The Offering

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now." Philippians 1:3-5

"Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father, and His child." Don Miller

My father's definition has served me well, and I have never found a better one. Still, defining prayer is no substitute for doing it. Dad didn't stop at the definition, he made the application. Big difference.

Defining prayer until the meaning is sliced and diced as fine as frog's hair closely resembles dissecting a frog. All the parts are there, but there is no life to it. Deceased, lab-worked frogs can be made to jump, by shooting bolts of electricity through them, but they never come back to life.

Dissection never leads to a resurrection. For prayer to come alive, there must be new life breathed into it. Kissing a dead frog won't turn it into a living prince. Falling in love with the idea of prayer, without breathing new life into one's praying leaves prayer on the lab table. It is meant for so much more.

For prayer to come alive, it should not only be studied in the lab, or the library, but breathed on the battlefields and during the crises of life. Effective prayer is not about practiced elocution, or posturing eloquence. It is about the profound exasperation of the warrior in the middle of desperate circumstances, and in the face of a relentless enemy.

Offering up prayer is ALWAYS appropriate. Prayer is not only well-suited for saying grace over a meal, putting a child's fears to rest before bed, or praying prior to a football game. It is not merely reserved for use as invocations or benedictions inserted into calm, predictable, well-ordered worship services. Prayer can bring great comfort to those in need of physical healing. It can also salve the emotional wounds to the soul and spirit that come along the way.

In Paul's case, prayer was a call of remembrance to God, on behalf of a loved one or those who had invested their lives in spiritual warfare, and the battle against evil. It can also be an intense cry for help in the middle of a fire fight, when surrounded by the enemy, and there appears to be no way out.

Paul had a great love and appreciation for those who didn't desert him, but stood by him, when it appeared there was nothing for them to gain from it. His perspective on who his friends really were had probably changed over the years. He had lost a few, but those who remained were worth remembering.

Prayer for Paul was not so much a trip down memory lane, but an appreciation for those who stood with him in the present tense. Prayer is always an appropriate way to remember those who are with us...NOW!

"In view of your participation of the gospel, from the first day until now." v. 5

"Lone Survivor" is the most recent box office smash of 2014. One Hollywood critic is coming under fire for her, dare I say it, "criticism." All together now. Shock face! Sitting with all her friends in the relative safety of the Left Coast, she could see through the fog of war. From her relative safety, she offered her perspective with critical eye, and a discerning ear to the dialogue, during the film's portrayal of the firefight. Apparently, it was not Shakespearean eloquence. It was just one one word bursts, only seconds long, and it involved some cussing. She will live to regret her criticism. Hollywood loves to cuss. But I digress.

Prayers overheard by non-combatants, during a prayer warrior's terrifying fire-fights of life with a relentless enemy, must sound desperate, indeed. Prayer warriors can thank God that The Spirit interprets their prayers, and The Son intercedes for them by name, at the right hand of The Father.

Sometimes a one word burst of prayer can be the most profound statement of faith. One faith-breathed prayer can launch an invasion of Heaven to earth. Any father knows this is true, if he has ever heard his child call out one word, in the middle of the night, "Daddy!" Remember, The Father is always listening. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Joy

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6

Paul wrote what are now referred to as The Prison Epistles, during his imprisonment in Rome. They include Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. The first chapter of Philippians flows from personal greetings, to genuine thanksgiving, and into intercessory prayer. They reveal much about the man, his mission, and his Master.

Joy saturates Paul's letter to the Church at Philippi. Sixteen times Paul makes reference to some form of joy or rejoicing. It is easy to forget that he was an imprisoned man, facing criminal charges, and the real possibility of death at the hands of the Roman authorities.

Verses three through six of the first chapter are some of the first verses I committed to memory, while a student at Baylor University. Separated from my family, and friends in New York, by 1,200 miles I could identify with Paul's emotion, as he recalled those he loved.

In the middle of any crisis, the attitude adjustment is the most important adjustment to be made. Paul initiates his remarks by expressing the attitude of gratitude. He may have been walked upon by his Jewish brethren, and pushed around by Roman authorities, but he refused to see himself as a door mat. His letter to the Church at Philippi is more like a Welcome Mat to the joy of the Christian life.

