I must pray for grace to enable me both to govern my tongue well and to use it well.
Lord, enable me to guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue, and to guard my mouth, as if with a muzzle, Psalm 39:1(ESV) that it may not be hasty to utter a word. Ecclesiastes 5:2(ESV)
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips, Psalm 141:3(ESV) that I may not stumble in what I say. James 3:2(ESV)
Let my speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, Colossians 4:6(ESV) and enable me always, out of the good treasure of my heart, to bring forth good. Matthew 12:35(KJV) Let my mouth utter wisdom, and my tongue speak justice; Psalm 37:30(ESV) and let not your words depart out of my mouth, or any of your people’s mouth, or out of the mouth of our offspring, or our children’s offspring, from this time forth and forevermore. Isaiah 59:21(ESV)
Enable me always to open my mouth with wisdom, and let the teaching of kindness be on my tongue. Proverbs 31:26(ESV) Give me to know what is acceptable, Proverbs 10:32(ESV) that my tongue may be as choice silver, and my lips may feed many. Proverbs 10:20-21(ESV)
5/07/2010
John Stott's Morning Trinitarian Prayer
(This prayer was taken from Trevin Wax Kingdom People blog.)
Good morning heavenly Father,
good morning Lord Jesus,
good morning Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Savior and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God,
have mercy upon me. Amen.
- John Stott, quoted in Basic Christian: The Inside Story of John Stott
Good morning heavenly Father,
good morning Lord Jesus,
good morning Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Savior and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God,
have mercy upon me. Amen.
- John Stott, quoted in Basic Christian: The Inside Story of John Stott
5/01/2010
Kingdom - Centered Prayer
(This article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website.) www.redeemer.com
People are used to thinking about prayer as a means to get their personal needs met. However we should understand prayer as a means to praise and adore God, to know Him, to come into his presence and be changed by Him. We need to better learn how to pray, repent and petition God as a people.
Biblically and historically, the one non-negotiable, universal ingredient in times of spiritual renewal is corporate, prevailing, intensive and kingdom-centered prayer. What is that?
1.It is focused on God's presence and kingdom.
Jack Miller talks about the difference between "maintenance prayer" and "frontline" prayer meetings. Maintenance prayer meetings are short, mechanical, and totally focused on physical needs inside the church. But frontline prayer has three basic traits:
a.a request for grace to confess sins and humble ourselves
b.a compassion and zeal for the flourishing of the church
c.a yearning to know God, to see his face, to see his glory.
It is most interesting to study Biblical prayer for revival, such as in Acts 4 or Exodus 33 or Nehemiah 1, where these three elements are easy to see. Notice in Acts 4, for example, that the disciples, whose lives had been threatened, did not ask for protection for themselves and their families, but only boldness to keep preaching!
2.It is bold and specific.
The characteristics of this kind of prayer include:
a.Pacesetters in prayer spend time in self-examination. Without a strong understanding of grace, this can be morbid and depressing. But in the context of the gospel, it is purifying and strengthening. They "take off their ornaments" (Exod. 33:1-6). They examine selves for idols and set them aside.
b.They then begin to make the big request–a sight of the glory of God. That includes asking: 1) for a personal experience of the glory/presence of God ("that I may know you" – Exod. 33:13); 2) for the people's experience of the glory of God (v. 15); and 3) that the world might see the glory of God through his people (v. 16). Moses asks that God's presence would be obvious to all: "What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" This is a prayer that the world be awed and amazed by a show of God's power and radiance in the church, that it would become truly the new humanity that is a sign of the future kingdom.
3.It is prevailing, corporate.
By this we mean simply that prayer should be constant, not sporadic and brief. Why? Are we to think that God wants to see us grovel? Why do we not simply put our request in and wait? But sporadic, brief prayer shows a lack of dependence, a self-sufficiency, and thus we have not built an altar that God can honor with his fire. We must pray without ceasing, pray long, pray hard, and we will find that the very process is bringing about that which we are asking for – to have our hard hearts melted, to tear down barriers, to have the glory of God break through.
People are used to thinking about prayer as a means to get their personal needs met. However we should understand prayer as a means to praise and adore God, to know Him, to come into his presence and be changed by Him. We need to better learn how to pray, repent and petition God as a people.
Biblically and historically, the one non-negotiable, universal ingredient in times of spiritual renewal is corporate, prevailing, intensive and kingdom-centered prayer. What is that?
1.It is focused on God's presence and kingdom.
Jack Miller talks about the difference between "maintenance prayer" and "frontline" prayer meetings. Maintenance prayer meetings are short, mechanical, and totally focused on physical needs inside the church. But frontline prayer has three basic traits:
a.a request for grace to confess sins and humble ourselves
b.a compassion and zeal for the flourishing of the church
c.a yearning to know God, to see his face, to see his glory.
It is most interesting to study Biblical prayer for revival, such as in Acts 4 or Exodus 33 or Nehemiah 1, where these three elements are easy to see. Notice in Acts 4, for example, that the disciples, whose lives had been threatened, did not ask for protection for themselves and their families, but only boldness to keep preaching!
2.It is bold and specific.
The characteristics of this kind of prayer include:
a.Pacesetters in prayer spend time in self-examination. Without a strong understanding of grace, this can be morbid and depressing. But in the context of the gospel, it is purifying and strengthening. They "take off their ornaments" (Exod. 33:1-6). They examine selves for idols and set them aside.
b.They then begin to make the big request–a sight of the glory of God. That includes asking: 1) for a personal experience of the glory/presence of God ("that I may know you" – Exod. 33:13); 2) for the people's experience of the glory of God (v. 15); and 3) that the world might see the glory of God through his people (v. 16). Moses asks that God's presence would be obvious to all: "What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" This is a prayer that the world be awed and amazed by a show of God's power and radiance in the church, that it would become truly the new humanity that is a sign of the future kingdom.
3.It is prevailing, corporate.
By this we mean simply that prayer should be constant, not sporadic and brief. Why? Are we to think that God wants to see us grovel? Why do we not simply put our request in and wait? But sporadic, brief prayer shows a lack of dependence, a self-sufficiency, and thus we have not built an altar that God can honor with his fire. We must pray without ceasing, pray long, pray hard, and we will find that the very process is bringing about that which we are asking for – to have our hard hearts melted, to tear down barriers, to have the glory of God break through.
4/22/2010
Conquering Prayerlessness by Andrew Murray
"This article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website.) www.redeemer.com
The greatest stumbling block in the way of victory over prayerlessness is the secret feeling that we shall
never obtain the blessing of being delivered from it. Often have we put forth effort in this direction, but in
vain. Old habit, and the power of the flesh, our surroundings with their attractions, have been too strong for
us. What good is it to attempt that which our heart assures us is out of our reach?
The change needed in the entire life is too great and difficult. If the question is put: “Is a change possible?
Our sighing heart says: “Alas, for me it is entirely impossible!” Do you know why that reply comes? It is
simply because you have received the call to prayer as the voice of Moses and as a command of the law.
Moses and his law have never yet given any one the power to obey.
Do you really long for the courage to believe that deliverance from a prayerless life is possible for you, and
may become a reality? Then you must learn the great lesson that such a deliverance is included in the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, that it is one of the blessings of the New Covenant which God Himself
will impart to you through Christ Jesus.
As you begin to understand this, you will find that the exhortation, “Pray without ceasing,” conveys a new
meaning. Hope begins to spring up in your heart, that the Spirit – who has been bestowed on you, to cry
constantly, “Abba, Father” – will make a true life of prayer possible for you. Then you will hearken, not in
the spirit of discouragement, but in the gladness of hope, to the voice that calls you to repentance.
Many a one has turned to his Inner Chamber, under bitter self-accusation that he has prayed so little, and
has resolved for the future to live in a different manner. Yet no blessing has come – there was not the
strength to continue faithful, and the call to repentance had no power, because his eyes had not been fixed
on the Lord Jesus. If he had only understood, he would have said, “Lord, Thou seest how cold and dark my
heart is. I know that I must pray, but I feel I cannot do so, I lack the urgency and desire to pray.”
He did not know that at that moment the Lord Jesus in His tender love was looking down upon Him and
saying “You cannot pray; you feel that all is cold and dark; why not give yourself over into My hands?
Only believe that I am ready to help you in prayer; I long greatly to shed abroad My love in your heart, so
that you, in the consciousness of weakness, may confidently rely on Me to bestow the grace of prayer: Just
as I will cleanse you from all other sins, so also will I deliver from the sin of prayerlessness – only do not
seek the victory in your own strength. Bow before Me as one who expects everything from his Saviour.
Let your soul keep silence before Me, however sad you feel your state to be. Be assured of this – I will
teach you how to pray.”
Many a one will acknowledge: “I see my mistake; I had not thought that the Lord Jesus must deliver and
cleanse me from this sin also. I had not understood that He was with me every day in the Inner Chamber,
in His great love ready to keep and bless me, however sinful and guilty I felt myself to be. I had not
supposed that just as He will give all other grace in answer to prayer, so, above all and before all, He will
bestow the grace of a praying heart.
What folly to think that all other blessings must come from Him, but that prayer whereon everything else
depends, must be obtained by personal effort! Thank God I begin to comprehend – the Lord Jesus is
Himself in the Inner Chamber watching over me, and holding Himself responsible to teach me how to
approach the Father. This only He demands – that I, with child-like confidence, wait upon Him and glorify
Him.”
If fear and hesitation still remain, I pray you by the mercies of God in Jesus Christ, and by the unspeakable
faithfulness of His tender love, dare to cast yourselves at His feet. Only believe with your whole heart –
there is deliverance from the sin of prayerlessness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In His blood and grace there
is complete deliverance from all unrighteousness, and from all prayerlessness. Praised be His Name
forever! Rev. Andrew Murray, in The Prayer-Life (1920
The greatest stumbling block in the way of victory over prayerlessness is the secret feeling that we shall
never obtain the blessing of being delivered from it. Often have we put forth effort in this direction, but in
vain. Old habit, and the power of the flesh, our surroundings with their attractions, have been too strong for
us. What good is it to attempt that which our heart assures us is out of our reach?
The change needed in the entire life is too great and difficult. If the question is put: “Is a change possible?
Our sighing heart says: “Alas, for me it is entirely impossible!” Do you know why that reply comes? It is
simply because you have received the call to prayer as the voice of Moses and as a command of the law.
Moses and his law have never yet given any one the power to obey.
Do you really long for the courage to believe that deliverance from a prayerless life is possible for you, and
may become a reality? Then you must learn the great lesson that such a deliverance is included in the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, that it is one of the blessings of the New Covenant which God Himself
will impart to you through Christ Jesus.
As you begin to understand this, you will find that the exhortation, “Pray without ceasing,” conveys a new
meaning. Hope begins to spring up in your heart, that the Spirit – who has been bestowed on you, to cry
constantly, “Abba, Father” – will make a true life of prayer possible for you. Then you will hearken, not in
the spirit of discouragement, but in the gladness of hope, to the voice that calls you to repentance.
Many a one has turned to his Inner Chamber, under bitter self-accusation that he has prayed so little, and
has resolved for the future to live in a different manner. Yet no blessing has come – there was not the
strength to continue faithful, and the call to repentance had no power, because his eyes had not been fixed
on the Lord Jesus. If he had only understood, he would have said, “Lord, Thou seest how cold and dark my
heart is. I know that I must pray, but I feel I cannot do so, I lack the urgency and desire to pray.”
He did not know that at that moment the Lord Jesus in His tender love was looking down upon Him and
saying “You cannot pray; you feel that all is cold and dark; why not give yourself over into My hands?
Only believe that I am ready to help you in prayer; I long greatly to shed abroad My love in your heart, so
that you, in the consciousness of weakness, may confidently rely on Me to bestow the grace of prayer: Just
as I will cleanse you from all other sins, so also will I deliver from the sin of prayerlessness – only do not
seek the victory in your own strength. Bow before Me as one who expects everything from his Saviour.
Let your soul keep silence before Me, however sad you feel your state to be. Be assured of this – I will
teach you how to pray.”
Many a one will acknowledge: “I see my mistake; I had not thought that the Lord Jesus must deliver and
cleanse me from this sin also. I had not understood that He was with me every day in the Inner Chamber,
in His great love ready to keep and bless me, however sinful and guilty I felt myself to be. I had not
supposed that just as He will give all other grace in answer to prayer, so, above all and before all, He will
bestow the grace of a praying heart.
What folly to think that all other blessings must come from Him, but that prayer whereon everything else
depends, must be obtained by personal effort! Thank God I begin to comprehend – the Lord Jesus is
Himself in the Inner Chamber watching over me, and holding Himself responsible to teach me how to
approach the Father. This only He demands – that I, with child-like confidence, wait upon Him and glorify
Him.”
If fear and hesitation still remain, I pray you by the mercies of God in Jesus Christ, and by the unspeakable
faithfulness of His tender love, dare to cast yourselves at His feet. Only believe with your whole heart –
there is deliverance from the sin of prayerlessness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In His blood and grace there
is complete deliverance from all unrighteousness, and from all prayerlessness. Praised be His Name
forever! Rev. Andrew Murray, in The Prayer-Life (1920
4/21/2010
Praying The Psalms
(This article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website.)
1."The Psalms teach us to pray through imitation and response...Real prayer is always an answer to God's revelation. The Psalms are BOTH prayer and revelations about God�the perfect ideal soil for learning prayer.
