Posts Tagged: Prayer
“Prayers and Divine Appointments”
I was struggling with my runaway mind this morning. Not unusual, but very uncomfortable. I’ve discovered that there are some things that work to counter that tendency. One that I wrote about a few days ago is replacing not-so-good thoughts with better ones. That works well, except when it doesn’t.
Another is moving a muscle. We have the saying in twelve-step work, “Move a muscle, change a thought.” So, I went to our local park to hit softballs off a tee and walk. It helped a little, but the intruding thoughts regrouped and attacked again.
Of course, there is always prayer. That, unfortunately, is usually the last resort for this deeply flawed Christ-follower. I am reminded of a comment I read years ago. A lady was talking with her friend about her problems and ended by saying—with an air of resignation bordering on despair— “I guess we’ll just have to pray and trust God.”
Her friend replied, “Oh dear, has it come to that?!”
Bottom line: It would probably be better if I prayed and trusted God first, but I don’t always do that.
Well, anyway, I prayed. And just then, as I was beginning my walk, I saw a friend on the path whom I had not seen for quite a while. Bill and I talked. I mentioned being attacked by my own thoughts, and he mentioned his struggles with feelings of not having much of a purpose. We had both just prayed for God’s help, and there we were, walking together.
Now, of course, the whole thing could have been a coincidence. However, I’ve heard it said that what we call “coincidences” are God’s appointments.
Could be, you know! Pay attention to the so-called coincidences in your day. You might be encountering God in them.
“On Childproof Seals and Persistence”
“The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8, English Standard Version)
I don’t know if “child-proof” packaging frustrates children, but it most definitely proves frustrating to this old guy. You see, not to get too graphic, I have some chronic digestive issues which makes it desirable for me to take over-the-counter meds. And these meds come in childproof individually wrapped packages. They have a tab, but I’ve tried various ways of using those tabs, and nothing seems to work. Even my wife has difficulty with them and has to resort to scissors to cut them open.
However, being the stubborn individual that I am, I decided to try to find a way to open it when I did not have scissors with me. My determination paid off. I discovered that if I ran my thumbnail along the pill packages where they were scored, and if I kept on doing that for long enough, I could liberate my antidiarrheal pills. Persistence pays off!
Anytime that you’re doing something that needs to be done, persistence also pays off. However, with very few exceptions, I am not known for patience or persistence. I expect to do things perfectly (or at least well) right now, effortlessly. My middle name is not Persistence.
Jesus told a story about a widow whose first name was “Persistent”. She kept going to the same corrupt judge over and over and over, seeking justice. She eventually got her justice, not because the judge was just, but because she was just a pain in various parts of the judge’s anatomy.
Jesus explains that God is not corrupt like the judge. God will take care of his people’s needs speedily. And yet, it seems to me that Jesus indicates that there is the need for persistent faith and prayer in God’s children. It seems so to me because Jesus explicitly says that this is so.
But if God is going to speedily intervene on behalf of God’s children, why there is the need for persistent faith and prayer? I don’t know. Jesus often juxtaposes two things, that in our way of thinking, don’t make sense together. Jesus, like Mary Poppins, never explains anything. But while I don’t know, I do have a couple of suspicions.
First, I suspect that God’s speedily isn’t our speedily. We are creatures of the moment. God is the Creator of all moments, and God lives in eternality. So, while we wait for God’s speed, we need to persistently pray and trust.
Second, I suspect that we wouldn’t even realize that it was actually God intervening if we did not persistently pray and trust. This suspicion is based on my own experience and the experience of others who have reported the same. Without persistent trust and prayer, we would ascribe the meeting of our needs to anything but God. We would fall into the delusion that it was luck, or hard work, or—worst of all—the result of our own goodness.
Now, I would really stop here, but in the interest of full disclosure, I have a confession. It is this: Here of late I haven’t been persistent in prayer, trust, or much of anything that is good. I haven’t murdered anybody or robbed a bank this past week, but I haven’t been persistent or consistent in Bible reading, prayer, praise, gratitude, service, or even making my bed and taking regular showers. Sorry to be so blunt, but I’ve just been kind of a mess. Not a total mess, but a mess nevertheless.
So, one of the things that I am going to be persistent about is writing and posting on this website every day this week. Hold me to that, dear reader!
