Worship in prayer

Over the last few weeks, the desire to pray has often eluded me. Not that the needs have vanished but that there are so many that I hardly know where to start. Christians have prayer helpers, such as CAST and ACTS that basically stand for confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and supplication. Using them can become mechanical. So can prayer lists. No one brings a list of topics to another expecting a good conversation so I find lists can easily make prayer a ritual rather than what it ought to be.

Oswald Chambers’ devotional for this day says something in the middle that gives me pause:

“Beware of outstripping God by your very longing to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, consequently we get so burdened with persons and with difficulties that we do not worship God, we do not intercede. If once the burden and the pressure come upon us and we are not in the worshiping attitude, it will produce not only hardness toward God but despair in our own souls.”

I’ve noticed this in groups that meet to pray. Burdens and requests are shared, then people jump right into intercession without any of the other components that are vital parts of prayer. No confession can mean that God sees something in me that needs forgiveness and cleansing. How can I expect Him to ‘fix’ the needs I present to Him if I neglect to deal with my own sins?

No thanksgiving? From Roman 1 and experience, I realize that without this, my heart is not fully satisfied with life — or that His will is being done, for which I should be thankful. I could even be blaming God for some lack in my life. My attitude is basically saying that God does not know what is best for me. With that attitude, how can I expect Him to answer prayer?

Chambers’ focus is on worship. Without it, my focus is on me, my needs, the mess in the world and the needs all around me, on the difficulties of life and not on the power of God to not just ‘fix’ them but that He has reasons for allowing them to happen. When I first worship, I remember things about God that affect the way I intercede. For instance:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

Those experiencing trials just might be in those trials because God is at work to mature them and is not interested in any pleas for comfort. Like Job said, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” (Job 23:10)

This tells me to worship the One who uses trouble for good — just like He took the greatest evil, the crucifixion of His Son, and used it for the greatest good. Worship changes the ways I intercede for the sick and suffering.

Worship also remembers that God has made promises. When interceding for others who suffer, I know He can use their suffering to bring them to faith in Christ. While the main news does not report it, thousands of people in the Middle East are turning to Jesus even as their lives are bombarded with bombs — and unfortunately that is all we see or hear rather than knowing God’s grace is at work in the wars. Worship helps me focus on His power, rather than become overburdened by the chaos.

PRAY: Lord, singing worship songs before reading the Bible helps me hear what You say to me. Worship in prayer does the same. Too often I let the clock rush me into asking without focusing on You, the One I am talking to. Forgive my haste. I know You hear and answer prayer despite my failings, but that is only because You are merciful and gracious. I need to begin praying far more often with words that honor and glorify You.

Hearing God . . .

The actions of a friend seemed technically right but something was bugging me. Yesterday while reading the Scriptures a verse popped out that explained why I was unsure about those actions. It also affirmed that obeying God is not about a set of rules or ideals. Listening to His Spirit is vital. What we think we should do might not be the right thing for the situation or the right timing.

For most Christians, this is too subjective. If what we hear is from God, we want verification from His Word, double affirmation. This has me thinking about the importance of the Bible for Christian living and how vital to know what it says, especially as I listen for His still small voice that gives amazing personal guidance. It’s no surprise that today’s reading puts me in this familiar passage:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

A little exploration in a Bible dictionary gives simple definitions of what the Word of God does for those who spend time reading and studying it . . .  

Teaching refers to activities that impart knowledge or skill. God’s Word gives me information so I know things about Him and myself and this world that I would otherwise not know. It even gives me skills I would not otherwise have.

Reproof means an expression of criticism or censure. The Bible tells me when I’m doing the wrong thing, but it also offers correction to improve or replace my mistakes. No good to just know that I slipped up unless I also know what to do differently. I need to repent but also change my ways.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:21)

For that, God’s Word gives training in righteousness, meaning it works in my mind and morals to conform my life to the life of Jesus Christ. This is so I will be complete or equipped with every necessary component for a task or for the purpose God gives me.

