Trust in God, not institutions

I've posted before about our over-reliance on the institutions of society. That is, many (but not all!) societies has a veneer of decency, owing to their governments, laws, markets, and systems of education. But what if those foundations of modern society were to vanish? Would society still appear "decent"?

Psalm 11:3 (KJV) touches upon this concern,

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

The answer can be found many places, including Psalm 9:10 (KJV),

They that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

The point is not that we should disrespect the institutions of society. Quite to the contrary, 1 Peter 2:13 (KJV) states,

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake

Rather, the point is to place our faith in God above our faith in those institutions.

Seeing spiritual things

Our senses, of course, are designed to detect physical, temporal things. For example, we open our eyes, and we see trees, buildings, streets, etc. And that's how we perceive the world.

But an important element of a spiritual journey is training our senses to detect spiritual, rather than physical, things. For an example, consider 2 Kings 6. That chapter finds the Syrian army attempting to capture the prophet Elisha. One of Elisha's assistants reports to Elisha that their camp is surrounded by the Syrian army.

But Elisha responds to the assistant (2 Kings 6:16, KJV),

Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

Of course, the assistant must be confused, because Elisha does not have an army. At least, not a physical one! Elisha then prays (2 Kings 6:17, KJV),

LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.

And after that prayer (2 Kings 6:17, KJV),

The LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

The lesson seems to be this: God's power is greater than any earthly power. And we must, through prayer, train our eyes to see that power!

The nearness of God

Sometimes when we struggle to pray, our prayers can feel like they just evaporating right above our heads, never reaching God's ears. At those times, God can seem very distant.

But the Bible speaks repeatedly that God, despite being the creator of time and space, is very near to those who seek him. For example, Psalm 145:18 (KJV) says,

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

("Nigh," of course, is an archaic version of the word "near.") Paul expands on this theme in Acts 17:27 (KJV), where he explains the reason that God placed humans at the center of his creation. In Paul's explanation, God wants people to

...seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.

("Haply" is an archaic version of the word "perhaps.") Essentially, Paul is explaining that, while seeking God requires work on our part, God is near to us as we undertake that work. Keeping that in mind can greatly enhance our prayer lives!

The still small voice

When we inevitably find ourselves doubting our faith, where do we turn? Many people, myself included, turn to 1 Corinthians 15. But in this point, I'd also like to encourage consulting 1 Kings 19.

To set the scene, Elijah, fleeing from Ahab and Jezebel, finds himself in the wilderness at Mount Horeb. He's all alone and in need of God's encouragement. When we need encouragement, do we expect some substantial demonstration from God? Some overwhelming miracle, confirming once and for all that God exists? Elijah probably did.

First comes a great storm, but "the LORD was not in the wind." Then comes an earthquake, but "the LORD was not in the earthquake." Next comes a fire, but "the LORD was not in the fire."

So God spoke through none of those temporal means! Finally, in 1 Kings 19:12-13 (KJV),

And after the fire a still small voice. And ... Elijah heard it

A still small voice -- the exact opposite of the tremendous, substantial sign Elijah might have expected. And just as important, Elijah heard it.

Just as Elijah, we must train our ears to detect spiritual sounds that might be "still" and "small." Why does God speak this way? Why does he not speak with overwhelming sounds of thunder? Perhaps because humans, at their core, are spiritual beings, and therefore humans are more likely to respond to spiritual, as opposed to temporal, stimuli. After all, the book of Revelation makes clear that, even in the face of overwhelming temporal demonstrations of God's existence, many people still rebel against him. But who could rebel against that "still small voice," if their ears were inclined to hear it?

(Note: Charles Spurgeon issued on excellent sermon that explored 1 Kings 19.)

God knows the heart

Acts 5 tells the (uncomfortable) story of the married couple Ananias and Sapphira. After selling some property, they donate some of the proceeds to the church. But they tell the church that they are donating all of the proceeds.

Peter notes (in verse 4) that it's fine if they want to donate just part of the proceeds. In fact, it's fine if they don't want to sell the property at all. The sin is claiming to have donated all. As Peter notes (Acts 5:4, KJV),

Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Ananias and Sapphira then fall dead.

This story fits into a larger theme: God sees what's in our hearts. We might be able to fool other people with lies and deceptions, but we can't fool God. As noted in Proverbs 15:11 (NLT),

Even death and destruction hold no secrets from the LORD. How much more does he know the human heart!

Amazingly, it can be difficult for us to be honest with God even in our prayers! But recall, God wants us to worship in spirit and truth.

Shemei asks for forgiveness

Following Absalom's death, David returns to his throne. Of course, those who had sided with Absalom during his rebellion had much to fear, especially Shemei, who, in 2 Samuel 16, openly mocked David.

But when David returns to power, Shemei humbles himself before David and says (2 Samuel 19:20, KJV),

Thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day ... to meet my lord the king.

And David, showing great mercy, forgave him.

Now, to be sure, Shemei's story is a complicated one. David eventually advises Solomon to execute Shemei in 1 Kings 2, which draws into question Shemei's sincerity. But it is not David's job to judge sincerity. That's God's role. Rather, David's job is to show mercy, which he does.

Of course, David, himself, would need such mercy on multiple occasions. And God was willing to forgive David because David had shown mercy to others.

The lesson for us, then, is to be merciful, because we undoubtedly also need mercy!

Working for God

In Colossians 3:23 (KJV), Paul says,

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

The message is simple: Our actions should aim to please God, not other people. The sorts of things that attract human approval often stand in contrast to what God wants from us.

But what about times when our limited understanding prevents us from seeing God's will? That is, we come to a fork in the road, and we're not sure which path pleases God. In Proverbs 3:6 (KJV), Solomon says,

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

The point is this: We must keep God on our minds. We must ask him to direct our paths. And in doing so, we'll follow the path that pleases God.

The LORD is with thee

2 Samuel 7 is a watershed moment in the Bible. That is the chapter in which David says to his spiritual advisor, Nathan, that he plans to build a temple to honor God. In response, God announces the "Davidic Covenant": David would forever have one of his descendants in place as king. Of course, with Jesus coming from the line of David, and with Jesus assuming the dual role of king and priest, the Davidic Covenant seems to have been fulfilled. Lest there be any doubt, God predicts about David's descendant (2 Samuel 7:12-14, KJV),

I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son.

