Let’s Just Pray

We say it like that and somehow expect people to believe that we believe prayer will change things. The word just devalues the power of prayer.

Why do we treat prayer like the last line of defense? As if it’s for the weak.

Check out King Jehoshaphat’s Battle plan in 2 Chronicles 20. Go ahead, open your Bible and see for yourself.

The Battle plan:
At the first inkling of war you may be alarmed, but like Jehoshaphat resolve to pray and fast. Ask those around you to come together and pray to the Lord for help.

Praise God for who he is and recall all he has done. Recall the good you have done for his namesake. Affirm your faith regardless of the outcome. Own your distress and commit, in spite of, to trust God.

Expect deliverance from God!

State the obvious. God already knows. Remind him of things he’s asked of you and how you have obeyed. Tell him how you’re being mistreated now.

Remember all he has done. Ask God what he will do about your current circumstances. Admit your powerlessness against your enemy, and your complete dependence on God.

Then listen! Listen to what God has to say. Don’t try and manufacture an answer, just position yourself and listen.

Who knew Jahaziel would speak? He was just standing in the crowd. Jehoshaphat’s been doing all the talking; he is after all the king. Why wouldn’t God speak through the leader of the people, to the people?

God chooses his mouthpiece and we can miss our answer expecting it to come a certain way. Instead, keep your eyes and ears open. Be alert. God is listening and he will answer.

This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Choose faith over fear and dependence over discouragement. Then stand firm as instructed here in 2 Chronicles 20:17 and in Ephesians 6:14. Put fear and discouragement in their proper place – under your feet – which are clothed with peace (Eph 6:15).

Now, prepare to face your enemy, an action preceded by both individual and corporate worship. Have faith and praise God along the way…Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.

Sing praise to the Lord after the battle is won. And then, rest in the peace only God can give.

Prayer, when facing a formidable foe, is certainly counter intuitive, but does it sound like a weak alternative? Does it look puny and devoid of power? Or does it smell like victory?

Chocolate Is A Sin

Now that I have your attention let me explain.

For years I had been trying to curb my craving for chocolate. It was a driving force causing me to binge like you wouldn’t believe. I could eat a Milky Way, only to hunger for a Snickers, and then came my favorite, the crunch of the Skor bar.

My apologies, if this is causing your mouth to water.

Those were my days. I couldn’t eat just one. And because I’ve always been petite, people were none the wiser about my addiction. Of course God was.

One day I was driving home, negotiating with myself about how could it possibly be God’s will for me to give up something so sweet, that brought me such pleasure. I had convinced myself that since my life hadn’t been so sweet, this was my reward.

But God stopped me dead in my tracks and whispered in His most profound and undeniable voice, “This is your Garden of Eden experience. You can eat everything else I have provided for you, but this one thing you are not to eat.” He didn’t add the, “you shall surely die”, but I was sure it was Him calling for me to chose.

I had to ask myself, what I am giving up to fulfill my urges? Like Esau, giving away his birthright for a bowl of stew; what am I giving away by giving into my appetite?

Last week while I was reading Gary L. Thomas’ Seeking the Face of God, this quote stood out to me, “We can shape our passions… The little decisions we make about how to spend our time and what we eat are really spiritual battles through which our characters are shaped.”

It’s now been three years since my encounter with God and I have consistently chosen obedience to the amazement of so many when I’m offered chocolate and refuse. There reply is always the same, “You’re a woman and you don’t eat chocolate? I could never do that.” I smile inside, knowing that was my attitude. I don’t condemn them in the least because their one thing could be all together different from mine.

Thomas went on to say, “Any spiritual training, then, that neglects the body neglects the one area that really matters.” As well, Thomas paraphrased William Law, training our bodies is essential to building a life of holiness.

Our Enemy is even more cunning than Jacob was with Esau. What is he dangling in front of you to get you to abandon, influence, calling, impact for the Kingdom all because you won’t say no to your cravings?

One last word from Thomas – “The body can be our friend or our foe, depending on whether we master it or it masters us. The ultimate issue for me has been: Will I always give in to my body’s desires, or will I govern my body and decide to give it only what it needs?”

Hope Renewed Through Praise

I was feeling pretty low this week and God in the most practical, yet miraculous way let me know—He’s listening, He knows, and I am not alone. I was listening to K-Love radio, while in the car. Each time I got into my car there was a song about getting through the trials of life. All of them echoing the cry of my heart—I just want this pain to be over, how much longer, I will trust God anyway.

The song that resonated most was, Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns. This one line in particular:
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

These words brought Job to mind. I am not equating my circumstances with that of Job, but things don’t have to get that bad to realize life is hard. There are days I want to throw my hands up (usually not in an attitude of praise).

