Monday, October 12, 2009

Too Busy to Pray?

Too Busy to Pray?

The Christian form of unceasing prayer may have been preceded by the Psalmist David who wrote, “I have set the Lord always before me” (Ps. 16:8). The Apostle Paul encouraged believers in Thessalonica to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Never has this method of prayer been more appropriate than in our fast-lane lifestyles.

Need a model? In church history, the Celtic people believed that God was with them every moment of the day, so they used short prayers to communicate with God as they performed their chores. Celtic writer, Ester de Waal, explained, “They were the prayers of a people who were so busy from dawn to dusk, from dark to dark, that they had little time for long, formal prayers. Instead throughout the day they did whatever had to be done carefully, giving it their full attention, yet at the same time making it the occasion for prayer.” Next time you are too busy to stop for prayer, try this method.

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Thursday, October 08, 2009

Two Questions that Relate to Listening in Prayer

>>>Note: A trusted friend and colleague responded to these two questions with much insight that might unclutter your prayer life ...

"How does God speak to you?"

"What keeps you from hearing God's voice?"

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Sunday, October 04, 2009

Pray Through the Scriptures - Online!

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Paying Tribute to Small Church Pastors ... Becomes a Prayer Opportunity

SUCCESS, WHAT IS IT?

OCTOBER 1980-JOURNAL ENTRY~Much reevaluation today. Marilyn and I talked for almost an hour after returning home from the all day LaHaye Seminar. I’ve had to realize a different standard of measuring success for our church. People are leaving again and again to other churches and ministries who have grown and gained from us. It’s still the Lord’s church and I must release it again and again to Him. Marilyn insists I must not count these years a failure, even thought attendance and offerings are down.

OCTOBER 2002-REFLECTION- I wish to pay tribute to leaders who serve smaller congregations. To those without paid staff, may I say you are exactly where our Lord was when He walked the face of the earth. He spent the last three years of is life with twelve men. Interruptions were His ministry. Likewise, alone time with the Father was high priority.

Many are asking the same question that plagued me twenty-two years ago. I am told that 80% of local congregations in the U.S. are made up of less than 125 people. (Written in 2002) Does size and offering mean success or failure? Not by our Lord’s standard of measure.

Success is not the key, faithfulness is.

The call to ministry has everything to do with who we are. To serve Christ is the greatest work in the entire world. How I thank the Lord for those who have answered that call! To you, near and far, may God give you the capacity to stand for truth in a world gone crazy! Marilyn once reminded me, “God is adequate regardless of my appearance, performance or status.” Find your passion and pursue it with full heart and mind!

“I’M ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT NOTHING-NOTHING LIVING OR DEAD, ANGELIC OR DEMONIC, TODAY OR TOMORROW, HIGH OR LOW, THINKABLE OR UNTHINKABLE—ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN GET BETWEEN US AND GOD’S LOVE BECAUSE OF THE WAY JESUS OUR MASTER HAS EMBRACED US." Romans 8; The Message

SAYING YES TO GOD-bob and marilyn yawberg- Vol. X # 17 / ( Rewritten 9/16/09)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Strengthen Your Soul For Leading

>>>Note: Click on the headline to access the compilation of quotes, take time to read through each section then stop and ray as the Spirit leads ...

Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership

Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry

Ruth Haley Barton

InterVarsity Press, 2008, 228 pp., ISBN 978-0-8308-3513-3

To order this book click here.

Barton is cofounder and president of The Transforming Center, a ministry to pastors and Christian leaders. She has served on the pastoral staff of several churches and is a trained spiritual director and retreat leader. She is the author of four additional books. The author draws heavily on lessons from the life of Moses -- whose whole life can be viewed through the lens of his private encounters with God-- to help us experience God in the middle of leadership.

"Strengthening the soul of our leadership is an invitation that begins, continues and ends with seeking God in the crucible of ministry. It is an invitation to stay connected with our own soul--that very private place where God's Spirit and my spirit dwell together in union--and to lead from that place." (210)

1. When Leaders Lose Their Souls

"So how is it with your soul?" (24)

"Spiritual leadership emerges from our willingness to stay involved with our own soul--that place where God's Spirit is at work stirring up our deepest questions and longings to draw us deeper into relationship with him." (25)

"The temptation to compromise basic Christian values--love, community, truth-telling, confession and reconciliation, silent listening and waiting on God for discernment--for the sake of expedience is very great." (27)

"…those who are looking to us for spiritual sustenance need us first and foremost to be spiritual seekers ourselves." (29)

"The discipline of solitude is a key discipline for all those who seek after God." (31) This is in contrast to the activities and experiences of leadership that can be very addicting.

2. What Lies Beneath

"A leader is a person who must take special responsibility for what's going on inside him- or herself, inside his or her consciousness, lest the act of leadership create more harm than good." (38, quoting Parker Palmer, "Leading from Within")

"Solitude will do its good work whether we know what we are doing or not." "One of the primary functions of solitude is to settle into ourselves in God's presence." (41) "Most of what happens in solitude is happening under the surface, and God is doing it." (42)===>Click headline to access complete listing . . .

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Stressed? Read this, then exhale in prayer ...

Stress

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked
'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter.

It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'

He continued,
'And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
As the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
We won't be able to carry on. '

'As with the glass of water,
You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'

'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.
Don't carry it home.
You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you 're carrying now,
Let them down for a moment if you can.'

So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.
Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Holy Spirit ... In You!

The Friend
Expanded Passage: John 13-15

John 14:15-17
“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and He’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take Him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see Him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know Him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!”

Read
Because this passage is about the Holy Spirit, ask Him to guide you in a prayerful reading of it. Make your reading a prayer in itself.

Think
The Holy Spirit is the most neglected personhood of God. We often treat the Spirit like a tagalong part of the Trinity. Yet Jesus promises to leave his disciples (and us as his followers) with this important Friend. Is it hard for you to imagine that the Holy Spirit is offered to you as a friend? Why or why not?

What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit in you and guiding you throughout your day, as this passage says: “But you know Him already because He has been staying with you, and will even be in you”? Is it comforting? Discomforting? Frustrating? Hard to comprehend? Awe-inspiring? How can you grow today in awareness that the Friend lives in you?

Pray
Ask the Holy Spirit, your Friend, to remind you of his presence. Pray the words of this Scripture, asking him to “make everything plain to you” (verse 26) and reminding you of all things that Jesus told the disciples (and you).

Live
As you drive, walk, work, study, and interact with others today, call on your Friend for his guidance with the thoughts you think, the words you speak, and the decisions you make.

Taken from The Message//REMIX: Solo by Eugene H. Peterson

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Sunday, August 23, 2009

Why Are Pastors Reluctant to Lead in Prayer?

"The devil does not have to destroy a pastor;
he simply needs to distract a pastor."

Why Church Leaders Remain in Their Prayer Closets

In my book Fresh Encounters, I wrote extensively about these issues based on my own struggle in prayer and conversations with many pastoral colleagues. As I see it, our reluctance to lead our churches in prayer is rooted in the eight following factors:

Rugged individualism – Perhaps the defining characteristic of Western Civilization is rugged individualism. Professor and Pastor Gene Getz notes that our “lens” of individualism causes us to re-interpret the prayer commands in the New Testament, making them individual in application when they were really given in a community context in the early churches, and applied accordingly. Today, we can easily conclude that it is sufficient simply to pray in an individual setting.

Closet Confusion – We have misunderstood the meaning of the place of prayer in Matthew 6 where Jesus is giving group instructions to His disciples about their prayer lives.===>Click headline for complete article . . .

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Friday, August 14, 2009

Sing Your Prayer

Psalm 42:8 (Contemporary English Version)

⁸Every day, you are kind,

and at night

you give me a song

as my prayer to you,

the living LORD God.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Are We Praying With the Wrong Question?

JOURNAL ENTRY~November 11, 1989-Thoughts are beginning to come about messages I’m to give on prayer. It will be a call to know the mind of Christ. It must be more than mere technique, or setting certain hours, time or place. I believe often we do not pray aright, but ask in the flesh, setting our own agendas, totally overlooking God’s purpose for suffering and seeming misfortune.

The Lord may have more to accomplish through death . . . we must learn to look at others’ suffering through the eyes of Jesus, where is the cross in our praying? What about self denial? Glorifying the Lord? Where is the authentic surrender to our King which marks us as disciples and followers, not successful affluent achievers? Beware of telling those who suffer “if you had the faith you would be healed” or just as bad, “God doesn’t heal today, that ended with the first century.” Where is Jesus between the two extremes, commanding the Father to do our will or denying His power to accomplish His will?

Satan counterfeits and takes in many. Christ refuses to deal in the counterfeit. I think of Francis Schaffer dying of cancer and Corrie Ten Boom being personally delivered from prison. We need to pray for “wellness” which includes an acceptance of our mortality and eventual death. One can be sick to death in body but at peace in spirit.

----------------------------------------------------------------

REFLECTION~March 14, 2002-John tells the story of the man born blind. “His disciples asked, ‘Rabbi, who sinned; this man or his parents, causing him to be blind?’ Jesus said, ‘You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent Me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s Light.” (John 9:1-4, The Message)

Suffering has many purposes, and as Jesus clarifies, is not necessarily the result of sin. In this case “that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (9:3b NASB) Before we tell the Lord what we think He should do, we need to ask. We need to continue asking for His will and purpose in any given situation. As Jesus later prayed, “yet not what I will but what You will.” (Mark 14:36b NASB)

Blessings- bob and marilyn yawberg-SAYING YES TO GOD- Pastors In Prayer- Vol. III #8

(Reflection first written in 2002- Vol. X # 15

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Come of of the Closet!

"Just as you cannot lead the church in the ministry of the word simply from a desk, neither can you lead a church in prayer simply from a closet.

"Pastors Coming Out of the Closet"

Recently I conducted a Renewal Weekend at a large mid-western church. The pastor is an educated, articulate leader known for his preaching acumen. He even writes books to help preachers create effective sermons.

After the final service of the weekend (a Sunday evening worship-based prayer experience) he stood before his church with tears and offered two observations. First, he stated that he had not experienced the presence of God in such a powerful way since his early days in ministry where revival broke out in the church where he served on staff. Indeed, it was a powerful evening of worship and heart-felt prayer.

His second observation was incredibly insightful. He said to his congregation, “Over the years I’ve told you that the corporate prayer level of our church will never rise above our personal prayer lives.” He continued, “Tonight I want to correct that statement. I have concluded that our personal prayer lives will never rise above our corporate prayer experience because this is how we all learn to pray – in community. And I am resolved to lead you in that experience that we might truly become a house of prayer.”

You could conclude that this courageous pastor decided to come out of his prayer closet and start leading his people in the actual experience of prayer. That decision has been a big victory for him, for his congregation, and for Christ-honoring ministry in that community.

Toward a Consistent View of Leadership

Of course, it is an essential and wonderful thing that many pastors prioritize personal time in prayer. However, far too few come to the conviction of this pastor in the firm understanding that they must lead their people in prayer by example while modeling prayer in community experience. In reality, they are adopting a view of leadership that leaves their people far short of Christ’s ideal for the church.

Let me illustrate. Imagine a pastor named Charlie. He claims to have a deep conviction about the importance of the Bible in his life and ministry. He speaks highly of the Scriptures in personal conversations and writes compellingly about it in his philosophy of ministry. He claims to have a strong personal regimen of Bible reading and study.

Yet, the pattern of this leadership demonstrates an actual contradiction. In his public ministry Charlie is apathetic about the existence of Bible studies in his church. He never teaches people how to study the Bible. He seldom leads any Bible studies with others. When he does on those rare occasions, he seems uncomfortable and half-hearted.

In spite of Charlie’s verbal assent about the benefit of the Bible, he makes minimal references to the Scriptures when the church gathers. He rarely invests any substantive amount of time teaching the Bible to his congregation in corporate worship on Sundays. Instead, he tells stories and packs the services with an abundance of music, drama, and interesting anecdotes about current events.

Any church worth their salt would be grieved about the contradiction of Pastor Charlie’s words. They would wonder about his real commitment to the centrality of the Scriptures. While Charlie might talk a good talk, he obviously is failing to lead his church in the love for and understanding of the Bible.

In fact, the real commodity by which we judge any pastor’s commitment to the Scriptures is TIME. This includes time spent personally in the Word but ALSO time given to teaching and experiencing the power of applied truth in the corporate gatherings. If he does not give time to the Bible, we rightfully conclude he does not really value it.

Leading from the Closet Does Not Work

When it comes to prayer, many pastors live in the same contradictory gray twilight as Charlie. Somehow flowery words about prayer and claims of “doing business with God” in “the closet” suffice, while the church starves for leadership, never really learning how to pray. Jesus grieves because His house does not become a house of prayer. The Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 2 indicating that the church should FIRST be a place of prayer are essentially ignored – because no one is leading the church in that direction. The commands to pray, given in the New Testament, are largely ignored in the community experience of the church.

In my travels, I see this so often. Many respected and godly leaders purport to have a strong prayer life – in private. However, they appear to have little conviction about modeling prayer and leading their people into life-changing experiences of prayer (we will talk about the reasons later). Of course, these pastors never lead powerful, praying churches because it is impossible to POINT the way in prayer. One must LEAD the way in prayer.

Just as you cannot lead the church in the ministry of the word simply from a desk, neither can you lead a church in prayer simply from a closet. In Acts 6:4 the early leaders were committed to engaging collectively and leading the church in BOTH prayer and the ministry of the word. Today, like those leaders, pastors must come out of their private closets and provide bold, biblical, and consistent leadership.

Why Church Leaders Hide in their Prayer Closets

Let me say clearly that the value of private prayer is beyond measure. Responsible pastors seek the Lord individually and regularly intercede for others. Yet, too many good pastors seem content with leaving their prayer impact at the closet door. Why is this?

In my book Fresh Encounters, I wrote extensively about this challenge – based on my own struggle in prayer and conversations with many pastoral colleagues. In summary, our reluctance to lead our churches in prayer is rooted in the following factors:

1. Rugged individualism

2. Closet confusion

3. Limited vision

4. Inadequate training

5. Cultural pushback

6. Personal defeat

7. Spiritual distraction

8. Fear of intimacy

In next week’s e-devotion we will elaborate on each of these eight factors and encourage your heart with some truths about the blessings that occur when pastors come out of their prayer closets to lead their people in biblical, balanced prayer.

In the meantime, pray for your pastor today. Pray that the Lord will draw him close to His heart and teach him more about the joys of seeking God’s face. Pray that, in His time, the Lord will help him see the calling to lead the church in regular and life-giving experiences of prayer. In the meantime, keep a loving and supportive attitude and look for opportunities to make a difference on your knees in your own church. The Lord will bless you as you support your leadership and pray for their growth in Christ.

Friday, July 31, 2009

For Your Next Devoted-to-Praying Morning . . .

Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers

Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

ISBN: 978-0-8308-3622-2
Retail price: ~~$13.00~~
Your price: $10.40

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Daring to Draw Near

John White

ISBN: 978-0-8308-3410-5
Retail price: ~~$10.00~~
Your price: $8.00

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Daring to Draw Near

John White

ISBN: 978-0-87784-788-5
Retail price: ~~$15.00~~
Your price: $12.00

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Experiencing Healing Prayer

Rick Richardson

ISBN: 978-0-8308-3257-6
Retail price: ~~$15.00~~
Your price: $12.00

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The Folly of Prayer

Matt Woodley

ISBN: 978-0-8308-3712-0
Retail price: ~~$15.00~~
Your price: $12.00

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The God Who Hears

W. Bingham Hunter

ISBN: 978-0-87784-604-8
Retail price: ~~$16.00~~
Your price: $12.80

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The Heart of Racial Justice

Brenda Salter McNeil and Rick Richardson

ISBN: 978-0-8308-3269-9
Retail price: ~~$13.00~~
Your price: $10.40

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How Can I Pray When I'm Sick?

Douglas Connelly

ISBN: 978-0-87784-060-2
Retail price: ~~$1.50~~
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The Joy of Listening to God

Joyce Huggett

ISBN: 978-0-87784-729-8
Retail price: ~~$15.00~~
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Learning to Pray Through the Psalms

James W. Sire

ISBN: 978-0-8308-3332-0
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Friday, July 10, 2009

Trouble Praying?

The Same Problems in Prayer as They
from Joe McKeever

One of the lies of the enemy is that you are different, that others are more spiritual than you and find spiritual disciplines easy.

You're the only one with these problems in prayer.

Others get up in the morning eager to spend an hour with the Lord in prayer; you're the only one who has to drag yourself over to a chair and open the Bible and force yourself to pray.

Others pray smoothly and eloquently and always know what to say; you're the only one who stumbles along haltingly as though you were just learning to speak or were trying on a foreign tongue.

