Being Bold

Boldness in times of growth.

I read a devotional today about how we often answer our own prayers. The example given was for food. I may pray for my daily bread, but will also be happy to run down to the local grocery store and pick out the items to make the meal I have planned. In someone else’s life, the daily bread may be a true miracle, because the pantry is empty and there is no funding or grocery store available. I give thanks for being able to afford and access foods and to meet other needs. But, this was a great reminder to pray boldly in all seasons.

I will praise You with my whole heart; 

Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

I will worship toward Your holy temple,

And praise Your name

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

In the day when I cried out, You answered me,

And made me bold with strength in my soul.

Palms 138: 1-3

A bold prayer is one I cannot answer on my own. It requires me to maintain my focus on Christ, or I will feel my feet become weak and knees wobbly beneath me. My mind asks, “What if this really can’t happen? What if that doesn’t happen?” I start trying out the “what-if” game, telling myself that if the outcomes need to be adjusted or corrected, this will allow me to be in a position to; even as this is a cry out to God and I have no answer on my own.

Boldness in times of storm.

These bold prayers go to the heart of my confidence in Christ and demand that I keep my eyes fixed upon Him, as this is something I cannot answer myself. Taking my eyes from my own abilities to focus on the one who created me in the first place is actually quite liberating. I can remove the what-ifs, and replace them with the conviction-of an assured belief that God is in charge of this situation and can be trusted.

Boldness in moments of autumn peace.

In particular, the final bit in this first part of Psalm 138 strikes me as a beautiful act of confidence. It is always a comfort when stepping out on faith that it doesn’t require a processing time before God can see, hear, and respond. And respond He does! Not only are prayers known, but answered. This can take many forms, but specifically includes being made bold with strength when the soul cries out. For me, when I am in such a place as to need that element of faith, it is generally something looming on the horizon. I may even know the answer in my heart, and need that boldness to carry it through.

Let me continue to pray boldly, asking for that which I cannot do on my own. For I know my God can do so much more than me.   

Boldness in cold and dark moments, waiting on the sun.

Through All These Things in the Luggage

I laughed along at a radio commentary today stating that on the average women pack eight pair of shoes for a week-long trip. I then complimented myself for only packing four, plus of course the shoes I was currently wearing. Throwing some shirts, jeans, a dress, and all of the miscellaneous necessities (books of course included), into my luggage; bags were hauled out to the car for a trip to visit my very ill grandfather. Very ill, dangerously ill – the miles between home in Iowa and my family home/ grandparents’ home in Ohio stretch out much further than the miles marked off on the highway.

What happens upon arrival is that all of these bags have to be carried in. Knees unbend from their cramped space in the car, arms stretch up to their full range of motion overhead and then sweep down to grab the bags and take them to their designated areas. Wait a minute, did someone stuff bricks in here? I don’t remember this being this heavy when I left. The longer I carry the bag, the heavier it seems to get. Could it be carrying its own gravitational pull? Surely, the bulging seams and strained zipper are not signs of too much in the bag, the bag must have just gotten smaller. Right?

The what if worries are taking their toll this week as we search out information and try to mentally walk through every contingency plan. The thing about the what ifs are that they are disruptive to carry around, and do not add a lot of substantive value. Luke 12:27 states: “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

I know I am not alone in this bonanza of over packing preparedness. As the packing process is going on, the what-ifs very punctually show up and start asking questions. What if your feet are cold, maybe one extra pair of socks of the thicker variety would be good to have. What if you need to have mucky tennis shoes, shouldn’t you just toss them in? What ifs quickly move into the bags, shouldering out justifiable items.

I am a kitchen sink packer. Friends can confirm it. But hey – the weather might swing 50 degrees and then who will be toasty in her parka or nice and cool in her sundress? Someone else might forget something, I’ll pack that too – just in case I will be prepared. In my own defense, I didn’t bring a jacket, hat or gloves on this particular trip. It is nearly June and that might be overkill. Maybe…

I pack my bag trying to think of contingencies. I might need this sweatshirt – toss it in. Extra socks? Sure, those are always good to have around. Lotion, mascara, and of course the various chargers and computers and such. Water bottles and snacks for the road are loaded in the car and we set off. The trunk is full and my feet are cramped for space. Considering my normal packing habits, I thought that this was pretty good.

