Introduction
Today we are going to conclude our series focusing on the idea that we need to make time in our daily lives for prayer. Three weeks ago we looked at prayer through the lens of presence, specifically God's omnipresence, as we unpacked the purpose of prayer, the benefits of prayer, and the things we can bring to God in prayer. Two weeks ago we spent our time looking at the idea of how God invites all of us to pray and gives us guidelines to help us draw closer to God. Last week we looked at those areas that can cause barriers between God and ourselves and ways we can work on removing them. Today we are going to bring this altogether by looking at the importance of listening, why it is difficult, and what advice Scripture gives us to help us listen to our Heavenly Father.
Illustration
Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it. "I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day," he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. "Before long, things around our home started reflecting the patter of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable.
"I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, 'Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin' and I'll tell you really fast.'
"Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, 'Honey, you can tell me -- and you don't have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly." "I'll never forget her answer: 'Then listen slowly.'"
How do we Listen?
Speed kills. Especially in our prayer time. This whole series we have been focusing on taking time to pray, slowing down to pray, and being intentional about our prayer life. How many of you have every seen any type of racing machine? My dad used take my brother and I to Daytona every year for the Daytona 500. Daniel would go one year and I the next. It was one of my dad's ways of spending one on one time with each of his boys and 100,000 of our closest friends. Anyway, I can vividly remember the vibrations in my chest as those cars raced past me. Did you know those cars reach 9,000 rpms, revolutions per minute? That is power.
Did you also know most Americans live their life at just about the same pace. We have been trained to wake up, get going, and stay going till our heads hit the pillow. We can be viewed as lazy, underachievers otherwise. And retirement is not always the answer. I have talked to retirees that tell me they are busier now that when they were working for someone else.
Folks, we need to slow down. For those of you that have figured it out, you possess an incredible wisdom that the rest of us could learn from. But the key is we need to slow down. And I am talking slowing down from the 9,000 rpms to about 500 rpms. Slow way down.
Now I can imagine your first comment is similar to mine as I was pondering this; easier said than done. So, how do we slow down? I have several suggestions, you can add a hundred more, but this is what I have found.
One is to journal. By getting a pad of paper and writing down some of your thoughts, you are forcing yourself to slow the pace. When you journal, do it in a quiet place where you can be uninterrupted. Start with the word 'yesterday' and go from there. Recount your day, what you did, how you felt, who you interacted with. But by writing this out, you not only make yourself slow down and focus, but since writing out a word takes time you mind relaxes and so do you.
Another practice is something we talked about a couple of weeks ago and that is to write out your daily prayers when you pray...daily. Again you are causing yourself to ramp down the speed, write out words, and focus.
And finally, this is what we have been focusing on for the last several weeks, take time to pray. Not a rehearsed prayer you can say in your sleep, one where you pour yourself out, off the top of your head, maybe even read from the prayer you just wrote.
These three things are simple things, habits you can begin, to help in your endeavor to slow down your life. And if these do not work for you, find something that will. Withdraw yourself, as Jesus did, remember our second Scripture lesson, and find a task that causes your mind and your body to focus and relax...to slow down.
Are you Listening?
So why is slowing down so important? I wholeheartedly believe it is impossible for us to listen to God if we don't. If our mind is racing about our day, our responsibilities, our check lists, or anything else, I do not think we will hear God's voice.
Our first Scripture lesson this morning paints that picture for us. The sons of Korah, temple assistants, write this beautiful tribute to God. Listen again from the Living Translation:
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
And then it all culminates with the oft quoted passage in verse 10,
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
After recounting God's majesty, power, and promise of protection, we are then told to be still, and know that I am God. Be still, and stand in God's presence. Be still, and spend time with God daily. Debbie and I have a wall in our house full of our pictures from the Holy Land. And during our time there the one thing that stood out to us the most, is that every significant church, site, artifact, and city we witnessed, we could feel the love of God. I could see how God was using these places and events to show me how much I was loved by God, how much you are loved by God. Above those pictures on our wall, we have the words, “Be still, and know that I am God!”
Will You Listen?
To be still is difficult, it is contrary to our culture. But is only through silence that we can hear God. Once you have slowed down, once your have prayed, and once you have listened, there is one more thing to do. Obey. When God speaks, obey. Sometimes those instructions can be clear, sometimes you might have to do a bit of discernment, but always obey. It does no good to do all the other things we have talked about if we do not obey.
Going Forth
So my challenge for all of us, is to be still and know your God. Prayer is not a luxury, prayer is not a piece of advice. Prayer is crucial. I cannot stress enough the fundamental need for all of us to pray daily. Find that time, find that place where you can slow down, accept God invitation to a relationship, and pray. Adore God, confess to God, thank God, and pour your needs out before God. Tell God everything during your time together. And work on understanding the nature and depth of your requests so you do not get discouraged by unanswered prayer. And then listen. God has something to say, you just need to slow down and give God the opportunity to speak.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Bible Challenge 9/26 - 10/02
Greetings!
This week for our Bible Challenge we will stay in the book of Ezekiel. I pray you have been enriched by your time in the Word and that your relationship with God has been deepened!
Here is the schedule:
9/26, Sunday - Ezekiel 11-14
9/27, Monday - 15-18
9/28, Tuesday - 19-22
9/29, Wednesday - 23-26
9/30, Thursday - 27-30
10/1, Friday - 31-34
10/2, Saturday - 35-38
Be Blessed!
This week for our Bible Challenge we will stay in the book of Ezekiel. I pray you have been enriched by your time in the Word and that your relationship with God has been deepened!
Here is the schedule:
9/26, Sunday - Ezekiel 11-14
9/27, Monday - 15-18
9/28, Tuesday - 19-22
9/29, Wednesday - 23-26
9/30, Thursday - 27-30
10/1, Friday - 31-34
10/2, Saturday - 35-38
Be Blessed!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday Fives
1. Preaching Series - This week we are concluding our preaching series focusing on the importance of making daily time for prayer. Sunday we will look at prayer through the lenses of listening with an emphasis on how to slow down our lives. I hope to see all of you there!
2. October Newsletter - The October edition of the Sunshine Herald is ready, published, and available for pickup in the narthex. If you have subscribed to my blog you should have received an email today with a link in it. Otherwise it is posted now a few posts down. Enjoy!
3. Pumpkins! – It is quickly approaching that time where our side yard is transformed into a pumpkin wonderland. We are having a workday to get ready for the pumpkins on October 6th at 9am and then our first shipment arrives on October 9th. If you can help us at either time it will be greatly appreciated. By the way it is also a huge amount of fun! Hope to see you there!
4. Salty Service - A few months back I asked everyone to consider joining up together in groups to venture out and visit some of the residents in the many assisted living and rehab facilities around our church. There are many people there that get no visitors, and we are so good with fellowship, I see a need and a spiritual gift that can easily be paired up. I wanted to give everyone an update on how this budding ministry is progressing. We have one member that has reached out and has began weekly visits and we have another that is in the process of beginning. We have several contacts at area facilities, all we need is volunteers. Many people make light work. If you are willing to spend just a few hours a month visiting with people and sharing the love of Christ please contact the office and we can help you get connected. Please consider reaching out to the people in our area and let them know we care and in the name of Jesus Christ that they are loved.
5. Flu Shots – Sunday October 10th from 11:30am-1:30pm we will host a flu clinic here at the church. This week's bulletin has all the information as to the type of shots offered, the recommendation for which shot to get, as well as the cost. Be sure to check it out and make sure you get what you need. This is a wonderful ministry and one we are happy to be able to offer.
