"For I too am a man under authority." Luke 7:8
Principle: God releases His power, through praying people who choose to be under His authority.
Luke's account of the exchange between the Roman centurion, and Jesus provides an ancient story that clarifies a contemporary application of the power of prayer.
The Roman centurion was a stranger, and an invader in the land of Israel. He had discovered the key to the hearts of the people, his emperor had sent him to subjugate and dominate. He loved them. When his servant was near death, he entreated his Jewish friends to plead his case to Jesus.
The Bible says, "When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave." (Luke 7:3) This simple statement is loaded with significance. The elders of the village were the men who spoke for the people, and settled disputes among them. The occupying Romans were a thorn in the side of any Jewish authority. The Jews were conquered people and subjects of a foreign king. The centurion was his representative, and was authorized by Rome to do what was necessary to subjugate the people of Israel. Somehow, this Roman centurion had found a way to honor his king, and win the respect of the people he was sent to rule over. Nation building is not a new concept. Soldiers know instinctively that wars are not won solely on the battle field, but in the hearts of men.
For a nation at war the Middle East, the next passage of Scripture gives a glimpse into the art of war that soldiers on the battlefield in every century have learned to implement, in very tough assignments. The Romans had won the war with the Jews, but the continued occupation of their land was not likely to win their hearts. However, one centurion had found a way to do it. "And when they had come to Jesus, they earnestly entreated Him saying, 'He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.' Now Jesus started on His way with them." (Luke 7:4-5)
Jesus went with the elders in response to the request He received from the centurion. The Jewish pleas of intercession on behalf of a Gentile must have stirred His heart. As he approached the home of the soldier, another delegation arrived, "...the centurion sent friends saying to Him, 'Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.' " (Luke 7:6-7)
This statement, figuratively and literally stopped Jesus in his tracks. The friends of the centurion went on to explain his reasoning. Halting Him was not a matter of any disrespect he held for Jesus, but a recognition of The One True God who was in authority over Jesus. "For I, too, am a man under authority with soldiers under me, and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and to another; 'Come!' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it.' "
Ron Dunn, a heaven sent teacher of the Word of God, pointed to this passage as the key issue in the life of the believer. Ron has been in heaven since July of 2001, but his insight into this principle remains one of the guiding lights of contemporary Christianity. Ron would say this passage is often misunderstood. When it is read, prideful ears do not hear what Jesus heard. The bible says "a man under authority." Most of the time people read this, and understand it to say, "in authority." The correct understanding of the statement reveals where the power of Jesus comes from. The wrong reading reveals where pride believes it comes from. Jesus was under the authority of God. The Gentile, Roman centurion sensed this in the life of Jesus.
People who seek to be in authority, without being under authority, will never know the full power of The Authority. God has ordained prayer to be the means of communication by which He delivers His power and Presence in the life of the believer. Prayerless people are prideful people. Prayerless pastors do not sense any need for the fullness of God's Presence and power, because they are full of themselves. They believe their past performance or present position are sufficient proof of their importance to God and the people they are called to serve. Appearances can be deceiving.
Jesus was profoundly moved, by the insight of the centurion. He recognized God was at work in the life of Jesus, because the Son could be trusted to carry out the will of the Father. He
saw between God and Jesus, the existence of a synergistic relationship. It was similar enough to the one he had with his own king, that he could see with the eyes of faith into the unseen hand of God at work. "Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that was following Him, 'I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.' " (Luke 7:9)
The amazing insight of the Roman centurion brought great commendation from Jesus. His discernment was based upon his experience as a soldier under the Emperor of Rome. He knew his power was derived from someone greater than himself. It was only available to him, if he maintained his submission and obedience to this higher authority. The centurion recognized this dynamic in Jesus. It was His proper relationship under the authority of God that allowed Jesus to be a representative of God's power on earth. The principle is the same for every soldier in the army of God. Jesus set the pattern. To be a public dispenser of God's authority, He knew He must first be under God's authority. No servant is greater than his Master.
The Practice of Prayer: Do people in authority rub you the wrong way? Do you chaff under the exercise of authority in your life? Do you struggle to be on your own, or to have your own way? Do you undermine people in authority over you? Do you always have a better idea, keener insight, and infallible hindsight, when you evaluate those to whom you are accountable? Pray for them, and ask God, "What do you want me to learn from You by being under Your authority?
Thought for the Day: A position of authority is no guarantee of the Presence of God's power. God grants His power to people who come to Him in prayer, and yield themselves to His authority over their lives.
"Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence." Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The Prayer Principle of Multiplication
Principle: Placing our resources into God's hands, increases our dependency upon Him and releases His blessing towards us.
"...looking up to Heaven. He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to put before the multitude." Luke 9:16
When "The Twelve" came to Jesus, they gave Him a directive rather than ask Him for a sense of direction. They probably loved being seen as the leaders of a great movement, but they did not see themselves as responsible for those who were following them. They advised Jesus to send the people away, so they could fend for themselves. Jesus turned their advice to Him ,into an assignment for them. "You give them something to eat!" (Luke 9:13)
More than once, God has allowed His children to come to the end of their rope, in a desolate place. He doesn't want them to make more rope, so the ends can meet between the end of themselves and the beginning of God. He calls on His children to fall from the end of their limited or exhausted resources, and into His hands. They find their rest, when they pray their best, for what only God can do.
When Jesus told His disciples to provide food for 5,000 men, from their own resources, they were faced with the hopelessness of their situation. "We have not more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people." (Luke 9:13b)
John is the only one of the four Gospel writers who tells us the resources did not even come from the disciples, but from a small boy. "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" (John 6:9)
Jesus told the disciples to seat the people in groups of fifty, took what a child made available to Him, and thanked God for it. What was going through the disciples minds, while they were seating the people is not recorded. Setting the table for a banquet in a desolate place surely prompted one of the twelve to mutter, "This is going to take a miracle."
When they took what they had and placed it in His hands, a miracle took place. Jesus wants His people to let Him turn the impossible into the HIMpossible. "And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them and kept giving them to to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they ate and were satisfied." (Luke 9:16)
God specializes in impossible situations. He has no desire for His people to pool their resources and talents to determine what they can do for Him. Furthermore, He does not want to be given credit for their small dreams and minor accomplishments. It is embarrassing to think how many times the Kingdom of God has been blamed for the efforts of man.
Things seldom start looking up until down hearted people look up to God in prayer. Prayer turns their faces away from the hopelessness of their situation. Prayer enables a person to look up to God in hopefulness, for the resources of Heaven. Prayer warriors find out that nothing is impossible with God.
Jesus showed the disciples that a concern for others would not mean they would have to do without. "And they all ate and were satisfied, and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full." (Luke 9:17)
Isn't it just like God to take the broken pieces, in a desolate place, to remind His children that He cares for them? No matter what their need may be or where the place may be, God is there to receive what they give to Him, and do His best with it. He desires for His children to trust Him to meet them and their need right there in the middle of it.
The Practice of Prayer: What are you praying for that is impossible? Whatever it is, the harder the better, start praying for it today!
Thought for the Day: What is not going to happen unless God takes the field? You won't embarrass God by asking Him to do something that you cannot do. Life only becomes embarrassing for you, when you to attempt to do something you have no business doing. When you come to the end of your rope, stop making rope. Fall into the Father's hands, with all you have, to receive all that He has for you.
"Man's extremity is God's opportunity." George Whitefield (1714-1770)
The Prayer Principle of Insulation
"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