Sounds pretty easy – right? No? The thing is, I have to choose to leave the what if and to pack the prayer instead. I have to choose to dismiss the what if and instead pick up thanksgiving. I have to put down my way and pick up trust in the sovereignty of God. The kitchen sink is still packed, but it is from a different kitchen. This one doesn’t strain my bag with bulkiness and is lighter to carry. Put down those what ifs and pick up thankfulness, prayer, and supplication.

Sunday Morning Prayers

   I enjoy church services most of the time, the sermons that I am privileged to listen to are really wonderful and quite often challenge me to think of God in a new way. This last Sunday I felt burdened to forego listening to the sermon and pray instead. I want to share a piece of that.

   “Lord, today I feel burdened to pray, though torn because I believe that this sermon is going to be good and useful to hear. But I also want to have a merry hear Lord, doing what you want me too obediently and with joy. So, here we are. I also want a Mary heart, one that sits in your presence, content to soak you in. So again, here we are.
   Lord, my heart is heavy. So much news, such sadness and hurting, fearful and hateful and terrible things in the world. What do I do in the midst of this? We have so many that are ill, many that are angry, burdened, frustrated. I am overwhelmed at the hurt, broken hearted over the pain. What can I possibly do with all of this? I could just ask for you to fix it. But even as you do, because you are faithful to, would I remember to thank you? I hope so.
   Lord, please let our hearts be submissive to you, open to hear you. Abba Father, our ears are so stopped up that we only hear muffles of your word. Remove the blockages, that sin like an ugly and filthy dirt, so that we can hear you. How you love us, I don’t know if I will understand, but I am grateful.
   Lord, I loose your forgiveness. I loose a quiet, conscious, driven seeking of your quiet, of you – that we will ache with the need for time with you.
   Lord, I loose your peace. In the midst of such suffering, in the middle of an ugly world with hateful words, poor attitudes, and the tyranny of busyness, the deceit of arrogance, I loose Your Peace. In the middle of all of that and more, the wreckage of humanity, I believe that you will clean up the filth. The mess is overwhelming when your peace and grace illuminates it. But, then, we watch the hands remove the debris. I think of the wreckage in the lives of people have been hit with earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, fires. The debris is still being cleaned up, I beg you to loose your peace in the middle of the cleaning.
   Lord, I loose your joy. Let my own heart be joyful in my tasks. When difficulties come, please maintain the balance of joy in my life. Let me do my tasks with joy.
   Lord, I loose your goodness and holiness. Father, the people here, in this room right now, they are your children that you know intimately from before they were born. You know them from head to foot, each hair, freckle, thought, want hope, hurt, desire. You know all. In this please loose your goodness to pull us closer to you.
   Thank you Father, my own heart is lighter. You are so good. Thank you that you do not just leave us when we mess up to clean up the afore said mess. But instead, you help us, illuminate our way, and bring your joy, peace, growth, and love.”
   This is just a part of it. I missed really paying attention to the sermon, but I felt as if Jesus were sitting in the pew with me. I just couldn’t miss out on the time to talk to Him.

Where is the Power in Prayer

    Finishing up the list of why we pray in James 5, this statement follows, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” While I would like to think my own prayers are effective and powerful, I know that I don’t have a source of power within me that can actually answer prayer. So, how does that work with this statement? Righteous prayers are those aligned to God’s will. I would imagine that they are honorable and upright before God. Following God’s plan and seeking God’s will – the prayer of a righteous man is something which also aligns with who God is.

   So, align myself with who God is – and pray with faith and excited anticipation to watch God’s answer. There is indeed power in prayer, it is the power of a holy God.

Why Do We Pray – Help Needed

   We pray when we are in trouble, when we are happy, when we are sick – and also when we need help. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” I have been going to physical therapy for knee problems lately. What I didn’t know was that part of the problem was caused by weak muscles in my hip. Relying on my own resources, I could never fix the problem. Instead, the irritation of the joint continues, creating further problems, thus more irritation and more problems. It’s not a pretty picture.

   We pray when we need help. Here in James 5 we are instructed to confess to each other and pray for each other for healing. Confess? Umm….. could I just confess that I ate to many thin mint cookies yesterday and leave it at that? Confession is good for us and yet very difficult to do. Why? Because we are afraid of the consequences and the reaction. What will they say? What will they think of me? And what is that supposed to do anyway? Well, when I got help for my knee – I found someone who had different resources than I did. They helped me find different approaches to stairs and other difficulties. So, the person we confess too may be able to help us by providing new insight and resources. Also, it is a matter that can build accountability. If someone knows where we fall, then they can ask how we are doing in that area. If we know someone will ask, then we are more apt to look at the change of behavior we are striving for. It breaks the vicious self-reliance cycle.
   Those who are hearing that confession, they must be prepared to respond appropriately and pray with that person for healing. That means that we don’t get to play the shocked and spotless person who has never messed up. We must instead be real and honest ourselves as we pray with them for healing. We are not the one who can wash away that sin stain, but we do have an opportunity of helping to hold up that brother or sister.

