequences. No horror on earth can compare with an existence devoid of all joy, peace, love, light, help, and hope–and filled with the knowledge of “all that might have been.” Zombies, vampires, ghouls, and monsters can terrorize in the movies for an hour or two, or in books for a week or more, but what makes people willing to entertain such horrors is the latent hope that we will close the book cover, exit the theater, and wake up from the nightmares presented there. The idea that Good will eventually triumph; that order, peace, and justice can be restored; that love conquers all, and “something” will survive, re-emerge, and carry on into the future. All of these hopes are possible because God exists and is eternal. When we reject God’s authority; His sovereign direction and His call to salvation, we reject all that comes with it. While we live on His earth, we will still see the glimpses of glory– we can pretend that it is enough for now, or choose to settle for false “hope” of emptiness in death. But we cannot escape the search for meaning and purpose that drives us to build and plan for a future we have never seen; nor can we know the peace that comes from looking forward and seeing more than darkness, doubt, and destruction.

October 31, 2018 0

Tag: Terror

Afraid to Pray?

Over There…

Flee!

Holy Terror

Thy Rod and Thy Staff, They Comfort Me

Holy Terror

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