The Joy

“But now, I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, so that they may have My joy, made full in themselves.” John 17:13

Jesus prayed for His disciples to be full of His joy. Those who choose to be full of themselves will never know the fullness of the joy of Jesus in themselves.

Joy is a confidence, and a calm that fills the heart of a believer with gladness, and spills out of them and onto others, even in the midst of the chaos and confusion of the world. To the world, this gladness looks like madness. To The Father, this calmness is a sign of His children’s faithfulness. They trust in His Word, and His Presence to see them through the storms of life, come what may.

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”  V.14

The disciples trusted in God’s Word, and shared the same citizenship with their Savior. They were living in the world that made less and less sense to them, because it was no longer their home.  Their homing beacon had been changed by the faith that came to them by hearing the word of God, and by embracing fellowship with His Son.

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. “ V. 15

Jesus did not pray for His disciples to escape from the evil of the world, but to be protected from the evil one in it. Satan is a liar, and his aim in life is to steal, kill and destroy. He steals the joy of every believer who buys into his lies. He lies about the meaning, and questions the authority of the Word of God. He destroys the prayer life of believers, because he knows this is their source of their strength.

“The one concern of the Devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” Samuel Chadwick

The joy of the Christian life is not a by-product of worldly entertainment, but a result of the filling of The Spirit of Christ. Entertainment has become the world’s substitute for joy.  Drinking from the world of entertainment never satisfies a raging thirst for joy.

Sensual, sarcastic, and shocking entertainment must continually push the edge of the envelope of decency because what once tickled a sense of humor inevitably wears thin. The more the same punchline is used to get a laugh out of the audience, the less power it has.  Comedians are often the most neurotic and joyless of people. They live for the approval of a fickle audience, and become prisoners of their own success, trapped in the desert of encore anxiety. When the laughter dies their lives have little meaning.

Joy on the other hand is the capacity to rise above trials, tests, and tears with a triumphal spirit. Joy does not come from tapping into a continuous stream of entertainment. The source of joy is the Spirit of Christ. Believers who yield their lives to His Presence will produce His fruit, the character of Christ.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Jesus interceded for His disciples to be filled with His joy, not a man-made imitation marked by slap-happy giddiness.  Love is the driving force behind the joy of Jesus. Knowing the love of The Father brings confidence, and raises the level of calm in the midst of the storm. The Spirit releases joy into the heart of the believer whether they are suffocated by the mundane, or overwhelmed by the insane crises of life.

Though the storm rages on, it is possible for joy to fill a wave-tossed disciple. This kind of joy comes at the point of their total dependence upon, and absolute surrender to the one who holds the whole world in His hands. Joy filled disciples don’t abandon the ship. They surrender themselves to The Captain.

"When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer." - Corrie Ten Boom

Joy faces every trial, every test and every triumph with the same kind of confidence. The Spirit’s still small voice is heard within the deepest recesses of the believer’s heart saying softly, “This too will pass.”  

Joy is an overflow. It is not just an outward expression of an inward feeling. Joy is an overflow of a filling, not a feeling. The filling of The Spirit cannot be contained or hidden by those who are filled with the character of Christ.

To the faithless, gladness may appear to be madness. To the faithful, joy is calmness not madness. Praying reduces the urge to panic in the face of an enduring crisis or a cantankerous person. Joy reflects the glory of The Father, by looking into His Son’s eyes in the midst of the storm. Prayer warriors refuse to panic until Jesus does. Like the old song says, “Turn You Eyes Upon Jesus.” TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Reunion

“Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:5

This brief statement is breathtaking in scope and substance, revealing the private, personal prayer life of The Lord, Jesus. The heartbeat of His prayer expressed His deep and abiding love for The Father, and His longing for The Reunion with Him.

In one sense, The Son and The Father can never separated from one another. They, along with The Spirit, are always together because they are three in one and the same Person.  In a human sense, Jesus accepted His limitations, but longed to return to the kind of intimate relationship He once had with The Father, before the world was created.

Even with all the power and authority given to Him on the earth, these proved to be no substitute for The Reunion He longed to have with The Father. Jesus came to the earth out of obedience to the will of The Father. Personal, private prayer kept Him aligned with The Father’s will, and kept His heart softened to obey Him, even to the point of death. Thank you, Jesus.

“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9

While on the earth, completing The Mission, Jesus utilized prayer in His intense battle against evil. To be clear, He also seized hold of prayer to maintain His personal intimacy with The Father.  Jesus was there when the world was created. As beautiful as the creation was, the earth held no chains on his body, or charms over His heart. It paled in significance to His love for The Father, and His home in Heaven.