Why Do We Pray – We Can’t Fix It

   I love the smell of a hardware store. The feel of wood and all of those really interesting tools that I don’t know how to use, such fun! As much as I enjoy a hardware store, I am not terribly adept at power tools. I am not the person to come to when something breaks. There are times when things more serious than an appliance or piece of furniture breaks. When a person breaks, be it directly related to sin or indirectly related to the condition of sin – I do not possess the capability to fix them. So, what to do?

   James 5 says, “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” The prayer offered in faith, stepping out on belief and trust of the commitment God has toward His children, it is a powerfully moving action. It is not that the prayer is so powerful, but the act of trusting an omniscient, almighty Creator who is powerful is something which reinforces our reliance upon Him. To make the sick well. Well can mean different things, one is acceptable. When I read this, part of me wants it to say healthy, so that the sick will be healthy. But sickness truly is directly related to an action of sin, or indirectly related through the very presence of sin in our world. Therefore, it is unacceptable. But, this prayer in faith, to make the unacceptable acceptable, the un-forgiven forgiven, it is better than physical health. It is spiritual health, and more important.

Why do We Pray – We Aren’t Feeling So Swift

   Even a low grade fever can just knock me off my feet. Something about that temperature spike and I just feel so tired and achy. Low grade fever, that will come and go – it is the bodies way of fighting off infection. But, sickness is another example of when we pray. We pray when we are in trouble, when we are happy, and when we are sick. This prayer takes a form of physical action, in obedience, and stepping out on faith.

   Continuing in James 5, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Well, the instructions seem pretty simple don’t they? We certainly just can accept it at face value – obey and pray. But, we can also look below the surface to better understand.
   If we are sick, we are instructed to call for the elders. These leaders are to pray for our healing, asking God in agreement for healing. Then, anoint with oil is mentioned. I love how God uses ordinary oil for an extraordinary concept. Oil was seen as something of health in the ancient world. This oil that is mentioned, it’s just oil. I could use it to cook with as well as be prayed over. God uses the everyday object, and lets us see Him work extraordinary miracles and be associated with His blessing.
   I think of how we might also act as oil for God. We can be ordinary objects which may pour out love on another, like an oil, and God can use this to create marvelous effects.

Why do we pray - We’re doing the happy dance

   Yesterday, I started tackling this great question, “Why do we pray?” I say it’s a great question because I believe that God is big enough for all of our questions and enjoys watching us grow. So, I’m working through the big ideas in the few lines of James 5. For today, it’s “Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.”

   Now, I’m a singer and anyone who has been with me for any great length of time will hear me at random places (public and private) hum, sing softly, or even sing loudly. I can sing by ear or note, in choirs, groups, or solos. Microphone in hand and feet on the stage or barefoot in the living room or the pasture – singing is a form of prayer for me. It is a way for me to communicate with (speaking, listening, receiving, responding) to God.
   I have a beautiful little chocolate lab who had surgery earlier this week. When she is back up on all fours, she will be doing her happy puppy dance once again. When she is happy, you can’t help but know it. There is a dance in her step, a prance in her walk, and a happy tail waggle. In her own way, she is singing a song of praise.
   Praise is just a much part of prayer as petition. So, when we are in trouble we pray. When things are going well and we are happy – we praise. For many of us, that takes care of two major mood groups right there. But, it does beg the question – why praise? Have you taken a good look at the news out there? I have a couple of thoughts. One is that it’s infectious. It really is! When someone around you is happy and sharing that joy, others perk up as well. I think that we are meant to help share that happiness with others around us. But, maybe it helps perk God up to. In the sense that it makes Him happy to hear us realize the gifts in our own designed (albeit limited) ways. Another is that the good seems to be weighed down by the bad these days. The news can be hard to take. Praise reminds us that God really is sovereign and in charge – in the good and the trouble.
   Give it a try today, burst out in song. Maybe someone will even sing along!

Why Do We Pray – We’re in Trouble Again!

