protection

What would I desire?

praying our desire

Interesting to note the different outcomes between Isaac looking for a wife and Jacob’s search for one.  Isaac was subject to his father and had the wisdom of him and his servant as well as the financial means. Prayer was the key in the entire process. Jacob on the other hand went off on his own with at least his father pointing the way but with no financial resources. Jacob chose a woman of amazing beauty and ended up having to bargain his life for her. He also omitted prayer other the bargaining one he offered at the beginning of his trip. He gave no consideration to character and did not seek counsel. He did not even know he was breaking the customs of the day by choosing the younger sister in the family.

Esther again comes up as a model and challenges me on my prayer walk. How am I motivated, what prayer would I pray to save someone’s life, or what desire would I seek above all others?

“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked. “Tell me what you want, and you shall have it—even if it is half my empire.”

Esther replied, “If it please Your Majesty, I would like you and Haman to be my guests tonight at a banquet I am preparing for you.” – Esther 5:3-4 GNT

 She prayed for the safety and protection of her people. I am challenged for there are so many I know that will not be safe or protected for they do not know Jesus. If I believe prayer changes things, then this type of prayer that Esther models is the kind of prayer I need to be praying.

If I can believe for their salvation, why not believe for times where those who need a touch from God receive it through prayer.

Publius’ father was in bed, sick with fever and dysentery. Paul went into his room, prayed, placed his hands on him, and healed him. – Acts 28:8 GNT

I believe this is what it looks like to walk in the kingdom of God.

“Almost two years ago, while discussing with my colleagues the outcomes of some research concerning the practices of everyday life, we observed that many people assert that they pray regularly. This outcome is surely no surprise. Wishing to investigate this theme in depth, however, I  have found that in sociology there are relatively few studies about this specific aspect of religiosity. This is especially surprising, since in virtually all studies of the sociology of religious behaviour it is clearly apparent that a very high percentage of people declare they pray every day – and many say even many times a day.” – Giuseppe Giordan, Toward a Sociology of Prayer

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching me to pray

I see a lot of private prayer in Jesus’ life. So it comes as no surprise that this is a key action in how I pray.

But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. – Matthew 6:6 GNT

There is also something to be said for speaking plainly and simply.

“When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long.  Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6: 7-8 GNT

When I start praying to God in my private space the same way I pray when surrounded by believers, I am in trouble. I should pray around believers the same way I pray to God in private. Praying is simply expressing what is on my heart to God.

Isn’t the idea – I need to pray – so who cares what it sounds like. If God likes it that is all that matters.

Look, prayer is spilling your guts. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It doesn’t have to be tidy. It doesn’t have to be particularly eloquent or even particularly intelligent…Spilling our guts in prayer is how we process God’s words to us. Prayer is how we interact with our friend Jesus. – Jared Wilson

The Lord’s Prayer really encourages me to pray about all areas of my life. It brings to my attention how I pray regarding my life with God and my life with others.

“The Lord’s Prayer stretches from the Father at the beginning to the devil at the end, from heaven to hell, and in between in six brief petitions everything important in life” Frederick Bruner

I am learning how to pray about God.

Our Father in heaven:
    May your holy name be honored;
 may your Kingdom come;
    may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. – Matthew 6:9-10 GNT

I want to pray that God’s reign will become a reality in my own world.

Then I am encouraged to pray about people, and about life.

Give us today the food we need.[a]
 Forgive us the wrongs we have done,
    as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
Do not bring us to hard testing,
    but keep us safe from the Evil One. – Matthew 6:11-13 GNT

I have needs and I love that I am encouraged to only worry about my daily needs and not to worry about tomorrow. That goes the same about my sins and my relationships. Jesus knows I am going to mess up, instead of hiding it from God, I am encouraged to bring it straight to Him. I am going to bring my worst to Him.

“There is mercy for a sinner, but there is no mercy for the man who will not own himself a sinner” Spurgeon

There is also included here the prayer for protection. I pray this one probably more than any other for without His covering and favour I know I will not go far. I am called to pray through and to pray for strength to resist. At the end of the day I am encouraged not to struggle on my own, I need to ask God for help. How I live and my prayer life need to connect. It is surprising how Jesus ends His instructions on how to pray.

If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done. – Matthew 6:14-15 GNT

Is this not Jesus insisting that our insides and outsides match. How can I pray and then ignore my personal relationships? God cares about relationships. Seems like I cannot claim to be forgiven if I do not extend forgiveness to others.

When this connection happens, it is amazing how those who are not followers of Jesus will ask for prayer. King Darius did this in Ezra’s time.

This is to be done so that they can offer sacrifices that are acceptable to the God of Heaven and pray for his blessing on me and my sons. – Ezra 6:10 GNT

King Darius saw prayer working and wanted some of that blessing for himself and his family. What a testimony to God’s faithfulness when our prayer life connects with living life.

So let us do what the apostles committed themselves to do.

We ourselves, then, will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching. – Acts 6:4 GNT

Devotion is more than mere emotion. It is disciplined adherence to a chosen path, uninterrupted, earnest pursuit towards something precious, a willingness to persevere, constant diligence towards one purpose.

“We should not drive a wedge between seeking personal communion with God and seeking the advance of His kingdom in hearts and in the world. And if they are kept together, then communion will not be just wordless mystical awareness on the one hand, and our petitions will not be a way of procuring God’s favour “for many words” on the other.” – Tim Keller