The older I get, the longer it takes for me to get up, when I fall down. Consequently, if I drop something on the floor, I don't immediately pick it up. I make a swift evaluation, and determine if the trip down to my knees to pick it up is worth the effort. If I fall, I look around, before I get up, to see if there is anything else I need to pick up while I am down on the floor. Never let a crisis go to waste. Can I get a witness?

Watching a child make their way through the day is very revealing, and exhausting. If they get knocked down, they bounce right back up. If a grown man fell as many times during the day, as a two year old, he would end the day in ICU. But I digress.

The challenge for the believer is to remain Christ-centered and child-like, and to avoid becoming self-centered and childish. When Paul faced a crisis beyond his control, rather than choosing resentment over the inconvenience, he chose joy.

The attitude of gratitude is a learned behavior. Little children are not born grateful. They must be taught to say thank you. When they come into the world, it all revolves around them. This stops being cute, at a very early age.

When our first child came into our lives, Dana and I were never thanked for the loss of sleep, or any inconvenience that was forced upon us for changing a diaper, providing a meal, or covering our child with clothing. It is breath-taking how ungrateful a newborn can be. It becomes life-draining by the time a child is a teenager.

As our child grew older, we insisted she learn to say, "Thank you!" She resisted. There is something very childish about being ungrateful, and something very child-like about becoming grateful for what one receives. Guess which one is more Christ-like.

"Please" and "Thank You" are not magic words, but they need to become mastered words, by those who claim the be children of God. Paul learned to thank God, regardless of the crisis, the inconvenience, or the chains. He made no claim to being the master of disaster, but he refused to be the victim of it.

Joy is also a learned behavior. Yes, it is the fruit of The Spirit, but Christians who are squeezed by a crisis don't always spew out what is on the label. Squeeze a lemon, you get lemon juice. Squeeze a Christian, and you don't always get what is on the T-shirt.

"It is easy to act like an angel, as long as no one ruffles your feathers." Author Unknown

Joy is that over-riding sense of calm, and confidence in the middle of a crisis, based upon the seasoned conviction that The Father is reigning, The Son is interceding, and The Spirit is intervening to bring God's best out of what appears to be the enemy's worst. Joy is a matured perspective on life that is gained by praying one's way through a crisis, rather than talking one's way out of it. Talking prolongs the pain of the crisis. Praying releases joy in the crisis.

Paul was chained to a Roman guard for two years. There must have been a point in time when Paul looked at his chains, as a connection to God, rather than a separation from Him. The day Paul looked at his Roman guard as an inspiration from God, not an irritation from man is the day joy was released into his soul.

The result of Paul's attitude adjustment, transformed the crisis of being chained to a Roman soldier for two years, from an irritation to an illustration. What Paul was inspired to write about The Armor of God in Ephesians has inspired believers for over 2,000 years.

Prayer is the most essential quality of the Spirit-filled life and the world class weapon in the the arsenal of any believer engaged in spiritual warfare. Paul not only thanked God for his friends, he prayed for them. There is no greater joy in life than seeing friends finish the race well. There is no greater heart-ache in life than seeing dear friends fall along the way, detoured by the crises of life.

Note to self: The next time you fall down, don't take it personally. Pray for someone else while you're down there, and then help them up. Never waste a crisis. When you fall, stay on your knees long enough to thank God that He is already on the scene, putting the broken pieces together. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Salvation

"Be it known... that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." Acts 28: 28 KJV

One of the great mysteries in life is how two people can be offered the same salvation, and yet, one person will receive it as a gift of God's grace, and another will reject it as an expression of complete nonsense or abject heresy. The Holy Spirit warned that not everyone who sees and hears The Truth will be healed from their spiritual blindness and deafness.

"Paul had spoken one parting word, 'The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, 'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, '"YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM." '

Two thoughts come to mind, upon reading that statement.

"Familiarity breeds contempt." - Author unknown

"It is possible to become calloused handling the holy." Dr. Curtis Vaughan

When I asked my friend, and Greek professor, Dr. Curtis Vaughan, "How is it possible to know more about the Word of God than ever before, and still have a coldness in my heart towards The Truth of it?" He responded with the second statement listed above. He touched a nerve.

