Oct 1, 2007 – Today is the first day of a new 40 Days journey. You can imagine my joy, I’m sure. Seriously though, I think there will be less sarcasm this time around because we’re going through a non-Rick Warren series!
The catch phrase for this study revolves around the definition of prayer. Our author reveals that “prayer is the conversational part of the most important love relationship in our lives, our relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” I’m interested to see if this series can successfully validate and give credence to this definition. I’m not opposed to the definition; rather, I’m intrigued to see how it stands the test of Scripture.
Finally, this lesson opens a few questions that are worth consideration. Prayer is an easily over-looked aspect to a healthy and fruitful Christian life. I’m not sure I’m ready to say that a person’s prayer life is a good barometer of how they are doing spiritually. I don’t think there is good Scriptural evidence to back that claim, or any other metric analysis of spirituality. Is spirituality anthropocentric (man centered)? Should I be worried about the authors question, “What more could you do to deepen your friendship with God?”
Key take-aways for me from this lesson:
Pray with Psalm 16 on your heart.
Oct 2, 2007 – This lesson presents a crucial point that we should all take away from this 40 Days. Prayer is one of the ways that God comes to us in a personal way. He initiates the conversation through the inspiration and leading of the Holy Spirit.
I find that I am just terrible at remembering things that I ought to pray for. Unlike our author, I never really thought that I had to think up things to pray. Instead, I assumed that because nothing came to mind, then I there wasn’t a need to pray. He seems to indicate that he knew he should be praying, but actual petitions eluded him. For me somewhat the opposite; if I couldn’t think of a petition, then there was no need to converse.
I find it extremely comforting that God engages me in prayer. Understanding prayer as something I initiate results in a very shallow experience. Having confidence in the Holy Spirit to guide prayer focuses my attention where God wants me to focus. It opens my eyes to His will for my life, and it prepares my heart to accept instruction.
Oct 3, 2007 - This is good lesson for raising awareness of God's active engagement in the joy we have in life. It seems to simplistic to say that God is the source of good things. It goes way deeper then that... there is a magnificence about it that is too easily lost and forgotten. The joy we have because of God's grace and mercy should lead us revel and bask in His goodness and greatness.
This really boils down to using your prayer time to worship God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Worship Him for His great work in Creation. Worship Him for every great thing in your worldly lives. Worship Him for every great treasure being stored up in our eternal lives.
Oct 4, 2007 - Good points, bad approach. Here we go.
Please, read the full story in Exodus 17. It is a great record of how God provides for Israel in a great and powerful way. It is not a guide to better prayer, and it definitely isn't proof that God needs us to pray in order for Him to work among us.
The title really puts me off... God is able to do far more than we could ever ask - including things we don't ever ask. When it comes to corruption and evil in our world, God is hindering those powers... He put King Nebuchadnezzar in his place, and as a result the king spoke what is written in Daniel 4:35. He also moves greatly in a variety of instruments to accomplish His Will (Exodus 8; Exodus 10:1-20; Numbers 21:6; Numbers 22:28; Joshua 24:12; Jeremiah 1).
Now, I'm not saying that we should all stop praying and blindly expect God to handle all the corruption and evil around us, but I also don't think God is sitting by waiting for us to to call on Him. His Will is being carried out despite of us. All I'm saying is that the point we should take away from the lesson is that we can and should petition God to fight for us in the battles that threaten the extension of His Kingdom, and that threaten our safety, just like he fought for Israel in that passage.
The lesson brings up praying for the closing of crack houses, the restoration of broken marriages, the reduction of crime rates, and everywhere the Powers of Darkness are damaging our culture, our neighborhoods, our children, and our lifestyles. We have astounding testimonials in our congregation of abortion clinics having been shut down as a result of intense prayer for God to act. With God, all things are possible. He doesn't need our prayers to nudge Him into action... He can (and is) defending us from Evil in ways we may never understand. We need to confidently request God fight for us in these battles... not because He won't if we don't, rather, because He is the only One who can win the fight.
Oct 5, 2007 - Do you struggle with confidence in prayer? I used to. I didn't really have a good reason to believe that God would really listen to what I was asking for. I figured the whole "Thy Will be done" thing was more for consoling me when my will wasn't done. "Ah God's Will trumped mine again... guess I have to deal with it. He is God". It wasn't until the Holy Spirit revealed to it to me did I really begin to pray confidently. The revelation is that we have access to God through Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension.
That is also what I see coming through this lesson. Access to the Throne of is an awesome privilege to carry. Jesus paid a huge price for us to have that free and total access. I don't think I'm ready to picture myself in the Throne room of God, where Jesus sits at God's mighty right hand. It is too overwhelming to imagine. But that doesn't stop me in trusting that Jesus access to the Throne is my access to the Throne.
I really like how this lesson encourages us to intercede on behalf of others. It makes me think of the burden of the superhero - "I must use my powers for Good and not Evil" or "With great strength comes great responsibility". The big take away for me here is to trust that in Jesus, I can pray for anyone's needs and trust that He will work to help them.
Feel free to send your comments. Just remember to speak the truth in Love!
© 2007-2010 - Jonathan E. Kuhl