The Everyday Prayer

If you’ve worked with the same people long enough, you might be able to describe each person in one word.  We often find humor in distilling an entire life down to a single descriptor, but people are deeper and richer than that.  Sadness, hope, grief, fear, joy, accomplishment, vulnerability—God knows all these things about each soul.

Day 26 – What are you saying to God about your co-workers?

When we put people in categories of “whiner” or “optimist”, it’s easier to get on with our job.  But we lose souls in the process.  Perhaps a “golden rule for the office” would be good: Pray for your co-workers as you would have your co-workers pray for you.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 12:13-34 (day three)

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45

Day 25 – Will you pray for those are in a position to serve us during this season?

I haven’t begun my shopping for Christmas.  This is fairly typical for me; I try to get through the concert season before I begin to think about gifts.  When I do get out and about I do notice something that holds true most every year.  By December 20 the luster of the commercial season has worn a bit on those who are working retail.  And that is certainly the case for most who have chosen to shop that late in the season.  I have made it my goal, since this is my usual shopping time, to show as much kindness and grace to those who are in a position of service.  I try to make eye contact whenever I can, and to genuinely thank them for helping me.  I used to tell my students that a lack of planning on their part should not constitute an emergency on mine.  During this season, I try to remind myself of the same axiom.  If we are all servants at some time in our faith walk, how do we want our actions to be received?  An extra measure of patience, grace, and love could make the difference in the heart of one of those people.  And while you’re at it while in line to check-out, take a moment to lift up that young person in prayer.  I even bet they will have their name tag so you call intercede for them by name!

Re: Verse reading – Luke 12:13-34 (day two)

The Christmas story is good news.  It is also bad news.  As a dark consequence of the birth of Christ, Herod sends soldiers to kill every baby boy less than 2 years old in the Bethlehem vicinity.  Hundreds?  “A voice is heard in Ramah, Rachael weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”  (Matthew2:19)

Day 24 – Will you pray for children and youth in our city who are at risk?  In danger, in need, vulnerable, exposed to drug addictions and violence?

One of the purposes of the FBC Yes Lord Community Ministry is to enlist members of our congregation for effective ministry to these children and teenagers.  Mentor at Lamar elementary!  Teach Bible studies at the juvenile detention center!  Give a backpack or volunteer for career days!  Teach preschool or children or youth in FBC Sunday School!  The Barnabus Initiative (funded by a grant from the Baptist Health Foundation) also helps us give support.  Will you pray for these volunteers?  Will you pray for the young people we meet and touch for God?  The world is very dark.  Always has been.  But the light of the world is Jesus!

Re: Verse reading – Luke 12:13-34 (day one)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today at FBC we will gather ’round the Good Samaritan story.  It is about love. . .for God and others.  It is also about religion. . .its dangerous tendency to become a substitute for compassionate action.  Jesus is painfully honest.  The person outside “the church” is more conscious of his responsibility to help others than the religious folks.

Day 23 – Will you pray for the Yes Lord! Leaders of FBC?

One of the things that I admire about FBC is the long tradition of compassionate community service.  The lay-lead ministry that organizes and enlists our fellowship into this effort is called Yes Lord!  Many projects throughout the year.  Poverty and Homelessness.  Children at Risk.  Casseroles for Christ.  Meals for Wounded Warriors.  Internationals.  Disaster Relief.  The Directors and I will meet on Sunday afternoon to begin praying and planning for next year.  Will you pray for us?  Will you pray for Rita Schuetze and Donna Bowman who provide staff leadership?  Will you ask Him to guide your own involvement? May the Lord be pleased with us as we “love our neighbors” in His name.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 10:25-37 (day seven)

Jesus said that mountains move for those who have faith. (Matt 17)  Maybe the Lord had literal mountains in mind.  I believe He was thinking of those impossible, impassable road blocks that stand in the way of progress for each of us.

Day 22 – Will you ask God to move the mountain that prevents your progress in service and joy?

Maybe it is a memory that you cannot escape.  An insecurity.  A limitation of strength or health or hope.  Whatever it is, God instructs us to ask!  Paul’s story is an encouragement.  He asked God to “remove the thorn”.  (2 Corinthians 9)  He asked!  And while he did not get his request, he got something better, a lesson in the grace of God and the help he needed to continue to grow and serve.  Never forget it.  One way or another, mountains move.  The power of Christ makes us “more than conquerors”.  Will you pray?