The story of Job is so familiar, I don’t think I need to delve into the details, but I will give these highlights:
He was a wealthy man
In one day he lost nearly everything
His wife did not understand his allegiance to God
Three friends and one youngster sat in judgment of his condition
God commended him for being blameless and upright

Job’s response: “Then he fell to the ground in worship.” (Job 1:20) That is rarely my response to God when I’m in pain. But I am learning.

Praise You In This Storm
Casting Crowns
from the album Lifesong

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

Chorus:
I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

What does it mean to you to hear, God is always with you? (See Matthew 28:20)
How does it feel to know that He holds your tears? (See Psalm 56:8)
When life is difficult, will you choose to praise Him?

Find the full text of the song and hear a sample at klove.com

RESTING

RESTORATION
Elijah 1 Kings 19:1-19
Energy Gains and Drains – Know what drains you and what restores
your strength

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Trials 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Worry Matthew 6:25-34
Trust & Rest Isaiah 30:15

When we have an eternal perspective on our trials and worry then we are able to trust and rest.

SECURITY
Who and what is your security in?
NOT Christ plus, but Christ ALONE Colossians 2:2-3

TIME OUT
When was the last time you took a time out?
Regular intervals of rest – throughout the day or a entire day – Sabbath
Let your friends help with the burdens of life – Galatians 6:2

INTROSPECTION
Who do you see when you look inside?

Who ‘I AM’ (Jesus) – God’s Provision for all our needs and our
insecurities that plague us – John 11:25, John 14:6

How God sees you – righteous, a temple of the Holy Spirit, an heir(ess).
Romans 4:21-24, 1 Corinthians 6:19, and Romans 8:15-17

When you trust Jesus to provide and know how God sees you, true rest is attainable

NOT MY WILL
There are works that the Father has prepared for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Not to deserve or earn salvation, but in response to the gift received.

Jesus is our example of Responding to the Father in obedience

We can trust that his yoke is easy and his burden light. Matthew 11:28-30

GOD’S INVITATION
Come away with me – We are cultivating a love relationship which takes
intentional – time,effort,and communication

Rest through the Bible

Rest was God’s example Genesis 2:1-3
After God completed creation he rested. His example gives us mortal beings permission to rest.

Rest is a commandment Exodus 20:8-11
God knew this would be a concern so he wrote it into the moral code and was very specific.

Rest is a form of trust Leviticus 25:3-5, 11-12
The Israelites were not to plant, or store what grew naturally. Trusting in God rather than their labor.

Rest at some point is unavoidable I Kings 19:4-6
Elijah was unstoppable when powered by God’s Spirit, but in his humanity he needed rest in order continue.

Rest may be required Psalm 23:2
There are times when God causes us to lay down for our own good; otherwise we would wear ourselves out.

Rest is an invitation Matthew 11:28-30
After the religious leaders of his day had burdened the people with unnecessary laws, Jesus invited the people to come and learn from him how to rest in God.

Rest was Jesus’ example Mark 6:30-32; Luke 8:23
Jesus saw the need for rest in his disciples after a long day of work. Jesus’ humanity is revealed in his need for a nap.

Rest is symbolic of what is to come Hebrews 4:8-10
You may have heard people say, “I will rest when I am dead!” Surely God has work for us to do, but I believe there is to be more of a balance, that incorporates the discipline of rest.

Rest is to be celebrated and enjoyed

Rest as a Discipline

Just a few weeks ago I lead a retreat about Finding Rest in God. And since then so much of my life has been focused on the subject, even more so than when I was studying and putting together the sessions for the retreat.

Last week I said to a friend who was having trouble resting that, “rest is a discipline.” When I said those words they caught my attention – because I had never thought of it that way. The culture we live in tells us things like, “The early bird gets the worm.” Which signifies to me that ‘sleeping in’ isn’t an option if I want to be successful at acquiring what I need. And even the Bible seems to give us conflicting messages with comparisons between ants and slugs (Proverbs 6), and phrases like, if you don’t work you don’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). I’ll let you share some other one’s that stand out for you.

Then I read in Psalm 127:2 “In vain you rise early and stay up late, 
toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.”

So what are we supposed to do with all of this? My best guess is that our goal is balance and wholeness in our lives. Things will not always be in balance, but to realize when we are doing too much of one thing or the other. If we rest too much then our basic needs of – food, shelter, and clothing will not be met. If we work too much our basic needs of – rest, time with family and in community will not be met. This is why I call rest a discipline – it is something that some of us actually have to learn how to do. And engage in a way that truly brings rest to our souls.

Over the next few weeks I will unpack this idea of rest as a discipline, by sharing some excerpts from sessions I taught at the retreat, lessons from my own life and the lives of my friends, and of course we will look at Jesus our ultimate example for all disciplines of life.

What I find ironic is to be launching this discussion during what tends to be the busiest time of our year – “The Holiday Season.”