"And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them." Luke 9:18
Principle: Prayer has the capacity to enable a prayer warrior to benefit from the Presence of God, without interference from the presence of people.
Complete solitude and absolute silence are not prerequisites for a prayer warrior to establish a layer of insulation between the Presence of God, and the interference of others. It is possible to be "alone" in a crowded plane, a busy sidewalk, traffic gridlock or an intimidating classroom. Intimacy with God is not limited to a pristine sanctuary or retreat.
God is not limited by time and space. He is available for immediate intimacy and instant communication. Regardless of the circumstances and conditions of surrounding the seeker, God is near, and He is listening. The Scripture portrays this "prayer paradox" when it describes Jesus surrounded by His disciples, and yet He is alone with God in prayer.
Jesus had established intimacy with God, by praying as He walked to the city of Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16). His conversation with God was not interrupted by the general crowd noise of others around Him. In fact, the conversations He overheard were most likely a stimulus rather than a hindrance to His time with God.
It appears Jesus may have been praying for God to give His disciple's insight concerning His true identity. His question sought to discover if God had responded to His request. Peter passed the oral exam with high marks for insight and sensitivity to the revelation of God. In Matthew's account, Jesus rejoiced that God accomplished through prayer, what flesh and blood could not achieve: spiritual insight. Effective prayer calls for God to reveal Himself to others. It asks God to do what only He can do, and accomplish something only He can get credit for.
The Practice of Prayer: Practice the Presence of God by identifying the times and places you need to be able to insulate yourself. Surround yourself with the Presence of God, by getting alone with Him. Pray to Him and hear from Him, in spite of the crowded conditions surrounding you.
Thought for the Day: As long as there is a math class, there will be prayer in schools.
"It is not enough for the pastors to pray fervently, nor is it sufficient for a leadership team to pray ardently on behalf of the congregation. Until the church owns prayers as a world class weapon in the battle against evil and cherishes prayer as a means of intimate and constant communication with God, the turn around efforts of a body are severely limited, if not altogether doomed, to failure." George Barna
The Prayer Principle of Transformation
"He took along Peter, John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray, and while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming." Luke 9:28-29
Principle: When prayer does not change things, it changes people. Changed people are used by God to change the world.
Twice, Luke uses four words to describe the prayer life of Jesus, "while He was praying." The first time we see these words they precede His baptism. This time He is praying with three of His disciples. Each time, God did something very special in the life of Jesus, while He was praying. God honors preaching, serving, and giving, but He releases His greatest power and highest purpose, while His people are praying.
At the mountain prayer meeting, even the disciples were able to experience the overflow of this powerful prayer connection between Jesus and His Father. This was a mountain top experience like no other in history. When they saw, Elijah, and Moses speaking with Jesus, they wanted to memorialize the occasion with a building program. God intervened, and told them to listen to His Son.
Praying people will never relegate Jesus to an equal status with a mere historical figure or a contemporary celebrity. A prayer warrior with a weakened prayer life will always desire to hear more from man than from God. Racing through a book written by the Christian celebrity of the moment and skipping the Scripture references is a warning sign of this kind of condition.
Prayer does not always change the circumstances that surround God's people. Prayer does focus the attention of His children on the One who does not change, "Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow." (Hebrews 13:8) It is the focus on God's Promise that changes people. These changed people change the world.
When prayer does not change circumstances, it will change the way a prayer warrior responds to the circumstances. Prayer brings about a transformation in the life of praying people, when they focus their attention on the Promise rather than their problem.
Jesus invited Peter, James and John to join Him for a unique encounter with God. They must have gloried in the experience and anticipated receiving privileged positions and awesome power. Jesus focused on God. They focused on sleep. When the three disciples woke up they saw Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, overheard them talking about the departure of Jesus for Jerusalem. This was the first time Moses had stepped foot in the Promise Land. Elijah's prophetic perseverance had been honored, by receiving a personal explanation from the lips of the Messiah.
While He was praying, the appearance of Jesus became different even though the circumstances around Him did not change. He knew His privileged position as the Christ meant a death on the cross. Jesus was tempted, but would not choose to avoid this death, because "while He was praying" His will would always be conforming to the will of God. He received the circumstances of the cross, and fulfilled His purpose for coming to earth.
"While He was praying" indicates Jesus focused on the Presence of God, not the pain of the cross. By praying, He put Himself in the only position that would lead to an encounter with God. His appearance was transformed, but His mission remained the same. He would still go to the cross, but He was transformed by His time alone with God.
The circumstances would not change, but His appearance was transformed, by the Presence of God. Prayer takes people beyond their personal preferences and into intimate communication with God. When Jesus prayed, it had an impact on Him that others will be able to see.