Note to self: Never confuse reading about God, studying about His Son, and talking about The Spirit's ministry to be a substitute for intimate conversation with God. The work of the ministry creates callouses on hands, and hearts, but the joy of the ministry is a result of callouses on your knees. Make sure your life and ministry are marked by both.

Paul longed for his Jewish brothers to get in on what God was doing in the world. Some did. Some didn't. Paul refused to give up on them, but he turned his attention to those who would heed The Gospel, not just those who were in need of it. Thanks, Paul.

My root system is clearly Gentile. From my mother's side of the family, Irish heritage flows freely from those who entered ports in New York City, and New Orleans. From my father's side, German Lutherans entered America at the port of Philadelphia. Religious persecution drove them to America. Another group of Dad's folks, Puritans, landed in Connecticut and then Long Island. There is not a Jew among them. Without The Gospel being shared with the Gentiles, God's grace would have never reached my ancestors.

This passage holds special meaning to me, and should be seen as the launching pad for the transformation of Western Civilization. Never despise the day of small things. What appears to be insignificant to the powers that be is often a seismic shift when driven by the power of God. Paul was not a dim candle, flickering in a prison cell. He was a major beacon of hope sending out a message of salvation. Looks can be deceiving.

Hearing The Gospel involves heeding it, not just needing it. Those who need it must heed it. Paul would have many hearers of The Word, while imprisoned for two years in Rome. They would not all obey what they heard.

Praying for the preachers of The Gospel is a huge part of the effectiveness of their message. Praying over the hearers of The Gospel to believe it and to receive it is no less crucial.

Blinded eyes, and deafened ears are not transformed by the eloquence of the preacher, but by the healing hand of The Spirit of God. Praying for a preacher to be a scalpel in the hand of The Great Physician prepares the messenger to be a clean and sharpened instrument in the hands of God.

Still, pray for the first sign of healing in the life of a hearer. This is not a request for more information, but the initial act of obedience to what they have already heard. Pray that hearers of The Word do not delay their obedience to it. Salvation is not a result of hearing or seeing the truth, but of obeying what is heard and seen.

"Delayed obedience is still disobedience." Henry Blackaby

"Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child." Don Miller

Pray for the next generation of believers to hear and see The Gospel and to respond to it with their obedience, not their resistance. Pray that their hearing and seeing of The Gospel would bring complete healing to their blinded eyes, and deafened ears. Pray for this new generation of believers to usher in the next Great Awakening. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Sect

" 'But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.'...and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses, and from the Prophets from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe." Acts 28:22-24

Paul's protection under the law was directly related to Rome's understanding of Religious Liberty, and The Jewish community's perception of The sect of Christianity as form of Judaism. Rome recognized the Jewish religion, and authorized the freedom for Jews to worship as their rules prescribed.

Judaism was not immune, nor opposed to the existence of different sects that operated under their politically approved banner. Paul had played on these differences when he pitted the Sadducees against the Pharisees. There were others like the Essenes who marched to the beat of a different drum, but they all worshiped the same God.

Roman authority didn't want to get in the middle of these religious civil wars. As long as their disagreements didn't violate the Pax Romana, they were left to sort it out among themselves.

The real danger for Paul would emerge when he clearly identified himself, and Christians as believers of The Lord Jesus Christ, as The Son of God. As long as Paul held Jesus up as just another rabbi, he was on safe soil. Paul clearly drew a line in the sand, and invited the leading Jews of Rome to step from darkness into The Light.

Paul preached to persuade, not to patronize. He didn't attempt to hide in the tall grass, by covering Jesus with culturally accepted camoflage and politically correct platitudes. Paul put Jesus right where He belonged. He moved Him out of a cradle, to a cross, from the tomb, preaching the Risen Christ as the Son of God, now seated at the right hand of The Father.

To most of the leading Jews, this was crazy talk, and went far beyond the limits of their grace to allow a sect to operate under their political protection from Rome. When Paul raised the flag of the Kingdom of God, he split the sheets with the Jews, and took on the appearance of a rebel to the Romans. It would cost him his life.

