How does one pray a prayer of faith? It is a question that every denomination tries to answer in the Christian Church. I will not name names, but some branches of Christianity seem to widely distribute UnBiblical solutions to prayers that aren't answered how we expect or desire.
Take Mr. Problem-Solver, for example. He is always seeking solutions, and any problem someone comes up with, he seems to have many different things they should try. His way of thinking is that you might pray, but mostly you take action, and if that doesn't work, then you just keep trying other things until something happens. When it doesn't work out, it means he mustn't have tried the right thing.
On the other hand, there is Mrs. Hopeless. She prays and prays all day long, and nothing seems to change about her circumstance. Her relationships are not working out, those that are sick do not seem to be doing better, and it seems like she has not received anything she has prayed for. She spirals into self-loathing, anger, self-pity, and bitterness.
Enter Miss Aggression, who has the power of the Almighty God in her and she knows it. When she prays, she tells God what He is going to do for her, and keeps praying with expectancy. When she wants something, she is going to keep praying until God gives it to her. If He doesn't seem to be doing so, then she needs to find a way to pray about it so that she can get what she wants.
If you get these three in the same room together, Mr. Problem-Solver will perceive Miss Aggression as dangerous and Mrs. Hopeless as weak. Mrs. Hopeless will admire the gumption of the other two, but will end with more self-pity and self-loathing than she started if these two talk to her. Miss Aggression will try to get the other two to realize the truth: that they are not praying enough nor with enough faith. In short, they will eat each other alive.
Jesus did not pray like any of these three. He also didn't have a formulaic "system" to pray by. Praying to God is not Man trying to get what we want from Him. It is an unworthy human being, coming before a Holy Creator God, seeking to be changed and conformed to His will. Wherever your praying starts, it should end in being drawn nearer to God and being more mindful of what's on His mind than what's on your own.
We cannot achieve this. It is the power of the Holy Spirit alone. We do not control the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit submits to Himself alone.
I once came up with a phrase to help me to be patient, "You pray, you wait, you watch, you act," to make myself more mindful of how God is working before jumping into action, but I assure you it is much more complicated than that.
To pray in faith is not to believe that the thing you are praying for will happen exactly how you desire it to. Instead, it is to have faith in the goodness, faithfulness, and sovereignty of the one who you are praying to. Prayer is about God.
I love John Ch. 17 as an example of how we are to pray, as Jesus keeps God's glory central in all that He is praying.
Jesus also seemed to know when it was appropriate to pray, as, "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16
You will notice if you trace His actions through the gospels (Don't take my word for it--please go read them!), that He was living life, and allowing necessary interruptions when He was praying. Sometimes you may start praying and then God will ask you to go do something. Maybe even right then.
The point is to be coming before God reverently each day, praising Him and thanking Him, for He is always worthy, no matter what circumstance you are in, but also pouring out your heart. But it must always come around to giving glory to God again.
A great book on prayer I would highly recommend is Richard J. Foster's Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home.
Psalm 22 begins with the verse that Jesus recalls while on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" but ends with,
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
We must always remember the good work Jesus has done and give thanks not only for our own salvation, but for the salvation of many others, knowing that Jesus will reign in glory one day!
A prayer of faith is one that is Christ-centered, God-glorifying, and not simply about us getting what we want. We also need to make sure we listen to God when we pray, but I do believe that is meant for another post.
But please...start with baby-steps. Pray that God would begin to change the way you pray to Him today and then...simply keep praying to Him! He will bring you to this point.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Fighting Pride
True Confession: I am a terrible blogger because I have about a billion things on my to-do list everyday and usually only get to the top 5. But this one I have to get off my chest.
Pride. It is a word that has haunted my every step for the past 3 years. As I grow in my knowledge of Christ and His humility, I discover deeper levels of pride hidden in my soul.
Take, for instance, the way I will act in a group sometimes. I find myself sometimes interrupting others to make a stupid comment or monopolizing the conversation in a way that demonstrates my self-absorption and need to be recognized. On the other hand, sometimes I do not say the very thing God has laid on my heart (in a Bible study setting or conversation with a friend) because I am not willing to risk my reputation or my relationship with the other person.
The latter smacks more of an ungodly fear, I admit, but at the center is wrapped around my own need for others to think well of me. How shall I defeat this monstrous pride?
Way #1) Ignore it and hope it goes away. Never works. Pride grows unless it is destroyed.
Way#2) Tell others I wrestle with pride and ask them to hold me accountable. I have to be careful who I tell, for some Christians will unwittingly bludgeon me or treat me as diseased for admitting this. Unhelpful. Call on some brothers and sisters who will offer grace as well as accountability.
Way#3) Keep seeking God and ask Him to change my heart. Repent and recognize my need for Jesus Christ.
I've been told to keep the gospel at the center of any talk or message. Really, the gospel needs to be the center of our daily lives. This is our most effective weapon against Pride. We don't have to believe we are the best, the most talented, the funniest, the coolest, the best-dressed, the most-beautiful, the most-athletic, the most unique, etc. We don't have to believe (and shouldn't!) that we are the best.
If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" Romans 8:1. Our sins have been paid for and that is the only thing we should boast in, especially to ourselves.
As the apostle Paul says, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" Galatians 6:14.
Pride. It is a word that has haunted my every step for the past 3 years. As I grow in my knowledge of Christ and His humility, I discover deeper levels of pride hidden in my soul.
Take, for instance, the way I will act in a group sometimes. I find myself sometimes interrupting others to make a stupid comment or monopolizing the conversation in a way that demonstrates my self-absorption and need to be recognized. On the other hand, sometimes I do not say the very thing God has laid on my heart (in a Bible study setting or conversation with a friend) because I am not willing to risk my reputation or my relationship with the other person.
The latter smacks more of an ungodly fear, I admit, but at the center is wrapped around my own need for others to think well of me. How shall I defeat this monstrous pride?
Way #1) Ignore it and hope it goes away. Never works. Pride grows unless it is destroyed.
Way#2) Tell others I wrestle with pride and ask them to hold me accountable. I have to be careful who I tell, for some Christians will unwittingly bludgeon me or treat me as diseased for admitting this. Unhelpful. Call on some brothers and sisters who will offer grace as well as accountability.
Way#3) Keep seeking God and ask Him to change my heart. Repent and recognize my need for Jesus Christ.
I've been told to keep the gospel at the center of any talk or message. Really, the gospel needs to be the center of our daily lives. This is our most effective weapon against Pride. We don't have to believe we are the best, the most talented, the funniest, the coolest, the best-dressed, the most-beautiful, the most-athletic, the most unique, etc. We don't have to believe (and shouldn't!) that we are the best.
If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" Romans 8:1. Our sins have been paid for and that is the only thing we should boast in, especially to ourselves.
As the apostle Paul says, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" Galatians 6:14.
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