2. October Newsletter - The October edition of the Sunshine Herald is ready, published, and available for pickup in the narthex. If you have subscribed to my blog you should have received an email today with a link in it. Otherwise it is posted now a few posts down. Enjoy!
3. Pumpkins! – It is quickly approaching that time where our side yard is transformed into a pumpkin wonderland. We are having a workday to get ready for the pumpkins on October 6th at 9am and then our first shipment arrives on October 9th. If you can help us at either time it will be greatly appreciated. By the way it is also a huge amount of fun! Hope to see you there!
4. Salty Service - A few months back I asked everyone to consider joining up together in groups to venture out and visit some of the residents in the many assisted living and rehab facilities around our church. There are many people there that get no visitors, and we are so good with fellowship, I see a need and a spiritual gift that can easily be paired up. I wanted to give everyone an update on how this budding ministry is progressing. We have one member that has reached out and has began weekly visits and we have another that is in the process of beginning. We have several contacts at area facilities, all we need is volunteers. Many people make light work. If you are willing to spend just a few hours a month visiting with people and sharing the love of Christ please contact the office and we can help you get connected. Please consider reaching out to the people in our area and let them know we care and in the name of Jesus Christ that they are loved.
5. Flu Shots – Sunday October 10th from 11:30am-1:30pm we will host a flu clinic here at the church. This week's bulletin has all the information as to the type of shots offered, the recommendation for which shot to get, as well as the cost. Be sure to check it out and make sure you get what you need. This is a wonderful ministry and one we are happy to be able to offer.
October Edition of the Sunshine Herald
Greetings All!
Here is the October edition of our Church Newsletter...hot off the presses! In fact as I post this I can hear our volunteers putting the print editions together.
Enjoy!
Oct10NwsLtr
Here is the October edition of our Church Newsletter...hot off the presses! In fact as I post this I can hear our volunteers putting the print editions together.
Enjoy!
Oct10NwsLtr
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Prayer is About Removing: James 4:1-10 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Introduction
Today we are going to continue our preaching series focusing on the idea that we need to make time in our daily lives for prayer. Two weeks ago we looked at prayer through the lens of presence, specifically God's omnipresence, as we unpacked the purpose of prayer, the benefits of prayer, and the things we can bring to God in prayer. Last week we spent our time looking at the idea of how God invites all of us to pray and gives us guidelines to help us draw closer to God. Today we are going to look at those areas that can cause barriers between God and ourselves and ways we can work on removing them.
Don't Always Trust Your Eyes!
A fellow by the name of Tim Bruster tells a powerful story about a mom who took her children to a crowded restaurant one day. Her six-year-old son asked if he could say the grace. He prayed: "God is great and God is good, Let us thank him for the food, and God I would thank you even more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for all! Amen!" Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, the woman at the very next table growled loudly: "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. The very idea... asking God for ice cream! Why I never."
Hearing this, the little six-year-old boy burst into tears and he asked his mother: "Did I do it wrong? I'm sorry. Is God mad at me?" The little boy's mother pulled him over into her lap. She hugged him tightly and assured him that he had done a terrific job with his prayer and God was certainly not mad at him. Just then an elderly gentleman walked over to the table. He winked at the little boy and he said: "I know God really well. We visit every day and I happen to know that God loved your prayer. It may have been the best one He has heard all day." "Really?" the little boy asked.. "Cross my heart," said the man. Then he leaned over and whispered into the little boy's ear. Pointing at the woman at the next table who had made the remark that started the whole thing, he said: "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."
Naturally, the mom ordered ice cream for her kids at the end of the meal. The little six-year-old boy stared at his for a moment and then he did something that no one in that restaurant that day will ever forget. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman at the next table. With a big smile he said to her: "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes and my soul is good already!' The people in the restaurant applauded because that little boy had already learned how to look at others with the eyes of sacrificial love.
Sight (true sight) is always a matter of the heart... not the eyes. That experience could have been a barrier between that little boy and God. But that wise man and loving mother, worked together to show the little boy otherwise. They encouraged that act of sacrificial love. They used positive reinforcement to teach that young man a very powerful lesson that day.
Have You Checked Under the Hood?
How many of you have heard of and like the idea of positive reinforcement? Positive reinforcement is basically being rewarded for doing the right thing versus being punished for doing the wrong thing. Debbie and I try very hard to do this with the boys. We are deliberate about catching them doing the 'right' thing and then making a big deal about it. All with the hopes they will continue to repeat that behavior.
I believe our prayer life to operate in much the same way. When we pray and those prayers get answered, we are eager to keep praying. When those requests get honored and turn out as we asked for, we get excited and our prayer life will blossom. But what do we do and how do we feel when our prayers go unanswered? I have seen many people reduce their prayer time because of this and eventually their prayer life dies. All sorts of questions arise at this point. We wonder if God really hears our prayers. We ask why did God allow this or that to happen? We can begin to wonder if God really cares about us.
Bill Hybels borrowed this outline from another pastor that he uses to help him understand when prayers are not being answered. It goes like this. “If the request is wrong, God says, 'No'. If the timing is wrong, God says, 'Slow'. If you are wrong, God says, 'Grow'. But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, 'Go!'"1 So I want us to take some time today and unpack this outline a bit so we can prevent the barrier of discouragement and resentment from growing.
Is this Appropriate?
One aspect we need to consider in our prayer lives is the appropriateness of our requests. When we go to God in prayer, and we have adored God, and confessed our sins to God, all specifically, and we get to supplication part where we ask for help, one of the questions we should ask is, is this request appropriate. Now I know and believe that none of us would ever go to God with an intentional inappropriate request, but we can go unintentionally.
So how can we know if a request is appropriate? Ask yourself four questions:
When looking at your request through this lens, be honest with yourself. There is no harm in making a mistake. There is no harm in an unintentional inappropriate request. Be we have to understand that those requests will likely result in a 'no' from God. If the request is wrong, God will say 'no'.
Is this the Right Time?
Another aspect we can look at is the timing of our request because bad timing can be a difficult thing to overcome.
We love to think we know best, that we know all there is to know about a certain situation and all God needs to do is get in line and listen to us. However, we learn from Isaiah that, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways...As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV).
Remember God knows everything there is know about all situations. God see angles that we cannot see, understands consequences that we cannot imagine, and see bad timing better than we ever will. Jesus loves you enough to spare you agony of bad timing and to spare you the hassle of overcoming those consequences. Just because it is 'no' now, does not mean that it will not be 'yes' later. If the timing is wrong, God will say 'slow'.
Is it Me?
One more thing to consider is that when making requests to God through prayer we also need to be mindful of ourselves. Look, we all sin. And sin is that which separates you from God, yourself, and those around you. And when you are separated from God the connection is broken. Our Scripture lesson James help us understand why this can be problematic in our prayer lives. Listen again.
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, ‘God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us’? But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:1-10, NRSV)
Do you see the reminder we are given to examine ourselves. To be humble before God, to not allow sin to separate us from our Creator. God will draw you in, God will protect you, God will exalt you! When you pray, if your prayer is not being answered, maybe God is not telling you 'no', but 'grow'.
Conclusion
Prayer is vital for our lives. It is necessary for our spiritual nourishment. And there are going to be times that we are sincere and honest in our prayers but they do not seem to be getting answered, and that barrier of discouragement begins to grow. This is the whole buildup for what I want to tell you today. Be mindful of that barrier. Use that outline to discern the state of your request. Do not chalk up your prayer to “God is not listening” or “God does not care”. God hears every single one of your prayers. In trial and jubilation, in despair and in triumph. God hears. God cries with you, God celebrates with you. My prayer for all of us that when we pray, we are mindful about the nature of our requests. Instead of letting that barrier of discouragement grow and take root, take a good look at the request and see if instead of silence, God is maybe saying, slow, grow, or even no. God loves you and when your prayer is answered differently than how you envisioned it, remember God has reasons that you may be thankful for later.