Note to self: Thank God Paul did. Read the Book of Romans. It outlines Paul's understanding of the power of God's grace to set people free from The Law, by having a Savior Who met every requirement of it. You can't. Jesus did. God's grace trumps The Law...EVERY TIME.

The coward's way out would have led Paul to apologize for the misunderstanding, and preach a false gospel laced with just enough Jewish religion and self-help psychology to appear positive and harmless. He didn't. Paul was no coward. He was a preacher of the Gospel of God's grace and the Kingdom of The Lord Jesus Christ.

Contemporary Christianity is drunk on a poisonous "Kinder than God Kool-Aid." Some of the more popular spokesperson's for this sewage may make a name for themselves, and make people feel good about themselves, but they rob them of the difference that only Jesus can make in their lives.

Jesus didn't die on the cross for people to have a good day, but to be made right with God, by receiving His grace through His Son. Rome had no problem with members of a Jewish sect honoring, and remembering the teachings of a crucified carpenter.

The problem would arise when Paul called for Jesus to be worshiped as The Son of God. As such, The Temple was to be replaced by the Risen Christ taking up residence, by The Spirit of God, in the hearts of those who believed in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Jesus appeared to be leading a sect, but He was actually offering people The Way.

Jesus is still the bone in the throat and the rock in the shoe for those who are in need of God's grace, but won't admit they need a Savior. Though it is shrinking, and the window of tolerance is closing, there is still room in this self-help obsessed world for Jesus as a way, just not The Way.

The Savior is not the leader of The Sect. Jesus is "The Way, The Truth and The Life." Jesus is not an available option to God's grace, but He is the essential provider of it.

The old gospel song asks the questions, and provides the only answer. "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Paul would have been willing to sing it loud, and sing it proud.

Paul invited The Jews to hear him, and prayed for the courage to persuade them to receive Jesus as their Savior. Some did, and some didn't. Not much has changed in the last 2,000 years. Christianity is not The Sect, and preachers still need the courage to proclaim Jesus as The Savior. Preachers of The Gospel will find the power to persuade others to believe in Jesus when they...TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Soldier

"Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him...and he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered." Acts 28:16-31

A prayerful person gains a powerful perspective, in the crises of life. Prayer has a way of transforming an irritation into an illustration, and turning a doormat into a welcome mat. Prayer leaves a prayerful person unhindered from physical chains, and persistent crises that often bind and blind a prayerless person from seeing what God is up to in the middle of their crisis.

Praying his way through each crisis, Paul chose to be a welcome mat, not a door mat. His prayerful response to the crises of life empowered him to seize each one of them as an opportunity to welcome people into his life who were open to meeting the Lord Jesus Christ.

Note to self: Be like Paul when you grow up. You will never be filled by, or live under the influence of The Spirit, by obsessing over your Whine List. Stop it!

Paul was chained to a Roman guard, and his freedom of movement was severely restricted for "two full years." Paul didn't whine through the unnerving experience. He mined it, and The Spirit refined it. The result is found in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and his perspective on the Armor of God.

It is no great leap of faith to surmise that Paul's time chained to a Roman soldier improved his perspective on weapons and warriors. Being up close and personal, allowed Paul to examine the state of the art weaponry and have it explained by one of the greatest warriors of his day. It must have taken his understanding of the relationship between warrior and weapons to a whole new level.

Prayer provided the perspective Paul needed to receive, rather than resent the Roman soldier who was guarding him. The result was a relationship that gave Paul a great source of insight into the weapons of physical warfare. Paul, guided by The Spirit of God, turned his experience into essential insight into spiritual warfare.

A prayerful perspective turns a potential doormat into a powerful welcome mat, EVERY TIME. When Paul gathered the leading Jews of the city of Rome, he used his chains as means of communicating Jesus as "the hope of Israel."

"...for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel." v. 20

Perspective is an essential ingredient in hope. H.O.P.E. is Having Our Perspective Elevated. Prayer raises the perspective of a person, inclined to be a doormat. Prayer raises a prayerful person above the crisis of the moment, to see what God is up to in the middle of it.

Through prayer, doormats become welcome mats to those who are looking for a way to meet Jesus. When the next crisis comes, pray your way through it, and welcome people to the Kingdom. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Presence

"When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage." Acts 28: 15

It took a shipwreck to do it, but 100 days later Paul finally arrived in Rome. When the believers in Rome heard Paul was in town, they came to meet him. It had a powerful impact on his life.