As explored in a previous post, these words seem to have dual applicability to both Solomon and Jesus.

But, now, let's turn to Nathan's response to David's plan to build a temple. Nathan says (2 Samuel 7:3, KJV),

Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

The reason God was with David was because David wrote and published words such as (Psalm 108:3, KJV),

I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

Simple words of praise, without embarrassment, in plain view of the whole earth. And those words remain with us to this day. David is perhaps the premier example of how to offer praise. Let's attempt to follow his example in our own prayers.

"Modern" idolatry

The history books of the Old Testament tell of the people's continual infatuation with idols, including such things as Asherah poles. For example, in Exodus 34:13 (NLT), God commands,

Break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles.

But in 2016, not only do I not own an Asherah pole, I don't even know where to find one! So am I free of idolatry?

Theologians define "idolatry," in modern terms, as an infatuation with anything above God. Money, professional success, social standing, etc. If we emphasize those things more than our relationship with God, then we're guilty of idolatry.

But loosening the definition of idolatry is not a "modern" idea. Indeed, Paul says (Galatians 5:19-21, NLT),

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the idea that idolatry involves more than just idol worship is even older than that! In 1 Samuel 15:23 (NLT), Samuel says to Saul,

Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.

The point is this: idolatry involves more than worshiping stones and poles. When we pursue earthy interests and defy God's will, we commit idolatry. And idolatry is a problem because (Psalm 115:8, NLT),

Those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

A motivation to love others

Matthew 7:1 (KJV) issues the famous command,

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

That, alone, should provide plenty of motivation to show love toward others. But keeping with this theme, let's turn to another motivation, provided in Hebrews 13:2 (NLT),

Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Oh, how easy it is to forget those words during our daily interactions with others! But let us reflect upon those passages throughout the day, and use them as motivation, and guidance, in our actions toward others.

Reaffirming each day

A major part of the journey of a person of faith is reaffirming what we believe. In fact, that's one of the main purposes of frequent prayer. In addition to praising God and asking for his provisions, our praying should also function as a reaffirmation. And that reaffirmation must happen each day, as we live as sojourners in this world.

To help us with this process of daily reaffirmation, recall the words of Paul (Galatians 6:9, NLT),

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.

Let us reflect upon those words today as we pray.

The template of the Lord's Prayer

(Note: This post borrows liberally from a recent sermon by John MacArthur.)

People have long debated whether the "Lord's Prayer" is a script meant to be recited, or a general template of how to pray. Maybe it's both, seeing that Jesus says "When you pray, say..." in Luke 11:2 (ESV), but he says "Pray then like this..." in Matthew 6:9 (ESV).

Viewing it as more of a template, the Lord's Prayer contains two sections, each containing three points. The first section deals with God, and emphasizes why we should pray. From Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV),

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done...

Note the three points: (1) We praise him as holy; (2) We wish him to usher in his kingdom; and (3) We wish things to proceed according to his will, rather than our own. Those three points focus on our mind on God, and, ultimately, those are the reasons we pray.

The second section of the Lord's Prayer then turns to ourselves, and emphasizes what we need from God. From Matthew 6:11-13 (ESV),

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Note the three points: (1) We ask him to provide; (2) We ask him to pardon; and (3) We ask him to protect. Those three points also cover three different time dimensions: what we need now, what we need regarding past actions, and what we need in the future.

The main message of this post is that, as directed by Jesus himself, our prayers should touch upon the three points regarding God, and the three points regarding own own needs. And we should do so without ceasing!

The beginning of John's gospel

The beginning of John's gospel (John 1:1-18) offers a succinct, yet powerful, summary of what faith means. It's worth reading that passage as often as needed, in order to re-focus our faith. But don't rush through it! Read it slowly, reflecting on every word.

After reading the passage, the question we must ask ourselves is this: Do we believe it? If not, it suggests that something has hardened our heart to that message. Perhaps unconfessed sin? Perhaps an attitude of self-sufficiency? Whatever the source, let us pray to God to remove those parts of our hearts, so that we can believe his message.

Here, I post parts of John 1:1-18 (NLT), but I encourage you to reflect on the whole passage.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it. 

...

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
...

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. ... He has revealed God to us.

Another simple morning prayer

Morning prayers can be a great way to start the day. Another short, easy-to-memorize prayer comes from Psalm 90:14. Click here to read that verse in a variety of translations.

Here is that verse, slightly modified to read as first-person, and slightly modified to focus on today. (I modify this verse from the World English Bible, a copyright-free revision of the American Standard Version.)

Satisfy me this morning with your loving kindness,

that I may rejoice and be glad throughout the day.

Try reciting this verse -- or some slightly modified version of this verse -- first thing in the morning!

Covenant renewal at Shechem

Prior to Joshua's death, the Israelites find themselves in Shechem, where Joshua issues this challenge (Joshua 24:15, NLT),

If you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve.

The people respond (Joshua 24:21, NLT),

No, we will serve the Lord!

Then Josh issues this command (Joshua 24:23, ESV),

Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD.

I like verse 23 for its simplicity. If we wish to serve God, then we must cleanse our lives of all earthly distractions that cause us to sin. We must have a single-minded focus toward God. Check out the entire passage that records the exchange between Joshua and the people, and realize that Joshua is also speaking to us!

The letter to Laodicea

The first three chapters of Revelation present the letters to the seven churches. Those letters, in addition to addressing specific issues of that time, double as messages to us. Of those seven letters, perhaps the most famous in the one to Laodicea, a wealthy city located in modern-day Turkey. The letter reads (Revelation 3:15-20, NLT),

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

When things go well in our lives, we can easily slip into spiritual laziness. We become "lukewarm." Worse, we begin to place our trust in those things that are going well, rather than in God. We say, "I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!"

The letter to Laodicea issues a strong warning to all of us: Take care not to fall into spiritual complacency!

Spiritual reset -- Psalm 77

What should we do when we feel spiritually numb? When our prayers seem to evaporate into air, how do we regain our zeal?

We all encounter times like these. Perhaps we should view those times as tests, designed by God to teach us spiritual lessons. Whatever their source, those times of spiritual frustration call for a "reset," and Psalm 77 provides a method for such a renewal.