2.The Psalms take us deep into our own hearts 1000 times faster than we would ever go if left to ourselves...Religious/moral people tend to want to deny the rawness and reality of their own feelings, especially the darkness of them...The secular world has almost made an idol of emotional self-expression...But the Psalmists neither 'stuff' their feelings nor 'ventilate' them. They pray them–they take them into the presence of God until they change or understand them.
3.Most importantly, the Psalms force us to deal with God as He is, not as we wish he was. 'Left to ourselves, we will pray to some god who speaks what we like hearing, or to the part of God we manage to understand. But what is critical is that we speak to the God who speaks to us, and to everything He speaks to us...the Psalms train us in that conversation." (quote from Eugene Peterson's Answering God)' "
Additional Note: The Imprecatory Psalms can be confusing with their cries for vengeance upon Israel's or the psalmist's enemies. "Basically, realize that calls for justice are absolutely right, and remind us how important God's holiness and justice are. But secondly, recognize that the Psalmists did not have the justice of God completely satisfied in Christ. Thus we pray for our enemies, not wish them ill. Yet we as Christians can pray these Psalms as longings for social justice and hatred against the 'power and principalities' behind the world." Quotes from Dr Tim Keller's January 2006 MCM teaching notes, c2006, used with permission.
Suggestions:
1.Try to understand a psalm before praying it. A commentary is particularly helpful to understand the context of the Psalm. What was the Psalmist going through when he wrote this particular Psalm? The Psalms also point to Christ. Where might this psalm fit into His life? (see example on p 2)
2.Linger over a Psalm. Is there a particular verse that is particularly relevant to your life right now? Chew on it. Read it aloud over and over, with a different emphasis on each word. Why is this word chosen or important here? What difference would this make in my life if I believed this with all my heart? If I applied this to my life? Pray for yourself and others from it.
3.Use the Psalms to praise God for different aspects of His character.
4.Use an order to guide you: chronological; Book of Common Prayer schedule (see p 2)
Trying it out:
Try out the above suggestions. (If you want to experiment, Psalm 131 is short, yet speaks richly to New Yorkers today. Commentary notes for this psalm are on the back). Take small steps. 15-20 minutes a day would be a great starting point. Don't rush. Don't worry about doing this perfectly, just start! Invite the Holy Spirit into these times and let His grace and truth shape your prayer and heart. Stay at it for three weeks - research shows that it takes about 3 weeks to build a habit. Be alert to what differences might be happening in your relationship with the Lord and your life as a result. (If helpful, go for a leisurely block of time on a Sunday! Or discuss/pray a Psalm in community.)
Psalm 131
My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.Commentary #1: New Bible Commentary, 21st edition, p 575.
Psalm 131. Rest In Psalm 130 the exhortation to hope arose from what is true of the Lord; in 131:3 it arises from what the psalmist has found to be personally true. He has taken a lowly place (1); his inner being (2) is at rest - like a child grown past the instinctive demands and fretfulness of infancy and now content, as a toddler, simply to be with mother. What kind of an original journey out of self-confident pride into humility and rest first prompted this beautiful psalm? We do not know, but its call to hope in the Lord links it with 130 and makes it the testimony of a sinner forgiven: humbled by the mercy of God, at peace within because at peace above.
Commentary #2: Notes on the Psalms, G Campbell Morgan, p 260.
Psalm 131: Jehovah the Satisfaction of the Pilgrim This is a brief psalm, but it very full of beauty, as it sets forth the contentment of a restless soul in the will of God. It follows the last as an advance of experience, and as a sequence. Its peculiar note is not that of a natural contentment, but of a satisfaction won in spite of all contrary tendencies. The thought of weaning is the dominant one. That for which a child craves it at last becomes content without. So the soul of the singer, which once was ambitious and restlessly attempted to walk in ways for which it was not fitted, is with Him in quietness and contentment. The secret of victory over feverish ambition is divulged in the psalmist's appeal to Israel to hope in the Lord. That, interpreted in the light of the previous psalm, means that in the gracious sense of His forgiving love is the secret of a content which puts an end to all false ambition. Redemption truly apprehended, is more than forgiveness. It is restoration to the quiet peace of being in harmony with all the forces of nature, because governed by the will of God.
From The Book of Common Prayer, 1662: Read 1 or more psalms selected by the schedule.
Day AM PM Day AM PM Day AM PM Day AM PM
1. 1-5 6-8 8.38-40 41-43 15. 75-77 78 22. 107 108-109
2. 9-11 12-13 9. 44-46 47-49 16. 79-81 82-85 23. 110-113 114-115
3. 14-17 18 10. 50-52 53-55 17. 86-88 89 24. 116-118 119:1-32
4. 19-21 22-23 11. 56-58 59-61 18. 90-92 93-94 25. 119:33-72 119:73-104
5. 24-26 27-29 12. 62-64 65-67 19. 95-97 98-101 26. 119:105-144 119:145ff
6. 30-31 32-34 13. 68 69-70 20. 102-103 104 27. 120-125 126-131
7. 35-36 37 14. 71-72 73-74 21. 105 106 28. 132-135 136-138
29. 139-140 141-143
30. 144-146 147-150
1."The Psalms teach us to pray through imitation and response...Real prayer is always an answer to God's revelation. The Psalms are BOTH prayer and revelations about God�the perfect ideal soil for learning prayer.
2.The Psalms take us deep into our own hearts 1000 times faster than we would ever go if left to ourselves...Religious/moral people tend to want to deny the rawness and reality of their own feelings, especially the darkness of them...The secular world has almost made an idol of emotional self-expression...But the Psalmists neither 'stuff' their feelings nor 'ventilate' them. They pray them–they take them into the presence of God until they change or understand them.
3.Most importantly, the Psalms force us to deal with God as He is, not as we wish he was. 'Left to ourselves, we will pray to some god who speaks what we like hearing, or to the part of God we manage to understand. But what is critical is that we speak to the God who speaks to us, and to everything He speaks to us...the Psalms train us in that conversation." (quote from Eugene Peterson's Answering God)' "
Additional Note: The Imprecatory Psalms can be confusing with their cries for vengeance upon Israel's or the psalmist's enemies. "Basically, realize that calls for justice are absolutely right, and remind us how important God's holiness and justice are. But secondly, recognize that the Psalmists did not have the justice of God completely satisfied in Christ. Thus we pray for our enemies, not wish them ill. Yet we as Christians can pray these Psalms as longings for social justice and hatred against the 'power and principalities' behind the world." Quotes from Dr Tim Keller's January 2006 MCM teaching notes, c2006, used with permission.
Suggestions:
1.Try to understand a psalm before praying it. A commentary is particularly helpful to understand the context of the Psalm. What was the Psalmist going through when he wrote this particular Psalm? The Psalms also point to Christ. Where might this psalm fit into His life? (see example on p 2)
2.Linger over a Psalm. Is there a particular verse that is particularly relevant to your life right now? Chew on it. Read it aloud over and over, with a different emphasis on each word. Why is this word chosen or important here? What difference would this make in my life if I believed this with all my heart? If I applied this to my life? Pray for yourself and others from it.
3.Use the Psalms to praise God for different aspects of His character.
4.Use an order to guide you: chronological; Book of Common Prayer schedule (see p 2)
Trying it out:
Try out the above suggestions. (If you want to experiment, Psalm 131 is short, yet speaks richly to New Yorkers today. Commentary notes for this psalm are on the back). Take small steps. 15-20 minutes a day would be a great starting point. Don't rush. Don't worry about doing this perfectly, just start! Invite the Holy Spirit into these times and let His grace and truth shape your prayer and heart. Stay at it for three weeks - research shows that it takes about 3 weeks to build a habit. Be alert to what differences might be happening in your relationship with the Lord and your life as a result. (If helpful, go for a leisurely block of time on a Sunday! Or discuss/pray a Psalm in community.)
Psalm 131
My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.Commentary #1: New Bible Commentary, 21st edition, p 575.
Psalm 131. Rest In Psalm 130 the exhortation to hope arose from what is true of the Lord; in 131:3 it arises from what the psalmist has found to be personally true. He has taken a lowly place (1); his inner being (2) is at rest - like a child grown past the instinctive demands and fretfulness of infancy and now content, as a toddler, simply to be with mother. What kind of an original journey out of self-confident pride into humility and rest first prompted this beautiful psalm? We do not know, but its call to hope in the Lord links it with 130 and makes it the testimony of a sinner forgiven: humbled by the mercy of God, at peace within because at peace above.
Commentary #2: Notes on the Psalms, G Campbell Morgan, p 260.
Psalm 131: Jehovah the Satisfaction of the Pilgrim This is a brief psalm, but it very full of beauty, as it sets forth the contentment of a restless soul in the will of God. It follows the last as an advance of experience, and as a sequence. Its peculiar note is not that of a natural contentment, but of a satisfaction won in spite of all contrary tendencies. The thought of weaning is the dominant one. That for which a child craves it at last becomes content without. So the soul of the singer, which once was ambitious and restlessly attempted to walk in ways for which it was not fitted, is with Him in quietness and contentment. The secret of victory over feverish ambition is divulged in the psalmist's appeal to Israel to hope in the Lord. That, interpreted in the light of the previous psalm, means that in the gracious sense of His forgiving love is the secret of a content which puts an end to all false ambition. Redemption truly apprehended, is more than forgiveness. It is restoration to the quiet peace of being in harmony with all the forces of nature, because governed by the will of God.
From The Book of Common Prayer, 1662: Read 1 or more psalms selected by the schedule.
Day AM PM Day AM PM Day AM PM Day AM PM
1. 1-5 6-8 8.38-40 41-43 15. 75-77 78 22. 107 108-109
2. 9-11 12-13 9. 44-46 47-49 16. 79-81 82-85 23. 110-113 114-115
3. 14-17 18 10. 50-52 53-55 17. 86-88 89 24. 116-118 119:1-32
4. 19-21 22-23 11. 56-58 59-61 18. 90-92 93-94 25. 119:33-72 119:73-104
5. 24-26 27-29 12. 62-64 65-67 19. 95-97 98-101 26. 119:105-144 119:145ff
6. 30-31 32-34 13. 68 69-70 20. 102-103 104 27. 120-125 126-131
7. 35-36 37 14. 71-72 73-74 21. 105 106 28. 132-135 136-138
29. 139-140 141-143
30. 144-146 147-150
3/12/2010
Pray For God's Grace To Fortify You Against Everything Evil: Matthew Henry
I must pray for the grace of God, and all the kind and powerful influences and operations of that grace.
I draw near to the throne of grace, that I may receive not only mercy to pardon, but grace to help in every time of need: Hebrews 4:16(ESV) grace for seasonable help.
From the fullness that is in Jesus Christ (in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell), Colossians 1:19(ESV) let me receive, grace upon grace. John 1:16(ESV)
4.1
I must pray for grace to fortify myself against every evil thought, word, and work. Having been earnest for the removing of the guilt of sin, that I may not die for it as a crime, I must be no less earnest for the breaking of the power of sin, that I may not die by it as a disease, but that it may be mortified in me.
O let no sin have dominion over me, because I am not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14(ESV)
Let the flesh be crucified in me, with its passions and desires; Galatians 5:24(ESV) that walking in the Spirit, I may not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16(ESV)
Let my old self be crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that I may no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6(ESV) And let not sin reign in my mortal body (in my immortal soul), to make me obey its passions, Romans 6:12(ESV) but having been set free from sin, let me become a slave of righteousness. Romans 6:18(ESV)
Let the law of the Spirit of life set me free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2(ESV)
Give me grace to put off my old self, which is corrupt through deceitful desires, Ephesians 4:22(ESV) and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24(ESV)
Let the world be crucified to me, and I to the world, by the cross of Christ. Galatians 6:14(ESV)
I draw near to the throne of grace, that I may receive not only mercy to pardon, but grace to help in every time of need: Hebrews 4:16(ESV) grace for seasonable help.
From the fullness that is in Jesus Christ (in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell), Colossians 1:19(ESV) let me receive, grace upon grace. John 1:16(ESV)
4.1
I must pray for grace to fortify myself against every evil thought, word, and work. Having been earnest for the removing of the guilt of sin, that I may not die for it as a crime, I must be no less earnest for the breaking of the power of sin, that I may not die by it as a disease, but that it may be mortified in me.
O let no sin have dominion over me, because I am not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14(ESV)
Let the flesh be crucified in me, with its passions and desires; Galatians 5:24(ESV) that walking in the Spirit, I may not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16(ESV)
Let my old self be crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that I may no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6(ESV) And let not sin reign in my mortal body (in my immortal soul), to make me obey its passions, Romans 6:12(ESV) but having been set free from sin, let me become a slave of righteousness. Romans 6:18(ESV)
Let the law of the Spirit of life set me free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2(ESV)
Give me grace to put off my old self, which is corrupt through deceitful desires, Ephesians 4:22(ESV) and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24(ESV)
Let the world be crucified to me, and I to the world, by the cross of Christ. Galatians 6:14(ESV)
3/08/2010
Charles Spurgeon On The Lord's Prayer
"After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, etc."
Matthew 6:9
This prayer begins where all true prayer must commence, with the spirit of adoption, "Our Father." There is no acceptable prayer until we can say, "I will arise, and go unto my Father."
This child-like spirit soon perceives the grandeur of the Father "in heaven," and ascends to devout adoration, "Hallowed be thy name." The child lisping, "Abba, Father," grows into the cherub crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy."
There is but a step from rapturous worship to the glowing missionary spirit, which is a sure outgrowth of filial love and reverent adoration—"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Next follows the heartfelt expression of dependence upon God—"Give us this day our daily bread."