The Bible doesn't record what the "brethren" said to Paul, when they met him in Rome. It just records that they came a good ways, and they were there. There is simply no substitute for the ministry of presence.

Over the past 40 years, I have conducted hundreds of funerals and weddings. Weddings are always preceded by counseling and rehearsals. The concept hasn't caught on for funerals. But I digress.

The Bride and The Groom usually arrive at the marriage counsel sessions with an increasing level of angst, at the growing details of THE WEDDING. At some point, I urge them to take a break from THE WEDDING, and focus on their marriage.

I have always tried to ratchet down the tension,and remind the couple that THE WEDDING and their marriage, though important, are not the same thing. I usually say to The Bride, "Don't get lost in the minutiae. People will remember two things about your wedding. They will recall they were there, and you were beautiful." To the groom, "Don't get annoyed by wedding plans. Just show up. You are going home with her after this is over." Everything else fades, from memory and significance.

Funerals always leave people with the question, "What do I say?" My counsel has often been, "You have said what needs to be said, by showing up." Less is more.

Being there is the key to encouragement in the lives of those in need of courage. Loneliness and isolation breed discouragement. Paul was not immune from the need to find fresh courage for the challenges in his life. Acts 28 is eloquent testimony to that need.

When Paul's long-delayed arrival to Rome took place, he was met by people who loved him, and identified with his condition. They weren't welcoming a conquering hero, but a prisoner of Roman justice. These nameless believers infused new courage into Paul, by showing up. The ministry of presence cannot be over-rated, and should never be under-valued.

Any preacher or pastor who has suffered with weekly bouts of encore anxiety, would do well to take a page out of Paul's prayer book. When Paul saw who showed up, he thanked God for them. Too often preachers look at empty chairs, and not the ones that are filled. When they do so, they fail to thank God for the people who showed up. This rarely leads to a message that encourages people to come back again.

This simple verse of Scripture may hold the key to the health of the local church. The people showed up, and the preacher thanked God. An encouraged preacher breathed the fresh air of Heaven. He took courage when he was met by people who heard Heaven call them to show up, when the preacher needed them the most.

Acts 28 gives a beautiful picture of the delicate balance that comes into the life of a church when preacher and people are exactly where God intends for them to be. Paul showed up in Rome. The people met him there. Prayers of gratitude were lifted up to God. Courage from Heaven filled Paul's heart. The result of Paul's infusion of courage has been his capacity to write letters that encouraged and edified the church then, and now.

Sunday is coming. Pray for your preacher. He needs your prayers, and you need the practice. Show up at church. Your preacher needs the courage to deliver what God has for him to say. You need to hear what he has to say. Don't just show up. Be prayed up. The ministry of presence and the ministry of prayer lead to powerful preaching and a powerful church. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Connection

"And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid hands on him and healed him. After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured. They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed." Acts 28: 8-10

Three of the lasting memories I have of two years in East Africa are my bouts with malaria. The first time I came down with malaria, I was discovered by another missionary, Eucled Moore.

When I had not been heard from for a couple of days, Eucled came by to check on me. When I heard him at the door, I couldn't get up and answer his call. Somehow he broke in, and found me in a pretty pitiful state.

As a seasoned missionary, Eucled knew immediately what I had. His first words were, "Malaria, you feel like you're going to have to die to get better." I had been down for three days with raging fever, and body-shaking, bone-aching waves of chills. The accompanying dysentery was epic. I was dehydrated, hallucinating, and disoriented. All in all, another day in paradise. Thanks for stopping by, Eucled. You saved my life. Seriously, thanks.

When Paul walked into the home of Publius, he probably found his father suffering from malaria. The symptoms sound very similar. In the first century, the world was a long way from finding a cure for this horrible disease, and yet, as "it happened", God had a plan. It began with prayer. His plans always do.

