Unwavering Prayer

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This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. I John 5:14-15 NIV

When was the last time you had a bit of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia? It may have been in your church’s small group when you were asked to read some passage in the Old Testament, such as Nehemiah 10-12. So, what is this word? It is the runner-up in the English language for the honor of the longest word and literally means, “a fear of long words.”

Technically, this very long word describing a fear of long words is not recognized as a phobia in psychology, nor is it considered a medical term. It is used humorously to show how ridiculously long some words can get.

Words have often been created to enhance someone’s self-importance or to complicate the meaning of something, leaving us with a word that professionals have to define. I think prayer is often put into that category, leaving many people to doubt what to pray for, how to pray, or even whether they are worthy to pray.

Luke records the one request of Jesus’ disciples to him, “Teach us to pray.” His disciples had been with Jesus for some time and had witnessed supernatural healings, feeding of the masses, walking on water, turning water into wine, listened to spellbinding teaching, and seen the impact on the people. Instead of asking for the gift of healing, teaching, preaching, or any other amazing action, they asked him how to pray.

Prayer was the very essence of Jesus’ life. His prayer life wasn’t like that of the other religious leaders the disciples had seen and heard. Jesus’ prayer life was filled with joy, hope, faith, and power. When Jesus prayed, things happened, people changed, and miracles unfolded.

Jesus taught the intimacy of prayer in Matthew. Instead of a formal and cold approach to God, he told us to begin with “Our Father.”  We are told to approach God the way a child goes to a loving father, as a loved one of the Father.

Jesus taught us to be persistent in prayer. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Prayer was never intended to be a one-and-done deal but an active conversation with the One who could make a difference. When do you stop praying? Never! Jesus illustrated in Luke 18 with the parable of the persistent widow. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (v1)

Jesus modeled His passion for prayer. When facing major decisions, he didn’t consult a committee, read the latest polls, or follow the cultural trend; you found him praying. “One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.” (Luke 6:12-13)

Jesus prayed even when he didn’t get the answer he wanted. When facing his greatest challenge, he prayed. Jesus and his disciples went to a place called Gethsemane, and he asked his three closest companions to join him in prayer. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He then walked a few steps away and cried out, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will…He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:38ff)

Oswald Chambers is best known for his devotional writings, especially My Utmost For His Highest. Yet if Chambers were alive, he would probably say that prayer defined everything about his devotional life. He wrote, “Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. Whichever way God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray. Never allow the thought— I am of no use where I am;  because you certainly can be of no use where you are not. Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances pray… I will do whatever you ask in my name. We won’t pray unless we get thrills, that is the intensest form of spiritual selfishness. We have to labor along the line of God’s direction, and He says Pray.”  (Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, p215)

I had the privilege of leading a prayer walking seminar during our time in Kenya. I emphasized that we would be walking and praying, but I stressed the need always to be sensitive to where the Holy Spirit was leading. I began to doubt that the man I was walking with had understood the concept since it was new to many of them. We stopped to greet a lady, and he turned to ask me to share the Gospel with her. This isn’t what you do on a prayer walk! I did share the Gospel, and she prayed to receive Christ as her Savior. A little further down the road, we stopped again, this time at a woman’s vegetable stand. She was a believer, but life had been hard. She needed someone to encourage her and pray with her.

We continued to walk and pray. I realized that he had caught the concept, but the Holy Spirit reminded me of what I had taught only a short while before: you have to be interruptible, not on a schedule.

There are times when we must withdraw to our prayer closet and be alone with God. In these times, we are pouring out our needs to God in the secret place of our hearts. However, our time in our secret place of prayer must come to an end as we move into our day. So, what do we do with Paul’s admonition, “Pray without ceasing?” (1 Thes 5:17) We go into our day, praying as we go.

God is great!

Unwavering Faith

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Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:1-3 NIV

What does faith really look like for you? We often say we have faith, yet we cling to something that we hope will ensure the outcome we want. “There is a significant difference between amazement and faith. You can be amazed by God while not actually putting your faith in him.”  (Paul David Tripp)

Faith may look like the classic illustration of the Little League baseball game when a man walking past asked one of the players what the score was. The boy brightly smiled and said, 18 to 0, we’re behind. The man replied, You must be very discouraged. No, sir, said the young player, we haven’t even been up to bat yet! Unless the young player knew his team was loaded with a lineup of star hitters, the chance of victory was slim.

Unfortunately, many will say they have faith but will “hedge their bet” by holding onto something else in the hope of ensuring the outcome they want. I have faith Google Maps will get me to my destination until it takes me into the middle of nowhere, and we are entirely lost. I have faith that my airline will get me to my destination on time, until all the planes are grounded because the company declared bankruptcy. (Which happened when flying Braniff years ago.) I have faith that I will ace my finals, yet I will not put in the time to study the materials that will be on the exam.

