3a. Prayer
Most of us are probably guilty of the sin of prayerlessness at least some of the time. It is a Means of Grace and a discipline that I struggle with. Our lives become crowded and we can allow urgent things to take the time that should be spent on important things like prayer that rarely have a great sense of urgency associated with them. We see prayer as a Means of Grace mentioned as such in Hebrews 4:16 when Paul says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Prayer is vital to our lives as a way of growing in the Grace of God. Instead of thinking of prayer as a Means of Grace we tend to take the Janis Joplin view and think of prayer as a means of getting stuff. Janis sang, “Oh Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?" Now Janis sang the song tongue in cheek and I’m not sure she was a Christian so I’d cut her some slack for theological fuzziness. The problem is that many Christians approach prayer in this manner. We often pray as if we are the builders and God is a delivery truck to bring us what we need to do what we want. Those who are “spiritual” among us may actually consult God to get His input prior to developing and pursuing a plan of action and then we expect Him to deliver what we need on time so that we can do something for Him. That method really doesn’t work well. In fact, although it is a common method, it is a painful way to proceed. God is patient and faithful to correct us and allow us to eventually reflect on the importance of working under His Lordship.
Ambrose (339-397) pointed out the importance of getting the Lordship of Christ central in our life before praying:
Most of us are probably guilty of the sin of prayerlessness at least some of the time. It is a Means of Grace and a discipline that I struggle with. Our lives become crowded and we can allow urgent things to take the time that should be spent on important things like prayer that rarely have a great sense of urgency associated with them. We see prayer as a Means of Grace mentioned as such in Hebrews 4:16 when Paul says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Prayer is vital to our lives as a way of growing in the Grace of God. Instead of thinking of prayer as a Means of Grace we tend to take the Janis Joplin view and think of prayer as a means of getting stuff. Janis sang, “Oh Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?" Now Janis sang the song tongue in cheek and I’m not sure she was a Christian so I’d cut her some slack for theological fuzziness. The problem is that many Christians approach prayer in this manner. We often pray as if we are the builders and God is a delivery truck to bring us what we need to do what we want. Those who are “spiritual” among us may actually consult God to get His input prior to developing and pursuing a plan of action and then we expect Him to deliver what we need on time so that we can do something for Him. That method really doesn’t work well. In fact, although it is a common method, it is a painful way to proceed. God is patient and faithful to correct us and allow us to eventually reflect on the importance of working under His Lordship.
Ambrose (339-397) pointed out the importance of getting the Lordship of Christ central in our life before praying:
Jesus is our mouth, through which we speak to the Father; He is our eye, through which we see the Father; He is our right hand through which we offer ourselves to the Father. Unless He intercedes, there is no intercourse with God.
... Ambrose (339-397)
Without the Holy Spirit we’ll pray unwisely but God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us. Romans 8:26 tells us that we don’t know how to pray as we should but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Not only that but verse 27 tells us that God in His omniscience searching our hearts within the context of the Trinity knows us and therefore the Holy Spirit’s intercession is informed by our needs and God’s will. It is once again an Amazing Grace that what should rightly cause us to tremble before God (His knowledge of our hearts) instead results in perfect intercession for us.
We have the great privilege to cooperate in prayer allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us. This is a Means of Grace that can grow us up in the Lord if we learn to pray with a right heart realizing that we aren’t delivering a shopping list and that we are in submission to the Lord and not He to us.
We have the great privilege to cooperate in prayer allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us. This is a Means of Grace that can grow us up in the Lord if we learn to pray with a right heart realizing that we aren’t delivering a shopping list and that we are in submission to the Lord and not He to us.
A.J. Gossip (1873 – 1954) was a Scottish theologian and preacher who has been widely quoted. One thing he said about prayer was that:
Of course, it all depends upon what we are praying for. If we are whimpering, and sniveling, and begging to be spared the discipline of life that is sent to knock some smatterings of manhood into us, the answer to that prayer may never come at all. Thank God! Though, indeed, it is not easy to say that, with honesty. Still, it may never come at all, thank God. … if you are not bleating to get off, but asking to be given grace and strength to see this through with honor, "the very day" you pray that prayer, the answer always comes.
... A. J. Gossip (1873-1954), Experience Worketh Hope
[1944]
Once we have our heads on straight about who is Lord of our life then we need to never forget that we have been commanded to ask (Matthew 7:7). However, even when we are commanded to ask we are reminded that our Father will not give us something bad for us. Answered prayers will be good for us (Matthew 7:11). The Book of James challenges us by asking:
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:1-4, ESV)
So our attitudes and prayer are closely linked but this is in part just another way of saying that prayer is a Means of Grace. The process of praying is purifying. If you are unhappy with God you may as well tell Him and pray about it. It will not be news to Him.
