Why do we pray and how are we supposed to go about doing it? So small yet so big. Everybody's doing it, you know. You do it, I do it, he does it and she does it. Have you ever heard the saying "there's no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole?" Prayer seems to be something that we just do. But have you ever took the time to actually think about what you are asking when you tell your friend, your pastor or Sunday School teacher about a problem you are having and you ask them to pray for you? What are you really asking them to do?
God provides the answers we are looking for in His Word particularly in the ministry of Jesus. In fact a good place to start our search is in the Book of Luke. I have a feeling that we will eventually cover alot of the entire Bible answering these questions but Luke is a good place to start............and finish.
Luke 11: 1-11
1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
2He said to them, "When you pray, say:" 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread. 4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.' "
5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
Here we see Jesus' answers to our questions. Let's focus on 4 words that Jesus highlights in Luke 11. The words Desperation, Desire, Boldness and Confidence are usually not words associated with prayer but they are important words as we begin to unwrap this awsome mystery of prayer. They are at the center of what it means to pray.
Let's start off with our Need for God......Desperation.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Why do we pray? Part 1 - The Question
My friends,
There are two seemingly elementary, yet fundamental questions that I would like to focus on with this blog for the next month or so. I do not want to post anything besides information on and about these two questions during that time period. I hope that by posting these questions I stir up alot of conversation between you and your spouse, you and your friends and even you and people you don't even know because I really feel that these are two questions worth asking and moreover, they are two questions that warrant us actually rolling up our sleeves, getting a little dirty and trying to find the answers to.
I have to tell you before I even ask these questions that I have been doing some research on these subjects that I will be posting. I would like feedback on the information that I post. If you can add to what I am saying then by all means, please do. If you feel the need to rebuke my information biblically, please do that also. My concern here is not that I am right with my thinking up front but that I am right with my thinking when it is done. If this takes being corrected then I will take pleasure in the fact that I was initially wrong and that someone who knew better cared enough to show me the correct prospective.
Not having a clear ledge to stand on concerning these two subjects has left me on shaky ground for some time now because they are so fundamental to all that we are as followers of Christ. The research that I have done spans over the course of many years and mainly consists of 1) the Bible itself, 2) multiple C.S. Lewis Books and 3) studied sermons from many preachers including Adrian Rogers, James Dobson, Charles Stanley, Charles Spurgeon and last but not least David Platt. I think, if you take the time to look, that all of the preachers mentioned above come to the same fundamental conclusions. However, I like the way that Platt "unwraps the mysteries" of these two perplexing questions. Therefore you will find that my attempts at answering these questions almost mimic Platt and how he tackles them. Now I really have nothing new to say on these subjects but they are subjects worth talking, praying and thinking about and therefore I will post information on them on this blog and HOPE that you will choose to participate.
I am doing this for two reasons - for you and for me. My purpose is mainly a selfish one because I really do want to know the answers. If I take the time to search for them and post what I find then I am bound to learn something, at least I hope I will. If in my studies and prayer on these subjects I find something useful then we will all reap the benefits.
Enough babbling........
The two questions are:
1) Why do we pray?
God knows what we want and what we need right? So why do we pray to Him? What are we doing? In light of the fact of God's sovereignty do we really even need to pray?
2) How should we pray?
Is there actually a right way? Is there a wrong way? What about timing? Is there a specific time that we should pray? Do the same answers apply to the corporate church body as well as each individual?
One more thing......please don't answer right away. Weigh your answer before you speak on it. Even if you don't post an answer please ask yourselves these two simple questions and think about the answers.
Pray about it!
There are two seemingly elementary, yet fundamental questions that I would like to focus on with this blog for the next month or so. I do not want to post anything besides information on and about these two questions during that time period. I hope that by posting these questions I stir up alot of conversation between you and your spouse, you and your friends and even you and people you don't even know because I really feel that these are two questions worth asking and moreover, they are two questions that warrant us actually rolling up our sleeves, getting a little dirty and trying to find the answers to.
I have to tell you before I even ask these questions that I have been doing some research on these subjects that I will be posting. I would like feedback on the information that I post. If you can add to what I am saying then by all means, please do. If you feel the need to rebuke my information biblically, please do that also. My concern here is not that I am right with my thinking up front but that I am right with my thinking when it is done. If this takes being corrected then I will take pleasure in the fact that I was initially wrong and that someone who knew better cared enough to show me the correct prospective.
