Pummeled by Prayer

Please notice that the title of this post is not "Pummeled in Prayer". That reality is actually part of the pummeling. The sad fact of the matter is that I would much rather read about and contemplate prayer than simply bowing my head and praying. Yet my growing conviction is even now asking "Why are you writing? Why aren't you praying?"

Over the past week or so, I've run across several blog posts, devotionals etc., that have highlighted the significance and the primacy of prayer in the life of a believer. And, while I've included excerpts from a few different sources below, there is really very little that is new, especially if you've tracked with my posts on prayer in the past. However, what is different for me, at least at this point in the game, is the Spirit-wrought conviction that I spend too little time actually praying. For me the concern has shifted from quality to quantity.

Yet, even as I write this and prayerfully consider my next words, a self-debate is raging. The quality of our prayers is important, isn't it? Isn't that why the Bible gives us multiple models, including Jesus himself? Aren't the motives and the directions of our hearts important as we approach the throne of God? I would answer yes to both of these and a dozen other considerations on getting the focus of our prayers right. Yet, if that focus some how debilitates our praying, we've lost the forest for the trees.

Another objection that is raising its head even now, is the fact that Jesus seems to discourage frequent, extended prayer (Mt 6:7). His model prayer is very short and compact. Maybe this is because he was in such deep communion with his father that a long diary of praises and requests was not needed. If Jesus (and us too) prayed regularly and frequently, then he (and we too) wouldn't need a "data dump". We would simply lift each prayer and praise to God as they came along.

It should be noted that of all the bible characters, the one who would appear to need prayer the least, it would have been Jesus. And yet, he is the one we see doing it the most, followed closely by the post resurrection disciples. For me, this highlights some of the most mind bending aspects of prayer. It is both simple and complex. It comprises both a moment and a season. It reflects both child-like faith and deep communion. I displays a complete dependence and a desire to petition the sovereign God of the universe. It is both humiliating and incredibly arrogant.

As I stated earlier, I wanted to share some of what I've read over the past few days that have conspired to shake me out of my prayer lethargy.

But, alas; how seldom can he do [prayer] as he would! How often does he find this privilege a mere task, which he would be glad of a just excuse to omit! and the chief pleasure he derives from the performance, is to think that his task is finished: he has been drawing near to God with his lips, while his heart was far from him. Surely this is not doing as he would when (to borrow the expression of an old woman here,) he is dragged before God like a slave, and comes away like a thief. - John Newton

Praying in the Holy Ghost is praying in fervency. Cold prayers ask the Lord not to hear them. Those who do not plead with fervency, plead not at all. As well speak of lukewarm fire as of lukewarm prayer-it is essential that it be red hot. It is praying perseveringly. The true suppliant gathers force as he proceeds, and grows more fervent when God delays to answer. The longer the gate is closed, the more vehemently does he use the knocker, and the longer the angel lingers the more resolved is he that he will never let him go without the blessing. Beautiful in God's sight is tearful, agonizing, unconquerable importunity. It means praying humbly, for the Holy Spirit never puffs us up with pride. It is his office to convince of sin, and so to bow us down in contrition and brokenness of spirit. We shall never sing Gloria in excelsis except we pray to God De profundis: out of the depths must we cry, or we shall never behold glory in the highest. It is loving prayer. Prayer should be perfumed with love, saturated with love-love to our fellow saints, and love to Christ. Moreover, it must be a prayer full of faith. A man prevails only as he believes. The Holy Spirit is the author of faith, and strengthens it, so that we pray believing God's promise. O that this blessed combination of excellent graces, priceless and sweet as the spices of the merchant, might be fragrant within us because the Holy Ghost is in our hearts! Most blessed Comforter, exert thy mighty power within us, helping our infirmities in prayer. - CH Spurgeon

But the hard truth is that most Christians don’t pray very much. They pray at meals—unless they’re still stuck in the adolescent stage of calling good habits legalism. They whisper prayers before tough meetings. They say something brief as they crawl into bed. But very few set aside set times to pray alone—and fewer still think it is worth it to meet with others to pray. And we wonder why our faith is weak. And our hope is feeble. And our passion for Christ is small. 

