Drive-Thru Jesus

"Yeah, I'll have a better job, please. Happy family on the side. An order of good health. Better make that five orders. Do you have any World Peace?"

"There's gonna be a wait on the World Peace."

"Hmm. Nevermind. Just the other stuff then. Thanks."

How's your prayer life? What is prayer? What's it for? Is it just a time when we ask God for the things we want or need, the Almighty sitting patiently at the window, pen and order pad in hand? Or is there more to it? I'll be honest: sometimes, my own prayer life can feel more like I'm sitting at a drive-thru, just telling God what I need, with an "Oh, thanks," thrown in for good measure.

Maybe, if we're feeling super-pious, we'll throw the word "Lord" into our wish list a few hundred times, just to make sure He knows we're talking to Him.

Is this you, too?

Don't be embarrassed. This is part of our very real humanness. This is part of what we slowly overcome as we turn our lives over, bit by bit, to the Lordship of Christ. As we get to know Him better, as we get to know ourselves better, we learn how to trust Him. We learn that trusting ourselves, going after our wants and perceived needs, is what got mankind into this whole mess in the first place.

We learn that His will -- and not our own -- is what we truly need in our lives. If you want to enrich your prayer life, take that earlier scenario -- that whole drive-thru thing -- and reverse the roles. Put yourself in the position of listener, and God in the role of the one with the orders.

Maybe that's why Jesus, in teaching us how to pray, has us begin by recognizing God's true place:

In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9)

Praying Together

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:12-14)

Before He ascended to Heaven, Jesus left the disciples with instructions: first, to wait on the Holy Spirit, then to go into the world and make disciples. It was a big job, and there was a lot of risk involved. After all, their leader had been murdered for what they were about to do. So instructing them, He left, ascending into Heaven. 

And the very first thing they did, knowing what was ahead, was gather together in prayer. Acts says they continued "in one accord," that is, they were united in will and purpose. This highlights the importance of coming together before God: that in Him we might be united, and those bonds strengthened, and that He be our central focus in what we do.

So often, we get so busy serving God that we neglect including Him in what we're doing. I'm blessed to work for a ministry that makes prayer a priority, where they have developed a culture of giving our day and our work into the hands of the Lord. We invite Him into our weekly meetings, and we pray again at the close. We pray for one another, united in Him, and for the work we're doing in His name. Throughout the week, it's not unusual to see two or three together in prayer. It's that important. 

Jesus said, "where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them (Mt 18:20)." And that's really what it's about: recognizing that God isn't just waiting in Heaven for you to occasionally turn your eyes His way. He wants to be in our midst, working alongside us as we work for the Kingdom. And prayer is how we invite Him to do exactly that.

Be Late For Something

I hate being late. Always have. Generally, I'm a pretty laid-back person, not really given to stressing out. But
if I'm running behind, and it looks like I may arrive after my intended time, watch out! I get stressed. I get mad. I start rushing myself and others, and basically making life unpleasant until we finally get where we're going.

See, before I had kids, this really wasn't a problem. My wife and I both happen to be naturally punctual people, and both of us enjoy getting where we're going on time, or even early. So we always were. That simple. Now it's been nearly nine years since my first born came into this world, and we still can't figure out how to get everyone out of the house in time to get where we're going without stress, fights, and headaches.

Slowly, though -- oh, so slowly -- I'm learning instead something far more valuable. I'm learning that, in all that rushing around, in all that "hurry up hurry up hurry up," I'm denying myself the pure joy of simply experiencing my family. And, perhaps worse, I'm replacing their future memory of their Dear Old Dad with this worn, stressed, always rushing madman where once a laid-back, fun-loving guy used to be.

There are things worth being late for.

Just like I've missed out on chances to really enjoy time with my children here and there, I'm also guilty, I'm afraid, of missing out on time with God. How often is my time with Him cut short -- or even cut out -- because of somewhere I have to be, or something I have to do?

But I'm reminded, even Jesus made time with the Father a priority.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

This wasn't a one-time thing with Him. He made time for the Father. Didn't worry about being late to this or that, or not having time to do anything else. He knew that, once that first priority -- time with God -- was attended to, the rest would fall into place.

That's the great thing about priorities, when you think about it. When we put First Things first, the rest works itself out. And even better, when that first priority is God, we allow Him access to the rest of our day, to fill with blessings we may otherwise have missed.

So go ahead: be late for something. Take a little extra time to kiss your spouse and kids. Take some extra time to spend with the Father. The rest of your day will be far better for it. 