Verses 2 and 4 (NLT) read,

All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,

but my soul was not comforted.

You don’t let me sleep.

I am too distressed even to pray!

The psalmist considers giving up, saying in verse 10 (NLT),

This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.

The psalmist's frustration is obvious. How does he break out of this funk? How does he achieve a spiritual reset? The answer comes in verses 11-12 (NLT),

But then I recall all you have done, O LORD;

I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.

They are constantly in my thoughts.

I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

The remainder of Psalm 77 recounts some of God's great deeds. So, those verses appear to provide a straightforward path toward spiritual reset. Simply meditate on God's great works, and give thanks and praise to him!

Pursuing holiness

In Chapter 7 of Joshua, an Israelite stole a sacred item. In response, God warns (Joshua 7:13, NLT),

You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.

Centuries later, the author of Hebrews says (Hebrews 12:14, NLT),

Work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

And, most famously (and dramatically), Jesus says (Mark 9:47, NLT),

If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out.

All of these passages make the same point. That is, we must remove stumbling blocks to sin and strive for holiness. Why must we be holy? Why does God care how we behave? Well, we shouldn't need an answer; we should simply obey. But if we need an answer, God gives us an one, simply enough (Leviticus 20:26, ESV),

You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy.

These passages should instill us with a sense of fear, but also with a sense of joy. After all, those who achieve this holiness will "see the Lord"!

Importance of daily Bible reading

During the time of Deuteronomy, the modern Bible was not yet formed. Nevertheless, the Ten Commandments, as well as other elements of God's law, were well established. In Deuteronomy 17:19-20 (NLT), God stresses the importance of daily reading of God's word,

He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from ... turning away from these commands in the smallest way.

Modern technology makes it easy to "always keep a copy" of the Bible. Our responsibility is to read it, and reflect upon it. Start with a small reading plan, and see where it takes you!

A word of warning from Deuteronomy

The book of Deuteronomy, particularly its first half, includes all kinds of strongly-worded warnings about the dangers of falling away from God. In this post, I turn to one such warning, appearing in Deuteronomy 11:16 (ESV),

Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.

This is an easy-to-memorize verse that should guide our steps ever day. We must avoid all modern (and ancient) forms of idolatry.

Just to pick one form of modern idolatry: Do we ever become covetous? That is, do we ever desire something we don't have, to the point that that desire affects our mood and attitude toward others? My guess is that we all, to some extent, engage in this kind of behavior every day.

This is the exact kind of behavior which Deuteronomy 11:16 warns against. (In fact, one of the Ten Commandments explicitly forbids covetousness!) Let us keep this verse on the front of our minds today as we pray.

When we sin

Leviticus 5:3-5 (NLT) summarizes what we should do when we sin.

When you realize what you have done, you must admit your guilt ... When you realize its foolishness, you must admit your guilt ... When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin.

In order to recognize our sin, it's help to return, as often as possible, to the Ten Commandments. Those serve as a guide to righteousness, and also as a mirror into our sin.

But as emphasized in the aforementioned passage from Leviticus, once we recognize our sin, we must confess, because, as David says (Psalm 66:18-19, NLT),

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen!
    He paid attention to my prayer.

So these passages summarize a life of faith. We must (1) educate ourselves on what sin is, and (2) confess our sins. Doing so ensures that God will hear our prayers!  

Moses' "small" sin

Chapter 20 of Numbers finds the Israelites grumbling to Moses over a lack of water. So God instructs Moses (Numbers 20:8, NLT),

As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water.

Here is Moses' response to the people, along with his actions (Numbers 20:10-11, NLT),

“Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out.

OK, end of story, right? Evidently not! Moses' actions lead God to say (Numbers 20, 12, NLT),

Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!

Whoa! What did Moses do wrong? Well, for starters, he says "must we bring you water," rather than attribute the miracle to God. Second, he strikes the rock, rather than speaks to it, as God commanded.

Forbidding the great Moses from entering the promised land seems like strong punishment for such a "small" sin. But we must realize that any sin brings us infinitely far from God's righteousness. Simply, there are no "small" sins, and there are no "unjust" punishments from God.

As scary as that is, Moses' story, thankfully, does not end there. As a great testament to God's mercy, Moses makes another appearance in the Bible, and a dramatic one at that, when Moses, along with Elijah, speaks with Jesus during the transfiguration.

So the key lessons: (1) no sin is "small" in God's eyes; (2) sins have consequences; (3) God's mercy can overcome our sins.

Focusing the heart

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) advises,

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Jesus touches on a similar theme in Matthew 6:21 (NLT),

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Consider the things we desire, the things we love, the things that bring us enjoyment. Do those things conform with God's will? If not, Solomon and Jesus are telling us to re-focus our hearts. The Bible promises that we can train our hearts to take joy in Godly matters (Luke 11:9, ESV),

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Focus on those verbs: "ask," "seek," and "knock." Those are things we must do actively. Let's ask, seek, and knock today today in our prayers.

An easy-to-memorize prayer from Numbers

Most of chapter 6 of Numbers puts forth the requirements of the "Nazirite Vow." Essentially, if one seeks to set himself apart for God in a special way, he can adhere to the requirements put forth in that chapter.

But, at the very end of chapter 6, unrelated to the Nazirite material, is the "Priestly Blessing" that God gave to Aaron as a way to bless the Israelites. The blessing appears in Numbers 6:24-26. Here, I work from the NLT, but modify the wording to read like a first-person appeal to God:

Lord, bless me and protect me.
Smile on me and be gracious to me. 
Show me your favor and give me your peace.

This blessing is easy to memorize, and makes for a great prayer. Today, try praying it at the top of the hour, every hour, and see if it jumpstarts your prayer life.

How to talk to God

David's psalms are noteworthy for the extent to which he pours out his emotions before God. He's not concerned with  delivering smooth words or maintaining a cool demeanor. In fact, he often sounds desperate, almost child-like, for God's mercy and comfort.

