Pray Network Forum

We ought to see everything in Scripture in the light Jesus and through the lens of the gospel. From time to time over the next few months  I want to show how one passage or another can be seen through the perspective of the gospel.

I will begin with a passage that most of us would use to present the gospel. Taken alone it may sound like nothing but law and judgment. But that is not really the case. This verse is a lift ticket to ascend the glory and grace of the gospel. The verse is Romans 3:23.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Few things can be so terrifying as darkness. So, aided by the enemy, we have become particularly adept at rationalizing the spiritual darkness that engulfs us. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says,

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of Christ.”

 For this reason it can be alarming for this reality to be brought home to someone by the Holy Spirit. It has been tempting for many of us to avoid putting people off with this truth. But I am convinced that people must come to awareness of the darkness before they can begin to long for the light. In the awareness of this darkness people begin to see the light of the glory of God.

http://daveswatch.com

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com

In the garden before the cross Jesus asked His disciples if they could not even pray for an hour. I'm afraid He would have to ask us if we can pray for five minutes. Extended prayer is particularly difficult in our lives so filled with responsibilities, blessings, and distractions.

Praying significantly in the midst of writing is also quite difficult, and requires discipline. I maintain a series of prayer lists for people and concerns around me. And I try to pray for them in occasional breaks in my writing. This week I have been working on several chapters that I’m adding to a book I've nearly completed. Not only am I anxious to complete the book, but I've been driven by the need for these chapters. And I was consumed by what I was writing. I began one of those days with a devotional time, but I did not take a break all morning long. I suppose I wouldn't have stopped for lunch if my wife had not got my attention.  

I wanted to get going again as soon as I had gobbled down a sandwich. I had to discipline myself to pray and read my Bible a little. It was a warm afternoon for March. So I took my drink outside to spend a little time with God. I had hardly begun before I noticed something I had not realized during my meal or writing all morning. My muscles were wound up tight, and I was exhausted. I actually found my devotional time restful and was restored to begin writing again as soon as I finished.

I  began my afternoon writing with zeal. In a few minutes I was caught back up in the passion of my writing. By the time I finished I was again exhausted. I had difficulty finishing the planned prayer for the day. But I am pleased with what I wrote. And I strongly suspect that the quality of my writing was better because I not only took a physical, but a spiritual rest in the arms of God.

http://daveswatch.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

What are the barriers to our fulfillment of the Great Commission?

1. A lack of organized prayer for the city.
2. The absence of congregational missional training.
3. The lack of vision or a burden for the lost.
4. The rural mentality, even of city churches.
5. The failure to steward witnessing opportunities – an almost total lack of evangelism consciousness.
6. The disconnect of Christians from non-Christians – the insulation of believers into comfortable holy huddles.
7. A lack of unity and collaboration between congregations. Independence. Self-serving activities.
8. The intoxication of busyness.
9. The generational gap and the aging church.
10. Buildings that are unappealing or not designed for outreach.^[1]

There are two cultural obstacles, both of which are deadly. There is growing cultural resistance to evangelism from the outside. Faith as it is permitted in the public square is being redefined. There is a decided shift to pluralism. America, like Israel before us, is rejecting Yahweh! The second barrier is not “the destruction of religion [but]…it is the transformation of religion from a ‘single-faceted religious meaning system, to a multi-faceted religious meaning system’.”^[2] These national shifts to pluralism as a cultural norm are alarming, but they should not paralyze us. Our God performs quite well in contests with idols.

The greater barrier is our own resistance to change, a “take us as we are” posture, self-justifications for not reaching outward to those we now classify as “unreachable!” The harvest we must reap is the most unusual we have ever faced. They do not know the Bible stories or easily believe the principles. They may challenge the Bible itself. They have shed traditional values. Their mentors, from the ‘60’s, created a culture of experimentation and rebellion – a dynamic that needs redemption and redirection, but not death. This is the age for experimentation and cultural confrontation. Sadly, this generation sees the church as unhelpful to their personal needs and at cross purposes with their personal desires: “What could the church do to help me with my alcoholism? Or my addiction? Or my anger?” Seventy percent of those who express faith will relapse at least once following their initial commitment to Christ. They will require great patience and sacrificial discipling. Few will have an existing faith support system to sustain and encourage them. Further, they struggle with the reality that they do not fit into the traditional church and do not want to conform to the current membership profile. They long for religious experiences that do not have the trappings of “traditional church.” Many are not sure they want to be a member of “the church” as it is or as they perceive it. Do we have the resolve to reach such a harvest?