Being further illuminated by the Spirit, he discovers that he is not only dependent, but sinful, hence he entreats for mercy, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors:" and being pardoned, having the righteousness of Christ imputed, and knowing his acceptance with God, he humbly supplicates for holy perseverance, "Lead us not into temptation." The man who is really forgiven, is anxious not to offend again; the possession of justification leads to an anxious desire for sanctification. "Forgive us our debts," that is justification; "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," that is sanctification in its negative and positive forms.
As the result of all this, there follows a triumphant ascription of praise, "Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen." We rejoice that our King reigns in providence and shall reign in grace, from the river even to the ends of the earth, and of his dominion there shall be no end.
Thus from a sense of adoption, up to fellowship with our reigning Lord, this short model of prayer conducts the soul. Lord, teach us thus to pray.
—From Spurgeon's Morning and Evening
Our Father which art in heaven, etc."
Matthew 6:9
This prayer begins where all true prayer must commence, with the spirit of adoption, "Our Father." There is no acceptable prayer until we can say, "I will arise, and go unto my Father."
This child-like spirit soon perceives the grandeur of the Father "in heaven," and ascends to devout adoration, "Hallowed be thy name." The child lisping, "Abba, Father," grows into the cherub crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy."
There is but a step from rapturous worship to the glowing missionary spirit, which is a sure outgrowth of filial love and reverent adoration—"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Next follows the heartfelt expression of dependence upon God—"Give us this day our daily bread."
Being further illuminated by the Spirit, he discovers that he is not only dependent, but sinful, hence he entreats for mercy, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors:" and being pardoned, having the righteousness of Christ imputed, and knowing his acceptance with God, he humbly supplicates for holy perseverance, "Lead us not into temptation." The man who is really forgiven, is anxious not to offend again; the possession of justification leads to an anxious desire for sanctification. "Forgive us our debts," that is justification; "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," that is sanctification in its negative and positive forms.
As the result of all this, there follows a triumphant ascription of praise, "Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen." We rejoice that our King reigns in providence and shall reign in grace, from the river even to the ends of the earth, and of his dominion there shall be no end.
Thus from a sense of adoption, up to fellowship with our reigning Lord, this short model of prayer conducts the soul. Lord, teach us thus to pray.
—From Spurgeon's Morning and Evening
1/28/2010
1/22/2010
Plead the Promises of God for The Enforcing of Your Petitions- Matthew Henry
I must plead the promises of God for the enforcing of all my petitions, put these promises in suit, and refer myself to them.
Lord, you have given me many precious and very great promises, 2 Peter 1:4(ESV) which are all Yes and Amen in Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:20(ESV) Now be it to your servant according to the word that you have spoken. 2 Samuel 7:25(ESV)
Give me to draw water with joy from these wells of salvation, Isaiah 12:3(ESV) to nurse and be satisfied from Jerusalem’s consoling breast; Isaiah 66:11(ESV) and now, O LORD God, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant be established forever, and do as you have spoken. 1 Chronicles 17:23(ESV)
Deal with me according to the tenor of the everlasting covenant, which is well-ordered in all things and secure, and which is all my help and all my desire. 2 Samuel 23:5(ESV)
Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name; Psalm 119:132(ESV) do more for me than I am able to ask or think, Ephesians 3:20(ESV) and supply all my needs according to your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19(ESV)
Lord, you have given me many precious and very great promises, 2 Peter 1:4(ESV) which are all Yes and Amen in Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:20(ESV) Now be it to your servant according to the word that you have spoken. 2 Samuel 7:25(ESV)
Give me to draw water with joy from these wells of salvation, Isaiah 12:3(ESV) to nurse and be satisfied from Jerusalem’s consoling breast; Isaiah 66:11(ESV) and now, O LORD God, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant be established forever, and do as you have spoken. 1 Chronicles 17:23(ESV)
Deal with me according to the tenor of the everlasting covenant, which is well-ordered in all things and secure, and which is all my help and all my desire. 2 Samuel 23:5(ESV)
Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name; Psalm 119:132(ESV) do more for me than I am able to ask or think, Ephesians 3:20(ESV) and supply all my needs according to your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19(ESV)
1/21/2010
Rely on Jesus Alone for Acceptance with God - Matthew Henry
I must profess my entire reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ alone for acceptance with God and come in his name.
I do not present my plea before you because of my righteousness, Daniel 9:18(ESV) for I am before you in my guilt, Ezra 9:15(ESV) and cannot stand before you because of it; Psalm 130:3(ESV) but I make mention of Christ’s righteousness, even of his only, who is the LORD our righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6(ESV) and therefore the LORD my righteousness.
I know that even spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through Christ Jesus, 1 Peter 2:5(ESV) nor can I hope to receive anything but what I ask of you in his name; John 16:23(ESV) and therefore, bless me in the Beloved, Ephesians 1:6(ESV) that other angel who put much incense to the prayers of the saints and offers them up on the golden altar before the throne. Revelation 8:3(ESV)
I come in the name of the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, who is able to sympathize with my weaknesses, Hebrews 4:14-15(ESV) and is therefore able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25(ESV)
Behold, O God, my shield, and look on the face of your Anointed, Psalm 84:9(ESV) in whom you have by a voice from heaven declared yourself to be well pleased; Lord, be well pleased with me in him. Matthew 3:17(ESV)
I do not present my plea before you because of my righteousness, Daniel 9:18(ESV) for I am before you in my guilt, Ezra 9:15(ESV) and cannot stand before you because of it; Psalm 130:3(ESV) but I make mention of Christ’s righteousness, even of his only, who is the LORD our righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6(ESV) and therefore the LORD my righteousness.
I know that even spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through Christ Jesus, 1 Peter 2:5(ESV) nor can I hope to receive anything but what I ask of you in his name; John 16:23(ESV) and therefore, bless me in the Beloved, Ephesians 1:6(ESV) that other angel who put much incense to the prayers of the saints and offers them up on the golden altar before the throne. Revelation 8:3(ESV)
I come in the name of the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, who is able to sympathize with my weaknesses, Hebrews 4:14-15(ESV) and is therefore able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25(ESV)
Behold, O God, my shield, and look on the face of your Anointed, Psalm 84:9(ESV) in whom you have by a voice from heaven declared yourself to be well pleased; Lord, be well pleased with me in him. Matthew 3:17(ESV)
12/23/2009
Martin Luther on The Lords Prayer
Luther's Little Instruction Book
(The Small Catechism of Martin Luther)
Translated by Robert E. Smith
May 22, 1994
The Our Father
The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household
I. Introduction
Our Father, Who is in Heaven.
Q. What does this mean?
A. In this introduction, God invites us to believe that He is our real Father and we are His real children, so that we will pray with trust and complete confidence, in the same way beloved children approach their beloved Father with their requests.
II. The First Request
May Your name be holy.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Of course, God's name is holy in and of itself, but by this request, we pray that He will make it holy among us, too.
Q. How does this take place?
A. When God's Word is taught clearly and purely, and when we live holy lives as God's children based upon it. Help us, Heavenly Father, to do this! But anyone who teaches and lives by something other than God's Word defiles God's name among us. Protect us from this, Heavenly Father!
III. The Second Request
Your Kingdom come.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly God's Kingdom comes by itself, without our prayer. But we pray in this request that it come to us as well.
Q. How does this happen?
A. When the Heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that we believe His holy Word by His grace and live godly lives here in this age and there in eternal life.
IV. The Third Request
May Your will be accomplished, as it is Heaven, so may it be on Earth.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly, God's good and gracious will is accomplished without our prayer. But we pray in this request that is be accomplished among us as well.
Q. How does this happen?
A. When God destroys and interferes with every evil will and all evil advice, which will not allow God's Kingdom to come, such as the Devil's will, the world's will and will of our bodily desires. It also happens when God strengthens us by faith and by His Word and keeps living by them faithfully until the end of our lives. This is His will, good and full of grace.
V. The Fourth Request
Give us our daily bread today.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly, God gives daily bread to evil people, even without our prayer. But we pray in this request that He will help us realize this and receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
Q. What does ``Daily Bread'' mean?
A. Everything that nourishes our body and meets its needs, such as: Food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, yard, fields, cattle, money, possessions, a devout spouse, devout children, devout employees, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and other things like these.
VI. The Fifth Request
And forgive our guilt, as we forgive those guilty of sinning against us.
Q. What does this mean?
A. We pray in this request that our Heavenly Father will neither pay attention to our sins nor refuse requests such as these because of our sins and because we are neither worthy nor deserve the things for which we pray. Yet He wants to give them all to us by His grace, because many times each day we sin and truly deserve only punishment. Because God does this, we will, of course, want to forgive from our hearts and willingly do good to those who sin against us.
VII. The Sixth Request
And lead us not into temptation.
Q. What does this mean?
A. God tempts no one, of course, but we pray in this request that God will protect us and save us, so that the Devil, the world and our bodily desires will neither deceive us nor seduce us into heresy, despair or other serious shame or vice, and so that we will win and be victorious in the end, even if they attack us.
VIII. The Seventh Request
But set us free from the Evil One.
Q. What does this mean?
A. We pray in this request, as a summary, that our Father in Heaven will save us from every kind of evil that threatens body, soul, property and honor. We pray that when at last our final hour has come, He will grant us a blessed death, and, in His grace, bring us to Himself from this valley of tears.
IX. Amen.
Q. What does this mean?
A. That I should be certain that such prayers are acceptable to the Father in Heaven and will be granted, that He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and that He promises to answer us. Amen. Amen. This means: Yes, yes it will happen this way.
(The Small Catechism of Martin Luther)
Translated by Robert E. Smith
May 22, 1994
The Our Father
The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household
I. Introduction
Our Father, Who is in Heaven.
Q. What does this mean?
A. In this introduction, God invites us to believe that He is our real Father and we are His real children, so that we will pray with trust and complete confidence, in the same way beloved children approach their beloved Father with their requests.
II. The First Request
May Your name be holy.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Of course, God's name is holy in and of itself, but by this request, we pray that He will make it holy among us, too.
Q. How does this take place?
A. When God's Word is taught clearly and purely, and when we live holy lives as God's children based upon it. Help us, Heavenly Father, to do this! But anyone who teaches and lives by something other than God's Word defiles God's name among us. Protect us from this, Heavenly Father!
III. The Second Request
Your Kingdom come.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly God's Kingdom comes by itself, without our prayer. But we pray in this request that it come to us as well.
Q. How does this happen?
A. When the Heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that we believe His holy Word by His grace and live godly lives here in this age and there in eternal life.
IV. The Third Request
May Your will be accomplished, as it is Heaven, so may it be on Earth.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly, God's good and gracious will is accomplished without our prayer. But we pray in this request that is be accomplished among us as well.
Q. How does this happen?
A. When God destroys and interferes with every evil will and all evil advice, which will not allow God's Kingdom to come, such as the Devil's will, the world's will and will of our bodily desires. It also happens when God strengthens us by faith and by His Word and keeps living by them faithfully until the end of our lives. This is His will, good and full of grace.
V. The Fourth Request
Give us our daily bread today.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly, God gives daily bread to evil people, even without our prayer. But we pray in this request that He will help us realize this and receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
Q. What does ``Daily Bread'' mean?
A. Everything that nourishes our body and meets its needs, such as: Food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, yard, fields, cattle, money, possessions, a devout spouse, devout children, devout employees, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and other things like these.
VI. The Fifth Request
And forgive our guilt, as we forgive those guilty of sinning against us.
Q. What does this mean?
A. We pray in this request that our Heavenly Father will neither pay attention to our sins nor refuse requests such as these because of our sins and because we are neither worthy nor deserve the things for which we pray. Yet He wants to give them all to us by His grace, because many times each day we sin and truly deserve only punishment. Because God does this, we will, of course, want to forgive from our hearts and willingly do good to those who sin against us.
VII. The Sixth Request
And lead us not into temptation.
Q. What does this mean?
A. God tempts no one, of course, but we pray in this request that God will protect us and save us, so that the Devil, the world and our bodily desires will neither deceive us nor seduce us into heresy, despair or other serious shame or vice, and so that we will win and be victorious in the end, even if they attack us.
VIII. The Seventh Request
But set us free from the Evil One.
Q. What does this mean?
A. We pray in this request, as a summary, that our Father in Heaven will save us from every kind of evil that threatens body, soul, property and honor. We pray that when at last our final hour has come, He will grant us a blessed death, and, in His grace, bring us to Himself from this valley of tears.
IX. Amen.
Q. What does this mean?
A. That I should be certain that such prayers are acceptable to the Father in Heaven and will be granted, that He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and that He promises to answer us. Amen. Amen. This means: Yes, yes it will happen this way.
Thank God For The Communion of Saints - Matthew Henry
For the communion of saints, that spiritual communion which I have in faith and hope and holy love and in prayers and praises with all good Christians.
I bless you that if your people walk in the light, they have fellowship with one another, 1 John 1:7(ESV) even with all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and mine. 1 Corinthians 1:2(ESV)
That your people, who are many, are one bread and one body; 1 Corinthians 10:17(ESV) and that though there are varieties of gifts and service and activities, yet there is the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God, who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6(ESV)
I thank you that all the children of God who are scattered abroad, John 11:52(ESV) are united in him who is the head of the body, the church; Colossians 1:18(ESV) so they are all my brothers and partners in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus. Revelation 1:9(ESV)
I bless you that if your people walk in the light, they have fellowship with one another, 1 John 1:7(ESV) even with all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and mine. 1 Corinthians 1:2(ESV)
That your people, who are many, are one bread and one body; 1 Corinthians 10:17(ESV) and that though there are varieties of gifts and service and activities, yet there is the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God, who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6(ESV)
I thank you that all the children of God who are scattered abroad, John 11:52(ESV) are united in him who is the head of the body, the church; Colossians 1:18(ESV) so they are all my brothers and partners in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus. Revelation 1:9(ESV)
11/23/2009
Meditative Prayer: Filling The Mind
Meditative Prayer: Filling the Mind
Winfield BevinsActs 29 Pastor - Outer Banks, North Carolina
"We have some idea, perhaps, what prayer is, but what is meditation? Well may we ask, for meditation is a lost art today, and Christian people suffer grievously from their ignorance of the practice. Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God."—J.I. Packer
Let God Speak to You
In personal prayer we speak to God, but in meditative prayer we allow God to speak to us through his word and his Spirit. Never before has there been such a need to rediscover the quiet art of meditative prayer.