In the same way that a child needs his parents, Jesus likewise stresses that we all must seek God with child-like dependence (Mark 10:15, KJV),

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

With this in mind, when we pray today, let us base our prayers on David's words in Psalm 38:9 (KJV),

Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

What to strive for in prayer

Psalm 34:1 (KJV) summarizes our ideal approach to prayer,

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

We can pray about all kinds of stuff, so long as, as noted in James 1:6, that stuff conforms with God's will. But, as this verse notes, praise must be the foundation of our prayers. And that praise should occur "continually," which, as noted in a previous post, essentially means "very frequently."

So as we approach our prayers, let's let simple and frequent words of praise form the foundation of those prayers.

Sins from within

My previous post focused on avoiding the sins of society. But we can't blame all of our sins on "society." Many of our sins spring up from deep within our sinful natures.

A recent sermon by Kyle Graham, from whom I borrow some material for this post, focuses on Noah's behavior after the flood (Genesis 9:20-21, NLT),

After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent.

The original Hebrew word, translated here as "naked," has a negative connotation, thus implying poor behavior on the part of Noah. Note that, with this event occurring after the flood, the otherwise upright Noah could not blame "society," because there was no society. It was destroyed in the flood! Noah's sin came from his own sinful nature.

Noah's story does have a happy ending, however, as evidenced by his name being mentioned in Hebrews 11 as a great example of faith. (Some people refer to that chapter as the "Hall of Fame of Faith.")

For us, Noah's story provides a cautionary tale. We cannot avoid sin by removing ourselves from society, because our inner beings also are sinful. As Jesus said in Matthew 26:41 (NLT),

Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!

So, following Jesus' advice, let us stay vigilant and pray.

Avoiding the sins of society

In Exodus 34:12 (NLT), God says to the Israelites,

Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.

Note that God does not say, "Avoid the land." Rather, he warns the people about conforming to the ways of the land. Some other English Bibles translate the word "treaty" as "covenant." Whatever the word, it implies a formal acceptance of the activities of society.

These instructions apply to us, too. We cannot avoid society, but we must take care not to participate in activities that, while acceptable to society, are sinful in they eyes of God.

Now, that doesn't mean we should become social troublemakers. Peter says (1 Peter 2:13-14, NLT),

For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed.

The important point, which must guide all our prayers, is that we should seek God's approval, not society's.

Asking for forgiveness

The book of Proverbs contains quality advice for living a spiritual life. But upon first glance, certain passages might seem not to apply to us. For example, chapter 6:1-4 (NLT) reads,

My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt

or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—

if you have trapped yourself by your agreement

and are caught by what you said—

follow my advice and save yourself,

for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy.

Now swallow your pride;

go and beg to have your name erased.

Many of us lack the financial resources ever to find ourselves in the position to "put up security for" or "guarantee" the debts of another. So do those verses apply to us?

Reading through those verses again, the real problem is that the person has been "caught by what [he] said." And, unfortunately, we've all been in that position. We say things to others -- and, even more problematic, to God -- that we soon come to regret.

Too often, when we recognize that we've gotten ourselves into a fix, we pile sin on top of sin by scheming and manipulating and lying in an attempt to cover up the original problem. Solomon's advice is to "swallow [our] pride" and "beg to have [our] name erased" from the situation.

That sort of humility requires spiritual discipline. And spiritual discipline comes by praying without ceasing!

Spurgeon's sermons

Lots of people find Charles Spurgeon's devotional entitled Morning and Evening to be a useful daily guide to prayer. I often draw inspiration from that work for material that I post on this site (for example, see here and here).

However, the real classics from Spurgeon are his full-length sermons. The website SermonAudio offers audio readings of many of his sermons. But I recently stumbled across a website that offers PDF versions of all of his sermons. For free!

Try printing a sermon or emailing it to your Kindle. Then find a quiet place and spend 15-20 minutes reading through it. I find something spiritually useful in nearly every sermon!

Psalm 1:1 -- the progression of sin

The first verse of the first Psalm reads (KJV),

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

As other commentators have noted, those three verbs -- walketh, standeth, and sitteth -- imply a progression of letting sin come into our lives. First, we accept some sinful activity by "walking" in its presence. Eventually, we "stand" and "sit" in its presence, thus completely joining in with the debauchery.

Unfortunately, so much sin follows that exact progression. We allow something contrary to God's will to enter our lives; we might not even notice God's displeasure at first. And from there, the sinful behavior escalates.

In our prayers, we should make an attempt to catch those sins at the "walketh" stage. But if they slip past that point, entering the dreaded "standeth" or "sitteth," well, we should pray harder!

The rewards of responding to God's warning

Proverbs 1:23 (NLT) reads,

Come and listen to my counsel. I'll share my heart with you and make you wise.

The word "counsel" is translated from the Hebrew word "tokhakhat." Although I often quote from the NLT, note that most other English Bibles translate that word into a slightly harsher English word, such as "rebuke" (NIV, NET), "reproof" (KJV, ESV, NASB), or "warning" (HCSB). For example, here's the same verse from the KJV,

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Translation issues aside, this verse contains a powerful message. God is speaking to us, perhaps harshly. It's our responsibility to "come" (NLT) or "turn" (KJV) to God. And it's our responsibility to heed his possibly harsh message. If we do, God promises to advance us spiritually!

More advice from Job's friend, Eliphaz

I've posted before about Job friend, Eliphaz. For the most part, Eliphaz gets things wrong, insisting that Job's suffering directly connects to some sin Job must have committed. Rather, the book's main message is that human successes and sufferings accord with God's will, which is beyond our understanding. Job finally recognizes that.

But Job's friends do occasionally stumble upon (partial) spiritual insights. Eliphaz, in particular, offers a beautiful explanation of repentance in Chapter 22. Here are verses 21-25 (NLT) from that chapter.

Submit to God, and you will have peace;

then things will go well for you.

Listen to his instructions,

and store them in your heart.

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—

so clean up your life.

If you give up your lust for money

and throw your precious gold into the river,

the Almighty himself will be your treasure.

He will be your precious silver!

Pretty powerful for all of us!

What is reliable?

Stricken with great financial, person, and physical calamity, Job seeks advice from his friends. And although his friends offer some appropriate insights, they mostly offer useless hot air. Job, realizing the emptiness of their ramblings, complains (Job 6:15-17, NLT),

My brothers, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook

that overflows its banks in the spring

when it is swollen with ice and melting snow.

