Acts 21- Posturing

"there on the beach we knelt to pray" (vs. 5b).

Hmmm. So they literally got down on their knees to pray?

How often does our prayer life suffer... we may have had good times of prayer pouring out of us before, but it can be like a slow inconsistent drip too. I have intentions of praying often, but most days I am distracted. Other things nab my attention and at the end of most days all my prayers add up to an insignificant amount.

I think there is something to this posture of prayer, this idea of kneeling. I remember when reading Tozer's biography that he had a pair of prayer trousers that he left at his church office... He didn't want to wear out all his pants so he had a special pair with holes in the knees from praying!?

In my travels as a sports minister I got to meet an interesting guy named Mr. Ralph Meloon. Chairman of Correct Craft Boats. He was such a man of prayer that he actually had to have the fluid in his knees drained on a couple occasions.

Maybe, prayer life suffers because we never place ourselves in a position of awe and reverence... when is the last time you knelt to pray? Try it out today.

Acts 16- Place of Prayer

Acts 16:13 "On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer."

Acts 16:16 "Once when we were going to the place of prayer..."

Paul and Silas obviously had a bent toward prayer. They can be called men of prayer. So, they sought out places to pray. My question for you today is, "are you a person of prayer?" In our busy lives prayer can be a spiritual discipline that suffers. We give it very little priority so when we finally do attempt to pray we are usually so exhausted that we fall asleep. Imagine if you were having a conversation with a good friend and they fell asleep while you were talking to them. That would be embarrassing. But, somehow we consistently do that to God and hardly think about it. We need to put such an emphasis on prayer that we seek out places to do it. Go on a journey to pray. Find a place of prayer but do not let your time with God get crowded out.

What's Keeping You From Praying?

We have been talking about prayer at youth group for the past couple months. And the problem with talking about prayer is just that... it is just talking. My desire is that we would become a group that is known for our praying. Things happen when we pray. The power of God is unleashed and we literally could change our generation by our prayers. I want your prayers more than I want a successful youth group program.

So please please please pray. Which leads me to ask you, what is keeping you from praying? What is distracting you from actually getting into a posture of prayer and meeting with God? Do whatever needs to be done to meet with God today. Shut down your computer and find a quiet place, open up your prayer journal, go for a car ride, or whatever you need to to meet with your Savior.

Spurgeon on Ministers' Necessity of Prayer

Here is a quote that just laid me low as I prepare for speaking on prayer tonight:

"If you as ministers are not very prayerful, you are much to be pitied... if you become lax in secret devotion, not only will you need to be pitied, but your people also; and, in addition to that, you shall be blamed, and the day cometh in which you shall be ashamed and confounded" (Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students pg 43).

I am repenting for the neglect of prayer and I apologize to the students for not being more prayerful. One day I will stand before the King on behalf of the students and I will feel ashamed.

God help me to be more prayerful. There is no duty under heaven more important than fellowship with you and intercession for others. Please make me a man of prayer. Amen

What I am Learning

Prayer is awkward and simple... Don't think too hard on prayer. The more I try to figure it out the more it befuddles me. The fact of the matter is that we learn to pray like we learn to talk... we hear others do it and we imitate. God made us with mouths and the reason he gave us mouths was to communicate with Him and secondly to communicate to His creation (other people) how incredible He is. So, prayer should be natural. But prayer should be informed by Scripture. This summer we are exploring some biblical prayers and seeing if ours line up with the prayers of scriptures. For me I am finding that my prayer life sounds more like a Christmas wish list than a model of say Paul's prayers over the Thessalonians.

Hopefully, God will convict and lead me into deeper communication with Him.

Here are some great resources on prayer:

The Valley of Vision

The Summer I Learned to Pray by DA Carson

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.

Acts 13: Worship, Prayer, and Fasting The Road to Greatness

What is your take on prayer? Francis Chan, Pastor and author, says of his staff, "if you're not praying at least one hour a day, let me know and I'll find someone else who will." What if you spent an hour in undistracted prayer each day? Would that be a waste of time? For the rest of the world this sort of 'inactivity' would be considered a waste... but for the Christian there is nothing more essential and more productive than sitting at the mercy seat.

Prayer is the power horse of the Christian life. That's what was happening in Acts 13. "While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting... after they fasted and prayed, [the believers] placed their hands on [Paul and Silas] and sent them off" (Acts 13:1-3). So we see a few things happening that led to their send off. First, they were worshiping. They were gathered together praising God. Secondly, they were fasting. Fasting is a purposeful refusal of something to get something greater. Fasting is a forsaking of things to gain a supremely valuable thing... Christ. And they prayed. I can't imagine this being a canned prayer. I bet there were tears. I bet there was meditation. I bet there was guidance and direction from on high. 

Those were the precursors to the greatest missionaries being sent out. Worship, praying, and fasting led to 14 of the most productive years in history where Paul was preaching Christ crucified to as many as possible so that he might win as many as possible. This little paragraph in the bible is the beginning of a send off, it is the fire that sparked in the heart of my hero the Apostle Paul. And, the result of these few lines in the text is a colossal life of suffering, rejoicing, ministry, and the gospel. 