Re: Verse reading – Luke 10:25-37 (day six)

Looking forward to worship on Sunday.

It’s an interesting line in one of my favorite songs.  “Let every heart prepare Him room”.  As we have “prepared” our house to reflect the Christmas season. It took time, attention, and effort.  What would our home look like if we didn’t do anything?  It would look the same as always.  What about our hearts?  What would our hearts be like if we never “prepared” for His rule and living presence (time, attention, effort)?  Every day (especially during this season of the year) there are things (some good, some bad) that compete for our affection and attention.  If we don’t continually make “space” and “priority” for Him, our hearts and lives will look and sound common and even distressed.  Nothing different or distinctive will be heard or seen, only anxiety and despair.  We must intentionally prepare “room” in our hearts for His strength, influence, and presence.

Day 21- Will you “prepare Him room” (today and moment by moment) by praying and asking Him to be active, alive, and above all the daily stuff that competes for your thoughts and attention.  

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  The result will be a life that reflects God’s love, His Joy, and His strength.  All the competing pressures, tensions, relationships, and responsibilities will then find their rightful place (a distant 2^nd).

Re: Verse reading – Luke 10:25-37 (day five)

What a lead-in for missions!  Our Re:Verse passage for this week in Luke 10:25-37.  What was Jesus’ answer to the lawyer?  Verse 27 says, “And He answered , ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’”  How better can we love our neighbor than to pray for them and share with them the Gospel?  Our missions program is about taking the Gospel to the lost of the world.  There are 7 billion people on our planet, most of whom do not know Jesus, the Son of God.  They are lost without Christ.  As we pray for the lost of our world, we are fulfilling this command from our Lord.

Day 20 – Will you pray for the mission teams of First Baptist to confront the lostness of the world?

Prayer is the foundation of all the work our Mission teams do each year.  It is impossible to accomplish anything of eternal value apart from the empowering work of the Holy Spirit.  Prayer teams are being formed now to till the soil, direct the planning and empower the missionaries to do God’s work.  Without prayer, we are not able to successfully ‘love our neighbor as ourself.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 10:25-37 (day four)

Jeremiah claimed to God that God had deceived him.  Jonah declared to the Lord that he had every right to be angry with God.  At least one psalmist questioned God’s sense of justice.  No one told these people that prayer is supposed to be nice, neat, and clean.

Day 20 – How will you struggle with the Lord?

Complaining, or lamenting, to God was often the way the work of prayer got done in the Bible.  And when people voiced their grievances in times of stress, they often got much more than they expected, because their laments served as points of revelation of God’s character and work in the world.  Because they struggled with God, they came to know–as we can come to know–God’s ability to sustain the exhausted, show compassion to the lost, and reassure the downtrodden.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 10:25-37 (day three)

You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light. (2 Samuel 22:29) There is still so much spiritual darkness in the world, so how shall we confront it?  With Truth that shatters all forms of darkness.

Day 18 – Will you pray that God will use use to share the Light of Christ with your world?

The symbolism is profound.  Jesus was born at night.  With no place to go His parents were forced to take whatever refuge they could find.  The shepherds were no doubt taking turns sleeping/watching, because there was not much else to do, at night.  Then, came light and everything became clear.  Maybe not clear like we expect, but clear as God knows.  With a star guiding the way the shepherds found the child and so did the wise men.  When light shines, darkness flees.  It cannot share the same space.  Will you pray that during this season and for the new year to come the world around you will radiate with the Light of Christ that will dispel all the darkness around you.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 10:25-37 (day two)

When Mary “treasured these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19) it was because she still did not understand the things she had heard and seen.  She knew certain facts, but she hungered to understand them.

Day 17 – Will you pray for spiritual insight?  For the things that you “know” as spiritual facts to become practical and personal and powerful realities in your life?

Paul knew the challenge.  He knew that only the Holy Spirit can open up the inner eye so that a person can understand truth.  “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may 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 greatness of His power toward us who believe.”  (Ephesians 1:18-19)  Strange.  Paul was praying for believers.   They knew truth at some level, but there we still deep levels of understanding absent from their hearts.  Is it possible that the same is true for you?   Do you have much, but God wants to give you more?  Will you pray for spiritual understanding?

Re: Verse reading – Luke 10:25-37 (day one)