Pray Network Forum

humble (2)

Hitting Our Prayer Reset Button (Considering How We Pray)

Posted by Rob Griepentrog on June 4, 2014 at 19:19

HIMSELF
     by A. B. Simpson
Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the vail.


As Simpson describes; prayer can be transformative to the life of each Christian. We often can begin praying with a specific motive, but end up refocused in relationship with Jesus, and finish praying with an entirely different motive, desire, or outcome.  He is that good to us and desires to meet us with that depth of intimacy!

Yet prayer, for many, is an afterthought in daily life.  Few consider praying until hardship strikes, or a circumstance gets out of their control.  It's only then that prayer becomes applicable or important in their lives.


Many are so lacking in practice that they struggle knowing how to pray, what to say, or how to approach God.  Some are unaware of the many examples of prayer in Scripture- or that Scripture can help us focus on God (more than ourselves or circumstances) as we pray.

In our American church culture, prayer is largely a spectator event.  Many churches treat prayer almost as an add-on in the service (a tradition that must be honored- at least for 1-3 minutes of a busy, tightly-packed, hour-long service/program/event), or at best, a specialized thing that only those who are "gifted in prayer" (there's no such thing as the spiritual gift of prayer) do in a small, separated room set apart from the rest of the hustling and bustling people in attendance.  A pastor or elder may "say or offer a prayer" in front of the congregation, but seldom, if ever, are the church attendees invited to pray or practice prayer with or for one another.  Is it any wonder that American Christianity is considered by many outside of the Church to be a toothless, weak, religion- and something that is just like every other religion or cult belief system in the world today?  Have you seen a "Coexist" bumper sticker, with symbols of many popular religions (including the use of the cross as the T in the word) on a car recently?  When you see that on a car, it essentially means, "Christianity is no different, more powerful, or life changing than any other belief system."  What a lie and misconception!

God's Gift of Prayer- Our Difference Maker

It's no question that many people, following other belief systems/faiths, pray to the gods of their imaginations.  By deception, the dark forces (demons) playing the role of god(s), will sometimes, or often, "answer" the prayers offered in the manner the person asks. They do this in order to further deepen the deception the misled praying person has opened him/herself up to receive.  The person will feel further empowered in their belief system and thus, their god(s) become real, meaningful, and powerful to them (or they, themselves, may feel powerful).  Yet, it's all a lie; they're praying to a lie and liar- Satan.

But Christian prayer is vastly different than prayer of any other religion or cult.  The difference comes from the People receiving and stirring the prayer within us- Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (in case you're not aware; the Holy Spirit is a Person, not a thing; one of the Trinity- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)!  Jesus is the only Person who died to take the sins of everyone upon Himself; to set each person free from sin and eternal separation from God; and to lead them into a personal, intimate, relationship with Himself, the Father, and through the working of the Holy Spirit.  It's by faith in Jesus; His work of living a perfect, sinless life; His death and taking the sins of all upon Himself; His resurrection from the dead; ascension into Heaven; and His upcoming return to establish His eternal kingdom, that we are saved.  No other god or belief system can bring us into a personal relationship with the Savior of our souls!  Only Jesus was given power (by God the Father) to rise from the dead, take away our sins which separate us from the Father, and establish us into a personal relationship with our Creator, Redeemer, Lord, and Savior.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:4-10

The Holy Spirit's Work

Since creation, the Holy Spirit has been actively wooing the hearts of men, women, and children, to seek and know God (and Jesus Christ, His Son)- often through prayer.  Whether people realize it or not; each day, they are given opportunities to realize God is in their midst (in truth, He's always present no matter where they are and no matter what they're doing- good or bad) and that He wants a close, ongoing relationship with them.  But those separated from God by their sin and sinful lifestyles miss His presence.  They're blinded by their sin, the world's ways, and our adversary, the devil.  The Holy Spirit is constantly working to bring conviction of sin to the heart, mind, and attention of the sinner (as a means to help them realize their need to turn toward God and away from sin, called repentance).  He does this in many ways- drawing the hearts of each person in ways that personally connect with their history, motives, desires, background, prior emotional, spiritual, or physical wounds, and much more.  He's the one working to soften hearts that have been hardened by sin, the world, and the devil.  The Holy Spirit is actively working out God's love- and is a constant reminder that God has not given up on a single living soul on this planet!