If we are not careful, the many distractions of this world will drown out the quiet voice of God within our hearts and make us numb to our spiritual needs. We need to find a quiet place to be with God and hear his word. In stillness and solitude God speaks to our hearts and fills us with the refreshing presence of his Spirit.
Emptying vs. Filling the Mind
What do we mean by meditative prayer? Is there such thing as Christian meditation? Isn't meditation non-Christian? According to Richard Foster, "Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind. Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind" (Celebration of Discipline). Rather than emptying the mind we fill it with God's word. We must not neglect a vital part of our Judeo-Christian heritage simply because other traditions use a form of meditation. Christian meditation has its roots in the Hebrew tradition of the Bible.
There are numerous Biblical references to prayerful meditation:
•"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8).
•"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2).
•"I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways" (Psalm 119:15).
•"I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes" (Psalm 119:48).
•"O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).
•"My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise" (Psalm 119:148).
•"I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands" (Psalm 143:5).
To be continued. ( This article was taken from the Resurgence blog.)
Winfield BevinsActs 29 Pastor - Outer Banks, North Carolina
"We have some idea, perhaps, what prayer is, but what is meditation? Well may we ask, for meditation is a lost art today, and Christian people suffer grievously from their ignorance of the practice. Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God."—J.I. Packer
Let God Speak to You
In personal prayer we speak to God, but in meditative prayer we allow God to speak to us through his word and his Spirit. Never before has there been such a need to rediscover the quiet art of meditative prayer.
If we are not careful, the many distractions of this world will drown out the quiet voice of God within our hearts and make us numb to our spiritual needs. We need to find a quiet place to be with God and hear his word. In stillness and solitude God speaks to our hearts and fills us with the refreshing presence of his Spirit.
Emptying vs. Filling the Mind
What do we mean by meditative prayer? Is there such thing as Christian meditation? Isn't meditation non-Christian? According to Richard Foster, "Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind. Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind" (Celebration of Discipline). Rather than emptying the mind we fill it with God's word. We must not neglect a vital part of our Judeo-Christian heritage simply because other traditions use a form of meditation. Christian meditation has its roots in the Hebrew tradition of the Bible.
There are numerous Biblical references to prayerful meditation:
•"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8).
•"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2).
•"I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways" (Psalm 119:15).
•"I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes" (Psalm 119:48).
•"O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).
•"My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise" (Psalm 119:148).
•"I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands" (Psalm 143:5).
To be continued. ( This article was taken from the Resurgence blog.)
11/02/2009
Waiting On The Lord by John Wright Follette
(This article was taken from the Redeemer Church website.)
"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength" (Is. 40:31 esv). To wait upon God is entirely within the reach of all, whatever may be the age, condition, or environment. All may not be able to preach, teach, go as missionaries, or enter into public service; but any Christian can wait upon the Lord.
Silence
The Bible tells us much about waiting upon the Lord. The first meaning of the expression is silence. Prayer has been made and now the soul is hushed and, bowing in silence (in faith), it waits before God.
Our souls are too noisy. In prayer life alone see how it hinders. Our hearts are much distressed and burdened, so we go to prayer and maybe spend much time pouring out our petitions before the throne. And too many times we get up immediately, rush out of His presence and often try to answer the prayer by some efforts of our own. We do the praying but not the waiting.
Let us not be afraid to be silent before Him, thinking it is wasted time. He does not want us to be all the time talking–telling Him so many things about which He already knows more than we do. Time is needed today for proper adjustment to Him, our vision properly focused, our hearts hushed, and minds subdued. It is in the silent hour before Him, quietly waiting in His presence, that the miracle is wrought.
Expectation and Hope
The second meaning of the word carries the thought of expectation and hope. "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him" (Ps. 62:1, 5 esv). To wait upon God means to expect from God. It implies dependence.
How necessary today that we wait upon God in the sense of expecting from Him. The natural man is so self-sufficient. He turns here and there and expects help from his natural ability, from friends, or from circumstances, But in the spiritual life we are taught to distrust self and to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit.
Watching
The third meaning of wait is to watch, observe, take notice. This means that all our spiritual senses must be alive, alert, and expectant. To wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part. Our hearts are to be sensitive enough to catch the faintest reflection and be able to discern quickly His voice. The meaning is clearly shown in Prov. 8:34: "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors." Here we have a man, maybe a servant or soldier, waiting at a door or gate. He does not know the moment his master may open the door to require his service, or maybe to give him a gift.
Be it one or the other, it matters not to the waiting man. His duty is to wait (to watch or take notice). It is not the waiting of an idler; it is not the waiting of a dreamer. It is the quiet waiting of one who is girt and ready.
We do not long watch or observe keenly the movements of God before He has some word for us. He bids us go or come on some mission, or speak, write, pray, visit, or sing for Him. Why? Because we were near enough to feel what is on His heart, and thus we were able to enter into fellowship with Him in service. Many today do not understand the movement of God in the world as He is speaking to us in present conditions because they are not near enough or still enough to observe Him.
Such wonderful blessings, then, hang upon this one condition: to wait. And to wait upon God is to have the heart silent in an expectant attitude, to hear what He might say–that we might do His bidding.
Wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
JOHN WRIGHT FOLLETTE (1883-1966) was a Bible teacher, conference speaker, and author. This excerpt is adapted from his book, Broken Bread [public domain].
"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength" (Is. 40:31 esv). To wait upon God is entirely within the reach of all, whatever may be the age, condition, or environment. All may not be able to preach, teach, go as missionaries, or enter into public service; but any Christian can wait upon the Lord.
Silence
The Bible tells us much about waiting upon the Lord. The first meaning of the expression is silence. Prayer has been made and now the soul is hushed and, bowing in silence (in faith), it waits before God.
Our souls are too noisy. In prayer life alone see how it hinders. Our hearts are much distressed and burdened, so we go to prayer and maybe spend much time pouring out our petitions before the throne. And too many times we get up immediately, rush out of His presence and often try to answer the prayer by some efforts of our own. We do the praying but not the waiting.
Let us not be afraid to be silent before Him, thinking it is wasted time. He does not want us to be all the time talking–telling Him so many things about which He already knows more than we do. Time is needed today for proper adjustment to Him, our vision properly focused, our hearts hushed, and minds subdued. It is in the silent hour before Him, quietly waiting in His presence, that the miracle is wrought.
Expectation and Hope
The second meaning of the word carries the thought of expectation and hope. "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him" (Ps. 62:1, 5 esv). To wait upon God means to expect from God. It implies dependence.
How necessary today that we wait upon God in the sense of expecting from Him. The natural man is so self-sufficient. He turns here and there and expects help from his natural ability, from friends, or from circumstances, But in the spiritual life we are taught to distrust self and to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit.
Watching
The third meaning of wait is to watch, observe, take notice. This means that all our spiritual senses must be alive, alert, and expectant. To wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part. Our hearts are to be sensitive enough to catch the faintest reflection and be able to discern quickly His voice. The meaning is clearly shown in Prov. 8:34: "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors." Here we have a man, maybe a servant or soldier, waiting at a door or gate. He does not know the moment his master may open the door to require his service, or maybe to give him a gift.
Be it one or the other, it matters not to the waiting man. His duty is to wait (to watch or take notice). It is not the waiting of an idler; it is not the waiting of a dreamer. It is the quiet waiting of one who is girt and ready.
We do not long watch or observe keenly the movements of God before He has some word for us. He bids us go or come on some mission, or speak, write, pray, visit, or sing for Him. Why? Because we were near enough to feel what is on His heart, and thus we were able to enter into fellowship with Him in service. Many today do not understand the movement of God in the world as He is speaking to us in present conditions because they are not near enough or still enough to observe Him.
Such wonderful blessings, then, hang upon this one condition: to wait. And to wait upon God is to have the heart silent in an expectant attitude, to hear what He might say–that we might do His bidding.
Wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
JOHN WRIGHT FOLLETTE (1883-1966) was a Bible teacher, conference speaker, and author. This excerpt is adapted from his book, Broken Bread [public domain].
11/01/2009
Lection Divina - "Divine Reading"
(This article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website.)
Lectio Divina, or "Divine Reading" involves meditative listening to the reading, out loud and slowly, of a short passage or a few isolated verses of Scripture. It can be down on your own or with a group. Those who listen are encouraged to set aside analysis, and what they "know" already about the passage, seeking instead to open themselves to God's Word, listen with their hearts and receive it expectantly and passively. They then attend to what they receive from God. God's Word is received personally, as an individualized gift to each person.
Lectio Divina, on your own:
Choose a short Scripture passage for your meditation, and it is to be read out loud slowly. Quiet yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide your meditation.
First reading. One minute silent reflection before God. Take notice of whatever captures your attention in the passage or in your inner experience.
Second reading. One minute silent reflection. Listen for a single word or phrase that particularly strikes you.
Third reading. 3-5 minutes silent reflection. Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience.
Fourth reading. 3-5 minutes silent reflection. What do you feel the passage might be inviting you to do? What is God inviting you to be? How is God inviting you to change? Spend some time in prayer over what you received from God's Word, and give thanks for His gift to you.
Lectio Divina, with a group:
Begin
One participant opens with a brief, spoken prayer.
Read
Another participant reads the passage aloud, slowly.
Reflect
After one minute of silence each participant writes down an answer to the question: "What word/phrase caught my attention?"
Share
Each participant shares his/her word or phrase without comment.
Read
Another participant reads the same passage aloud from a different translation.
Reflect
After 3-5 minutes silence each participant writes down an answer to the question: "Where does this passage touch my life experience?"
Share
Each participant shares his/her answer in turn, without comment.
Read
A third participant reads the passage aloud from yet another translation.
Reflect
For 3-5 minutes participants write an answer to the question: "From what I have heard and shared, what is God inviting me to be? How is He inviting me to change?"
Share
Each participant shares, beginning: "I believe God wants me to..."
Pray
Each participant then prays aloud for the person on his/her right, praying only for what that person expressed in the prior step. (option: each person continues to pray for that person throughout the day or evening.)
Notes for Group Lectio Divina:
Leader preparation: Select a short passage of scripture. Having 3 translations available will add richness, but this is optional. Allow ~ 25 minutes for a group of five, longer with more participants. A digital timer or stop watch is helpful.
Group preparation: None, except access to pen and paper.
Source: Material adapted from Sacred Companions by David Benner, 2002 by John Smed, Grace Vancouver. Materials used with permission, Redeemer Prayer Conference, June 2006.
Lectio Divina, or "Divine Reading" involves meditative listening to the reading, out loud and slowly, of a short passage or a few isolated verses of Scripture. It can be down on your own or with a group. Those who listen are encouraged to set aside analysis, and what they "know" already about the passage, seeking instead to open themselves to God's Word, listen with their hearts and receive it expectantly and passively. They then attend to what they receive from God. God's Word is received personally, as an individualized gift to each person.
Lectio Divina, on your own:
Choose a short Scripture passage for your meditation, and it is to be read out loud slowly. Quiet yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide your meditation.
First reading. One minute silent reflection before God. Take notice of whatever captures your attention in the passage or in your inner experience.
Second reading. One minute silent reflection. Listen for a single word or phrase that particularly strikes you.
Third reading. 3-5 minutes silent reflection. Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience.
Fourth reading. 3-5 minutes silent reflection. What do you feel the passage might be inviting you to do? What is God inviting you to be? How is God inviting you to change? Spend some time in prayer over what you received from God's Word, and give thanks for His gift to you.
Lectio Divina, with a group:
Begin
One participant opens with a brief, spoken prayer.
Read
Another participant reads the passage aloud, slowly.
Reflect
After one minute of silence each participant writes down an answer to the question: "What word/phrase caught my attention?"
Share
Each participant shares his/her word or phrase without comment.
Read
Another participant reads the same passage aloud from a different translation.
Reflect
After 3-5 minutes silence each participant writes down an answer to the question: "Where does this passage touch my life experience?"
Share
Each participant shares his/her answer in turn, without comment.
Read
A third participant reads the passage aloud from yet another translation.
Reflect
For 3-5 minutes participants write an answer to the question: "From what I have heard and shared, what is God inviting me to be? How is He inviting me to change?"
Share
Each participant shares, beginning: "I believe God wants me to..."
Pray
Each participant then prays aloud for the person on his/her right, praying only for what that person expressed in the prior step. (option: each person continues to pray for that person throughout the day or evening.)
Notes for Group Lectio Divina:
Leader preparation: Select a short passage of scripture. Having 3 translations available will add richness, but this is optional. Allow ~ 25 minutes for a group of five, longer with more participants. A digital timer or stop watch is helpful.
Group preparation: None, except access to pen and paper.
Source: Material adapted from Sacred Companions by David Benner, 2002 by John Smed, Grace Vancouver. Materials used with permission, Redeemer Prayer Conference, June 2006.