[1] Hybels, Bill. Too Busy Not Too Pray: Slowing Down to be with God. (InterVarsity Press, 1998) p. 88.
[2] Ibid, p. 92.
Today we are going to continue our preaching series focusing on the idea that we need to make time in our daily lives for prayer. Two weeks ago we looked at prayer through the lens of presence, specifically God's omnipresence, as we unpacked the purpose of prayer, the benefits of prayer, and the things we can bring to God in prayer. Last week we spent our time looking at the idea of how God invites all of us to pray and gives us guidelines to help us draw closer to God. Today we are going to look at those areas that can cause barriers between God and ourselves and ways we can work on removing them.
Don't Always Trust Your Eyes!
A fellow by the name of Tim Bruster tells a powerful story about a mom who took her children to a crowded restaurant one day. Her six-year-old son asked if he could say the grace. He prayed: "God is great and God is good, Let us thank him for the food, and God I would thank you even more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for all! Amen!" Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, the woman at the very next table growled loudly: "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. The very idea... asking God for ice cream! Why I never."
Hearing this, the little six-year-old boy burst into tears and he asked his mother: "Did I do it wrong? I'm sorry. Is God mad at me?" The little boy's mother pulled him over into her lap. She hugged him tightly and assured him that he had done a terrific job with his prayer and God was certainly not mad at him. Just then an elderly gentleman walked over to the table. He winked at the little boy and he said: "I know God really well. We visit every day and I happen to know that God loved your prayer. It may have been the best one He has heard all day." "Really?" the little boy asked.. "Cross my heart," said the man. Then he leaned over and whispered into the little boy's ear. Pointing at the woman at the next table who had made the remark that started the whole thing, he said: "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."
Naturally, the mom ordered ice cream for her kids at the end of the meal. The little six-year-old boy stared at his for a moment and then he did something that no one in that restaurant that day will ever forget. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman at the next table. With a big smile he said to her: "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes and my soul is good already!' The people in the restaurant applauded because that little boy had already learned how to look at others with the eyes of sacrificial love.
Sight (true sight) is always a matter of the heart... not the eyes. That experience could have been a barrier between that little boy and God. But that wise man and loving mother, worked together to show the little boy otherwise. They encouraged that act of sacrificial love. They used positive reinforcement to teach that young man a very powerful lesson that day.
Have You Checked Under the Hood?
How many of you have heard of and like the idea of positive reinforcement? Positive reinforcement is basically being rewarded for doing the right thing versus being punished for doing the wrong thing. Debbie and I try very hard to do this with the boys. We are deliberate about catching them doing the 'right' thing and then making a big deal about it. All with the hopes they will continue to repeat that behavior.
I believe our prayer life to operate in much the same way. When we pray and those prayers get answered, we are eager to keep praying. When those requests get honored and turn out as we asked for, we get excited and our prayer life will blossom. But what do we do and how do we feel when our prayers go unanswered? I have seen many people reduce their prayer time because of this and eventually their prayer life dies. All sorts of questions arise at this point. We wonder if God really hears our prayers. We ask why did God allow this or that to happen? We can begin to wonder if God really cares about us.
Bill Hybels borrowed this outline from another pastor that he uses to help him understand when prayers are not being answered. It goes like this. “If the request is wrong, God says, 'No'. If the timing is wrong, God says, 'Slow'. If you are wrong, God says, 'Grow'. But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, 'Go!'"1 So I want us to take some time today and unpack this outline a bit so we can prevent the barrier of discouragement and resentment from growing.
Is this Appropriate?
One aspect we need to consider in our prayer lives is the appropriateness of our requests. When we go to God in prayer, and we have adored God, and confessed our sins to God, all specifically, and we get to supplication part where we ask for help, one of the questions we should ask is, is this request appropriate. Now I know and believe that none of us would ever go to God with an intentional inappropriate request, but we can go unintentionally.
So how can we know if a request is appropriate? Ask yourself four questions:
- Would it bring glory to God?
- Would it advance God's Kingdom?
- Would it help people?
- Would it help me to grow spiritually?2
When looking at your request through this lens, be honest with yourself. There is no harm in making a mistake. There is no harm in an unintentional inappropriate request. Be we have to understand that those requests will likely result in a 'no' from God. If the request is wrong, God will say 'no'.
Is this the Right Time?
Another aspect we can look at is the timing of our request because bad timing can be a difficult thing to overcome.
We love to think we know best, that we know all there is to know about a certain situation and all God needs to do is get in line and listen to us. However, we learn from Isaiah that, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways...As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV).
Remember God knows everything there is know about all situations. God see angles that we cannot see, understands consequences that we cannot imagine, and see bad timing better than we ever will. Jesus loves you enough to spare you agony of bad timing and to spare you the hassle of overcoming those consequences. Just because it is 'no' now, does not mean that it will not be 'yes' later. If the timing is wrong, God will say 'slow'.
Is it Me?
One more thing to consider is that when making requests to God through prayer we also need to be mindful of ourselves. Look, we all sin. And sin is that which separates you from God, yourself, and those around you. And when you are separated from God the connection is broken. Our Scripture lesson James help us understand why this can be problematic in our prayer lives. Listen again.
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, ‘God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us’? But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:1-10, NRSV)
Do you see the reminder we are given to examine ourselves. To be humble before God, to not allow sin to separate us from our Creator. God will draw you in, God will protect you, God will exalt you! When you pray, if your prayer is not being answered, maybe God is not telling you 'no', but 'grow'.
Conclusion
Prayer is vital for our lives. It is necessary for our spiritual nourishment. And there are going to be times that we are sincere and honest in our prayers but they do not seem to be getting answered, and that barrier of discouragement begins to grow. This is the whole buildup for what I want to tell you today. Be mindful of that barrier. Use that outline to discern the state of your request. Do not chalk up your prayer to “God is not listening” or “God does not care”. God hears every single one of your prayers. In trial and jubilation, in despair and in triumph. God hears. God cries with you, God celebrates with you. My prayer for all of us that when we pray, we are mindful about the nature of our requests. Instead of letting that barrier of discouragement grow and take root, take a good look at the request and see if instead of silence, God is maybe saying, slow, grow, or even no. God loves you and when your prayer is answered differently than how you envisioned it, remember God has reasons that you may be thankful for later.
[1] Hybels, Bill. Too Busy Not Too Pray: Slowing Down to be with God. (InterVarsity Press, 1998) p. 88.
[2] Ibid, p. 92.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Bible Challenge 9/19 - 9/25
Greetings All!
This week we will get into several books. We will finish up Jeremiah, move through Lamentations, and begin Ezekiel. Here is the schedule:
9/19, Sunday - Jeremiah 40-43
9/20, Monday - Jeremiah 44-47
9/21, Tuesday - Jeremiah 48-51
9/22, Wednesday - Jeremiah 52 - Lamentations 3
9/23, Thursday - Lamentations 4 - Ezekiel 2
9/24, Friday - Ezekiel 3-6
9/25, Saturday - Ezekiel 7-10
As always, I would love hear how this challenge is speaking to you!
Be Blessed!