   I heard a wonderful question the other day – why do we pray? Now, don’t just give the standard answer. Think about it, wrestle with the question, let it roll around in your brain. Why? Thankfully God is big enough for all of our questions – so let’s go ahead and ask it.
   Then, I think of a series of answers in James 5. One of them is “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.” Those moments of trouble do seem to inspire a getting real with ourselves and God perspective, don’t they. Especially when troubles become miseries and desperations, we may find ourselves on our face before God. We are weighted down by the trouble, the dilemma, trial, and tribulation need someone to help relieve us of our burden. So, why do we pray? Because we are in trouble again.
   Is that a bad thing? I’m going to venture a no – the reason being that this is a pretty clear instruction. In trouble, pray. Let me give an example from my own week. Wednesday morning dawns, kind of gray and soggy, but nonetheless a new day. I get ready for work, dressed, teeth brushed, hair brushed, and shoes and everything. When I walk out to my car, I circle round to the driver’s side and what do I see – but a flat tire! Oh no!! A quick phone call to give those at work a head’s up that I’ll be late and I head back inside to call AAA. The tire guy comes and puts on my spare in a jiffy (he made it look really easy). Now, I’m an hour late to work and still have a busy schedule ahead plus physical therapy. My necklace breaks, my button falls off my coat! What’s next? So, in the time period when all of that was going on I have a choice to make. I can either get upset and stew for an hour – which won’t help. Or, I can pray about it. “God, would you take care of this whole tire thing and let me use this extra time at home wisely?” I felt myself calming down and spent the time rehearsing a song for choir. I was still able to get things done at work and even have new exercises at physical therapy because I’m getting stronger. All in all, it was a pretty good day. It wasn’t that my situation changed, though God certainly could replace the tire if he wanted. It is that I asked God to make it the morning He wanted it to be. In other words, I handed over the weight of the trouble for the peace and strength of God.
   We pray – because we are in trouble.

Posture of Prayer

   Kneel, prostrated, standing, sitting, and the list of postures goes on. Prayer, the act of talking to and listening to God, can be seen to require a formal posture. As if I am some sort of radio antenna that must achieve the perfect stance before the God signal can go to him and back to me. Well, though I am the first to admit that there are times that I have been on my face before God and examining the carpet threads quite closely, and other times when my knees have had the imprint of the floor boards on them, more often it is during the normal postures of the day. It is a pause as I turn on my computer at work, that God will bless my efforts that day. Walking in the store, sitting on the couch, lying in the bed, during a meeting, during a walk, or mid-conversation.
   How grateful I am that I am not required to have a specific posture for God to hear me or for me to hear God! I mean, it’s not that I couldn’t stop and kneel in the aisle at my local grocery store, but it could certainly slow down the process. Instead, it’s the posture of my heart, mind, and spirit that is important. My heart must be open, seeking the answerer of questions and needs. It is important that my mind be something which is both utilizing the gifts that God has given me and also relies on Him to fill in the blanks (of which there are many). It is the posture of my spirit, that it be prone and vulnerable even when in the middle of a meeting or driving in the car. The posture of prayer is important, but it’s perhaps not the initial thought of physical posture that is important.

Sunflower Lessons

   Driving to a nearby town a few weeks ago, I saw large wild sunflowers blooming along side of the road. There was paved road, gravel, and then sunflowers. They weren’t part of a formal garden, where someone had carefully selected the spot for them to grow. They weren’t being cultivated and tended carefully. These were where some sunflower seeds had been taken by the wind and were now growing.