Not having a clear ledge to stand on concerning these two subjects has left me on shaky ground for some time now because they are so fundamental to all that we are as followers of Christ. The research that I have done spans over the course of many years and mainly consists of 1) the Bible itself, 2) multiple C.S. Lewis Books and 3) studied sermons from many preachers including Adrian Rogers, James Dobson, Charles Stanley, Charles Spurgeon and last but not least David Platt. I think, if you take the time to look, that all of the preachers mentioned above come to the same fundamental conclusions. However, I like the way that Platt "unwraps the mysteries" of these two perplexing questions. Therefore you will find that my attempts at answering these questions almost mimic Platt and how he tackles them. Now I really have nothing new to say on these subjects but they are subjects worth talking, praying and thinking about and therefore I will post information on them on this blog and HOPE that you will choose to participate.
I am doing this for two reasons - for you and for me. My purpose is mainly a selfish one because I really do want to know the answers. If I take the time to search for them and post what I find then I am bound to learn something, at least I hope I will. If in my studies and prayer on these subjects I find something useful then we will all reap the benefits.
Enough babbling........
The two questions are:
1) Why do we pray?
God knows what we want and what we need right? So why do we pray to Him? What are we doing? In light of the fact of God's sovereignty do we really even need to pray?
2) How should we pray?
Is there actually a right way? Is there a wrong way? What about timing? Is there a specific time that we should pray? Do the same answers apply to the corporate church body as well as each individual?
One more thing......please don't answer right away. Weigh your answer before you speak on it. Even if you don't post an answer please ask yourselves these two simple questions and think about the answers.
Pray about it!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
What's Growing in Your Garden?
This is good stuff:
Exodus 34:6 -7
Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth...yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."
Dag Hammerskjold, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, once said, "You cannot play with the animal in you without becoming wholly animal; play with falsehood without forfeiting your right to truth; play with cruelty without losing your sensitivity of mind. He who wants to keep his garden tidy doesn't reserve a plot for weeds."
Did you know that what you grow and cultivate in your garden today could spread to your offspring? Did you know that a sin you now tolerate could still be tormenting your great-grandchildren in the year 2140? That's four generations from now.
Consider the warning of Scripture at the top of this page. What does it mean? Why would God set up a system that visits one generation's sins on three or four other generations?I have a hunch that God is trying to tell us that the way we live impacts others and is of supreme importance to Him. Possibly He's using a warning of future judgment on our descendants to keep us on the straight and narrow today.
Whether you like it or not, your children are becoming just like you. Their little eyes are watching to see how you relate to your mate, how you pray, how you walk with Christ on a daily basis. They hear your words and subconsciously mimic your attitudes, actions and even your mannerisms.
And as time goes by you'll find that they've "inherited" some of the same tendencies towards sin that you learned from your own parents. That's why so many children from broken homes, for example, grow up and fail in their own marriages.
Your kids will grow up to be like you. Is that a sobering thought, or an encouraging one?
Prayer: Is there a sin that you've tolerated in your life that you need to go to God in prayer right now and confess? As you repent, you may want to ask God for grace to protect your children from that sin in the future.
Good Question: In what ways do you want your children to be like you? In what ways do you not want them to be like you?
Exodus 34:6 -7
Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth...yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."
Dag Hammerskjold, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, once said, "You cannot play with the animal in you without becoming wholly animal; play with falsehood without forfeiting your right to truth; play with cruelty without losing your sensitivity of mind. He who wants to keep his garden tidy doesn't reserve a plot for weeds."
Did you know that what you grow and cultivate in your garden today could spread to your offspring? Did you know that a sin you now tolerate could still be tormenting your great-grandchildren in the year 2140? That's four generations from now.
Consider the warning of Scripture at the top of this page. What does it mean? Why would God set up a system that visits one generation's sins on three or four other generations?I have a hunch that God is trying to tell us that the way we live impacts others and is of supreme importance to Him. Possibly He's using a warning of future judgment on our descendants to keep us on the straight and narrow today.
Whether you like it or not, your children are becoming just like you. Their little eyes are watching to see how you relate to your mate, how you pray, how you walk with Christ on a daily basis. They hear your words and subconsciously mimic your attitudes, actions and even your mannerisms.
And as time goes by you'll find that they've "inherited" some of the same tendencies towards sin that you learned from your own parents. That's why so many children from broken homes, for example, grow up and fail in their own marriages.
Your kids will grow up to be like you. Is that a sobering thought, or an encouraging one?
Prayer: Is there a sin that you've tolerated in your life that you need to go to God in prayer right now and confess? As you repent, you may want to ask God for grace to protect your children from that sin in the future.
Good Question: In what ways do you want your children to be like you? In what ways do you not want them to be like you?
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