Others never are plagued by doubt and offer up these magnificent sacrifices of praise and intercession that Heaven welcomes, values as jewels, and immediately rewards; you're the only person who
fights back the doubts as you pray and wonders whether the whole business is accomplishing anything.

Others see answers to their prayers as a matter of routine; you're the only one who doesn't.

Way wrong. Not so at all.

Satan is a liar and the father of lies.

The fact of the matter is that those holy people you admire a lot for their piety and resent a little for their religiosity fight the same battles you do. They encounter the same temptations, struggle with the same difficulties, and know the same doubts about prayer's effectiveness.

You're not so different.

You're definitely not fighting battles in your walk with the Lord others have not faced, or more likely, are struggling with at this very moment.

In my yesterday's reading, I came across reminders of this from two of the Christian faith's heroes, Elisabeth Elliot and C. S. Lewis.

Continued at: http://www.joemckeever.com/mt/archives/001204.html

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Read this, then pray ...

Honest Inventory

When you boot up a computer, it often rapidly goes through a number of self-tests to make sure everything is working properly. Leaders, too, need to give themselves self-tests - honest, rigorous inventories of their character. King David recognized this. In Psalm 139 he celebrated God's intimate knowledge of even the smallest detail of his life.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:1:4, 23:24

In Business Terms ...

Historians continue to puzzle over one of the great mysteries of history: how to explain the sixteenth century. In 1560 two institutions dominated Europe, neither of which had existed twenty-five years earlier. The north was dominated by the Calvinist movement, the south by the Jesuit order. In 1534 Ignatius Loyola gathered the nucleus of his new order and took the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In 1536 John Calvin arrived in Geneva. Twenty-five years later, Europe had been changed. Nothing in the history of the world can compare with the rapid growth and effectiveness of these institutions. How do you explain it? Both were, by 1560, large

institutions, each involving thousands of ordinary people, most of them working alone. Many worked under great pressure and danger, yet there were practically no defections. Very few bad apples. What was the secret? Now we understand it. Both Calvin and Loyola taught a similar spiritual discipline: that whenever one does anything in a key activity (they were usually spiritual activities, but not entirely), one writes it down, and then one keeps track of what happens. This feedback, whether it's a Calvinist examination of conscience or the Jesuit spiritual exercise, is the way you quickly find out what you're good at. And you find out what your bad habits are that inhibit full yield. Peter Drucker

Something to Think About:

It is when we face ourselves and face Christ, that we are lost in wonder, love, and praise. We need to rediscover the almost lost discipline of self-examination; and then a reawakened sense of sin will beget a reawakened sense of wonder. - Andrew Murray

One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234

www.lifeway.com

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Paths for Praying

Longing for God

Seven Paths of Christian Devotion

Richard J. Foster & Gayle D. Beebe

InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL 2009
===>Click headline for more information or to order this book . . .

Prayer is the other primary vehicle for learning about God. Like his teacher Evagrius, Cassian [Conferences] emphasizes that it is impossible to enjoy uninterrupted communication with God if we are distracted. But what distracts us? Not just one temptation but five elements lead us astray: the concerns of the body, worldly thoughts that invade our mind, anger, lack of true humility and memories that rise up at the most inopportune times.

Our ability to pray develops as our life progresses. In a unique and honest examination, Cassian describes how prayer differs according to the purity of our soul. He concludes this conference by providing a definition of the four dominant types of prayer and then an extended treatment of the Lord's Prayer that outlines exactly how we should pray and what our expectations regarding prayer should be.

The four types of prayer are supplication, petition, intercession and thanksgiving. Essentially, supplication and petition are the lowest level, intercession is the middle level and thanksgiving is the highest level, where we rise above earthly concerns and see the world and our life as God does. The Lord's Prayer follows a seven-step pattern that demonstrates the ascent of our soul to God.

The Seven-Step Pattern of the Lord's Prayer

recognition of God
recognition that we exist in God's kingdom
knowing that God's will governs all
knowing God provides for our every need
learning to forgive as God forgives
overcoming temptation
recognizing that God's kingdom, power and righteousness deliver us from evil

Path One: The Right Ordering of our Love for God

Because it is fundamental to human nature to love and seek love, the central purpose of our life with God is learning to love in such a way that all of our heart's longings are satisfied. Right loving of God orders all the other loves common to human existence.

Path Two: The Spiritual Life as Journey

To see the spiritual life as journey is to recognize that every step we take in life requires reflection and discernment if we are to see God's role in it.

Path Three: The Recovery of Knowledge of God Lost in the Fall

Each one of us has a longing to know that we belong to God. To understand this part of our Christian life, we need to consider the spiritual life as the recovery of knowledge of God lost in the Fall.

Path Four: Intimacy with Jesus Christ

Across the long expanse of Christian history and culture, the effort to imitate Christ has played a primary role in the cultivation of the highest ideals and understandings of the Christian life.

Path Five: The Right Ordering of our Experiences of God

However impressive teachings about God's love may be, if divine grace were never experienced, these teachings would remain a mere abstraction. Our experiences of God confirm the validity of our life with him.

Path Six: Action and Contemplation

The nature of the spiritual path is never simply action or contemplation but a discovery of the balance that exists between the two.

Path Seven: Divine Ascent

Buried beneath the history of the church are sterling examples of a threefold way of divine ascent, of a deep, inward transformation that comes about as a result of the purifying of the heart (purgation), the enlightening of the mind (illumination) and the perfecting of the soul (union).

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Prayer: 1 Word in English; A Bunch in Hebrew & Greek

Prayer Between Friends
Cultivating our friendship with God
Earl F. Palmer
Fleming H. Revell Company, Tarrytown, New York 1991

At this time a group of Jewish rabbis translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, because the majority of the Jews in Palestine and throughout the Mediterranean basin needed to have their Scriptures in the language commonly in use throughout the world. The Greek text these scholars produced is known as the Septuagint because, according to tradition, seventy rabbis became involved in the work.

The Septuagint had a profound effect on the New Testament Greek vocabulary. For example, the classical Greek word for "pray" at that time, euchomai, literally meant "to strike a bargain" with deity and described making a religious vow or a request acceptable to the gods of Greek mythology. This limited understanding served the purpose well in places like Job 22:27 (italics mine). "You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows," and the translator of Malachi 1:14 also used euchomai, "Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it..." (italics mine).

But when the Septuagint rabbis wanted to more fully translate the rich meaning of the Old Testament word for "pray," they had to coin a new word, proseuchomai. The prefix pros means "to" or "toward." Adding the prefix to the classical word shifted the focus of the meaning away from the act of praying toward the One to whom we pray. In this way euchomai is reduced in status to the rank of a mild synonym, except where it is used in its generic sense of "vow."

The New Testament writers carefully followed the lead of the Septuagint rabbis. For example, they used the classical term in Acts 18:18, where Luke speaks of Paul cutting his hair because "he was under a vow." However, the word used overwhelmingly for "pray" in the New Testament is proseuchomai. "Pray toward" is the intent of Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount when he says, " 'When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then in the way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name....' " (Matthew 6:7-9).

In addition other Greek words are joined together to describe the same five kinds of prayer found in the Old Testament vocabulary. First, there are the praise words. Chara means "rejoice," as in Paul's instructions to the Christians at Philippi, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). And eucharisteo, translated "thanksgiving," is used when Paul says to the Philippian Christians, "I thank my God every time I remember you" (Philippians 1:3). This word has a robust, songlike character to it, very much like the song words of the Old testament Hebrew.

Two asking words for prayer appear throughout the New Testament. Aiteo means "to want something, to ask." This is the word Jesus gave to his disciples when he said, " 'On that day you will ask in my name....' " (John 16:26). An even stronger verb, erotao, means to ask or beg. This word was used by the Greek visitors who told Philip, " 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus' " (John 12:21). Paul used this word in the deeply moving prayer narrative about his thorn in the flesh, "Three times I appealed to the Lord about this..." (2Corinthians 12:8)

The Greek prayer word krazo literally means "to cry" and conveys the idea of crying for help. The Apostle Paul uses this word in writing to the Roman Christians, "...When we cry 'Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:15, 16). And the same "Abba! Father!" cry re-echoes in Paul's letter to the Christians in Galatia (Galatians 4:6).

The Greek prayer word proskuneo also strongly echoes the Old Testament. It means "to bow" and is used in a decisive way in the fourth Gospel, where it is translated by the English word "worship": "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him" (John 4:23).

We'll mention two more words that are used for prayer. Epikaleo means "to call and express confession." This appears in the story of Ananias of Damascus, when the Lord told him about Saul of Tarsus, who was on Straight Street, waiting for deliverance from the blindness that had struck him when the Lord spoke to him on the Damascus road. In response to the Lord's instructions, Ananias said, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority...to bind all who invoke ["who call upon," epikaleo] your name" (Acts 9:13, 14). Finally, we have deomai, which is used to express specific prayer requests. Paul uses this word in writing to the Christians at Philippi, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).

As we observed in our examination of the Old Testament prayer words, vocabulary has no life of its own, apart from its use in sentences and paragraphs. If we are to understand what prayer means in the Bible, we must watch the words as they connect with life. When we see people pray and when we listen closely to our Lord as he teaches his followers about prayer, we will learn the meaning of prayer and understand it as the language of our friendship with him.

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Living By Prayer

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

LIVING BY PRAYER

O God of the open ear,

Teach me to live by prayer

as well as by providence,

for myself, soul, body, children, family, church;

Give me a heart frameable to thy will;

so might I live in prayer,

and hounour thee,

being kept from evil,known and unknown.

Help me to see the sin that accompanies all I do,

and the good I can distil from everything.

Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring

my will to thine,

and that without this it is folly to pray;

When I try to bring thy will to mine it is

to command Christ,

to be above him, and wiser than he:

this is my sin and pride.

I can only succeed when I pray

according to thy precept and promise,

and to be done with as it pleases thee,

according to thy sovereign will.

When thou commandest me to pray

for pardon, peace, brokenness,

it is because thou wilt give me the thing promised,

for thy glory,

as well as for my good.

Help me not only to desire small things

but with holy boldness to desire great things

for thy people, for myself,

that they and I might live to show thy glory.

Teach me

that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have,

out of love, willingly, not of necessity;

that I may come to thee at any time,

to lay open my needs acceptably to thee;

that my great sin lies in my not keeping

the savour of thy ways;

that the remembrance of this truth is one way

to the sense of thy presence;

that there is no wrath like the wrath of being

governed by my own lusts for my own ends.

The Valley of Vision

A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

Edited by Arthur Bennett

The Banner of Truth Trust 1975 (5th printing 2005) Carlisle, PA

Thursday, June 18, 2009

That Deeper Place

Infuse Volume 4, Issue 2

Video - Jill Briscoe, Author of The Deep Place Where Nobody Goes, on nurturing inner life to hear the Will of God===>Click headline to access . . .

Stewardship to Discipleship: Finding Opportunity in Places Least Expected

Free DVD offer - Serving the Body of Christ by Caring for its Leaders

Ministering to the Ministry

On Being a Servant of God, by Warren Wiersbe, reviewed by Jim Watters, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Donor Engagement

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Got a Prayer Life?

Explore A Praying Life

A Praying Life is an honest look at the difficulties of prayer, unanswered prayers, and successes in prayer. Readers will appreciate Paul Miller's down-to-earth approach and practical nature. Parents will find his family-life experiences especially helpful.

Find out more.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Time to Go?

Dear Pastor,
How is your faith holding up?
Phil

* * *

Phil,
Thank you for asking.

There are those in the church who have questioned the depth of my walk with the Lord and have been willing to suggest that all of the things I have done in the past year and a half were/are my own personal agenda. Those who control the money are on the 'other side' and they're using that to make my life miserable.

As a result, my faith is being tried, tested, and stretched to the limit.

How does a pastor determine when it's time to cut his losses and move on?

* * *

Dear Pastor,
Tough times .. I've walked that path!

Certainly every situation is somewhat unique and the Lord's clear direction is always the most important factor in deciding to move.

I'm sure you have done this (probably 10 times a day) - Simply asking the Lord to give you an inner peace about what he wants you to do. I'm reminded of Robert Schuller's 4 possible answers to prayer:

No - God is unwilling to give us what we ask for so once again ask him to download his desires into your heart
Grow - He wants to use the experience to mature us so ask for help in learning while in the midst of the storm
Slow - He will rescue but be persistent but patient
Go! - The Son has set you free, indeed!

May God give you a confidence and a peace about where he has you!
Phil

* * *

Phil,

Thanks for the sound advice. If a confession is appropriate, I've asked for a solution more than I've asked for peace. In all likelihood I've gotten them backwards.

The truth is, it's so bothersome that at times it's difficult to pray, period. All the more reason to ask for His peace.

* * *

Dear Pastor,

The need for confession can be stirred by the Spirit ... or by the Enemy.

If you've confessed and are forgiven/restored, then further torment can only be from the dark side!

God's kindness lead to repentance. Satan can't counterfeit godly kindness as a motivator, at least not in my book.

Phil

Inner ~ VIew #68: Confessions of an Insignificant Pastor

Phil Miglioratti of Praying Pastor interviewed Mark Elliott, author of “Confessions of an Insignificant Pastor: What Pastors Wish They Could Tell You.”

Phil ~ At first glance, the title made me think this is a book pastors would want to give to their church members, but as I read through it, I get the impression this book is as much for pastors as it is for those who pray for and care about them.

Mark ~ Absolutely! It is for the WHOLE body of Christ, ALL will benefit from these pages. It will open up a healthy dialogue among church attenders, among pastors, and among laity with pastors.

Phil ~ The term "transparency" appears several times in the very first pages of the book - Why?

Mark ~ By and large we Christians are not transparent with one another. We tend to be religious, wear masks, and pretend we have it all together. We put our pastors on pedestals and refuse to let them be human beings. This book is meant to bring us out of our closets and into the light so that we can be set free to be ourselves and walk in the amazing grace of God without fear, insecurity, and judgment.

Phil ~ The 16 chapters cover a wide ranger of emotions and circumstances. Talk about:

Mark ~

"I'm Not That Sharp" – I’m not near as good as I pretend to be. I’m often faking it until I make it. I’m putting my best foot forward and hoping I don’t trip up in front of others and embarrass myself. We hide behind our pride and air of self-sufficiency when only Christ’s sufficiency can make us sufficient.
"I'm Battling Sin" – Who are we fooling to pretend we are with out sin. We just don’t like to talk about it. The Bible tells us to confess our sins with one another in the body of Christ. Most of us don’t because it’s too dangerous. The church body might judge us, condemn us, or use it against us. Sin can’t properly be dealt with until it’s confessed, talked about, admitted too, and brought out into the light of Jesus Christ’s’ grace.
"I'm Not Bill, Andy, Rick or Ed" – It’s so easy to get in the trap of comparing ourselves to others or copying our ministries or lifestyles after someone very different than we are. We simply cannot wear another man’s armor. It doesn’t fit who we are. We must be ourselves and be judged against God’s will for our lives not another persons brilliance.
"My Best Days Are Behind Me" – We live in a country that pushes us to the ultimate goal of a cushy, lazy retirement. You don’t find retirement in the Bible. Many of God’s saints ministered, worked, and influenced other well into their golden tears. As we get older we have so much experience, wisdom, and expertise to offer. Why quit when you finally got many things figured out? We need to refire rather than retire. Your best days could yet be out in front of you. It’s more about attitude and perspective than age. The new 70 is today’s 50.
"I'm Disillusioned By The Ministry" – The ministry can wear on you over the years. People will let you down. Christians don’t always act Christ-like. Mean and nasty thinks happen in churches. Many a pastor has said to themselves, “This isn’t what I signed up for.” If we are not careful bitterness, anger, fear, and other negative emotions can cause the tipping point in our ministry that leads to burnout, quitting, and down right disillusionment with the whole system.

Phil ~ Though your book is glaringly honest about weakness and even failure, it is really about spiritual development. At the end of each chapter you challenge the reader with self-examination questions they can use to journal, discuss in a small group, or even as a devotional, plus a faith-filled confession and a power prayer. How can these tools benefit pastors struggling with insignificance?

Mark ~ The questions cause us to reflect on the principle with God in prayer, ourselves, and even others in certain settings. Discussing these chapters with fellow pastors helps us to realize we are not alone but even my peers who I respect struggling with feelings of insignificance. Our significance is found in Christ not in our self, success, or how people perceive us on the outside.

Phil ~ Agree or disagree: Every pastor needs to develop a through-the-day conversation with Jesus and should seek out the fellowship of a pastors' prayer group as an antidote to being sidelined by discouragement.