Note to self: Intensity and intimacy are two sides of a healthy prayer life. Prayer was forged in Heaven in the heart of The Father. Prayer was God’s idea, long before you looked upon it as a good idea. Like two sides of the same coin, intensity and intimacy go together. Jesus exhibited both. You should too. Loving what you do, without spending time with The Father, will turn your passion into a possession. Praying reminds you to be a steward, not an owner, of what The Father has given you. Remember two things. You will never rise above your prayer life, and the best is yet to come.

Jesus longed to be “together” with The Father. This one word describes the very essence of prayer, and reveals the core value of Christianity. Faith in The Son is not a religion. He leads those who believe in Him, and bear His name, to an intimate relationship with The Father. Jesus offers no other expression of genuine faith. His followers should express nothing less.

The word “together” is a translation of the Greek preposition, “para.” It is often transliterated in the English language, to express very familiar terms such as parallel tracks, or the teaching of parables.  Each concept is a picture of a side-by-side relationship. A train is derailed if one of the tracks is not properly aligned with the other. A teaching is clarified by placing it alongside another well-known experience, or widely held belief.  This exhausts my personal knowledge of Greek prepositions.

Following Jesus leads to a powerful, parallel, prayer life marked by consistent companionship with The Father. Anything less than intensity for The Mission and intimacy with The Father is an indication that the prayer life of the follower is out of alignment. Jesus prayed for Gods’ will to be done in His own life. In parallel fashion, His followers should pray for The Fathers direction, protection and correction in their lives.

When Jesus prayed, He hungered for The Reunion with The Father.  There was nothing on the earth that could satisfy the deepest longing of His heart. His obedience on the earth was His pathway to His home in Heaven, and His prelude to honor from The Father. Obedience to The Father is not only a good idea. It is God’s idea. Pray and obey.

“The first purpose of prayer is to know God.” Charles L. Allen

Praying leads to knowing The Father and obeying His will. When prayer warriors delay to obey, they begin to stray from The Father. Jesus prayed and obeyed, and longed for The Reunion. Prayer warriors follow His lead, and receive intensity for the battle, and restore intimacy with The Father. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Mission

“I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”  John 17:4

One of my favorite coffee mugs bears a background image of a white-bearded, Moses coming down the mountain carrying two huge stone tablets, one under each arm. In the foreground, the words of one man speaking to another are inserted and framed in the iconic comic strip bubble. It says, “Oh, no! Not another mission statement.” Can I get a witness?

Jesus prayed and stayed on task. The Mission of His life was not to make a name for Himself, but to make a difference in the world by glorifying The Father. In His High Priestly prayer Jesus revealed the result of a life time of praying and staying on mission. He stated He had finished the work The Father gave Him to do on the earth. What a powerful statement.

Prayerful people stay on mission, by glorifying The Father. Prayerless people are prideful people who use The Father’s name to make a name for themselves. In doing so, they stray from The Mission. Self-glorification is one of the most common forms of idolatry.

The Mission of prayer is to glorify The Father. It is not about doing something for Him, or giving Him information, but in spending time with Him. The Father chooses to spend time with His children. When His children fail to pray, they fail to honor The Father.

“Though we cannot by our prayers give God any information, yet we must by our prayers give him honor.” Matthew Henry

Going on a mission trip is often confused with being on mission.  Prolific photo ops with unreached people groups are no substitute for personal participation in private prayer sessions with The Father.  Taking a trip once a year may increase a poser’s frequent flyer miles, but they will not make up for the precious sense of direction found in spending time in The Father’s Presence. But I digress.

When frantic Martha raced into The Presence of Jesus, she was exasperated that her sister, Mary was not helping her prepare a meal for His disciples. Surprisingly, Jesus rebuked her, and commended Mary. He said,

“But only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:42

Note to self: When it comes to prayer, franticly working to accomplish your own mission, steals your joy of being on task to accomplish The Mission. Praying in The Spirit will draw you to The Father in the name of Jesus and keep you from straying from The Mission. Your mission, should you agree to accept it is impossible without prayer. Increasing your worries without increasing your praying reveals the “To Do List” of a fool. Prayer takes turns the impossible into MISSION: HIMpossible.

Praying in The Spirit keeps the prayerful from straying from The Presence of The Intercessor, and The Mission of The Father. Often life is inundated with with unexpected crises or unappreciated divine appointments ranging from the mundane to the insane.  At the first prompting of The Spirit, the heart of child-like prayer warrior softly sings, “Tell It to Jesus.” Childish and prayerless posers take on the impossible, and proudly pout, “I do it myself!”