   Driving along, I was thinking that we have some lessons presented to us in the most obvious fashions that we find, at times, to be unbearably subtle. There were lessons that were coming from that sunflower patch that day.a
   Standing in the sun, they were blooming where they were planted. They were not looking disheveled and at a pouted wilt because they didn’t like their location. It didn’t matter that mulch wasn’t placed around or that the border flowers are really just a collection of weeds. So, the lesson is to bloom were you are at. Don’t wait for the perfect garden landscape to be created around you. Create beauty where you are.
   Do I always succeed at this? I roll my eyes even thinking about it, No! No, I don’t. Sometimes I look around, and certainly have looked around, and wondered – why here, why now, what in the world is around me? Conversations would occur in my car, prayers that generally consisted of, “Lord, can you tell me why I am here? And I know you have a purpose, so can we just get it over with so I can get out of here? These people don’t even have a ....!” Thankfully, patience is a virtue because I haven’t found my car hurtling toward some life lesson just to smash in nose first because I wanted the time-table changed. I generally find out that my blooming where I was planted wasn’t just for the benefit of someone else, but for mine as well. And as for the time in-between, it was needed, chafed against – but needed..
   The other lesson was to bloom. Period. Those seeds, perhaps dropped by birds or winter stockpiling squirrels, met the ground, buried in, and grew. There was no checklist of further supplies which had to be delivered first, no waiting list of to-dos which were to be done before further growing would commence. They were planted, so they attempted to grow. That was their focus, grow because I can and should. We often have opportunities to grow and don’t. Why? We’re waiting for all of the to-do’s to be all-done’s and the circumstances to be just so. Don’t wait. Get started – go grow!
   Again, not always my strongest point. I love to have all of the parts in place, all of the information, all of the facts, detailed and highlighted maps with exit numbers marked in color-coded highlighter. I use pro/con lists and want plans of what something will look like long before I ever step foot into even deciding whether or not to step foot into it. Thus, growth can certainly go on the back burner. But, God has a way of pushing me forward, albeit reluctantly at times, and reminding me – go grow! “But, I don’t know everything yet, what if I fail?” Yeah, that is generally what it boils down to. The answer that comes back is one that humbles me and encourages me all at the same time, “Then pick yourself up and keep growing.”
   So go, grow, and bloom.

Attention Campers

Last week was Character Camp (like a Vacation Bible School) at my church. Regardless of what it is called, there are lots of kids, games, songs, lessons, and a desperate need on the part of the workers for ibuprofen by the last night. I really enjoyed this camp this year, not only due to the campers I had in my group, but largely due to the co-tent leader. She was wonderful. THANK YOU!!!

As a crowd control method in this squirmy, talkative, hyper, smore addicted bunch of kids, our camp leader would start out with bellowing a great big YOOOOO (a.k.a. yo). The kids and leaders responded in kind with YOOOOOOOOOOO. Some of the kids carried out a bit long at times. Then we received our instructions.
So, YOOOOO - attention campers, here are some camp lessons that I thought I would share.
- Smores are really good, but they taste better if worn on the face. For the very extraverted smore eater, try wearing it as a goatee.  - If you have the chance to pick your own camp spot in an Iowa July, head for the deepest bit of shade you can find with a breeze. You will need lots and lots of bug spray, but the break from the heat is worth it.  - When kids pick out meals a day ahead of time, write down their order. Something else sounds good the next day and they have completely forgotten what they ordered.  - Be dramatic and expressive, be dynamic in your volumes, be silly and laugh a lot.  - Encourage other leaders. We all need it.
- Encourage other campers. They may need it too.  - Don’t overreact when you see blood, it frightens everyone and they are already frightened to see blood.  - If there is a water balloon fight, know who has a secret stockpile of ammunition. Either ally yourself with them, or watch out for them. Unless it’s 100 degrees and then maybe you should go run through the sprinkler.  - Laugh a lot, it is a wonderful release in a tense moment and will also help reenergize you.  - Use good manners, practice what you preach, and model what you expect.   - For the lone boy in a tent of girls, he may say that he is miserable because he is vastly outnumbered, but if you give him a little extra responsibility and some extra attention, he will be just fine.  - At the end of a camp day, go home, kick off your shoes, and lay in the floor. It’s cool, it’s not buggy, and it’s a lot better than falling down from the sheer drain of the day.  - Drink lots and lots of water. Actually, the combination I found working was coffee, water, then a V8 Splash about 4, then more water.   - When you watch your teens in the youth group work hard, in the heat, for no pay and little recognition of the adults around them, you are burst your buttons kind of proud. When they get excited because they just made a little kid’s day, you are leap tall building proud. When they want to make an impact on the life of a kid and work harder and dig deeper, just in case they can, you are over the moon proud.  - Thank the kitchen workers and the clean-uppers, and the traffic controllers, and security-watchers, laundry-doers, and all the behind the scene-ers. They do more than you realize and are absolutely vital.  - As a leader, you need to dance around with the music or most of the kids won’t feel free to do so either.   - Praise lots, pray for patience, and love each camper.

New Day or Another Day

A discussion was at work the other day, is it a new day or just another day? We weren’t really debating whether or not the time continuum would continue in its present schedule. This was no discussion of relativity or quantum physics. It was all about the mind-set of a new or another day. A new day being a fresh start and a new beginning for each of us. While on the other hand, another day would be just another day, stuck in some cycle.