Meditation: Not So Mysterious by Jan Johnson
(The article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website,)
Meditation: Not So Mysterious
Two ways to move Scripture off the page and into your life
Ever get sick and tired of old habits that won't go away? You find yourself whining when you should be grateful. You trash someone in your mind when you should care about his needs. You feel lazy when there are so many exciting things to do. What does it take to have the heart of Christ, to obey the commands that seem so difficult?
Trying to be good doesn't work because such efforts are about us, not about Christ. What works better is connecting with God in deeper ways that allow God to "[work] in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:13).
One important–but overlooked–way to connect with God is meditating on Scripture. Joshua wrote: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it" (Josh. 1:8). As we invite God to move beyond the door of our inner being by meditating on Scripture, He works miraculous heart changes within us that lead to a more Christlike life.
The psalmists valued meditation; they mentioned it 16 times in Psalms. By inserting the word selah 71 times in Psalms, they encouraged resting in and reflecting on the Word. Though selah is sometimes dismissed as a mere musical notation, most commentators agree that it was used at points where the singer or psalm reader should pause to reflect.
But reflect on what? The objects of meditation include aspects of God's character (such as God's unfailing love, see Ps. 48:9), God's works (see Ps. 77:12), and God's precepts and ways (see Ps. 119:15). Beyond that, we are given little instruction. That's why I wasn't sure what to do in my early attempts to meditate. I turned to classic Christian writers for help. Just as there are many ways to pray and study Scripture, Christians throughout the ages have found many ways to meditate. Those who've gone before me have helped me connect with God in ways that have surprised me. Let's look at two specific approaches to meditation.
Spiritual Exercises
One of the best-known ways to ponder God's character, works, and ways is a format originated by Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Loyola's methods, recorded in his book Spiritual Exercises, have been used for hundreds of years. He urged people to enter into Scripture with all five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.
If this idea startles you (as it did me), consider A. W. Tozer's words:
The same terms are used to express the knowledge of God as are used to express knowledge of physical things. "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). "All the garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of ivory palaces" (Ps. 45:8). "My sheep hear my voice" (Jn. 10:27). "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Mt. 5:8) . . . What can all this mean except that we have in our hearts organs by means of which we can know God as certainly as we know material things through our familiar five senses?
Using the five senses allows you to experience the text in a fresh way. For example, as you enter into the text of Mk. 10:17�22, you may take the role of the rich young ruler and see what he saw. In verse 21, Jesus "looked at him and loved him," then immediately challenged him to give up what he apparently loved best: his wealth. Years ago, I began meditating on that passage. Ever since, I have regularly had a sense of God looking at me, loving me, and then challenging me to give up ingrained habits I hold close: self-centered thoughts, judgmental attitudes, the need to be right. When nothing else has been able to persuade me to relinquish such things, that picture of Jesus' loving yet challenging gaze has resurfaced, and I have quietly acquiesced.
As I meditate on a passage, I often ask myself, What did the biblical scene look like? At first, this was difficult. But then I decided to pretend I was Cecil B. DeMille creating a scene for a biblical epic such as The Ten Commandments. When I meditated on the transfiguration of Christ, I tried to imagine Jesus' radiance. This passage required that I bring in Steven Spielberg too�adding the special effects of lightning-bright clothes. Then as I imagined the scene, I wondered (as a skilled movie director would), What was Jesus doing when His appearance changed? I peeked at the original script and found that Jesus was praying (Lk. 9:29). I immediately prostrated myself on the floor and said to God, "As I pray, change me, too. Make me the person You wish me to be."
Another meditation question I use is, How would I have behaved if I'd been a disciple standing by? As Jesus talked to Legion in that graveyard by the sea, how would I have responded to the screams of the demonized man and the smell of blood from his cut flesh (Mk. 5:5)? What would I have thought of my teacher, who was not intimidated by this naked, crazed man, but cared for him? Would I have wanted to run for the hills? Would I have gotten out of the boat to watch Jesus in action (which, according to the text, none of the disciples seems to have done)?
For meditation to work, you need to pay attention to the details of Scripture. Though this may seem similar to Bible study, meditation differs in technique. In Bible study, you dissect the text; in Scripture meditation, you savor it and enter into it. In Bible study, you ask questions about the text; in meditation, you let the text ask questions of you. In Bible study, you examine how biblical facts relate to each other; in meditation, you let God speak to you in light of the facts you've already considered. Meditation is about absorbing scriptural truth: seeing in our minds how God behaved in Scripture and being open to His leading to behave in the same way.
Lectio Divina
As I tried to meditate on the discourse and poetic texts, such as the New Testament letters and Old Testament poets and prophets, I found that another classical method helped me: lectio divina. This kind of meditation has been used widely among believers since the sixth century. Lectio divina consists of four parts: reading a passage, meditating on that passage, praying, and contemplating God. After the Scripture is read aloud, participants wait for a word, phrase, or image from the passage to emerge and stay with them. From this phrase or image, the participant asks, What does this passage say to me right now? (Bible study before meditating is important preparatory work because it asks, What did the passage say to listeners then? This keeps us from coming up with absurd answers to this question.)
Once while meditating on Mt. 11:20-30 (10 verses or fewer work best for lectio divina), I was struck by the word weary. I pondered that word for a while and began picturing weary people who needed Jesus for their rest. I was so grateful that Jesus was there for the weary. I read the passage aloud again, and this time I noticed the word gentle. I spent some time thinking about how much weary people need gentle people.
A few weeks later I found myself at a school reunion. I don't know why, but everybody there irritated me. I listened to the women at the next table yak endlessly, and I thought terrible things about them, such as, No wonder they couldn't stay married! At the same time, I was highly aware of my own judgmental attitude. I became so sick of myself that I got away and asked God to help me with this harshness. "Make me gentle," I prayed. The words of Mt. 11:28 immediately came to mind: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I pictured one of the women who had annoyed me and prayed, "O God, she is weary and burdened. Give her rest. Help her come to You."
I did that with a few others until I felt strong enough to return to the gathering. In the midst of parties and sight-seeing, I kept praying Mt. 11:28 for each person I met. My attitude changed completely. I felt merciful and genuine in my heart and started having fun! I would never have prayed this way if I hadn't spent time with Jesus meditating on that passage.
Danger Ahead?
Some evangelical Christians are wary of meditation because it's practiced in other religions. But it's important to remember that Christians do not meditate the same way that practitioners of Eastern religions do. The goals are different. In Eastern religions, participants empty their minds and fill them with nothing. In Christianity, we seek to surrender our hurried to-do lists, our worry about today's appointments, and our obsession with what others think of us and focus instead upon the words and images of Scripture.
Other Christians object to using the imagination in meditation. But since I read Richard Foster's words about "sanctifying the imagination" many years ago, I've asked God to purify my imagination along with my heart, mind, and will. Isn't it wiser to give the imagination to God to be retrained than to ignore it? If we don't, our imagination finds entertainment of its own and gets us into trouble. When activated by the images and truths of Scripture, the imagination supports the penetrating Word of God's ability to become active in our lives.
Doing Nothing?
But what if you meditate and "nothing" happens? What if God doesn't confront you with a verse or you don't get a personal insight? That's normal.
My long years of meditating on Zeph. 3:17 have helped during these times: "The Lord your God . . . will take great delight in you . . . [and] will rejoice over you with singing." When I don't receive any fresh insights while meditating, I imagine God delighting in me and singing over me. As I've tried to picture this scene, I remember how I used to rock my children and sing all three verses of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" until they fell asleep. (A friend of mine pictures God as a father standing on the sidelines of a soccer game and cheering whether or not he makes a goal.) These quiet "nothing" moments of meditation are valuable because we can enjoy the company of God without yammering about our 455 prayer requests. To simply enjoy God's presence is a delightful thing.
Over the years, I've noticed that meditation often results in "accidental obedience." I meditate on a passage, and without realizing it, I am "careful to do" God's will (Josh. 1:8). I meditate on Jesus challenging the rich young ruler, and I begin giving up obsessions. I meditate on Jesus' gentleness with the weary, and I am gentle with those around me. I meditate on being loved by God, and I am conscious of God's love in ways I haven't been before. This accidental obedience–or spiritual formation–works a lot better than trying hard to be good. This way, God comes into my soul and sits with me, teaching me to abide in Him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
Jan Johnson is a writer and retreat speaker. As a trained spiritual director, she helps believers immerse themselves in God's Word. She also volunteers with a drop-in center for the homeless. Her book Listening to God (NavPress) includes 30 passages of Scripture and directions for meditating on them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Used by permission of Pray! Magazine. Copyright © 2006, The Navigators. Used by permission of NavPress. All Rights Reserved. To subscribe, visit www.praymag.com or call (800) 691-7729.
Meditation: Not So Mysterious
Two ways to move Scripture off the page and into your life
Ever get sick and tired of old habits that won't go away? You find yourself whining when you should be grateful. You trash someone in your mind when you should care about his needs. You feel lazy when there are so many exciting things to do. What does it take to have the heart of Christ, to obey the commands that seem so difficult?
Trying to be good doesn't work because such efforts are about us, not about Christ. What works better is connecting with God in deeper ways that allow God to "[work] in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:13).
One important–but overlooked–way to connect with God is meditating on Scripture. Joshua wrote: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it" (Josh. 1:8). As we invite God to move beyond the door of our inner being by meditating on Scripture, He works miraculous heart changes within us that lead to a more Christlike life.
The psalmists valued meditation; they mentioned it 16 times in Psalms. By inserting the word selah 71 times in Psalms, they encouraged resting in and reflecting on the Word. Though selah is sometimes dismissed as a mere musical notation, most commentators agree that it was used at points where the singer or psalm reader should pause to reflect.
But reflect on what? The objects of meditation include aspects of God's character (such as God's unfailing love, see Ps. 48:9), God's works (see Ps. 77:12), and God's precepts and ways (see Ps. 119:15). Beyond that, we are given little instruction. That's why I wasn't sure what to do in my early attempts to meditate. I turned to classic Christian writers for help. Just as there are many ways to pray and study Scripture, Christians throughout the ages have found many ways to meditate. Those who've gone before me have helped me connect with God in ways that have surprised me. Let's look at two specific approaches to meditation.
Spiritual Exercises
One of the best-known ways to ponder God's character, works, and ways is a format originated by Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Loyola's methods, recorded in his book Spiritual Exercises, have been used for hundreds of years. He urged people to enter into Scripture with all five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.
If this idea startles you (as it did me), consider A. W. Tozer's words:
The same terms are used to express the knowledge of God as are used to express knowledge of physical things. "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). "All the garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of ivory palaces" (Ps. 45:8). "My sheep hear my voice" (Jn. 10:27). "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Mt. 5:8) . . . What can all this mean except that we have in our hearts organs by means of which we can know God as certainly as we know material things through our familiar five senses?
Using the five senses allows you to experience the text in a fresh way. For example, as you enter into the text of Mk. 10:17�22, you may take the role of the rich young ruler and see what he saw. In verse 21, Jesus "looked at him and loved him," then immediately challenged him to give up what he apparently loved best: his wealth. Years ago, I began meditating on that passage. Ever since, I have regularly had a sense of God looking at me, loving me, and then challenging me to give up ingrained habits I hold close: self-centered thoughts, judgmental attitudes, the need to be right. When nothing else has been able to persuade me to relinquish such things, that picture of Jesus' loving yet challenging gaze has resurfaced, and I have quietly acquiesced.
As I meditate on a passage, I often ask myself, What did the biblical scene look like? At first, this was difficult. But then I decided to pretend I was Cecil B. DeMille creating a scene for a biblical epic such as The Ten Commandments. When I meditated on the transfiguration of Christ, I tried to imagine Jesus' radiance. This passage required that I bring in Steven Spielberg too�adding the special effects of lightning-bright clothes. Then as I imagined the scene, I wondered (as a skilled movie director would), What was Jesus doing when His appearance changed? I peeked at the original script and found that Jesus was praying (Lk. 9:29). I immediately prostrated myself on the floor and said to God, "As I pray, change me, too. Make me the person You wish me to be."
Another meditation question I use is, How would I have behaved if I'd been a disciple standing by? As Jesus talked to Legion in that graveyard by the sea, how would I have responded to the screams of the demonized man and the smell of blood from his cut flesh (Mk. 5:5)? What would I have thought of my teacher, who was not intimidated by this naked, crazed man, but cared for him? Would I have wanted to run for the hills? Would I have gotten out of the boat to watch Jesus in action (which, according to the text, none of the disciples seems to have done)?
For meditation to work, you need to pay attention to the details of Scripture. Though this may seem similar to Bible study, meditation differs in technique. In Bible study, you dissect the text; in Scripture meditation, you savor it and enter into it. In Bible study, you ask questions about the text; in meditation, you let the text ask questions of you. In Bible study, you examine how biblical facts relate to each other; in meditation, you let God speak to you in light of the facts you've already considered. Meditation is about absorbing scriptural truth: seeing in our minds how God behaved in Scripture and being open to His leading to behave in the same way.
Lectio Divina
As I tried to meditate on the discourse and poetic texts, such as the New Testament letters and Old Testament poets and prophets, I found that another classical method helped me: lectio divina. This kind of meditation has been used widely among believers since the sixth century. Lectio divina consists of four parts: reading a passage, meditating on that passage, praying, and contemplating God. After the Scripture is read aloud, participants wait for a word, phrase, or image from the passage to emerge and stay with them. From this phrase or image, the participant asks, What does this passage say to me right now? (Bible study before meditating is important preparatory work because it asks, What did the passage say to listeners then? This keeps us from coming up with absurd answers to this question.)