THE WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM of 1646:

Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

 The prayer life of Jesus glorified The Father, and gave Him great joy. His priority on praying, and staying on mission should inspire His followers to prayerfully begin each day, face any crisis, take every breath, and overcome each hurdle in The Presence of The Father. Praying led Jesus to glorify The Father. His followers should do no less.

The Mission is to glorify The Father on the earth, not to spend time giving God instructions on how to improve what He created or complaining to Him about what He has allowed to take place on the earth. Praying improves a prayer warrior’s capacity to see God at work, and make the best, even in the worst of times.

Prayer responds to God’s Spirit gentlest touch. Wise prayer warriors give Him the time and the elbow room to transform the impossible into the HIMpossible.

Prayer empowers prayer warriors to endure trials, pass tests, shed tears and celebrate triumphs, the way Jesus did. Jesus did not run around in panic, taking His Father’s name in vain, while trying to figure out what to do next. He faced whatever the enemy or life brought to Him, by placing it before The Father in prayer.

Prayer warriors stand next to The Champion and call out His name. Their dependence on The Son’s name brings glory to The Father’s name.  In prayer, they receive The Father’s direction, protection and correction to carry out The Mission.

The Father’s Son was known for praying, not straying. The Father’s children honor Him by running to Him with anything that breaks their hearts or crosses their minds. They do not fear, when they sense The Father is near. Nothing glorifies Him more than praying children. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Intercessor

“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that He may glorify You. Even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:1-3

John’s Gospel records twenty-six verses that are often referred to as “The High Priestly Prayer.” The Intercessor packed His prayer with power, passion and purpose. The prayers of The Intercessor still are. Whatever the size of the crisis that is in your face, or the weight of a concern that is on your heart, like the old hymn says, “Tell It to Jesus.”

On a personal note, my father, Don Miller, has always referred to this passage of Scripture as, “The True Lord’s Prayer.” He has always believed this prayer reveals the heart of The Intercessor like no other recorded prayer of Jesus.  Thanks, Dad. You may be right.

After sharing “The Last Supper” with His disciples, Jesus expressed an intercessory prayer for those who were gathered around the table. He didn’t stop there. He widened the net to include the army of prayer warriors who would follow in the footsteps of the faith that would be taken by this small band of brothers.  

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those who believe in Me, through their word.” John 17:20

Following His death, burial, resurrection on earth and His ascension to Heaven, The Glorified Christ took His seat at the right hand of The Father. This prayer is a brief snapshot of what The Intercessor continues to do for His followers.

“Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Romans 8:34

The Intercessor is Jesus, seated at the right hand of The Father. He stands in the gap on behalf of His followers, and He lives to intercede for them, with every breath He takes. His prayers bridge the breech between their faith in God, and their doubts in themselves. Pleading the case of His followers, The Son places before The Father any request, large and small, and every enemy, big and tall, that His followers place in His hands.

Prayer warriors learn to confidently trust the prompting of The Spirit to place into the hands of Jesus any mundane care, the latest terrifying crisis, and the heaviest concerns of their hearts.  Their child-like confidence in believing prayer is rewarded with the peace that passes all understanding in the face of their earthly warfare in the battle against evil.

War with hell is messy business. Prayer warriors who focus on the enemy, and not The Champion will have their hearts sickened by the gore, and their hands soiled with the grime.  It is too much for them to handle. Prayer takes their eyes off of the enemy, and takes their hands off the problem.

Believing prayer doesn’t drop the guard of the prayer warrior. It raises their confidence in The Champion. It washes their hands of the pollution of the crisis, and points them to The Intercessor as the source of the solution. Believing prayer builds confidence in Jesus, not self-confidence.  Prayer warriors learn to trust Him to bring victory in any confrontation with their relentless enemy and intimidating circumstances.

“Believing prayer is the transfer of a promise of God into your problem.” Don Miller, Pastor, Preacher, Church Planter, and Prayer Warrior since 1922

Believing prayer is the key that unlocks the door to eternal life. This eternal life is not postponed until death. Jesus brings to life the promises of God with every breath of prayer taken by a weary prayer warrior.

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Note to self: Stop waiting for the peace of eternal life to begin at the point of death. It is as close as your next breath of prayer.

Believing prayer reveals the love of The Father for His children, by maintaining their consistent, confident companionship with The Intercessor. By yielding to the gentle touch of The Spirit, wise prayer warriors let go of the pollution of the battle, and take hold of the hand of The Father. Jesus intercedes, until His followers know the solace of The Father’s love and His solution in the middle of the conflict.  Like the song says, “Tell It to Jesus.” Don’t just sing it. Bring it. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Glory

“ ‘Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour?’ But for this purpose, I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.’ ” John 12:27-28

The Glory of Jesus was a reflection of The Father’s face. Jesus prayed and stayed in line with the will of The Father, by never turning His face from the eyes of The Father. His obedient life reflected The Presence and the pleasure of The Father.