Some days are most definitely another days while others are new days. It comes down to the mind set and approach I make each morning, before I even get out of bed. Stopping to pray, before my day begins helps tremendously for that day to be a new and not just another day. After all, “this is the day that the Lord has made!”

Is God Big Enough?

Is God big enough to handle my questions?  Can He really handle all my problems?  Is He really always there?  How am I supposed to know that?

Colossians 1: 15 – 23

 ¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

 ²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²²But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— ²³if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

What a comfort these words provide.  This is the very beginning, the creator of all, and holds all things together.  God is the head, supreme in all things.  There is such strength here, hope.

Which begs the question, if God is that big, that good, great, and supreme – would He bother with me?  The next part, go ahead and read it again – that is the part which fills me with joy.  Once an enemy, and yet looked at not as villain, but as someone who is filled with love towards me.  That is an wonderful thing right there, but it goes on.  Reconciled, forgiven – cleansed from the sin which plagues us all.  Cleansed by a death from the blameless son of Christ. 

Yes, Paul’s proclamation is one of hope and power.  But, it is also a very personal statement, full of joy and hope.  What a wonderful thing it is to know that God really can handle all my questions, all my problems, and is always there.  Still how much more amazing it is that this God, big and powerful, almighty and all holy – is deeply interested in a relationship with me, with you.  Certainly worth a proclamation isn’t it!

Praying Dangerous Prayers

Isaiah 9:2    The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

The doors that have clanged shut so many times now swing open.  The hallway, dark and dim with fears now has a brilliant glow coming from the exit.  The guards who had stood before the prisoner and freedom, between prison of everything into freedom are now gone.  Oh the glee, the joy, the fear and hope of the possibility of freedom. 

The first steps down the hall, gathering momentum and then the deciding moment comes.  The prisoner pushes the door open and walks into the light.  Freedom. 

Which of us would take the steps out of our prison cell?  Would we be brace ourselves and walk into the unknown, embracing the freedom that awaits us?

The people who walked in darkness, who have now received hope of a great light.  The hope of a light, the hope of freedom, of a release. How they, as we, must have prayed for that.  What a dangerous prayer, and yet no safer prayer.  A dangerous prayer because we don’t know what God will do with release.  Freedom is the freedom to serve, to act, to obey, and to move.  Freedom to go where we are sent.

Why would that be dangerous?  Have you ever heard anyone say, “oh, don’t pray for patience because God will give you something hard and you’ll learn to be patient the hard way.”  I think it might be bit like that, the prayer that could lead you anywhere.  Yet, it would be anywhere where God would like you to go, or what God would like you to do, listen, speak, obey, or wait. 

I’m going to try and venture out with this prayer.  Will you join me?

The Prayer Closet

For me, it is the time in my bath tub, tucked away from the noises and TV, phone, and distractions when I can feel myself getting quieter.  Then, tucked in again and wrapped in blankets as I snuggle into bed, is again my set aside time with God.  That is my prayer closet time, something I have come to cherish.  It wasn’t always that way – there have been times when devotional study was feeling more like school study, a means to an end.  But slowly over time, it has become a time with someone whose relationship I cherish. 

Prayer, “going into your room, closing the door and praying to your Father, who is unseen,” is a quiet and personal time.  It is not a time to parade, to babble, to show off with prayer.  Instead, we are told in Matthew that we should “go into our room, and close the door”. 

Then, how do we pray?  How do we converse with God? 

"This, then, is how you should pray: 
   " 'Our Father in heaven, 
   hallowed be your name, 
 your kingdom come, 
   your will be done 
      on earth as it is in heaven. 
 Give us today our daily bread. 
 Forgive us our debts, 
      as we also have forgiven our debtors. 
 And lead us not into temptation, 
   but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

(Matthew 6: 9-15)

Praise, submitting, requesting, forgiving, guidance, protection – they are all there in these few lines.   Praising God for His amazing grace, His love, and for His very presence is mentioned first with hallowed.  Something that is hallowed is holy, sacred, revered, and consecrated.  Hallow also means that it is something that is not only set apart, but set apart for holy use and great respect.  So, this is the first part and is a reminder of how very special this time is as the holy and set apart Lord makes time for me and you, desiring a personal relationship and conversation. 

