Hello everyone. This past week Denise H. shared a devotion with us during Tuesday Morning Bible Study. For those who missed it, she has put it here in written form. Enjoy and may God bless your weekend.
Why Do You Choose To Pray?
Have you ever asked yourself that question? Even better than that, try and answer it. Maybe your response would be (1) it is my way to communicate with God, (2) to help me out of trouble, (3) help during sickness, (4) for salvation for a loved one, (5) to thank God for all of His blessings, or (6) to score “brownie points” with God. Hmm not sure number six is a valid reason.
The way I see prayer is that it is a wonderful, precious gift from God. Prayer is communion with God. Prayer is essential for our life; it is spiritual bread and water. Prayer lightens our burdens. Prayer reminds us that we have Jesus Christ making intercession for us at the right hand of God. Prayer is the means of God to strengthen our faith in the promises of God’s Word.
“Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thee knowest not,” Jeremiah 33:3.
These are the words that God gave to Jeremiah, the prophet, as he was held captive in Jerusalem. Outside the prison walls, the sounds of the conquering armies of Babylon engulfed the air. Imagine being imprisoned by your own people, because you made the choice to be obedient to God! What GREAT and MIGHTY things could God be promising? What could God be wanting to show Jeremiah? What mighty thing could He be wanting to show to you?
Does prayer mean that God will answer our prayers by giving us our requests? He answers for sure, but He may not give us what we think we need. God’s answers are often what we don’t expect. God wants us to rest in His wisdom directing our paths.
What does the Bible say about prayer? Matthew 26:41 tells us that prayer is imperative. James 4:2 states that prayer is the only way to request things from God. Prayer can help deliver you out of trouble as we read in Acts 12:1-17. We should pray without ceasing as we are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. In Psalm 33:22 we can read how prayer brings hope. Would you like to find out how prayer unlocks the treasure chest of God’s wisdom in James 1:5? Did you know in 1 Samuel 12:23 that not praying is a sin?
So, in closing, why do you choose to pray?
Showing posts with label Tuesday Morning Devotional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tuesday Morning Devotional. Show all posts
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Exhausted From Sorrow
“When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.” Luke 22:45
Have you ever been so physically and spiritually worn out that you couldn’t do anything, not even pray? Have you found yourself in a difficult situation for any length of time and then one day you realize that it is about to get worse.
Maybe you have been struggling financially for so very long and one day out of the blue you find in your mailbox an unexpected bill with no resources for payment. Or maybe, you have been in a difficult job for quite a while and have been praying that things would turn around, instead you find yourself demoted or relocated to a different department. Perhaps you have been praying over an ongoing illness and instead of receiving healing, you are diagnosed with still another malady. That is exactly the context that the disciples are facing in our scripture today.
Here is the setting. “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation’. He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed”. Luke 22:39-41
What follows is the sacred yet familiar account of Jesus asking the Father to take the cup of suffering that he was to endure from him. Jesus resolved that it not be his will but his Fathers that remained. There are several indications that this was a time of intense prayer. In the text it tells us that “he knelt down and prayed”. At this time and in this culture, prayer was usually done standing up. One commentary suggested that he might have actually fallen on his face in anguished prayer.
The second indication can be found in verse 44. “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” The language is plain, Jesus’ prayer was earnest.
You might be wondering, why write this devotional? Is she about to condemn the disciples for falling asleep rather then praying? No just the opposite. I read a quote just recently and it got me to thinking. It reads, “Strenuousness of prayer is demanded by the energy with which Satan is pressing his suit”. (Beck, “Imitatio Christi,” 39; cf.R.E. Brown, Death of the Messiah, 188-189)
Could it be that the more intense the battle with the enemy, the more intense our season of prayer ought to be? When the battle heats up do we get exhausted from our sorrow or do we step up our prayer lives. At this time things were suddenly going very wrong for this band of disciples. They were starting to realize what was ahead both physically and spiritually and the reality of it overwhelmed them. The disciples behavior stands in stark contrast both to Jesus’ initial instructions and to Jesus’ own behavior. Jesus was moved to more intensive time in prayer while the disciples were paralyzed by their circumstances.
But Luke’s portrait of their failure is not a condemning one. Luke excuses their behavior on account of excessive sorrow. Luke wasn't and God isn't insensitive to what we are going through when we are too overcome even to pray. Jesus repeats his instructions to “pray that you may not come into the time of trial”. Luke 22:46 We can assume that their failure on Mount of Olives was neither final nor fatal.
Perhaps you have found yourself in a season of prayerlessness due to overwhelming circumstances and your prayer life has spiritually fallen asleep. The best thing you can do is to recognize that if the battle is this intense, then satan is after you. If he is after you with that kind of voracity then you can be assured that victory waits on the other side of that battle.
While Jesus wasn’t delivered from the cup that God had asked Him to drink, God did send an angel to give him the strength he needed to accomplish what God asked Him to do. “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:44) While Jesus endured great suffering, he achieved an everlasting victory just three days later when he rose from the grave. God may not deliver you from whatever situation that has clouded your life, but he will strengthen you and bring you through it. There is a victory waiting on the other side.