This week we will get into several books. We will finish up Jeremiah, move through Lamentations, and begin Ezekiel. Here is the schedule:
9/19, Sunday - Jeremiah 40-43
9/20, Monday - Jeremiah 44-47
9/21, Tuesday - Jeremiah 48-51
9/22, Wednesday - Jeremiah 52 - Lamentations 3
9/23, Thursday - Lamentations 4 - Ezekiel 2
9/24, Friday - Ezekiel 3-6
9/25, Saturday - Ezekiel 7-10
As always, I would love hear how this challenge is speaking to you!
Be Blessed!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday Fives
1. Preaching Series - This week we are continuing our preaching series focusing on the importance of making daily time for prayer. Sunday we will look at prayer through the lenses of removing barriers. I hope to see all of you there!
2. October Newsletter Articles - If you have an item that you would like to put in the October edition of the Sunshine Herald, please have those in the office to Carole by this Sunday, September 19th.
3. Fish Fry – Our Boy Scout Troop will be holding their annual Fish Fry this Saturday, 9/18, from 1-6pm. I encourage you to come on over to the church and buy your lunch and/or dinner and show your support for our troop. I had some last year and it was delicious!
4. Salty Service - A few months back I asked everyone to consider joining up together in groups to venture out and visit some of the residents in the many assisted living and rehab facilities around our church. There are many people there that get no visitors, and we are so good with fellowship, I see a need and a spiritual gift that can easily be paired up. I wanted to give everyone an update on how this budding ministry is progressing. We have one member that has reached out and has began weekly visits and we have another that is in the process of beginning. We have several contacts at area facilities, all we need is volunteers. Many people make light work. If you are willing to spend just a few hours a month visiting with people and sharing the love of Christ please contact the office and we can help you get connected. Please consider reaching out to the people in our area and let them know we care and in the name of Jesus Christ that they are loved.
5. Ocala Health and Rehab – This Sunday, 9/19, is our monthly visit to Ocala Health and Rehab. Everyone is invited to come on over to the facility and join us as we gather with the residents to worship God. We begin by singing a few 'ol gospel tunes, I give a rendition of that week's sermon, we pray, and then we sing some more. The residents love it, we love it, and I know you will love to be a part of it too. If you have the time, we would love to have you!
2. October Newsletter Articles - If you have an item that you would like to put in the October edition of the Sunshine Herald, please have those in the office to Carole by this Sunday, September 19th.
3. Fish Fry – Our Boy Scout Troop will be holding their annual Fish Fry this Saturday, 9/18, from 1-6pm. I encourage you to come on over to the church and buy your lunch and/or dinner and show your support for our troop. I had some last year and it was delicious!
4. Salty Service - A few months back I asked everyone to consider joining up together in groups to venture out and visit some of the residents in the many assisted living and rehab facilities around our church. There are many people there that get no visitors, and we are so good with fellowship, I see a need and a spiritual gift that can easily be paired up. I wanted to give everyone an update on how this budding ministry is progressing. We have one member that has reached out and has began weekly visits and we have another that is in the process of beginning. We have several contacts at area facilities, all we need is volunteers. Many people make light work. If you are willing to spend just a few hours a month visiting with people and sharing the love of Christ please contact the office and we can help you get connected. Please consider reaching out to the people in our area and let them know we care and in the name of Jesus Christ that they are loved.
5. Ocala Health and Rehab – This Sunday, 9/19, is our monthly visit to Ocala Health and Rehab. Everyone is invited to come on over to the facility and join us as we gather with the residents to worship God. We begin by singing a few 'ol gospel tunes, I give a rendition of that week's sermon, we pray, and then we sing some more. The residents love it, we love it, and I know you will love to be a part of it too. If you have the time, we would love to have you!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Prayer is About Invitation: Matthew 6:5-13 and Luke 11:1-4
Introduction
Today we are going to continue our preaching series focusing on the idea that we need to make time in our daily lives for prayer. Last week we looked at prayer through the lens of presence, specifically God's omnipresence as we unpacked the purpose of prayer, the benefits of prayer, and the things we can bring to God in prayer. Today we are going to spend our time looking at the idea of how God invites all of us to pray and gives us guidelines to help us draw closer to God.
Don't Get Stuck!
There was a news clip which appeared in the papers after blackout in one city. I don't know if was a misprint, a mistake or if it was true: "During the power failure many people complained of having gotten stuck for hours on escalators."
We can't go through our every day life with Jesus or God switched off. We won't make it. There won't be any power for living. We'll be stuck on the escalator of life and won't have the energy to walk up or down. We need to spend time in prayer. Prayer is our connection to the source of power in life, God.
How Then Should We Pray?
Prayer is that important. Prayer is our lifeline. And not just in times of trouble. It is one of the major sources of nourishment for our spiritual lives, our chance to communicate with God and He with us. So last week, after looking at what prayer is, the benefits of it, and what we can pray about, this week the question naturally becomes, how should we pray? Because if it’s this important, we want to make sure that we are doing it properly. The disciples had questions about this too. They followed Jesus around and listened to him pray and they wanted help from him in their own prayer lives. In our Gospel lesson from Matthew this morning we find Jesus, through his Sermon on the Mount, teaching people how to pray by giving them some guidelines and then models prayer.
The Guidelines:
1) Prayer should be sincere and personal
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men… But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
This doesn’t mean we have to go lock ourselves away in private every time we want to pray. But it gets at the heart of the fact that prayer is not an exercise to show others how spiritual we are, but rather it’s designed to be a means of personal communication between you and God.
2) Prayer is not about the words we use
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
I know that a lot of people are uncomfortable praying in public because they are unsure of what to say, afraid of getting tongue-tied or not using the “right words.” But prayer is not about the words we use. There are no right and wrong words to use when we pray. God already knows the things we need before we ask him. The biggest part of prayer is about the spirit in which we pray. Bill Hybels tells the story of a time when he was at a conference with some of highest-level church leaders in the country. One day in particular, when lunch time rolled around, Bill was invited to go eat with them. As they gathered around this table to eat one of the men, a seminary professor, was asked to pray. This professor was a theology professor, and a great one at that. He began to pray, Father, I love being alive today. And I love sitting down with brothers, eating good food, and talking about Kingdom business. I know you're at this table, and I'm glad. I want to tell you in front of these brothers that I love you, and I'll do anything for you that you ask me to do.1
There were no eloquent, theological words. No rehashed phrases. Just honest, heart-felt words. It is the state of the heart, not the length of the word that is important.
The Model Prayer
Prayer should also be sincere and personal. Following these guidelines Jesus then prays, giving them a model of how to pray; what we call the “Lord’s Prayer”: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.’ (Luke 11:2-4 NRSV)
What a beautiful prayer. It is extremely moving, and meaningful. It can be powerful to a group of people as they say it aloud together. But Jesus intended this to be more than just the prayer that we recite. Especially since he had just cautioned the people against using repetitious phrases. I believe Jesus gave us the Lord’s prayer as a pattern to use to suggest the variety of elements that should be included when we pray: Praise for God, Submission to His will, seeking forgiveness, asking for daily provisions, seeking guidance and deliverance.
Over the years, the church has developed other patterns to help guide times of prayer. The one that I find easiest to remember and helps me the most is the ACTS prayer model. ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.
Adoration – This should always come first. God is worthy of our praise and worship. When we begin with this, it helps set the tone for the entire prayer and remind us that prayer is not just about ourselves. Some ways to do this might be: to list God’s attributes of mercy, love, providence, power; pray through the various names for God; pick a psalm of praise and read or say it to God. Take time to praise and worship God.
