We know what prayer is and what it isn’t. For the most part. And that’s what I want to think about here. Remember this (intimidating) verse from James:

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
— James 5:16b

Yeah, is that me? It’s an intimidating verse for sure. I want to be that righteous person praying. I want to be the one whose prayers are powerful and effective. So, how do I get there?

I like perspective, because the implications of the right attitude can change everything. Really.

Having the right perspective about prayer is a good starting place. Prayer shouldn’t be most of your time spent telling God about your needs. Read that again – prayer shouldn’t be mostly time spent telling God about your needs. God says we are supposed to do, even though He knows them – we still need to ask:

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
— Matthew 6:8

“Before you ask…” meaning there is a time element. Before means there can be an after. You still need to ask:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
— Matthew 7:7

Isn’t that awesome?

God knows what we need, before we even ask. But then He also commands us to ask. So, that’s part of our time in prayer. What’s the rest of the time in prayer used for?

God stuff.

Meaning, thinking about God, praising God, getting close to God, etc., etc.

Do you get it? It’s about spending time with God. Building your Faith. Thinking about how big God is and how small your problems are. Even how small our needs are. Remember Jesus saying this?

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
— Matthew 17:20

Prayer shouldn’t be filled with you telling God about your mountain – He already knows about it..

All that time we have left over, once we realize God knows our problems already, is time we can use giving God praise and magnifying our God. When we get around to actually asking God for something, we’ve achieved (hopefully) the proper perspective and have also grown our faith.

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
— James 5:15

It’s a Prayer of FAITH that will move mountains. (Read between the lines – is it possible then to pray prayers of “religion”… or of “fear”… or of “pride”…? Interesting, isn’t it? Or maybe it’s more of a wake-up call.)

I’m trying to pray like this more and more. It is hard. I pray to God because I have real needs to be met and not always because I want to praise Him. But maybe that’s because we’ve gotten to close to The World. Maybe that has to do with how we’ve grown up asking for things.

But we can learn a new way to pray. I want to be more aware of God – even before I start rattling off my list. God knows about them; I know about them; we’ll get to them. But first, let me spend time with my God. After a few minutes of that – your list of “high priority” soon becomes a list of “not as important” items.

Let’s get there together.

I was reading Luke 9 this morning:

Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
— Luke 9:1, 2

The disciples were equipped and ready to go. Now, we must understand, that we too have been given that same power and authority as these twelve did then. What’s different? Jesus Christ was there with them and not yet glorified. Now, we have the Christ, the Glorified One who has poured out this same holy spirit, as was prophesied:

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
— Acts 1:7, 8a

We’ve now received to do good like those disciples:

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God
— Romans 15:19a

In Luke 9, we later find that the disciples failed to help a young boy – a demon would toss the poor child and the dad, to Jesus says:

And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
— Luke 9:40

What a different image from the beginning of Luke 9. Victorious. Capable. Handling the adversity of the adversary. Yet, something happened to them. Do you remember what happened? How did Jesus respond?

And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
— Luke 9:41

The word “perverse” here is “diastrephō” – “to distort, turn aside” and “to turn aside from the right path”. What a way to react. But we often loose the meaning of what’s being said. Of course, we are in a perverse generation. But that’s our problem. As in that’s our problem. The disciples thinking got in the way of what they were given the authority to do.

The kid is thrown by the spirit possessing him – and when the disciples prayed over him… the boy was still convulsing. Nothing is happening… the disciples might have said. Something – the perversion of their own thinking – has gotten in the way.

Back in the early part of Luke 9, the disciples were given the authority. Later they came back in verse 10 and told Jesus all that they had done. Did they include this detail? I don’t know.

The power we have is kept in check by our minds and what we think – how distored our thinking is about what God has said and if what God says is really true or not.

It’s not easy. But that’s okay. If the disciples who walked with JC Himself fell short, I think we have a little grace to cover here for us as well.

Wouldn’t it be nice to live like things can be boxed into “old year” and “new year”, but on a much more granular level?

All the excitement about New Year’s is over just after the clock strikes midnight. The singing, the kissing, the drinking, the games… they all sort of trail off after that event-filled moment in history. And that’s it.

The resolutions may stick around for a while or maybe they will not. The opportunity to make an obvious attempt at change may have just drifted away, if there were no real intentions of keeping everything on the list (given, it is after the holidays when we create the list).

I believe with God, something greater than New Year’s is available. God is very familiar with “new”:

Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
— 2 Corinthians 5:17

This is good for us. This is good. This is what the power of God and power of Jesus Christ is capable of – do you know what’s it like to be a new creature? Have you tasted that? If you have, then this – new creature – sings for you.

Here it is: God’s “new” isn’t a once a year thing.

That feeling we have on New Year’s – what if that were something we could experience through God every day? New Year’s is big – how big is this? How do you measure “becoming a new creature”?

Maybe, a more personal question would be – at what depth do you stop pursuing “newness” with God? When do you think you’ve experience the greatness of God’s intention as it relates to our becoming new creations?