The purpose of Jesus was not to make a name for Himself, but to make a difference, by glorifying the name of His Father. By His Son’s prayer-fueled obedience, even unto death on The Cross, The Father honored His Son’s name, and made a difference through Him. Jesus radiated The Presence of God.

“He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3

When Jesus prayed, The Father heard Him. When Jesus prayed, The Father answered Him. These two simple statements should fill any prayer warrior with fresh hope and renewed expectation that the prayers of Jesus, The Intercessor, are still being heard and answered. Believing prayer and answered prayer marked the prayer life of Jesus, and remain the hope of all who do what words of an old hymn say, “Tell it to Jesus!”

“Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Romans 8:34

The Glory of Jesus came with a very high price. Anyone who runs to the spotlight to command a stage in front of an adoring audience should take pause before they take credit, for drawing the crowd. They would be wise to take up their cross, to follow Jesus, to be filled with His Spirit, and to die to self, before they take glory for what Jesus did for them.

Even in this arid culture’s moral desert, there is little tolerance for those who high-jack the sacrifice of dedicated war veterans. Parading around, after pinning on unearned medals, on uniforms purchased on the cheap at a local thrift shop is obscene. There are “Stolen Valor” laws on the books against the cowards. They should not go unpunished. But I digress.

At the height of His popularity, His celebrity status drew an eager audience looking for some time with Jesus. He responded, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified…if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:16

Jesus did not fall into the trap Satan sets. He tempts fools to substitute personal popularity for power in prayer. The focus of Jesus, throughout His life on earth was to remain pleasing to The Father. He did not waste His time, gaining the approval of men. He invested His life in spending time in prayer with His Father. Kingdom fruit is produced by being consistently connected to the power of The Father, not by being well connected to men of power. Note to self: Choose wisely.

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Myself.” John 12:32

Jesus wasn’t referencing a public relations campaign, but a death on a cross. Before Jesus was glorified, He was crucified. This chronology should not escape the notice of those who claim the name of Christ, and carry out His mission. The servant is never greater than The Master. Anyone who expects to please The Father, must follow The Son, and take up their own cross, and die to self, not just once, but at least daily.

“But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.” John 12:33

There is no glorification without crucifixion. Those who want the speaking platform without spending time in the prayer closet may gain the prominence offered by the former, but they will never be connected to the power source of the latter. It is only a matter of time before the sad spectacle of another prayerless preacher’s private failure will lead to public embarrassment.  The list of examples is too numerous to mention, and is impossible to update fast enough to be current.

The prayers of Jesus reveal so much about His character and His love for The Father. His passion in prayer was the pleasure of The Father. His prayer life influenced His purpose in life. He became more concerned with a genuine revival than with His own personal survival. Only believing prayer brings new life.

Jesus resisted the urge to escape The Cross to live for His own purpose. By praying, He received the courage to die to His will, and to fulfill His Father’s purpose. Believing prayer glorifies The Father’s name, and makes a difference in the world. When it comes to prayer, follow Jesus. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Certainty

“Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, ‘Father, I thank you that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” John 11:41,42

“Peace is the blessing of believing prayer.” Don Miller b. 1922, Preacher, Pastor, Church Planter & Prayer Warrior

Recently I was walking with my 92 year-old Dad, Don Miller. He spoke these simple words to me. They had nothing to do with what he and I had just been talking about, and they seemed to belong to a conversation he had been having with someone else. They were. These days, they often are.

At this stage of Dad’s life, his public ministry is no longer visible to those who knew him as a force of nature on preaching platforms and prayer conferences around the world.

On the other hand, his prayer life with The Father has never been more active and conversational.

Dad slips in and out of conversation with others, while carrying on a private conversation with The Father. He does this with such a seamless stride that is sometimes a bit difficult to tell, if he is praying or talking to me, but it is a sweet picture of his personal walk with His Savior. He seems to be living out the words of a great old song written in 1906, and a personal favorite of his, “Nothing Between My Soul and My Savior.” Conversation with Dad may be a bit unusual for the uninitiated, but for those who are willing to listen, it is always filled with precious gems of truth that spill over from his quiet conversations with Jesus.

Believing prayer has always been one of the great gifts Jesus has offered to His followers. This kind of prayer is deeply relational and completely conversational. It is as real as the breath in a person’s lungs, and when it is repeated with the same kind of gentle regularity, the answers flow as trust in The Father grows with each fresh believing prayer.   

