The Everyday Prayer

“They suppose they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7)  Danger!  Just saying the Lord’s prayer, even 365 times, will not automatically accomplish the will of God nor add power or peace to your life.  Without faith, we will not be  heard.  Meaningless is the word Jesus used to describe such activity. (see Matthew 6:7, full verse).  The “power” of prayer rises from the quality of your relationship with God.  The quality of your relationship with God rises from your faith!  This week, we are thinking about believing prayer.  As you pray this morning, ask yourself, “what do I BELIEVE the Lord will do as a result of this request?”.  What are my expectations? What are His expectations of me, and which direction would my prayers go if I surrendered to His influence?  NOTHING holy or helpful  comes from a prayer that does not connect your heart to God in honest and vulnerable trust!

Good morning!  We are thinking this year about prayer.  365 days–praying the Lord’s prayer, learning what He intended us to know.  One essential lesson is to include the ingredient of belief.  In Mark 11:23, the Lord says ” whoever says to this mountain, ‘be taken up and cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but BELIEVES that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.”  Powerful promise!  Leads to a question. “What forces work against belief?”  First on the list is pride.  So long as I think I can manage on my own, I do so. Bad decision.  Belief in God begins when I stop believing in myself.  “If my people, who are called by my name, HUMBLE themselves and PRAY”.  How convinced are you that ONLY God can do what is needed in your life?  How ready are you to believe HIM?    As you pray today, remember that you are joining hundreds of others.  Let’s talk again tomorrow.

“Jesus, knowing that. . .He had come from God and was returning to God. . .began to wash the disciples feet.”  (John 13:3,5)  Sunday night, just minutes after helping with the Lord’s Supper (his first as a newly elected Deacon), Dr. Chuck Musfeldt, our friend and brother, was in an auto accident just one block from our church.  Despite some early positive indications, on Monday morning he died to us and woke in the presence of Christ.  Chuck was a true servant!  Blessed by God and daily grateful, he was a picture to all of us of the Christ life–certain of eternity and therefore willing to serve others.  We will miss him and we pray for the strength he knew to make us equally faithful.  Please pray for Linda and the girls and for the Lord to use this news as it spreads literally around the world to direct attention to Himself.  I can still hear Chuck pray, “Lord, you are sovereign”.  We are more certain of it than ever.

There will be no post today as Pastor Don is with the Musfeldt family. Please keep them in your prayers.

God Bless

Jesus answered, “Have faith in God! . .  anyone (who) does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”  (Mark 11:22)  A major problem with most prayer is the absence of belief.  Words without faith have no power (words without understanding are equally ineffective).  Today at FBC we will discuss the command of Christ.  Believe in God!  Believe in Me! (John 14) One of the ways the Lord’s Prayer blesses the believer is by reintroducing us to God Himself.  Prayer, first, is a  renewed relationship with Him.  We call Him Father.  We imagine Heaven.  We stand under the influence of His Holy presence and Fatherly care.  As we trust Him, we come also to trust His promises.  In the truest sense, we do not believe in prayer, we believe in God.  More on this subject this week.  For now, when you pray do you have faith in God?

For the past several days we have been asking the question, “What was He thinking?”  We have imagined the pictures that Christ had in His mind as He prayed.  Consider, today,  “for thine is the kingdom, power and glory”.  These words speak confidence, don’t they?  Did the Lord have “memories” of Heaven and the throne room of God?  A confidence builder, for sure.   Whether He did or not, somehow, Jesus lived a life of RADICAL OPTIMISM!  He believed that all events, all relationships, all disappointments will eventually be “pulled back together” into a beautiful whole. Do we?  Before you finish this week, will you imagine the victory that He has promised?  Will you stand with Jesus and look forward into the future that He sees?  You will not be disappointed. You will not be disappointed.

The Bible describes God as “the Lord of hosts”.  Host is an ancient word for army, angels armed and ready for battle.  The Lord is the commander of this fearful fighting force!  When Jesus prayed “Deliver us from evil”, save us, rescue us, He was thinking of God in this way.  He was thinking of the fight that the Chrisitian life is.  He was thinking of the resources we all have for victory.  He did not indulge in double-talk.  He would not pray for deliverance if deliverance is unavailable.  Friend, have you surrendered the idea that you can live free from the patterns of sin that have so long neutralized your witness and broken the heart of the Lord?  Call out to God!  Ask Him to deliver you. Resist the Devil in the strength He supplies.  “Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24-25)  Will you ask the “God of armies” to come and fight for you?

What was He thinking, when Jesus taught us to pray “lead us not into temptation”?  Did He have in mind His own struggle with the evil one? (Wilderness temptation, Matthew 4)  Perhaps, He was remembering how powerful the enemy is and that we would all face him in the time of our own temptation.  Was he recalling with gratitude the leadership that the Father gave Him as he meditated on the scriptures and realized what God wanted from Him?  To DO what God is commanding is to NOT DO what the enemy is suggesting.  Active obedience is the key, but we cannot obey unless He leads and we listen!  Dear Father, lead me today!  Call to my mind the words of your instruction.  Help me to DO what you say. Your voice is not a suggestion, it is my salvation!

When Jesus taught us to forgive the debts that others owe us, what was He thinking?  He was probably thinking of all the people He knew whose hearts had become hard by holding on to past hurts.  He likely had in mind those who kept insisting on an apology.  He was thinking about the freedom that comes from letting “God be the judge” and the privilege that grace gives us to become like the Father–loving those who do not deserve it.  If God has forgiven me, what possible reason could I give for not wanting to be like Him in this kindness?  Like Father, like Son. When the prodigal came home he put on a robe and a ring.  He relearned the rules of the Father’s house.  This is something else that God deserves from me (see yesterday).  I am to be like Him in mercy.

When Jesus taught us to pray “forgive us our debts”, what was He thinking?  Since a debt is something owed and unpaid, He was probably thinking of all the things that God deserves from us but doesn’t receive.  Day after day, He deserves my whole heart. I give Him part.  He deserves my childlike/bridelike trust.  I give Him anxiety and independence (same thing).  He was thinking how we would all profit from a daily, honest accounting of our failure from the perspective of what God deserves.  Painful?  Yes.  Humbling?  Yes.  Assuring?  Yes.  It does not affect our standing with God, but it does affect our fellowship.  If prayer is honest conversation between people who love each other, shouldn’t we be honest about what is owed and unpaid?  “If you know these things, you will be blessed if you DO them”  (John 13)  When will you take time to admit your debts and ask the Father to forgive?