Do not neglect these items: worship, fasting, and prayer. It is through these things that God might be enlisting you to greatness. And it is by these things that you might recieve training and equipping for a service you can't perform on your own.

Go to God... Your Other God

That is supposed to be a parody on the saying, 'go to your right... your other right.' We generally say that when giving directions and the person doesn't know their right from left. So we have to jokingly redirect them. That is why the title of this article is 'go to God... no, your other God.' Not that there are two Gods, but when I say go to God where do you actually go. You probably take a turn in the wrong direction. So this morning let's try to get on the right path.

As a reader of these articles I am concerned for you... one reason is because I worry about steering you astray. It is a dangerous thing to publish ideas on the interweb when it is early in the morning and the proper amounts of caffeine aren't pumping through my system yet. But, the other reason why I am worried about you is because Satan is very tricky....

I am learning lately that for me the problem is not that I waste my time going to smutty places like television or questionable websites. I don't waste my time by having pointless conversations when I should be working. (There are still struggles but when they are obvious like that they can be delt with quickly) I actually have a hard time with spending too much time on good things. Let me try to explain. When you want to encounter God do you pick up a good christian book? Do listen to a sermon online? Do you journal about God? Do you surf to this website or other christian websites?

I do all of those things to some extent... Here is the tragedy, I can spend all my time talking, thinking, and writing about God and not actually spend time with God. The analogy that I came up with is this; I am in a room with my family and friends eating dinner. I love my dad so I begin to talk about him to my friend Jake. "Did you hear that dad started a new project this week? He has been working really hard." Then I proceed to talk about all these things that my dad is doing and that I admire. Here is the tragedy... my dad is at the other end of the table. Even though it might be flattering that we talk about him, he wants us to talk with him. And as Christians we can do this to God. We can talk about him, we can read about him, we can write about him in our journals. But what God really wants is for you to be with him. To talk to him not about him.

So, as a reader of this website my hope is that you don't come here to meet God. Maybe you need a little pointer to find out which direction to go and I hope to do that for you. But, this should not substitute your time with him. Please make an effort to spend time with Him. That is his desire. And while your hanging with Him tell him to make sure that I am spending time with him too! Tell him to break my Internet for a day if I don't schedule a date with him. Tell him to make me sick so I lay in bed and talk to him. Tell him to do whatever it takes to make sure that I am spending time with him. I am being selfish I know but I love my time with Him!

Let me end with a quote from an amazing man that lived long ago and started many orphanages. He didn't have lots of money and he wasn't some amazing leader. He was a man that enjoyed his fellowship with God and he believed that it was by prayer and fellowship with the word of God that great things are accomplished. George Muller said this, “I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.” Are you doing that friend? Are you making sure that your soul is happy in the Lord? Are you spending time with him doing that? I can promise you that no christian book or website or preacher can make you glad in God quite like God himself can. Spend a little time with Him today.

Read this Blog

I think the world of Dave Meding. He is does a myriad of things here at Central and he has much wisdom and insight. Last night while we were meeting for Fuel, Dave was in the prayer room going before the throne for us...

He wrote a blog on prayer and I want to encourage you to read it.
http://mycentralwired.com/blogs/?p=351

be blessed.

Luke 18 -Always Pray and Never Give Up

I'm going to be honest... I have been a professing christian almost my whole life... I have been a regenerate (God took my dead heart and jump started it bringing it to life) Christian for 8 years. So, I have put some miles on my knees. I have prayed and prayed often. Here is what I am being honest about; lately I have had a hard time with prayer. In fact, over the past couple weeks I was honest with God saying, "I am sick of praying. I am sick of talking to an invisible person, and right now I feel like I don't even do a good job of 'praying,' whatever that word even means." Prayer is tricky. It is a weird thing. You are talking to an invisible and Almighty God. There are petitions, intercessions, supplications, thanksgivings, brief chats, lengthy discourses, silent prayer, praying aloud, group prayer, prayer meeting prayers, praying in tongues, prayer language, praying scriptures, praying the names of God, written out prayers, pray for fun, pray for answers, etc... needless to say, if you are honest at some point you have to say that we don't have it figured out. And, the last thing I need is another book on praying. Lately, I've just been saying to God, 'I can't wait to see you face to face. I can't wait to talk to you. To hear your voice. I am sick of this waiting period. I can't wait to be with you."

But, for the time God has given us prayer. And Jesus tells us to 'always pray not give up (vs. 1).' So, be persistent. God answers those that cry out to him. He hears your prayers. That is weird to even think about. Almighty God hears me. And Jesus tells a parable of a persistent widow constantly approaching a judge to ask for justice to show his disciples to always pray and never give up. Then immediately tells a parable of two different men and there prayers to show that humility is a good thing when praying. So, I will continue to approach the throne with trembling. I will continue to come to God humbly with my head down saying, 'God have mercy on me a sinner.' I don't totally understand praying but lately I've been convicted that I am the pharisee in verse 10 or the hypocrite in Matthew 6. Unfortunately, working at a church makes you pray all the time... and in front of people... and for people. I have fallen pray to letting my prayers get lengthy, quoting scriptures in prayer, preaching in prayers, and not coming to God with my head down unable to look up towards heaven like the tax collector in the parable. Only one man goes home justified. The man who was humble. I have arrogantly stormed into the King's Courtyard and talked like a fool running my mouth. Thanks be to God for correcting my prayers. I looked into the mirror of the Word and saw the dirt of iniquity on my face. I saw the errors of my speech. And He graciously forgave me.

