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Prayer has always been a challenge for me, and some years ago I committed myself to reading one book on prayer each year. As result I have read some really wonderful books (some of which I have listed at the end of the blog for your interest). Many of these have had a really significant influence on my prayer life and the book I am reading this year is no exception. In fact “A Praying Life “ by Paul Miller is challenging my prayer life more than any of the great books I have read in recent years. I say “is challenging” because although I have now finished the book I am already realizing that there are parts I must return to and read again. For this reason I thought I would share some of Miller’s insights with you over the next few weeks.
In his foreword David Powlinson whets our appetite with these words
“IT’S HARD TO PRAY. It’s hard enough for many of us to make an honest request to a friend we trust for something we truly need. But when the request gets labeled “praying” and the friend is termed “God,” things often get very tangled up. You’ve heard the contorted syntax, formulaic phrases, meaningless repetition, vague non-requests, pious tones of voice, and air of confusion. If you talked to your friends and family that way, they’d think you’d lost your mind! But you’ve probably talked that way to God.”
Tragically yes I have and I catch myself doing it all the time! Paul Miller however knows that it’s not meant to be that way and he has learned the hard way. He shares the lessons he has learned in the most challenging of all environments, his family. He explains in the introduction:
“The meat of the book is the family stories I tell. They are not dramatic; they’re nitty-gritty tales of surviving and thriving in a world of stress and disappointment. As you watch us, I hope you experience the presence of Jesus.”
I most certainly have experienced His presence and so I hope you will join the conversation with me. Perhaps you might even get your own copy of the book; I promise you will not regret it. So when you listen to yourself praying does it sound like a conversation you would have with someone who knows and loves you?
Books I have read and have found to be a great blessing (Most of these I have read once and continue to dip into frequently):
“Deepening your Conversation with God” Ben Patterson
A wonderful account of a pastor’s struggle to build a meaningful prayer life. Honest and clear with many practical lessons.
“With Christ in the School of Prayer” Andrew Murray
Written in 1895 this book has lost nothing over time. Its 31 lessons provide an immensely valuable month’s devotional or you can just sit down and read it!
“The Papa Prayer” Larry Crabb
This book has changed my practice of prayer more than any other, and I nearly did not read it because I did not like the title! If you only read one book on this list make it this one!
“Falling in Love with Prayer” Mike Macintosh
A practical prayer guide from the heart of a pastor. Mike Macintosh was inspired to love to pray by his pastor Chuck Smith and he passes the lessons on to his readers along with his own developing experiences.
“Prayer- Does it make any Difference” Philip Yancey
In true Yancey style he asks the difficult questions and is never satisfied with easy answers. An extensive yet reasonably easy to read look at the challenge of communication with God.
“Experiencing Prayer with Jesus” Henry and Norman Blackaby
From a family of prolific authors this is a very helpful look at the prayer habits of Jesus as set out for us in scripture
“When God Prays” Skip Heitzig
This book is from the Billy Graham library and focuses on probably the most remarkable prayer of all time. It would take a lifetime to plumb the depths of John 17 but this is not a bad place to start.
“Too Busy Not to Pray” Bill Hybels
Great practical book. Can also be an excellent book to read with your spouse, a couple of friends or as a small group study. (If you can read two this is No 2!)
“Prayer“ O Hallesby
Translated into English by Clarence Carlsen in 1931, I found this book on a give away table of books culled from the library. I am so glad they gave it away. It is a treasure!
“When God doesn’t answer your prayers” Jerry Sittser
Sittser lost three members of his immediate family in a tragic drunk driving accident. His wrestling with this subject brings us insights tested in the fire
n a recent podcast the superb apologist and preacher Ravi Zacharias posited that, although we are so often preoccupied with the problem of pain, it is pleasure that presents the more subtle, and perhaps greater danger. He quotes Neil Postman’s analysis and comparison of the two classic “futurist “ works, “1984” by George Orwell and “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. In his social commentary entitled “Amusing Ourselves to Death” Postman concludes that experience is teaching us that perhaps Huxley was closer to the truth in concluding that apathy and irrelevance held greater potential danger than Orwell’s “Big Brother.”
Concluding this to be the case Zacharias asks the question if God intends for man to have pleasure and refreshment how can we know if the sources of these things we choose are legitimate? The key he suggests is to have a clear view of our goal, the one given us by Jesus. ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Luke 10:27. With this ultimate goal in mind he sets out three “tests” to use when evaluating pleasure and then three applications which follow from those tests.