If you are overwhelmed with excessive sorrow and unable to pray, can I be so bold to suggest you get with some prayer friends in Christ and tell them. Allow them to strengthen you through their prayers and bring refreshment where there is exhaustion. Then follow the example of Jesus and step up to a season of such intense prayer that the enemy would have no choice but to put his tail between his legs and flee.
"Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wait. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up." James 4:7-10
Have you ever been so physically and spiritually worn out that you couldn’t do anything, not even pray? Have you found yourself in a difficult situation for any length of time and then one day you realize that it is about to get worse.
Maybe you have been struggling financially for so very long and one day out of the blue you find in your mailbox an unexpected bill with no resources for payment. Or maybe, you have been in a difficult job for quite a while and have been praying that things would turn around, instead you find yourself demoted or relocated to a different department. Perhaps you have been praying over an ongoing illness and instead of receiving healing, you are diagnosed with still another malady. That is exactly the context that the disciples are facing in our scripture today.
Here is the setting. “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation’. He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed”. Luke 22:39-41
What follows is the sacred yet familiar account of Jesus asking the Father to take the cup of suffering that he was to endure from him. Jesus resolved that it not be his will but his Fathers that remained. There are several indications that this was a time of intense prayer. In the text it tells us that “he knelt down and prayed”. At this time and in this culture, prayer was usually done standing up. One commentary suggested that he might have actually fallen on his face in anguished prayer.
The second indication can be found in verse 44. “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” The language is plain, Jesus’ prayer was earnest.
You might be wondering, why write this devotional? Is she about to condemn the disciples for falling asleep rather then praying? No just the opposite. I read a quote just recently and it got me to thinking. It reads, “Strenuousness of prayer is demanded by the energy with which Satan is pressing his suit”. (Beck, “Imitatio Christi,” 39; cf.R.E. Brown, Death of the Messiah, 188-189)
Could it be that the more intense the battle with the enemy, the more intense our season of prayer ought to be? When the battle heats up do we get exhausted from our sorrow or do we step up our prayer lives. At this time things were suddenly going very wrong for this band of disciples. They were starting to realize what was ahead both physically and spiritually and the reality of it overwhelmed them. The disciples behavior stands in stark contrast both to Jesus’ initial instructions and to Jesus’ own behavior. Jesus was moved to more intensive time in prayer while the disciples were paralyzed by their circumstances.
But Luke’s portrait of their failure is not a condemning one. Luke excuses their behavior on account of excessive sorrow. Luke wasn't and God isn't insensitive to what we are going through when we are too overcome even to pray. Jesus repeats his instructions to “pray that you may not come into the time of trial”. Luke 22:46 We can assume that their failure on Mount of Olives was neither final nor fatal.
Perhaps you have found yourself in a season of prayerlessness due to overwhelming circumstances and your prayer life has spiritually fallen asleep. The best thing you can do is to recognize that if the battle is this intense, then satan is after you. If he is after you with that kind of voracity then you can be assured that victory waits on the other side of that battle.
While Jesus wasn’t delivered from the cup that God had asked Him to drink, God did send an angel to give him the strength he needed to accomplish what God asked Him to do. “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:44) While Jesus endured great suffering, he achieved an everlasting victory just three days later when he rose from the grave. God may not deliver you from whatever situation that has clouded your life, but he will strengthen you and bring you through it. There is a victory waiting on the other side.
If you are overwhelmed with excessive sorrow and unable to pray, can I be so bold to suggest you get with some prayer friends in Christ and tell them. Allow them to strengthen you through their prayers and bring refreshment where there is exhaustion. Then follow the example of Jesus and step up to a season of such intense prayer that the enemy would have no choice but to put his tail between his legs and flee.
"Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wait. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up." James 4:7-10
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Easy Kindness
I few years ago, there was a saying that became rather popular and went something like this “What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas“. Are you familiar with it? Then let me ask you, do you think what happens in Women’s Bible Study stays in Women’s Bible Study?
My answer to you would be yes and no. Yes, because whatever is of a personal nature shared among us as a group would certainly fall into the first category. But also no, in that what we learn is not meant to just stay with us in that room. It is meant to spill over into our everyday lives. What we learn is meant to change us so that Christ might be radically obvious in everything we do.
Last week, I taught about holiness and we defined this rather deep theological term very simply as being 'set apart'. We learned that the purpose of the law as it was given to the Israelite’s while they roamed the desert was to teach them and prepare them for living lives 'set apart' on to God.
Over the last several months God has been encouraging me to live the kind of life that He can pour Himself though. To live a life that one would characterize as 'set apart' for His use. In my pursuit to live the kind of life that is a reflection of His character, I confess, I just got worn out. Has anyone ever got just plain old tired from wanting to do the right thing? That was my estate as I ventured out this past weekend to the Beth Moore Simulcast (we had a blast by the way).
The teaching we were under was based on the law of kindness. Beth pointed out that it was important for us to be purposeful about our level of kindness because we live in a mean world. If we are going to exercise kindness we are going to have to do it with intention. Have you ever tried to walk in the Spirit and exhibit kindness only to be knocked back or misunderstood at every attempt? Have you ever been discouraged to the point where you are worn out from it?