"Paul went in to see him, and after he had prayed, he laid hands on him and healed him." v. 8

Before John Maxwell was a well-known leadership spokesperson, he pastored a church in California. In 1985, I attended a small conference in Arizona, where he spoke a few times to a group of about 30 pastors. He introduced to us his concept of leadership, as coins in our pockets. To summarize, a pastor has a certain amount of coins when he assumes the position at a church, and must spend them wisely. More coins are added, as confidence grows in a pastor's leadership ability. For instance, if a pastor goes to see a person in the hospital, they get a coin. If they pray for the person, they receive another coin. If the person they pray for gets well, they get A LOT of coins. You get the picture. There is a great deal of truth to this. But I digress.

Paul had already proven his leadership ability to the Roman Centurion, by guiding the shipwrecked passengers to the right beach. He had also survived a deadly bite from a viper. This caught the attention of the islanders. When he prayed for the father of Publius, and then he was healed, the people responded with respect and resources. Paul had some coins in his pocket, and was was about to invest them.

Paul went to see a very sick man, but before he laid his hands on him, he prayed. Praying people have a connection with the healing hand of The Spirit of the Risen Christ.

Healing and praying may not walk hand in hand, but they are close enough to be considered as inseparable. In God's plan, praying precedes healing, and healing follows praying. Praying is about connecting with The Source of healing, The Spirit of The Risen Christ.

Note to self: Never detour from consistent companionship with The Spirit of The Risen Christ. This is an arrogance that leads to believing the hand that touches is The Hand who heals. All healing is divine. Don't be confused. By praying, you are an instrument in the hand of God, not the healing hand of God. There is a big difference.

Praying pastors set the bar for praying churches. Believing prayer doesn't always result in a person being physically healed, but it is essential to the spiritual health of every believer. Praying without believing, is like breathing, without inhaling. It is simply not life-giving or death-defying.

Paul began by praying, and believing God is able to heal. He put himself in God's hands to be an instrument of healing, but his believing was not based on his ability to heal. It rested on God's ability. Prayer is the means by which a praying person offers their availability to God, not their ability.

The result of one man being healed, from a crippling disease, released great respect and generous resources from the people of Malta. There is simply nothing like answered prayer, to transform people existing on the beach of the Dead Sea, into rivers of living water.

Praying invites an invasion of Heaven into an impossible crisis, or an intimidating set of circumstances. How? Believing prayer focuses on connecting Heaven and earth.

Believing prayer makes a difference. It won't always make a name for the person doing the praying, but it will always move Heaven to earth. Don't take my word for it. Others have said this before.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." - Jesus (Matthew 6:10)

"Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask. - Billy Graham

Believing prayer is the means by which God intends to turn the impossible into the HIMpossible. It is based upon an abandonment of arrogance or belief in one's own ability. It is strengthened by an expansion of dependence on the availability of God. Invite Heaven to invade the impossible. Come what may...TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Adventure

"When they had been brought safely through,...The natives showed us extraordinary kindness." Acts 28:1-2

The greatest level of fear is reached somewhere between the mad dash that takes a person through the crisis, and to
the safe landing. This kind of a roller-coaster experience is not so much a test of faith, as it is a revelation of character. Words flow easily and readily from a heart filled with either fear or faith. Believing prayer will express them both, at one time or another.

Praying people learn to embrace the crisis, and listen to the voice of God in the midst of it. Prayerless people try to shout down the crisis, and control it by the sheer force of their own will power. Praying through a crisis is uplifting. Talking it to death only breathes new life into it. It is exhausting.

When my wife Dana was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2008, she immediately called it her "Great Adventure." I had a different perspective on the devastating news. While Dana embraced it, and saw God in it, I resented it, and missed His comforting Presence. It's a man thing.

The longer the crisis lasted, the harder it was to get through it with a sense of God's hand upon us. His hand started feeling like His thumb driving us into the ground in defeat, not His gentle touch, walking us down the path to a victory.

Prayer does not always lead to a quick fix or an immediate end to a crisis. Still, it God's way, for Christ followers to sense His Spirit's Presence in the middle of it. Full of fear? Pray. Empty of faith? Pray. Either way. Pray. Delaying praying leads to straying. Don't miss the adventure.

My friend, Paul Burleson, reminded me today of a great G.K. Chesterton quote on having the right perspective in the middle of an adventure. Thanks, Paul.