Malcom Muggeridge once charged, “one of the most effective defensive systems against God’s incursions has hitherto been organized religion.” He called the church “a refuge for fugitives from God” whose voice was drowned in religious noise, whose purpose was confused and obscured in the maze of creeds and dogmas. In the church, he charged, “one could get away from God.”^[3] George Barna charges, “recent decades have seen the impact of the Church wane to almost nothing.”^[4]

Most Christians will say that they want their church to grow and to see new people come to Christ, but is saying, “We want our church to grow!” the same as saying, “We want to reach the unreached!”? Growing our church by finding ‘Christianized people’ who are basically like us is not the solution for a national revival that brings cultural transformation. We must open the church to those who are unlike us. To reach the unreached, the church must become seeker-sensitive and simultaneously Spirit-led. We must be seeker-friendly and Christ-exalting. We must be anchored by holy values, and such a tether, become seeker-driven and plunge ourselves into the culture, concerned about the lost.

We have not learned to separate convictions from compassion. Biblical love will never violate Biblical truth – but the arm of love is longer than the arm of truth. Love is unconditional. It is blind and accepting of all. This harvest is filled with people whose behavioral profile is inconsistent with a church that emphasizes holiness of heart and purity of life. We must never let love muzzle truth. Conversely, we must never let truth bind love. Agape reaches to the lost, but only by truth are they set free and liberated. If we allow truth to lead, we may love conditionally. If we love wildly and freely, truth will follow. Love needs to lead truth.

The greatest resistance to revival and renewal is in the church. Do we have the courage to change?

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P. Douglas Small is founder and president of Alive Ministries: PROJECT PRAY and he serves in conjunction with a number of other organizations. He is also the creator of the Praying Church Movement and the Prayer Trainer’s Network. However, all views expressed are his own and not the official position of any organization.

^[1]       Ray Bakke and Jon Sharpe, Street Signs – A New Directions for Urban Ministry (Birmingham, AL: New Hope Publishers, 2006), 140.

^[2]       Ron Dempsey (Faith Outside the Walls).

^[3]       George Otis, God’s Trademarks (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books/Chosen Books, 2000), 32.

^[4]       George Barna and Mark Hatch, Boiling Point (Ventura: Revell, 2001), 311.

Let’s have some fun today. What locations could we pray more? Where are some places that would have a big impact on our life? How much do you pray in each of these locations?

Shower

Two points for the shower. First the bookends of our days, getting ready for the day or bed, are great times for more prayer. As we prepare our body and mind we might as well prepare our spirit. Second, often our best thoughts come in the shower so why not engage God in that process.

Waiting in line

So much of our life is spent waiting. Maybe that drives you crazy. It can feel so unproductive. By praying while waiting you can be touching the world in the most productive way. 

At your work or school

You don’t need to work in a monastery to be about the life of prayer. Walks to the copy machine can be moments with God. Routine tasks can be seasons of praise. I imagine that most of us would like more of God’s involvement in the part of our world we spend so much time. 

Where you have fun

One of the dangers of our age is to separate God from the ordinary activities of our life. I am not saying that the next ball game that you go to needs to be what you imagine of a prayer meeting. But try acknowledging God in your heart a couple times. You will be surprised how amazing it can be. 

Church

This might seem like something that goes without saying, it is not something that goes without saying. We live in an age where it is easy for church services to become a spectator sport. Give your heart to prayer when you gather with others from the family of God.

Where you sin most

Now this may seem like a strange thing to say, but think about it with me. What is the sin that you struggle with the most? Don’t worry you don’t need to confess to me. Is there a location where this happens the most? If yes, then you have two choices. First, and best, is to flee that location. But if that is not an option making that place a place of prayer should help. 

To be fair I could have picked any location Christians go to and suggest that we pray there more. The Bible calls us to a life of prayer. This is not about guilt but about opportunity. Anywhere that you go it is a location that you can spend time with God. 

