Prayer is Dialogue Not a Monologue

Have you ever wondered why prayer is so difficult and why so few people spend any time engaging the practice? Also have you ever thought of the fact that most religious schools do not offer a course in prayer?  Yet it was the only thing the disciples asked Jesus to teach them, and he did—by example and instruction. However, it seems that we miss an important aspect in the instruction given.  While it is not included in what we call the “Lord’s Prayer” it is given to us in Revelation 3:20. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” The implication of a dialogue cannot be dismissed here. Jesus is clearly proposing the possibility of an intimate relationship developed by two entities talking as well as listening to each other. Just think, do you talk very long on the telephone when you are not sure there is somebody on the other end? Of course not, you need to hear the other person’s voice to have a meaningful conversation. So it is with prayer. Peter Lord remarks, “This dynamic process is transformed when it moves from a monologue to a dialogue—when you listen to God speak after you have spoken or when you listen to him speak before you utter a word.”  It has been stated that God has given us two ears and one mouth so we could listen twice as much as we talk. When we learn to pray and then listen prayer becomes a valuable asset in our lives and the renewed practice speaks volumes to God.  It says, “I realize you are on the other end of the phone, and I’m ready for dialogue.” It is only then our moments together become the most meaningful and we conclude knowing it was time well spent.    

Thinking Outside the Box

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus: 1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die. 2. An old friend who once saved your life. 3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about. Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? Think before you continue. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again. The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his solution. He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams." The moral of this scenario is never forget to "Think Outside of the Box." When you think about it in relation to our spiritual lives we are called upon to do the same.  For productive ministry we must always be open to new ways of doing things. That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in. Jesus said “He will show you things to come.”  Most often we relegate this promise to the interpretation of Scripture. I believe it far exceeds that. When given the opportunity the Spirit will lead us into new ways of capitalizing upon the lost. This might come in the form of a different strategy for witnessing, a deeper approach to worship, or a greater understanding of one’s giftedness. The end result will be greater effectiveness. However, one weakness that tends to cripple the church is the belief that a different method of ministry excludes all others preceding it. When one begins to think out of the box it does not mean that all other forms of ministry sharing semblance with the new idea suddenly becomes null and void. Rather the opposite is true. Embracing change means that we utilize some of the old along with the new and when mixed together productivity is realized. As with the questionnaire mentioned earlier, the job applicant did not discard any part of the equation. His philosophy embraced a spirit of inclusion which allowed every prospect to become a part of the solution. Be assured the Holy Spirit wants us to use the theological, the philosophical, and the practical to have the most impact upon the kingdom.  Yielding to His expertise means that we will work out of the box often. It also means that we will never find ourselves unemployed. Our ability to “think out of the box” will always qualify us for the next assignment.    
 

A Compelling Lawyer

“The Devil and Daniel Webster” is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benet.  In it, Jabez Stone, a New England farmer, has such “bad luck” that he sells his soul to the devil to become prosperous. Eventually, the devil comes to collect Jabez’s debt.  But the eminent lawyer Daniel Webster is called in to defend him. Through a skillful series of arguments, Webster wins the case against the devil, and Jabez is saved from perdition. Although fictional this story reminds us of one told in Zechariah chapter three. Here the high priest, Joshua, stands before the angel of the Lord in filthy garments and is being accused by the Devil. However a lawyer called “Lord” steps forth and declares, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan… Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?" Then He turns to Joshua and says, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes." In essence heaven’s attorney, appointed by the presiding Judge was declaring total vindication of all charges. The bad news for us is that we stand accused by the same culprit. He serves as an aggressive prosecutor pleading for our demise. But the good news is this we have the same representation as Joshua, the high priest. 1 John 2:1 gives the proof. “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”  Webster defines advocate as “one that pleads the cause of another; specifically: one who pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court.” This means, we always have a representative that is ready and willing to stand with us in the face accusation. And as you well know, as long as we are alive, and the devil is allowed to exist charges will constantly be filed against us. Knowing this, we should be thankful because regardless of the charge God has provided for us a compelling Lawyer.   

A Great Homecoming

Today our church celebrated ninety-two years of ministry. As a part of the celebration we had an old-fashioned homecoming which is something we had not done in years.  Letters were sent out to former pastors and members requesting their presence in the service. Several graciously responded and were in attendance to help us commemorate this milestone. Needless to say, it was quite a day.  Our members were able to visit with old friends they had not seen in years.  Whether by letter or in person it was wonderful to sit and listen to the pastors reminisce about the time they spent serving the church.  They spoke of financial difficulties, miracles, salvations and other memorable ministry moments.  Although, many had not been back to the church since their departure it was evident that the bond of fellowship and friendship had not been broken. And when you begin to think about it the multiple years of church affiliation produces many unforgettable relationships.  Yet the sad thing is this, the day ended with everyone going their separate ways.  Admittedly, many will return next week because they are still a vital part of the church. However, others will not.  They presently live in other cities, states, or attend another church in town.  Because of this, I ask the questions that loom in the mind of many. “Will it always be like this? Will we continue to experience fragmentation? Will acquaintances continue to be renewed by occasional visits or sporadic reunions?” The answer is no! The Bible gives us the assurance that one day we will experience the greatest homecoming of all. Distance, relocation, alternative worship venues or sickness will not be an issue. Death will not even interfere. The host for the occasion will be God; the place--heaven; the time frame—eternity; those invited—“whosoever will.” Without doubt, it will be the greatest reunion of all time.  And the latest news is this, according to the signs of the time and the witness of the Holy Spirit preparations are already in the making. Just any day now the invitation will come with the blast of the trumpet. See you there!

