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"!