Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

During a 1940s field trip in England, theology students visited various residences of leading historical church figures. The bus stopped at the home of John Wesley, and after touring the home, the students were shown Wesley’s bedroom.  On the floor were two knee imprints where Wesley had prayed for hours on end for God to send a revival to England and the United States.

Once back on the bus, Dr. Orr realized one of the students was missing and went back to look for him. Going into the bedroom, he found the young man kneeling in the same place praying fervently, “Do it again, Lord! Lord, would you do it again?! And would you do it again with me?!” 

The professor touched the young man’s shoulder and told him it was time to go, so young Billy Graham stood and rejoined the other students on the bus. I believe Dr. Graham understood fully what Oswald Chambers had written years before. “Prayer does not equip us for greater works—Prayer is the greater work. “

It was with that same fire and determination that Graham stood on the U.S. Capitol steps on Feb 3, 1952 challenging the political and government leaders to pray for spiritual revival in the United States. On April 17,1952 Congress passed a bill designating a National Day of Prayer which President Harry Truman signed into law.

Thursday, May 6 marks the 70th anniversary of the “National Day of Prayer.” The question each of us must ponder is this, “Do we really want God to intervene in our nation? Are we really ready to pay the price of fervently praying for God to intervene in our nation?”  A. W. Tozer said, “To desire revival . . . and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.”

We are facing unprecedented times of spiritual darkness, both in our nation and globally. Now is not the time to “neglect prayer and devotion” but to pay the price that John Wesley and others have done over the course of history. We are reminded by Paul in Ephesians, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (6:10-12)

Billy Graham will always be known for his great crusades and his passionate call for everyone to come to faith in Jesus Christ, but equally important was his call on the steps of our nation that cold, February day challenging our nation’s leaders to prayer. I thought it appropriate to end this article with his grandson Will Graham’s prayer on behalf of our nation.

“Heavenly Father, today we confess that we are in great need for you. Lord, our lives are in a mess. We have traded the truth for convenience and temporal pleasures. Forgive us for loving ourselves so much. Forgive us for thinking that we have all the answers. Forgive us for calling good evil and evil good.

We have made a mess of our lives apart from you. But we ask for your forgiveness right now. Lord, cleanse us anew now, we ask. May your glory be seen in us. We ask for the Holy Spirit to guide each of us that we might be better able to discern your will in the days ahead. Give us the wisdom you have promised to those who ask and the strength that you alone can give.

Lord, we need you. Our country needs you more than ever. Therefore, we take this time to confess our total dependence on you. Lord, we pray that the glory of the Lord will shine during this time. May people see your glory in us. As the world is captivated by fear, help us to be captivated by your glory. May the world turn to you and call to you in our time of great need.

Help our eyes to be fixed on you during this storm. And through the storms of life, we ask for your Holy Spirit to unite us, to fill us and intercede for us in our time of need.

In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.”

May it be our time to again pray as Billy Graham did decades ago, “Do it again, Lord! Lord, would you do it again?! And would you do it again with me?!” 

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

“The life of prayer, like life itself, is not always happy and peaceful. Into prayer we take our anxieties, loneliness and discouragement along with our joy, awe and celebration. In order to deepen any intimate relationship, we must be honest about our feelings.” (author unknown)

The collection of 150 Psalms are inspired and honest prayers; containing songs of praise and prayers of lament, hymns celebrating God’s steadfast love and prayers for vindication against enemies. The Psalms cover the full range of emotions of our ups and downs on our spiritual journey.

The story is told of a professor who would often ask his students, “How are things with your heart?” This simple but powerful question forces us to stop and reflect. The Psalms put words to this question that go beyond our superficial responses, especially as we encounter the major recurring theme in the Psalms that “God’s path is a way of life.”

I didn’t hesitate to follow the Google map directions as we drove through the Colorado mountains last week. I knew we were on the right path if I listened and responded to the directions. Such is our life as we let God ask us the question, “How are things with your heart?” and then follow the path upon which He directs us.

Read and reflect on Psalm 16 with this question before you, “How are things with your heart?”

“Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16

What are the spiritual gifts you have found along your path?

What moments in the last 24 hours do you feel grateful for?

What counsel has God given you this last week?