Time alone with God is not meant to be a way out, but a time out. Any exhausted athlete knows the words of Vince Lombardi still ring true, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Prayer provides the courage that removes fear from the heart, and transforms weaklings into warriors. These warriors make their greatest stand, when they kneel down. While they are praying, God changes them, and the world can see the difference.
The Practice of Prayer: Make a list of the intimidating people and infuriating circumstances that rob you of your joy in life. Place this list before God, and pray for an encounter with Him that will change you into the person God wants you to be in the midst of the circumstances that surround you. Stay in His Presence long enough for your joy to grow and your list to shrink.
Thought for the Day. Can people tell when you have been in prayer?
"The great people of the earth are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer, nor yet those who can explain about prayer, but I mean those people who take time to pray." S. D. Gordon
The Prayer Principle of Concentration
"It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God." Luke 6:12
Principle: Concentrated prayer focuses on God to meet pressing needs, by providing the prayer warrior with the wisdom and the courage to make crucial decisions. It involves concentrating prayer on the will of God, the mind of Christ and the fullness of the Spirit.
As long as there is math, there will always be prayer in schools. Needing to know the right answers to all of life's challenging equations has a way of increasing one's dependency on prayer.
There are times when a personal quiet time, or a consistent prayer life needs to be supplemented by extended and concentrated times of prayer. The prayer life of Jesus reveals that He sensed a need to do this on occasion. Regardless of how intimate His conversation and companionship had been with God, Jesus chose to spend concentrated times in prayer.
The selection of the men who would be called to be His closest disciples was one of those moments of concentrated prayer. Jesus sensed a need to spend all night in prayer before His final decisions were made, concerning The Twelve. This should give prayer warriors a glimpse into His purpose for prayer. He was fully God, and fully man. He desired to honor His Father in all the decisions that He made, but He recognized that there were times when there was more at stake. Selecting the disciples was one of those times.
A former pastor-mentor once said to me, "Every wrong decisions I have ever made about personnel could always be seen clearly in my rear view mirror. When I would ask God how did I make such a poor choice, He would remind me of those soft touches He had made on my shoulder, that I brushed off. If I had been more in tune with God, and less intent on making a decision, I might have felt his gentle guidance."
That personal testimony and the principle of concentration should give any genuine prayer warrior pause, before they rush in where angels fear to tread. Concentrated prayer brings the will of the seeker in sync with the will of The Source. It is not fool proof. Praying all night over a key decision does not guarantee that every choice that is made will result in a pleasant result. Jesus chose Judas Iscariot. That decision was part of God's plan, but it brought great pain into the life of Jesus, and the men and women who followed Him.
Concentration is not an exercise of mind over matter, or a mind control over others willing them to do something they don't intend to do. The concentration of the prayer warrior is not on the decision, but on the Decider. Oswald Chambers put it this way, "Prayer is not simply getting things from God. That is the most initial form of prayer. Prayer is getting into a perfect communion with God."
Jesus spent all night in prayer with God, in order to become saturated with His Presence and sensitive to His touch. When the opportunity to make His decision came, Jesus was able to hear God's voice, feel His touch, and see His hand prints all over the person He was to choose. When it appeared His choice of Judas was not advantageous, He continued to pray. His prayer life would give Him the confidence that what God led Him to, God would lead Him through.
Jesus did not substitute concentrated prayer to the exclusion of consistent prayer. He simply added it to His personal arsenal of spiritual firepower. His concentration on prayer was not a crisis of faith. He had confidence in God's awareness and desire to meet His needs. His prayer was not an attempt to twist God's arm to do His bidding. It was an intense focus on God's will, until He was completely abandoned to it. It was an admission of His total dependency on God for the most important decisions in His life.
People who spend concentrated time in prayer, before they make a decision are less likely to question the validity of the decision, after it has been made. When Judas did His worst, God was up to His best. When others panicked at what Judas did to Jesus, He stayed the course. Concentrated prayer prepared Him to make a choice and leave the consequences in the hands of God. The perspective of Jesus, not the panic of Peter, calms the heart of a prayer warrior. When unexpected consequences are the result of a right choice, they hold no terror for Christ followers familiar with the prayer principle of concentration.
The Practice of Prayer: Make a list of the most important decisions in life you will ever make. A mate, a college, a job, a home, should all be some of life's issues that make it on this list. Place this list in the fly leaf of your Bible. Determine today that you will never make these decisions without spending concentrated time alone with God in prayer.
Thought for the Day: Never allow the fog of pressing needs to cloud your focus on the priority and the clarity of concentrated prayer.
"Knowing God's will in specifics comes out of a consistent companionship with God." Lloyd John Ogilvie
The Prayer Principle of Communication
"...and a voice came out of heaven..." Luke 3:22
Principle: Believing prayer becomes effective communication when it enables the heart of the Christ follower to make contact with God, and empowers their spiritual ears to hear a response from God.