But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears.

These lines reflect our own futility in seeking earthly answers to spiritual questions. Earthly philosophizing seems enticing at first, but what happens when the "hot weather arrives"?

Meanwhile, as Job seeks answers from his friends, David seeks answers from God, and with more success (Psalm 9:10, NLT),

Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

Simply put, earthly wisdom, despite sometimes sounding insightful, is not eternally reliable. Eventually, the "hot weather arrives" and that wisdom disappears. But God is eternally reliable.

Poor in spirit

In Matthew 5:3 (KJV), Jesus utters the famous words,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

But what does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? The more dynamically-translated NLT renders that verse (Matthew 5:3, NLT),

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

So, the obvious emphasis is that our trust must be placed in God. Psalm 49:6-7 (NLT) clarifies this point further,

They trust in their wealth

and boast of great riches.

Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death

by paying a ransom to God.

Note that having wealth is not, in itself, a sin. Rather, the sin involves relying on that wealth above God, which is a form of idolatry. This point fits a theme that runs throughout the Bible: We stumble spiritually when we focus on the perishable. God's word never perishes, and that should be our main emphasis in life and prayer. When we acknowledge our inability to save ourselves through earthly means, and when we acknowledge our complete dependence upon God, then we are poor in spirit.

A prayer of submission by Jeremiah

I posted last week about surrendering to God. After that post, I stumbled across a prayer in Jeremiah that hits upon that exact theme.

The prayer comes after a lengthy description of impending punishment for the peoples' repeated idolatry. Jeremiah then prays (10:23-24, NLT),

I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own.

We are not able to plan our own course.

So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle.

Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.

Note that Jeremiah is not concerned with self-empowerment, but rather "God empowerment." He submits, and requests that God guide his steps. He does so with humility and fear. Today, let us use Jeremiah's words as a template for our prayers.

Surrender our independence to God

The modern world places great emphasis on "freedom of choice," "independence," "self-will," "self-empowerment," and the like. By contrast, the modern world frowns upon surrendering our independence and free-will to some superior authority.

But the Bible teaches that too much emphasis on our own independence is a recipe for sin. To pick just one example, David says (Psalm 37:23-24, NLT),

The LORD directs the steps of the godly.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

Though they stumble, they will never fall,

for the LORD holds them by the hand.

As the king of Israel, David had no superior authority to submit to. At least, not an earthly one. Nonetheless, David surrendered his independence to God. Let us follow David's example by swallowing our pride, surrendering our earthly freedom, and letting God direct our steps.

God's power

An important part of prayer is acknowledging our lack of power or cleverness. And along those lines, we also must acknowledge the only thing that does possess power -- God.

Therefore, in our prayers, let us recall God's words in Deuteronomy 32:39 (NLT),

There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!

Hearing those words, we should feel a combination of fear and joy, which brings us to the famous words in Psalm 2:11 (NLT) that should always govern our prayers,

Serve the LORD with reverent fear,

and rejoice with trembling.

Meaningful sacrifice

God does not require that we sacrifice animals, and other stuff, to please him, but he does require a sacrifice a praise and obedience.

Now, if we wish to offer further sacrifice, such as fasting, that's fine, but we must do so correctly. In Isaiah 58:3-5 (NLT), God highlights incorrect sacrifice,

Even while you fast,

you keep oppressing your workers.

What good is fasting

when you keep on fighting and quarreling?

This kind of fasting

will never get you anywhere with me.

...
Is this what you call fasting?

Do you really think this will please the LORD?

The rest of the chapter notes that, first and foremost, we must obey his commandments. And if we do (verse 11, NLT),

The LORD will guide you continually,

giving you water when you are dry

and restoring your strength.

So let's offer God our praise, and obey his commandments. Whatever spiritual exercises we do beyond that, let's not lose sight of our primary spiritual requirements.

Pour out your complaints to God

In Psalm 142:2 (NLT), David says

I pour out my complaints before him

and tell him all my troubles.

In our day-to-day interactions, we likely try to avoid doing this to other people. After all, who wants to hear our constant complaining?

But God does not become annoyed with us the same way other people might. In fact, pouring out our complaints to God is a useful way to ensure that we are praying in "truth and spirit," and not just rattling over elegant sounding pray-like sentences.

And if we pour out our complaints to God, he will guide us. As David says in Psalm 142:3 (NLT),

When I am overwhelmed,

you alone know the way I should turn.

"Sinners in the hands of an angry God"

I previously posted about unpleasant Bible verses. In this post, I draw attention to an unpleasant sermon by famed American preacher Jonathan Edwards. The sermon, entitled "Sinners in the hands of an angry God," was first delivered in 1741, and is widely considered the most famous sermon ever delivered on American soil.

This Wikipedia article provides a good summary of its content, including the sermon's famous line,

"There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God."

Many people struggle with Bible passages that command us to "fear" God. What does that mean? Does that conflict with the concept of a loving God? Indeed, the very idea of a God we must "fear" seems ... unfashionable.

Well, "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" makes it very clear why we should fear God. (Audio readings and pdf transcripts of the sermon can be downloaded here.)

Make sure to read (or listen to) the whole sermon, because, as frightening as much of it is, the ending provides hope, and it explains why "fearing" God remains consistent with the idea of a loving God.

A road map for righteous living

Despite the apparent complexities of the Bible, many passages distill things down to simple advice on how we should live. Here's an example from Psalm 50, here's an example from Isaiah 33, here's an example from Ezekiel 18, and here's an example from Hebrews 2.

This post notes another example from the prophet Micah. Now, Micah is most famous for Chapter 5, which, approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus, predicts tiny, insignificant Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah.

But turning to Micah 6:8 (NLT), we find an excellent road map for righteous living.

O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

If you seek a Bible verse to write down and memorize, Micah 6:8 is a good candidate!

Don't focus on the perishable

Sometimes we struggle to advance spiritually because we focus on the wrong stuff. But how can we tell the difference between right and wrong stuff? On one hand, drawing that distinction should be simple, but, on the other hand, our sins often cloud our ability to tell the difference.

To tell whether our focus is right or wrong in God's eyes, a useful metric comes from Jeremiah 10:11 (NLT), where God says,

Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.