Tests
- Anything that refreshes you, without distracting you from, or destroying your ultimate goal is a legitimate pleasure.
- Any pleasure that jeopardizes the sacred right of another is an illicit pleasure.
- Any pleasure, however good, if not kept in balance, will distort reality or destroy appetite.
Applications
1. All pleasure must be bought at the price of pain
True pleasure is paid for in advance but for illicit pleasure the price is paid afterwards.
2. Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain it comes from being weary of pleasure.
3. The closer you get to pure pleasure, the closer you get to the heart of God. Conversely the closer you get to illicit pleasure, the further away you get from the heart of God.
I find it rather frightening, in our entertainment driven culture, to use these standards to evaluate my activity. Is the love of God and my neighbor really the foundation of my day by day goals? Does the pleasure I allow myself in the consumption of food jeopardize the “sacred right “ of those whose lives are dominated by hunger? Are my pleasures in balance or are there times when I am ‘amusing myself to death?” I could go on of course but how about you?
… and I am certainly not willing to consider Charles Barkley’s caveat “…but I doubt it!” Yet again I have reason to be grateful to the IVP Book club! A little while ago my selection included a copy of “Invitations from God” by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. I did not pick it up at first but, at the recommendation of a friend, Maggie purloined my copy and began to read it. Pretty soon she was regaling me with quotes and finally insisting that I “really needed to read” this particular chapter. The title of the chapter “ An Invitation to Admit that I Might be Wrong.” I confess a little reluctance even though her recommendations are nearly always very worthwhile. However she was right and, you’ve guessed it, I was wrong!
As I mentioned during the sermon on Sunday I have now read this particular section of the book two or three times and I am ashamed to tell how many times I have recognized my own resistance in the pages. It strikes me how crucial this attitude is, not just for me, but how helpful it would have been for those who encountered Jesus during his three years of ministry. How often He tried to explain to them that He was not ignoring or abusing the law but fulfilling it. However their minds were made up and they were not willing to admit they might be wrong. Tragically our society today is riddled with people of all faiths and creeds (as well as none) who are similarly unwilling. The creationists who will give little credence to the discoveries of the research scientist and the biologist who will countenance any explanation of observed phenomena other than the existence of a supreme creator. But does that mean everything is optional and belief in truth is to be discouraged. I do not think so. A life in which we are unable to reach convictions and live by them would, in my opinion be colorless, confusing and perpetuate insecurity. Calhoun very helpfully explains it like this
This doesn’t mean we can’t know truth. It simply means we cannot be certain that our take on truth is absolute or that our judgments about others are absolutely right.
It is, however, our attitude that changes when we accept this invitation. We approach others with openness and receptivity that can only enhance and enable our witness for Jesus. We will find that we participate in conversations by really listening to others rather than using half an ear while our mind assembles the next facet of our irrefutable (of course!!) argument. One of the most challenging quotes from the chapter is the following:
The type of humility that admits you are wrong when you know you are wrong is confession. The humility that admits you might be wrong when you’re pretty sure you’re right is maturity. Without both types of humility, we become rigid and unteachable. Without both types of humility, relationships flounder and implode.
So the challenge for us is to locate those subjects upon which, for one reason or another, we are unwilling to consider the idea that we MIGHT be wrong and as the author encourages us, “Seek humility which acknowledges the limits of my knowing…” and “Seek teachability, which allows me to keep on growing and changing.”
I have to confess I find worship difficult! Why? Well, I love worship in church and we are so blessed to have wonderful worship musicians and a great worship leader, but it personal worship, when I am on my own, I find hard. Why I can’t seem to find a way to “adore” God as I sit by myself each morning?
However towards the end of last year I found something that has really helped. I started beginning my devotional time by listening to a couple of carefully selected worship songs. Three albums have been a particularly helpful so I wanted to share them with you.
No its not an attack of wishful thinking or a correction of my recent birthday; I am getting used to writing “60” when asked for my age. The number is a reference to Isaiah 58. Some time ago I wrote about the challenge of global poverty and shared a video that introduced an upcoming project by this name. Recently I received a second email detailing another stage in the project’s development and sharing some more initiatives.
In Isaiah 58 the prophet challenges us to examine the practice and motivation of our fasting. So for those who are part of New Life Christian Fellowship it occurred to me that our 21day fast is a wonderful opportunity to, once again, think about the hungry, those whose circumstances dictate that their life is a long enforced fast!.