Oh, I almost forgot! I’m also shaving and taking a shower every day.
“Domination or Steady Steps?”
“Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity get dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:133, English Standard Version)
I am free to sin, but when I sin, I am no longer free. The Bible often speaks of sin as a form of bondage. In Psalm 119:133, the psalmist does not use the common word for “to rule.” Instead, it is a word used for exercising absolute authority over someone. Sin doesn’t just “get dominion over me.” Sin dominates. I don’t like being dominated.
How do I avoid being dominated by my own not-so-free choices? The psalmist hints—or more than hints—that prayer is one aspect of how to avoid being dominated. Notice that verse 133, like much of Psalm 119 (and much of the entire book of Psalms), is prayer. I can get captivated and dominated by all kinds of sins on my own, but I can only escape from such slavery by calling on God. But here is the problem: I don’t like asking for help, not even from God, but I need to do that on an incredibly regular basis.
Another other way to be free from domination is by establishing or keeping my steps in accordance with God’s promise. The life of faith is not a life of avoidance, not even of avoiding sin. The life of faith is a journey in which we put one foot in front of the other in the direction of God and love. And even here, especially here, we also need God to establish our steps.
Or, as my sponsor often reminds me, JKDTNRT: Just Keep Doing The Next Right Thing.
My prayers for me and for you is that we would live free, with God-ordered steps, just for today.
“Hot Weather, Blankets, and Prayer”
Today’s post is a Facebook post by a loving but exasperated mom. You will understand the title better after you read the post. Here it is!
“Are my kids amazing? Yes. Do they also make me lose my mind at least once a day? Yes. Absolutely yes.
This morning in the organized madness of trying to get all four kids out the door., I had to run back in the house twice to get car blankets. Never mind that it’s the middle of summer, we’re in a heatwave, and we swam like three times yesterday because it was “sooo hot!” Car blankets. We had real tears, genuine sadness, and basically accusations of borderline child abuse should I not go back in the house and grab them these dang blankets. Cue me in utter exasperation digging through the hall closet trying to find these blankets that, “silly me!” I put up once the cold weather was over.
But it’s fine. Everything’s fine. We aren’t even late! Probably because I started preparing for our exit 2 hours prior… At least now I can drive in peace knowing that my children will not freeze in this intense weather.
Anyway, if your kids’ logic is as gloriously flawed as mine, I see you. I hear you. But also, so does God. And I can imagine the number of times he is shaking his head at me in exasperation as I whine for something I clearly don’t need, but adamantly, deep in my core, believe that I do.
Thank you Lord for your patience with me. For gently leading me when I am so far off base that it’s comical. Guide me to trust that You know best. Help me to have that same love and wisdom with my children and with everyone I interact with today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
“Fear? Not!”
I think that it is safe to say that we are all at least a little fearful right now. Yes?
So, what do we do with our fear? Perhaps a better question is this: What do we refuse to let fear do with us?
I suspect that there are several things that fear wants to do to/with us.
One thing that fear wants to do to/with us is to make us panicky. Fear can be a good thing. It alerts us to danger, and helps us to take prudent measures that protect ourselves and those we love.
Panic, however, is not a positive thing at all. Panic always makes a bad situation worse. Always remember the eleventh commandment: Thou shalt not panic!
Another thing that fear wants us to do is to collapse on ourselves, to become completely self-absorbed. Many of us (especially those who write blogs) are already self-absorbed enough.
So, what can and should we do with our fear?
First, we can feel afraid. Feelings of all kinds are made to be felt. Don’t deny your fears. If you’re not afraid right now, you’re not paying sufficient attention.
Say your prayers. You don’t believe in God? Well, say your prayers anyway, even if you have to start them out with “To whom it may or may not concern.” When I pray, I feel calmer. In fact, one of my most consistent prayers right now is a calm-my-spirit prayer that I learned years ago, when a church I pastored was going through a 50-Day Spiritual Adventure. Here is the prayer: Calm my spirit, Lord. That’s it. That’s the whole prayer.
Second, do the things that normally work for you, even if you don’t think that you can, even if you don’t think that doing those things will work. I am continued to do 12-step readings, to make gratitude lists, to do (at least sporadic) blog posts.
And, since panicky fear wants you to be self-absorbed, do something that you really don’t want to do for someone else. Check on other people. Call. Email. Text. Yes, by all means, wear a mask and gloves. But minister to the needs of others. The coronavirus is a serious threat, but cowardly selfishness will damage us even more.