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G.K. Chesterton

When the Apostle Paul and his shipmates crash-landed on the shores of Malta, they were met with a welcome mat from "the natives" of the island. Luke describe their reception as being marked by "extraordinary kindness." v. 2

Some crises last longer than others. They don't make sense, and are not easily embraced. Though Paul and his companions were well-received, don't be deceived. Being kicked to the curb does not always end in being picked up by a Cadillac. Those who offer prayer formulas that always provide positive results don't sell many books in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria, or anywhere else martyrs are dying for their faith today.

Note to self: Prayer flows from a heart filled with fear or faith. Don't fake it til you make it. Pour out the fear in your heart to God, until He fills Your heart with the faith to see Him in the middle of your crisis. Give Him time, and take your eyes of your watch. This may take a while. If someone has the nerve to tell you to "get over it" resist the urge to pray that God will take the crisis from you and give it to them.

During the past five years, Dana has been through toxic chemo sessions, experienced the loss of all her hair, the removal of both breasts, and a host of other side effects that come with the battle against this evil disease. Cancer is no respecter of persons, and it hits hard, great and small, rich and poor.

Through it all my wife chose to be a victor, and never a victim. I have had a front row seat to this fight. Believe me when I say, it has given me a whole new appreciation for the phrase, "Fight Like a Girl." What I once used as a playground put down to a school yard bully carries a new meaning for me today. Fight like a girl, indeed.

I have seen courage up close and personal. I have heard Dana praise God, during the darkest night of her soul, and through the hardest fight for her life. The five years on our way between through it and to it, God has landed us both on some unexpected beaches. Often "the natives" have shown us "extraordinary kindness." Sometimes they have been village idiots.

The point: It simply doesn't matter how restless the natives are, as long as God is in control, we are at peace. The "Great Adventure" continues. Thank you for praying with us every step along the way. See you at the beach party. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Landing

"And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land." Acts 27: 44b

Luke's account of Paul's storm-battered voyage, and shipwrecked landing is filled with all the drama and the trauma that language can convey. Reading it is like hearing an eye-witness news TV commentator. Luke had a front row seat to all the action, and his words convey the passion of one who had survived it, not just someone who had heard about it.

"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn." - C. S. Lewis

The same word is used to describe the centurion's attempt to protect Paul, as the word used for the safe landing of 276 passengers on the beach. In each case "safely" refers to the experience of being preserved, or the intention to preserve through danger, or to save, to rescue, to cure.

"Safely through" and "safely to" carry a subtle yet profound difference in meaning from the words escape, exit or egress. The clarification is in the preposition. Paul was not taken out of the danger, but he was guided through it.

Note to self: Too many of your prayers are lifted up with the expectation of an escape artist. They are void of the passion of a warrior. Stop looking for a three day pass to avoid the conflict. At least stop digging a more comfortable foxhole. Seek strength for the battle, and victory in it. Don't just face the crisis. With God's grace, go through it.

Luke appeared to be along for the ride. The good doctor was a companion to Paul, not a prisoner guilty of a crime. Any danger he faced was brought about by the guilt of association. He was with Paul, so he had to go through the same storms. It just doesn't seem fair. Life isn't.

Anyone who has ever walked with a spouse, a family member, a friend, or a church through one of the storms of life, knows the terror that accompanies every trial, every tear and every triumph. Those who share the danger are not immune from the pain that often accompanies the crisis.

I recall my father, speaking these words over Dana and myself, at our wedding 37 years ago... "every trial, every tear and every triumph." The reference was to the power of the grace of God to see a couple through the storms of life. Thanks Dad. I was listening. You were right. Where God guides, He provides His grace for the journey.

Praying through a crisis may not end it, but it leads a person safely through it. When Paul and Luke gathered with the survivors of the shipwreck, they stuck the landing. They used their survival as a catalyst for revival on Malta.

Too often the crises of life are seen as inconvenient obstacles to get over. At times they appear as disconnected dangers to get through. In truth they are opportunities to be seized.

Prayer takes hold of a crisis and places it in the hands of God, and gives His Spirit the elbow room to make sense out of it. Prayer encourages those who are in a crisis not to lose heart in the middle of it, but to walk with Jesus through it.