Mark ~ AGREE! We must practice the active 24/7 presence of God throughout our day. That’s what relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit in us is all about. God never meant us to go it alone. Jesus had a fellowship of 12, an inner circle of 3, and even a best friend. We need to be regularly involved in open, transparent, authentic, below the surface, face-to-face relationships with our pastoral peers. We need empathetic encouragers, teammates, and cheerleaders in our lives. It can be difficult and even risky at times to try to meet that need with persons in your church. They may not understand or even be able to relate to the needs and challenges unique to pastors. Yet, we can’t make it all by ourselves against all that the enemy of our souls and ministry will bring against us.

Phil ~ Some pastors have wisely recruited a prayer team for support and protection. How can this book assist those who pray diligently for their pastor?

Mark ~ This book will give intercessors that “whats” to pray about. These pages will give you specific challenges, discouragements, enemies, and destructive thought patterns to pray over your pastor and his family.

Phil ~ How is "I refuse to quit!" the first step toward strength and freedom?

Mark ~ God has called us to faithfulness not success. If we will be faithful, hang on to God, and keep doing our best in God’s strength then God will take care of any success we may enjoy. Not quitting gives God the chance to show up in times of weakness and display His strength, wisdom, and love in our lives and ministries. Not quitting means God has to show up. We become a trophy of His grace shed abroad in our lives. If you decide to refuse to quit no matter what…then that is a decision you don’t even have to entertain unless you get a “thus sayeth the Lord.? That frees you up to keep putting one foot in front of another for another day and to find your source of strength outside yourself. Remember: the battle doesn’t belong to you but to the Lord.

Phil ~ Mark, please write a prayer struggling pastors can pray with you . . .

Mark - Dear Father God,

I am weak but you are strong. I am inconsistent but you never change. I am a sinner and you are my righteousness. I’m all about the destination but you are all about the journey. You have called me and are faithful to fulfill your ministry call and spiritual development in me. Therefore, I give you my sin, struggles, weaknesses, problems, and fears. I lay them at your feet. I am weary and heavily burdened. I come to you for rest, refreshing, and renewal. Give me a fresh measure of your joy that is my inner strength. I thank you God that your mercies for me are new every morning. I choose today to walk in your renewable strength, powerful presence, and jubilant joy. Thank you Jesus for being my all-in-all whenever I feel so down-and-out. The battle around me belongs to you so each day I gratefully deliver them in prayer to your capable hands. Thanks you for taking such good care of all that could burden me. Amen

Bonus Cut ~ Dick Hardy Podcast Interview 5/5/2009

Subject: Why in the world did Mark Elliott write “Confessions of an Insignificant Pastor: What Pastors Wish They Could Tell You?”

This book really came out of a real God-moment experience that I had in Indianapolis in 2007 that released me to write this timely book. Secondarily, ‘Confessions’ came out of my own painful experiences in 27 years of full-time ministry and yet not giving up when I surely felt to do so.

I’ve read stats from Barna and Focus on the Family that says, “80% of pastors quit the ministry in their first five years” and that “1,200 ministers leave the ministry each month.” My heart beats for hurting pastors and their families. Who ministers to the pastor today? Where does the minister go for help?

I believe this book will help bring hope, encouragement, strength, and renewal to pastors who will then begin to open up and talk transparently with their peers and begin then to truly support one another rather than compete against them behind their lone-ranger masks.

Specifically in the past 5 years God has used some very painful incidents to birth this book to be of help to others in the body of Christ…whether in thepulpit or in the pew. We have a plateaued American church because we have plateaued people and plateaued pastors who all desperately need a spiritualrefreshing from God. This is a book about hope, faithfulness, and integrity.

1. Critics might say the title sounds like you are really insecure?

What do you say?

The title might be construed by some to be negative in nature but the book is actually very positive, faith-filled and encouraging! Am I insecure? SURE! Aren’t we all too some degree and in differing areas? I believe our insecurity is a byproduct of the fall of man from God and into sin. The insecurity in us all is due to our sin nature which separates us from God.

The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus came to bridge that gap and become our security. This book is all about slaying the dragon of insecurity, sin, evil, and bitterness so that we can be free to live our life to the fullest extent in God’s will and His incredible journey He has planned for us.

2. Is this book kind of a downer?

This book is far from being a downer. This is about getting back up when you get knocked down. This book is about

3. How will this book help a pastor?

This book will help pastors to become more confident, secure, and encouraged to tackle all that life brings across their paths. This book will open updialogue between pastors with their peers. ‘Confessions’ will build a pack of pastoral finishers rather than quitters.

For their lay persons the book will help them better understand how to encourage and pray for their pastors. The book could do wonders when read and used in a small group format with the provided SG questions with a leadership/deacon board, pastoral staff group, or even intercessory prayer groups who pray for their pastors.

http://docmarkelliott.com

A Dangerous Text to Pray

For pastors . . .

(Letters of John Newton)

"He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord." Colossians 4:7

Dear fellow pastor,
You have desired a good work--may the Lord give you the desires of your heart. May He give you . . .
the wisdom of Daniel,
the meekness of Moses,
the courage of Joshua,
the zeal of Paul, and
that self-abasement and humility which Job and Isaiah felt--when they not only had heard of Him by the hearing of the ear--but when they saw His glory, and abhorred themselves in dust and ashes!

May you be taught of God--for none teaches like Him--and come forth an able minister of the New Covenant, well instructed rightly to divide and faithfully to distribute the Word of truth.

In the school of Christ, you will have to learn some lessons which are not very pleasant to flesh and blood. You must learn to labor, to run, to fight, to wrestle--and many other hard exercises--some of which will try your strength, and others your patience.

You know the common expression, 'a jack of all trades'. I am sure a minister had need be such a one:
a brave soldier,
an alert watchman,
a caring shepherd,
a hardworking farmer,
a skillful builder,
a wise counselor,
a competent physician,
and a loving nurse.

But do not be discouraged--you have a wonderful and a gracious Master, who does not only give instructions--but power and ability! He engages that His grace shall be sufficient, at all times and in all circumstances, for those who simply give themselves up to His teaching and His service.

"Be an example to all believers . . .
in what you teach,
in the way you live,
in your love, your faith, and your purity."
1 Timothy 4:12

Poetic Prayer Prompts

Sunday Rhymes & Reasons
by Greg Asimakoupoulos
Published June 5, 2009
268 pages, $14.95

Sunday Rhymes and Reasons is a compilation of inspirational poetry by America's pastor/poet laureate, Greg Asimakoupoulos. In this, his third volume of poetry, Pastor Greg paints word pictures that portray both the struggle and fulfillment that define a life of faith. His repertoire of rhymes celebrate rite-of-passage occasions like birth, baptism, marriage and death as well as the major holidays of the church and culture. It is a volume that illustrates the poet's love of words and of popular culture. The author dips his brush into a paint box of hubris, humor and honesty.

"Gloria and I have been encouraged by word pictures from Greg's pen that have celebrated both our ministry and God's presence in our world." – Bill Gaither, Gospel music composer/performer

"Gifted poet Greg Asimakoupoulos is a dear friend of our family. His poetry blesses, comforts, entertains, and provides inspiration for every season of life." – Natalie Grant, singer/songwriter/recording artist

10 Minutes with the Man of Prayer

10 Minutes a Day with Jesus, Jim Reapsome, 978-0-8010-1307-2

Jesus, Man of Prayer

Luke 4:42; 5:16; 6:12; Matthew 6:9–13; 26:36–44

Anticipating an earthly kingdom, the disciples of Jesus wanted action. But Jesus knew that his kingdom was not of this world and he relied on prayer for daily guidance. Finally, one day the disciples asked him to teach them to pray.

Jesus had grown up in a religious culture of prayer. Some of it was hypocritical, but a godly remnant of Jews prayed with faith in their hearts. They pleaded with God for Messiah to come. Jesus knew the heart’s cry of these people.

The entire Jewish tradition of prayer covered every detail of life. The Old Testament stories frequently include prayers in a multitude of circumstances. Many of the Psalms are prayers, reflecting a deep piety among the Jews. The people prayed often, not just for the sacrifices on feast days as prescribed by Moses. By the time of Jesus, however, prayer seems to have become part of the legalistic framework by which one sought to earn God’s favor and blessing.

Jesus radically transformed both the spirit and content of prayer. Most dramatically, he addressed God as Father. When he prayed, “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9), he thrust aside obligatory, rote prayers. Prayer became the heart’s reflection of a personal relationship with God, whose name the Jews would not say.

Jesus also changed the practice of prayer. He did not limit prayer to formal times of worship or to special events. He knew and said that the temple was a house of prayer, but many times he went off by himself into the hills to pray, to commune with his heavenly Father. For Jesus, prayer was a vital element in making God’s power available to people in need.

The four Gospels depict Jesus as a man of prayer in a host of circumstances. Not only did he give his disciples a model prayer, he also prayed for them and with them.

It is not difficult to summarize the reasons Jesus prayed. Jesus prayed when unbelieving people confronted him. After his lengthy teaching session with his disciples, Jesus prayed. His longest recorded prayer (John 17) occurred when he faced separation from his disciples. With the cross looming before him, he prayed in Gethsemane. Hanging on the cross between two thieves, Jesus prayed. At the end, as his life ebbed away, he prayed.

Whatever else we may gain from his example, we cannot overestimate the priority Jesus gave to communion with his Father. Prayer sustained him in his daily routine of doing good and engaging critics.

If we follow Jesus, we will pursue persistent, disciplined, prevailing prayer. Difficult as it is to find the time and place to pray, we cannot hope to become more like Jesus if we do not pray. Prayer must saturate the family circle. It must encompass church, community, and worldwide needs. Without it, we are empty vessels, driven to and fro by our culture.

To think about

• How did Jesus revolutionize prayer?

• What is your greatest hindrance to consistent prayer?

Heavenly Father, how good of you to desire to hear my prayers. Fill me with intensity in praise, thanksgiving, and intercession for others.

10 Minutes a Day with Jesus: Growing in Your Love for the Savior by Jim Reapsome - Used by permission of Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, copyright © 2008. All rights to this material are reserved. Materials are not to be distributed to other web locations for retrieval, published in other media, or mirrored at other sites without written permission from Baker Publishing Group. ===>Click headline to purchase book @ BakerPublishingGroup.com

Sunday, June 07, 2009

A Good Read for Your Next Personal Retreat

The Attentive Life

The Attentive Life

Discerning God's Presence in All Things

Leighton Ford

InterVarsity Press, 2008, 225 pp., ISBN 978-0-8308-3516-4

To order this book click here.

Leighton Ford, brother-in-law to Billy Graham, served as an evangelist with the Billy Graham Association for many years. He heads Leighton Ford Ministries which helps young leaders worldwide to lead more like Jesus. The book is about learning to pay attention to the 'hours' of our lives, whether of a single day or the stages of our lives. The author describes some of the steppingstones--key people, events and life stages--that God has used in his own life.

"The deepest longing I have is to come home to my own heart…to bring my real self before the real God, to be changed into his true image, to become all that God has made me to be." (flyleaf)

An Introduction

"My work has largely focused on evangelism--'making friends for God'…. But now is a time to pay more attention to my own heart, to deepen my own friendship with God…." (10)

"We should all be explorers, always, in all things." "Each of us is part of a Greater Story, and behind our stories is a Storyteller calling us home." "I believe all our stories are of longing and of looking." (11)

"Often we keep ourselves busy and distracted because we fear that if we slow down and are still, we may look inside and find nothing there." (12) "I need to learn both to be still and to go (or grow) deeper." "…this life stage requires not so much doing for God as paying attention to what God is doing." (13)

1. Paying Attention - The Hours of Our Lives.

This books looks at the hours of our lives, either hours of the day or the seasons of life. It follows the Benedictine prayer hours: Vigils (about 3 a.m.), Lauds (beginning of the day), Prime (start of the work day), Terce (mid-morning), Sext (midday), None (mid-afternoon), Vespers (evening comes), and Compline (end of the day).

The attentive life is the contemplative life, meaning putting together or connecting the dots, including both the passing of time and the times of turning points. Attentiveness is difficult because we are distractible people in a distracting world. (23) We often miss God's "signs" because we are busy with stuff. (24) Attentiveness is opening ourselves to what we are being shown or told. (25)

During our darkest hours God often gets our attention and teaches us to pay attention. But He does not force his attentions on us. (34-5) "The opportunity which God sends does not wake up him who is sleeping." (39 quoting a Senegalese proverb)

God calls us to see God in all things and all things in God. (41)

Love is focused attention. Attentiveness is a gift and a discipline. "But the gift must be nurtured through the spiritual discipline of discernment, a kind of 'eye-washing' in which we welcome the things that bring transparency and avoid those things that dull our vision." (43)

2. The Birthing Hour - Time Before Time

"When we are sleep deprived, it is difficult to pay attention: to God, others and ourselves." Sleep is a spiritual exercise, "because we are not just spiritual beings. We are embodied spirits." It is an expression of trust, admitting that we are not God and we can leave the universe in his care. (60-1)

3. Daybreak - The Hour of Beginnings

"The first reality of day is that at dawn (and long before) God is paying attention to us. He creates each new day of our life as a gift." (65)

"Almost inevitably our image of God is intertwined with the first influences on our lives, especially those of our family members…." (67)

4. Prime Time - Our Root System

"What is the root system of my life? Is it deep and wide and long and strong enough to withstand the pressures of each day?" (83)

"The great irony of our wired age of communication is that many of our children are growing up information rich and imagination poor--and so are many adults." (84) Have I lost the sense of imaginative wonder? Am I too preoccupied with running to what is next? (85)

Abiding is a summons to stick with him on the way, wherever it leads. "Inwardly, it is a ceaseless orientation toward Jesus, a constant looking to him, listening for his voice, seeking his ways." (88, quoting David Rensberger) "It helps me to think of 'abiding' as a continual conversation in which I listen for God's voice and speak back to him." (92)

"Prime should be the time of listening first not to my needs and wants but to Jesus' words and directions." (93)

5. Active Life - A Slower Pace in a Faster World

"We live in an age of continuous partial attention." (99, quoting Linda Stone)

Terce is the marker of midmorning, time for a break. In life, Terce is the time of discovering our mission and becoming involved in job, church and community. (100)

"In a world where there is a wealth of information, there is often a poverty of attention." (101, quoting Ken Mehlman) We are in a state of overload. "The assumption now is that you're always in…. And when you are always in, you are always on. And when you are always on, what are you most like? A computer server." (102, quoting Thomas Friedman)

"Perhaps in a faster world we could use a slower church--or at least churches that help us to slow down and pay attention." (104) Perhaps those in the fast world can learn from those in the slow world. There is a connection between our speed and the health of our spirit. (105)

Regarding the teaching of Martha and Mary, we all have parts of both in us and we are to pay attention to both action and contemplation. (107)

"Hurry is the great enemy of the life of the spirit." "I suppose that most of us live more like tourists rushing to keep up with an itinerary than pilgrims drinking in the lands we are passing through. We all, clergy and laity, get chewed up and distracted. Most of us, if we are honest, are latter-day Marthas who deep inside are longing for some Mary time. And what is the secret to living in such a world and time? …the secret is not at the circumference (merely reducing our activities) but at the center (refocusing our heart)." (109-10)

"If the imagination of our heart is to be clear and pure, then we must allow space and time for the eyes of our heart to see through, under and beyond appearances, to answer the lure of the deep." (110)

"Attentiveness is much more than our attempt to see and understand; it is a species of faith, an open and receptive trust that God has much to reveal to us when we pay attention. Some things reveal themselves, yield themselves, only to attentive waiting." (111)

"Spirituality is all about seeing. It is becoming aware of realities in which we are immersed but of which we are unaware. …Spiritual vision requires learning to notice the presence of God within and around us." (111, quoting Juliet Benner)

6. The Noonday Demon - Our Distractible Selves

We can think of high noon as the midpoint of our life, college days, family life, vocation or project--when life tends to weigh us down.