So we should ask ourselves: Will the thing or situation occupying my focus exist in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? 100 years? More generally, is the thing I am focused on perishable?

If we focus more on perishable things or situations than we do on God, then that misplaced focus prevents our spiritual advancement.

Instead, let's focus on the unperishable!

The final chapter of Hosea

The book of the prophet Hosea definitely qualifies as unpleasant Bible material! Using Hosea's promiscuous, adulterous wife as a metaphor, God, speaking through Hosea, spends thirteen chapters chastising his followers for their unfaithfulness.

But then we arrive at the final chapter. It's only nine verses, so read the whole thing. But I see verses 2, 4, and 9 (NLT) as the highlights.

Verse 2

Bring your confessions, and return to the LORD.

Say to him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us,

so that we may offer you our praises."

Verse 4

The LORD says,

“Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;

my love will know no bounds,

for my anger will be gone forever."

Verse 9

Let those who are wise understand these things.

Let those with discernment listen carefully.

The paths of the LORD are true and right,

and righteous people live by walking in them.

But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.

These verses summarize so much about what faith, and prayer, are all about. Let us reflect upon Hosea chapter 14, and especially these three verses, today in our prayers.

Seeking God with urgency

The Bible commands that we actively seek God. The Bible also advises that our spiritual journey is an ongoing process, one that requires constant vigilance. That much is fairly familiar to consistent Bible readers.

But the Bible also stresses that we seek God with a sense of urgency. Turning to Isaiah 55:6 (NLT),

Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.

Implicit in those lines is that our chances for repentance are running out. We shouldn't punt on the opportunity to grow spiritually.

Today, let us adopt this principle of urgency into our prayer lives. If we have a chance to pray right now, then we should pray right now!

Songs of Ascent: a 15 day Bible reading plan

Psalms 120-134 are known as the "Songs of Ascent," which describe a person's pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Now, as described in Revelation 21, ancient Jerusalem was merely a precursor for the "New Jerusalem," which we call heaven. So the Songs of Ascent are more that a travelogue of heading to Jerusalem. They're meant to symbolize our life's journey toward God's Kingdom.

Each of the Songs of Ascent is relatively short, so a nice reading plan revolves around reading (and meditating upon) one of the songs each day for a 15-day period. Let's give this reading plan a try, and see where we stand spiritually in 15 days!

Jesus the mediator

In Job 9:32-35 (NLT), Job laments,

God is not a mortal like me,

so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.

If only there were a mediator between us,

someone who could bring us together.

The mediator could make God stop beating me,

and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.

Then I could speak to him without fear,

but I cannot do that in my own strength.

Job is rightly celebrated as a man who maintained faith under fire. But he was more than that! These verses indicate that, in the midst of his duress, Job appeared to anticipate, albeit incompletely, God's great plan.

Removing any remaining mystery, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT),

There is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

So Paul clarifies that Jesus is that mediator. But I like to occasionally return to Job 9:32-35 to refresh myself on why we need a mediator. Reread those verses, and then thank God for including us in his plan!

Living on "vegetables and water"

In Daniel 1, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attempts to train a group of wise men from among the exiled Hebrews. He assigns them a daily ration of food and wine from the royal kitchen. Daniel, one of the men chosen for this training, refuses the food and wine rations. Daniel instead asks for a ration of vegetables and water, which creates a minor controversy in the palace.

It would have been easier for Daniel simply to accept the royal rations, but evidently he wanted to avoid the sinful behaviors of the society in which he lived. Of course, we all face similar situations. Do we take the easy, possibly sinful, route and go along with the crowd? Or do we eschew those actions to stay obedient to God?

Daniel trusted in God, and as a result (Daniel 1:15, NLT),

At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.

Let us try to emulate Daniel's example.

Why do the nations rage?

Psalm 2:1 (ESV) reads,

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

To better understand this verse, note that the word "nations" is translated from the Hebrew word "goy," which in ancient Hebrew was used to described a group of people, usually of non-Hebrew descent. But that non-Hebrew detail becomes lost in modern English Bibles, the majority of which translate that word simply as "nation."

The King James Version somewhat rectifies this confusion by translating the verse as

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

So whether that word is translated as "nation" or "heathen," the word evidently implies a person (or persons) operating outside of God's will. That describes us when we disobey God!

The message of the verse is this: When we operate our lives outside of God's will, our actions are "vain," or useless. Even worse, they lead to "rage," rather than the peace that God wants us to enjoy. Today, in our prayers, let us try to discern what God wants from us.

Give thanks to the Lord

The first verse of Psalm 118 reads (NLT),

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Those are famous words repeated throughout the Bible. Note that those words give us a command. That is, we are to give thanks to God. Further, those words give us the reason that we should follow the command: Because God loves us with an incomprehensible, unending love.

Those words are powerful, but they're also simple. They form the basis for wonderful prayers throughout the day. We should frequently stop what we're doing, spend a few minutes giving God thanks, and recognize why we're giving him thanks.

Maintain focus during prayer

In Colossians 4:2 (NLT), Paul says,

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

And in Ephesians 6:18 (NLT), Paul says,

Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers.

Proper prayer is hard work! These verses, and many others like them, command us not to be casual and lazy about prayer. But how do we maintain focus during prayer? Today, let us follow the advice given by Jesus in Matthew 6:6 (NLT),

When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.

God will answer

If we emphasize God above all else, he promises to answer our prayers. But God promises more than just that -- He promises to answer our prayers before we even pray! In Isaiah 64:24 (KJV), God says

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Once again, we encounter the theme that God doesn't care about the specific words of our prayer. Rather, he cares about the state of our hearts. So, today, before praying, let us humble ourselves before him by removing those obstacles that separate us from his presence.

Unpleasant Bible verses

Many people, myself included, are drawn toward pleasant Bible passages, such as Psalm 23. By contrast, the unpleasant passages make us uncomfortable, or perhaps even scared. But those passages appear in the Bible because they contain important spiritual insights. Therefore, unpleasant as they are, we cannot ignore them.

Turning to Ezekiel 14:3 (NLT),

...these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?

If we emphasize idols (e.g., success, money, social standing) over God, then he won't listen to our prayers. That message clearly is unpleasant, but it's also important.