Taking magnifies the crisis, and terrifies those closest to it. Praying magnifies God, and minimizes the crisis. Prayer edifies the followers of Christ, when they hear the name of Jesus being called upon in the middle of a crisis. The same name terrifies the enemies of Christ.

Prayer will see you through, whatever God's Spirit brings to you. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Preservation

" 'Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.' Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food. All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy six persons." Acts 27:35-37

Luke's account of the voyage, the storm and eventual shipwreck gives a detailed recording of the events as the prolonged crisis appeared to be spinning out of control.

In the midst of the chaos and fear, Paul is the calmest man on the ship. Persistent prayer, through a prolonged crisis, has the power to turn a victim into a victor.

"Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation." v. 34

SIDE NOTE WARNING: The end of the "Holiday Season" is fast merging into "Flu Season." If Facebook posts are to be trusted, flu bugs are swarming, and Nyquil, Baptist Bourbon, is flowing. After observing all the postings of sugar laced food, adult beverages, and the mountains of calories being ravenously consumed, over the past month, it shouldn't surprise anyone that immune systems have been overloaded and exposed to disease. This only happens every year. I wonder if food was ever returned to a source of preservation, and not a form of gratification, if the result would be health restoration. But I digress. I warned you.

Paul seized the crisis as an opportunity for importunity. He reminded all of the 276 people on the ship that God was the source of their provision and preservation.

"Having said this, he took the bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat." v. 35

Gratitude towards God in the face of the ineptitude of man has a way of encouraging one and all that there is hope. Prayer reminds people that the best is yet to come, by taking their eyes off of the crisis and back towards the face of God. Prayer removes the crisis from man's hands and places the crisis in God's hands, even when the worst is staring them in the face.

"All of them were encouraged and they themselves took food." v. 36

Prayer may be the greatest untapped source for encouragement the world has ever known. Prayer infuses courage into the hearts of people that need the courage to fight for their lives, and to see God in the middle of any crisis.

Faced with Stage 2 B Breast Cancer, Dana and I met for the first time with her oncologist. He said something remarkably encouraging to us. With his rich, Columbia, South American accent, this wonderful scientist and gifted doctor said, "We are going to fight this with prayer." When he said this, he held up his thumb. We looked at each other, and nodded. We had found the right man to lead us through this fight.

The good doctor went on to add, "Then we will add, Positive People, Healthy Nutrition, Consistent Exercise, and Proven Science." For the past five years, we have both often remarked on the perfect timing of God to bring this one man into the middle of our crisis to give us hope in the darkest hours of it.

Prayer was not new to us, but God knew we needed someone else to remind us to take it to a new level. Think about it. It is impossible to make a fist without a thumb.

Remove the thumb and a fist becomes a slap. There may be impact, but the power of the punch is lost. The result is just not the same. A slap has the ability to annoy, but not the power to destroy. Don't slap at a crisis. Pray through it.

Note to self: Anytime, and anywhere you appear to be entering the fight of your life, don't forget the thumb. Satan loves to lie to you, and tell you, "It's over!" Prayer punches him in the throat. Make a fist. Hit back.

"All of them were encouraged." v. 36

This word used for "encouraged" does not describe a logo-wear blanket thrown across the legs of a chilled spectator in the stands. This is the passion, the fire in the belly of the gladiator who is about to enter the arena. The roar of the crowd is in his ears, and the boiling rage towards his opponent is pent up in his heart. With sword and shield in hand, he is armored up and ready to be released for the contest. Prayer releases the call of the wild, not the call of the mild.

Good cheer, indeed. This kind of courage is not a pep rally thrill. It is the surge that infuses the warrior with the urge to kill. Prayer encourages most when it focuses on the life and death struggle, and reminds the prayer warrior that he is not alone. The struggle is not against inconvenient circumstances or flesh and blood. The battle is against an ancient foe. Don't take my word for it.

"A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle." Martin Luther

Prayerless preachers who stand in the pulpit appear to be what they are not, warriors. They are guilty of stolen valor. They wear a uniform, but never show up for the fight. Prayer gets a grip on The Sword of the Lord, and runs to the battle line to stand next to The Champion. Prayer reminds the warrior that the battle is won, not his to lose. Take courage. Knees down! Thumbs up! TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!