When Jesus heard of the death of his dear friend, Lazarus, the Scripture says, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) The passion and compassion of Jesus flowed from a heart of love for The Father and poured out on those around Him. His tears were visible signs of his heart beating, with the love of The Father, and breaking over the pain that death can bring to those He loved.  

General Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, received a telegram from one of his discouraged officers, complaining of the difficulties he was facing, attempting to carry out the general’s assignment. When he asked the general what to do next, Booth wired back, “Try tears.”

When tearless praying and prayerless preaching become completely acceptable behavior, they fall short of what passed for praying and preaching in the life of Jesus. His church should never settle for less, or expect more from The Father with the absence of either one. But I digress.

“So Jesus again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb.” John 11:38

Commentators debate to this day, the reason for the tears of Jesus. The fact remains, they were an overflow of his private, and personal conversation with His Father. Perhaps they were tears of frustration. In speaking to Martha, no weak sister, and more than willing to give Jesus advice, Jesus said, “Did I not say to you, that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Apparently, believing prayer was a gift Jesus had already offered to Martha. She had a strong work ethic, but her faith was weak. Believing prayer turns a crisis over to The Father, in the name of The Son. It gives The Spirit enough elbow-room to do the heavy lifting required to reveal “the glory of God.”

There is no great work accomplished when people figure out the least they can do, pull it off in their own strength, and then give God the glory for it. Martha remains the poster girl for “Do It Yourself Christianity.” She has a huge fan base.

It gives no glory to The Father, for His frantic children to pray like orphans, as if the answers to their prayers depend on them, and not God. Faithless people may not be prayerless, just prideful. They fear asking God to do too much because people might expect them to cover the cost of what God doesn’t pay when they pray.

Faithless praying weakens prayer into a stale devotional exercise, and fails to launch a great adventure. There is a huge difference between taking a walk in the park, and climbing Mt. Everest. Believing prayer is worth the risk of failure. The view from the summit of answered prayer is spectacular.

“No great work of God has ever been accomplished without the element of risk. Mark out the word risk and insert the word faith. They are one and the same.” Dr. John Bisagno, Pastor Emeritus, Houston’s First Baptist Church – Houston, Texas

The prayer life of Jesus reveals He maintained intimate, unbroken conversation with The Father, and He believed The Father heard Him when He prayed. He engaged in the former with confidence, but never took the latter for granted.  He prayed, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me.”

Before Jesus prayed in front of those standing around, He engaged in confident, believing prayer in private. He looked into the eyes of The Father thanking Him, and reminding His followers, “You always hear Me.” Thank God, indeed!

Believing prayer is not based upon eloquence of the prayer warrior, but upon confidence in The Father. Jesus raised His eyes to The Father, and looked with confidence into His eyes, knowing that The Father was already aware of the crisis at hand, not ignoring it. Jesus prayed and allowed The Father to assume all the risks for answered prayer. Before He called for Lazarus to come forth from the grave, Jesus had been assured of The Certainty that His prayer had been heard, and the answer secured.

Believing prayer resists the urge to panic in the face of a crisis, or to pacify prayer into the call of the mild. It places any choice, career or crisis, large and small, into The Father’s hands. Believing prayer trusts The Spirit to interpret the weakest prayer, and deliver it to The Son.  Jesus always gave all the glory to The Father for any answer to His intercession for those He loved. He still does. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Faithful

“But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32

Self-appointed leaders and Spirit anointed leaders have one thing in common.  Each can be tempted to become full of “S.E.L.F.” (Selfish Egos Living Freely)

One of the more intriguing passages of Scripture is found in the statement made to Simon Peter prior to Jesus informing his leading disciple of His personal intercession for him. Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.” Luke 22:31

In understanding the intent of the content of Scripture, context is everything. Jesus had just overheard “a dispute among them as to which of them was regarded as the greatest.” Luke 22:24

Apparently Peter’s was not the only over-active ego that was running amuck among The Twelve. Any claim Peter had on being the greatest among the disciples was disputed and debated. Jesus stepped in to clear the air.

The price of leadership and the cost of discipleship are equally expensive. They each require death to self. When Jesus heard His disciples discussing how valuable they were to The Kingdom, He specifically reminded Peter of the price on his head, and the target on his back.

In the book of Job, all hell was unleashed on the hero of the story, right after God had bragged about him. Satan challenged the value of Job’s virtue and the purity of his motives. Spoiler Alert: God allowed the evil one to put both to the test. Even with a happy ending, it was not a pretty picture. It rarely is.