Do you pray because you hunger for God? Or do you want what you are praying for more than you want God? I recently heard someone tell about being so desperate for something she wanted, that she spent days hunting for things she was doing wrong to repent of so God would  answer her prayer. And she said God did answer.

Do you hear the theology behind that? The notion that we need to get as right with God as possible so he will give us what we really want is not Christian. It is typical religion. You can find this thinking in every religion and cult group. Pharisees would have wholeheartedly endorsed this theology. But Jesus did not teach this kind of devotion. He taught some things that might be mistaken for it. He taught us to pray for what we want and need because He loves us. And He certainly taught repentance because we need it.

But we are to be devoted to God because we love Him. We should be willing to give up what we want in order to draw nearer to our Lord, rather than trying to draw nearer to God, so He will give us what we really want.

Suppose you passed on and left an inheritance for your daughter. And she fell in love and got married. Shortly after they were married her husband discovered he couldn't get his hands on the inheritance. And he told her plainly he was leaving because he really didn't love her, he only wanted her money. Would she feel used? How would you feel in that situation?

I made one of the most important commitments of my entire life as a young person at youth camp. Several years later at the same camp a friend asked me to come off alone with him because he needed to get right with God. One of the first things he told me was if he came home from camp without making a decision for Christ, his dad wouldn't let him get his driver’s permit. Would it surprise you that that his decision didn't make any difference in his life that next year?

How might it change your prayer life if you prayed because you needed God and wanted Him more than you wanted to be healed, or needed help in trouble, or whatever you want God to give you?

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

http://daveswatch.com/

I have a passion to intentionally praying for my grandchildren, great-grandchildren and their parents. I feel God wants me to share my passion with other grandparents, which encouraged me to write the book, Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren. The book encourages grandparents to pray for their grandchildren and their parents and provides resources to help them pray effectively. The book is a great resource for Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 10, National Grandparents Day.

Josh Mulvihill, PhD, Pastor to Children and Families, Grace Church | Eden Prairie, MN wrote recently, “Lillian Penner has written an excellent book on prayer that I wish I could get into the hands of every grandparent. You should purchase this book for four reasons: You will be trained to keep Scripture central to your prayers; Lillian equips you to be an intentional grandparent who focuses on the spiritual growth of grandchildren; You will find many practical tools to help you develop the habit of prayer for grandchildren; and Lillian rightly understands something that Oswald Chambers once said, ³Prayer doesn¹t equip us for greater works ­prayer is the greater work.² When grandparents ask me for a book on prayer, I always recommend Lillian¹s book and I highly recommend it to you.”

This book won’t make you the perfect grandparent, but it will give you resources to Grandparent with a Purpose.

Soft cover book, retails for $11.99 plus shipping, however, for a limited time I have a special offer of $10.50 including shipping in the U.S. I will include 3 bonus prayer cards:

1. Suggestions to Pray for Children in School: Preschool, Elementary, High School and College
2. 31 Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren
3. More A Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren

The eBook is available for $3.99 from Amazon or Redemption Press on the website which is excellent for foreign orders to save shipping cost.

To Buy Now: On this website click on the Purchase button, complete order form, and the book and bonus will be shipped immediately for orders in the U.S.

Order soon before the special offer expires.

By Lillian Penner, Co-Director for the Prayer Ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network, info@gdptpr.com

We often think of the gospel as that most elementary truth of the Christian life that you leave behind as you grow deeper in the faith. But that is not true at all. It is true that the gospel is simple and may be the first thing a person becoming a believer understands. But we never outgrow the importance of the gospel in our lives.

The Humility of the Gospel

Few things are more important in the Christian life than humility. Peter said, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and he will lift you up." The gospel is the final source of our humility. The Son of God had to die to redeem me!

The Security of the gospel

But there is no security like the gospel. God loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me. His love is the foundation of our security.

The virtue of the gospel

Because of the gospel we do not try to do what is right so God will accept us. We hunger to do what pleases God because we have been accepted in the beloved.

We ought to see everything in Scripture in the light Jesus and through the lens of the gospel. From time to time over the next few months  I want to show how one passage or another must be seen through the perspective of the gospel.

http://daveswatch.com

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com