"Distraction is not always a bane. It can be a blessing when distractions are 'divine interruptions' by which God gets our attention to turn us in a new direction." (116) To pay attention and learn from a distraction can be a strength. Many Bible characters had a life change because of a distraction, e.g. Moses' Burning Bush. (117)

Do we suffer from SADD, spiritual attention deficit disorder? (119) We may be in spiritual disarray because of fatigue, a soul-weary apathy, anxiety, fear, or sin. These may be veils that keep us from paying attention. (119-124)

"We keep on hurrying and staying busy and chattering because we are afraid that if we did slow down, stop working, get still long enough to listen deeply, we might have to face our mortality and humanness and give up trying to run our lives like little gods." (125)

A reminder: "Do one thing at a time, slow down, take time to breathe, to pray, to remember what has just happened with gratitude (or regret), to prepare my heart and mind for what comes next instead of rushing ahead with an overstuffed mind. Jesus never seemed to be in a hurry." (130)

"In some seasons of our lives, we are more active, more outwardly focused, more driven. Hopefully as we grow older, there are seasons in which we become more reflective, moving from an action mode to a wisdom mode--assuming we have learned some wisdom from our actions, both good and bad." (139)

7. When Shadows Come - Darkness Comes Early

"None (pronounced with a long "o") marks mid- to late-afternoon time, as the sun begins its descent and shadows start to lengthen." "With None we encounter the reality that things don't last forever. The lengthening shadows remind us of endings, but as the day wanes we also pay more attention to the things that endure." (141, quoting David Steindl-Rast)

"What must I let go? What should I hold more closely? And to what could I reach out more hopefully?" (143) Life begins to cave in and losses begin to mount up. "We begin to lose very precious things, and clouds hover over what we have always taken for granted: health, relationships, job." (143)

"The true religions of America are optimism and denial." (143, quoting Kathleen Norris)

"I'm trying to learn to pay attention, to pause and ask: What makes these tears come?" (145)

"There are many deaths that we die throughout our life, suggests Rolheiser: the death of our youth, of our spiritual and psychological wholeness, our dreams and our honeymoons…. Yet these many deaths, some small, some huge, may be God's way of bringing transformation and new life." (146) "…we must allow our spirit time--time to grieve the old, to be prepared to let go and receive the gift of the Spirit that we need for our new life." (147)

The dark times are often those of greatest growing and strengthening. "What were your own darknesses and what did God reveal about himself in each of these? What gifts did he give?" Make your own list, naming if you can, the gifts you have received, the light that has reached you through those darknesses." "God can transform both darkness into light and burden into blessing." (149)

8. Lighting the Lamps - The House with Golden Windows

Vespers celebrates the lighting of the lamps as evening descends. (163)

There is a universal longing for home in almost every human heart. (165) "In the seasons of our life, afternoons are the autumn, the season of midlife when the curve of our energy begins to drop. Afternoon is also a time to rest and enjoy the fullness of what life has to offer, as well as to let go of regrets over what may have passed us by. Yet it is a time not of retreat but of renewal, a time to explore and develop new and overlooked parts of ourselves." (166) "This is most especially the time to make fresh room for God in our heart." (167)

The prayer of an old saint:

"I give Thee thanks, O Lord. Evening draws nigh: make it bright. For as day has its evening, so has life. The evening of life is old age, and old age is fast overtaking me: make it bright…. Let the fast-coming close of my life be believing, acceptable, sinless, fearless: and, if it please thee, painless. And let me outstrip the night, doing, with all my might, some good work." (169)

We seem to have a "holy longing" and "the desire that fuels our restlessness is at its core a longing for the God who made us for himself." (172) "My soul is a strange mix of gratitude and restlessness. I want--need--to be at rest in the goodness of God." (174) God has put in our hearts a sense of eternity, a foretaste of the next life. (177)

9. Grandfather Time - When Evening Comes

"Compline is the hour that signifies completion." "Compline completes the circle of the day…connecting the end of the day with the end of life itself." "Darkness comes often as a threat, but it can also be a grace." (183)

"As a day or a life come to a close, our most heartfelt questions may be Am I safe? Am I loved? Do I have a true home in this universe?" (183)

We now "seek to discern the hidden wholeness of our lives…and pay attention not so much to the ending as to the End…not so much to the way our life closes as to the purpose for which we were sent in the first place,…our True End." (190)

"The end of our lifelong journey and quest…involves a profound transformation, the emergence of our true self, so that in becoming like Christ we most truly become ourselves…." (193)

Two questions before sleep: "Where did I sense God most today? Where did I miss him?" (197)

"The destination is Christlikeness. The wonder is not only that we will be like him but that when we are like him we will most truly be ourselves." (203)

To order this book click here.

Your comments and book recommendations are welcome.
David

David Mays, The Mission Exchange (formerly EFMA)

DMays@TheMissionExchange.org

www.TheMissionExchange.org

www.davidmays.org

Helping leaders fulfill their roles in the Great Commission

Friday, May 29, 2009

Inner~View #66: Transforming Power of a Personal Prayer Retreat

Come Away with Me

Pray! Magazine's Guide to Prayer Retreats

by Cynthia Hyle Bezek

Phil Miglioratti interviewed Cynthia Hyle Bezek editor of Pray! Online ...

Phil ~ In the past, most retreat guides dealt with how to plan for a church group's annual get-away; a weekend filled with games and sports and activities. How is this guide different?

Cynthia ~ The retreats you’re talking about are usually intended for horizontal fellowship, so a church can have focused time to get to know one another better. And that’s great, and there’s a genuine need for that. However, if we need focused time to deepen our human relationships, how much more do we need focused time to deepen our most important relationship of all, our relationship with God? That’s what my book is about: taking intentional, extended time alone with God to nurture your relationship with Him.

Phil ~ Is a personal prayer retreat only for persons who have reached the burn-out stage in their ministry?

Cynthia ~ No. Personal prayer retreats are for all of us who want to enjoy personal, intimate connection with God. I think of my relationship with God in the same way I think of a marriage relationship. No marriage relationship will be deep if a husband and wife only communicate on the run or in the middle of the bustle of life. They need focused alone time to really hear each other and grow to know each others hearts. It’s like that with God. If we really want to know and enjoy Him, to hear His heart and to let Him care for ours, then we need to spend quality and quantity time with Him. I really don’t believe there’s a short cut.

Phil ~ What does it mean that a personal prayer retreat is a "gracious invitation"?

Cynthia ~ I called it that because I believe God longs to give us the gift of rest and refreshment and deep connection with Him. He won’t force us to enjoy Him, but He yearns for us to experience Him in ways that refresh us, re-create us, restore us, empower us, and fill us with His very Self.

Phil ~ Many of us who desperately need to retreat are afraid we could not sustain a weekend or a day or even an hour of praying ...

Cynthia ~ That’s a huge fear. And yet without exception, everyone I’ve encouraged and coached about taking a day (or more) with God has unanimously come back telling me how quickly the time passed, and how they had no idea they could spend that much time with God—and really enjoy it. Sometimes this fear comes from what I think is an incomplete view of prayer. Some folks think prayer is all about us talking to God, mostly telling Him our needs and requests. Well, I can do that for about 45 minutes and then I’m done. There’s only so much listing of requests I can do. But when you realize that prayer is about relationship—about talking and listening and sharing and celebrating and dreaming and rejoicing and resting and just being companionable—a whole new way of relating with God opens up and time with God just flies.

Phil ~ How might some of the methods you mentioned in your book help us spend an extended time in prayer?

Cynthia ~
Singing, listening to music—Worship songs and hymns give us words to express our love to God. Have you ever had the experience of finding a birthday card that expressed your feelings about a loved one better than you ever could? Songs can do that for us, helping us to express what’s truly in our hearts toward God but in words we may not have been able to come up with ourselves.
Writing or speaking prayers—For those of us who struggle with distractions, writing or speaking aloud our prayers can help. When we write or speak we force our thoughts to come out single file. These practices help us to find focus. Writing our prayers has the added benefit of providing us with a record of our conversations with God which is of great benefit down the road when we want to remember and reflect on where we’ve been and where God has brought us. On the other hand, speaking our prayers helps us to be more conversational and relational in our talks with God, something many of us could benefit from. In either case, I suggest that you pause for two or three minutes after you’ve written or said something to allow God’s Spirit to speak back to you.
Reading noted authors (current or classic) on prayer- I hesitated to make this suggestion because some people might be tempted to spend their entire time reading instead of connecting with God. So, having said that, yes, reading others as they talk about communicating with God can be helpful, but I encourage you to read just short amounts, maybe a chapter, or even less. In my view, the purpose of reading during a retreat is to get a thought or idea that will stimulate our own conversations with God. For example, I like to read Henri Nouwen. I might read a few paragraphs from him and then talk to God about something he said, like how God views the balance of my life in terms of alone time and time with others. Or I might read A. W. Tozer and talk to God about my hunger for Him. Or I might read an article that tells me about prayerwalking and then go out and take a prayer walk. But the idea of reading is to stimulate something in me that will respond to God in new ways. If we only read about prayer but do not pray, we have missed the objective.

Walking, dancing, kneeling—The Bible gives us examples of many different prayer postures, including these three and more. I enjoy experimenting with these during my alone times with God. For me it’s about involving my whole self in my prayer—my spirit, soul, and body. Something about lying prostrate before Him or yes, even dancing, opens me up to Him and makes me feel close to Him. I think He enjoys me losing my inhibitions and letting “all that is within me praise the Lord!”

Phil ~ Do you think some have expectations that are too high? We assume we must have a burning bush encounter with God or our retreat was a failure ...

Cynthia ~ That’s a great question. I think it depends on your expectations. If your expectation is to get an answer to a huge question, like should I move across the globe or marry this particular person, then you might be disappointed. If you expectation is to have God speak to you in skywriting, you might also be disappointed. But if you expect to relax with Him, draw near to Him and have Him draw near to you, allowing Him to do that however He chooses, then you will not be disappointed. I never have been. Sometimes my retreats have been powerful and dramatic, but far more often they’ve been “still small voice” times. Either way, I come away encouraged, having spent time with my Father who loves me so well and always knows just what I need and how to give it. I think the key is to let Him lead. You can go with your agenda if you like, but then, first thing when you get to your retreat, offer it to Him. Say something like, “Here’s what I’d like to do with You, Lord, but You know best. So will You lead this time and express Your love for me however You see fit?”

Phil ~ What suggestions would you give to an "I'm too busy - I'm not ready" pastor who might consider spending an hour or morning in prayer in their office or a nearby location?

Cynthia ~ I’d borrow from Bill Hybels and say “You’re too busy not to pray.” And I wouldn’t say that in order to produce guilt. The fact is, the busier we are, the more we need God’s wisdom, strength, and empowering. He did not make us to do ministry on our own steam. And on-the-run praying doesn’t provide all of God that pastors need to bring to the demanding situations they face in ministry every day. I really believe time away with God is a gracious invitation, a gift, a necessity—not a luxury. And I can’t prove this, but I think it is like a tithe. If I give God from the firstfruits of my time (even as I do from my income) He has always been faithful to make the rest spread as far as it needs to go. So bottom line, I’d challenge pastors to trust God, take the time, and see if He won’t make the rest of their time more fruitful than if they hadn’t set apart time to relax with and enjoy God.

Phil ~ The Pastors' Prayer Group I am involved with has taken several one-day retreats. Could that be a good way to get one's feet wet; going with a small group as a first step?

Cynthia ~ Absolutely. If people can get away with a group and have a great experience with God—one in which the time flies by and they never knew they could spend so much time so enjoyably with God—then they will gain confidence and tools they can use on their own personal retreats with God.

Phil ~ Cynthia, please write a prayer you hope everyone will pray you as they read along with you ...

Cynthia ~ I’d be glad to. Father, You know us so well. You know our need for deep, connected relationship. And You know our need for rest, refreshment, and restoration, especially in our busy, hectic lives. It’s so cool that You invite us to have these needs met in You. Would you please help us to accept Your most gracious invitation? Would You help us trust You for the time we need to deepen our conversations with You? And for each of my friends who reads this prayer and takes You up on Your offer, would You meet them deeply and surprise them with the delight and richness of “wasting time” with You? You are so kind to us, Lord. Help us to receive Your kindness and to be changed by it. In the name of Jesus who made our relationship with You possible, Amen.

===>Click headline to access information or to purchase Cynthia's book, Come Away With Me . . .

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

MyPrayerTeam can by Your Prayer Team

Every praying pastor needs a team of people who support him/her in prayer ...

Build your own Personal Prayer Team that communicates quickly & easily

You and a friend pick one day a week to pray for each other over the next 12 months;
You each set up your own free, personal prayer site and enter your prayer requests and answers to prayer, as well as your prayer schedule with your partners;
Then, on every prayer day, an email delivers your partner's current prayer requests;
After you've prayed, simply click the AMEN button to send an encouraging follow-up email.

With 7 partners, someone could be praying for you everyday, as you pray for him or her. Learn More or Register

Sponsored by Global Partners Ministries, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization www.e3partners.org

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Prayer that Encapsualtes the Gospel

"Not a method or technique, this prayer is truly "an abridgement of the entire Gospel" as Tertullian said in the late second century.

Living the Lord's Prayer

The Way of the Disciple

By Albert Haase, O.F.M.
Foreword by Gerald L. Sittser

book cover

Contained in the Lord's Prayer is a complete picture of our life with God. Covering topics ranging from our view of God to our most intimate human relationship to how we treat the world around us and the people in it, the Lord's Prayer is a trustworthy guide for spiritual formation and a compact handbook for holiness.

In Living the Lord's Prayer, Father Albert Haase follows the lines of this greatest of all prayers, showing how the ideas have been understood by great people of faith in the past and revealing how they are useful for our spiritual formation today. With Haase's counsel plus the wisdom of this great cloud of witnesses that includes Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther, Thérèse of Lisieux and others, you'll discover how God can use this prayer to shape your very soul.

Including true stories and reflection questions for individual consideration or discussion with a spiritual director or small group, Living the Lord's Prayer will teach you to live--rather than simply say--the Lord's Prayer, and thereby to walk in the way of a true disciple.

Book Excerpts

Foreword »

Preface »

1. God as Father »

Download a Book Look about Living the Lord's Prayer.

Table of Contents »
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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Pray. Then Preach on Prayer ...

	Brown, Steve - The Real Lord's Prayer
		Improve your own sermons by reviewing some of the best from the Preaching ... receive access to the full outline and complete sermon. The Real Lord's Prayer by Stephen W. Brown Text: John 17 Topic: Why it's significant that ... We should be encouraged by the fact Jesus is praying for us. Keywords: Prayer, Jesus Introduction: John 17 is the true "Lord's Prayer." Jesus had a deep relationship with the Father. Jesus lived a ...

	Buchanan, Mark - The House of Prayer
		Improve your own sermons by reviewing some of the best from the Preaching ... to receive access to the full outline and complete sermon. The House of Prayer by Mark Buchanan Text: Mark 11:12-19; Mark 11:20-26 Topic: Where ... Christian Life; Daily bread; Dependence on God; Faith; Faith and prayer; Forgiveness; Fruit; Fruitfulness; Holy Spirit; Holy Spirit; Fruit of; Knowing God; Miracles; Prayer; Prayer, believing; Prayer, power ...

	Centered
		How prayer brings authority An article by Richard Foster What is it about prayer that links it to preaching? Why would a person like Martin Luther ... thing, but talking to God for men is greater still"? In touch with God Prayer gets us in touch with God, causing us to swing like a needle to the ... We discover serenity, the unshakable firmness of life orientation. Prayer opens us to the subterranean sanctuary of the soul where we ...

	Hybels, Bill - The Mystery of Unanswered Prayer

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Prayer Retreat ~ "SOP" for Every Praying Pastor

Dear Phil,

I just finished reading a survey by a highly recognizable Divinity school. The goal of the survey was to secure an appraisal on the state of the church in the United States. Perhaps you’ve had a chance to read the survey if you’ve been over at the Pastors Retreat Network Facebook page lately. We’ve posted a link to the survey on our Facebook page. We posted the link not because we consider the survey authoritative, but rather because of the dire picture that is painted in the survey results.

We realize that trying to get an accurate reading on the state of the church is somewhat like attempting to nail JELL-OÒ to the wall; hard to achieve perfect results.

It is important for us at Pastors Retreat Network to keep our finger on the pulse of the church. When your mission is to strengthen pastors for the sake of a strong church you are compelled to stay on top of what is happening in the church across the country.

One thing we’ve learned by listening to pastors coming through our retreat sites is that “stress” within the pastorate is at an all time high. Pastors are feeling pressure from within their churches, from their families and from within the communities they serve.

One method that we use to keep an eye on how pastors are doing is by monitoring our reservation calendar. It seems that the more difficult the ministry conditions, the faster our reservation calendar fills up. Last year, 2008, Pastors Retreat Network served more than 600 pastors at our retreat sites in Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio; a very full year.

The important thing to realize when considering all this reporting and data gathering is that the bottom line behavioral indicator is that time with God is absolutely crucial; pastors who make time for Sabbath rest and for extended times of prayer always seem better equipped to minister to the needs of their family, congregation and community.

On the other hand, pastors who choose to continually push the “energy envelope” are the same pastors who seem destined to leave ministry because of burnout, exhaustion or unmanageable stress within their family.