Once while meditating on Mt. 11:20-30 (10 verses or fewer work best for lectio divina), I was struck by the word weary. I pondered that word for a while and began picturing weary people who needed Jesus for their rest. I was so grateful that Jesus was there for the weary. I read the passage aloud again, and this time I noticed the word gentle. I spent some time thinking about how much weary people need gentle people.
A few weeks later I found myself at a school reunion. I don't know why, but everybody there irritated me. I listened to the women at the next table yak endlessly, and I thought terrible things about them, such as, No wonder they couldn't stay married! At the same time, I was highly aware of my own judgmental attitude. I became so sick of myself that I got away and asked God to help me with this harshness. "Make me gentle," I prayed. The words of Mt. 11:28 immediately came to mind: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I pictured one of the women who had annoyed me and prayed, "O God, she is weary and burdened. Give her rest. Help her come to You."
I did that with a few others until I felt strong enough to return to the gathering. In the midst of parties and sight-seeing, I kept praying Mt. 11:28 for each person I met. My attitude changed completely. I felt merciful and genuine in my heart and started having fun! I would never have prayed this way if I hadn't spent time with Jesus meditating on that passage.
Danger Ahead?
Some evangelical Christians are wary of meditation because it's practiced in other religions. But it's important to remember that Christians do not meditate the same way that practitioners of Eastern religions do. The goals are different. In Eastern religions, participants empty their minds and fill them with nothing. In Christianity, we seek to surrender our hurried to-do lists, our worry about today's appointments, and our obsession with what others think of us and focus instead upon the words and images of Scripture.
Other Christians object to using the imagination in meditation. But since I read Richard Foster's words about "sanctifying the imagination" many years ago, I've asked God to purify my imagination along with my heart, mind, and will. Isn't it wiser to give the imagination to God to be retrained than to ignore it? If we don't, our imagination finds entertainment of its own and gets us into trouble. When activated by the images and truths of Scripture, the imagination supports the penetrating Word of God's ability to become active in our lives.
Doing Nothing?
But what if you meditate and "nothing" happens? What if God doesn't confront you with a verse or you don't get a personal insight? That's normal.
My long years of meditating on Zeph. 3:17 have helped during these times: "The Lord your God . . . will take great delight in you . . . [and] will rejoice over you with singing." When I don't receive any fresh insights while meditating, I imagine God delighting in me and singing over me. As I've tried to picture this scene, I remember how I used to rock my children and sing all three verses of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" until they fell asleep. (A friend of mine pictures God as a father standing on the sidelines of a soccer game and cheering whether or not he makes a goal.) These quiet "nothing" moments of meditation are valuable because we can enjoy the company of God without yammering about our 455 prayer requests. To simply enjoy God's presence is a delightful thing.
Over the years, I've noticed that meditation often results in "accidental obedience." I meditate on a passage, and without realizing it, I am "careful to do" God's will (Josh. 1:8). I meditate on Jesus challenging the rich young ruler, and I begin giving up obsessions. I meditate on Jesus' gentleness with the weary, and I am gentle with those around me. I meditate on being loved by God, and I am conscious of God's love in ways I haven't been before. This accidental obedience–or spiritual formation–works a lot better than trying hard to be good. This way, God comes into my soul and sits with me, teaching me to abide in Him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
Jan Johnson is a writer and retreat speaker. As a trained spiritual director, she helps believers immerse themselves in God's Word. She also volunteers with a drop-in center for the homeless. Her book Listening to God (NavPress) includes 30 passages of Scripture and directions for meditating on them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Used by permission of Pray! Magazine. Copyright © 2006, The Navigators. Used by permission of NavPress. All Rights Reserved. To subscribe, visit www.praymag.com or call (800) 691-7729.
10/31/2009
Prayer and The Gospel by Tim Keller
(The following article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website.)
Principles
One of the most basic things that the gospel does is change prayer from mere petition to fellowship and the praise of his glory. Galatians 4:6-7 teaches us that when we believe the gospel, we not only become God's children legally, but we receive the Spirit in order to experience our sonship. The Spirit leads us to call out passionately to God as our tender and loving Father. The Spirit calls out 'Abba' (4:7). In the very next verse Paul refers to this experience as "knowing God" (4:8). We do not just know and believe that God is holy and loving, but we actually experience contact with his holiness and his love in personal communion with him.
No one had a deeper insight into the gospel and prayer than Jonathan Edwards. Edwards concluded the most essential difference between a Christian and a moralist is that a Christian obeys God out of the sheer delight in who he is. The gospel means that we are not obeying God to get anything but to give him pleasure because we see his worth and beauty. Therefore, the Christian is able to draw power out of contemplation of God. Without the gospel, this is impossible. We can only come and ask for things- petition. Without the gospel, we may conceive of a holy God who is intimidating and who can be approached with petitions if we are very good. Or we may conceive of a God who is mainly loving and regards all positively. To approach the first "God" is fearsome; to approach the second is no big deal. Thus without the gospel, there is no possibility of passion and delight to praise and approach God.
Pathologies
There are two fairly common distortions of prayer that arise from a lack of orientation to the gospel in our prayer lives. We touched on them above. Here is a more practical description.
1. On the one hand, our prayer can have "light without heat."
There can be long lists of things that we pray for, and long lists of Bible verses we read, and long lists of things we thank him for. Yet there is no fire. Why? If we lose focus on the glory of God in the gospel as the solution to all our problems, then we devolve into a set of "grocery list" prayers, made rather desperately. When we are done, we only feel more anxious than before. The presence of God is not sensed because God is really just being used – he is not being worshipped.
Instead, we should always remember that the first thing we need is a new perspective on our needs and problems. We should always intertwine with repentance over our unbelief and indifference to God's grace. On the one hand, we must "pray into" ourselves that the thing we are asking for is not our Savior or God or glory! But, (on the other hand) after we repent and refine our desire, we should "pray into" ourselves that God is our Father and wants to give us good things, so we can ask in confidence. Also, intertwined with our petitions should be praise and marveling that we are able to approach God, and be welcomed in Christ.
This is gospel-centered prayer, rather than anxious petitioning. Our desires are always idolatrous to some degree, and when we pray without dealing with that first, we find our prayers only make us more anxious. Instead, we should always say, in effect, "Lord, let me see your glory as I haven't before, let me be so ravished with your grace that worry and self-pity and anger and indifference melt away!" Then, when we turn to ask God for admission to grad school or healing of an illness, those issues will be put in proper perspective. We will say, "Lord, I ask for this because I think it will glorify you – so help me get it, or support me without it." If the overall focus of the prayer is on God's glory and the gospel, our individual petitions will be made with great peace and confidence.
2. On the other hand, our prayer can have "heat without light."
Unlike the "light without heat" prayer, focused on anxious personal petitions, there is a kind of prayer which is its direct opposite – "heat without light." This is prayer with lots of "fire" and emotion. It focuses on boldly claiming things in Jesus' name. A lot of military and conflict imagery is usually used. Often the prayers themselves are said (either in your head or out loud) in a very unnatural, dramatic kind of voice and language.
Now, if (as stated above) prayer focuses on the gospel and glory of God, and if by the Spirit's help, that glory becomes real to us as we contemplate it, there will be passion, and maybe strong and dramatic emotion. But "heat without light" prayer always begins with a lot of drama and feeling automatically. I think that many people who pray like that are actually reacting against the very limp kind of prayer meetings that result from anxious personal petition. But they respond by simply trying to directly inject emotion and drama into prayer.
This kind of prayer is also not gospel-centered. Just as the anxious-petitioning is often legalistic and fails to base itself on God's grace, so the bold-claiming is sometimes legalistic and fails to base itself on God's grace. There is a sense that "if I pray long and without any doubts at all then God will surely hear me." Many people believe that they must suppress all psychological doubts and work up tremendous confidence if they are to get answered.
In addition, often personal problems are treated abstractly. People may say: "Lord, I ask you to come against the strongholds of worry in my life." Or "Lord, I claim the victory over bitterness," instead of realizing that it is faith in the gospel that will heal our worry and bitterness. Ironically, this is the same thing that the "anxious petitioner" does. There is no understanding of how to "bathe" the needs and petitions in contemplating the glory of God in the gospel until the perspective on the very petition is combined with joyful yet profound repentance, e.g. "Lord, I am experiencing such fear – but you are the stronghold of my life. Magnify your name in my sight. Let your love and glory ravish me till my fear subsides. You said you will never forsake me, and it is sheer unbelief that brings me to deny it. Forgive and heal me."
So, ironically, we see that "heat without light" prayer and "light without heat" prayer both stem from the same root. They come from works-righteousness, a conviction that we can earn God's favor, and a loss of orientation with respect to our free justification and adoption.
Practice
How can we very practically move toward a gospel-centered prayer life that aims primarily at knowing God? Meditation and communion.
This essential discipline is meditation on the truth. Meditation is a "crossing" of two other disciplines: Bible study and prayer. Meditation is both yet it is not just moving one to another – it is a blending of them. Most of us first study our Bible, and then move to the prayer list, but the prayer is detached from the Bible you just studied. But meditation is praying the truth (just studied) deep into your soul till it catches "fire." By "fire" we mean – until it makes all sorts of personal connections – with YOU personally, so it shapes the thinking, it moves the feelings, and it changes the actions. Meditation is working out the truth personally.
The closest analogy to meditating on the truth is the way a person eagerly reads a love letter. You tear it open and you weigh every word. You never simply say, "I know that" but "what does this mean? What did he or she really mean by that?" You aren't reading it quickly just for information – you want to know what lies deep in the clauses and phrases. And more important, you want the letter to sink in and form you.
Augustine saw meditation, "the soul's ascent into God," as having three parts: retentio, contemplatio, dilectio.
First, retentio means the distillation of the truths of Scripture and holding them centrally in the mind. This means study and concentration on a passage of scripture to simply understand it, so you see its thrust. "Retentio" is thus learning what a passage says. The many books on Bible study and interpretation can help us here.
Second, contemplatio, means "gazing at God through this truth." It is to pose and answer questions such as:
•what does this tell me about God; what does it reveal about him?
•how can I praise him for and through this?
•how can I humble myself before him for and through this?
•if he is really like this, what difference does this particular truth make to how I live today?
•what wrong behavior, harmful emotions, false attitudes result in me when I forget he is like this?
•how would my neighborhood, my family, my church, my friends be different if they saw it deeply?
•does my life demonstrate that I am remembering and acting out of this?
•Lord, what are you trying to tell me about you, and why do you want me to know it now, today?
Above all, the purpose of contemplatio is to move from a kind of objective analytical view of things to a personal dealing with God as he is. It is to deal with God directly, to stretch every nerve to turn this "knowing about" into knowing – to move from knowing a fact about him to actually "seeing" him with the heart – to adore, to marvel, to rest in, or to be troubled by, to be humbled by him. It is one thing to study a piece of music and another to play it. It is one thing to work on a diamond, cutting and polishing it; it is another to stand back and let it take your breath away.
Third, dilectio means delighting and relishing the God you are looking at. You begin to actually praise and confess and aspire toward him on the basis of the digested and meditated truth. If you have moved from learning to personal meditation, then, depending on your spiritual sharpness, the circumstances of your life at that time, and God's sovereign Spirit, you begin to experience him.
Sometimes it is mild, sometimes strong, and sometimes you are very dry. But whenever you are meditating ("contemplatio") and you suddenly find new ideas coming to you and flowing in, then write them down and move to direct praising and confessing and delighting. That is (as Luther would say) the "Holy Spirit preaching to you."
Principles
One of the most basic things that the gospel does is change prayer from mere petition to fellowship and the praise of his glory. Galatians 4:6-7 teaches us that when we believe the gospel, we not only become God's children legally, but we receive the Spirit in order to experience our sonship. The Spirit leads us to call out passionately to God as our tender and loving Father. The Spirit calls out 'Abba' (4:7). In the very next verse Paul refers to this experience as "knowing God" (4:8). We do not just know and believe that God is holy and loving, but we actually experience contact with his holiness and his love in personal communion with him.
No one had a deeper insight into the gospel and prayer than Jonathan Edwards. Edwards concluded the most essential difference between a Christian and a moralist is that a Christian obeys God out of the sheer delight in who he is. The gospel means that we are not obeying God to get anything but to give him pleasure because we see his worth and beauty. Therefore, the Christian is able to draw power out of contemplation of God. Without the gospel, this is impossible. We can only come and ask for things- petition. Without the gospel, we may conceive of a holy God who is intimidating and who can be approached with petitions if we are very good. Or we may conceive of a God who is mainly loving and regards all positively. To approach the first "God" is fearsome; to approach the second is no big deal. Thus without the gospel, there is no possibility of passion and delight to praise and approach God.
Pathologies
There are two fairly common distortions of prayer that arise from a lack of orientation to the gospel in our prayer lives. We touched on them above. Here is a more practical description.
1. On the one hand, our prayer can have "light without heat."
There can be long lists of things that we pray for, and long lists of Bible verses we read, and long lists of things we thank him for. Yet there is no fire. Why? If we lose focus on the glory of God in the gospel as the solution to all our problems, then we devolve into a set of "grocery list" prayers, made rather desperately. When we are done, we only feel more anxious than before. The presence of God is not sensed because God is really just being used – he is not being worshipped.
