Praying the Bible - Salvation of the Lost

 

Ephesians 1:17-19

Father, I ask that you would give _____ a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of You, open the eyes of their heart, that they will know what is the hope to which You have called them, what are the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward us who believe according to the working of Your great might.

(that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might .Eph 1:17-19 (ESV)

The Essentials of Effective Prayer 21 November

This week's study will be condensed into Monday and Wednesday only.

Is there someone in your life who prays magnificently? Are you intimidated by their apparent ease in speaking to the Almighty? Are they a “super Christian” or a mere mortal? How can I pray like that?

Jesus gave His disciples a model prayer – but why did He do that? Because they asked Him to. His prayer life was so superior to what they knew, and they wanted to be more like Him. But are we to pray that prayer – all by itself – or does this prayer model a conversation? Is it our words or our heart that matters most?

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9  Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11  Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14  For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matt 6:5-13 (ESV)

Do we have to repeat the words of “The Lord’s Prayer”? I don’t think that this was Jesus’ intent. It was merely a model for prayer. There are some key elements in the prayer. Look back through the prayer and see if you can find them!

Verse(s) _______        Worship – showing reverence

Verse(s) _______        Declaration of allegiance/loyalties to God

Verse(s) _______        Petition/request

Verse(s) _______        Confession of sins – asking forgiveness 

                                   (and reciprocating to those who have sinned against us)

Verse(s) _______        Request for deliverance and protection

One element appears at the beginning and the end of the prayer. What is it, and why is it important?

Jehoshaphat, an ancient Jewish king, faced a major threat, so they appealed to God. Let’s look at the way he incorporated worship into his prayer.

And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9  ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you— for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10 And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11 behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chron 20:5-12 (ESV)

War was coming. Can you remember 2001? How did you feel on that eventful day? I was afraid that more terrible things would occur. What did I do? Did I pray? No. Wish I could say I did, but my first response was to make sure I had supplies available, check on my friends, and listen to the news with fear and trembling. Contrast that with King Jehosphaphat.

Verse 8. Worship and adoration – his first words reminded God of who He was (not that He needs to be reminded!). That set the tone for the rest of the prayer. If God is in charge, if You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you, what is there to be afraid of?

                 

As I typed this, I realized how vital the worship aspect of prayer is. And to extend that, how important the “worship” part of the “praise and worship” part of the church service is. I’m asking myself – when I play a “praise/worship set”, is it simply three or four songs in a “slot”? Or, as I play, am I actually using my music to worship Him? Am I “the piano/flute player/choir director”, or am I a “worship leader”? Yikes. Sometimes, I confess, I am simply playing. Sigh. More work for me!

And you – when you are at church, is the first 15 minutes a time to catch up with your friends, chat about how loud the music is, wonder what’s for lunch, look at the bulletin? Are the musicians there for your entertainment? Or is it time to connect with God and worship with the other people attending the service? If you are worshiping, what can/do you do to gently move those around you from a chatty/entertainment mode into a worship experience?

How will adding worship to your prayer life adjust your attitude toward both prayer and toward God? For me, it will be remembering to calm down and rest in Him. That may sound like so much Christian talk, but to actually put the “calm” and the “rest” into practice will take … more prayer!

I’d love to hear what you do to worship God, in prayer and in everyday life!

The Essentials of Effective Prayer 18 November

Is prayer just crying out to God in fear, in pain, for stuff we want? Of course not!

Naturally, God has created a great way to communicate with Him. To have a relationship with him. But we find a way to mess it up. Let’s see what Isaiah has to say about what people have done with prayer:

And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,  therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”  Isaiah 29:13-14 (ESV)

I’m guilty of perfunctory prayer. I pray because I am supposed to. I have to. I don’t always want to.

When I pray like that, God doesn’t hear me. When I simply go through the motions, His Word tells me that discernment is hidden. Wow! I can’t play games with God.

So what’s the solution? When I don’t feel like praying, what should I do? Should I recite the Lord’s Prayer? Say the prayers I learned as a child? Skip talking to God altogether since I know He won’t hear me anyway?

I think the solution is clear. I should admit my feelings to God and trust that He will help me work it out. No rote prayers. No formulas. Just honesty and transparency. That’s much harder to do, I think.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need…Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them…Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,  by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Heb 4:14-16; 7:25; 10:19-22 (ESV)

1.       How does Jesus help us with our prayer life?

2.       Why would we draw near to God’s throne?

3.       How do we know that we can draw near to God’s throne?

When I read these passages, I am reminded that Jesus has experienced this world. He literally sweated blood when He prayed. He had a one-on-one relationship with God. I have that same opportunity – because Jesus shed His blood. I don’t want to waste a moment with rote prayers when I can have a relationship with the Creator of the universe. Next week we will find out how an “ordinary” Christian can boldly pray!

The Essentials of Effective Prayer 16 November

Last time, we looked at a prayer by Solomon. Now let’s look at something his father David prayed.

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah  Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. Psalms 4:1-5 (ESV)

By nature, I am of the “run in circles, scream and shout” camp. I would rather panic, worry and spend sleepless nights than rationally consider my problems. However, David shows me another way. He was certainly in a mess. His honor was at stake. And David acknowledges that. But he doesn’t follow the path of running around. He stops. He prays. He tells God what the problem is, clearly and succinctly. Then He reminds God of His promises – that God set him apart and listens to his prayers.