Fear?
Not!
“A Small Dose of God Revealed”
Today’s post is from a guest writer: my wife. This is her prayer that she read to me after she wrote it for “The Rooted Experience,” a journey that our church family is taking together. The prayer was written as a response to the following prompt: “Write a prayer to God asking Him to reveal Himself to you.” Her writing was so good that I asked her permission to share it with you. She graciously agreed.
“I think it is a scary prayer to ask God to reveal Himself to me. I was sitting at the ballfield while the guys were practicing before the game, working on this study. I thought, I can only take small doses of God revealing Himself to me.
About that time, an older gentleman pulled up in his red Hybrid car. He had come to play ball. He appeared to be in his mid to late 70’s. As he slowly hobbled across the parking lot carrying his bat, I suddenly felt compassion for him.
Is this how God sees us? Yearning for the days of our youth. Broken down and worn out from the burdens of life. And yet, still looking for that spark of pleasure that tells us we’re still in the game.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to tell us we can all still be in the game. This life is not all there is. He is the Ultimate Coach that can bring this team back to life by believing and turning all our old ways over to Him and following His example. The trophy for a well-played game is Eternal Life in Paradise.
Oh, did God just reveal Himself to me in a small dose?”
Postscript: The “hobbler” did an excellent job playing third base for the team I play on. His accomplishments included handling virtually everything that was hit his way, initiating a triple play, and hitting a triple himself. We won!
Everybody wins with Jesus—even those who lose. And thanks, dear wife, for an excellent piece of writing, and a wonderful prayer.
“ON (MAYBE) HAVING A DISEASE I DIDN’T USED TO BELIEVE WAS REAL”
I used to believe that fibromyalgia was not a real thing. It was easy to be a disbeliever, since I didn’t have it. However, over the years, I’ve come to accept that it is a real thing.
It became really easy today, because I am aching all over. I went to the doctor. My vital signs were all great, which is . . . great! However, the doctor was really puzzled by my symptoms. I was actually somewhat pleased when she said, “I have no idea what’s going with you.” I never trust anyone who never says, “I don’t know.”
However, I do trust my wife! She lives with my pretty much all the time, and she is a nurse. Furthermore, I have had things in the past that she diagnosed long before the doctors and medical procedures verified them. So, when she said, “You know, this sounds kind of like fibromyalgia,” I was listening. Pain that nearly doubles you over sometimes helps you to hear better.
So, we each did a bit of research, and sure enough, the vague (but intense) symptoms seemed to fit. In addition, some things that I read about possible contributing factors sounded like some things I have been going through—anxiety, lack of sleep, and so on. Some things that help ease the pain also sounded like some things I had been intuitively doing.
I was especially struck by the anxiety piece. The truth is that I most certainly have some anxiety right now. I am about to teach a class I’ve never taught before, in a program that I’ve never taught in before, using Accordance Bible software, which I downloaded less than a week ago. And, from the time I was asked to teach the class, until the first class was just over two weeks.
Yes, I would say that anxiety could be an issue!
However, it occurred to me that there was something I hadn’t done. I hadn’t prayed.
Now, I believe in God (most of the time). And I also believe that God answers prayer. Whether it is the answer we want is a completely separate matter.
But God has been so good to me, has given me so many wonderful things, that I hesitate to ask for one more. Why, in Heaven’s Name, shouldn’t I hurt?! After all, I’ve had a good life.
As soon as I verbalized this thought to my wife, I heard how stupid it sounded. God is not constrained! God can bless and bless and bless again. Why shouldn’t I pray for healing?
So, I did. And I took a nap. When I got up, I felt much better. I could stand straight, not looking like a human question mark.
And another thing: For the past, I don’t know, two months (?), whenever I am inclined to entertain regrets, I send Jesus to the door. For some reason, regrets seem to be scared of him. They do not come in. Instead, they run away.
So, I thought to myself, anxieties are actually just regrets that I have imported from the future. Why not send Jesus to the door whenever anxieties knock?
If I deal creatively with anxieties (or rather, let Jesus deal with them), the pain may go away. At the very least, sending Jesus to the door may help substantially.
