You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘prayer’ tag.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts“ Isaiah 55:8-9
We live in age where knowledge is increasing at an amazing rate. According to one study, the rate of ‘knowledge volume’ increases every 12 hours, compared to doubling every 25 years in 1945! That boggles my mind!
One of my favorite movies is Apollo 13. It’s amazing to realize that crisis happened before computers as we know them. My cell phone has more power than anything they had back then, yet they put men on the moon!
While the increase of knowledge on the human realm is amazing, what’s more amazing is that no matter how much knowledge we gain on the human level, nothing compares to the knowledge God has.
When Job was questioning why God had allowed his trials, God responded with several questions for Job to answer. Job was speechless as he thought of the immensity of God’s knowledge and power. People have been trying to figure God out since we left the Garden of Eden and with all the knowledge we’ve gained since then, we are no closer to understanding the immensity of our God.
Psalms 135:6 reminds us that “The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.”
We can question, but we may never understand. God will do as he pleases. His actions may never be understood. But his plan is always for our good. Rather than trying to understand God, work to know Him better. Rather than question what you are going through, seek to see what you can learn.
His methods may not be pleasant, but the results will eventually work out for your good.
But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 1 Peter 3:16
We live in a world of fear. Fear shows itself in a variety of ways. Hate, hopelessness, Anger, frustration, despair,, revenge and confusion are just a few ways we deal with our fear.
Most times, if not always, fear happens because the things being done to us, or the things happening around us are out of our control. Our reaction to fear is often an attempt to regain control.
When you believe in a Sovereign God, and live in that truth you are, in a very real sense, giving up that control because you realize your God is in ultimate control. Because of faith you can relinquish control to a loving, sovereign God.
Another thing happens when you live in the shadow of a sovereign God, your hope and faith is seen by those around you, and quite frankly it’s a little hard for them to figure out!
Peter writes to a people in perilous times. In his day, there was open season on Christ-followers. Yet he encourages them to live in faith and hope, and when others question us about our hope we are called on to answer in a respectful, gentle way. No judgment. No hellfire and brimstone. No verbal abuse. Peter was a firey guy. Yet he calls us to gentleness, as does Paul and Jesus.
Our hope will speak more loudly when we live lives in gentleness and respect. Remember, it’s God’s Spirit that wins people to Jesus, not clever arguments, judgmental attitudes or anger.
Author Jerry Bridges states, “Both gentleness and meekness are born of power, not weakness. There is a pseudo-gentleness that is effeminate, and there is a pseudo-meekness that is cowardly. But a Christian is to be gentle and meek because those are Godlike virtues… We should never be afraid, therefore, that the gentleness of the Spirit means weakness of character. It takes strength, God’s strength, to be truly gentle.”
Ask Holy Spirit to guide you into gentleness.
Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Psalms 36:5
What we believe about God and how we live in the presence of God can be two dramatically different things. The old pictures of an angel and a demon sitting on your shoulder whispering in your ear is much more than an artists creativity. Often times, it’s a fact of life. As followers of Jesus we know the promises he gave us.
‘In this world you will have trouble but I’ve overcome the world.’
‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’
‘My peace I give you, not the fickle peace of the world, but a peace you can’t understand.’
‘I will fight the enemies of your soul.’
‘Even in the dark times you can count on my love.’
These are just a few of the many, many promises we base our faith on. But if you are like me, there is a dichotomy between faith and reality. What we know in ‘theory’ doesn’t always transfer to what we feel in our hearts. Fear, worry, confusion, hurt, discouragement can attack in an instant, and often its source is places and situations we’d never expect to happen.
For me, I find three things that can help going from faith to reality. First of all, retreat. Step back to evaluate the situation. I like to get to a quiet place where I can just be with my thoughts for a time.
Secondly, regroup. My retreat time varies by situation, but is temporary and with purpose. Once I’ve had some time to refocus, I regroup. Regrouping often leads me to God’s word and he promises, sometimes it includes close friends who share my faith.
Thirdly, resume. Don’t allow the attacks of your faith keep you from moving forward. It’s the process, not the winning that gives us strength. Our strength doesn’t rest in our activities and our acceptance. Our strength comes from the Holy Spirit that indwells us.
Retreat (temporarily); regroup (with God’s word); Resume (with God’s power). God’s love is far greater than anything we can gain from the world.
Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. Isaiah 26:12
Of all the ‘peace-robbers’ we face, fear is perhaps the strongest and most crippling. Fear of rejection. Fear of failure. Fear of abandonment. Fear of dying. Fear is a driving force that has kept great books from being written, relationships that never happened, songs that have never been sung, careers that were never pursued.
Pastor Rick Warren writes, “Fear is a self imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love.”
When the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning the coming Messiah he writes, “Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.” (Isaiah 26:12) The crippling effects of fear can be lessened (at the least) or even destroyed when we focus on the Prince of Peace, the one empowered by God himself to keep fear in check so that we can move forward to be all He wants us to be.
The absence of fear is peace and living in peace allows us to see the situation more clearly. Fear blinds us to opportunities, peace allows us to see opportunities. Fear imprisons, peace frees. Fear deceives, peace tells us the truth. Fear is debilitating, peace is energizing.
So, how do we get this peace when fear seems to have a stranglehold on our mind? We rely on the source of peace. The source of our peace isn’t trusting your heart. The source of peace isn’t education or money. The source of peace isn’t trying harder or making lifestyle changes. The source of our peace comes directly from the Prince of Peace.
He creates in us peace of mind and peace of mind builds confidence, helps us to think through a problem, keeps us stable on unstable ground and brings a healing oil to a troubled soul.
Billy Graham states that ‘fear flees in the light of God’s love’ through our Prince of Peace. God doesn’t want us to be prisoners of our fears. He wants us to thrive. He wants us to use the gifts and resources He’s given us. He wants us to feel the peace that passes all understanding.
This Christmas season focus on the Prince of your Peace instead of your fear. The shepherds heard this message loud and clear, ‘Fear not! For today, in the city of Bethlehem is born the Prince of Peace!”
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, Psalms 61:2
One of our favorite places on earth is a small campground in Northern MN. Just miles from the Canadian border it seems totally isolated from the rest of the world. To get cellphone signal requires a 20 minute drive. Groceries? 45 minutes.
The saying, ‘it’s not the end of the world but you can see if from there’ is close to reality! You are totally isolated. Totally alone.
Have you ever felt like that in prayer? Oh, to be sure you know, theologically speaking, God is right beside you. You know theologically speaking, His Holy Spirit indwells you.
But again, theologically and practicality sometimes seem miles apart. In Psalm 61:2 David feels totally alone. Whether he is miles from ‘home’ physically or spiritually is up for conjecture. But emotionally speaking? That’s another story. He’s alone.
He seems surrounded by wilderness (insert wild animals, feeling lost, feeling completely helpless). But even in this hard time he has hope. In the distance he sees a rock, an outcropping high above his issues. Better yet, he knows that rock is his fortress, his place of safety, his place of salvation.
Maybe you are at the end of your earth right now. Maybe the answers to your marriage, your finances, the fear of tomorrow are more than you can bear. Maybe those around you seem removed from helping you sort things out. Look to the rock. Seek His guidance through the wilderness. In Him is security and rest for your soul.