Jesus warned his disciples about laying claim to the role of a leader based upon the world’s value system. In His Kingdom, the servant is held in the highest esteem. “The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” Jesus (Luke 22:26)

Jesus specifically interceded for Simon Peter based upon the personal target that had been placed upon his back. Satan deals out his worst attacks on those he perceives are the leaders of any Spirit-led movement of God. Those who rush to the head of the line, or campaign to have their names placed on the next best speakers’ program may not be God’s chosen leaders. However, they catch Satan’s eye. He puts a price on their heads and a target on their backs.  It never ends well when posers persist in leading, while they resist praying.  

The Prayer: Jesus interceded for Peter, by name. His intercession was for his faith to remain strong in the face of his failure. He knew Peter would fail. He prayed for him so his failure would not be permanent.

The Permission: Satan was permitted to sift, and Peter was allowed to drift. This may be disturbing, but it is the truth.

The Prophecy: The sifting of Satan would lead to the drifting of Peter. Jesus knows His followers are capable of great faith, and great failure. The purpose of His intercession for Peter was for him to turn to Jesus to find fresh, life-changing faith in the midst of his failure. Peter did. Judas didn’t. Big difference.

The Pride: Peter was so full of is own sense of self-worth, that he missed the point of the assessment Jesus placed upon the purity of his faith. His faith was in himself, not in His Savior. When Peter was about to drown in the Sea of Galilee, he cried out, “Lord, save me.” His prayer was answered. This time Peter suffered from “I” trouble and missed The Savior’s helping hand. Prideful people are prayerless, but they are never selfless.

“But he said to Him, ‘Lord, with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death.’” Peter – Luke 22:33

The Provision: Faithfulness is produced in those who refuse to drift from consistent companionship with The Savior.  The Spirit fills them with this particular fruit of the character of Christ, in direct proportion to their dependence on Jesus, not their independence from Him.

“When I sent you out, without money belt, bag and sandals, you did not lack anything did you?” Jesus – Luke 22:35

Note to self: Sifting is inevitable. Drifting is not. Being sifted by Satan doesn’t mean you have to succumb to the painful process of sifting to the dangerous detour of drifting.  Failure to believe in The Savior’s capacity to turn the worst thing that could ever happen to you into the best thing in your life is a lack of faith. There is more faith where your first faith came from, and you must humbly pray for more to receive more. When you do, expect more faith, and more sifting. To avoid falling on your face in failure, fall on your faith in Jesus.

The Cross and The Resurrection reveal the capacity of Jesus to take the impossible and turn it into The HIMpossible. Failure may appear final to Satan. The appearance of The Cross deceived The Deceiver. The Father specializes in providing more faith to those who empty themselves and pray to be filled with His Spirit and His Son’s faithfulness. The faithful in every generation have always done the best of things in the worst of times. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Children

“Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.’ After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.” Matthew 19:13-15

“’Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.’ And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.” Mark 10:13-16

“And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them.” Luke 18:15-17

Two common denominators of each of these three passages are the disciples’ open rebuke of The Children and The Master’s personal touch upon them. The rebuke of the children revealed the content of the hearts of the disciples. The rebuke of the disciples revealed the character of Jesus. Follow Him!

The disciples appointed themselves, as gatekeepers to The Kingdom. Rather than positioning themselves, as welcome mats to The Master, they were elbowing each other, and little ones, for a seat on the front row of the class. Jesus took them to school, and put them back in their place and in the back of the class.  

“Do not hinder them from coming to Me.”

One of the first songs learned in Sunday School, “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” clearly reveals the heart of Jesus, and the world-wide embrace of His global compassion. As the contemporary church gathers for worship in the face of Christian children around the world being beheaded, buried alive, kidnapped and sold into slavery by Islamist extremists, it is crucial to pray for God’s protection of His little ones.   

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

A ministry-hardened heart is a poor substitute for the compassion of Jesus. Sometimes the bright stage lights of an active, public ministry have a way of evaporating from the heart of a servant of God the one thing that is most important in ministry, the heart of The Father.

Note to self: Prayer protects your heart from being consumed by ministry, and fills you with The Father’s love for people. Do it!

The disciples fell into the trap of people who exert themselves to do more for Jesus, but end up expressing less of Him. The disciples may have had good intentions, but they missed God’s best. Jesus set the record straight and revealed the love of The Father for The Children.

The prayer life of Jesus reveals that He prayed to The Father, until His heart was filled with The Father’s will and His way to carry out ministry. The disciples were proud of their position on Team Jesus. In their own eyes, they had been promoted as men in authority. They were so close, and yet so far away.