What do your prayers look like. Are you persistent? Will the Son of Man find faith when he comes (vs. 8)?

Or, are you a little too bold? Do you enter the throne room and ramble. Pray today that God would fix your prayers. That he would give you a healthy view of this sacred tradition and someday we will stand with and talk face to face with our King of Kings!?!

Luke 2 -Pray More

In verses 36-38 I was struck with awe at the account of Anna... Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and to make the appropriate sacrifices. During this trip they meet a couple of interesting characters. One is a man called Simeon who was righteous and devout and God had revealed to him that he would see the Christ before he died. Moved by the Spirit Simeon went and saw Jesus and said many incredible things about the child. Which is an awesome story but I want to focus on the second encounter. They met a woman named Anna who was a prophetess. Anna "spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." (vs 38)

I know that most people would be completely overwhelmed at the sight of God as a baby. I am sure the Spirit would cause such a deep sense of wonder as you look at the Creator of the universe wrapped in clothes and in the arms of a mere human?! But, I think there is something special about Anna. The Bible says that she lived with her husband for 7 years, then he passed and she was a widow until age 84. In verse 37 we see what kind of amazing woman Anna is when it says, "she never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying." That line right there rocked me this morning. Does the bible really mean that Anna was always praising God? Always fasting and praying? For months? For years? Until she was 84? YEP. Anna was a prophetess that was after God's heart. She dedicated herself to worship, praying, fasting. She was just looking after the ways of God. I am extremely encouraged by Anna. Because when you see someone else living that way it gives you no excuse. If I told you that you should always pray, always fast, always worship, you might respond saying, "that is unrealistic, no one does that!?" But when scripture gives us an example of someone that took God that seriously, we are without excuse. I am convinced that I need to be praying more. That I need to be on my face before God begging for you and your future. That I need to be at the temple day and night asking God that He would work in the hearts and minds of the students and leaders of CSM. I am without excuse, Anna did it, so should I. Prayer is powerful and effective. Let's do it more.

Mark 14 -Watch and Pray

I don't know how much emphasis you put on prayer but I will share my stance on it; without prayer most things we do will be worthless. Jesus was in his final hours before being betrayed and led off to his gruesome death. He went to a sacred place, the Garden of Gethsemane. He began to pray diligently for the strength, endurance, and will to continue because this was the hardest act in human history. Learn from the folly of the disciples, "could you not keep watch for one hour. Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak." Watch and pray... Prayer is huge. Prayer moves mountains. Prayer keeps us focused on God's will and not ours. Prayer equips the saints. Prayer nourishes our souls. Jesus believed in it and we need to be diligent in our praying. Pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Pray because your flesh is waging war with your spirit. Pray because God will hear from heaven and take action.

This is a quote has motivated me towards praying more. It is a quote about a man by the name of Joseph Alleine whose wife wrote this of him; "At the time of his health, he did rise constantly at or before four of the clock(am), and would be much troubled if he heard smiths or other craftsmen at their trades before he was at communion with God; saying to me, 'How this noise shames me. Does not my master deserve more than theirs?'" (Lectures to My Students by C.H. Spurgeon page 48) Prayer is important. Far more important than the work of other craftsmen and our master certainly is more deserving than any other master. So we need to set our faces like flint to pray. We need to be steadfast in prayer. Without much prayer CSM is worthless. I cannot save souls. I cannot strengthen people to be a better Christians. I can not convict people of their sins. Only God can do those things. He is the one with the authority and power and if we don't employ Him through our prayers then we are simply laboring in vain. God is accessed through our prayers. We need to be people of prayer. CSM should be a ministry that is built on prayer. Watch and Pray, then God will move.

Mark 11 -Clearing of the Temple

Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned tables of the money changers and benches of those selling doves and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:
"My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'
But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" (Mark 11:15-17)

Sometimes Jesus just needs to clean house... In our wickedness we allow so many things to impose on the temple. Worldly things. Jesus comes in and overturns the tables. As a youth group we need to be aware of this. There are practices and things that we do that could be looked at as repulsive to Jesus. We need to invite him into our temple to clean house. To strip us down to the bare essentials so we can just focus on God. And we should make every effort to be a house of prayer for all nations. We need to make the basement in our church, where we meet, a house of prayer for all nations. Where we can do the intercession needed for our family and friends, for our city, for the surrounding area, and for the nations. Let's search out Jesus' desire for our youth group. Let's allow him to clean house and realign our focus on the things that matter.