Jesus prayed to God, because He expected to hear an answer from God. Prayer was not a spiritual discipline He conducted to be noticed by men. The Pharisees, religious elite of the day, were renowned for their devotion to public praying, giving and fasting. These legitimate signs of righteousness had deteriorated into seedy, flashing neon signs celebrating their own pride and self-righteous behavior. They wanted to be noticed by others, and as a result they failed to get in touch with God.
Jesus sought, through prayer, to have direct, personal conversation with His Father. Prayer was the communication tool He used to stay in touch with the One who cared the most for Him. He offered Himself to God in prayer, and God provided Jesus with His Presence.
This priority in prayer establishes a powerful platform for purifying the motives of the prayer warrior. James, the earthly brother of Jesus, and pastor of the first church in Jerusalem challenged the early Christ followers to, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:7)
Jesus was accustomed to getting in touch with God, for the right reason. He did not see prayer as a means of getting hold of what He wanted, but a tool that enabled Him to get in touch with God. Jesus prayed in order to keep the lines of communication opened between Him and God.
God's responsiveness to Jesus was based on His humility to come, and bask in The Presence of His Father. Above all else, this is what prayer is all about. It is not about getting more things from God, but getting in touch with God. Jesus would teach His disciples, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33
God answers prayer. The more accurate statement should be, God answers believing prayer. Jesus believed He needed to be in constant communication with His Father. Communication in prayer is not limited to a one dimensional laundry list that is waved before God. Checking items off the list, as they are answered, will give a certain degree of satisfaction. The potential danger becomes a reality, when prayer God becomes little more than a quick stop at a roadside ATM.
Pray expecting God to hear and to answer. Remember, God answers prayer. He sometimes says, "Yes." At times He will say, "No!" Often He will counsel the anxious to, "Wait." A personal favorite of mine over the years has become, "You have got to be kidding!" He does answer prayer, but the ability to respond to His answer,rather than react to it, is directly related to one's motive for praying.
Jesus found great affirmation from His Father, while He was praying. Earthly fathers often have to resist the urge to resent being treated as a source of supply, by their children. Selfish children do not know what is good for them, and they are only interested in a relationship that supplies them with what they want. As the relationship between a father and his children matures, there is an even greater desire to supply their needs. This generosity is generated by their joy of having genuine fellowship with their children.
God is not in need of a lesson in generosity, or fatherhood. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11)
The joy of prayer is not found in the presents received, but The Presence that is provided. Prayer leads to healthy communication between the heavenly Father and His child. It should become as natural as breathing is to a meaningful conversation.
The Practice of Prayer: When you pray, have a good pen and fresh piece of paper in front of you. Write down what God says in response to your prayer. Compare it with the Word of God. He will never contradict His Word.
Thought for the Day: The School of Prayer focuses on the arts of communication. Expect to hear from God, and take notes when He speaks. There is no need to stay after school.
"Answered prayer is the first test of a prayer meeting's effectiveness." Jack Hayford
The Prayer Principle of Cooperation
"While He (Jesus) was praying...The Holy Spirit descended...and a voice came out of Heaven..." Luke 3:21-22
Principle: Effective prayer operates in the full cooperation with the work of the Trinity.
Hearing people pray in public can be a very disturbing and confusing experience. Most prayers are a mix mash of catch phrases, and divine platitudes that leave the listener longing to hear the word "Amen." They seldom inspire more people to pray, and they rarely produce answers to prayer. They are like well intended letters that have a scribbled address, and end up back in the hands of the sender with the pasted label, "Address Unknown." Perhaps the most impotent of prayers bounces around a few references to Lord, Jesus, God, Father, but treats the Holy Spirit like a silent, junior partner in the Trinity.
Thank God, He has assigned the Holy Spirit with the responsibility of interpreting prayers, and He has Jesus seated at His right hand to intercedes for those who pray. Without their help, prayers would have little hope of being answered.
There may not be a more concise,and yet revealing verse of scripture regarding the work of the Trinity. In a few brief words, Luke records that Jesus prayed, the Spirit descended, and the Father blessed. In two short verses, the Scriptures set in stone the simple truth of believing prayer. There is no other key that will unlock the total power of the synergistic relationship that exists between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus established the standard for full cooperation: intimate communication with the Father.
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus immersed Himself in prayer, until He was saturated with the desire to be obedient to the will of the Father. He was fully God, and fully man. God's call upon His life was stamped by the authority of heaven, but He could be tempted to yield to His own personal preferences. His passion to carry out the will of the Father was preceded by His willingness to enter into The Presence of God in prayer. His consistent companionship with the Father in prayer melted His heart and molded His will until He was fully obedient to do the will of the Father.
