My Bad

There is a little thing that I often forget to do: Pray. I know that sounds dumb and in fact, I am embarrassed even as I type this, that I am a youth pastor that neglects prayer. Yesterday, I was working on the message for the jr high youth group and I was beating my head against the text. It is a difficult one (2 Thess 2). I took tons of notes, wrote the entire chapter out by hand, tried to determine themes, wrote out some outlines, determined the thrust of the text, wrestled with what some of it means, and came up with what I thought would be a good treatment of the chapter.

As I began to preach it, I realized that nothing was happening. I was talking but the kids weren't engaged at all. Actually, they were more engaged with a student and leader scuffle that was taking place on one side of the room. The concepts that I was trying to preach seemed to be disjointed. My thoughts and words were failing me and I don't think Christ was magnified like he deserves. I struggled through and droned on the one verse that had any effect on me in preparation: "The Lord Jesus will overcome by the breath of his mouth and will destroy by the splendor of his coming" (2 Thess 2:8). I probably said that verse like 10 times. In fact, I didn't have much else to say. As I finished I had the wonderful feeling like finishing ministry. Anyone who preaches can probably relate. It is the feeling that it would be nice to clean toilettes for a living. 

Here is what I thought about on my way home last night. "[The apostles] devoted themselves to the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6:4). I left out an important word: Prayer. [The apostles] devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word"(Acts 6:4). Without the word prayer I wonder if we succeed in being Pharisees. Lovers of the law and completely reliant on our own strengths. "Scoot over God I've got this." No wonder sometimes God humbles me. I am bold enough to leave God out of the equation and it should not be surprising that He would leave me to myself to show my inadequacies... But, praise God that He doesn't entirely leave me to myself. Even though I neglect Him he does not neglect me or His ministry. "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself" (2 Tim 2:13). Regardless of my neglect of Him He still uses my weakness to demonstrate His might! He takes a message that hardly makes sense and maybe, by His grace, uses it to transform students.

Here is the point... we should pray much more. I know that is such a cliche saying. But it is absolutely true. If spent more time in prayer then I would radiate the glory of God because I sat in His presence, I would be more fit to teach others of Him, I would be more empowered to do what I do not have the skills to accomplish, and lives would be rescued for the glory of God.