We encourage pastors to set aside a day for rest and prayer each week; sound familiar? In addition, we stress the importance of making time for an extended time of retreat at least once each year. The pastors who leave our retreat center leave with a definite bounce in their step and a calm inner assurance that they can indeed live up to the calling that God has put on their life.

So before you get caught in the trap of more is better, be sure that you are creating a time for rest in your weekly and yearly ministry calendar. A spiritually healthy pastor that is well rested is much more effective than a pastor that has to drag themselves to the church every day.

If we can help you navigate your quest for a prayerful, restful ministry experience please feel free to call us or visit us online. We are here to serve you in your service to the Kingdom.

In His Grip,

Scott Papador

Scott Papador, Executive Director

Please click here to give your gift today! If you would prefer to send your support by mail, please use the address listed below. May God bless you as you support this important work.

Mailing Address: Pastors Retreat Network, PO Box 180455, Delafield, WI 53018 US

Contact Name: Scott Papador
Telephone Number: (414) 828-4893
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Thursday, May 07, 2009

You Pray Well. Can You Lead Others To Prayer Well?

August seems so far away, doesn't it?

As we look at our timetable for "Reaching the Summit," though, it seems like August is moving up on us very QUICKLY! We need to send deposits, book airfare, decide on menus, etc. As good stewards, we desire to base these decisions on educated estimates and not guesses. We are hoping you can help us out -- and in return, we have a gift for you!

We know that many of you intend to come to the Summit. Register by June 15 and you will receive a FREE gift when you arrive at the Summit. We would like to thank you with your choice of Fresh Encounters or PRAYzing! by Daniel Henderson, or Prayer Summits by Dr. Joe Aldrich.

If you are not a pastor, please forward this to your pastor and encourage him or her to come. Better yet -- provide a scholarship for your pastor to attend. You never know how this gift might change your church!

By registering early, you not only receive a free gift, you also have a better chance of getting an on-site room (click here for accommodation info). As we pray and plan for this Summit, we are so excited about coming together with you for these days of impact, encouragement, joy, and hope!

Daniel Henderson always says that it is better to hear from a satisfied customer than from the paid salesman, so take a look at how Prayer Summits have impacted one pastor and his congregation in Indiana:

Several years ago Pastor Mark Vroegop was exposed to worship-based prayer while attending a Prayer Summit. Mark admits he had reservations about attending the event, thinking that it would be boring to spend two days just praying. What he realized is that it was just the opposite. "We met with God," he says, "and it was the most free-flowing, Spirit-fed, Scripture-oriented thing I'd ever been a part of, and it grabbed me...it was so right. I left saying, 'This is how church is supposed to be, and how can I bring it back to my church?'" Mark made taking this to his church a focus, and has since "infected" two churches with the vision of worship-based prayer.

In March, close to 100 people from College Park Baptist Church of Indianapolis followed Mark, their pastor, in a day and a half of worshiping God using Scripture and song. One woman summed it up this way: "God moved in a mighty way in the heart of my husband at the Prayer Summit. I am not sure what happened there, but he has already put in place some major changes in our daily lives, and he is prayerfully considering more. I am talking radical change to a very busy work schedule, planned times to witness to co-workers and neighbors, lifting me up in prayer and encouragement like never before, and even selling our house to downsize again. Please understand; I have been blessed to be married to a godly man for almost 20 years, but it is clear to me that he has grown closer to the Lord and the desires He has for his life through the Prayer Summit."

Mark was excited to share this experience with his people and looks forward to how they will bring the vision back to College Park. "I had four or five people ask if we would be doing this again," he says. "It has created an appetite for more, and to share with those who didn't attend. When you have met with God in a way that is meaningful and powerful, you want others to experience it too. Prayer Summits set people up for that. They meet God and want to tell others." Church bodies change when they begin to meet with God in a personal way. Mark is just one example of how the ministry of Strategic Renewal can impact a pastor and then an entire body of believers. College Park Church also holds Fresh Encounters once a month and a prayer and fast Wednesday once a month.

For more information on "Reaching the Summit," visit our website, www.reachingthesummit.net, or call Lori at 916-489-4774. We are excited about what God has planned for us August 4-6. Don't miss out!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Prayer #1 on Five Essentials for Pastors

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

SCOTT DEPOT, WV (ANS) -- The very first preachers, teachers, apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord, were the nucleus of what Jesus would use to build His church. A church that would, with courage and confidence, face all the enemies that would ever rise up against her.

These men and women had just spent three years with the greatest of all teachers who had demonstrated and spoken directly to them about what they should know and do as the pioneer leaders of this new movement -- a “reformation movement” among God’s people. What did Jesus emphasize that they must know if they and ministers today were to be successful?

1. Effective prayer is an absolute essential for a successful ministry. Prayer enables us to tap into the power and presence of God. One of the things the disciples asked of Jesus was, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Jesus responded by saying, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth . . .’ ” and He continues on as recorded in (Luke 11:1-4 and Matthew 6:9-13).

2. Put God first in all of your life, in all you do. The minister, as well as all his parishioners, is to love God supremely. It is called the greatest of all the commandments. All that the original Ten Commandments taught are encapsulated in this brief statement of Jesus. It begins, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . .” and continues in Mark 12:28-31 and also in Matthew 22:36. In this context Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders of His day and of our day.

3. The second great commandment was like the first one, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself . . .” That quickly and definitely gets the modern pastor and his congregation involved with making life better for others. That commandment gave birth to what we commonly refer to as charity and missions of all kinds. It is feeding, clothing, sheltering and doing for others what we would want others to do for us. It is loving and caring for others.

4. Accountability to God and each other is very important in the life of any minister. No one ever rises so high in rank, popularity, office or influence that he ceases to be accountable before God, his peers and the society in which he lives and serves. Those who are to be great must first be the servant of all.

5. Sexual temptation and impurity have led to the downfall of thousands of ministers, pastors and evangelists. Jesus instructed those who followed Him to be sexually pure. He went so far as to say that adultery can be committed without having physical sexual intercourse. It was looking on a man or woman, in any manner and desiring them for your own sexual gratification.

For further instruction read Matthew 5:27-32, from what is normally referred to as “The Sermon on the Mountain.” Sexual intercourse outside of a loving and accountable marriage relationship is adultery. That is reserved for a married couple, one man and one woman. Sleep in your own bed with your own spouse. To do otherwise is death to ministry.

These five essentials must be obediently followed if there is to be success in the life of the pastor. To disregard them spells failure in ministry.

In early March, 2009, I wrote about 10 things of the “101 things a pastor needs to know . . . and what his parishioners wish he knew.” All across the nation and from other countries readers responded. Again your suggestions are welcomed. You may e-mail them to me at: bill@billellis.net or send a postal response to: P. O. Box 345, Scott Depot, WV 25560, USA.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Turn Your Prayer Room into a Prayer Womb

The Prayer Womb

by Francis Frangipane

The reality God has planned will always manifest first in the prayer life of His intercessors. When you hear from God and then pray His Word, you are impacting the unformed essence of life with the Spirit of God Himself! Thus, God calls us, not only to know His Word, but to pray it. We must go from intellectualizing God's Word to being impregnated by it.

I know churches have special areas where intercessors can pray or people meditate. But maybe we ought to change the name from "prayer room" to "prayer womb." For everything good and holy that we see manifested in people, in churches and in life is first conceived, and then birthed, in the womb of prayer.

We have answers to prayer all around us. The place you are living in is an answer to prayer. Your church is an answer to prayer, as well as are your pastors, teachers and youth workers. As a church member, your attendance and participation is an answer to the prayer of your pastors and intercessors. When you asked God to lead you to the church you should attend, your current church became God's answer to your prayer!

Paul wrote, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might" (Eph. 1:18-19).

If you are a Christian, there is a power accompanying your life that is greater than great---the "surpassing greatness of His power." It is not human power, but the actual "strength of His might."

Think about it: The strength of God Almighty is attached to your prayer life!

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Inner~View #60: 1,000,000 Praying Pastors?

Phil Miglioratti interviewed Dean Gambill, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Praying Pastors Project

Phil ~ Give us a little history on this new project, Dean - How did the PPP get started?

Dean ~ In 2005, a dozen prayer ministry leaders met together at a prayer conference to answer the question, “What is the biggest hindrance you find to prayer in churches?” The unanimous answer from the group was pastors who are overwhelmed and have relegated prayer to a small group of intercessors. The group realized that during their academic careers, none of them had ever taken a course in prayer. Nine of the group members had seminary degrees. In response, the National Prayer Committee established a task force to study how to best address this shortcoming. As far as we can determine, it looks like less than 5% of graduates coming out of American theological institutions ever had a course in personal or corporate prayer. “Giving Ourselves to Prayer” is the first fruit of this Task Force on Prayer in Theological Education. This first of its kind textbook is 592 pages, contains 80 chapters written by 80 different authors from across the theological spectrum. It is now being adopted into the curricular choices of several bible colleges and seminaries.

The Praying Pastors Project (PPP) came along as the National Prayer Committee was getting ready to release “Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry in July 2008. While seeing it used in our theological schools is exciting it is also slow going. So the next question was, “What about the pastors and priests who aren’t going back to school but need education and encouragement in the area of prayer? Ron Simons of Greater Calling and Harvest Prayer Ministries received a vision for reaching all 1 million pastors in America by having Christian businesses and individuals sponsor pastors in their community. After hearing the vision, prayer and discussion, the Praying Pastors Project was born as a project of America’s National Prayer Committee.

Phil ~ Why is an initiative like this so strategic for our nation and beyond?

Dean ~ The subtitle of “Giving Ourselves to Prayer” refers to Acts 6:4 where the disciples say “we will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” Our theological schools do a good job of training in the scriptures and pastoral ministries but neglect the prayer part that the disciples deemed to be important. Given the current state in our nation and the world, people are asking their pastors for prayer, asking how to pray and even asking how they should pray. All of this while most pastors don’t feel equipped to teach and disciples others in prayer. In fact many pastors are ashamed of the quality of their prayer lives. Prayer seems like inactivity and there is always a list of ‘urgent’ things to be done. We have pushed them to be CEO’s and to run good services and programs but we have not encouraged them to be men and women of prayer. Then we are amazed when things seem to be done in human strength. I was in local church ministry for over 20 years and I know the pressures that pastors feel. I think that’s why this project is so appealing to me.

At the Praying Pastors Project, we believe that Praying Pastors produce Praying Churches. If our pastors become men and women dedicated to prayer and begin to teach and model in our congregations, our churches will become praying churches and the power of God will move in and through them. When that happens look out. Revival will break out. Our churches, our communities, our states and our nation will be transformed.

Phil ~ What feedback are you getting as the Praying Pastors Project rolls out?

Dean ~ The response we’ve received so far has been completely positive. Prayer leaders are catching the vision for the project. We often hear, “this is what I’ve been praying for, for years.” Prayer leaders have such big hearts for their pastors. National Day of Prayer coordinators have been extremely excited about PPP. They can visualize the benefits of bringing the Praying Pastors Project into their communities. They have such a heart to see pastors grow in prayer and partner with them to encourage prayer not only on the National Day of Prayer but throughout the year. Intercessors really catch the vision. They are constantly lifting up their pastors and see this as a way to see their pastors grow in prayer.

Phil ~ I read how one pastor plans to use Giving Ourselves to Prayer with his congregation. Is this one of the hoped for results?

Dean ~ Yes, we’ve had several pastors who plan to use the book as the basis of a sermon series. We hadn’t really envisioned that because “Giving Ourselves to Prayer” is a very academic book but if a pastor can take the content and use it to teach from the pulpit, that’s great. What we have envisioned is a pastor using Alvin VanderGriend’s transforming devotional, “Love to Pray” with their congregations. Each sponsored pastors receive a copy of “Love to Pray” with their membership. It is already setup to be used as a 40 Days of Prayer initiative. Hundreds of churches have already used the 40 Days materials. Church members read the “Love to Pray” daily devotional for the 40 days and pastors preach for 8 weeks on prayer. Sermon outlines and notes are available for the 40 Days initiative. There are sermon outlines/notes for the series. They are available for PPP members on the “4PastorsOnly” website.

There is a Kenyan pastor who has created a 160 hour training program for pastors using “Giving Ourselves to Prayer.” He is currently equipping 150 pastors from more than 5 countries.

Phil ~ It seems to me that the PPP has the potential to be a catalyst in Pastors' Prayer Groups, across city-wide networks, even within denominations...

Dean ~ PPP desires to see pastors within a community gather together for prayer and encourage each other in growing in prayer. We envision having resources that will help facilitate that kind of process within pastors’ prayer groups, ministerial associations and within denominations. There are lots of pastors who get together regularly to write sermons together, why not include prayer? Can you imagine a group of pastors, regardless of the group, gathering together to encourage each other to grow in prayer? A community or denomination whose pastors commit to praying together, for their communities and their congregations will see God move. It’s God’s heart.

Phil ~ The success of this depends upon the response of individuals on behalf of their pastors, and rightly so, but how can that person have a wider impact?

Dean ~ While we desire to see individuals respond on behalf of their pastors, we really want to see this go beyond a pastor in a church to the pastors of a community. Individuals can become Community Coordinators to sponsor the pastors in their community. We have all the resources available for an individual to plan a project, secure sponsorship from Christian businesses, individuals and churches and distribute the resources to the pastors in their community.

A second way a wider impact comes is when people begin to lift up their pastors in prayer on a regular basis. Often times people especially those with a passion for intercession become critical of pastors who are as passionate. Instead, begin a prayer group for your pastor. Let your pastor know that your group is regularly praying for him/her. When you pray for someone you love, the tone of your prayers change.

Phil ~ Dean, what is your hope for everyone reading this interview?

Dean ~ My hope is to see your readers lift up their pastors in more than words. I’d love to see love expressed in action. My biggest dream is to see every reader sponsor their pastors in the Praying Pastors Project and then continue beyond that in lifting them up in prayer on a daily basis. The $40 it takes to sponsor a pastor is a small investment in the life of your pastor and the Kingdom. Prayed for pastors are much more likely to be able to withstand the assaults that come their way. Our pastors need prayer shields because the evil one loves to see them fall. As a former pastor, I much preferred being prayed for than being preyed on.

If they don’t know how to pray for their pastor, Jennifer Kennedy Dean has written a 30 day prayer guide to help us pray scriptural prayers for our pastors that is free on our website. Lastly, this project is still small so we need people who catch the vision to share it with others who have a heart for prayer and praying for pastors. They can go to our website and look around. We’ve made it user friendly and try to answer whatever questions might arise. If they have questions, they can find our contact information and we’ll be glad to answer any questions. ===>Click headline to access Praying Pastors Project website . . .

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Soul Care: Don't Forget Prayer

Run for Your Soul!

Mike Yaconelli Ministry Life - Youth

Why you may need to quit your job as a youth minister

>>>Note: substitute your role//title

In this age of the megachurch, our culture worships doing. We put busy people on pedestals—especially if the busyness results in bigger and more. But when you take the pagan worship of busyness and add to it the biblical mandate to reach the world, you have a lethal combination. The church has baptized busyness and activity and produced overworked, burned out, spiritually dry ministers who—in the "name of God"—neglect their families, their souls and their physical well-being.

If I can be so audacious as to "blaspheme" the Gospel of Growth, I respectfully suggest this modern rush to urgency is not only wrong, it's arrogance gone mad. The moment we believe the kingdom of God is dependent on you and me, we've either experienced a schizophrenic episode or we've misunderstood our roles as Christians.

Yes, we are to "go into all the world." Yes, we are to "make disciples." But last I checked, it took Jesus three years of concentrated effort to make 12 disciples—and it took them the rest of their lives to understand what discipleship means. Remember, Paul suggests we are in Christ, not working for Him.

If you're a youth worker in a church in which the Gospel of Growth rules, RUN! If your senior minister is a winsome, captivating, entrepreneurial workaholic, grab your soul and get out before it's too late.

Sadly, when you blow the whistle or rebel again the Gospel of Growth or suggest that God might be calling you to stop adding more activities and people and start growing the ones you have, your very commitment to Christ is questioned. Then you're isolated, criticized, told you're not a "team player"—and finally condemned. I'm telling you that you're not crazy. You're not lazy. You're not uncommitted.

Obviously evangelism is an important goal and calling of the church. But evangelism is not justification for busyness, exhaustion, burnout, or the destruction of families. Many evangelistic missionary organizations have a reputation for leaders who've burned themselves out on the altar of evangelism. And then—when these charismatic, driven leaders collapse under the weight of their maddening schedules—they're tossed aside for the next leaders who'll also self-destruct.

Youth workers, you haven't been called to crazy, maddening schedules. You haven't been called to reach every student for Christ. You haven't been called to fix all the kids in your youth groups. The weight of your youth groups isn't on your shoulders. Your calling is to be faithful to Christ and to your families and to reach those you can. Growth is not the gospel. More and bigger are not fruits of the Spirit.