LORD, show me the path of life that I may walk fully and completely in your presence and secure your fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

 

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“But he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:24-25

“Conscious communion with God through intentional prayer is vital for our Christian life. Only through regular conversations with God will we experience his vision for life and be effective for his glory.” (Dallas Willard).  David, as well as other writers in the Psalms, understood this fully. Some examples of opening prayers include:

“Help, O LORD” Psalm 12

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” Psalm 13

“Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer” Psalm 17

These are heartfelt cries from deep within the writer’s soul. They understood the blessing that God listens and responds. He desires to hear from us and we desperately need to hear from Him. The most important lesson that the disciples wanted Jesus to teach them was how to pray and it was a lesson He most willingly taught them.

The church is rich with doctrines that help us understand our salvation, justification, and sanctification but one of the most powerful, yet often neglected, is the doctrine of intercession. “The atonement accomplished our salvation; intercession is the moment-by-moment application of that atoning work.” (Dane Ortlund)

Jesus prayed in the garden for those who would come after him. Jesus’ prayer was in the midst of the greatest war for our souls. He prayed that we would not be lost but experience eternal life. It was on the cross Jesus completed the task of atonement, but the task of intercession continues daily. It is in this intercession that Jesus sees and hears our prayer requests and goes before God the Father.

Peter didn’t understand the significance at the time when Jesus told him, “but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32) Jesus’ prayer of intercession would make the difference in Peter’s life as he would work through the shame and guilt of betrayal. Similarly, Jesus prays for us today in the face of our own shame and guilt that our faith will not fail.

The disciples didn’t understand the significance at the time when Jesus told them, “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:15) Jesus’ prayer of intercession would give them the courage to face the trials they would eventually endure, just as he intercedes for us today in our trials.

I often wonder in the midst of the chaos, turmoil and divisiveness in which we find ourselves today, if we fully understand the significance of the fact that Jesus is making intercession for us. “Since then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

We rejoice in the gift of eternal life that Jesus made possible for us. Let us rejoice also in the intercession that Jesus makes for us on a daily basis. There is no burden, no problem, no challenge that God can’t handle as Jesus intercedes for us. “since He always lives to make intercession” is a mighty foundation on which to stand and place our hope.

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

 

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

King Saul was given the assignment in I Samuel to utterly destroy the Amalekites – an evil, godless nation who had persecuted and fought against the Israelites as they escaped Egyptian slavery. Saul was anointed by the prophet Samuel with the words, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the LORD.” I Samuel 15:2

“Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.”  If the account ended at this point everything would be perfect since Saul’s instruction was to destroy everything, leaving nothing behind. However, the story goes amiss when Saul decides to spare King Agag and keep the “best of the sheep and of the cattle and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was valuable, and would not utterly destroy them.” In fact, the record shows that Saul modified the instructions and only destroyed what he deemed “despised and worthless.”

Partial obedience in God’s eyes is no obedience. When Saul was confronted by his failure to follow God’s instructions, he followed the age-old tradition of justifying his actions. Saul, when confronted, proudly announced, “for the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle, to sacrifice to the LORD your God.”

It is so easy to justify our sins if we paper them over with God-talk, religious intentions or feel good statements. God doesn’t want us to justify our actions, he wants us to follow him completely. Samuel reprimanded Saul with the words, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the LORD?”

The bottom line for Saul was that he wanted the best for himself. However, it didn’t take long for God to reveal Saul’s heart. Similar to the world today if we can sanctify our actions, then we can make our actions look very pious. In the same way as with Saul, God quickly reveals the nature of our hearts. God sees the heart, the real motives and calls them out. “Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD?”

Saul, like us, quickly justified his actions. “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD.” “I have gone on the mission” you sent me. I kept the best as a “sacrifice to the LORD.” The problem isn’t what God asked of Saul. His heart revealed a lot when Saul told Samuel the sacrifice is for “your God.”

The world today needs men and women who can say “you come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defeated.” (I Samuel 17:45)

Unlike Saul, David chose the road of obedience. One man or woman with a smooth stone, empowered by God, will destroy the greatest army. In a world where evil is rampant, when moral character and integrity is hard to find, where the family is under attack, where traditional understanding of gender and marriage are reeling, all seems hopeless until you pick up the stone that God has given you. It is a lonely, scary place to be. Vulnerable feelings of inadequacy until you let God guide your hand with the stone.

“A soul-deep emphasis on the love of Christ (what the ancients called “devotion to the heart of Jesus”), so vigorous in the past, so much on the decline today, would flourish once again if people would understand that it consists essentially in accepting Jesus Christ as love incarnate, as the manifestation of the unconditional love of God for us.” (Brennan Manning)

Jesus, I so desire to follow you completely in all the tasks you choose to give me. Find me faithful and in obedience to the assignments you give me. Let me pick up the smooth stone that is needed to impact my world for you.

God is great,

Pastor Lynn