Scripture makes it clear that Jesus had some priorities in His ministry, that I believe He expects His church to reflect. The poor, lonely, disenfranchised, and hungry, along with the lost are those to whom He came to bring “good news” (Luke 4:18-19). So take some time to explore the resources and information this project offers. Then let’s ask ourselves how our priorities line up with those that Jesus set. Is there any corrective action we should take?
The importance of choice has been a recurrent theme in my thinking so far this year. The amazing reality is, that God gives us the opportunity to choose whether we serve Him, obey Him, or indeed pay Him any attention at all. As I thought once again about choosing, I was reminded that often our choices include a decision not to choose. Sounds like a conundrum I know, but let me explain. 30 years ago when I gave up smoking it was an agonizing process, but the key was to make the choice that I was no longer going to make a choice. When offered a cigarette or confronted with the “ harmless” desire for “just one”, the choice that I wasn’t going to smoke had already been made. I chose not to “choose” any more but to practice reminding myself of the choice I had made.
The importance of this idea is that we can make choices when we are able to think carefully away from the situational pressures that can cause us to slip up before we know it. For instance are there particular circumstances when your own vulnerabilities sing their alluring melody; those things that always cause you to loose your temper, eat what you shouldn’t, or purchase something you don’t need or can’t afford? Remember, as the old chorus used to say, “ Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin!” Note- being tempted is not sin, only “yielding” and yielding is choosing. One of the most significant areas in which choosing not to choose makes an enormous difference is in the choices we make about sexual activity. If we make the choice to practice purity before we embark on a relationship, when the pressure is on we can fall back on a choice already made and so choose not to choose.
So as we respond each day to Joshua’s challenge to choose whom we are going to serve, are there some decisions we should make right at the outset? This will mean that as time goes on, there will not be so many “choices” but instead reminders of decisions made long ago.
Some times it feels like a “Christian diet,” or maybe a way of getting God’s attention so He will pay more attention to our prayers. Yes its that time again, time for what has become part of our pattern at New Life Christian Fellowship, time to start the New Year with a fast. Next Monday we will begin our 21day fast for 2012. Of course it’s not a weight loss program or an attention getting device neither is it something only for those who are especially spiritual. We do it to be obedient to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6. As part of His Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks of “when we give” v2, “when we pray”v5 and “when we fast” v16 . But why does Jesus say this is so important?
I believe God gave us a clue on January 1 when we thought about the way Joshua challenged the people of Israel to choose who they would serve Joshua 24. That choice is every bit as important for us today as it was then. If we are going to serve Jesus it is imperative that we set aside time to listen to Him and our time of fasting is just that, to free up time to give God our undivided attention.
To help in this process we have prepared a booklet, which gives some practical suggestions about how to prepare. At the end of this blog there is a list of additional programs and materials that you could use. The prayer meeting in my office each Wednesday provides a great opportunity encourage and pray for each other. There will be additional times when folk can pray and be prayed for at 5:30-6:30am in the “cry room next to the sanctuary (enter by the outside office door) and at the Quartermaine’s home (1336 Crespi Drive) each evening (except Wednesday) 7:30-8:30pm. Whether you come for 5 minutes or the whole hour is not important , they are times to help us focus on the task in hand.
I cannot emphasise enough the NEED TO PLAN. If you do not make a clear and specific plan truthfully it probably will not happen! IT is also very important to share with anyone who will be effected by any changes you make in your schedule so that it does not come as a surprise.
“Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point—a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory”. Oswald Chambers
It is my prayer that these three weeks will be one of those “major turning points” for each of us as individuals as well as our church fellowship.
Books and Additional Resources
“Fasting” and “The Fasting Edge” Jentzen Franklin
“Awakening, 21 days to revolutionize your relationship with God” Stovall Weems
(A limited quantity of these books will be available at the Information Table for $10)
http://www.markbatterson.com/uncategorized/21-day-prayer-challenge/
http://www.awake21.org/
The You Version Bible app has a 21 day fasting reading plan: http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/21-day-fast
To begin our new year and as we prepare for our fast on January 16th (more about that later) here are a few thoughts from the message last Sunday. The importance of “choosing” came home to me powerfully, the things that we choose to do and those we chose not to do! Often the latter is harder than the former and how are we supposed to make these choices.