Is it true that intentional, regular, disciplined, earnest, Christ-dependent, God-glorifying, joyful prayer is a duty? Is it a discipline? You can call it that. It’s a duty the way it’s the duty of a scuba diver to put on his air tank before he goes underwater. It’s a duty the way pilots listen to air traffic controllers. It’s a duty the way soldiers in combat clean their rifles and load their guns. It’s a duty the way hungry people eat food. It’s a duty the way thirsty people drink water. It’s a duty the way a deaf man puts in his hearing aid. It’s a duty the way a diabetic takes his insulin. It’s a duty the way Pooh Bear looks for honey. It’s a duty the way pirates look for gold.

I hate the devil, and the way he is killing some of you by persuading you it is legalistic to be as regular in your prayers as you are in your eating and sleeping and Internet use. Do you not see what a sucker he his making out of you? He is laughing up his sleeve at how easy it is to deceive Christians about the importance of prayer. - John Piper

I do not deny that a man may pray without heart and without sincerity. I do not for a moment pretend to say that the mere fact of a person praying proves everything about his soul. As in every other part of religion, so also in this: there is plenty of deception and hypocrisy. But this I do say—that not praying is a clear proof that a man is not yet a true Christian. He cannot really feel his sins. He cannot love God. He cannot feel himself a debtor to Christ. He cannot long after holiness. He cannot desire heaven. He has yet to be born again. He has yet to be made a new creature. He may boast confidently of election, grace, faith, hope, and knowledge, and deceive ignorant people. But you may rest assured, it is all vain talk if he does not pray. - JC Ryle

I will stop here, in part, to pray. At this moment, that prayer is that the Spirit may use my words, the words of men much wiser and more prayerful than me and most of all the very words of God to bring us all into a deeper, more prayer dependent communion with Father through the grace and mercy of His Son, our Savior Jesus.

To God Alone be the Glory

Vote 2012

In 2010, I wrote the post below.  I stand by those thoughts today even more than I did then. And to them I would add one other.

There is a responsibility that comes with our rights. Whether those rights are God given or the result of the government system we are under, our rights lead to our responsibilities. So, not only do we have the right to vote on Nov 6, 2012, we have the responsibility to do so.

But rights and responsibilities go beyond voting. They include helping others when they are down and we are doing good. They include sharing our bountiful excess when others have nothing. And, they include defending the helpless and the hopeless, when we have both safety and security.

No one is more at risk than a baby in his or her mother's womb. And no deserves more protection from society and yes, the government. If I can be compelled to recycle to protect a defenseless environment or wear a seat belt to protect my defenseless self, how much more do the weakest and most precious members of humanity deserve our protection?

Please vote and pray for life.

To God Alone be the Glory

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On Nov 2, 2010, all Americans 18 years old and older will have the privilege to vote.  I typically avoid discussing political issues because I think such discussions can quickly slide from a pure Biblical perspective to a very humanistic one.  However, I feel compelled to share the thoughts of two of my heroes in the faith: John Piper and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I will let their words speak for themselves, but my prayer is that for true Christians, we would approach our privilege to vote prayerfully, seriously, humbly and very, very gratefully.  SDG

Piper:

No endorsment of a single issue qualifies a person to hold public office. Being pro-life does not make a person a good governor, mayor or president, but there are numerous single issues that disqualify a person from oublic office. For example, any candidate who endorsed bribery as a form of government efficiency would be disqualified, regardless of his party or platform. Or a person who endorsed corperate fraud would be disqualified no matter what else he endorsed. Or a person who said no black person could hold office--on that single issue alone he would be unfit for office. Or a person who said rape is only a misdemeanor--that single issue would end his political career. These examples could go on and on. Everybody knows a single issue that for them would disqualify a candidate for office.