Confession – Next is confession. We need to confess our sins and remove anything that may be blocking or hindering our relationship to God. I encourage you to not make this confession a lump confession; “please forgive me for the bad things I did today”. Be specific. Name your sins. By naming them you become acutely aware of bad habits that may be forming or ongoing. And when you know where your struggles are then you can work more efficiently to change them. Do not just say sorry and forgive me, but rather I am truly sorry for this, spell it out, and be specific.
Thanksgiving – After confession is thanksgiving. All of us grew up being told it was good manners to say please and and thank you. It is no different in our relationship with God. Take this time to express to God how grateful you are for your blessings. Express gratitude for the things God has done; answered prayers, spiritual blessings, relational blessings, material blessings. And again, be specific. Even write them down. This will give you the ability to see concretely all the things God has done for you. And even better you can go back at later dates, re-read them and be reminded of God's incredible faithfulness.
Supplication – Finally we get to the “s”, supplication. Supplication is just a big fancy word meaning “asking for help.” Once we’ve done all these other things in prayer, then approach God with your “shopping list” of wants and needs. This is the part of prayer that most of us do well already and don’t need help with. You know, asking for things that you need and want for yourself, and asking for help for other people, family, friends, the sick, church leaders and ministries, world leaders, etc. And again, be specific. Remember God tells us to bring everything to God in prayer. No request is too small or insignificant. God already knows what is on your heart, so trying to hide it is a waste of time.
Conclusion
This is just one of many models that are out there to help us with our prayer life and our daily prayer time. It was given to us by God, through Jesus, and kept alive through the Holy Spirit, as a means of invitation. It was meant to help us begin that practice, that discipline of prayer. To help us break through any apprehension we might have about prayer so that we can be in communion with our Heavenly Father. I am blessed to be able to spend quality, one on one time, with each of my boys every morning as I walk each of them school. Parker first and then Wesley. That time where we get to talk and share and laugh and just be with each other is the high point of my day. It is the same for God with each of us. Spend that quality, one on one time, with God each and every day. God is waiting to talk, to share, to laugh, and to just be with you. You have been given the invitation, will you accept it?
[1] Hybels, Bill. Too Busy Not Too Pray: Slowing Down to be with God. (InterVarsity Press, 1998) p. 54
Today we are going to continue our preaching series focusing on the idea that we need to make time in our daily lives for prayer. Last week we looked at prayer through the lens of presence, specifically God's omnipresence as we unpacked the purpose of prayer, the benefits of prayer, and the things we can bring to God in prayer. Today we are going to spend our time looking at the idea of how God invites all of us to pray and gives us guidelines to help us draw closer to God.
Don't Get Stuck!
There was a news clip which appeared in the papers after blackout in one city. I don't know if was a misprint, a mistake or if it was true: "During the power failure many people complained of having gotten stuck for hours on escalators."
We can't go through our every day life with Jesus or God switched off. We won't make it. There won't be any power for living. We'll be stuck on the escalator of life and won't have the energy to walk up or down. We need to spend time in prayer. Prayer is our connection to the source of power in life, God.
How Then Should We Pray?
Prayer is that important. Prayer is our lifeline. And not just in times of trouble. It is one of the major sources of nourishment for our spiritual lives, our chance to communicate with God and He with us. So last week, after looking at what prayer is, the benefits of it, and what we can pray about, this week the question naturally becomes, how should we pray? Because if it’s this important, we want to make sure that we are doing it properly. The disciples had questions about this too. They followed Jesus around and listened to him pray and they wanted help from him in their own prayer lives. In our Gospel lesson from Matthew this morning we find Jesus, through his Sermon on the Mount, teaching people how to pray by giving them some guidelines and then models prayer.
The Guidelines:
1) Prayer should be sincere and personal
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men… But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
This doesn’t mean we have to go lock ourselves away in private every time we want to pray. But it gets at the heart of the fact that prayer is not an exercise to show others how spiritual we are, but rather it’s designed to be a means of personal communication between you and God.
2) Prayer is not about the words we use
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
I know that a lot of people are uncomfortable praying in public because they are unsure of what to say, afraid of getting tongue-tied or not using the “right words.” But prayer is not about the words we use. There are no right and wrong words to use when we pray. God already knows the things we need before we ask him. The biggest part of prayer is about the spirit in which we pray. Bill Hybels tells the story of a time when he was at a conference with some of highest-level church leaders in the country. One day in particular, when lunch time rolled around, Bill was invited to go eat with them. As they gathered around this table to eat one of the men, a seminary professor, was asked to pray. This professor was a theology professor, and a great one at that. He began to pray, Father, I love being alive today. And I love sitting down with brothers, eating good food, and talking about Kingdom business. I know you're at this table, and I'm glad. I want to tell you in front of these brothers that I love you, and I'll do anything for you that you ask me to do.1
There were no eloquent, theological words. No rehashed phrases. Just honest, heart-felt words. It is the state of the heart, not the length of the word that is important.
The Model Prayer
Prayer should also be sincere and personal. Following these guidelines Jesus then prays, giving them a model of how to pray; what we call the “Lord’s Prayer”: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.’ (Luke 11:2-4 NRSV)
What a beautiful prayer. It is extremely moving, and meaningful. It can be powerful to a group of people as they say it aloud together. But Jesus intended this to be more than just the prayer that we recite. Especially since he had just cautioned the people against using repetitious phrases. I believe Jesus gave us the Lord’s prayer as a pattern to use to suggest the variety of elements that should be included when we pray: Praise for God, Submission to His will, seeking forgiveness, asking for daily provisions, seeking guidance and deliverance.
Over the years, the church has developed other patterns to help guide times of prayer. The one that I find easiest to remember and helps me the most is the ACTS prayer model. ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.
Adoration – This should always come first. God is worthy of our praise and worship. When we begin with this, it helps set the tone for the entire prayer and remind us that prayer is not just about ourselves. Some ways to do this might be: to list God’s attributes of mercy, love, providence, power; pray through the various names for God; pick a psalm of praise and read or say it to God. Take time to praise and worship God.
Confession – Next is confession. We need to confess our sins and remove anything that may be blocking or hindering our relationship to God. I encourage you to not make this confession a lump confession; “please forgive me for the bad things I did today”. Be specific. Name your sins. By naming them you become acutely aware of bad habits that may be forming or ongoing. And when you know where your struggles are then you can work more efficiently to change them. Do not just say sorry and forgive me, but rather I am truly sorry for this, spell it out, and be specific.
Thanksgiving – After confession is thanksgiving. All of us grew up being told it was good manners to say please and and thank you. It is no different in our relationship with God. Take this time to express to God how grateful you are for your blessings. Express gratitude for the things God has done; answered prayers, spiritual blessings, relational blessings, material blessings. And again, be specific. Even write them down. This will give you the ability to see concretely all the things God has done for you. And even better you can go back at later dates, re-read them and be reminded of God's incredible faithfulness.
Supplication – Finally we get to the “s”, supplication. Supplication is just a big fancy word meaning “asking for help.” Once we’ve done all these other things in prayer, then approach God with your “shopping list” of wants and needs. This is the part of prayer that most of us do well already and don’t need help with. You know, asking for things that you need and want for yourself, and asking for help for other people, family, friends, the sick, church leaders and ministries, world leaders, etc. And again, be specific. Remember God tells us to bring everything to God in prayer. No request is too small or insignificant. God already knows what is on your heart, so trying to hide it is a waste of time.
Conclusion
This is just one of many models that are out there to help us with our prayer life and our daily prayer time. It was given to us by God, through Jesus, and kept alive through the Holy Spirit, as a means of invitation. It was meant to help us begin that practice, that discipline of prayer. To help us break through any apprehension we might have about prayer so that we can be in communion with our Heavenly Father. I am blessed to be able to spend quality, one on one time, with each of my boys every morning as I walk each of them school. Parker first and then Wesley. That time where we get to talk and share and laugh and just be with each other is the high point of my day. It is the same for God with each of us. Spend that quality, one on one time, with God each and every day. God is waiting to talk, to share, to laugh, and to just be with you. You have been given the invitation, will you accept it?