Your kingdom come, your will be done – it takes tremendous trust or simple and complete desperation often to drive me to this spot.  As someone who likes details, likes to know what is planned next, I find quite often that I am either gripped by a problem or taking a leap of faith for this next part.  Your will be done – your wish, command, action, or insistence God – that is what I’m seeking.  If you have ever relinquished this you will know scary a thing it can really be.  What if I don’t like where God leads me?  That is where the trusting relationship comes in and this becomes a little easier.  When the relationship is strong, it grows easier to trust God’s will.  On earth as it is in heaven, reflecting the kingdom of God on earth.

There are requests, not a wish list, but a request for needs.  Daily bread is sustenance for our physical bodies, which we need to function.  Then, it is sustenance of our soul, healing of the wounds with two part forgiveness.  We forgive and are forgiven.  It’s not an easy thing to let go of the hurt and anger, or frustration and disillusionment, which may be directed towards ourselves or others.  Yet, we are told here quite clearly to forgive and be forgiven.  It is a wonderful extension of grace, and as we are extended grace we are to pass it along. 

Delivery from the evil ones would be delivery from Satan and request for protection from the temptations that come along.  Like a roaring lion or a subtle serpent, the enemy comes in with an attack.  We request protection from the true enemy who weaves lies subtly, or attacks boldly leading us to assail each other in the confusion of the battlefield. 

Prayer, speaking to God, basically is spending some time with a friend whom you love dearly.  With total honesty, grace, and love the conversation occurs.  

Sweet Hour of Drawing Nearer Prayer

If you have been following the last few weeks, I have been focusing on preparing for a retreat time with God.  But, a week from tonight there will be a group gathering in the third of three prayer sessions praying about breaking chains.

Prayer time is so sweet, and so important.  Yet, it seems to be so easily filled with the noise of a busy life.  I wake up and hear an alarm clock, then the sound of the door unlocking so the dog can go out.  The coffee pot makes the nice percolating dripping sound, while there are teeth brushing, hair brushing, good mornings, and getting ready for the day sounds.  The fridge opens, I grab a yogurt.  The car starts, feet on the pavement and then the sounds of work.  Phones, clicking of a keyboard, voices, and filing drawers opening and closing fill the day.  The car again, dinner sounds, TV, family, and more doggy sounds.  My day is full of noise!  Even right now, there is a dog whining (sharing her opinion) and Creole music playing in the background. 

In all of the noise, in all of the busy time, it can be easy for the still small voice of God to be lost in the shuffle.    None of the things I mentioned above are bad.  They are a product of my life, in being where God wishes me to be, in serving and ministering where I am placed.  There is also an important part which needs the balance between the noise and the quiet time.  I can tell that I have not balanced it well when I start feeling beat up by life, bruised by the pace.

When that happens, I am reminded to dig in deeper to my quiet time with God.  It doesn’t come by forcing myself into some strange new practice of prayer.  Instead, it is in the quiet time that I retreat to sit at God’s feet.  Just imagine what that would be like, to sit at the feet of Jesus.  What would his voice sound like, what emotions would stir in his eyes, and my spirit would breathe in his words and love like a breath of fresh air.  Oh, and he would exchange my bruises for his healing, my tiredness for his strength and energy.  What an amazing thing!

I am only three days away from this retreat and how appropriate to be spending time tonight in prayer, drawing near.  I look forward to the time of quiet that is coming to pulling in tighter to Jesus’ feet.  And in that time, God moves – He answers sincere prayers that seek out His will!  He Answers!! 

Members Belonging to Members

I’ve been pretty much couch bound for the last few days, with a side table full of cold and flu accessories to prove it.  With my head a bit swimmy from the left-over effects of night time cold medicine or the non-drowsy effects of day-time cold medicine, this uncomfortable time of coughing and sneezing has been a really important reminder to me of the body’s members belonging to each other.

When I cough (I promise not to be gross), the lungs work, the muscles in the chest work, and dozens other instantaneous reactions occur.  The lungs trying to rid themselves of something that shouldn’t be there, do not act on their own.  Instead, it is the entire body acting together. 

I recently had a conversation with a friend on the “we” and the “they” of church.  The “they” were acting like a “they” and not a “we.”  Now, if that sounds like it’s written in some code, let me try and decode it for you.   How many times have you looked around in a group of people and thought – they should do… they shouldn’t do…. they did….they didn’t….they being the operative word. Then, think about the same group and same instances, but substitute the word we. 