A few suggestions:

Ask that your staff meetings be changed to talk about Jesus and your souls rather than business.

As part of your job description, ask for one day a week to spend on your soul—away from the office.

Ask for a personal resource budget so you can read books that will help keep your soul intact.

As part of your job description, ask for a week every two months to spend alone, in silence, praying and reading and resting.

If your senior pastor is a workaholic who can't understand anyone who isn't a workaholic, quit and find a new job.

MIKE YACONELLI spent 43 years of his life in ministry to youth workers and students, and 20 years as the pastor of a small church in Yreka, Calif. Adapted from Getting Fired for the Glory of God by Mike Yaconelli. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved

Monday, April 06, 2009

Is Your PrayerLife a Balancing Act?

Life in the kingdom of God is not a balancing act between working hard and waiting on God to do His part. Life in the Kingdom of God is simply about abiding with Jesus.
If we’re abiding with Jesus and staying close to His heart,
we never have to worry about getting ‘out of balance.’

Jamal Jivanjee

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Skills for the Praying Pastor

Reaching the Summit:
A National Pastors' Prayer Summit

Critical Prayer for a Critical Time

August 4-6, 2009

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary ~

Ft. Worth, TX

Our nation's financial crisis calls for pastors who can lead their people in praying strong prayers of faith and hope...which is why we are convinced of the need for another National Pastors' Prayer Summit.

Reaching the Summit is a partnership of three national prayer ministries with a passion for the need to be praying now as we never have before. For the third time, International Renewal Ministries, Strategic Renewal, and the National Pastors' Prayer Network will join together for a National Pastors' Prayer Summit, designed to provide pastors with the life-transforming experience of a Prayer Summit while equipping them to use this model in their own churches. Drastic times require great leadership. This is an opportunity to obtain the skills that build corporate dependence on the Lord and God-focused praying.

A Prayer Experience That Equips You to Lead Corporate Prayer

This Prayer Summit is like no other, as it combines the uniqueness of "Spirit-led, worship-fed, corporate-bred prayer" with training opportunities for reproducing it in your congregation. It is a Prayer Summit Plus! Our goal? To equip you as a leader in your local setting.

Facilitated by:

Daniel Henderson ~ President, Strategic Renewal

"As a Sr. Pastor, I've had the joy of leading my congregation in dozens of local church Prayer Summits. Summits are a powerful environment for personal revival and a core catalyst to church health. This is an urgent time to equip more pastors to lead this kind of experience in their own local church. I know of no better tool and no better time for a genuine work of renewal. I believe pastors should make this event a top priority if they are serious about real revival in their church."

Dennis Fuqua ~ Executive Director, International Renewal Ministries

"What would the Church look like if every congregation across the country committed to a meaningful weekend service was also committed to a meaningful time of corporate prayer? What might happen if congregational leaders were as committed to leading their people in dynamic prayer as they are to giving them dynamic preaching? I love what is happening in congregations who are pressing forward in this kind of prayer."

Phil Miglioratti ~ Founder, National Pastors' Prayer Network

"More and more pastors are realizing they need to become the prayer champion of their congregation, but recognize that teaching and preaching on prayer is not enough. Since most of us lack the skills to lead dynamic corporate prayer, the Summit is designed as a 'lab' -- an opportunity to experience Spirit-led praying augmented with discussion on how to implement it back home. This has the potential to transform the prayer culture of your life and ministry."

Location:

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Riley Center

1701 W. Boyce Avenue

Ft. Worth, TX

Registration for Summit:

$159 per person -- includes lunch and dinner on Tuesday, August 4th and Wednesday, August 5th, and lunch on Thursday, August 6th. This price DOES NOT INCLUDE ROOM!!!

Registration for Guest Rooms:

Discounted rooms (includes breakfast) available at Summit location, Riley Hall. Call 817-923-1921, ext . 8800. Tell the operator you are with Reaching the Summit.

We have a limited number of rooms reserved until June 4, 2009: http://www.swbts.edu/guesthousing

BOOK EARLY TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A BED!

For more information, visit reachingthesummit.net

or call 916-489-4774.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

A prayer experience that equips you to lead corporate prayer

REACHING THE SUMMIT

A NATIONAL PASTORS’ PRAYER SUMMIT

Critical Prayer for a Critical Time

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ft. Worth, TX — August 4-6, 2009

A prayer experience that equips you to lead corporate prayer

Our nation’s economic crisis calls for pastors who can lead their people in strong prayers of faith and hope. Our hearts are burdened for another National Pastors’ Prayer Summit.

Reaching the Summit is a partnership of three national prayer ministries passionate about the need to be praying now as we never have before. For the third time International Renewal Ministries, Strategic Renewal and National Pastors’ Prayer Network will join together for a National Pastors’ Prayer Summit designed to provide pastors the life-transforming experience of a Prayer Summit, while equipping them to use this model in their own churches. Drastic times require great leadership.

This is an opportunity to obtain the skills that build corporate dependence and God-focused praying. This Prayer Summit is like no other. It combines the uniqueness of “Spirit-led, worship-fed, corporate-bred prayer” and, at the same time, provides training opportunities for reproducing it in your congregation. It is a Prayer Summit Plus! Our goal? To equip you as a leader in your local setting.

“What would the church look like if every congregation across the country, committed to a meaningful weekend service, was also committed to a meaningful time of corporate prayer? What might happen if congregational leaders were as committed to leading their people in dynamic prayer as they are to giving them dynamic preaching? I love what is happening in congregations who are pressing forward in this kind of prayer.”

—Dennis Fuqua, Executive Director, International Renewal Ministries

“As a Sr. Pastor, I’ve had the joy of leading my congregation in dozens of local church Prayer Summits. Summits are a powerful environment for personal revival and a core catalyst to church health. This is an urgent time to equip more pastors to lead this kind of experience in their own local church. I know of no better tool and no better time for a genuine work of renewal. I believe pastors should make this event a top priority if they are serious about real revival in their church.”

—Daniel Henderson, President, Strategic Renewal

“More and more pastors are realizing they need to become the prayer champion of their congregation but recognize teaching and preaching on prayer is not enough. Since most of us lack the skills to lead dynamic corporate prayer, the Summit is designed as a ‘lab’ - an opportunity to experience Spirit-led praying augmented with discussion on how to implement it back home. This has the potential to transform the prayer culture of your life and ministry.”

—Phil Miglioratti, Founder, National Pastors’ Prayer Network

For more info go to ReachingTheSummit.net or call (916) 489-4774

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Quote; Unquote . . .

There is a difference between knowing a collection of religious truths and actually knowing Christ.

Truth is in Jesus;

He Himself is the way, the truth and the life.

To know Him is eternal life, and to live in fellowship with Him is to partake of the nectar of heaven.

Francis Frangipane

Friday, March 13, 2009

Given to Prayer?

Many clergy today face with dismay and feelings of inadequacy the increasing demand for help with prayer because we have had no training for this work. We recognize that little in our past experience or training has prepared us for what people now seem to need. Few, if any, programs have existed whose purpose is to enable priests and ministers to respond to the request, "Teach me to pray."

-The Practice of Spiritual Direction by W. Barry and W. Connolly

Helping our pastors, ministers and priests to be equipped to teach people to pray is the goal of the Praying Pastors Project.

Why do we need Praying Pastors?

People today are seeking to learn more about how to pray effectively. We too often assume that prayer should just be something pastors instinctively know how to practice as well as teach. As a result, the topic has not received much focus in theolgoical training."Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry" was developed by America's National Prayer Committee to address this need and is the first-ever textbook focused solely on the topic of prayer. This 592-page book was written with the contributions of 80 authors, from both the academic community and the global prayer movement. However, many pastors may not be aware of the book or may not be able to afford the $39.99 retail price. This is where the Praying Pastors Project comes in.

How Does It Work?

Individuals, churches or business owners can sponsor one or more pastors in order to support the project. For a donation of $40, pastors receive (as a gift) the textbook "Giving Ourselves to Prayer" plus the devotional book "Love to Pray" plus membership in the "4 Pastors Only" website. Businesses can choose to receive additional advertising benefits for their business when they become a sponsor of several pastors within a community.

Community coordinators are an integral part of the success of the project since they are the people who work within a local community to identify the sponsors and get the resources distributed to the pastors. Coordinators receive financial compensation for their participation and get the opportunity to interface and pray with local pastors and business owners.

By bringing together those who can sponsor with those who need to be sponsored, we can help our pastors continue to be a blessing to our communities through the power that comes when people (and pastors) PRAY! Won't you consider "praying it forward"?

If you have not yet received a gift of these books, you can still join our community by making a $40 donation through our online store, which will cover the costs of the books and get you started. Better yet, why not ask someone to sponsor you? You can just send them to the site www.prayingpastors.com and they can become a sponsor and designate you to receive the gift.

The Power of a Praying Pastor

Sandy Mayle

At First Alliance Church in Erie, Pennsylvania, prayer is our top priority. The first of our eight core values as a church is “Prayer is the first work.” When four of us traveled to our first-ever Church Prayer Leaders Network prayer conference, however, we discovered that one of our most powerful assets had been with us for years!

We had already implemented pastor’s prayer partners, prayerwalks, intercession during worship services, and the availability of elders for post-worship prayer time. In addition, our senior pastor, Rick Crocker, leads an early-morning prayer gathering three times a week, and our children’s prayer ministry is very active.

We maintain an efficient prayer chain and an inviting prayer room, and we sponsor an annual weekend prayer seminar and a semi-annual day of prayer, which combines silence and meditation with corporate prayer and sharing. The church had 360 people involved in a 24/7 prayer initiative last May and has made plans for another one.

All of these programs helped us to make prayer our first work—but it wasn’t until we listened to keynote speakers and workshop leaders at the Empowered conference last June that we discovered why they have been successful. We were amazed to discover that it was not the resources we had purchased, or programs we had implemented, or concepts we had taught. It was that we had a praying senior pastor.

“We take it for granted,” admits prayer team leader Karen Brumagin, “but I’m thrilled to have Pastor Rick as a mentor and co-laborer with us on the prayer team. It’s a joy to have a committee meeting, knowing you’ll have support from the top down.”

That kind of support from the pastor hasn’t always been there, however. Five years ago, Rick says he found himself wandering in a spiritual desert, lacking power and joy. He finally took a month-long sabbatical for a spiritual retreat. The days passed in continual, discouraging dryness until the Lord delivered a clear and unforgettable rebuke: “This retreat isn’t about you. It’s about Me. You have been in ministry for 11 years, and you haven’t given Me the time of day.” Rick says it was a turning point in his ministry.

“That time away was crucial,” Rick remembers. “God showed me that my dryness was due to my prayerlessness. As I realized this and endeavored to correct it, I began to experience the joy and peace of walking intimately with God.

“Now prayer is my vital link to God—personally, as a child of God, and also as a pastor. I realize that prayer is vital to individual believers and to the congregation as well, and it should be the foundation stone upon which we build all other ministries.”

The Priority of Personal Involvement

It was after that retreat that Pastor Rick initiated the prayer room and early-morning prayer gatherings ===>Click headline to complete the article . . .

Monday, March 09, 2009

101 Thigns A Pastor Needs to Know

>>> Note: My comments are in response to a request to help a new pastor (see post from Assist News below) . . .

Even though every pastor prays, not many are praying pastors or skill trained to be lead their congregation into transforming prayer. We teach how to pray privately and preach on praying more but fail to reach our congregation in a way that results in compelling, book-of-Acts type praying.

The Apostles discovered the essential role of prayer; they delegated other tasks (significant ones at that) to give their attention to praying and ministering the word (Acts 6:4). Is it possible they also realized that prayer must precede our study of the the scriptures, so we avoid merely constructing theological systems rather than teaching truth that eternally and immediately connects listeners to the one who is Truth? Can we adequately understand the Word of God with only our mid? Must we not be in communication and communion with the author; i.e. prayer?

As Paul mentored Timothy who was pastoring the congregations in Ephesus, he spoke with urgency that prayer must be a top priority (1 Timothy 2:1). He told the believers in the Collossian Church they must devote themselves to prayer (literally, spend much time together in the place of prayer) (4:2).

The pastor must assume the role of prayer champion, casting vision for prayer that goes beyond reactive praying (praying only in response to problems and needs) to proactive praying (praying for the plans and promises of God to be revealed and released across the earth). We must lead our people with prayers that seek to bless the community, training members into a prayer-care-share lifestyle, and most importantly living it ourselves. Every prayer must somehow be a "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done" prayer in inspiration and intention.

Anything less than proactive, outward focused, all-the-church praying is less that what the Holy Spirit is ready, willing and able to do in every congregation regardless of size or style. In my mind (and life experience) the #1 thing a pastor needs to know is how to lead prayer that yearns "for the earth (to) be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." Habakkuk 2:14

Phil Miglioratti
National Pastors' Prayer Network (nppn.og)

101 Things every pastor needs to know and their parishioners wish they knew

By Bill Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service

SCOTT DEPOT, WV (ANS) -- I was recently invited to the ordination of an extremely talented young man. Friends, family, state leaders and his congregation were present. Call him Scott Hodge and his wife, Susan. Give his son the biblical name, Isaac. His beautiful little girl we call Zoe. A model family.

Pastor Hodge is such a tremendous vocalist that he could be the lead singer for any musical group in the nation. He is an accomplished pianist, guitarist and a superb public speaker. He is sincere, a man of impeccable integrity and intellectually brilliant.

What about the 101 thing he needs to know? Space constraints limit my briefly mentioning just ten things. That leaves 91 to come up with. Please, send your list to me this week.

1. Called to preach. Years ago ordination committees asked, "Have you been called to preach? When did you receive that call?" There is a distinct difference in being called by God to preach and just deciding it would be an interesting and challenging vocation.

2. Educational preparation. Sixty years ago it was rare to find pastors with a masters degree. The Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent is now the expected degree for pastors. There are, however, no mandatory educational requirements in most church bodies for ordination.

3. Pastor, evangelist, missionary, teacher are all related. They may be ordained ministers. St. Paul wrote that Christ " . . . gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers . . ." (Ephesians 4:11).

4. The importance of the minister's spouse. This is one of the most important decisions a minister will ever make -- the choice of one's ministry partner for life. Problems have risen when a man or woman changes their profession and becomes a minister.

5. Working with church boards and leaders. Much of the success of the pastor and the congregation will be determined by how well they can work together.

6. The time to change pastorates. Perhaps it is best to leave when things are going exceedingly well. But who wants to leave then? A pastor may stay too long.

7. Preparing to preach. Many times you hear adults say, "I could never prepare a sermon and stand in front of a crowd and speak for 25 minutes." There are classes in homiletics that teach us how to prepare and deliver sermons.

8. Being the church's number one teacher. Pastors also function as teachers. Some like Arlo Newell, James Earl Massey, Adrian Rogers, Hayes Wicker, John MacArthur, David Sebastian, David Cox and Melissa Pratt have excelled as both preacher and teacher.

9. Keeping accurate records. One of the most important and helpful things a pastor can ever do is to keep exact records for himself and the church on such matters as weddings, funerals, attendance, minutes of business decisions and financial documents.

10. Preserving research, sermon and teaching outlines. A pastor may spend hours each week in preparation to preach and teach. Those probings and inquires should be preserved and kept. Dr. Charles V. Weber used to talk about "living out of the overflow." The exact research and study notes could profitably be used for Sunday or Wednesday evenings and other teaching and preaching opportunities.

In talking about "101 things a pastor needs to know" we have 91 to go and no more space. You may send your suggestions to me at: bill@billellis.net or write to me at Bill Ellis, P. O. Box 345, Scott Depot, WV 25560.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this subject. What is really important for a pastor to know? I look forward to your response.

For information on becoming a subscriber to the Ellis Column for your newspaper or magazine, you may contact him at: BILL ELLIS, P.O.Box 345, Scott Depot, WV 25560 or by calling: 304-757-6089.

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

This story is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ASSIST News Service or ASSIST Ministries.

ASSIST News Service is Sponsored By

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

The Greatest Enemy of Intimacy

.
Dallas Willard has said:

"The greatest enemy of intimacy with God is service for God."

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Praying Pastors Project

Looking for Intercessors

March 02, 2009

Greetings!

We are looking for intercessors to lift up the Praying Pastor Project daily for the next 60 days as we work to kick off this vital project.

The Praying Pastors Project is a project of America's National Prayer Committee. Our commission is to reach 1 million pastors in the United States with ongoing resources and support to help them go from being pastors who pray to being pastors who live lives of prayer. Will you commit to praying with and for us for the next 60 days?