As he approached the end of his life Joshua reminded the people of all the things God had done for them in the past, the promises He had kept, the words He had fulfilled, the grace and patience He had shown them. As we look back we can see so many amazing things that God has done in and with us and these should be a powerful encouragement to commit to all that he has for us in 2012. So lets remind ourselves of our mission statement and vision and ask our selves and each other challenging questions.
Our Mission: We exist to Connect, Grow and Serve
Our Vision: To be a church that is known in Pacifica, in the World and in Hell!
Connections
How is my “connection” with God? What am I doing to make it stronger and deeper? What connections have we made over the past year and how strong are they? What connections would God have me make in the coming year? Are their any connections that have be damaged or broken? What can I do to repair and heal the damage?
Growth
Ask someone (not a member of your fan club!)
Where have you seen me grow over the past year?
In which areas do you think I need to grow?
Then our choice of course is what am I going to do about it!!
Serve
Where am I serving? Where would God have me step up in the year to come? Will that mean setting something down or handing it off?
Our Covenant
We are drawn together as a church family by the covenant we make with God and with each other. Have you signed that covenant yet? Is that a step of commitment God would have you make this year?
Finally Joshua does not ask the people what they are going to do he asks who they are going to serve. I guess you could ask the same question in the form of a challenge I first heard from George Barna. This year Are we going to “go to” church or “be” the church. Will we make our first priority to listen to Him and obey? I guess the choice is yours and mine!
Here are a few more things that have made me think recently
“ have you been taking your MED’s”
This unusual quote is apparently a question that Andy Stanley frequently asks his colleagues. He mentioned it in a Leadership podcast when he was taking about the importance of leaders seeking and mentoring their successor’s . However as I thought about it the principle is applicable to almost every area of a Christian’s life. The letters stand for Modeling, Explaining and Demonstrating. It would seem that whether it is as parents, coworkers or leaders of groups small or large we live our lives in front of others. Are we modeling, explaining (when presented with the opportunity) and demonstrating the life of Christ?
He’s done it again, my daily reading of Oswald Chambers “ My Utmost for His highest so often grabs me by the throat so to speak!!!
“You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality of redemption. Instead, you will simply be turning intercession into useless sympathy for others, which will serve only to increase the contentment they have for remaining out of touch with God.” My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers,
Made me think about how I pray for people, am I asking God for full and complete redemption or will I be satisfied if things are just patched up?
“In God’s economy nobody is known for what they have; we are all known for what we have given away. We are known for how we have followed Jesus-down-to the point of giving our lives for others”. “Invitations from God” Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
Makes you wonder doesn’t it? I wonder what that means I will be known for, if I am known at all! How about you?
Yes you are right it’s an idea I had in the shower! I realized that I read and hear things frequently that make me think. Sometimes I tweet them, sometimes I highlight them, sometimes I make a note of them, and sometimes I either forget them or forget where I made the note! Then I remembered a comment made by Mark Batterson that if you write a blog it should be firstly for yourself. (I am sure that is not an accurate quote. Sorry Mark! but you get the idea). So there I was in the shower and all of sudden it came to me, why not write an occasional blog sharing some of these things. May be it will help me remember them and, who knows, you might appreciate them too. So here goes:
- 1. “You will accomplish more in the next two months developing a sincere interest in two people than you will ever accomplish in the next two years trying to get two people interested in you” ! !
Tim Sanders ( 5/10/06 Catalyst Podcast)
Never heard of him before but he has written a number of books including “ The Likeabilty Factor” which I think may be in my reading future!
- 2. “…for you are a slave to whatever controls you” 2 Peter 2:19
Hit me like a bolt from the blue in my quiet time, so I tweeted it along with a comment suggesting we might think about what controls us. No comments. I wonder why?
Maybe no one read it, but then maybe be we did not like what it made us think!
- 3. “…according to scientific research, seven-eighths of an iceberg lies below the water. When I think about the reality of sin in all of our lives, that photograph often comes to mind. … For many sincere Christians, spiritual maturity is about trying hard to decrease the size of the iceberg above the waterline. With a few sermons and some behavioral adjustments, we can manage to do just that. The end result is a superficial spirituality that will never change our lives much.
Alan Kraft. Good News for Those Trying Harder (p. 45). Kindle Edition.
‘Wow!’ and ‘Ouch!’ are about all I can say there.
So did anything above make you think?
From the Zebra Bag 