You have to decide what those issues are for you. What do you think disqualifies a person from public office? I believe that the endorsement of the right to kill unborn children disqualifies a person from any position of public office. It's simply the same as saying the endorsement of racism, fraud or bribery would disqualify him--except that killing a child is much worse. -- The Godward Life, vol 1

Bonhoeffer:

"Destruction of the embryo in the mother's womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And this is nothing but murder." -- Ethics pg 206

Taste Bud Transformation

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2Co 5:14-17

I have a new quote to add to my list of favorites. I just read it in a post by Dane Ortland (read the whole thing here) on irresistible grace.

Irresistible grace is grace that softens us way down deep at the core of who we are. Taste bud transformation. In a miracle that can never be humanly manufactured, we find ourselves, strangely, delighting to love God.

This is a big God, with big grace

Here's the thing about the grace of God, the love of Christ and the power of the Spirit. We are not simply whitewashed tombs or dressed up corpses. In Christ we have been remade and reborn. We are not yet what we ultimately will be, but we are no longer what we were. We really are a new creation and we really do have a calling to walk in.

To God Alone be the Glory

Guard the Good Deposit

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. - 2 Tim 1:14

As I read this verse today, it dawned on me that there are several implications here for all of us who call ourselves disciples of Jesus. For now, I simply want to list them with a short comment or two. I pray God makes a connection for you with one or more of these and leads you into deeper study and prayerful reflection.

1) The good deposit is the gospel. This is fairly clear from the context, especially vv 9-10. I don't list this here to be pedantic, but because the gospel really needs to be first and central in everything we do. It really is the good deposit.

2) Whatever God is expecting of us in relation to the good deposit (ie the gospel), He is expecting it by and through the Holy Spirit. I have an ongoing, internal debate around my action vs my dependence on God, which is summed up beautifully in Phil 2:12-13. One thing that the Bible makes abundantly clear is that whatever God asks of us, He enables by his Spirit.

3) The gospel is worth guarding. This may seem redundant to the first item, but I think many of us might agree that the gospel should be central, but can easily step back from the fray when push comes to shove. Paul's day was no different than our day in this respect: someone is always looking to shade the gospel just a little. Add a little here. Trim a little there. Tweak something. Tune something. Polish something. Our command is simply to guard it. Protect it. Preserve it.

4) This responsibility has been entrusted to us. Some might argue that Paul is writing to Timothy as a pastor / mentor to an upcoming pastor. There is a sense in which this is true. However, there is a broader sense in which we all have pastoral roles, in families, Bible studies, friendships, so we too must take on this responsibility. Additionally, the call of discipleship is always to strive to be like the master. Or should I say the Master? Paul says in 1 Cor 11:1 "Imitate me as I imitate Christ" We can't walk on water, raise the dead or die for the sins of the world. But we can guard the gospel which has been entrusted to us.

5) Guarding isn't just a passive verb. I say this in equal parts as confession and exhortation. Guarding seems passive to me. I picture the night watchman, maybe walking the halls periodically, but mostly sitting around watching some cameras. I also picture some one disconnected to what he is guarding. Are they jewels or engine parts or food for orphans in Africa? The guard probably doesn't really care. But the gospel's claim on us is to care intensely and to guard it actively.

6) Finally, to come full circle, God is pulling this all together. Skip back 2 verses to 2 Tim 1:12 "I am convinced that he (God) is able to guard until that Day what he has entrusted to me"

So today, by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you and with confidence in the God who is accomplishing everything for His own purposes and glory, guard the good deposit of the gospel which has been entrusted to you.

To God Alone be the Glory

Hungry for God?

In hearing this excerpt from a recent sermon by John Piper, God reminded me of a couple things.

1) Come to church (or any time with God) hungry

I don't know what it is. Every time I'm reminded of this reality, it makes sense. Yet in this case, head knowledge rarely produces heart ache. I come to church the way I come to any other event. Glad to see friends. Excited to gather for corporate worship. Ready to hear God's Word preached. But am I really hungry? Am I starving for fellowship? Am I famished for worship? Am I craving God's Word?  Where is the expectation that only God can fill? Not just anticipation, because I can conjure up those feelings. No, where is my expectation that God will actually be present in our services (or Bible studies or devotions or prayers)? Where is my ravenous need to be filled with the food that only God can provide?