Instead, we should always remember that the first thing we need is a new perspective on our needs and problems. We should always intertwine with repentance over our unbelief and indifference to God's grace. On the one hand, we must "pray into" ourselves that the thing we are asking for is not our Savior or God or glory! But, (on the other hand) after we repent and refine our desire, we should "pray into" ourselves that God is our Father and wants to give us good things, so we can ask in confidence. Also, intertwined with our petitions should be praise and marveling that we are able to approach God, and be welcomed in Christ.
This is gospel-centered prayer, rather than anxious petitioning. Our desires are always idolatrous to some degree, and when we pray without dealing with that first, we find our prayers only make us more anxious. Instead, we should always say, in effect, "Lord, let me see your glory as I haven't before, let me be so ravished with your grace that worry and self-pity and anger and indifference melt away!" Then, when we turn to ask God for admission to grad school or healing of an illness, those issues will be put in proper perspective. We will say, "Lord, I ask for this because I think it will glorify you – so help me get it, or support me without it." If the overall focus of the prayer is on God's glory and the gospel, our individual petitions will be made with great peace and confidence.
2. On the other hand, our prayer can have "heat without light."
Unlike the "light without heat" prayer, focused on anxious personal petitions, there is a kind of prayer which is its direct opposite – "heat without light." This is prayer with lots of "fire" and emotion. It focuses on boldly claiming things in Jesus' name. A lot of military and conflict imagery is usually used. Often the prayers themselves are said (either in your head or out loud) in a very unnatural, dramatic kind of voice and language.
Now, if (as stated above) prayer focuses on the gospel and glory of God, and if by the Spirit's help, that glory becomes real to us as we contemplate it, there will be passion, and maybe strong and dramatic emotion. But "heat without light" prayer always begins with a lot of drama and feeling automatically. I think that many people who pray like that are actually reacting against the very limp kind of prayer meetings that result from anxious personal petition. But they respond by simply trying to directly inject emotion and drama into prayer.
This kind of prayer is also not gospel-centered. Just as the anxious-petitioning is often legalistic and fails to base itself on God's grace, so the bold-claiming is sometimes legalistic and fails to base itself on God's grace. There is a sense that "if I pray long and without any doubts at all then God will surely hear me." Many people believe that they must suppress all psychological doubts and work up tremendous confidence if they are to get answered.
In addition, often personal problems are treated abstractly. People may say: "Lord, I ask you to come against the strongholds of worry in my life." Or "Lord, I claim the victory over bitterness," instead of realizing that it is faith in the gospel that will heal our worry and bitterness. Ironically, this is the same thing that the "anxious petitioner" does. There is no understanding of how to "bathe" the needs and petitions in contemplating the glory of God in the gospel until the perspective on the very petition is combined with joyful yet profound repentance, e.g. "Lord, I am experiencing such fear – but you are the stronghold of my life. Magnify your name in my sight. Let your love and glory ravish me till my fear subsides. You said you will never forsake me, and it is sheer unbelief that brings me to deny it. Forgive and heal me."
So, ironically, we see that "heat without light" prayer and "light without heat" prayer both stem from the same root. They come from works-righteousness, a conviction that we can earn God's favor, and a loss of orientation with respect to our free justification and adoption.
Practice
How can we very practically move toward a gospel-centered prayer life that aims primarily at knowing God? Meditation and communion.
This essential discipline is meditation on the truth. Meditation is a "crossing" of two other disciplines: Bible study and prayer. Meditation is both yet it is not just moving one to another – it is a blending of them. Most of us first study our Bible, and then move to the prayer list, but the prayer is detached from the Bible you just studied. But meditation is praying the truth (just studied) deep into your soul till it catches "fire." By "fire" we mean – until it makes all sorts of personal connections – with YOU personally, so it shapes the thinking, it moves the feelings, and it changes the actions. Meditation is working out the truth personally.
The closest analogy to meditating on the truth is the way a person eagerly reads a love letter. You tear it open and you weigh every word. You never simply say, "I know that" but "what does this mean? What did he or she really mean by that?" You aren't reading it quickly just for information – you want to know what lies deep in the clauses and phrases. And more important, you want the letter to sink in and form you.
Augustine saw meditation, "the soul's ascent into God," as having three parts: retentio, contemplatio, dilectio.
First, retentio means the distillation of the truths of Scripture and holding them centrally in the mind. This means study and concentration on a passage of scripture to simply understand it, so you see its thrust. "Retentio" is thus learning what a passage says. The many books on Bible study and interpretation can help us here.
Second, contemplatio, means "gazing at God through this truth." It is to pose and answer questions such as:
•what does this tell me about God; what does it reveal about him?
•how can I praise him for and through this?
•how can I humble myself before him for and through this?
•if he is really like this, what difference does this particular truth make to how I live today?
•what wrong behavior, harmful emotions, false attitudes result in me when I forget he is like this?
•how would my neighborhood, my family, my church, my friends be different if they saw it deeply?
•does my life demonstrate that I am remembering and acting out of this?
•Lord, what are you trying to tell me about you, and why do you want me to know it now, today?
Above all, the purpose of contemplatio is to move from a kind of objective analytical view of things to a personal dealing with God as he is. It is to deal with God directly, to stretch every nerve to turn this "knowing about" into knowing – to move from knowing a fact about him to actually "seeing" him with the heart – to adore, to marvel, to rest in, or to be troubled by, to be humbled by him. It is one thing to study a piece of music and another to play it. It is one thing to work on a diamond, cutting and polishing it; it is another to stand back and let it take your breath away.
Third, dilectio means delighting and relishing the God you are looking at. You begin to actually praise and confess and aspire toward him on the basis of the digested and meditated truth. If you have moved from learning to personal meditation, then, depending on your spiritual sharpness, the circumstances of your life at that time, and God's sovereign Spirit, you begin to experience him.
Sometimes it is mild, sometimes strong, and sometimes you are very dry. But whenever you are meditating ("contemplatio") and you suddenly find new ideas coming to you and flowing in, then write them down and move to direct praising and confessing and delighting. That is (as Luther would say) the "Holy Spirit preaching to you."
10/20/2009
Jesus Speaks Clearly About Prayer by Dudley Hall
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:23-24 (ESV)
"The transfer is about to take place. Jesus has been modeling what life on earth looks like when lived in fellowship with the Father. He is only a few hours away from the most glorious and tragic event in history when redemption will be purchased and the passage way cleared for his disciples to have the same relationship he has enjoyed right before their eyes.
"That day" is very close to them at this point. The disciples have looked for the day when God would judge righteously against the wicked and for the good. They expect it to have immediate military, political, and economic dimensions. It isn't going to play out the way they anticipated, but the day is coming quickly and the ramifications for the disciples are enormous. They will have the same access to the Father that Jesus has demonstrated for them. They will be able to do the works of God as they represent the Son on earth.
Just as Jesus had no need to beg, they will not beg or bribe the Father. He doesn't have to be convinced. He initiated this whole arrangement. They don't have to go through intermediaries. No lieutenant is going to stop them from entering the main office. No personal assistant is going to give them the runaround. They will have the attention a Father gives to his only Son.
They will have to adopt a new perspective. They have depended upon Jesus to relate to the Father and they have lived on what he received. But he is leaving now, and they will have to get accustomed to asking on their own. It will not be easy to believe that the Father loves them as much as he loves the Son. It will not be easy to believe that they can hear his voice and see his hand like the Son.
Circumstances will assist them. They are about to enter the world of intense warfare. Everything they thought was nailed down will come lose. They will be forced to pray. They cannot do what they are called to do with just some lessons they learned from Jesus while walking with him on earth. They will need to trust the Father. It is the only way they can survive. They will find him faithful. He is anxious to show them how much he loves them and how willing he is to answer their prayers as they carry out the work initiated by the Son.
We have the advantage of their testimony. They changed the world around them. They lived in victory and died in triumph. The sword did not deter them, and the courts could not intimidate them. The lived by asking the Father in Jesus' name.
We are the recipients of the same privilege. We have been given the name of Jesus and the invitation of the Father. He promised that it was the way to fullness of joy. No other way will get us there."
John 16:23-24 (ESV)
"The transfer is about to take place. Jesus has been modeling what life on earth looks like when lived in fellowship with the Father. He is only a few hours away from the most glorious and tragic event in history when redemption will be purchased and the passage way cleared for his disciples to have the same relationship he has enjoyed right before their eyes.
"That day" is very close to them at this point. The disciples have looked for the day when God would judge righteously against the wicked and for the good. They expect it to have immediate military, political, and economic dimensions. It isn't going to play out the way they anticipated, but the day is coming quickly and the ramifications for the disciples are enormous. They will have the same access to the Father that Jesus has demonstrated for them. They will be able to do the works of God as they represent the Son on earth.
Just as Jesus had no need to beg, they will not beg or bribe the Father. He doesn't have to be convinced. He initiated this whole arrangement. They don't have to go through intermediaries. No lieutenant is going to stop them from entering the main office. No personal assistant is going to give them the runaround. They will have the attention a Father gives to his only Son.
They will have to adopt a new perspective. They have depended upon Jesus to relate to the Father and they have lived on what he received. But he is leaving now, and they will have to get accustomed to asking on their own. It will not be easy to believe that the Father loves them as much as he loves the Son. It will not be easy to believe that they can hear his voice and see his hand like the Son.
Circumstances will assist them. They are about to enter the world of intense warfare. Everything they thought was nailed down will come lose. They will be forced to pray. They cannot do what they are called to do with just some lessons they learned from Jesus while walking with him on earth. They will need to trust the Father. It is the only way they can survive. They will find him faithful. He is anxious to show them how much he loves them and how willing he is to answer their prayers as they carry out the work initiated by the Son.
We have the advantage of their testimony. They changed the world around them. They lived in victory and died in triumph. The sword did not deter them, and the courts could not intimidate them. The lived by asking the Father in Jesus' name.
We are the recipients of the same privilege. We have been given the name of Jesus and the invitation of the Father. He promised that it was the way to fullness of joy. No other way will get us there."
9/26/2009
Praying For Gospel Penetration by Dudley Hall
"At the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison--that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak."
Colossians 4:3-4(ESV)
We get to participate in the greatest project the earth has ever known. God himself has given us the assignment of taking the gospel to every place. It has the power to transform people and cultures. It is not only addressed to those who want to go to heaven when they die. It promises the restoration of all things which were negatively affected by the intrusion of sin. The gospel is the hope of international peace. It is the hope of economic stability. It is the hope of reconciliation between God and man--as well as between man and man. Nothing being done in government or science or social restructuring even comes close to the importance of proclaiming the gospel.
There is a problem. Much of the church does not believe this. If we should eavesdrop on the prayers of American church members, how much would we hear of praying for the success of the gospel? Are not most of our prayers centered on our desires for personal welfare? We even pray for our government officials to make the right decisions so we can live peaceably (and we should), but little mention is made of praying for an open door for the gospel to have an opportunity to affect situations. Some of us were trained to pray for missionaries, but we usually conclude that duty with a cursory: "And Lord bless the missionaries around the world."
Paul was in prison because he proclaimed a gospel that confronted his culture. It was radical. When embraced, it changed the culture. It upset things. He was more interested in the gospel having an open door for effectiveness than having an open door to the prison he occupied. In prison or out he would be doing the same thing. He had been captured by the message that the resurrected Christ could and would transform everything. Nothing else mattered. If the gospel is the only hope, then why not put everything possible into getting it out into the society.
He was convinced that prayer and proclamation went hand in hand. Sure God could have immediately enforced the judgment settled at the cross on the whole world. But he chose to give us the privilege of partnering with him to enforce the victory over sin, death, and hell. Paul believed that praying was necessary and effective in getting the job done. He was not as interested in marketing his ministry as in praying for the open door of opportunity of the gospel.
This is what new covenant people do. They participate in changing the world by praying as specifically as possible for the word to be preached, for the mystery of Christ to be explained.
Will you join me in this privilege? Please add me to your "missionary list." The success of the preaching relates to the sincerity of the praying.
Colossians 4:3-4(ESV)
We get to participate in the greatest project the earth has ever known. God himself has given us the assignment of taking the gospel to every place. It has the power to transform people and cultures. It is not only addressed to those who want to go to heaven when they die. It promises the restoration of all things which were negatively affected by the intrusion of sin. The gospel is the hope of international peace. It is the hope of economic stability. It is the hope of reconciliation between God and man--as well as between man and man. Nothing being done in government or science or social restructuring even comes close to the importance of proclaiming the gospel.
There is a problem. Much of the church does not believe this. If we should eavesdrop on the prayers of American church members, how much would we hear of praying for the success of the gospel? Are not most of our prayers centered on our desires for personal welfare? We even pray for our government officials to make the right decisions so we can live peaceably (and we should), but little mention is made of praying for an open door for the gospel to have an opportunity to affect situations. Some of us were trained to pray for missionaries, but we usually conclude that duty with a cursory: "And Lord bless the missionaries around the world."
Paul was in prison because he proclaimed a gospel that confronted his culture. It was radical. When embraced, it changed the culture. It upset things. He was more interested in the gospel having an open door for effectiveness than having an open door to the prison he occupied. In prison or out he would be doing the same thing. He had been captured by the message that the resurrected Christ could and would transform everything. Nothing else mattered. If the gospel is the only hope, then why not put everything possible into getting it out into the society.
He was convinced that prayer and proclamation went hand in hand. Sure God could have immediately enforced the judgment settled at the cross on the whole world. But he chose to give us the privilege of partnering with him to enforce the victory over sin, death, and hell. Paul believed that praying was necessary and effective in getting the job done. He was not as interested in marketing his ministry as in praying for the open door of opportunity of the gospel.
This is what new covenant people do. They participate in changing the world by praying as specifically as possible for the word to be preached, for the mystery of Christ to be explained.