As a Praying Pastors Intercessor, you will receive weekly updates so that you can pray with greater awareness for the project. To join our intercessors team, simply enter your email and follow the instructions.

Ministry cannot be done without prayer support and your prayers for the Praying Pastors Project are vital and deeply appreciated.

Sincerely,

Dean Gambill, Praying Pastors Project / National Prayer Committee

email: dean@prayingpastors.com

phone: 877-896-6901

web: http://www.prayingpastors.com

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Captured Heart?

Taking Thoughts Captive

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

Dear Intercessors,

Our mind is a battleground. Multitudes of thoughts bombard us all the time. Did you realize that the problems we face on internal - in our thoughts and attitudes. Satan knows that if he can control our thoughts, then he can control our actions. We cannot have a positive life with a negative mind. Taking negative thoughts captive is not easy. You know as well as I that there are times when our mind just doesn’t want to listen. The lies of the enemy are vicious. Destructive strongholds try to invade our minds every day, and it takes commitment and discipline to control our thoughts. We have to put our whole heart into it.

Did you know that in the Kentucky Derby, a horse race in the U.S., the winning horse runs out of oxygen after the first mile? He runs the rest of the race with his heart. Great athletes understand this truth. Michael Jordan, the great NBA legend, says that “heart” is what separates the good from the great. How does this apply to our thoughts? This means that you must decide to take negative thoughts captive with all your heart if you want to see breakthrough in your life. You can’t casually apply this truth. Just like the race horse, you must consciously determine to fight and win. Commitment starts in the heart.

“At times it will be very hard, and committing to take negative thoughts captive will be the only thing that will carry you through the hard times.” John Maxwell

Then how can we possibly break these destructive strongholds in our mind? How can we be aware of these defeating thoughts? The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 that the weapons of our warfare are not of the world, but they are divinely powerful for the destruction of strongholds. We can’t destroy these strongholds by ourselves - We need divine help because the battle is in the spiritual realm - We need God to show us the lies we believe. God is divinely powerful to demolish strongholds. So often we try to do it ourselves - We determine to solve the problem on our own - We take surface thoughts captive and not the thoughts underneath that are feeding those thoughts. We must ask God to show us the strongholds. We need the Holy Spirit’s help. We must give Him permission to deal with the strongholds in our life. He is the one who can break the power of the lie. You can pray right now and give God permission to show you the strongholds in your life:

“Lord, I realize that I cannot destroy the strongholds in my life by myself. I need your divine power. I give you permission to show me strongholds in my life. I invite you into the center of my life to reveal to me the lies I have believed. I acknowledge my dependence on you to do it.”

The only way we can combat these lies is by truth. God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). It’s our weapon (Ephesians 6:17). God’s Word has power! It’s living! It’s active! It judges our thoughts and our attitudes (Hebrews 4:12). It can defeat those schemes and devices of the enemy. It can show us if our thinking is lining up with divine truth. It’s time we exalt God’s Word more than our human reasoning. Satan wants to trip us up, but God wants to bless us with His truth - Satan wants to bring hopelessness into our life that paralyzes our faith in God and His promises - He is out to destroy our destiny.

Let’s learn to respond to God and believe His truth in our everyday experiences.

Let’s allow His truth to be our final authority.

Let’s let Him expose those lies that we have believed most of our life.

Let’s repent of wrong ways of seeing life that is contrary to Scripture.

Let’s learn to take our thoughts captive on a daily basis.

Realize that believing the lies of the enemy rather than God’s truth is offensive to God. It’s sin because we don’t believe what He has said in His Word. But He will demolish those lies as we confess them and wield the Sword of His truth in prayer, praise, and proclamation.

Disciplining Your Thought Life

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Picture in your mind a wrestler who is working out with weights, and you probably can imagine that his face is wrinkled with a sweaty look of determination and with veins bulging out of his neck and arms. It would certainly look extremely painful, and all of us have experienced pain if we’re alive. But experiencing discipline is a choice. We hurt from discipline, but we will also hurt without it. The wrestler’s pain is good and helpful. He gets stronger and hopes to win the wrestling match. But if he didn’t practice lifting weights, he would experience losing to his opponent and it would be a pain of regrets.

Taking thoughts captive to Christ takes discipline. We have to discipline our thought life. We are not waging war as the world does. We have to study God’s Word and cling to the truth. We have to be alert to the lies of the enemy. We have to pray and depend on God to demolish the strongholds in our lives. We have to work hard at taking captive every thought. The Apostle Paul lived a disciplined life. He forced his body into subjection so that he would win the prize. He went into strict training for God. He wanted to win. It was hard and unpleasant at times I am sure, but He wanted the prize. He had no pain of regrets. The pain of working hard was nothing compared to losing the prize.

Disciplining yourself by taking your thoughts captive is well worth the pain. It is learning to say “no” to the attacks and fiery darts of the enemy. It is learning to say “yes” to God’s way of victory, peace, and joy. Cultivating a life in God’s Word and believing and praying His thoughts take time and work, but it is well worth the effort. If we want to be successful in the end times, we must take our thoughts captive. We must have a holy resolve to believe God’s truth rather than Satan’s lies. The situations on earth in these last days are going to be extremely difficult. We must have a strong handle on God’s truth in order to have victory. We must learn to say “no” to everything the devil throws at us. The enemy fights hard because he knows that his time is short. Who wants to believe a lie? Who wants to live a defeated life? The value of taking our thoughts captive is so worth the effort, and it becomes an increasing delight to live from the rich treasure of God’s Word.

For an assignment this week, give God permission to show you the strongholds in your life. Continue thinking about what you are thinking about during the day. Write down your thoughts whenever you fall into a negative emotion. Ask yourself, “What am I thinking right now?” “What just happened that brought me into a negative emotion? Write it down. Watch for patterns of negative thoughts. You will often come to the same negative thought such as “Nobody loves me”, “I’m always alone”, “I can never do anything right”. If you see the lie that you believe in your thoughts, confess it to the Lord as sin. You are believing a lie which is contrary to God’s truth. Confessing the lie is a big step towards breakthrough. For additional help, pray the following prayer every day for the next two weeks.

A Breakthrough Prayer for Taking Thoughts Captive

“Lord, I pray that you would help me understand the enemy’s strongholds in my life. Please help me to close all open doors to the lies of the enemy. I want to see breakthrough prayer and have victory in my thought life. Show me any false beliefs that are contrary to Your Word. Show me when I trust my own thoughts rather than Your Word. Help me not to become captive to Satan’s schemes. I want to develop a stronger lifestyle in meditating on Your Word. Show me any area in my life where I have embraced a lie instead of Your truth. Show me when I am listening to the enemy instead of You. Make me aware of what lies I am entertaining when I get into negative emotions. Help me to see patterns of false beliefs. Bring revelation of the enemy’s strongholds in my life.

I choose to take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I choose to believe Your Word. I choose to listen to You on a daily basis. Teach me to think about what I am thinking about. I don’t have to let Satan outwit me because I am not unaware of his schemes in my life (2 Corinthians 2:11). I thank You that there is no falsehood in You. ‘I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws… I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free’ (Psalm 119:15-16, 30-32). In Jesus name, amen.”

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).

Together in the Harvest,
Debbie Przybylski, Intercessors Arise
deb@intercessorsarise.org
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Saturday, February 21, 2009

Veteran Wisdom for New Pastors (and some not so new ...)

Letters to New Pastors

Michael Jinkins

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, Grand Rapids, MI 2006

Pastoral ministry is not a career, Mal, it's a vocation, and if you chose it for yourself, you're in the wrong place. You're only going to do yourself and others a great deal of damage if you stay.
If God did not call you to ordained ministry, you really are on your own. And that's not really where you want to be, because you can't do this on your own!
The best pastors encourage deliberation among the people. The best pastors respect the movement of God's Spirit in the community. The best pastors help people discover the gifts God has given them. The best pastors help people sharpen their perceptions, deepen their understandings, and exercise the leadership to which God calls them--even (maybe especially) when they don't agree with the pastor.

A pastor who insists on getting his contractual "days off" is only setting professional boundaries. While thinking about professional boundaries may be important at some level, talk like this may squander a vital pastoral and teaching opportunity. The pastor who by example reminds us of our need for Sabbath rest, by contrast, invites us deeper into God's covenant of life with all creation.

If the church didn't have politics, it wouldn't be a group of people trying to work out how to live together. Because that's what politics is: people working out their common life, people negotiating their values, beliefs, and aspirations and the varying degrees of influence necessary to promote the values and beliefs they hold precious and aspirations they think are worth the work. Granted, the church is more than just a group of people trying to work out how to live together, but it is certainly no less than that.
Isn't it politics to work with others, including people of influence, to create a more livable community? Isn't it politics to seek the goals that are achievable now while not forgetting what we want to achieve in the long run? Isn't it politics to try to build bridges between people who may be able to agree on essentials though they would never agree on certain other things? Isn't it politics to shape our words diplomatically so that we can be heard even when tempers run high? Isn't it politics to pay attention to the interests and perspectives of the congregation, even when we don't personally share all their interests and every aspect of their perspective?
Jim Wallis recently mourned the fact that "politics has been reduced to the selfish struggle for power among competing interests and groups, instead of a process of searching for the common good." He says, "We can find common ground only by moving to higher ground." [Jim Wallis, The Soul of Politics: Beyond "Religious Right" and "Secular Left" (San Diego: Harcourt Brace, Harvest Books, 1995)] I hope you're willing to do all you can to redeem the church politics of our time, because if politics is left only to those of few scruples, we can hardly be surprised when it is unscrupulous.

Every year I make the mistake of thinking that life will be slower around the church in the summer months. But we don't slow down; we just shift gears. In some ways it's even busier than during the rest of the year, especially when you factor in youth camps, vacation church school, conferences, and the way we share duties when various staff members take their vacations.

I had a terrible argument with a member of my church. I cannot imagine now how in the world I let things get so heated. It just so happened that I left town the day after our argument. I was driving that next day, a Sunday morning, and as the usual time for worship approached (the holy hour of 11:00 A.M.), I found myself in a small town. I literally pulled into the first church parking lot I came to, walked into the church and sat down. I had never been in this church before, and in fact had never even been in a church of this denomination before. The preacher was preaching on the topic "Is Toleration a Christian Virtue?" You may be interested in his answer. He said, "I don't know if toleration is a Christian virtue. But I do know that humility is, and I know forgiveness is. Whether or not we are willing to tolerate the differences of others isn't really the question. We are called to discipleship by a God who guaranteed us only that if we follow him, we will receive a cross. That's it! Next to what the cross demands of us, tolerance is small potatoes."
As soon as worship was over, I found a phone and I called the church member I had argued with. I swallowed my pride, and asked for forgiveness.

Marjory Bankson has said, "The concept of call assumes we are spiritually linked with others and with creation, whether we like it or not...We separate in order to recognize that we are related--not only to each other but to God." [Marjory Zoet Bankson, The Call to the Soul: Six Stages Spiritual Development (Philadelphia: Innisfree Press, 1999)] I think this idea flows naturally from the idea that God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, created humanity to reflect God's own trinitarian community. We are created to be in relationship, and if we short-circuit this relatedness, we burn out.

Helmut Thielicke, in a book entitled A Little Exercise for Young Theologians, tells beginning seminary students that all real theology is prayed theology, reminding them that Saint Anselm's famous ontological argument for the existence of God is actually written as a prayer. [Helmut Thielicke, A Little Exercise for Young Theologians, introduction by Martin E. Marty (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962)] I really don't find it hard to think of academic theology as an act of prayer. What I sometimes find very hard, though, is to really, consistently think of pastoral ministry as prayer. Why? Because ministry requires a continual engagement with people, that's why. I find it infinitely easier to extend Christian charity and generosity of spirit to Kant than to the church organist, and no matter how frustrating I may find Barth's statement on the vestigia trinitatis, it's nothing like the frustration I feel when the nursery worker calls at the last minute --again--to say that she is running late. If ministry is an act of prayer, then all matters great and small are put in a whole new frame, and life (all of life) is a lot more complicated than it appears.

Okay, I understand that you think it's common courtesy to ask your members whether they'd like you to pray for them when they're in the hospital. And I can understand how a hospital chaplain visiting strangers would want to make doubly sure he or she were not transgressing a professional boundary. Many people in the hospital might resent receiving a spiritual or religious service if they were of another faith or of no faith at all. But, really, for the life of me, I cannot imagine why else you visit members of your congregation when they're sick except to pray for them. I can't tell you how often I have visited with people in the hospital who were puzzled and dismayed because their minister came by to see them, talked to them, listened to them, then left without praying for them. There is a sense in which pastoral ministry is a "helping profession," like nursing and social work. But there's also a sense in which it is something altogether different. Listening is important, and I can't tell you how long it took me to learn the wisdom of the old clinical pastoral education adage, "Don't just do something, stand there!" But I would wager that your people want you to pray for them as much if not more than they want you to listen to them. And what's more, they need you to pray for them.
It's possible you're thinking of prayer as a sort of zipper that closes a pastoral visit, instead of as that event from which everything else in the visit flows.
I can't tell you how often I have prayed at the "end" of a pastoral visit, only to look up at the end of the prayer into the face of the sick person, or into the face of a loved one, and realizing. "Now the pastoral conversation is about to start!"

The practice of faith and ministry is like a dance. Round and round we go, potentially growing wiser as we live and pray and reflect critically on what we are doing.

You need rest right now--spiritual rest, mental rest, and physical rest--and I want you to make sure you take better care of yourself. You haven't taken a vacation in far too long. But don't blame your exhaustion, even your spiritual exhaustion, on the idea that as a pastor you aren't able to get spiritual nourishment the way your laypeople get it. You aren't a layperson. You're a pastor. And, strangely enough, God has woven into our vocation some wonderful means of receiving daily nourishment, means that do not require us to retire to a retreat center. Every day we can and must pray. Every day we can and should read the Bible. The Psalms are at our elbows, the testimonies of the saints stand on our bookshelves and bedside tables ready to encourage us even in the most difficult of days. Every Sunday Christ is raised again to new life on the Lord's Day, and we are raised with him by the power of God's Spirit. There we stand in the midst of it all, preaching, presiding at the Lord's Table, baptizing, welcoming, sending forth, listening throughout the service beneath the cues on the page of the worship bulletin for the whisper of God's eternal Word and Spirit.
In fact, after thirty years of being a pastor, I have to say I worship God much better, much more attentively and actively, when I lead worship than when I attend worship led by others. Week after week I am surprised by how God speaks to me in the midst of the worship I am leading. Though sometimes I leave worship tired, I seldom leave worship empty. As pastor, my spiritual life is grounded here in the worship of the congregation I lead. And all the other spiritual disciplines I am engaged in, somehow point to the gathering of this congregation with whom I listen to God's Word by preaching.

Perhaps the Christian teaching that gives me most comfort is the one that reminds us that Christ, who is a stranger to none of our human weaknesses and who knows us better than we know ourselves, prays for us constantly. I say this because I am more convinced with every passing year that I don't know what I need, nor what I should pray for. At the same time, I'm thankful that God invites us to pray, to join our voices with Christ's through his Holy Spirit. When I pray for you, I offer up intercessions that you will come again to faith. And I believe I can pray this with confidence. But I also recognize that the outcome doesn't rest on the fervency or frequency of my prayer, but on God's own prayers for you. I am convinced that the biggest change wrought in prayer is not the one we pray for, but the change in our own hearts and minds when we offer ourselves and our desires to God whose business is transformation. At any rate, I'm praying for you, as you asked me to do.

Both knowledge and faith are grounded in a reality we try to approximate by using the word "relationship."
God is in control of this relationship and uses it as a tool to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. For this purpose darkness, the feeling of absence, disappointment, humiliation, loneliness, and the sense of unanswered prayer prove to be tools as effective as light, joy, the sense of God's nearness, serendipity, and the ineffable wonder of fellowship at the heart of God's community of faith.

I had forgotten that pastoral maxim until you mentioned it your last letter: "The interruptions are the ministry."
I know some pastors who are so overwhelmed by interruptions that they never get around to praying, meditating, reflecting, reading the Bible, or attending to their own spiritual lives in any way. It's much wiser to ensure a steady flow of oxygen to our own souls before rushing to attend to the needs of others.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

No Time To Pray. No Time To Pray?

"No Time to Pray"

As I write this devotional, I am in the midst of a period where I am leading three Prayer Summits in two weeks. These Summits involve time away from the routines and demands of life to give God our undivided attention. Typically spanning three days, men and women go to a retreat center to read Scripture, worship in song, and pray responsively as the Holy Spirit directs. All of this is done in community. It is a life-transforming experience that teaches participants more about prayer than any sermon series or seminar ever could. Truly, these lives are never the same again.