[1] Hybels, Bill. Too Busy Not Too Pray: Slowing Down to be with God. (InterVarsity Press, 1998) p. 54
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Bible Challenge 9/12 - 9/18
Good Morning All!
Our schedule for this week keeps us in Jeremiah.
9/12, Sunday - Jeremiah 12-15
9/13, Monday - 16-19
9/14, Tuesday - 20-23
9/15, Wednesday - 24-27
9/16, Thursday - 28-31
9/17, Friday - 32-35
9/18, Saturday - 36-39
Be Blessed!
Our schedule for this week keeps us in Jeremiah.
9/12, Sunday - Jeremiah 12-15
9/13, Monday - 16-19
9/14, Tuesday - 20-23
9/15, Wednesday - 24-27
9/16, Thursday - 28-31
9/17, Friday - 32-35
9/18, Saturday - 36-39
Be Blessed!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday Fives
1. Preaching Series - This week we are continuing our preaching series focusing on the importance of making daily time for prayer. Sunday we will look at prayer through the lenses of invitation. I hope to see all of you there!
2. Prayer for Labor Day - Carole Newlin received this prayer from her son about Labor Day and I want to pass it along to all of you. Enjoy!
We praise you for all who labor for the common good and for those whose service is unappreciated. We thank you for children whose play is the work of learning to live in the world. We thank you for disciples who are obedient to the promptings of your Spirit in all their relationships. We thank you for your yearning mercy that waits for us to make all our hours and days participation in your healing and blessing of the Earth and for all peoples. Amen.
This prayer was taken from our General Board of Discipleship website and it is a wonderful reminder of the many ways God is at work. We truly serve an awesome God!
3. Marriage Conference – Last week I posted an article here on my blog about an upcoming marriage conference. Below I have re-posted the article to encourage you to attend. My wife Debbie and I have already signed up and I hope to see all of you that are married, engaged, or dating there!
Prior Announcement
When Debbie and I got married eleven years ago, we made a conscious decision that divorce was never an option for us; it simply wasn't on the table. We did this because Debbie had lived through the divorce of hew own parents as a child and together we had witnessed many family members and friends navigate the world of divorce and saw the far-reaching impact that it had. And while we've had our share of up and down times in our relationship, even though we're pastors, we are human! But what helps us is the commitment we've made to do something every year to get us working on our relationship. Things like attending a marriage seminar, doing devotionals together, reading a book on marriage together, making sure to take our date day, or learning to communicate about finances through Financial Peace University.
This year we are attending a marriage conference right here in town, coming up on Saturday, September 18th. Church @ The Springs is hosting a one day marriage conference by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott that I wanted to make you all aware of.
Here is a video that will give you more info about this event.
If you would like more info you can contact Patti at Church @ The Springs at 352.624.0545, ext. 107, email info@thesprings.org, or simply click here
4. Salty Service - A few months back I asked everyone to consider joining up together in groups to venture out and visit some of the residents in the many assisted living and rehab facilities around our church. There are many people there that get no visitors, and we are so good with fellowship, I see a need and a spiritual gift that can easily be paired up. I wanted to give everyone an update on how this budding ministry is progressing. We have one member that has reached out and has began weekly visits and we have another that is in the process of beginning. We have several contacts at area facilities, all we need is volunteers. Many people make light work. If you are willing to spend just a few hours a month visiting with people and sharing the love of Christ please contact the office and we can help you get connected. Please consider reaching out to the people in our area and let them know we care and in the name of Jesus Christ that they are loved.
5. Sunday School – We are going to launch our Sunday School program soon. Watch this space and the bulletin announcements for a planning meeting coming up soon. And remember....it is never to late to volunteer!
2. Prayer for Labor Day - Carole Newlin received this prayer from her son about Labor Day and I want to pass it along to all of you. Enjoy!
We praise you for all who labor for the common good and for those whose service is unappreciated. We thank you for children whose play is the work of learning to live in the world. We thank you for disciples who are obedient to the promptings of your Spirit in all their relationships. We thank you for your yearning mercy that waits for us to make all our hours and days participation in your healing and blessing of the Earth and for all peoples. Amen.
This prayer was taken from our General Board of Discipleship website and it is a wonderful reminder of the many ways God is at work. We truly serve an awesome God!
3. Marriage Conference – Last week I posted an article here on my blog about an upcoming marriage conference. Below I have re-posted the article to encourage you to attend. My wife Debbie and I have already signed up and I hope to see all of you that are married, engaged, or dating there!
Prior Announcement
When Debbie and I got married eleven years ago, we made a conscious decision that divorce was never an option for us; it simply wasn't on the table. We did this because Debbie had lived through the divorce of hew own parents as a child and together we had witnessed many family members and friends navigate the world of divorce and saw the far-reaching impact that it had. And while we've had our share of up and down times in our relationship, even though we're pastors, we are human! But what helps us is the commitment we've made to do something every year to get us working on our relationship. Things like attending a marriage seminar, doing devotionals together, reading a book on marriage together, making sure to take our date day, or learning to communicate about finances through Financial Peace University.
This year we are attending a marriage conference right here in town, coming up on Saturday, September 18th. Church @ The Springs is hosting a one day marriage conference by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott that I wanted to make you all aware of.
Here is a video that will give you more info about this event.
If you would like more info you can contact Patti at Church @ The Springs at 352.624.0545, ext. 107, email info@thesprings.org, or simply click here
4. Salty Service - A few months back I asked everyone to consider joining up together in groups to venture out and visit some of the residents in the many assisted living and rehab facilities around our church. There are many people there that get no visitors, and we are so good with fellowship, I see a need and a spiritual gift that can easily be paired up. I wanted to give everyone an update on how this budding ministry is progressing. We have one member that has reached out and has began weekly visits and we have another that is in the process of beginning. We have several contacts at area facilities, all we need is volunteers. Many people make light work. If you are willing to spend just a few hours a month visiting with people and sharing the love of Christ please contact the office and we can help you get connected. Please consider reaching out to the people in our area and let them know we care and in the name of Jesus Christ that they are loved.
5. Sunday School – We are going to launch our Sunday School program soon. Watch this space and the bulletin announcements for a planning meeting coming up soon. And remember....it is never to late to volunteer!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Prayer is About Presence: Exodus 17:8-13 and Luke 18:2-5
Introduction
Today we are going to begin a new preaching series focusing on the idea that we need to make time in our lives for prayer. In this series we are going to take a look at prayer through the lens of presence, invitation, barriers and listening. Today we are going to begin with the lens of presence as we talk about why we pray, the benefits of praying, and what types of things we should pray about.
What Do I do?
Several years ago I had the opportunity to intern as a chaplain at Tampa General Hospital. As part of my internship we all had to work at least one overnight shift. Now to put this in perspective Tampa General is the level 1 trauma hospital for nine counties. If you had a serious injury in any of those nine counties, you were transported by ambulance or helicopter to Tampa General. Therefore, the ER was always very active. Now when you work an overnight shift that goes from 5pm that evening till 8am the next morning. And you are the only chaplain in the hospital.