One of the points (there were eight) that she taught was that “kindness wears down when we do”. She pointed out that the surest way that you can know if you are worn out is when you start to exhibit any manner of unhealthy emotions like resentment, hatred or jealousy. The remedy that the word brought us that day is that if you are worn down, quite simply, you need to be built up.
So how do we get built up? Two ways, the first is to know that Jesus is kind to you. She quoted Matthew 11:30 , “my yoke is easy, my burden is light.” The word used in the Greek for 'easy' is the same word translated elsewhere as 'kind'. The yoke Christ has given you is kind. If you are feeling over worked and stressed out maybe you need to wonder if Jesus gave you that yoke or it is one of your own choosing. The second sure fire way to get built up is through other believers. Ephesians 4:12,16,29, speak of building each other up through the body of the church. When we meet and greet each other we want to give and receive all manner of kindnesses.
Are you feeling worn out in your pursuit to live a holy life, then I suggest you take some time apart with Jesus and allow Him to do ministry to your heart. Ask Him to show how kind He is to you and receive it into your spirit. You can’t pour out what you don’t possess. Find a quiet place to think about how much He loves you and allow that love to saturate your inner being.
This morning in getting ready for Women’s Bible Study, I was blowing out my hair and talking to the Lord. When I am finished styling my hair, I like to cover it with hair spray with the highest hold factor available. Today’s case was a number five hold. I just don’t like to have to revisit the process during the day. As I was pressing the button to let out the spray the nozzle got stuck and I couldn’t get it to stop shooting out the sticky stuff. So instead of throwing it in the sink (the smart option), I reacted by running around the bathroom in circles (not the smart option). When I finally loosed the nozzle there was hairspray all over everything. Nothing escaped.
My prayer is that we would be like that hairspray as we go out today. That we would spray kindness wherever our foot lands...and it would stick with a super hold factor of five. Amen?!
My answer to you would be yes and no. Yes, because whatever is of a personal nature shared among us as a group would certainly fall into the first category. But also no, in that what we learn is not meant to just stay with us in that room. It is meant to spill over into our everyday lives. What we learn is meant to change us so that Christ might be radically obvious in everything we do.
Last week, I taught about holiness and we defined this rather deep theological term very simply as being 'set apart'. We learned that the purpose of the law as it was given to the Israelite’s while they roamed the desert was to teach them and prepare them for living lives 'set apart' on to God.
Over the last several months God has been encouraging me to live the kind of life that He can pour Himself though. To live a life that one would characterize as 'set apart' for His use. In my pursuit to live the kind of life that is a reflection of His character, I confess, I just got worn out. Has anyone ever got just plain old tired from wanting to do the right thing? That was my estate as I ventured out this past weekend to the Beth Moore Simulcast (we had a blast by the way).
The teaching we were under was based on the law of kindness. Beth pointed out that it was important for us to be purposeful about our level of kindness because we live in a mean world. If we are going to exercise kindness we are going to have to do it with intention. Have you ever tried to walk in the Spirit and exhibit kindness only to be knocked back or misunderstood at every attempt? Have you ever been discouraged to the point where you are worn out from it?
One of the points (there were eight) that she taught was that “kindness wears down when we do”. She pointed out that the surest way that you can know if you are worn out is when you start to exhibit any manner of unhealthy emotions like resentment, hatred or jealousy. The remedy that the word brought us that day is that if you are worn down, quite simply, you need to be built up.
So how do we get built up? Two ways, the first is to know that Jesus is kind to you. She quoted Matthew 11:30 , “my yoke is easy, my burden is light.” The word used in the Greek for 'easy' is the same word translated elsewhere as 'kind'. The yoke Christ has given you is kind. If you are feeling over worked and stressed out maybe you need to wonder if Jesus gave you that yoke or it is one of your own choosing. The second sure fire way to get built up is through other believers. Ephesians 4:12,16,29, speak of building each other up through the body of the church. When we meet and greet each other we want to give and receive all manner of kindnesses.
Are you feeling worn out in your pursuit to live a holy life, then I suggest you take some time apart with Jesus and allow Him to do ministry to your heart. Ask Him to show how kind He is to you and receive it into your spirit. You can’t pour out what you don’t possess. Find a quiet place to think about how much He loves you and allow that love to saturate your inner being.
This morning in getting ready for Women’s Bible Study, I was blowing out my hair and talking to the Lord. When I am finished styling my hair, I like to cover it with hair spray with the highest hold factor available. Today’s case was a number five hold. I just don’t like to have to revisit the process during the day. As I was pressing the button to let out the spray the nozzle got stuck and I couldn’t get it to stop shooting out the sticky stuff. So instead of throwing it in the sink (the smart option), I reacted by running around the bathroom in circles (not the smart option). When I finally loosed the nozzle there was hairspray all over everything. Nothing escaped.
My prayer is that we would be like that hairspray as we go out today. That we would spray kindness wherever our foot lands...and it would stick with a super hold factor of five. Amen?!
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