I am especially amazed that these spiritually hungry people are willing to spend their most precious commodity on the privilege of prayer. This commodity is not money or even physical energy. It is the commodity of time.

J. Oswald Sanders wrote in his book Spiritual Leadership, “Mastering the art of prayer, like any other art, will take time, and the amount of time we allocate to it will be the true measure of our conception of its importance. We always find time for that which we deem most important.” In the same paragraph, Sanders comments on Martin Luther’s busy schedule, stating that extra work was a compelling argument for spending MORE time in prayer. Quoting Luther’s reasoning he notes, “Work, work, work -- from early till late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.“

Biblical Models of Wise Time Investment

This sounds so very radical to our overloaded and technologically sophisticated society. But it is good to remember that the early church found their power to “turn the world upside down” through their commitment of TIME to prayer. They spent ten solid days seeking God in prayer prior to Pentecost. They devoted themselves continually to praying together (Acts 2:42) and gathered every day for spiritual nourishment and encouragement (Acts 2:46, 5:42). I would guess that they spent many hours every week in united prayer.

The leaders modeled this wise and power-conscious use of time. In Acts 6:4, the apostles did not want to take time to solve a major administrative problem, but instead delegated this important task to other capable men. Their rationale was simply, “We will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word.” The original language and context in this verse indicates that these leaders gave substantive amounts of time every day to praying together as a leadership team.

Of course, the early church “caught” this commitment to prayer from Jesus’ example. He spent substantive amounts of time in prayer early in the day (Mark 1:35). He often spent hours in prayer in the wilderness (Luke 5:16). Jesus made it a habit to pray at the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39). He spent an entire night in prayer prior to selecting the disciples (Luke 6:12). After finding his disciples sleeping following His hour of prayer in the garden, He went back and prayed two more times (Matthew 22:36-46).

Clearly Jesus, the early church leaders, and New Testament Christians understood the value of substantive amounts of time dedicated to prayer. So, maybe a three-day Prayer Summit every once in awhile is not so radical after all?

Do the Math

I show a video clip occasionally when I speak. The piece is titled “40 Million Minutes” and powerfully demonstrates the following facts:

* The average person lives 77 years. That equates to 28,000 days, 670,000 hours, or 40 million minutes.

* The average person spends 24 minutes a day getting dressed. That equals 13 hours a month, 7 days a year, or 1 year in a lifetime.

* The average person spends 40 minutes a day on the phone. That factors out to 20 hours a month, 10 days a year, or 2 years in a lifetime.

* The average person spends 1 hour a day in the bathroom. This amounts to 30 hours a month, 15 days a year, and 3 years in a lifetime.

* The average person spends 3 hours a day watching television. That's 90 hours a month, 45 days a year, and 9 years in a lifetime.

* Then the video presents this riveting fact. The average Christian spends less than 10 minutes a day in prayer. That equates to less than 6 hours a month, 3 days a year, and 7 months in a lifetime.

* The video ends with this line: “You do the math.”

One Inspiring Example

One of the recent Prayer Summits I recently enjoyed was in Denver, Colorado. World Venture, a dynamic missions agency, sets aside one important week a year for a renewal conference. They bring all of their stateside missionaries together for training. All of their U.S. staff also attends. In all, over 100 mission leaders participate. Even though the week is very busy and they have more to cover than time allows, World Venture spends the entire first two days of this five-day event in uninterrupted prayer. That is an investment that speaks volumes. Hans Finzel, President of World Venture, states, “This is not an option for us. We know we must put prayer first if we are going to know God’s direction and experience His power for our mission."

The great preacher and writer E.M Bounds wrote these challenging words about our use of TIME and our commitment to prayer:

"Prayer cannot be retired as a secondary force in this world. To do so is to retire God from the movement. It is to make God secondary. The prayer ministry is an all-engaging force. It must be so to be a force at all. The estimate and place of prayer is the estimate and place of God. To give prayer the secondary place is to make God secondary in life's affairs. To substitute other forces for prayer retires God and materializes the whole movement.”

“It is better to let the work go by default than to let the praying go by neglect. Whatever affects the intensity of our praying affects the value of our work. 'Too busy to pray' is not only the keynote to backsliding, but it mars even the work done. Nothing is well done without prayer for the simple reason that it leaves God out of the account. It is so easy to be seduced by the good to neglect of the best, until both the good and the best perish. How easy to neglect prayer or abbreviate our praying simply by the plea that we have church work on our hands. Satan has effectively disarmed us when he can keep us too busy doing things to stop and pray. " E.M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer

The Real Issue

Of course, the goal of this devotion is not to “guilt” us all into spending more time in prayer. The real issue is not time. Time is just the delivery system of spiritual desire and genuine dependence on God. As my mom used to say, “You do what you want to do.” We do not allocate substantive time to prayer because we do not want to, do not feel that we need to, and fundamentally doubt the value of doing so.

It is not that we are too busy to pray. It is that we value other activities, efforts, and strategies above the call to prayer. This is a heart issue each of us must resolve with the Lord at the deepest level of our souls.

In the meantime, I am still humbled and amazed at the hundreds of very busy people who take precious TIME to go away for three days to seek the Lord. It is never easy, but always worth it. Ultimately, it is time well invested for the sake of the character and mission to which God has called us all – because we certainly cannot do it on our own resolve and power. He alone is able and worthy to be sought.

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If you would like a tool to help you spend more quality time in prayer, check out The 29:59 Plan. Pastor Peter Lord designed this plan to help Christians spend 30 minutes a day in prayer, but in a non-legalistic way (thus the name “29:59”). Over 600,000 people have used this tool and Strategic Renewal has partnered with Peter Lord in revising it for today’s Christian. Please check it out at www.pray2959.com.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Inner~View #55: Honest Talk About Honest Prayer

Praying Pastor interviewed Peter Lundell, author of Prayer Power: 30 Days to a Stronger Connection with God (Revell, January 2009)

Praying Pastor ~ Many Christians don't talk about hardships with prayer. Why do you open up about the struggles you, as a pastor, have had drawing close to God in prayer?

My first draft of the book read like an instruction manual of all the things you ought to do to be spiritual like me. I realized that the more spiritual I tried to sound, the less honest I was being. I was hiding behind my words. No reader should have to, or would want to, put up with that. And besides, it was boring.

So I determined to be totally honest. I rewrote the book and openly shared every doubt, struggle, and failure, because every reader goes through struggles. And if I’m not honest with readers, how can I expect readers to be honest with others or even themselves? This is especially important for pastors.

I’ve discovered two things: First, brutal honesty is tremendously liberating, and I don’t want to live any other way. Second, when we stick with prayer and don’t give up, answers and victories rise from these struggles. Answers and victory never rise from pretending.

I hope to connect with readers in hope that they’ll connect with me and the victories I’ve experienced—so that they will experience their own victories.

Praying Pastor ~ What are some of the things God has taught you about prayer over the years - especially from the perspective of your leadership roles?

It’s good to listen before I talk. If I always dive into prayer and never spend time listening, I only dump my own “give-me list” on God. But his word says in 1 John 5:14–15 that when I seek and pray according to his will, my prayer will be answered. So the key is to first get in sync with God.

We’ve got to have a hunger, or thirst, for God. Without hunger, no program or technique or anything we learn will go anywhere. But with hunger for God, we could know almost nothing and still have a great prayer life. Hunger is singularly important—which is why it’s the first chapter.

When I pray with faith and don’t get what I ask for, God will soon show me why. There is always something to learn in unanswered prayer.

Praying Pastor ~ What suggestions do you have for those times when a pastor or leader just doesn't feel like praying?

Read a prayer. Someone was inspired in prayer when he or she wrote it down. So if we’re feeling tired, depressed, or like a zombie, we can let the inspiration that first permeated that written prayer permeate our own hearts and minds. I find the Psalms to be the best source for this. We can do this with the Lord’s Prayer, and extrapolate on each part of it. Books of prayers are also available. I’ve also written my own.

Reading prayers in this way should be seen as a way to get prayer moving, not as the prayer experience itself. In no way do I want to direct people to simply read other people’s prayers. The purpose is to kick-start our own.

Another thing is to play worship music. Put on a CD or iPod and worship along with the music, then move into prayer. It’s no coincidence that Saul’s demonic spirit left when David played his harp, and it’s no mystery why most churches play music in the background during prayer times or altar calls. The Holy Spirit operates more in worship, and the music has the effect of lifting us up and prying us open as well.

Third, try creating a prayer notebook or just a handy list. Though this may feel forced, lists give substance and direction. And with that, our prayer is much more likely to take off with spontaneity and passion.

Praying Pastor ~ How can we combat busyness and pray through distractions?

As I discuss later, the first thing is to establish a consistent prayer time and location. Early monks went to the deserts of North Africa to spare themselves the distractions of busy life. Most of us aren’t going to do that, but we can choose to pray in a place that is not full of messes to clean or work to be done, even in a one-room apartment, we can face the window. I practice what I call “intentional neglect.” I intentionally neglect all the things screaming for my attention. When I’m done with my prayer time, then I do them. When God is our priority, everything else falls into place—especially in the church. It amazes me how much we pastors forget that.

When we do pray, we still confront distractions of the mind—there’s really no escape. That’s why I always keep a notebook, day planner, or scratch paper handy. Thoughts will come regarding something I need to do. Rather than distract myself by trying not to forget it, I jot it down, forget about it while I pray, and do it afterward. Or the invading thought, especially if it’s from the Holy Spirit, might be something I turn into a prayer.

If, no matter what we do, we still can’t focus, then yell. Seriously. But yell someplace where people won’t hear and think you’re nuts. If need be, let your very prayer be to ask God to help you focus. Raising the voice can have an immediate and powerful effect in focusing the mind. Try it and see!

Praying Pastor ~ What do you mean by "praying boldly" and how can Christians learn to do that?

Praying boldly is the opposite of excessively polite prayer and of—I’ll just say it—wimpy prayer. Praying boldly is praying without intimidation, not caring what other people think, expressing ourselves to God without concern for being appropriate or religiously correct but rather with a passion from our guts that pours out, unashamedly. Bold prayer is not arrogant. It’s humble and faithful, because of its self-abandoned focus on God and expectation of what God will do.

People often assume they must be polite or solemn before God. Nowhere does the Bible teach this. Two thirds of the Psalms are complaints, and they are not polite. Most prayers in both Old and New Testaments are bold, expectant, and to the point. When Jesus teaches on prayer in Luke 11:5–10, he talks about an obnoxious guy who bangs on his friend’s door at midnight. Then he says we should bug him the same way by continually asking, seeking, and knocking. I often wonder if God gets tired of diplomatic prayers. Why else would he actually tell us to be bold and persistent—and use examples that, if we were on the receiving end, most of us would say are obnoxious.

There’s no real method to doing this. It’s a mindset that chooses to free itself from previous assumptions and uses the Bible as a model of how to pray.

Praying Pastor ~ How can we practice the presence of God and include him in everyday tasks?

Practicing the presence of God primarily has to do with developing an attitude, a continual awareness that God is always with us, and that in turn, we always incline our attention toward him.

The first thing most of us need to do is to slow down or cut unnecessary activities from our calendar. Busyness is an enemy to practicing the presence of God. Jesus repeatedly blew off other people’s agendas for him and continually focused on his purpose for being here. Pastors who do the same are always happier, closer to God, and more effective. And when we practice the presence of God, we increase our ability to be intimate with him when times do get busy.

Here are some practices that may help develop that attitude: My last thought before I sleep and my first thought when I wake up is centered on God. When I get mad or stressed, I try to see things from God’s perspective. When I am waiting for someone, I use that time to pray. I do menial tasks with an awareness and love of God. I often have a praise song on my mind as I go through the day.

Breath prayers are another practice that can help. These are super-short prayers that we can utter with one breath at any time all through the day. The first one we know of, that has been used for centuries, is the “Jesus Prayer”: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” Most pastors may rather spontaneously say their own breath prayers, such as, “I praise you, Lord.” “Fill me with your Spirit.” “I receive your peace.” The possibilities are endless.

Praying Pastor ~ You talk about "prayer of agreement." Can you explain that and why it's an important element of powerful prayer? How valuable are Pastors' Prayer Groups for this?

We’re all familiar with Matthew 18:19–20: “If two of you on earth agree about anything…” That’s a major part of agreement in prayer, but there’s more. I encourage people’s agreement in prayer to start before they even pray. We first need to be in agreement with God’s Word. I always try to pray in accordance with a promise or exhortation or example in Scripture—rather than just give my own agenda to God and hope he blesses it.

Second, pray in agreement with the Holy Spirit. However the Spirit communicates with us (everyone is different), we may feel led to focus or stretch our faith on what God intends, and that may mean letting other prayer requests go. When our prayer is led by the Spirit, we have far better results than when we’re in the driver’s seat.

Third, we agree with others in that fascinating, inscrutable pattern in Scripture where people joining together exponentially increases answers to prayer. When we do this, it’s important to establish exactly what we’re agreeing on. In a hospital, for example, do I as a pastor agree with Mrs. Smith that God will guide the doctor, or that she will have a miraculously fast and complete recovery, or that God will miraculously heal her so that surgery is unnecessary? The amazing thing to me is that God tends to answer prayers at the level where people put their faith.

Pastors’ Prayer groups are great for this. I started and lead one myself. We’ve got a bunch of guys who commit to two things: leave doctrinal differences at the door and relate to each other in humility. It’s wonderful. With great diversity, we combine our knowledge of the Bible with openness to the Spirit and to one another’s wisdom born out of experience. I wish every pastor were in such a group.

Praying Pastor ~ You're a proponent for creating a place of prayer and establishing a time of prayer. Why are these important elements for prayer?

These two disciplines are the most important external helps for maintaining a strong prayer life. Without them, our good intentions eventually drown under the assaults of busyness and distractions.

A place of prayer helps us concentrate in the face of distractions. That place could be the church sanctuary, an empty room in the house, a spot in the back yard, or even a rug laid out on the floor, on which the only thing we do is pray. The physical surroundings of a location devoted to prayer tell our brains, “Focus on God.” And if we ever feel bored or in a rut of over-familiarity with a place, a change of location can be stimulating.

Establishing a set prayer time ingrains a habit of prayer into our minds, such that if we miss it, we feel anxious because something is missing or wrong—and it is! A set prayer time is not to force ourselves to pray as much as to create a boundary of protection from busyness. That boundary of time is like a protective fence around a garden, where we give ourselves freedom from intrusions to spend unhindered time with God. Preferably we’ll do this as early as possible in the morning, so we can lay the whole day before the Lord. And unlike a prayer place, I have never found benefit in changing my prayer time, so I highly recommend keeping it sacred, especially if we’re traveling or really busy. Whether short or long, this protective fence of a set time must be intentional, because no one else can do it for us.

Praying Pastor ~ You're a pastor, and yet you still struggle with prayer. What advice would you give to fellow pastors or longtime Christians about enriching their prayer lives?

I do and I don’t. I don’t often struggle to pray, because intimacy with God has become part of my lifestyle. But I do struggle in prayer.

True men and women of prayer will sometimes wrestle in prayer, as did many figures in the Bible, like Jacob’s symbolic wrestling with the angel and Jesus’ wrestling over his fate in Gethsemane.

Like anyone else, I struggle with unanswered prayer or major decisions to do something by faith, when tragedy strikes, problems of injustice, and healings that take a lot longer than I’d like. The key is to keep struggling—don’t give up and too quickly assume something is God’s will before you know for sure. The angel commended Jacob for not giving up until he got a blessing. God the Father actually sent an angel to help Jesus wrestle in Gethsemane. Sometimes wrestling in prayer is God’s will for us.

Wrestling in prayer is a good thing. It draws us closer to God. And it changes us in the process.

Praying Pastor ~ Peter, please write a prayer you would hope every pastor reading this interview will pray in faith...

Father, you love me so much. Sometimes the demands and heartaches of doing your work drain me. Rejuvenate me with your presence. Fill me with your Spirit as I lift my hands to you. My life and my ministry are in your hands. I choose to keep it there and trust you to lead me and bless me so I will always be a blessing to others. I will pursue every vision you’ve given me and overcome every hardship that intrudes, because, Lord Jesus, I walk in your footsteps. Your victory is mine. Lead me to live it every day. Amen.

Monday, February 02, 2009

The Impact of Praying On Your Preaching

Unction Junction
The Holy Spirit's power can't be forced, but it can be fanned into flame.
by Bryan Wilkerson

Early in my preaching ministry, there was an elderly saint who often led us in prayer during a service. Whatever else he might have prayed for, he never failed to conclude without asking God to grant me "unction from on high." I wasn't sure what unction was, but it sure sounded like something I needed.

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