Yet, many have no idea that they're being pursued by God.  Some may, but reject God for one reason or another.  Others are confused by the "white noise" of all the religions bantering about to add to their numbers and practitioners- and thus many discard God as they give up altogether in their confusion.

Is the Holy Spirit too weak to turn the heart of every person to faith in Jesus Christ?  No.  He could; but God has given each person a will.  They can control it, make decisions, and choose to do whatever they please.  The Holy Spirit won't force Himself, or Jesus Christ, upon anyone who refuses Him.  He yields to their preferences and choices.  Ultimately, they choose whether they'll humble themselves or harden their hearts toward God.  The Holy Spirit patiently works and waits- even until the person's last breath of life on earth.  But if at that time they continue to reject Him, their eternity will be spent in Hell; permanently separated from God- just the way they ultimately chose or wanted it. 

As Christ-followers, we can quickly forget that we were once in that position ourselves. 

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. - Ephesians 2:1-3 (emphasis added)

What Do You Pray About Most?

What consumes most of your focus when you pray? 

A church surveyed members of its prayer team asking what kinds of things they regularly prayed for.  Out of every 10 prayer requests or matters prayed for, 8 focused on personal events or requests (for things WE are doing, events WE are involved in, stuff WE are dealing with, etc).  While no matter is too small or inconsequential to take to the Lord in prayer, if we look at this ratio, that means less than 2 out of 10 prayers are focused on praying for specific people to come to faith in Jesus Christ; for missionaries that God has sent and/or is using to spread the gospel to others; for personal or corporate revival in the Church; worship of God Himself, etc.  Our prayers tend to be or become very self-centered if we're not watchful!


Praying for the Spiritually Blind to See

To help us focus outward, in alignment with the Spirit's work, and the salvation of others, we can begin doing these following things:

1.  Pray.  Ask God to bring to your mind 5-10 people who you know are without a personal relationship with Jesus, or who you're not sure if they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

2.  Write.  Write those names somewhere where they'll regularly remind you to pray.

3.  Pray.  Pray scripturally for each person by name- including their name within the Scripture as you pray.
*Examples:

I pray that the eyes of ________'s heart would be enlightened, so that he/she would know the hope that can be found in Jesus (Ephesians 1:18).

Remove the heart of stone from _________, and give him/her a new heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19).
Father, produce a godly sorrow in _________, which will bring about repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Holy Spirit, guide _________ to the understanding that the wages of sin is death, but eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord is a free gift (Romans 6:23).

I pray that the gospel would be presented to _________, not only with words, but also with power and with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

There are many other Scriptures you can pray as you search the Word.  I encourage you to do so!

As we pray for others, their lives and circumstances will change, and we'll also begin to fulfill Jesus' command in Matthew 6:20-21 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Prayer is a gift God has given us to bring us into deeper relationship with Himself, and also to bring others into relationship with Him as well.  As we pray, our lives are changed- as are the lives of those we pray for.

One Request

If you begin praying specifically for someone using the Scriptures listed above, or other Scriptures the Lord leads you to pray, would you write to me about how God changes you, and/or a person you pray for as you've prayed?  Stories of God changing lives (both within Christians and non-Christians) need to be told as encouragement to others.  Share these stories with others you know- as a testimony of Jesus' work in your life and in the lives of others!

Lord, continue to teach us to pray.

Amen.

* Scripture examples borrowed from Paths of Gold; Praying the Way to Christ for Lost Friends and Family, by Terry Gooding.

Read more…

Learning From Hannah's Prayers and Praises

Posted by Rob Griepentrog on May 18, 2014 at 20:35
In 1 Samuel chapter 1, we read about Elkanah and his wives Penninah and Hannah.  God had given favor to Penninah.  She birthed sons and daughters to Elkanah.  Hannah, however, was barren. 