Let us make every effort to remove those idolatrous focuses from our lives. Then we'll get the most out of prayer!

Making sense of the "Antichrist"

(Note: material in this post draws inspiration from footnotes in the Life Application Study Bible, an excellent resource for Bible reading.)

Lot's of mystery and confusion surrounds the character known as the "Antichrist." Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians provides some focus on this subject. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (NLT), Paul writes,

[Jesus' second coming will] not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

Paul warns us about the Antichrist not so that we might attempt to identify this person. Indeed, trying to do label a specific person as the Antichrist might create more problems that it solves! Rather, Paul wants us to guard against anything that might threaten our faith. That is, we need not fear the Antichrist is we follow the advice in Psalm 24:3-4 (KJV),

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Paul notes that the Antichrist is already sowing trouble (2 Thessalonians 2:7, NLT),

This lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.

But wait! Why will God let the Antichrist loose to sow even more trouble? The likely reason is to demonstrate what a world without God would look like. Civilization has a veneer of decency owing to laws, markets, science, and reason. It's tempting to place our trust in those characteristics of organized society, while discounting, or perhaps altogether ignoring, God. But what if the Antichrist brought those characteristics of organized society to complete chaos and lawlessness? All we'd have left is God.

So in our prayers, let us place our trust in God, and God alone. Then we have nothing to fear!

Write down a Bible verse

I tend to hit points when my prayer life feels stale, including, for some reason, during this past week. So for the past several days, I've used a trick to try to refresh myself.

First, find a Bible verse that resonates with you. Perhaps that verse comes from daily Bible reading. Or perhaps that verse comes from a website that offers a "verse of the day." (Try Biblegateway or the online King James site or Bibledice.)

Second, write down the verse on a small piece of paper, and tuck it in your pocket. (I often copy from the KJV, just for its poetic style.)

Third, whenever you have a quiet moment throughout the day, pull the paper out, re-read the verse, and briefly reflect on its meaning.

Next day, repeat the process with a new verse.

I've been doing this for the past several days, and it does seem to be offering a small revival to my prayer life. Give it a try!

A powerful passage from Titus

The Bible contains many specific prayers to help guide our own prayers. But the Bible also contains many passages that, while not technically prayers, are nonetheless very useful to meditate upon while praying. Paul authored many such passages.

Regarding Paul's letters, every person of faith should spend ample time reading Romans. And people of faith also should dive heavily into 1 Corinthians 15. But another wonderful expression of faith appears in the oft-overlooked letter to Titus.

First, in Titus 3:3 (NLT), Paul establishes our sinful nature,

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.

The next verse then begins an awe-inspiring four-verse passage (Titus 3:4-7, NLT),

But when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

Those verses provide a powerful synopsis of God's graceful plan. Write down (or print out) those verses, take them to a quite place, and spend some quiet moments reflecting upon them during prayer.

Avoiding a "rest" from prayer

In Proverbs 24:30-34 (NLT), Solomon writes,

I walked by the field of a lazy person,

the vineyard of one with no common sense.

I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.

It was covered with weeds,

and its walls were broken down.

Then, as I looked and thought about it,

I learned this lesson:

A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

 

then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;

scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

These verses literally apply to our day-to-day employ, but they also have a dual interpretation regarding our spiritual lives. Simply put, rattling off something that sounds prayer-like is easy, but praying in "spirit and truth," as demanded by Jesus, is not nearly as simple. Such praying requires removing ourselves from human perceptions of space and time, and conversing with God on a spiritual plane.

Because deep, spiritual prayer is difficult, it's tempting to "take a day off" here and there. But the aforementioned verses in Proverbs 24 provide a stark warning: Don't take such rests!

Thou shalt see greater things than these

The last two verses of the first chapter of John's gospel have always intrigued me. (And I especially like the KJV phrasing of those verses!) To set the scene, as Nathanael meets Jesus for the first time, Jesus makes a reference to having seen Nathanael earlier sitting under a fig tree. Upon hearing this, Nathanael immediately proclaims that Jesus is the "Son of God."

As readers, we wonder: Is that all the evidence Nathanael needs? That's basically what Jesus says when he responds (John 1:50, KJV),

Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

I love the promise that Nathanael better brace himself, because much more impressive evidence is on the way. In verse 51, Jesus gives a hint of that coming evidence,

Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

This statement is a reference to "Jacob's Ladder," the portal between heaven and earth dreamed about by Jacob in Genesis 28. Jesus is telling his followers that he is that connection between heaven and earth, and, furthermore, that he is the fulfillment of everything discussed starting at the beginning of the Bible.

Powerful stuff packed into two verses. Let us reflect upon those verses today in our prayers.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee

In Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV), God says,

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

A short verse, but packed with powerful stuff!

First, God instructs us to pray to him. It's not that he needs our prayers, but praying puts out hearts in the correct, Godly frame of mind. And if we pray to him in that correct frame of mind, he promises to answer us!

But he promises more than just an answer! As a bonus, he promises to show us things, "great and mighty things," that we currently don't know.

All in all, Jeremiah 33:3 provides us powerful motivation to pray. So don't put this off until tomorrow, or even until the next hour. Pray now!

How will you race against horses?

In Jeremiah 12:1-4, Jeremiah questions the fairness of God's judgment. In verse 1 (NLT), Jeremiah asks,

Why are the wicked so prosperous?

Why are evil people so happy?

We all have, at one time or another, asked the same questions. Of course, asking such questions implies that we do not count ourselves among the wicked. Thus, when we find ourselves asking such questions, let's first step back and reassess our own behavior.

But God, in his response to Jeremiah, illustrates another problem with asking such questions. In verse 5 (NLT), God responds,

If racing against mere men makes you tired,

how will you race against horses?

I believe God is telling Jeremiah to stop worrying about the fairness of God's judgment. The world presents enough obstacles to our spiritual focus, so why is Jeremiah worrying about supposedly "wicked" people receiving their due punishment? After all, does God need any input from Jeremiah on judicial matters?

The message, therefore, is that our prayers should maintain focus on spiritual, heavenly concerns, rather than earthly issues. Let's leave issues to judgment to God.