Now Jesus specifically stated that we were to pray in our rooms individually with the doors closed (Matthew 6:5-6) and that we should not repeat ourselves (Matthew 6:7). Every so often someone will get really dogmatic about these Scriptures. However, using Scripture to interpret Scripture as we are supposed to do and engaging our brain at the same time we realize that Jesus is talking about private prayer. If you decided to take your quiet time to the streets so that everyone could see what a spiritual giant you are and wish they could be like you then you’ve got a problem. Jesus was not addressing the issue of corporate prayer found in other Scriptures (Acts 4:24-30; Acts 12:5)
Prayer
1) Our Father in Heaven
I praise You God for taking me out of the kingdom of darkness and placing me into the Kingdom of Your Dear Son.
"Our Father" reminds me that I'm part of the Church and I pray for those in the Church under persecution & for unity in the Body of Christ
I confess that I was lost and without hope when You, by grace alone, saved me.
I thank You for the incomprehensible Love that speaks the command to call You Father and the unbounded grace that makes it so.
Now Jesus specifically stated that we were to pray in our rooms individually with the doors closed (Matthew 6:5-6) and that we should not repeat ourselves (Matthew 6:7). Every so often someone will get really dogmatic about these Scriptures. However, using Scripture to interpret Scripture as we are supposed to do and engaging our brain at the same time we realize that Jesus is talking about private prayer. If you decided to take your quiet time to the streets so that everyone could see what a spiritual giant you are and wish they could be like you then you’ve got a problem. Jesus was not addressing the issue of corporate prayer found in other Scriptures (Acts 4:24-30; Acts 12:5)
Prayer
1) Our Father in Heaven
I praise You God for taking me out of the kingdom of darkness and placing me into the Kingdom of Your Dear Son.
"Our Father" reminds me that I'm part of the Church and I pray for those in the Church under persecution & for unity in the Body of Christ
I confess that I was lost and without hope when You, by grace alone, saved me.
I thank You for the incomprehensible Love that speaks the command to call You Father and the unbounded grace that makes it so.
2) Hallowed be your name
I pray your Holiness would bring a conviction of sin in my life.
I pray that love for your holy name would bring true and lasting repentance in my heart. I pray I would hate sin and especially the sins remaining in my life.
Help me not grieve the Holy Spirit in my actions or in my thought life.
Let there be no idols in my physical world or in my emotional world that compete for the place that is yours far above all else and even life itself.
I pray your Holiness would bring a conviction of sin in my life.
I pray that love for your holy name would bring true and lasting repentance in my heart. I pray I would hate sin and especially the sins remaining in my life.
Help me not grieve the Holy Spirit in my actions or in my thought life.
Let there be no idols in my physical world or in my emotional world that compete for the place that is yours far above all else and even life itself.
3) Your Kingdom come
Help me yield my will to you.
Grant me the grace to participate in the establishment of Your Lordship in my life.
Help me not struggle to remain lord of my life. Help me trust You in everything and grant me the grace to yield to Your rule rather than struggle against it.
Even so, come quickly Lord.
Help me yield my will to you.
Grant me the grace to participate in the establishment of Your Lordship in my life.
Help me not struggle to remain lord of my life. Help me trust You in everything and grant me the grace to yield to Your rule rather than struggle against it.
Even so, come quickly Lord.
4) Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Establish righteousness in the earth
Let all my actions be in accord with Your will
Especially I pray for:
a) Secular Government
b) My Employer/es
c) Family
d) Church Family
e) Church Leadership
f) The lost I meet each day & divine appointments
Establish righteousness in the earth
Let all my actions be in accord with Your will
Especially I pray for:
a) Secular Government
b) My Employer/es
c) Family
d) Church Family
e) Church Leadership
f) The lost I meet each day & divine appointments
5) Give me each day my daily bread.
Let me remember that all my needs are supplied by Your hand.
Every bite of food and every stitch of clothes is given to me by You.
Please don't let me trust in the strength of men or in my ability to "take care of myself".
Please help me be a good steward of all the material & spiritual blessings you give me.
Let me remember that all my needs are supplied by Your hand.
Every bite of food and every stitch of clothes is given to me by You.
Please don't let me trust in the strength of men or in my ability to "take care of myself".
Please help me be a good steward of all the material & spiritual blessings you give me.