Each year, as Elkanah would travel with his wives and children to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord, Penninah would, at some point, provoke and irritate Hannah over her barrenness.  This troubled Hannah to the point of weeping and being unable to eat.


But then we read Hannah's prayer in verse 11: "“Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

In verse 12, we read that this wasn't a one-time or one-off prayer.  "As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.  Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard."  Her prayer was a prayer of desperation.

For full context, read 1 Samuel 1 in its entirety.  Later, she stops praying after Eli blesses her by agreeing with her desire for the Lord to grant her favor.

Hannah, certainly frustrated, then provoked in her barrenness, could have tried to do many things to overcome her frustration.  But she went to the Person she knew would make a difference; the Lord!  She humbled herself and prayed.  She didn't hide her fear, frustration, tears, or shame.  She let it out before the Lord- to the point where she could no longer speak her prayers aloud (God still knew her heart- even if others around her didn't).

Hannah humbled herself before God (and around others, too) in prayer.  God gave her favor (as she had specifically prayed), opened her womb, and gave her a son.  In return, she was thankful and obedient to fulfill her vows to the Lord; giving her son (one of the specific answers to her prayers), Samuel, at a very young age to serve the Lord.

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” - James 4:6


Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
     and nourishment to your bones. - Proverbs 3:5-8


Chapter 2 opens with Hannah's prayer of praise, truth, wisdom, understanding, and strength.  We can learn a lot about God, and ourselves, by what Hannah prays here!


“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
    in the Lord my horn (strength) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
    for I delight in your deliverance.
2 “There is no one holy like the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.

“Do not keep talking so proudly

    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
    and by him deeds are weighed.
4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive;
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
    he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.
“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
    on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
    but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;
10     those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
    the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king
    and exalt the horn of his anointed.”


Hannah remembered to give thanks to the Lord!  But she did more than give a simple thank you to God.  She offered Him praise and honor; bringing glory to His name- for she recognized that all that happened was done by Him.  She worshiped Him, thanked Him, prayed truth about Him and others.  All this helped remind her, and others, of the mightiness of God and the low position of man before Him.


Our sinful nature, spurred on by our flesh, the world's influence, and our adversary, often tempts us to do this or that; ignore this matter, or make a bigger deal out of something than it really is- all as a means to distract us from God; the One who knows us, hears us, loves us, and does all of this and more in degrees far beyond what we understand or comprehend!  We miss out on so much of God by trying to solve matters out of our own knowledge or strength first; often leaving the humbling of ourselves in prayer to be the very last thing we'll do or consider.

Then, the same forces working against us will do whatever possible to distract us from remembering God when He gives us favor.  We often miss out on glorifying God when He gives favor because of busyness, distractions, stealing a little bit of the favor or credit for ourselves, etc.

Humbling ourselves before God, in matters great and small, places and keeps God before us (keeps Him first in our minds, hearts, and more).  The more we do so, the more we'll see and know Him.  If He truly is our Source, Strength, and All-in-All, we should want more of Him and much less of ourselves!

While we often think of prayer as a means of humbling ourselves before God when we pray, we also do so when we worship Him.  Humbling ourselves aligns our hearts in the right position of where we stand before the Perfect, Holy, Almighty, Omniscient, Omnipresent, God of all.  The Holy Spirit helps us to do so when we yield to Him.  Without His help, it's difficult, if not impossible to do so on our own.  Simply put, God is first.  Everyone and everything else (including ourselves) comes after Him.  When we get out of order, we suffer in many ways (great, and sometimes in imperceptible ways).

There are many lessons to learn from Hannah's story, praises, and prayers.

What are one or two take-aways for you?

Lord, there is no Rock like You.  You are our God.  My heart rejoices in You; for You are lifted high.  In You I find deliverance and delight.  You bring poverty and wealth; you humble and exalt.  The foundations of the earth are the Lord's, and you've set the world upon them.

Continue to teach us to pray- not only for our growth and edification, but ultimately for Your glory- in heaven and on earth.  Lead us in prayer far beyond what's written here.  Holy Spirit, lead us now as we continue to pray...

Read more…