The power of believing prayer can be found in the synergistic work of the Trinity. Jesus prayed, and this power was released in His life. Jesus promised His disciples that this same power would be available to them. "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth." (John 14:16)
When the Christ follower comes to the Father in prayer. There is a power that is released by the full cooperation of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. This is why Satan fears prayer so much. He is outnumbered, outgunned, and overwhelmed by the power of God that is released when God's people pray. Never forget that Satan is afraid of "The Ghost."
Sending an indistinct message to an obscure address and expecting clear communication is often an act of futility. Prevailing prayer becomes more effective prayer by clearly addressing one's request to the source of the answer. The prayer life of Jesus gives contemporary prayer warrior a picture of what they can expect when they confidently address their needs to the full house of God's Presence and power.
The Practice of Prayer: Discipline yourself to address your prayers to God, The Father, in the name of Jesus, The Son, and through the power of The Holy Spirit.
Thought for the Day: Send your message to the right address, and expect to have an answer.
"In every prayer the triune God takes part - the Father who hears; the Son in whose name we pray; the Spirit who prays for us and in us. How important it is we should be in right relationship to the Holy Spirit and understand His Word." Andrew Murray
The Prayer Principle of Initiation
"...While He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove." Luke 3:21
Principle: Prayer precedes and initiates the fresh movement of the Spirit of God in the life of the Christ follower.
Several years ago, I was sharing Christ with a man who appeared to ready to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. We had been talking about this for some time, and yet there was a hesitancy on his part. His heart was open to the truth of the Gospel, and he was aware of his need for Jesus to be his Savior. He paused at the threshold of the door of his heart, and couldn't quite take the step of faith to invite Jesus to come in and take over his life. I was having lunch with him at a Mexican restaurant, one Sunday after church, and I asked him, "Is there any reason why you cannot respond to the voice of Jesus?" He was honest to say, "I don't know if I am ready for graduation." I had never heard this statement before, so I know my response had to be from God. I asked him, "Are you ready for initiation?" His eyes lit up, and he said that he thought he had to know more than he knew, before Jesus would count him worthy to be saved. It was my joy to relate to him that none of us is worthy to be saved. He turned his eyes towards Jesus who was prepared to initiate a new relationship with him through the power of the Holy Spirit. His prayer released a fresh movement of God in his life.
That evening we baptized him and his wife in the lake that is near our church. I found out from them after the baptism service that this was the first time in years that they had been in the lake. His wife told me that one of their grandchildren had drowned in that same lake, and it bore too much trauma and pain for them to ever step into it again. My heart sank. I had no idea that this had happened to them. When I apologized they stopped me. Still wet from the step of obedience they had taken, they said these words to me, "We believe God has taken something that was painful to us, and replaced it with something that was joyful." I had to agree with them. Their smiling faces said it all. God had indeed initiated something new in their lives through the power of prayer. You can't make this stuff up.
Luke's Gospel contains great insight into the prayer life of Jesus. While Jesus was praying, a movement of God was being released into His life that would change the world. The Bible does not record that Jesus was preaching, singing, rehearsing, studying, tithing, serving, teaching, worshiping, fellowshiping, or discipling. He was praying.
When the purpose or the mission of the church is discussed, prayer is rarely given the priority it deserves. To discover what the church should be about, it is safe to look at the life of the founder. Before Jesus began His ministry on earth, He was praying. The very word praying describes an on going process, rather than a one time event. The process of prayer was something Jesus consistently performed in order to prepare Himself for the will of God in His life. From His baptism at the Jordan River to the Garden of Gethsemane, Luke records Jesus was always praying. From cross to His seat at the right hand of the Father, Jesus can be seen as a picture of persistent prayer.
For years, the church has made a priority of everything under the sun except prayer. Men tend to think of it as women's work. Women can certainly do it well, but it doesn't excuse a man from the responsibility. The best way to clear a room in most churches is to call a prayer meeting. Few people attend, and very little is expected to happen by those who show up. What a difference in the life of Jesus. He must cringe when He looks as the schedules of the week posted by churches that call Him Lord. Schedules of the week become the schedules of the weak, when they are not empowered by the Presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.
My father, Don Miller, has a phrase he uses to describe churches that try to keep up appearances. He calls them, "painted fire." He refers to the tendency of churches to put more fire in their logos, and on their websites than they have stirred in the hearts of their people. God forgive us for not taking advantage of the Holy Spirit's desire to be at work in lives of Christ followers. Prayer preceded a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christ, and the same will be true in the life of His church.
Prayerless people not only miss out on what God is doing. They miss God. When they leave out prayer, they are left to their own resources. In their zeal to initiate or to sustain some great work for God, they fail to take time to connect with God. It is an act of futility to launch out in the work of the Lord without spending any time with the Lord of the work.
The Practice of Prayer: Place your daily schedule and weekly responsibilities before God in prayer. Take time to write it down in a journal. Getting it off of your mind and on to paper (or into the electronic aid of your choice) is part of the process of prayer. Great men and women of God have used journals of this kind to help them keep track of their prayer life. Create this kind of holy tension in your life every day. You may have so much to do that you resist taking the time to pray about how to do it. This just reveals how much you to need to pray over every single thing, before you take it on in your own strength. Talk less! Pray more! Before you do, pray before!
Thought for the Day: Initiate a fresh movement of God in your life today. Yield control of every area of your life to Him. Ask the Spirit of God to transform your life, home, church, community, and country.
"When God desires to do something, He first sets His people apraying. " Matthew Henry
The Prayer Principle of Isolation
"But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and great multitudes were gathering to hear Him, and to be healed of their sicknesses, but He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray." Luke 5:15
Principle: Isolation with God in prayer is enhanced by separation from others. Separation from the herd provides the quietness and solitude that enables the voice of God to be heard. Getting alone with God often requires getting away from others. General crowd noise is a detriment to uninterrupted, barrier breaking conversation with God.
Luke's Gospel reveals a great deal about the prayer life of Jesus. Jesus lived in a climate of consistent companionship and constant communication with His Father. While He was praying, The Holy Spirit descended on Him for ministry, and God expressed His pleasure with His Son. The synergistic work of the Trinity was revealed and released through the prayer life of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 3:21-22)
After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, His ministry expanded. Luke records that people were pressing around Him, and listening to the word of God. (Luke 5:1) Jesus was having a great deal of outward success, and with it came a need in His life for time alone with God. More than the outward signs of a vital ministry, Jesus loved His time alone with God. His powerful public ministry was directly linked to His private retreats to find The Presence of God.
Jesus did not wait until a crisis in ministry developed before He got alone with God. He would often slip away into the wilderness and pray. This retreat was His way of maintaining and sustaining a healthy public ministry. Compassion fatigue and burn out are not recent ministry developments. Jesus resisted being drained dry by the demands of needy people, by making sure He kept in touch with God in prayer. He risked burning bridges with some people, by maintaining His bridge to God in prayer. He was stronger for it, and His prayer life empowered Him to build a bridge strong enough to carry a lost world into the Presence of God.
Private prayer is a powerful means of communication that is at the disposal of the believer, and allows for uninterrupted time with God. It often requires isolation from the distractions of life to achieve the highest quality of intimacy. Isolation does not always mean a departure from evil. Satan is the enemy of the best. If he can get a Christ follower to be content or focused on a good ministry, then they may let that become an idol for time alone with God. Isolation in prayer will often require a separation from what is good, in order to get in on what is best. Time alone with God.
Total availability to others does not allow for adequate availability to God. Time with God has to be carved out of busy schedules, and pressing agendas. Unless private prayer becomes a personal priority, then time with God will never be pried out of the clutches of demanding people and pressing circumstances.
The Practice of Prayer: Take time today to free yourself from texting, Twitter, I-pods, telephones, Blackberry's, call waiting, Facebook, My Space, email, instant messaging, faxes, cable, TV, talk radio, and total Internet access. Take a good hard look at your daily schedule or weekly routine. Is any time being lost that could be spent getting alone with God in prayer? It will cost you to carve out time for prayer. It will cost you more if you do not. To make time for God, you will have to take time away from someone else. Don't feel guilty. Jesus did it. When we follow Jesus, He will often lead us to time alone with His Father.
Thought for the Day: The wilderness is a relative concept. It does not require an escape to the sea shore, the mountains, or the desert. Many people vacation to these locations, and still never find time for God. They pack their distractions, or plug into them when they arrive. Your wilderness is any place in this world where you achieve a separation from demanding people and draining distractions. It may be early in the morning, late at night or any time day or night where you can achieve an isolation with God. Remember, if you are totally available to others you will be of little use to God. He does not need your ability, but your availability.
"Pray without ceasing. How can we learn to do that? The best way of learning to do a thing, in fact the only way, is to do it. Begin by setting apart some time every day. Christ chose you and appointed you to pray for others." Andrew Murray
The Prayer Principle of Affirmation
"Now it came about when all the people were baptized that Jesus, also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, 'Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee, I am well-pleased." Luke 3: 21-22
Principle: Prayer provides the means by which a child of God is able to identify with his Father, and to cultivate a spirit of obedience toward His Word. The Father affirms this family resemblance, by releasing His favor upon His obedient children.
"You are my beloved Son, in You I am well pleased." Luke 3:22
The Christmas Story too often leaves Jesus in the manger, or at best reveals Him receiving gifts in His home. For the Christ follower, the journey continues beyond the shepherds and the stable, and the magi and the star. Luke has the last word on the Christmas story when he records, "And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:42)
After thirty years of preparation in God's waiting room, Jesus stepped out of the shadows of a carpenter shop, and into the limelight of public attention. He offered Himself to be baptized by John the Baptist. The first encounter between John and Jesus was recorded in Luke 1:39-45. When Elizabeth was pregnant with John, she welcomed Mary into her home. At the sound of her voice, John leaped for joy in his mother's womb, at the presence of Jesus.