2) My lack of hunger is not because I am full of God

Here's the thing about being hungry for God. I think we are completely deceived about why it may be missing from our experience. Maybe we've have an occasional encounter with a deep, gnawing hunger for God, but in general, I think its safe to say we all live feeling quite full. Why is that? Have we really experienced so much of God that we have all of Him that we could possibly want or need? Is He a spiritual miser that doles out one bread crumb at a time? If its not these things, then what is it?

Reflect on the conscience-jabbing words of John Piper:

If you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. God did not create you for this. There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened. . . .

The more deeply you walk with Christ, the hungrier you get for Christ . . . the more homesick you get for heaven . . . the more you want "all the fullness of God" . . . the more you want to be done with sin . . . the more you want the Bridegroom to come again . . . the more you want the Church revived and purified with the beauty of Jesus . . . the more you want a great awakening to God's reality in the cities . . . the more you want to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ penetrate the darkness of all the unreached peoples of the world . . . the more you want to see false worldviews yield to the force of Truth . . . the more you want to see pain relieved and tears wiped away and death destroyed . . . the more you long for every wrong to be made right and the justice and grace of God to fill the earth like the waters cover the sea.  (A Hunger for God, 23)

All of that to say "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." (Mt 5:6)

To God Alone be the Glory

It Starts With A Humble Heart

I have been blessed by a series of posts on the Gospel Coalition web site by Paul Tripp. And while his focus is primarily on folks in ministry, there is much truth and application to those who are not.  Here is one sample from his latest post, If You Still Think You've Arrived:

You live in the middle of the "already" and the "not yet." There is temptation all around. In the middle you are still susceptible to its draw. In the middle there is still an enemy lurking around looking for his next meal. In the middle we are capable of self-deceit and personal delusion. In the middle we still need to be rescued from ourselves. In the middle we must always live humble, concerned, and protective lives. In the middle we constantly need grace's rescue.

How true is this? I almost feel as if Tripp is writing about me. I think this because he has tapped into a reality that we all face, whether we admit it or not. By God's grace, we can (and do) face these temptations, but how often do we forget that we need to fight with the armor that Christ himself provides (Eph 6:10-20)?

My plea to God is for a serious reordering, refocusing of my own view of who He is, Father, Son and Spirit and who I am, a man of dry bones, dust and ashes. Can we be instruments in the Master's hands? Absolutely! And we should allow Him to make music with and through us. But we must always remember that even a Stradivarius receives its glory not from itself, but from the One who made it and the One who plays it.

Let me conclude with a final quote from Tripp:

The great spiritual war doesn't only rage outside of us. There is ample evidence every day that it still rages inside of us. Gospel-driven, Christ-centered ministry, one that gives grace to those who hear, doesn't start with theological knowledge; it starts with a humble heart. It starts with recognition of your own need and the acknowledgment that you and I are more like than unlike the people to whom God has called us to minister. And for this we have the grace of Jesus.

To God Alone be the Glory

An Application to Divine Wealth

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. - Phi 4:6

Any who know me, know that I have grappled with prayer most of my Christian life. Its not that I have devalued it or questioned it. Its more that as I sought to grasp it so I could rightly practice it, I've continually realized that prayer is much bigger, much more dynamic, and much more intrinsic to our walk with Christ than I realized. And this "unfolding mystery" of prayer simply keeps coming at me.

A few days ago, I was blessed to read in CH Spurgeon's Morning by Morning devotional the following:

The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson for such proud beings as we are. If God gave us favours without constraining us to pray for them we should never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness. The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits; and hence the use of prayer, because, while it adores God, it lays the creature where it should be, in the very dust.

This perspective on prayer, while maybe not new, is certainly not what is usually in the forefront of my mind. It is great reminder and prayer is a great reminder, that we are the utterly dependent ones and that God is the only sufficient One. Oh, how I need this reminder, day after day!

To God Alone be the Glory