Prayer warriors are not marked by a passion for being in authority, but they exhibit a persistent humility to be under authority. This is where the power of prayer is found by the humble, and when it is released through them it mystifies the proud.

Prideful people hold onto a position of authority, only to find out they have no power. Prayerful people yield to The Father’s authority and discover The Spirit’s life-changing, life-giving power, in the name of The Son.

Prayer softens the heart of the humble to embrace those whom The Father loves. Prayerlessness hardens a heart until there is very little flow of The Father’s love, to those who need it the most. The Spirit’s mark on the heart of a disciple of Jesus is the love of The Father. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Prayerless people may hold themselves in high regard, and even hold what appear to be exalted positions in The Kingdom. Yet, their private prayerlessness only invites the public rebuke of The Father. Jesus rebuked the disciples for grasping for a position close to Him, without taking hold of the hands of little children and bringing them to Him.

“Setting the woods on fire” in ministry sometimes brings the head, but sheds very little light. One thing is certain. Prayerless people are blinded by the smoke of man-made ministry, and breathe their own toxic ether, until they can’t see “the least of these” or say an encouraging word to anyone.

There is no record of the words Jesus prayed over The Children. There are only the repeated images of His tenderness towards them. My personal favorite is…

“And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.” Mark 10:13-16

There is something about this gentle picture that warms my heart, and tenderizes it to the point of surrendering my will to The Father’s will. It encourages me to put on my ministry eyes, and become more aware of opportunities to minister, to pray for those and to bless those who have no power to advance my own personal agenda or return the favor to me.

This morning I find myself called to pray for parents who have such a powerful responsibility to bring their children to Jesus. The little children, recorded in these Scripture passages, who received a touch and a blessing from Jesus were brought to Him by parents and guardians who wished the best for their little ones during the worst of times. Wise parents still do. Pray for them, and encourage them. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The 4,000

“And he took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” Matthew 15:35 / Mark 8:6,7

Manley Beasley was a great man of faith. He walked among Southern Baptists giving them more insight into God’s faith-building process than most people ever wanted to know. He would often pose one of this favorite questions to preachers or anyone else seeking a deeper life with Christ.  “What are you trusting God for today?”

Bro. Manley’s question was meant to take a person to a whole new level of trust in God. His point was to press believers to understand the full measure of faith, and their complete lack of it. This kind of faith is not a doctrinal position, but a dynamic passion. He wanted to know if people were trusting God for something so impossible and improbable, that if God didn’t come through, they were toast.

Jesus did not protect His disciples from the impossible or the improbable. He confronted them with their lack of faith, over and over again. His questions were designed to bring them to the end of their own resources, and to learn to rely on Him as The Source.

Questioning one’s faith is not always a sign of disbelief in God. It is often an expression of distrust in oneself, or the fear of failure.

Faith is not figuring out what man can do, and financing it as cheap as possible. Faith is facing an impossible crisis, and probable failure with a calm and confidence in God to perform the improbable, and to provide the HIMpossible. Big difference.

 Fear, posing as faith, causes the faithless to protect their reputation, by not expecting too much out of God in public. They dilute faith to a form of piety that only allows enough elbowroom for them to do what they are able to do, in their own strength, with their own resources.

At the completion of a task, the protected and the pious engage in an awkward, disingenuous balancing act of giving God the glory, while taking credit for the accomplishment. The contemporary church is often marked, by underwhelming results being claimed by overwhelming egos. It is not a pretty picture, and the world is not impressed by the show. Stop it!

Jesus questioned the disciples’ faith regularly to test if they were improving in their dependence on Him, or leaning on their own wisdom and creativity. Prior to “The Feeding of the 4,000” Jesus stated,

“I feel compassion for the people,…and I do not want to send them away hungry…” Matthew 15:32

The disciples said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?” And Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’” Matthew 15:34

The disciples were frustrated by the compassion of Jesus, not a hungry crowd of people. Up until the time Jesus spoke about His passion to meet the need of 4,000 people, the disciples had their bases covered. They had seven loaves and some fish and were more than willing to share it among themselves. They were focused on survival. Jesus was interested in revival. He still is.

Revival takes place when the fear of failure dies, and life-giving faith is resurrected. Jesus intended to bring His disciples to the end of their resources, by having them come face to face with the impossibility of meeting the need. Jesus didn’t intend to lower His expectations for His disciples. He focused on raising their level of trust in Him. He still does.

Jesus felt compassion for the people. Feeding them was a natural by-product of His concern for them. The disciples were proud of their association with Jesus, but when asked to share His compassion, they were intimidated. They counted what they had in their hands and trusted in their own resources, to meet the need, not Jesus.