The second encounter occurs at a baptism being offered by John the Baptist. It was a a public, and yet a personal immersion. He called people to repentance, a turning away from their sin, and a turning toward a life of obedience to God. The repentant, recipient of baptism showed they were turning from their sin, and starting a new life of obedience, by presenting themselves to John at the Jordan River. The picture was graphic. Slipping beneath the water was a symbolic burial to an old way of life. Bursting out of the water, and gasping for air illustrated a desire to begin again, like a child entering the world from their mother's womb. When Jesus approached the water, John hesitated to baptize Jesus. "But John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I have need to be baptized by You, and do you come to me?' " (Matthew 3:14)
Jesus was sinless, and did not need to identify with John's call for repentance. He did need to remain obedient to the voice of His Father. The Psalmist had prophesied that God's Servant would delight in obedience to the Law. " I delight to do Thy will, O My God. Thy Law is written in my heart." (Psalm 40:8)
The pattern of the prayer life of Jesus should become a principle of prayer for the Christ follower. "And while He was praying, heaven was opened." (Luke 3:21) Jesus prayed and obeyed. God heard and affirmed. Jesus chose to make Himself available to God in prayer. The result was a movement of God that was heaven sent. The favor of God falls from the windows of heaven that are opened by the prayers of His children.
Without spending time with God in prayer, there is little hope of being affirmed by The Father. If being identified with God, as one of His children does not fill a person with a sense of well-being and security, nothing else will. Sometimes believers try to substitute God's affirmation with a man-made self-esteem. Anything that starts with man will have to be sustained by a super human effort. It is as futile as quenching a raging thirst with a sea of salt water. There may be an abundance of it available, but there is no satisfaction to be gained from its content. It results in more thirst, and a devaluation of one's net worth.
The Practice of Prayer: Make a list of everything about you that has been made by God. Make a list of what you have accomplished with out Him. Compare lists. Which one holds the most value to you? His or yours? If you want to assess your net worth, Adrian Rogers said it would be wise to, "Add up what money can't buy and death can't take away."
Thought for the Day: While Jesus was praying, heaven opened up to Him. God affirmed His Son, after the climate of prayer produced the attitude of obedience that God values. God's pleasure was at the very heart of the Savior. The Christ follower seeking the Father's affirmation will apply their Savior's principle. Prayer precedes a movement of God in the life of His children. For many people, their self-worth is based on their net worth. For a child of God, His pleasure is their delight and prayer enables them to hear the language of His love. Talk less and pray more...today.
"Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His Child." Don Miller
The Rest of the Story
"Now while the people were in a state of expectation, and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, John answered and said to them all, 'As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.' " Luke 3:15-16
Every Christmas our families descend on my parent's home for dinner. Mom turned 89 this month, and Dad will be 88 in March 2010. Mom began a tradition in 1977 of making Christmas stockings for her four kids, their spouses and her grandchildren. For a couple of years, the mantle looked a bit bare. Yesterday, 32 years later, their little living room is lined with red flannel. The original four made for Roger, Gary, Joy and Ken have grown in number. Mom has had to make quite a few trips to the fabric store. There is now a total of 35 stockngs representing spouses, additonal grand children, and great grand children.
Dad always gathers everyone around the room after dinner, and asks for each member of the family to share something about The Christmas Story. This year, the question had to deal with what is the one thing that stands out in your mind about the story of the birth of Jesus. I enjoyed sitting back and listening to the responses. I had a lot to share, but didn't say anything this year. Sometimes listening is the best way to learn. There is alot of truth to the proverbial statement, "If you are talking, you aren't learning anything."
After driving home, and thinking about the question, I have a few observations that I would like to share with you. With my apologies to the great Paul Harvey, I refer to my thoughts as, "The Rest of The Story."
The Angel Gabriel: The angel struck the right balance between being a faithful messenger for God, and a great comfort to Mary. He did not just deliver the message and depart the scene. He responded to her fear. By exhorting her, and exalting God, he set the bar for every messenger of God. It is not enough to hit people with the shock and awe of the Word of God. Gabriel knew his audience. He honored the One who sent him by making sure the message was not just sent, but it was received. His famous last words ring true to this day, "For nothing will be impossible with God."
The Virgin Mary: She offered up the ultimate response to the Word of God, she received from the angel. "May it be done to me according to your word." If obedience is the immediate response to the word of God, with the right heart attitude. Mary is the role model for us all.