This book is like the instruction manual that comes with cars and other complex machinery, or a complete how-to manual for cooking or other involved tasks. It is everything I need to live in the will of God. Other verses build on that:

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

Why is the Bible so helpful? It is because God is in the writing and in the reading and interpretation of it. It was not produced merely by human hand. 2 Peter 1:20-21 say that, “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Another reason for studying the Bible is related to other ways of learning. If I simply ‘let the pastor do it’ or rely on Christian authors, commentaries and other sources about the Bible as my teaching resources, I will miss out in the completeness that is in Scripture.

Jesus says in Luke 6:40, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Human teachers are incomplete in their knowledge and understanding. We don’t know everything about any area of learning never mind the complex study of who God is and what He is like. Other people cannot speak to my deepest needs because most of them have no clue what those needs are, never mind how to address them. We don’t fully understand ourselves either. But God does.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139:1–6)

Who better to counsel, guide and instruct me for life from than the One who created me and knows best how I work!

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Lord Jesus, I’m so thankful that You make Yourself available to me, that I can talk to You and hear You speak, and that Your Word is better than telephones, email, texting, or even a classroom. What a wonder that the God who spoke the world into existence also speaks to me, a mere speck on the grandeur of creation. You are totally amazing and I am totally delighted that You created an instruction manual that is also a love letter — just for Your people.

Today’s thankful list . . .

The Word of God.

Being able to read it and hear God speak.

His correction and guidance for all of life.

Bible study that is relevant to life.

A quiet day that started with a skiff of snow and ended with sunshine.

Chicken noodle soup.

Some basics about prayer

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5–8)

Hypocrites are those who “pretend to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that they do not actually possess.” They are people whose actions do not match their stated beliefs. Hypocrisy is being different on the inside or in private than on the outside so as to impress people who are watching.

The hypocrites Jesus described were religious leaders of the day who feigned a pious attitude and demeanor that they did not actually have. Their prayers were public so people would see them and be impressed. They were rewarded, not by God but by the ‘respect’ given them by their audience.

I’ve been reading a book by Dallas Willard called “Hearing God” and thinking about prayer in terms of listening and of being in conversation. It is easy to recite a prayer list without much thought that I am talking to Almighty God. It is also easy to give what Rosalyn Rinker once called a “prayer speech” and forget that this is supposed to be a conversation.

At our church’s Wednesday morning Bible study, the women were given a journal-prayer exercise. We were to ask God a question and write that question in our journal. Next we began writing whatever came to mind. It might be our own ideas, but I noticed right away that they did not seem like my thoughts. God had something to say to me concerning my questions.

This conversational prayer is controversial because of the extremes taken. For example, Christian writers have told editors that their manuscript was given to them from God and could not be edited, even though their precious document was full of grammar and spelling errors. Others claim messages from God that are plainly against His Word, the Bible.

I have a vivid imagination and have learned to examine my thoughts before assuming they are divinely sourced. Even what seems like a brilliant plan can come out of my desire to impress others (like those praying hypocrites). In fact, that is the first thing I look for: what is my motive? Can I do this without getting any credit for it? Can I talk to God about it and then do it even if no one ever knows that it was done?

Along the same line is praying itself. Chambers points to Jesus’ words about secret prayer. Can I ask without telling others? Can I boast of God who hears and answers, or is my focus on ‘look what I did’ as if my praying was the more important thing.

Chambers also points to Jesus words about “heaping up empty phrases” or as the KJV calls it, “vain repetitions” as if much praying with pious words will impress God. What usually happens when some people pray this way in a group is that the others stay silent for fear their prayers will not sound as good.

Both are in error. When I pray with others, I am supposed to be listening to God, not to how other people sound, or be concerned how I sound to them. It is about connecting with God to praise Him, to ask for His help, and to say thanks for all He has done.