Will you join me in this privilege? Please add me to your "missionary list." The success of the preaching relates to the sincerity of the praying.
9/25/2009
New Creation Praying by Dudley Hall
"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
Colossians 4:2 (ESV)
We are examining the benefits of living in the new creation as described by Paul to the believers in Colossae. There is a distinct difference in the way unbelievers and those who are "in Christ " pray. The old creation perspective sees prayer as burdensome, at best. But for those who know Christ personally and understand a little of what it means to be God's sons on earth, prayer is a pleasant privilege.
Three words describe believer's prayer: faithful, watchful, and thankful. First, we are to be faithful and persistent in our prayers. God does not always answer the way we expect or in our timing. He seems to employ delay for the purpose of weaning us from our proclivity to control. He refuses to be reduced to the results of a formula. He will not allow us to define him as a vending machine waiting for us to insert the proper coin. He is more desirous of blessing us than we are of being blessed, but he insists on personal involvement and divine perspective. He wants to strengthen our relationship with him and he wants to open our eyes wider to a bigger mission than our own comfort and success.
He often waits as we pray because he likes to see us refine our own request. We impulsively request deliverance from pain and persecution immediately. He waits as we slowly begin to see how what was once thought trouble is now a blessing, and our requests change. At one time if God had given me the blank check to heaven and I could have asked for anything, I would have asked for good health, good education, good job, and good family. I figured I could take it from there and make a success in this world. He had higher blessings in store for me. He wanted to open my eyes to: forgiveness of sin, relationship to God through Jesus Christ, and the inheritance made real by the Holy Spirit. I am so glad he didn't allow me to settle for my limited and meager requests.
Secondly, new creation praying is watchful. That means we are paying attention to the many ways God answers as well as seeing clearly the issues we should be praying about. God is so anxious for us to partner with him; he gives us clues as to what to ask. Often, we are so panicky we can't see the clues. We are to watch and pray. Someone said that meant we are to pray with our eyes open. Maybe, but it sure means to pray with our spiritual eyes open. God will guide our praying, as well as grant our request, as we refuse to quit and purpose to believe.
Thirdly, we pray thankfully. We approach prayer, even before the request is made, with gratitude. We are grateful that God cares. We are thankful that he has made reconciliation possible. We are grateful that he has given us the name of Christ as our introduction and authority. We are thankful he has granted us the role of managing his earth with the promise of giving us the wisdom needed when we ask. We are grateful that he will take our bumbling prayers and answer them in a way that blesses us beyond our ability to petition.
Colossians 4:2 (ESV)
We are examining the benefits of living in the new creation as described by Paul to the believers in Colossae. There is a distinct difference in the way unbelievers and those who are "in Christ " pray. The old creation perspective sees prayer as burdensome, at best. But for those who know Christ personally and understand a little of what it means to be God's sons on earth, prayer is a pleasant privilege.
Three words describe believer's prayer: faithful, watchful, and thankful. First, we are to be faithful and persistent in our prayers. God does not always answer the way we expect or in our timing. He seems to employ delay for the purpose of weaning us from our proclivity to control. He refuses to be reduced to the results of a formula. He will not allow us to define him as a vending machine waiting for us to insert the proper coin. He is more desirous of blessing us than we are of being blessed, but he insists on personal involvement and divine perspective. He wants to strengthen our relationship with him and he wants to open our eyes wider to a bigger mission than our own comfort and success.
He often waits as we pray because he likes to see us refine our own request. We impulsively request deliverance from pain and persecution immediately. He waits as we slowly begin to see how what was once thought trouble is now a blessing, and our requests change. At one time if God had given me the blank check to heaven and I could have asked for anything, I would have asked for good health, good education, good job, and good family. I figured I could take it from there and make a success in this world. He had higher blessings in store for me. He wanted to open my eyes to: forgiveness of sin, relationship to God through Jesus Christ, and the inheritance made real by the Holy Spirit. I am so glad he didn't allow me to settle for my limited and meager requests.
Secondly, new creation praying is watchful. That means we are paying attention to the many ways God answers as well as seeing clearly the issues we should be praying about. God is so anxious for us to partner with him; he gives us clues as to what to ask. Often, we are so panicky we can't see the clues. We are to watch and pray. Someone said that meant we are to pray with our eyes open. Maybe, but it sure means to pray with our spiritual eyes open. God will guide our praying, as well as grant our request, as we refuse to quit and purpose to believe.
Thirdly, we pray thankfully. We approach prayer, even before the request is made, with gratitude. We are grateful that God cares. We are thankful that he has made reconciliation possible. We are grateful that he has given us the name of Christ as our introduction and authority. We are thankful he has granted us the role of managing his earth with the promise of giving us the wisdom needed when we ask. We are grateful that he will take our bumbling prayers and answer them in a way that blesses us beyond our ability to petition.
Pray For God's Grace To Fortify You Against Everything Evil: Matthew Henry
Pray for God's Grace to Fortify you Against Everything Evil
I must pray for the grace of God, and all the kind and powerful influences and operations of that grace.
I draw near to the throne of grace, that I may receive not only mercy to pardon, but grace to help in every time of need: Hebrews 4:16(ESV) grace for seasonable help.
From the fullness that is in Jesus Christ (in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell), Colossians 1:19(ESV) let me receive, grace upon grace. John 1:16(ESV)
I must pray for grace to fortify myself against every evil thought, word, and work. Having been earnest for the removing of the guilt of sin, that I may not die for it as a crime, I must be no less earnest for the breaking of the power of sin, that I may not die by it as a disease, but that it may be mortified in me.
O let no sin have dominion over me, because I am not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14(ESV)
Let the flesh be crucified in me, with its passions and desires, Galatians 5:24(ESV) that walking in the Spirit, I may not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16(ESV)
Let my old self be crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that I may no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6(ESV) And let not sin reign in my mortal body (in my immortal soul), to make me obey its passions, Romans 6:12(ESV) but having been set free from sin, let me become a slave of righteousness. Romans 6:18(ESV)
Let the law of the Spirit of life set me free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2(ESV)
Give me grace to put off my old self, which is corrupt through deceitful desires, Ephesians 4:22(ESV) and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24(ESV)
Let the world be crucified to me, and I to the world, by the cross of Christ. Galatians 6:14(ESV)
I must pray for the grace of God, and all the kind and powerful influences and operations of that grace.
I draw near to the throne of grace, that I may receive not only mercy to pardon, but grace to help in every time of need: Hebrews 4:16(ESV) grace for seasonable help.
From the fullness that is in Jesus Christ (in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell), Colossians 1:19(ESV) let me receive, grace upon grace. John 1:16(ESV)
I must pray for grace to fortify myself against every evil thought, word, and work. Having been earnest for the removing of the guilt of sin, that I may not die for it as a crime, I must be no less earnest for the breaking of the power of sin, that I may not die by it as a disease, but that it may be mortified in me.
O let no sin have dominion over me, because I am not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14(ESV)
Let the flesh be crucified in me, with its passions and desires, Galatians 5:24(ESV) that walking in the Spirit, I may not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16(ESV)
Let my old self be crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that I may no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6(ESV) And let not sin reign in my mortal body (in my immortal soul), to make me obey its passions, Romans 6:12(ESV) but having been set free from sin, let me become a slave of righteousness. Romans 6:18(ESV)
Let the law of the Spirit of life set me free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2(ESV)
Give me grace to put off my old self, which is corrupt through deceitful desires, Ephesians 4:22(ESV) and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24(ESV)
Let the world be crucified to me, and I to the world, by the cross of Christ. Galatians 6:14(ESV)
8/24/2009
A Prayer Sequence For Examination: By Ken Boa
A PRAYER SEQUENCE FOR EXAMINATION
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139:23-24)
Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
The Ten Commandments
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
The Beatitudes
Poverty of spirit (nothing apart from God’s grace)
Mourning (contrition)
Gentleness (meekness, humility)
Hunger and thirst for righteousness
Merciful to others
Purity of heart (desiring Christ above all else)
Peacemaking
Bearing persecution for the sake of righteousness
The Seven Deadly Sins
Pride
Avarice
Envy
Wrath
Sloth
Lust
Gluttony
The Four Cardinal and Three Theological Virtues
Prudence (wisdom, discernment, clear thinking, common sense)
Temperance (moderation, self-control)
Justice (fairness, honesty, truthfulness, integrity)
Fortitude (courage, conviction)
Faith (belief and trust in God’s character and work)
Hope (anticipating God’s promises)
Love (willing the highest good for others, compassion)
The Fruit of the Spirit
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139:23-24)
Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
The Ten Commandments
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
The Beatitudes
Poverty of spirit (nothing apart from God’s grace)
Mourning (contrition)
Gentleness (meekness, humility)
Hunger and thirst for righteousness
Merciful to others
Purity of heart (desiring Christ above all else)
Peacemaking
Bearing persecution for the sake of righteousness
The Seven Deadly Sins
Pride
Avarice
Envy
Wrath
Sloth
Lust
Gluttony
The Four Cardinal and Three Theological Virtues
Prudence (wisdom, discernment, clear thinking, common sense)
Temperance (moderation, self-control)
Justice (fairness, honesty, truthfulness, integrity)
Fortitude (courage, conviction)
Faith (belief and trust in God’s character and work)
Hope (anticipating God’s promises)
Love (willing the highest good for others, compassion)
The Fruit of the Spirit
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
Four Life - Changing Prayers
[I ask] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephesians 1:17-19a
[May the Father] grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strength-ened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in or-der to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11
[I ask] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Colossians 1:9b-12 (Prayers taken from Ken Boa's website.)
[May the Father] grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strength-ened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in or-der to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11
[I ask] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Colossians 1:9b-12 (Prayers taken from Ken Boa's website.)
8/18/2009
Intercession: Matthew Henry
Introduction and Exhortation to Pray for the Whole Lost World of Mankind
OF THE FIFTH PART OF PRAYER, WHICH IS INTERCESSION, OR ADDRESS AND SUPPLICATION TO GOD FOR OTHERS
The Lord Jesus has taught me to pray, not only with but for others; and the apostle has appointed me to make supplication for all the saints, Ephesians 6:18(ESV) and many of his prayers in his epistles are for his friends. And I must not think that when I am in this part of prayer, I may let fall my fervency and be more indifferent because I myself am not immediately concerned in it, but rather let a holy fire of love, both to God and man here, make my devotion yet more warm and lively.
1
I must pray for the whole world of mankind, the lost world; and thus, I must honor everyone 1 Peter 2:17(ESV) and, according to my capacity, do good to everyone. Galatians 6:10(ESV)
I pray, as I am taught, for all people, believing that this is good and pleasing in the sight of God my Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth and of Jesus Christ, 1 Timothy 2:3-4(ESV) who gave himself as a ransom for all. 1 Timothy 2:6(ESV)
O look with compassion upon the world that lies in the power of the evil one, 1 John 5:19(ESV) and let the ruler of this world be cast out, John 12:31(ESV) who has blinded their minds. 2 Corinthians 4:4(ESV)
O let your way be known on earth, Psalm 67:2(ESV) that barbarous nations may be civilized, and those who live without God in the world may be brought to the service of the living God; Ephesians 2:12(ESV) and thus, let your saving power be known among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; yes, let all the peoples praise you: O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Psalm 67:2-4(ESV)
O let your salvation and your righteousness be revealed in the sight of the nations, and let all the ends of the earth see the salvation of God. Psalm 98:2-3(ESV)
O make the nations your Son’s heritage, and the ends of the earth his possession; Psalm 2:8(ESV) for you have said, “It is too light a thing for him to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel,” but you will make him as a light for the nations. Isaiah 49:6(ESV)
Let all the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ. Revelation 11:15(ESV)
OF THE FIFTH PART OF PRAYER, WHICH IS INTERCESSION, OR ADDRESS AND SUPPLICATION TO GOD FOR OTHERS
The Lord Jesus has taught me to pray, not only with but for others; and the apostle has appointed me to make supplication for all the saints, Ephesians 6:18(ESV) and many of his prayers in his epistles are for his friends. And I must not think that when I am in this part of prayer, I may let fall my fervency and be more indifferent because I myself am not immediately concerned in it, but rather let a holy fire of love, both to God and man here, make my devotion yet more warm and lively.
1
I must pray for the whole world of mankind, the lost world; and thus, I must honor everyone 1 Peter 2:17(ESV) and, according to my capacity, do good to everyone. Galatians 6:10(ESV)
I pray, as I am taught, for all people, believing that this is good and pleasing in the sight of God my Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth and of Jesus Christ, 1 Timothy 2:3-4(ESV) who gave himself as a ransom for all. 1 Timothy 2:6(ESV)
O look with compassion upon the world that lies in the power of the evil one, 1 John 5:19(ESV) and let the ruler of this world be cast out, John 12:31(ESV) who has blinded their minds. 2 Corinthians 4:4(ESV)
O let your way be known on earth, Psalm 67:2(ESV) that barbarous nations may be civilized, and those who live without God in the world may be brought to the service of the living God; Ephesians 2:12(ESV) and thus, let your saving power be known among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; yes, let all the peoples praise you: O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Psalm 67:2-4(ESV)
O let your salvation and your righteousness be revealed in the sight of the nations, and let all the ends of the earth see the salvation of God. Psalm 98:2-3(ESV)
O make the nations your Son’s heritage, and the ends of the earth his possession; Psalm 2:8(ESV) for you have said, “It is too light a thing for him to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel,” but you will make him as a light for the nations. Isaiah 49:6(ESV)
Let all the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ. Revelation 11:15(ESV)
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