The Cousin Elizabeth: This lady teaches us how to rejoice when God is doing something great in another person's life. Rather than look down on a family member or friend with the green-eyed, two headed monster of envy and jealousy, Elizabeth shouted to Mary, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"
The Forerunner, John the Baptist: The apples does not fall far from the tree. John leaped for joy in his mother's womb, even before he was born. When he was born and came of age, he ran out ahead of Jesus to let people know that the Messiah was on His way. John is the poster boy for those who are called to preach. They may draw a huge crowd, but they never fail to deliver the right message. For two thousand years, the message is still the same, "The King is coming."
The Dreamer, Joseph: Five times God spoke to Joseph in a dream. Each time Joseph heard from God, he responded by changing his plans in order to get in on what God was doing in his life. Very little is known about Joseph. He was a carpenter. He was chosen by God to provide and protect His only Son. To this I would add, Joseph never missed God. His is a legacy that any father would be proud to leave his family.
The Heavenly Host: The army of angels gives us a glimpse of heaven. They praised God, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." The angels remind us to believe in the reality and the sovereignty of God. They also provide evidence for the statement, "You believe in God, but God also believes in you." His pleasure in His children led Him to send them a Savior in spite of their sin.
The Watching Shepherds: They were faithfully carrying out the same work once done by King David. When God called him to be anointed King of Israel, he was an unknown, and forgotten shepherd boy watching his father's sheep on the same hills outside of town. Hundreds of years before, the angels announced the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, God had chosen a king from this village. The shepherds raced to the stable, and served as an honor guard for Jesus. Their presence is a reminder for the people of God to never forget where they come from, and never doubt the greatness that He can bring out of small people in obscure places.
The Waiting Priest, Simeon: This dear priest was used by God to announce the coming of The Messiah, and declare He would be a light for the Gentiles. As a representative of the established Temple bureaucracy, he had never let the system overshadow the Savior. His heart and his hands had not grown calloused handling the holy. While he was waiting, he remained tender to the touch of the Holy Spirit. When God placed His Son in His hands, Simeon was grateful. He did not harbor resentment, and spew, "It's about time." His eyes had been dimmed by age, but he could see the big picture, "The Savior of the World." He shouted with confidence overflowing from the fulfillment of his heart's desire, " For my eyes have seen Your salvation."
The Prophetess, Anna: Rather than allow death and destitution to become her destiny, Anna attached herself to the one place in her world where the love of God could breath new life into her heart. Her ancestors had been banished from the Presence of God, and dispersed all over the known world by the Assyrians. The Northern Kingdom had rejected God, and replaced Him with idols, but Anna broke with her past, and found redemption of God being offered through the Christ Child. She thanked God for His gift, and told people she met about Jesus. This lady reminds me that we are never too old to tell the good news to the people who are seeking the Savior.
The Wise Men: Long before Mary heard from the angel about the birth of Jesus, God had sent a star to guide them all to Bethlehem. When they arrived, they worshiped Jesus and they gave Him gifts. The journey took them approximately two years. It extracted a great cost in time and treasure for them to find their way to the home of Mary and Joseph. Their response to finding Jesus is a great inspiration to those who desire to put Christ back in Christmas. They fell down and worshiped Jesus, and gave gifts to Him and not to one another. Too many people want to throw a birthday party for Jesus, but they want to be the birthday boy and walk away with all the presents. If giving gifts are a meant to be part of Christmas, a look at The Wise Men reminds us of who should receive the very best. After all, it is His birthday, not ours.
The Impostor, Herod: God is always up to His best in the worst of times. Satan is always going to try and counterfeit the creation of God. His character is corrupt, and depraved. His fall from heaven was a result of leading a rebellion that tried to usurp the power and the praise that belonged only to God. He continues to have puppets on thrones and in places of prominence who carry out his work. When evil attempts to thwart the will of God, it brings the shadow of darkness over the lives of all who must walk through it. There will always be impostors who try to intimidate believers into doubting in the dark, what they know to be true in the light. It may have looked like Rome and all its regimes were in control of the world, but God was up to something that was greater than anything the world had ever seen.
The Savior, Jesus: The Rest of the Story is not complete until Jesus moves from the manger, and into the hearts of people who know they need a Savior. He never told His followers to celebrate His birthday, but He told them to remember, "His death, burial and resurrection. The baby Jesus is not the focus of the Christmas Story. God intends for people in need of forgiveness, to receive His Son as their Savior. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Fill the Pots
"Jesus said to them, 'Fill the water pots with water.' So they filled them up to the brim. And he said, 'Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.' So they took it to him...This was the beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him." John 2:7-8, 11
Jesus is the Son of God. He was born of a virgin in the little town of Bethlehem, but His home was in heaven. He came into this world, fully God, and fully man. There is no explanation, illustration or comparison that is adequate to put into words or draw a picture of the divine dynamic God created, when He sent His Son into the world.