“The Feeding of the 4,000” might more accurately be described as “The Faith-building of The Twelve.” Faced with the impossible, the disciples eventually placed what they had in the hands of Jesus. Jesus performed the improbable and provided the HIMpossible.

Believing prayer faces the fear of failure, by placing any minor inconvenience and every impossible crisis into the hands of Jesus. Believing prayer leans on Jesus to handle it with care.

Note to self: When faced with the fear of failure, and in need of resurrected faith, HANDLE WITH PRAYER. Don’t settle for survival. Expect revival. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Request

“Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11:1

This simple statement, brought to Jesus, by one soul-starved disciple unleashed the greatest weapon in the battle against evil that believers will ever have available to them, this side of Heaven.  The Request will never be ignored by The Lord, Jesus Christ. Whenever it is brought to Him, by anyone, in any generation, it is always answered.

Those humble enough to admit they do not know it all, will be enrolled in The School of Prayer and taught “to pray.” Those who confess they are in needy will not only receive instruction about prayer. They will be inspired “to pray.” There is no graduation day on earth from The School of Prayer.  The lessons of intercession are learned on earth until the student graduates to Heaven.  The only degree is a Ph.D.* (*Pray Hard Daily).

The power of prayer is found in The Presence of The Lord.  Jesus makes Himself available to those who honor His Lordship and desire His companionship. Those who are proud of their education, and eloquence may talk about Him, and yet fail to talk to Him.

Talking about marriage and being married are not the same thing.  In a similar way, talking about Jesus, without talking to Him falls short of intimacy with The Lord.

When David walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he discovered a life-changing truth, “You are with me.” Until that moment in time, David’s 23rd Psalm had been filled with solid references about The Lord. When fear overwhelmed him and danger surrounded him, David’s communication was transformed from a third person view of God to a face to face conversation with Him. Believing prayer does that…EVERY TIME.

There is always a great danger in being trapped in “The Valley of The Shadow of Death.” The enemy sets an ambush for those who become too busy doing the work of The Lord, that they fail to spend time with the Lord of the work. The enemy always knows the difference, long before the weary worker is aware of the loss of power. The enemy fears The Presence of The Champion, not the frantic efforts of the foot-soldier.

One disciple heard something in the prayer life of The Lord that was missing in his own life, and those around him. Recognizing one’s need always launches The Request and unleashes the weapon of prayer. Praying by blowing the whistle on others may appear gratifying, but it always invites The Lord’s correction of the whistle-blower.

Warning: Prayer warriors must be prepared to be changed, before they see a change in others. But I digress.

“Until the church utilizes prayer as the world class weapon in the battle against evil there will be little hope of a turnaround.” George Barna

“Lord” expresses a heart of humility, and a spirit of total surrender to the way and the will of Jesus. Prayerless people are prideful people. Only the humble of heart will truly know His Presence and His power.  Heaven on earth, and in each heart always begins with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

“Teach” reveals the process of prayer. The School of Prayer only enrolls those who admit they don’t know it all.  English theologian and commentator, Dr. William Barclay, was once asked if a certain young man was one of his students.” He replied, “No. He only attends my classes.” His point was clear. Sitting in class with a stiff-necked rebellion to what is being taught only postpones graduation. Rebellious behavior always results in having to stay after school, or repeating the course.

“Us” unveils the essence of believing prayer, intercession. The Request was made by a single person, on behalf of a corporate body. Intercessory prayer is the very heartbeat of The Lord. He sits at the right hand of The Father and intercedes His followers at this very moment. Those who follow Him, not only have Jesus in their hearts, but they share His heartbeat and compassion for others. Selfish, self-centered prayers may very well be answered, but they always fall short of the kind of intimacy and intercession that mark the prayer life of Jesus.

“To pray” completes the point of the statement. Prayer doesn’t take place by listing requests, and sharing needs. Anyone who has ever led a Wednesday night prayer meeting, or an opening assembly in a Senior Adult Sunday School Department is very familiar with “the gasp” that escapes the mouths of those who have heard the latest ghastly hospital report on those who are missing from the gathering. The point of the meeting seems to be telling the goriest story, not interceding for their relief. In the words of a Texas rancher who knew how to tell a tall tale, “The first liar never has a chance.” Stop it! Start praying!

Note to self: Pray it don’t say it. Saying it over and over again and putting it before people, without laying it before Jesus, is not praying.  Taking it to Jesus and putting it before the people is not always the same thing. Whatever you share, make sure it begins and ends in prayer.  Anything less is not intercession. Sharing without praying only postpones the solution. “Lord, teach us to pray.” TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!