Taste & See

Today is Holy Experiment Day: we celebrate giving faith a try. Whether it's praying, or studying the word of God, or even joining a group bible study, today is a day where you're encouraged to "try it out."

While days like today are certainly open for both abuse and interpretation, Scripture itself suggests the same thing. "Taste and see that the Lord is good," invites the Psalmist (Psalm 34:8). "Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him."

Of course, this is tricky. It's not as though God is a new car. You don't just hop into faith and take it for a spin to see how she handles. In fact, God has already proven Himself as trustworthy and good. Paul reminds us in Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." What we need to do, then, is to accept this great gift of Love. To recognize ourselves for who and what we are -- wayward children of God -- and to trust in Him to bring us home.

This trust isn't always easy, but then, nothing worthwhile ever is. If faith was as simple as deciding what we liked or didn't like -- like going to one of those pizza buffets -- it would be worse than useless. It would be about us, instead of about Him. But Scripture says, when we put our Faith -- our true, real faith -- in God, that trust will be rewarded.

So if it's not just a matter of "taking God for a spin," how do we taste and see? Romans 4 tells us we are, like Abraham, justified -- that is, made right by God -- through our faith in Him. Romans 5 reminds us that though we -- man -- brought Sin into the world, Jesus Christ bring Grace and healing.  Recognize the sin in your life. Give it over to Christ, who died for that sin. Willingly submit your life to the One who breathed it into you. And you will see that He is good.

World Day of Prayer

The first Friday of March -- which happens to be today -- is the World Day of Prayer. Because of this, I thought a repost might be in order. I originally posted the following just a few months ago, in October '12. But it fits well for today, and is, I believe, a good reminder for all of us.

Have You Prayed for Christians in Zimbabwe Today?

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Eph 6:17)

Prayer is a funny thing. We are often taught, as we grow up, to pray. We pray for our food. For our night's rest. We pray, at those times, for our families: our brothers and sisters,  grandparents,  aunts and uncles,  cousins and friends. But strangers? 

All over the world, new believers and old saints face daily struggles. Sometimes, those struggles are of the kind you and I face every day: temptation, frustration, doubt. And sometimes, these Brothers and Sisters in Christ are struggling for their very lives. For daily bread. For safety. 

Ephesians 6:10-20 reminds us that we are engaged in constant spiritual warfare. This battle doesn't happen in a bubble. It doesn't happen at your church alone, or end at the borders of our community. It is a war that encompasses the entire world. And it is one being fought on fronts from your back yard to the farthest reaches of the globe, by men and women just like you and I. And in this section of Ephesians, Paul reminds us of this fact, and reminds us that we fight, not for ourselves, but for each other. "Always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

How often, in my prayers, do I remember to pray for my family? My friends? My church? What about believers throughout the world, and the ministry they have?

When Jesus prayed in the Garden, we remember he prayed for His disciples. But, He said:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17: 20-23)

Shouldn't we follow His example,  and be sure we, too,  are praying for our Brothers and Sisters around the world?

Recharge!

Life. It is tiring. Stressful. Constant. Between work, kids, politics, and other stresses of daily life, it becomes so easy to wear down; to want to just stay in bed and spend a week talking to nobody and doing nothing. Even now, there's a good chance you're thinking to yourself how nice it would be to just have thirty minutes of complete silence, perhaps with your head on a pillow.

All of the above can be true, whether you are a Christian or not, and in fact, if you're involved in any type of ministry -- whether it is formal, or simply giving of your time to the cause of Christ -- that can even be a further drain on your emotions, your mind, and your soul.


Certainly, I'm describing myself here -- and it's recently occurred to me, maybe the problem is me.

Take out your cell phone and look at the charge status. Chances are, if you haven't plugged it in for a few days, it could stand to be charged. To be plugged into a power source and left alone. Similarly, your body needs to recharge, with the appropriate amount of rest, and with the right kinds of food.

And, like your physical self, your spiritual self -- your soul -- also needs a charge. The fact is, when we fail to "plug in" to the Source of all life, we will run down and burn out.

Even Jesus needed this time with God. Mark 1:35 says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Jesus needed to spend time with His Father. To shut out the world and prepare for the coming day. He had work to do for the kingdom, and needed to be at His best. And He knew His best could only come from the Father. 

Are you starting to drain? To run down and burn out? It's a lesson hard-learned: you can't be at your best, unless you're drawing power from the Father. 

Find solitude, and kneel in the presence of God. Rest in Him, and let Him refresh you. Follow the example of Christ, and prepare to serve God by basking in His presence.  