“HANDS FREE TO WELCOME GOD’S BLESSINGS”
I sometimes do a prayer thing called, “Palms down, palms up.” It is simple, perhaps even simplistic, but I find it helpful.
When I turn my palms down, I am dropping into the hands of Almighty Love all my concerns about the past, worries about the future, and concerns of the day.
Then, when I turn my palms up, I picture myself receiving all the blessings of the day. Sometimes I say something to the effect, “God, I welcome all the blessings you have for me today.” I said that this morning.
And as soon as I said it, a bluebird landed on the garden fence post right outside my study window. And I am not exaggerating! It was right after I prayed this! And immediately after that, a goldfinch swooped through and landed on another garden fence post!
So, the first three items on my gratitude list today were:
- A lovely morning.
- A bluebird I saw, right after praying to God, and saying, “Help me to accept gratefully whatever you give me today.”
- The goldfinch I saw right after I saw the bluebird.
Of course, a skeptic would say, “How do you know those birds wouldn’t have landed on those fence posts anyway?!” And of course, the skeptic would be right.
But one thing is for sure: I don’t think I would have noticed the birds if I had not prayed.
And one final thought. It is only after I’ve dropped a lot of stuff that I am in a position to receive God’s gifts. I need my hands free to welcome God’s blessings.
What do you need to drop in order to see and enjoy God’s blessings? Remember that it is first “palms down,” before it can really be “palms up”!
“DOING AWAY WITH MYSELF”
DTEB, “DOING AWAY WITH MYSELF”
“A man who is wrapped up in himself makes a very small package.” (Source unknown)
“Selfishness—self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows, they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, The Big Book, p. 62, italics mine)
I like to think of myself as a fairly generous, compassionate person. Today, before worship even began, I realized that everything I had ever done or wanted to do that was good has been about me.
The worship music spoke of what God had done for us in Christ. It was wonderful music, but I couldn’t sing much. I was too busy trying to hold back the tears. I hoped to hear something encouraging in the sermon. I didn’t. The pastor talked about compassion. Talking about compassion to a person who just realized his own core selfishness is like pouring water on a drowning man.
At the end of the worship service, there was an invitation to come forward for prayer. I wanted to, but felt that I was just too far gone in my selfishness. I felt so lost in myself.
However, afterwards I found one of the elders at the church with whom I have a good relationship, broke down crying, and asked him to pray for me. (Nothing wrong with the rest of our elders; I just know Gary better.)
My first generous act was to give away my “secret” (??) about being so selfish. Hey, feeble generosity is better than no generosity at all.
And afterwards, I felt so much better. I also felt that, perhaps, even though everything I had ever done had been tainted by my me-ness, there had been some genuine generosity in some of it. The seeds—or at least the desire—had been there in me all along. But the ground was too frozen or too hard for the seeds to germinate.
However, spring is here, no matter how much it may look or feel like winter. Time to break up the soil a bit. Time to tend the seeds. Time to begin to harvest generosity.
I can’t do away with myself, but I can allow my generous God to do something with me! I have repeatedly shown myself incapable of whole-hearted generosity. However, with God, all things are possible. Not easy. Just possible.
I grew up on a two-hundred-acre farm in Adams County. We had a huge garden. One year, there wasn’t much (if any) rain, and the ground was very hard and crusty. The lima beans weren’t able to push their way through the hard soil. My dad bent down and began carefully scraping off the crust, allowing the lima beans to pop up.
I have a Heavenly Father, too. He doesn’t really want to do away with me. He doesn’t want me to do away with myself.
What does He want?
He wants me to allow Him to scrape away my hard, crusty soil. He wants to allow the seeds of generosity to germinate and grow.
He wants that for all of us.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Even a Sliver of Light” April 9, 2024“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:6, English Standard Version) I missed the total eclipse yesterday. There were a number of good reasons for this, but […]
- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
- “The Power of Encouragement—Even for Old People” March 10, 2024“But encourage each other every day while it is ‘today.’ Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (Hebrews 3:13, New Century Version) Yesterday, I was walking at a nearby park. There was a large group of young people some of whom were running while other young people […]
- “Endurance” March 10, 2024“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us […]
- “The Limits of Non-Judgmentalism” February 24, 2024“Matt. 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matt. 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, English Standard Version) This morning, in my virtual 12-step meeting, we discussed the topic of judgmentalism. There were many wise […]
- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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