"Praying" the Bible

When I pray, I often struggle to form the right words. For some reason, I tend to view prayer like a high school essay exam. I worry about grammar and sentence structure. Upon those rare occasions when my prayer achieves King James-like elegance (in my mind!), I pat myself on the back and declare my prayer successful.

But God doesn't care about those superficial concerns; he cares about the state of our heart! As Paul writes (Romans 8:26, NLT),

We don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

The most important detail in prayer is that we align our will with God's. But our human minds, limited and sinful as they are, often fail to grasp his will.

Here's where the Bible can help. Scripture is chock full of prayers that clearly align with God's will, and, therefore, we should not be embarrassed about borrowing those prayers, even word-for-word, if we must! Again, this isn't a high school composition class; who cares if we plagiarize a prayer from the Bible, so long as we're using it to focus our hearts on God's will.

Here's a beautiful prayer from Psalm 80:19 (NLT),

Turn us again to yourself ... Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.

Try praying this today, while reflecting on what it means. And don't be embarrassed that you didn't write it!

God's temple

(When I first started this blog, I warned that I am not a theologian. I repeat that warning here, because material in this post touches upon deep theological issues. I apologize in advance if I get something wrong, or if I include material that is already obvious.)

David conceived the idea of building a temple in God's honor, but David didn't finish the construction. That responsibility fell to his son, Solomon. In 1 Chronicles 28:6 (NLT), Gods says to David,

Your son Solomon will build my Temple ... for I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father.

As with many Old Testament prophesies, this one seems to predict two things. The first is literal and immediate: Solomon, David's son, will finish the temple. But the second is shadowy and distant, and would only become clear centuries later. Specifically, David's "son" -- his descendant Jesus -- would finish the most important temple of all!

To see this, consider Solomon's dedication of the temple upon its completion. In 1 Kings 8:33-34 (NLT), Solomon says to God,

If your people ... have sinned against you, and if they turn to you and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people.

Note that forgiveness of sin came from praying toward/in the temple. Now, turning to John 4, a Samaritan woman asks Jesus for clarification on this point. Why, she asks, do Jews stress that prayer must occur toward/in the temple in Jerusalem? Jesus responds (John 4:21-24, NLT),

The time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem ... For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

The implication is that the importance of the physical temple was soon to end, and it would be replaced by something far more important. Jesus further emphasizes this point when he remarks (John 2:19, NLT),

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

This theme reaches its climax in Revelation 21:22 (NLT), when John describes Heaven,

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

So there we have it! No longer must we pray toward/in the physical temple. Jesus is that temple! Forgiveness of sin comes from directing our prayers toward/in him!

Accepting God's love

Chapter 2 of Jonah presents Jonah's prayer from inside the large fish. It's a short, but powerful prayer. Consider reading the whole thing.

Verse 8 (NLT) of that prayer contains an important thought,

Those who worship false gods

turn their backs on all God’s mercies.

Jeremiah 5:25 (NLT) presents a similar theme,

Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.

Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.

By sinning, we turn our backs on God's love, and that's perhaps the scariest, most damaging thing about sin. In our prayers, let us acknowledge our sins and recognize that God's love is ours, if only we accept it.

Don't manipulate -- rely on God

When life presents an obstacle, do we rely on our own cleverness by attempting to manipulate the situation to our advantage? Under threat of attack, this is exactly what the people of Jerusalem do in Isaiah 22. In the following words, God mocks the Israelites' attempts to devise their own protective plan (Isaiah 22:8-11, NLT),

You run to the armory for your weapons.

You inspect the breaks in the walls of Jerusalem.

You store up water in the lower pool.

You survey the houses and tear some down

for stone to strengthen the walls.

Between the city walls, you build a reservoir

for water from the old pool.

Those certainly sound like thorough plans. But what's the one thing the people don't do? God says (Isaiah 22:11, NLT),

But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One who planned this long ago.

The message is clear: Our own plotting cannot match the power of the Creator. So when life's obstacles inevitable arise, rather than plotting some scheme, and rather than attempting to manipulate the situation to our advantage, we instead should call upon God in prayer.

Searching for God

In Revelation 3:20 (KJV), God says,

I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

("Sup" means "dine" or "share a meal.") And in Isaiah 57:13 (KJV), God says,

He that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.

These verses point to a theme that runs throughout the Bible: We must actively seek God, and such seeking should be a constant part of our prayers. God is there; he is present. But it's our responsibility to search for him. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:7 (KJV),

Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

Enemies at night

What is it about the night that creates such fertile ground for sin? Drunkenness, debauchery, lust, anxiety, anger ... Whatever evil thoughts course through our heads seem to become amplified in the still quiet of the night.

David recognizes this, when he says in Psalm 59 (verses 14-15, NLT),

My enemies come out at night,

snarling like vicious dogs

as they prowl the streets.

They scavenge for food

but go to sleep unsatisfied.

David counters those enemies by praying (Psalm 59:1, NLT),

Rescue me from my enemies, O God.

Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.

And then, after successfully making it through the night, he gives this prayer of thanks (Psalm 59:16, NLT),

But as for me, I will sing about your power.

Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.

For you have been my refuge,

a place of safety when I am in distress.

The main point is that we should pray for God's protection, especially during those times when we are most vulnerable to sin.

A short prayer can be powerful

In prayer, state of mind is more important than specific words. Furthermore, prayers need not be long to be effective.

So a useful method for prayer is to recite a short prayer that, for reasons known only unto you, helps focus your heart on God's power. For me, the KJV rendering of Psalm 18:28 is a prayer that resonates that way for me:

For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

Simple, brief, and to the point regarding God's love for us. Try this prayer today!

What God wants, and what we do instead

In Jeremiah 6, God issues a stern warning to rebellious Jerusalem, but that warning also applies to us today. In verse 16 (NLT) of that chapter, God states both what we wants, and what Jerusalem does instead,

Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, 'No, that's not the road we want!'

Simply put, every fork in the road that we face involves a decision. And when we arrive at those forks, God wants us to choose the path in accordance with his will, regardless of whether that path seems "old" or "uncool." If the godly path is not obvious, we should ask for his guidance.

Unfortunately, we so often choose the wrong path. We don't necessarily utter the words, 'No, that's not the road we want!', but those words certainly represent our wayward attitude.

Today, let us try to become more aware of those forks in the road, and let us strive to choose the godly path.