Just Chatting With The Creator of the Universe... No Big Deal

A good friend and former pastor of mine likes to refer to prayer as "just talkin' to God." This is, of course, true. Thanks to the indwelling of His Spirit, and Jesus' promise to remain with us always, we know He is always present if we will only talk to Him.

But you know, there are times when I wonder whether I allow that familiarity with which he lets us address Him to invite temptation to forget to whom, exactly, I am speaking.

Everyone knows the Lord's Prayer. When Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, he begins it this way: "Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name."

Hallowed: Holy. Venerated. Sacred.

When we talk to God, it is vital we remember we are speaking to the Creator of everything. The One who has given us life and breath. The One who owes us nothing but contempt for our sinful natures, but who has the Grace and Mercy to call us His sons and daughters. When you look outside, and see the grass and trees and sky, God did that. And that God allows us to call Him Father.

That God is worthy of all the Love we can give. And He is also worthy of our respect.

With You In Spirit*

"I am with you always." Jesus told his disciples as much right after He told them to go into the world and disciple all the nations. And more or less right before He was taken into Heaven. So,  obviously, He was speaking in spiritual terms.

Of course, like anything, repetition  and lack of context can often make us lose the meaning -- and import -- of what is said. I wonder how many times I've told somebody, "I'll be with you in spirit." So, while my friends are doing whatever (usually unpleasant) task for which I found a reason to be absent, I'd be, what, thinking about them? Maybe. Actually, it's doubtful even that is the case, really. But we say it so often, don't we?

But what Jesus was saying is so much more meaningful. When He said,  "I am with you always," yes, sure, he meant I'm with you in Spirit. Except that, for Jesus, it isn't figurative. For Jesus to be with us in spirit, means He is literally with us. In fact, being In the Spirit means He is with us more completely than we can ever be with somebody even in the same room.

So, if that's the case -- that Jesus is with us literally at all times, praying without ceasing doesn't seem quite so daunting,  does it? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Prayer is something more than this uniform, spoken letter to God, beginning with "Dear Jesus," and closing with "Amen." Prayer is a constant conversation with an ever-present Lord.

When is the last time you spoke to Jesus as though He were in the same room with you? Considering He told us He actually is, it might be worth trying.


*Today's devotional was inspired by a recent "episode" of Radio Free Babylon's "Coffee with Jesus" comic strip.

Coffee

I don't start my day without a cup of coffee. Preferably good coffee, but when I'm desperate, bad will do just as well. My blood is actually more caffeine than water: I generally drink strong, black coffee throughout most of the day, and I almost never go to bed before one more cup.

It is the fuel that wakes me up, keeps me going, allows me to focus, and finally calms my nerves.

The question I'm asking myself lately is simply this: what if I needed time with my Savior as much as I need a good dark roast?

I do, and more. I need Him to start my day. I need Him to keep me going, and to focus my eyes on what matters. I need Him to calm my soul at the end of the day. I need Him with a desperation I can barely fathom.

The difference is, every morning, I make time for coffee. And, I confess, sometimes I take my Lord for granted. That's the curse of always being there. I know that, when I turn to Him, there He'll be, because He is faithful. More faithful, thank God, than I can be.

My prayer today -- and every day -- is for God to remind me He's there, and that I need to seek His face, at the start of my morning, throughout the day, and before I go to sleep. And that I remember to thank Him for always being there -- even when I can't find a cup of coffee.

Have You Prayed for Christians in Zimbabwe Today?

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Eph 6:17)

Prayer is a funny thing. We are often taught, as we grow up, to pray. We pray for our food. For our night's rest. We pray, at those times, for our families: our brothers and sisters,  grandparents,  aunts and uncles,  cousins and friends. But strangers? 

All over the world, new believers and old saints face daily struggles. Sometimes, those struggles are of the kind you and I face every day: temptation, frustration, doubt. And sometimes, these Brothers and Sisters in Christ are struggling for their very lives. For daily bread. For safety. 

Ephesians 6:10-20 reminds us that we are engaged in constant spiritual warfare. This battle doesn't happen in a bubble. It doesn't happen at your church alone, or end at the borders of our community. It is a war that encompasses the entire world. And it is one being fought on fronts from your back yard to the farthest reaches of the globe, by men and women just like you and I. And in this section of Ephesians, Paul reminds us of this fact, and reminds us that we fight, not for ourselves, but for each other. "Always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

How often, in my prayers, do I remember to pray for my family? My friends? My church? What about believers throughout the world, and the ministry they have?