You expect to find stories of unwavering faith in the Bible, and you do. Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned, yet at the end he could say, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Gen 50:20) Daniel’s three friends would be handed a “get out of jail” pass if only they bowed down in worship to King Nebuchadnezzar. They chose the furnace and possibly death with the declaration that though God could save them, “But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:18) Mark tells us of a nameless woman who had nothing but faith that she would be healed. “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” (Mark 5:28)

Faith is only as reliable as the foundation on which it exists. Airlines do go bankrupt, Google Maps may be reliable, but not infallible, and typically, effort precedes success. Unwavering faith built on anything other than God will leave you stranded. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

The writer of Hebrews left us the beautiful gift of chapter 11 as a monument of unwavering faith. Verse after verse beginning with “By faith” followed by names of men and women who lived a life of unwavering faith, even though I am sure life did not turn out the way they envisioned. “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.” (Heb 11:39)

“The life of faith is about standing at the intersection of brokenness and longing, not questioning God’s presence, power, or goodness, but continuing to trust and obey, assured that he still rules and is marching his world toward the fullness of all he has promised. Do you struggle to wait? God meets you with empowering grace.” (Paul David Tripp)

Scripture is alive with stories of unwavering faith, yet God never intended it to be in the past tense only, but lived out daily by His followers. I had the joy of experiencing this truth over the last couple of weeks in Kenya during a mission trip to Eldoret’s Glory Baptist Church.

Traveling over rough roads, sleeping on 4” mats on the church floor, women came from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to be part of Glory Baptist Church’s women’s conference. These ladies came with a hunger for God’s word. Each morning, they would get up at 3:30 to be ready for a 4:30 time of prayer and worship, seeking God with all their hearts, minds, and souls. No pretense, simply unwavering faith.

Ethnic violence broke out after the disputed presidential election in December 2007, resulting in the death of many Kenyans. Yet as violence raged around the church, Pastor Martin Sikuku created a safe haven at the church, praying and trusting God to place a hedge around the church. Though every structure, including his own house, surrounding the church was destroyed, Glory Baptist remained untouched, providing that safe haven for many as Pastor Martin provided care to any who came, regardless of tribe or political allegiance,  as a testimony of unwavering faith.

Unwavering faith defines the story of Bernard Wafula. This gentle giant of faith was falsely accused and imprisoned. Though despair and hopelessness could be understood, he trusted in God’s faithfulness and served diligently, sharing the Gospel with other inmates and guards. The words of a song came to him one night based on Deut. 1:4-8, when God told Israel, You have stayed long enough, I have given you this land. Imetosha is Swahili for “It is enough.”  For Pastor Bernard, “God is enough,” and he would sing this song until He became known as Pastor Imetosha throughout the prison.

Imetosha x2 (It is enough)

Yesu Asema Mwanangu Imetosha (Jesus says it is enough, my child)

Geuka sasa uelekee Kanani (Turn around now towards Canaan)

Ukazione Baraka zake Mungu (So that you see the blessings of God)

Finally, the courts overturned his wrongful conviction and released him from prison after ten years of imprisonment. He now serves as a pastor.

Unwavering faith will be the key to changing the course of our world. Faith that allows you to reach across ethnic barriers, economic disparity, political disagreements, and social status because your trust is found in the One who is the source of faith. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.” Psalm 13:5-6

God is great!

The Mind of the Discerning

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Let a wise person listen and increase learning, and let a discerning person obtain guidance. Proverbs 1:5 NIV

What is the one distinguishing trait needed to succeed in today’s workplace? I am sure you could mention a long list of possibilities. They may include graduating from a top-tier university, family connections, influence network, academic excellence, personality characteristics or just plain luck.  They may be a mixture of these or any one of a thousand others. CEO Michael’s observation is that the best employees consistently share one trait, “intellectual curiosity.”

Insatiable curiosity sets apart the greatest leaders from everyone else. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is known for his voracious reading habit. Google recruiter Nolan Church said, “What continuous learners do is they connect old ideas in new ways, citing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’s decision to combine cell phones and iPods into an iPhone. One of Indeed CEO Chris Hyams’ favorite interview questions is, “What are you insanely curious about?” Or, alternatively, “What do you care deeply about?” (Info from an Ashton Jackson article)

Scripture would validate Ramlet’s one trait, “intellectual curiosity,” not for workplace acclamation, but for living life that ultimately leads to Kingdom impact.  “ The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it.” Prov 18:15

Scripture celebrates continuous learning as a gift that deepens our relationship with God and enriches our daily life. Our growth in God’s knowledge creates a hunger in us to know more of what God is doing in and around us. “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Prov 2:6

We read about Daniel and his friends in a foreign land, far from home, having been taken captive by the Babylonians. Daniel had a choice to either take the easy path and adapt to his captors’ ways or stay true to God. He chose the more difficult path, staying true to God and His ways.  His passion for God and his commitment to grow in knowledge set him apart.  “In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and mediums in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.”  Daniel 1:20-21

Joshua when facing the difficult challenges of assuming the leadership role after Moses’ death was told by God to be strong and courageous. How? “ To observe carefully the whole instruction.” God’s word provides us with the “why” that lets us do the “how.”  “This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.” Joshua 1:8

We are encouraged to grow in knowledge, not for personal affirmation or even success but to be transformed into godly people that will make an impact for the Kingdom. “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15

Let this traditional African saying on wisdom encourage you in your pursuit of continuous curiosity. “Wisdom is the finest beauty of a person.  Money does not prevent you from becoming blind. Money does not prevent you from becoming mad. Money does not prevent you from becoming lame. You may be ill in any part of your body, so it is better for you to go and think again and to select wisdom. Come and sacrifice, that you may have rest in your body, inside and out.”