Whoa. Right?

Keep pushing.

God is big and the completeness that we have in access to Him and favor with Him and coverings by Him is huge. The “ball” has already dropped. But do we know what the fireworks look like, or how big they can “boom”? Have we seen the possibilities with God, like a new year as a new us?

Explore the depths of God as you reach for Him and push into His inner room.

After all, it is a new year.

And now as Christians we need to be more Christian around this time and exhort our fellow man (whether we believe it or not) to “Remember the Reason for the Season”. How cute.

And yet here we are – a shell of what God has called us to be celebrating something we’re not 100% sure on how to approach – and our heads get so full of … stuff. Was Jesus really a baby – or was he even born on the 25th? What about Santa – should I teach my children about Santa? Which family members should we see this year? What do we tell those we can’t see?

Christmas cards? Or no Christmas cards? Should I say “Merry Christmas” or will that offend people. What about “Happy Holidays” – that might offend others who aren’t celebrating any holiday.

What about gifts? Should they be heartfelt fun things or things that we actually need?

Bleh.

Part of me wants to reject Christmas as something I have to do – even as a Christian. So much commercialism and consumerism. Do I really want to support something like that? Maybe instead, I should be boycotting Christmas – in the name of Christ! (A modern day crusade?)

*Sigh* That doesn’t seem right either. This “Holiday” doesn’t seem part of God’s intended design for man’s salvation. Yet, here we are. Does it pay to fight against this “Holiday” and the “Tradition” built into our very society?

I don’t know.

But what I do know is that God sees things differently from me. Maybe God sees opportunity of something great instead of how I see this – things aren’t “right“. Maybe God rejoices when there is any mention of Jesus – no matter how small. Maybe God dances when someone asks “Why do you practice/believe/do Christmas?” and there’s an answer deeper than Santa or presents or tradition.

And maybe that’s where I am needed. It’s easy to look at things and shoot holes in them. Especially as a “Christian”. But is that really what we’re called to do? Be lights so we can burn things? Or be light so…people can see. Ah…this seems a little more in line with God and His thoughts.

Wow, pretty neat. God is so entrenched in us (humanity) that His perspective is warped… with Love. Maybe I need to keep my own opinions of “This Christmas Thing” in check and instead look at this from God’s perspective.

What would that mean for me? And what would that mean for those I meet along the way.

This is an opportunity for God and for something great.

And then what?

I’m realizing that life is bigger than what I have in front of me. Despite wanting to grow and be successful at my career and with my family and with friends, etc. – there’s still something more. And that means I don’t have to fight so hard. Life is eternal, and it’s started already.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, [fn] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
— John 3:16, 17

Have you thought about Eternal Life as something you already have before? It’s true. If salvation is a permanant solution to our Fallen State, when did that become the reality? Do you know – or – have you considered?

It had to be immediate. Immediate salvation. And if we never die (though we may sleep), when does our Life end?

And what does that do for your life today? Does that change your perspective on your daily tasks – shopping lists, to-dos, people to get back in touch with?

Should it?

I was talking with a friend about him looking for a new house to live in so his two kids can have their own rooms as they grow up. The conversation moved along toward what “everyman’s dream” is regarding houses:

• But a bigger house and eventually sell it after a few years.
• Buy a bigger house again and eventually sell it after a few years.
• Repeat.

I saw where the conversation was going and started to ask “And then what?” After you buy your second house – what then? After you buy your third house – what then? After you buy your fourth house – what then?

I mentioned to my friend that we (anyone) don’t really know what tomorrow brings.

Thinking that we are already living eternally changes things. Children are more important. Stressors are less important. Life is more valuable knowing the big picture.

Our lives are a drop in the ocean. Someone else will be driving your car, living in your house, working your job – so what’s the big deal with being mentally distracted by all these things that are going to pass away anyway?

I’m starting to come around, but I’ve got a long way to go. Living Eternally is a perspective I’m working to build in my own life and thus far the results have been very encouraging.

This (Christianity) is so big. And part of me things it’s supposed to feel that way too.

Whew – amazing.

Have you ever met with a sage? Someone who is simply weathered with experience; dripping with insight and tips and hints and suggestions? What would an interaction with a person like that do to you or for you?

I’ve been exploring this in my own life. I’ve gone through some ups and some downs. I’ve learned some lessons the hard way. I’ve had some hurt to endure and some challenges to accept and process. Not always pretty.

But here’s the thought – what if I could help someone through their unique struggles? What would that have meant to me at the time? Hard to say, but it would have facilitated my learning and overcoming my own challenges on my journey. What would that mean to me – and what if I did that for someone else?

Ah, that’s where it gets interesting. What is the purpose of overcoming something in your life? To overcome it of course. But then what? What do you do in that area after you’ve overcome?

Ah, that’s right. There’s more to be done here, isn’t there? In my mind, Yes, much more. To help others – what else would your overcoming be used for?

This was a wild concept – to me anyway. There’s more to be done here. It isn’t over – despite how much pain or uncomfortable it was to go through – it’s not over.