When Jesus prayed in the Garden, we remember he prayed for His disciples. But, He said:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17: 20-23)

Shouldn't we follow His example,  and be sure we, too,  are praying for our Brothers and Sisters around the world?

That Whole Fruit Metaphor

Life is busy! Going to work, spending your eight hours, coming home, spending family time, getting back into the car for football practice or whatever, and don't forget Sunday morning Church, Sunday Night Church, Wednesday night church, Small Group, choir practice, leadership meetings... the list goes on. In fact, we can be so busy doing... stuff... that it's easy to suddenly realize we've forgotten time for God.

This can be especially true for people in ministry. Good works take time. But often, while we're busy trying to bear our own fruit, we forget to stay connected to the Vine.

Jesus said

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:5-7)

We don't bear fruit in ourselves. Indeed, without our connection to Jesus Christ, we are useless. And the only way to stay connected to Jesus is to be connected. For a branch to bear fruit, it must be connected to the Vine. A branch has no roots. Only the Vine -- the Source -- has roots to feed water and nutrients to its branches. When we're disconnected from that vine, we get neither. 

I'm learning this lesson in my own life: that I need time with God. I need to spend time talking to Him -- and more importantly, opening myself up to be talked to by Him. We must allow ourselves to be fed by God, to grow in Him, and to produce His fruit. And that requires connection. 

And Connection requires time. 

Frustrated?

Being a kid can be frustrating. No longer being seven, I sometimes forget that Second-graders have real problems, too. I was reminded of this yesterday when, in the course of correcting my son's behavior, I asked him if anything had been going on at school.

My son is a passionate boy. He's quick to love, but can also be quick to anger. So as he was telling me about some playground issues, my heart hurt, but I was also worried that he might let those passions get the better of him. Now that he's old enough to understand these things, I've been working on remembering my role as Dad is as much teacher as it is administrator. More so! So instead of admonishing him to watch his step, I asked him to pray when he was frustrated.

Remember, I told him, Jesus had -- and has -- more reason to be angry with us than we've ever had to be mad at somebody else. He was beaten up, and mocked, and finally killed. And He is God. He could have freed himself of those chains. He could have asked all the angels in Heaven to teach his antagonists a lesson. But He didn't. In fact, even as He hung on that cross and watched as soldiers divided His clothes among themselves, he lifted His eyes to God and said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

God knows we can get angry and frustrated. He understands. So who better to ask for help, when it all becomes too much to try and control our anger?

So, I told my son, pray. God gets it. He can help you. Just ask. "Oh," said my son, and almost moved me to tears. "I sort of do that sometimes now."

I am grateful he knows that God is there, and listening. And I pray he remembers as he goes through life that God understands his anger. And I pray that, as often as I need it, I remember, too.

A Case of the Mondays

It never failed. The reasons why remain a mystery,  but nearly every Monday at a former workplace brought with it some brand new issue either with our computers or some piece of equipment or another. A switch would suddenly and randomly stop switching what it was supposed to be switching, and would have to be rerouted. A button that, on Friday, simply did what it was designed to do, on Monday would do what it was supposed to do, but also cause a second computer, linked to the first by the most tenuous of connections, to react as though that same button had been pushed over there.

"What's going on?" my co-worker would ask.
"It's Monday," I would answer.

And nothing more needed to be said.

It's been said that Monday gets a bad rap, but I'll admit, it's not exactly undeserved. No matter how you enjoyed -- or failed to enjoy -- your weekend, it's tough to go back to work. And, apparently, the gremlins are working overtime to make sure Monday is as confusingly off-kilter as possible.

So,  I'm not going to pretend it's all in your head, or that Monday isn't as rough as you seem to think it is. I know better.

No, the real question, when it comes to Monday -- and all that comes with it -- is how are we going to react to it?

The Book of Acts (Chapter 16: 15-40) tells us of Paul and Silas, and their time in jail. If you think being beset by Monday Gremlins is bad, you've never been arrested in the ancient Roman Empire. The men were stripped and beaten, and tossed into a dirty prison where they... praised God.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (v.25)

You know the rest of the story, how they were freed by God, and how they made a disciple of their jailer. But notice how Scripture tells us about this act of faith. The nonchalance. There they were, praying and singing. The prison was nothing to them but a venue. Another place to pray and worship their Father and Savior. And the other prisoners listened.

I'm no fan of Mondays, but when it comes down to it, what is it to us, children of the King, but another day to praise Him?