During one of my overnight shifts I was paged to the ER. A woman had just been brought in because she suffered a severe heart attack and was not going to survive it. Her husband of 60 years had called 911 and was sitting by her bed. As you can imagine he was very upset so the ER nurse paged the chaplain. I checked in at the nurses station, was told of the situation, and then began my trek to see the husband. I was absolutely panic stricken. I had gone through losing someone to death before, three grand-parents and two great-grandmothers. But never a wife, and I had never had to counsel someone through it.
What I was setting out to do with this man was going to be a new experience for me. I had no idea what to say. The fear of making it worse by saying something horrible was growing in my gut. I was having trouble coming up with the words to say to even start a conversation, much less how to bring this man comfort through one. So I began to pray....
Why Pray?
When we are faced with situation such as these, we usually pray. Even people that do not practice their faith consistently will pray in a situation like this. So why do we pray? What is it that we are searching for that makes us feel prayer is the place to start?
Because prayer is the key to unlock God's power. Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, says, “We pray because, by intuition or experience, we understand that the most intimate communion with God comes only through prayer.”1 It is when we bear ourselves before our Lord and Creator that feelings of intimacy arise. We feel closer to God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit more than any other time when we pray. That is why we make it a point to open up the altar rail during worship so everyone has time to pray. “People are drawn to prayer because they know that God's power flows primarily to people who pray”2 We pray to unlock God's power in our lives.
Benefits of Prayer
But there is more! When you pray you are also allowing God to pour out blessings upon you. God has many blessings for you and when you pray, when you take the time to open yourself up through prayer, amazing things can happen. Our first Scripture lesson this morning shows us the power of God's blessings.
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses in response to this attack goes up on a hill with the staff of God in his hands, raises his arms and begins to pray. As they battle and as Moses prays, the Israelites are winning. So Moses stops praying and watches. The tide starts to turn and Amalekites are starting to win. Moses again raises his hands, prays to God, and the Israelites begin to overpower the Amalekites again. As long as Moses prayed, the Israelites prevailed. In fact Moses' hands grew tired, so Aaron and Hur gave him a stone to sit on and Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady and Moses prayed.
Through prayer this battle was swayed. Through prayer the Israelites prevailed. Through prayer God blessed the chosen people. Prayer is a key, the key, to God's blessings. Moses used it, Christ used it, you can use it. Prayer works because it is powerful. It works because God is always listening. It works because that is where we are connected with God in a fellowship like no other.
Pray About All Things!
Now that we better understand what prayer can do for us, is there a limit to what we can pray for? No! Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, bit in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. Bring everything to God, no holds barred. Every night after Parker and Wesley say their prayers, Debbie and I open it up for them to pray about anything. We have prayed about safe travel, good days at school, sunny weather, athletes to be safe during games, along with all the usual prayers for illness, direction, and healing. Pray often, pray hard, just pray!
And when you pray, be confident! Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Approach God, confident in your request, confident that it will be heard, confident that God wants to hear it. Take anything, everything, confidently before your God. Scripture tells you too.
Conclusion
Remember the man I told you about that was about to lose his wife of 60 years? When I arrived and pulled back the curtain, he looked at me and I opened my mouth to speak. Nothing came out. I tried again. Again nothing. So I reached out, put my arm on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. I stood there for 45 minutes with my hand on his shoulders, during which his wife breathed her last breath. When he was ready to go, he stood up, turned to me, and gave me a hug. He told me how grateful he was that someone was there with him. It was the presence of another person, not words, that brought this man comfort. And it was God responding to my prayer for guidance, that caused my silence. I needed help, I prayed about what to say, and I did it will the confidence that God would respond. And God did. God closed my mouth and took my speech, because that man needed to feel God's presence through the touch of my hand on his shoulder. That man did not need inadequate words or gestures. God was present!
Folks, prayer can often get overlooked in the midst of a busy life. But I challenge you to make time daily to pray. Prayer is where you are blessed, prayer is wide open, prayer requires nothing of you but your willingness to do it. God is eagerly waiting, God is anxiously anticipating, and God is ever present. God wants you to pray so God can open up the gates of Heaven and bless you till you cannot take anymore. Instead of thinking of yourself as too busy to pray, think of yourself as too busy not to pray.
[1] Hybels, Bill. Too Busy Not Too Pray: Slowing Down to be with God. (InterVarsity Press, 1998) p.9
[2] Ibid, p.12
Today we are going to begin a new preaching series focusing on the idea that we need to make time in our lives for prayer. In this series we are going to take a look at prayer through the lens of presence, invitation, barriers and listening. Today we are going to begin with the lens of presence as we talk about why we pray, the benefits of praying, and what types of things we should pray about.
What Do I do?
Several years ago I had the opportunity to intern as a chaplain at Tampa General Hospital. As part of my internship we all had to work at least one overnight shift. Now to put this in perspective Tampa General is the level 1 trauma hospital for nine counties. If you had a serious injury in any of those nine counties, you were transported by ambulance or helicopter to Tampa General. Therefore, the ER was always very active. Now when you work an overnight shift that goes from 5pm that evening till 8am the next morning. And you are the only chaplain in the hospital.
During one of my overnight shifts I was paged to the ER. A woman had just been brought in because she suffered a severe heart attack and was not going to survive it. Her husband of 60 years had called 911 and was sitting by her bed. As you can imagine he was very upset so the ER nurse paged the chaplain. I checked in at the nurses station, was told of the situation, and then began my trek to see the husband. I was absolutely panic stricken. I had gone through losing someone to death before, three grand-parents and two great-grandmothers. But never a wife, and I had never had to counsel someone through it.
What I was setting out to do with this man was going to be a new experience for me. I had no idea what to say. The fear of making it worse by saying something horrible was growing in my gut. I was having trouble coming up with the words to say to even start a conversation, much less how to bring this man comfort through one. So I began to pray....
Why Pray?
When we are faced with situation such as these, we usually pray. Even people that do not practice their faith consistently will pray in a situation like this. So why do we pray? What is it that we are searching for that makes us feel prayer is the place to start?
Because prayer is the key to unlock God's power. Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, says, “We pray because, by intuition or experience, we understand that the most intimate communion with God comes only through prayer.”1 It is when we bear ourselves before our Lord and Creator that feelings of intimacy arise. We feel closer to God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit more than any other time when we pray. That is why we make it a point to open up the altar rail during worship so everyone has time to pray. “People are drawn to prayer because they know that God's power flows primarily to people who pray”2 We pray to unlock God's power in our lives.
Benefits of Prayer
But there is more! When you pray you are also allowing God to pour out blessings upon you. God has many blessings for you and when you pray, when you take the time to open yourself up through prayer, amazing things can happen. Our first Scripture lesson this morning shows us the power of God's blessings.
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses in response to this attack goes up on a hill with the staff of God in his hands, raises his arms and begins to pray. As they battle and as Moses prays, the Israelites are winning. So Moses stops praying and watches. The tide starts to turn and Amalekites are starting to win. Moses again raises his hands, prays to God, and the Israelites begin to overpower the Amalekites again. As long as Moses prayed, the Israelites prevailed. In fact Moses' hands grew tired, so Aaron and Hur gave him a stone to sit on and Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady and Moses prayed.
Through prayer this battle was swayed. Through prayer the Israelites prevailed. Through prayer God blessed the chosen people. Prayer is a key, the key, to God's blessings. Moses used it, Christ used it, you can use it. Prayer works because it is powerful. It works because God is always listening. It works because that is where we are connected with God in a fellowship like no other.
Pray About All Things!
Now that we better understand what prayer can do for us, is there a limit to what we can pray for? No! Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, bit in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. Bring everything to God, no holds barred. Every night after Parker and Wesley say their prayers, Debbie and I open it up for them to pray about anything. We have prayed about safe travel, good days at school, sunny weather, athletes to be safe during games, along with all the usual prayers for illness, direction, and healing. Pray often, pray hard, just pray!