In a church body, the thought must be we and not they.  Now, by body I do not mean denomination, location, specific church, age group, worship style preference, etc…instead, I mean the entirety of believers as one body.  And members are the cells, the molecules that make up a body.  In Romans 12: 4-5.  “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others”

So, when we have a body behaving like a “they” instead of a “we” then, we have a malfunctioning body.  Whose responsibility is it to fix that?  Well, Paul tells us in Romans that each member belongs to all the others.  So, if you are reading this and you are part of the body of Christ, you belong to me and me to you as members of a body, one cell – one molecule each to the other.  But, again – that question comes up – who has to wade in and fix this?

The answer is two parts.  And I love how God’s mind works, so opposite of a human mind, so much bigger and better. 

The first part is that we have to wade in, roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.  And – we will be equipped for this task.  Because, the very next lines in Romans 12 tell us – “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

So, we are given gifts, therefore some are cell membranes, some are primary or secondary cell walls, others are cytoplasm, pectin, or enzymes.  Changing the thought process to “we” requires the We to learn about, seek God over, and grow in our gifts.  And then, apply them with much prayer. 

This is only a part of it though, and many times I think that the body gets stuck here.  We may learn about our gifts, try to apply the, and even try apply them with prayer.  But, the second part is to understand our limitations as cell membranes or cytoplasm in the body and to ask for the Lord to change us individually to make what he wants us to be and to pray for the other members.  It is not my job to change someone in the body, but it is my duty to pray for them.  And to pray for them with understanding that they are God’s servant, someone who has been accepted by God.   (Romans 14:1-4) “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

Oh, that is such a statement to bring me to humility!  Such a way to say – WE are the Lord’s, not we versus they.  Who am I indeed to judge?  I am just as human, just as prone to sin and failure.  The Lord will work with me, to help me stand.  Instead of passing judgment, I need to pray for those around me to stand.

As I prepare for the Great Banquet, only 5 days away, I will be meeting other members of the body.  They will also be packing their bags, telling their families bye for the weekend, and leaving for the retreat.  I don’t know these other women, but I do know that God knows them. So, they are a part of the “we” if they are believers. 

Knowing that…. Lord, please prepare the hearts of these women for this weekend.  Please let this be a time of refreshing for each of them, restoring them from all of the hurry and frustrations of their days.  Please let Your Voice speak clearly this weekend.  Let the speakers be healthy, anointed by your Spirit and listening to your words as they prepare.  Let your will be clearly shown this upcoming weekend.  May those who host this time be blessed by our presence as they bless us by their time, their serving, and their effort.  We cannot bring peace, healing, guidance, or hope to any that might need it – but you can.  Please prepare us for a powerful weekend, where you are free to move and be heard, and where we are free to act and obey.

Postures of Prayer

I love sitting down with close friends, the kind where you all talk at once and still manage to figure out what’s going on.  You laugh and cry, are free to be yourself, be goofy, and be honest.  Movies, pizza, hands sticky in bread dough, sweating on workouts, romps through fountains, celebrations, mourning - it is all easier and better with a good friend by your side.  The talk isn’t always heavy, but it is meaningful. 

When I spend time in prayer, I feel like I’m having my friend time with my Abba Father.  Just like any friendship, I need to do my part to keep it strong and healthy.  If we have a disagreement, I need to go to my friend and make it right.  It’s important for communication to stay open, both listening and talking.  This precious time with God, is spent time in prayer and I love the idea of a prayer closet.  For me, it is under the covers tucked in bed and my Bible resting on my knees.  It is the quiet time, away from the hustle of the day when I can spend time in prayer.  You know, the thing about prayer postures is there are so many ways that I can stand, kneel, sit, and supplicate myself, listening and sharing with God.  But, wonderfully enough, and as much as I love my prayer closet time, I can also spend time with God in the midst of the store, at work, on a walk, or even preparing for a retreat. 

How wonderful it is to have time with the Almighty God!  How amazing that He would spend time with me!

The Perfect Time

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” Romans 5:6.  “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14.  “But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." 1 Kings 8:61.  “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:27.

Over and over, God shows us that his timing is perfect.  I was reading a devotional last night and it was talking about the value of waiting in prayer.  It is so easy to ask God – please do this, please don’t do that.  And these may be perfectly fine requests.  However, the hard part comes in the waiting.  I have asked, asked with the intent to prepare my heart to go to this retreat, the Great Banquet.  My job is to request, to seek, and to wait.  I cannot cleanse myself with hyssop, cannot heal my wounds, cannot fathom the strength and greatness of God.  But, He can and right at his own, perfect time.