I can remember a time not long ago where I was completely engulfed in an overwhelming problem. My Bible reading that day happened to contain this Psalm (which of course was no coincidence). When I read verse 4:

“Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent”

I did just that. I stopped. I laid down. (For the whole day. Took it literally.) I prayed. I cried to God. I was silent, listening for His answer. And you know what, by the end of the day, God fixed the problem. Had I run around, I might have found a solution, but the solution God found was far better than the plan I had. So while I don’t necessarily say that we should spend a day in bed, David’s solution of meditating on God and being still is the way to go!

Questions:

1.      Between verses 2 and 3, David’s attitude changed. Why?

2.      What did David do when God answered his prayer?

3.      What choice did David make instead of giving into his emotions?

4.      How can we apply this prayer to our lives?

The Essentials of Effective Prayer 14 November

This study, written by Kay Arthur, David Lawson and BJ Lawson, will take us through the Bible and teach us more about prayer. You can get a copy of this book at any of the usual places – Christianbook.com, Amazon of course, and through Kay Arthur’s Precept Ministries site.

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes wonder whether I’m praying “right”. Whether God hears me – or pays attention to me at all. And if He doesn’t hear my prayer, why? Do I need to pray for a certain amount of time every day? Yeah, that’s it. 30 minutes a day will guarantee me God’s ear. NOT!

So if it’s not time, and presumably it’s not a seminary degree, then what is it? Why do humble prayers get answered in the Bible, while those by "important people" are seemingly ignored, and vice versa? There must be a key somewhere.

So let’s go on a Bible hunt. Find the key to effective prayer and unlock the mystery!

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. James 5:16-18 (ESV)

Wow! Elijah was a man – but he prayed and God stopped it from raining for 3 ½ years. Would you like to pray like that? Let’s look at a prayer by King Solomon:

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house...whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house,  then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways ( for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind),

1 Kings 8:27-30, 38-39 (ESV)

Questions:

1.       Who was Solomon praying for?

2.       How would you describe Solomon’s prayer?

3.       What was God’s relationship with His people?

4.       What did Solomon really want from God?

As I read this passage, I note the intimacy that Solomon has with God. Although he is well aware that God is holy and speaks to Him accordingly, it is evident that Solomon has an ongoing conversation and relationship with his Creator. All Solomon wants is to have that relationship with the Almighty – for himself as well as the people of Israel. It’s fervent – honest – and inspiring. He’s not asking for trivial things.

What are your thoughts? Do you think that we can pray as fervently as Solomon? What would it take to bring that kind of relationship with God into our lives?

My good friend Luke

It’s that time of the year – my daily Bible readings bring me to the gospel of Luke. It’s my favorite of the gospels because it’s so matter-of-fact.

It’s the time that John the Baptist and Jesus were born. Zacharias was a priest and doing his temple service. He was visited by an angel and told that he would have a son in his old age. But he doubted.

Doubt? How silly is that? Visited by an angel and still he doubts? I’d never do that!

It’s so easy to look at a story and say that I wouldn’t doubt, but is that really the case? I see promises in the Word – do I always believe they are for me? I see prophecies in the Word – and do I always think they are real, or do I try to put a “it’s only allegory” spin on them? I read the Bible and the newspaper, and do I see parallels or coincidences? But I digress….

The old ones, Elizabeth and Zarcharias, are visited by an angel and informed that they are having a baby boy. They are to name him John. The man, the priest, the one who should have known that the angel was serious, doubted and couldn’t talk until he agreed the boy’s name was John (hey wives, how would you like a silent husband for 9 months???)

The young one, Mary, believes the angel, even though she had no husband and the angel told her that her child would be miraculously conceived. Once again, we are reminded that we must have childlike faith like that of Mary, whose “soul gives glory to my God”.

The first chapter of Luke is a glorious story of faith. Faith of two women – one who was old and barren, but knew that God could provide a child if he wanted to – and one who was young and unmarried, but knew that God would provide both a husband and honor to her because of her obedience. And of grudging faith of one old priest – who didn’t really believe that God could provide a son and who had 9 silent months to regret his lack of faith.

Which one am I? Do I see the world clearly through God’s lens, as a child, believe the angel who says “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (1:37)? Or do I have a quiet and mature faith, like Elizabeth, who knew that God would give her the promised son? Or am I more like Zacharias, putting on my religious deeds and acts, saying the right words, but not believing the promises of God?

I think I’m a mixture of all three. How about you?

Ouch!

Ouch!

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25 (ESV)

How often have I grumbled a prayer, “God, please forgive so-and-so for what they did to me”? Or dutifully read my Bible passages for the day, found something that I thought was “wrong” and said “Aha! See? THEY aren’t supposed to act like THAT!”

Is forgiveness so far from judgment?

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;  give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:37-38 (ESV)

Hmmmm… Jesus tells me that whatever I give, I’ll get back. ARGH! Sometimes my actions won’t bring me sweetness and goodness. So what’s a person to do? THEY treat me badly. THEY sin against me. THEY THEY THEY……

God’s Word says that I am to forgive and not judge THEM. But implicit in that command is that I look at my actions. What did I do to make THEM act the way THEY did? Was I snarky? Did I snap, or lie, or … maybe it was my actions that caused the “sin” that I’ve asked God to forgive in someone else’s life.

I’m going to try to look inward before I  ask forgiveness for someone else. I’m going to find out why I have that judgmental, hateful attitude towards the person, and I’m going to ask God to forgive me. After all, it’s what He tells me to do. And you know, I’ll bet that when I follow what He tells me to do, my attitudes and actions will change. Who knows? Maybe when I do that, it will lead someone to ask me why I act differently, and that will lead me to share the Gospel of Christ.

What can happen when one person decides to take personal responsibility for acting Biblically?