Think about it – what better way to help someone than by helping them where you are now (because of the overcoming you’ve accomplished) and providing that encouragement?

What does Hope mean to someone who is struggling?

tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
— Romans 5:3b, 4

What’s the value of Hope? Have you thought you could have an impact on someone like that?

Something I’m working through. I don’t know why I never saw it before. Probably because I’m selfish and self centered.

But imagine that – using a weapon used against you to … bring hope and freedom! Amazing.

I’m now looking for opportunities to help someone out. And I’m finding the more I look, the more I see. The more I ask, the more I hear.

Maybe this is how it’s supposed to work. Maybe this is what it means to be Christian, to be a Family?

Pretty cool. Good thinking, God. And now my question to you – how can you help?

After viewing these videos, I trust you’ll be better able to engage Muslims and share the Gospel of Jesus the Christ.

Their Origin

Their Origin from The Chapel on Vimeo.

Thier Message

Their Message from The Chapel on Vimeo.

Christian Response to Islam

The Christian Response to Islam from The Chapel on Vimeo.

I was proud of the DJs, because they quickly mentioned that God is not a feeling and that despite how we feel, God is still God. Bravo, DJs, bravo!

But isn’t this something we all are challenged with – if you feel God near, then God must be near, but the opposite also feels true?

Maybe it’s how our minds work – you remember that saying, “Out of sight, out of mind”? I think that’s our default even when we are talking about God and Godly things. God isn’t a man, but is Spirit. But if we can “sense Him” (think five senses) then we feel confident that He is close.

It’s understanding that God is always close that will trump our “out of sight, out of mind” – or – “out of experience, out of touch” theology.

The presence of God isn’t something you feel… all the time. You can feel close to God at any moment.

I think that’s part of growing up Christian – learning to feel close to God even when… you don’t.

My journey and yours too, I hope.

Why do these times make me struggle to be Thankful – when they should instead be reason for me to be more Thankful?

Thankfulness should be a result of our realizing God’s goodness and faithfullness, His amazing quality of character and on and on. It’s in His presence where we are showered with our identity as His sons and daughters, restored to our rightful place as His children:

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.
— Psalm 100:4

Yet, life would say otherwise. In a world where the slant of life is against God, it’s often easier to give up being Thankful and give into being Thankless, grumbling, murmuring and far from God.

Why is it so hard to be thankful? Why do we fight against a Thankful Mind? Why is it so hard to think this way?

It seems like it’s not so much that it’s hard to do – more like it’s we don’t want to. How is that for profound? It’s not really. But we make it an upstream battle by our attitudes – like children, we fold our arms, stick our lip out and say I don’t want to!.

Maybe it’s selfishness. Being thankful requires a look at circumstances and saying Life isn’t so bad afterall – we’ve got this and that going for us, etc. It’s saying I’m content with things and have a lot (already) to have positive thoughts about.

Consumerism and thanksgiving meet head-on with the Great Black Friday – immediately after you’ve said your thankfulness lists, it’s off to the store to see what we can “get” without thinking twice about what we “need” – such is our culture … and the consumerism mind that comes with it.

So much to think about. Or maybe that’s part of it too – we’re over thinking it.

Thanksgiving should be more about “Thanksliving” than about a time (once, yearly) to “give thanks”. Living with a thankful heart is good for you.

Maybe that’s it – maybe that’s the bottom line. Thankfulness is a time of professing/confessing what you are thankful for and praise God for that! But true thankfulness is a manner of life. It’s a way to conduct yourself. It doesn’t mean there’s no room for wanting something, but it does mean you have a spirit of thankfulness and contentment, in all of life’s circumstances.

Still thankful? Always thankful. (Or that’s the plan.)

Take this for example, does this sound like side-line love?

Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
–Exodus 34:14

Some would see this as a commandment because of a strict set of rules – Worship me! the verse seems to cry. Dry, null, uninteresting, religious and stale. Something to be gained through a partnership or bartering. Means to an end.

Where does a thought like this originate? We can see it in the garden with the Adam and Eve: the idea that God was holding out on them. There’s more, the serpent teased, vaguely and introducing a doubt.

Yet, it’s quite the opposite. God is falling over for us. He loves us to the point of death…and beyond. Evidenced by the Ransom of His Son for you and for me – enemies of the Great God.

After the ransom has been paid, there is the restoration. Where I find myself. God is passionately for us. God wishes to be the Great Love of our lives, greater than Husband or Wife or Children – God as our Intimate one.

Have you ever thought of God like that – as and Object of Intimate Relationship?

Why not?

What kind of relationship do you think God desires? Arms-length? Partitioned? God can only love fully because He is Love. So the intimacy He shares with you is greater than any you’ve possibly ever experienced… greater than any you have experienced!

God desires closeness beyond definition. True intimacy with God is beyond relationship.

Seek God today – get uncomfortable with His desire for you – and become comfortable with His desire for you.

I’ll do the same. I love God.