From childhood, the words of John 3:16 have guided me into a basic understanding of the love of God. For over 50 years I have been trying to comprehend why God would send His Son to die on a cross for my sin. My belief in God's love for me is still the greatest, life-changing encounter I have ever had with Him. I have yet to plumb the depths of, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
After the birth of Jesus, there was a three decade waiting period before He began His public ministry. The Gospel of John records the wedding feast of Cana as the site where the favor of God fell upon His Son. It was in this unlikely setting, that people were able to see God's glory reflected off of the face of His Son.
How many times had Jesus wondered if today might be the day of God's visitation on Him for the fulfillment of His calling? Surely, the home of Mary and Joseph was filled with reminiscences and reminders of The Christmas Story. The Bible says that Mary pondered in her heart all the things she had seen and heard, regarding the birth of Jesus. When she weighed all of the wonders she had witnessed, it must have been a heavy burden to keep to herself. There must have been times when she and Jesus would talk about His birthday, and the significance of all the events that surrounded it.
Mary and Joseph had received a mild rebuke from Jesus, when He was a boy in the Temple. When they found Him conversing with the rabbis, He seemed surprised that they did not know that He was where He needed to be, doing what He needed to be doing. At a very early age, Jesus must have been guided to a rendezvous with His destiny, by the hands of godly parents and the Holy Spirit of God.
Mary approached Jesus about the embarrassing dilemma of the wedding party running out of wine. She apparently expected His days as a carpenter in Nazareth to be numbered, and any day His main ministry in life might blossom forth. Her response to Jesus was a curious mixture of submission to His judgment, and a confidence in His ability. She told the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
Jesus was in the habit of getting with God on a regular basis. His divine nature hungered for conversation and communion with God. He ordered the servants to fill six stone pots with an estimated 120-150 gallons of water. This would have been a task that required some time and effort to complete. Drawing water from a well involved dropping a goatskin into a deep hole. The process included letting the skin fill up, drawing it out of the hole, carrying it to the pots, and filling each jar until the water reached the brim. The record does not indicate Jesus was praying, but He had enough time to do it, if he sensed the need.
When the pots were prepared, He simply told the servants to take the contents to the master of ceremonies. The result was a commendation to the bridegroom for saving the best for last. Jesus did not receive any credit, or citation. He had made Himself available to God. He filled the pots, waited on God, and God did the rest. This may be the greatest lesson to leave with Christ followers, as they contemplate the significance of The Christmas Story.
John's Gospel records the favor of God on the life of Jesus caused His disciples to believe in Him. It was His dependence upon God that attracted people to Him. His willingness to reflect the glory of what God did through Him, back to His heavenly Father, was the key difference between Him and the key men of Israel.
Jesus did not shine the light on Himself. He reflected the light back to The Source. God's favor on Jesus did not lead Him to name a building, a school, or a ministry after Himself. He reflected the radiance of God back to the One who was the source of His power and influence. Jesus did not seek to become a celebrity or make a name for Himself. He was a willing instrument, and His times were in God's hands. For thirty years, Jesus was a regular attender in God's waiting room. God knew His Son could be trusted to point people to His Father. God is still looking for people who will fill the pots, and get out of His way, and let Him do what He does best...transformation.
Jesus found the power of prayer through unbroken, consistent companionship with the God. Conversation with Him, over matters great and small, still leads the believer to a sense of direction that cannot be gained from an intermittent crisis search for truth. When life puts the unexpected squeeze on the life of a believer, it will always reveal what is inside. Prayer is the means by which Christ followers saturate themselves with the Presence of God. God turned the water into to wine, not whine. When believers whine under pressure, there is a strong indication that they need more time being aged in the waiting room with God.
Jesus is still in the miracle working business. Mark's Gospel records a visit to Nazareth made by Jesus. This was not the city of His birth, but it is where people who knew Him, thought they knew Him best. It says, "And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief." (Mark 6:5)
Jesus was sent to build a bridge between God and man. From filling stone pots with water, to carrying a cross up Calvary's hill, Jesus waited on God tor God to show up and do what only He could do. He waited on God to reveal His power through Him. Jesus marveled when people did not respond to what God was doing right in front of their faces. Most people would call healing the sick a miracle. Jesus didn't think of it as that great of a work. The greatest miracle of God is the turning of a non-believer into a believer. Jesus knew that healed people eventually die, but believing people would live forever. That is the miracle of The Christmas Story. People are lot like those empty pots. They need to be filled and transformed by the work of God in their lives. Christ followers do not change lives, but they can fill pots. Fill the empty pots around you with Living Water, and watch, wait and see what God can do. Don't be discouraged if some of the crack pots around you leak, and miss out on what God wanted to do in their lives. Jesus had it happen to Him, and it will happen to you. Fill the pots up anyway. 2010 is going to be a great year for wine.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!