Keep It Simple

A few days ago I received the following email from my granddaughter:

“Hey nana and papaw. It's Addison here. I was just thinking about you and wanted to send you a letter. I hope your having a great time. I really miss you and cant wait to see you at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Well, I hope you enjoyed my letter and call me when you get this. See You Soon. Love, Addi.” The way in which the email was written totally impressed me, especially coming from an eleven year old. Was it perfect? No! Was it innocent and simplistic? Yes! Did it convey the appropriate message? Without doubt! When you think of it, this is the way God communicates to us. He always keeps it simple. We should do the same, which was a motto often mentioned by a parishioner our church lost recently to cancer. William Davenport more than once told his family, “You don’t need to pray an elaborate prayer you just need to be sincere.” He believed if you prayed simple prayers and exercised simple faith, God would hear and take action. As a result he left a treasure chest of testimonies proving that this kind of praying worked.  When told he had cancer and only six months to live, he simply prayed for healing and received a miracle. He was eighty-three at the time. He then asked God to let him live until age eighty-six. Again he received his wish. One of his favorite statements was, “It will be alright.” How could he say this with such confidence? It was not because of being profound or perfect in any sense of the word. Rather, he had found the power of simple prayer. We lose emphasis and impetus so often when we try to impress God. Was this not the point Jesus was making when He addressed the Pharisees? “You think you will be heard by your long prayers and vain repetitions. Not so!” In essence He was saying, “Just keep it simple.”  The email referenced earlier was one of simplicity and it got my attention. Its nature merited an immediate reply. So as soon as I read it, I made contact with my granddaughter. Our Father does the same. Neither the throne nor its doors is disturbed by eloquence but are moved by those who stand before them in a childlike fashion. That’s why we need to pray and in doing so keep it simple.  

Recognizing Real Worth

Over the weekend my wife and I went to visit our grandchildren. While there Phyllis decided to make a deal with them. She would pay each child if they would agree to help her carry boxes upstairs and clean the house.  They agreed and immediately went to work.  It was amusing to see the little darlings putting their all into getting the job done. When finished they eagerly awaited compensation.  Cade, the six year old was asked if he would rather have 100 pennies or a five dollar bill. Anxiously he replied, “I will take the pennies.”  However, during the negotiation my son intervened telling his son that five dollars equaled 500 pennies. Immediately he had a change of mind, paper was a lot better than copper.  Initially, because of immaturity he had failed to recognize the real worth of the five dollar bill.  This malady is found in the spiritual realm as well.  Shortly before Jesus was crucified, a woman named Mary poured a bottle of expensive perfume on His feet. Then in what may have been a more daring act, she wiped His feet with her hair. Not only did Mary sacrifice what may have been her life’s savings, she also sacrificed her reputation. This action drew sharp criticism from Judas. He asked, “Why was this ointment not sold and the proceeds given to the poor?” Upon hearing these words, Jesus responded with a stern rebuke. “Leave her alone.  She has done this for my burial and the act of worship  you have interpreted as being wasteful and insignificant will be remembered as a memorial for centuries to come.”  In essence, this greedy disciple was grasping for pennies while a treasure was at his disposal. He simply failed to recognize the worth of anointed worship. God continually offers us His unlimited resources. However, more often than not we find ourselves focusing on the meager when we can have the magnanimous. With the help of the Holy Spirit as negotiator we will always find ourselves getting the best deal possible. He will guide us into the actions and acceptance of those things recognized as having the most worth.        

Whose Problem is it?

I read the story about a man who was having difficulty communicating with his wife and concluded that she was becoming hard of hearing. So he decided to conduct a test without her knowing about it. One evening he sat in a chair on the far side of the room. Her back was to him, positioned where she could not see. Very quietly he whispered, "Can you hear me?" There was no response. Moving a little closer, he asked again, "Can you hear me now?" Still no reply; quietly he edged closer and whispered the same words, but still no answer. Finally, he moved right in behind her chair and said, "Can you hear me now?" To his surprise and chagrin, she responded with irritation in her voice, "For the fourth time, yes!" As with this story, when we have difficulty hearing the problem is not with God but with us! More often than not we find ourselves crying out, “God do you not care; do you not hear; are you not listening?” While we are bombarding God with questions, He is asking the same of us. “Do you not care?  Why do you not hear? I am speaking why are you not listening?” In essence God is always speaking but we do not always have the ability to hear.  What is it that dulls our spiritual ears to the point that we cannot hear the voice of the Master? With King Saul it was a spirit of rebellion. With Peter it was pride. With the Pharisees it was stubbornness. Added to these are a host of things that deafen the contemporary believer such as: busyness, distractions, presumption, and doubt just to name a few. However, the remedy for presumed silence is that of focus.  When we turn our attention to the creator of communication we suddenly begin to hear.  It is as if God fits each ear with a hearing aide which allows his voice to come through with the greatest clarity. So, if you are having problems hearing, nudge in real close to the Father and listen. Then and only then will you be able to detect whose problem it is.