”Get wisdom—how much better it is than gold! And get understanding—it is preferable to silver.” Proverbs 16:16

If the number one trait for the best employee is intellectual curiosity then out of our passion for God, we never want to stop growing in our knowledge and truth.  We will learn lots from the books we read, the people we interact with, and even our Google searches.  However, God has provided us His unlimited and available wisdom. Knowledge and information are great but the wisdom God provides is life changing.  “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

We arrive today after three weeks in Kenya. It has been an incredible journey walking with the folks in Eldoret, Kenya. God is working in some amazing ways and we are so thankful to be part of this community of faith. I plan on sharing in next week’s post a few insights from this time.

God is great!

 

 

 

 

Burning Bush Moments

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There, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight.” Exodus 3:2-3

How many times have you desired to have a burning bush experience? If only I could have a burning bush answer, I would know what to do next. Making hard decisions is never easy. There is a lot of inner turmoil just trying to figure out what to do, or how to do it, or whether it is right for me. You look at multiple options and finally narrow it down to what you think is best. Then you may live with the “only if” questioning for days, months, or maybe years. Burning bush clarity sounds good, but there is a cost to burning bush experiences. Just ask Moses!

Burning bushes will necessitate worship.

You can’t play religion if you want to get close to the burning bush. You can be curious and “turn aside and look.” You can ponder why the bush is not burned up, but burning bushes require you to “remove the sandals from your feet.” Religious people tend to find the closest fire extinguisher to put out the fire. You worship at the burning bush because you know “the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Burning bushes create questions.

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God welcomes questions; the more the better. Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will kill me. (1 Samuel 16:2)   Mary asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34) Peter knew enough to question, “By no means, LORD; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” (Acts 10:14) Questions will come at your burning bush, but the Samuels of this world go, the Marys of this world obey, and the reluctant Peters follow.

Burning bushes destroy the edges of one’s comfort zone.

“I have never been eloquent…I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Comfort zone living is a lot easier. We can be content in the world we know and don’t have to push the edges. Yet somehow God doesn’t see our self-limitations. So, you don’t think you can speak? God has the answer: “Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.”

Burning bushes will burn away the undergrowth of yesterday’s failures

“When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.” You may have lived the high life, studied at the best schools, had an unlimited bank account, but you blew it – a nasty divorce, a horrendous scandal, a horrible financial mistake. Guess what? God calls your name and gives you another job. God reminds you: I think I can handle your past!

Burning bushes does have a cost.

“Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt.” Jethro felt the loneliness as his son-in-law, daughter, and grandsons left home. Hannah cried as she left little Samuel at the temple. Jesus’ body, torn to shreds and nailed to the cross, cried out in agony, “It is finished.” Yes, there is a cost when you respond to God’s call in your life, yet God never leaves you nor forsakes you.

Burning bushes do make a difference.

“God wants to lead us. Not all the ways of humans are God’s leading. For a long time, we can walk our own paths. On those, we are pawns of coincidence, whether they bring good luck or misfortune. Our own ways always lead in a circle back to ourselves. But when God leads our ways, they guide us to him. God’s ways guide us to God. God leads us through happiness and unhappiness always and only towards God. In this, we recognize God’s ways.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

We are encouraged by scripture’s burning bush examples of Moses leading a nation out of slavery, Esther saving her people from mass annihilation, David standing in front of a giant to unite a nation, and Jesus standing at the front of an empty tomb declaring victory over death!

God-inspired burning bushes fill the pages of history. Shoe cobbler William Carey’s passion for the unreached nations fueled the modern missionary movement. William Wilberforce’s faith awakened him from a life of leisure to champion justice for the enslaved. Preacher Martin Luther King, Jr burned with a dream for equality. Mother Teresa grieved for the burden of the poorest of the poor. Businessman Jeremiah Lanphier’s simple prayer, “Lord, what would you have me do?” led to the prayer revival of 1857, resulting in the Third Great Spiritual Awakening.

You may be facing a burning bush moment in your life – a time when God is trying to get your attention. Maybe your burning bush will not be as dramatic, but you will have your own burning bush. Like Moses, you are drawn to the burning bush. You have to decide to run away or “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” (2 Cor 13:14)

God is great!

Connie and I are in Kenya on a mission trip with our church. Reposting this devotion from 2022, I realize we are constantly confronted with burning bush experiences and must decide to obey.