And when you pray, be confident! Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Approach God, confident in your request, confident that it will be heard, confident that God wants to hear it. Take anything, everything, confidently before your God. Scripture tells you too.
Conclusion
Remember the man I told you about that was about to lose his wife of 60 years? When I arrived and pulled back the curtain, he looked at me and I opened my mouth to speak. Nothing came out. I tried again. Again nothing. So I reached out, put my arm on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. I stood there for 45 minutes with my hand on his shoulders, during which his wife breathed her last breath. When he was ready to go, he stood up, turned to me, and gave me a hug. He told me how grateful he was that someone was there with him. It was the presence of another person, not words, that brought this man comfort. And it was God responding to my prayer for guidance, that caused my silence. I needed help, I prayed about what to say, and I did it will the confidence that God would respond. And God did. God closed my mouth and took my speech, because that man needed to feel God's presence through the touch of my hand on his shoulder. That man did not need inadequate words or gestures. God was present!
Folks, prayer can often get overlooked in the midst of a busy life. But I challenge you to make time daily to pray. Prayer is where you are blessed, prayer is wide open, prayer requires nothing of you but your willingness to do it. God is eagerly waiting, God is anxiously anticipating, and God is ever present. God wants you to pray so God can open up the gates of Heaven and bless you till you cannot take anymore. Instead of thinking of yourself as too busy to pray, think of yourself as too busy not to pray.
[1] Hybels, Bill. Too Busy Not Too Pray: Slowing Down to be with God. (InterVarsity Press, 1998) p.9
[2] Ibid, p.12
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Bible Challenge 9/5 - 9/11
Greetings my Bible Challenge friends!
This week we will complete Isaiah and move into Jeremiah. I pray God is using this time to speak to you and bless you! Here is the schedule for the week.
9/5, Sunday - Isaiah 50-53
9/6, Monday - Isaiah 54-57
9/7, Tuesday - Isaiah 58-61
9/8, Wednesday - Isaiah 62-65
9/9, Thursday - Isaiah 66 - Jeremiah 3
9/10, Friday - Jeremiah 4-7
9/11, Saturday - Jeremiah 8-11
Be Blessed!
This week we will complete Isaiah and move into Jeremiah. I pray God is using this time to speak to you and bless you! Here is the schedule for the week.
9/5, Sunday - Isaiah 50-53
9/6, Monday - Isaiah 54-57
9/7, Tuesday - Isaiah 58-61
9/8, Wednesday - Isaiah 62-65
9/9, Thursday - Isaiah 66 - Jeremiah 3
9/10, Friday - Jeremiah 4-7
9/11, Saturday - Jeremiah 8-11
Be Blessed!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Friday Fives
1. Preaching Series - This week we are beginning a new four week preaching series based upon the book, Too Busy Not Too Pray, by Bill Hybels. During this series we will look at the importance of making time in our lives for prayer as we will look at prayer through the lenses of presence, invitation, barriers, and listening. This week we will begin with the lens of presence. I hope to see all of you there!
2. Worship Opportunity - Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville is hosting two special events in September that I wanted to make you all aware of.
3. Marriage Conference – A few days ago I posted an article here on my blog about an upcoming marriage conference. I want to take some space here and encourage you to look back at that announcement and consider going. My wife Debbie and I have already signed up and I encourage all of you that are married, engaged, or dating to attend.
4. Salty Service - A few months back I asked everyone to consider joining up together in groups to venture out and visit some of the residents in the many assisted living and rehab facilities around our church. There are many people there that get no visitors, and we are so good with fellowship, I see a need and a spiritual gift that can easily be paired up. I wanted to give everyone an update on how this budding ministry is progressing. We have one member that has reached out and has began weekly visits and we have another that is in the process of beginning. We have several contacts at area facilities, all we need is volunteers. Many people make light work. If you are willing to spend just a few hours a month visiting with people and sharing the love of Christ please contact the office and we can help you get connected. Please consider reaching out to the people in our area and let them know we care and in the name of Jesus Christ that they are loved.
5. Sunday School – We are going to launch our Sunday School program soon. Watch this space and the bulletin announcements for a planning meeting coming up soon. And remember....it is never to late to volunteer!
2. Worship Opportunity - Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville is hosting two special events in September that I wanted to make you all aware of.
- The first is on Friday, September 10th from 6-9pm. Trinity UMC and the Gainesville Interfaith Forum invite you to attend this very different and special kind of event. Trinity is opening its entire worship center and campus for a time to embrace our unity as members of the human family. Everyone is invited to take part in the planned activities. Children of different faiths can play together and enjoy arts and educational crafts. There will be a variety of cultural displays, foods from various regions of the world, and a time of prayer for peace, understanding and hope.
- The second event is a Prayer and Remembrance Service on Saturday, Sept. 11, 8:30 – 10:30 am in their chapel. This will be a time of prayer and remembrance, as we honor the memory of those who perished on September 11, 2001. We will be in prayer for families who lost loved ones and for all who have been and are in harm’s way since that day.
3. Marriage Conference – A few days ago I posted an article here on my blog about an upcoming marriage conference. I want to take some space here and encourage you to look back at that announcement and consider going. My wife Debbie and I have already signed up and I encourage all of you that are married, engaged, or dating to attend.
4. Salty Service - A few months back I asked everyone to consider joining up together in groups to venture out and visit some of the residents in the many assisted living and rehab facilities around our church. There are many people there that get no visitors, and we are so good with fellowship, I see a need and a spiritual gift that can easily be paired up. I wanted to give everyone an update on how this budding ministry is progressing. We have one member that has reached out and has began weekly visits and we have another that is in the process of beginning. We have several contacts at area facilities, all we need is volunteers. Many people make light work. If you are willing to spend just a few hours a month visiting with people and sharing the love of Christ please contact the office and we can help you get connected. Please consider reaching out to the people in our area and let them know we care and in the name of Jesus Christ that they are loved.
5. Sunday School – We are going to launch our Sunday School program soon. Watch this space and the bulletin announcements for a planning meeting coming up soon. And remember....it is never to late to volunteer!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Upcoming Marriage Confernce
When Debbie and I got married eleven years ago, we made a conscious decision that divorce was never an option for us; it simply wasn't on the table. We did this because Debbie had lived through the divorce of hew own parents as a child and together we had witnessed many family members and friends navigate the world of divorce and saw the far-reaching impact that it had. And while we've had our share of up and down times in our relationship, even though we're pastors, we are human! But what helps us is the commitment we've made to do something every year to get us working on our relationship. Things like attending a marriage seminar, doing devotionals together, reading a book on marriage together, making sure to take our date day, or learning to communicate about finances through Financial Peace University.
This year we are attending a marriage conference right here in town, coming up on Saturday, September 18th. Church @ The Springs is hosting a one day marriage conference by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott that I wanted to make you all aware of.
Here is a video that will give you more info about this event.
If you would like more info you can contact Patti at Church @ The Springs at 352.624.0545, ext. 107, email info@thesprings.org, or simply click here
Debbie and I have committed to attending. Will we see you there?
This year we are attending a marriage conference right here in town, coming up on Saturday, September 18th. Church @ The Springs is hosting a one day marriage conference by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott that I wanted to make you all aware of.
Here is a video that will give you more info about this event.
If you would like more info you can contact Patti at Church @ The Springs at 352.624.0545, ext. 107, email info@thesprings.org, or simply click here
Debbie and I have committed to attending. Will we see you there?
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