6) Forgive me for my sins for I also forgive everyone who sins against me.
Father I confess that my heart is often far from You and that in light of the mercy and grace You have poured out on me that I am in need of forgiveness again
Thank you God for the mercy that You have shown me.
Let mercy be part of my character that others can see You in me.
However, give me the grace to forgive without regard to the attitude of others.
Father I confess that my heart is often far from You and that in light of the mercy and grace You have poured out on me that I am in need of forgiveness again
Thank you God for the mercy that You have shown me.
Let mercy be part of my character that others can see You in me.
However, give me the grace to forgive without regard to the attitude of others.
7) Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from the evil one.
Father I am still prone to wander and I long to be free of my sin nature.
I confess that I need the Holy Spirit to keep me from temptation and be my preservation.
You are the One True God who keeps me and nothing take me from your hand.
Father I am still prone to wander and I long to be free of my sin nature.
I confess that I need the Holy Spirit to keep me from temptation and be my preservation.
You are the One True God who keeps me and nothing take me from your hand.
8) For Yours is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever. Amen.
Today Your name is at stake in my life
Your Kingdom is first today
My answer to You Lord is yes & amen
Today Your name is at stake in my life
Your Kingdom is first today
My answer to You Lord is yes & amen
3b. Worship
It is natural for us to worship God in response to His revelation to us in Scripture and in nature. The worship is to be “in spirit” (John 4:23–24; Phil. 3:3) so simply showing up without being engaged in the process is not what we are commanded to do.
God often uses times in which we worship to minister to us. For example, Paul and Barnabas were set apart by God (Acts 13:2) after a worship service and even in the Old Testament the Temple was filled with God’s glory following worship (2 Chron. 5:13–14) and we are told that God will draw near to us as we draw near to Him (James 4:8).
One odd error that seems to have resulted in a number of odd problems in the modern church is the way in which worship has become a commodity for consumption by the congregation rather than an offering of worship to God. Partly this is because we perceive all things as commodities that we pass judgment on. We focus on worship style and forget the focus isn’t on our preferences it is on God. I’ve been in worship services that have ranged from contemporary to classical music that have been mountaintops or valleys depending on the hearts of those worshiping. I guarantee that it is not the style that creates worship. That means you aren’t scared of new songs since God continues to give new songs but that your worship isn’t sanctified by old songs. Content is lacking in some worship songs and you should always evaluate the theology of the songs your singing. Some contemporary songs lack content some hymnal music lacks content. There isn’t anything wrong with singing, in essence, “I love Jesus” over and over but God is to be praised and worshiped and there is great depth in His revelation to us. If God has revealed that all blessings flow from Him, if God has revealed Himself in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost then why not use a hymn that Baptists have for over 300 years?
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;This is the last verse of a longer hymn. That has wonderful verses full of content.
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost. (Thomas Ken, 1674)
For example here are three verses:
Awake, my soul, and with the sunWhen this hymn was written only Scripture could be sung as hymns. It was considered sinful and/or blasphemous to write new lyrics for use in church. This hymn and several others were written for the young men at Winchester College with strict instructions that they only use them in their rooms for private devotions. It is really ironic that the last verse is known as the Doxology and is arguably the most commonly used piece of music in public worship.
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear;
Think how all seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.
We have got to keep the heart attitude right. Otherwise we argue from a consumer’s point of view about right and wrong worship with focus on style rather than substance. New isn’t better because it is new and old isn’t better because it is old. Whole churches can be built to serve consumers with content ignored until they collapse like a house of cards. I’ve already been there and done that. The character of revival is a God centered worship service.
Giving
Giving of material blessings is part of our worship as we acknowledge that God provides for us in abundance so we can give things away to bless others. We can’t view this as a way to “obtain the gift of God with money” (Acts 8:20) or we’ll be subject to correction as Simon the Sorcerer was. However, God does bless us as we give to others. It gives us a chance to be like our Father by giving to others.
You do need to participate joyfully and not under compulsion (2 Cor. 9:7). God gives that way and so should we. God also sends His rain on the just and unjust and a portion of our giving can be to people who don’t necessarily deserve it. I still remember a non-Christian who told me that he wouldn’t give blood because the might give it to a crook or some other undeserving person. I think he was just scared to give blood but I’m glad God doesn’t only give to the deserving since there are none righteous and no one deserves salvation. It is good to give when others don’t know that you gave.
This week, in addition to your giving this morning, give something to someone else and, if possible, do it in a way that they will be unable to figure out who gave the gift. Do this to worship God who gave to you when you didn’t know Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment