Beginning a Life-Style of Prayer

 

          Learning to pray is an important part of any Christian's life.  Prayer is a vital aspect of our walk with the Lord.  Sometimes we view prayer as . . . that thing we do when life gets tough.  But, we are called to pray daily, even continually, in all circumstances.  We are called to live a life-style of prayer.

          Often people think that they must use memorized prayers or special words or language . . . all the Thee's and Thou's . . . think Shakespearean or King James-ish "churchy" language.  Some also worry about the proper posture . . . hands raised, on their knees, face down, hands folded, head bowed, eyes closed, etc.  It's not so much about the words you say or the physical posture you take, rather it's more about the condition and the "posture" of your heart.

          When it comes to learning how to pray, I think of two events in particular from Jesus' life.

          The first is in Luke 18:9-14.  Jesus tells a story of two men at the temple.  The first is very religious, self-righteous and prideful, praying to God . . . going on and on about all the good things that he does in life – basically thinking that if he’s good enough, then God will accept him.  The second man stands at a distance and is unwilling to even lift his eyes to heaven as he prays.  Instead he beats his chest and prays, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.”  That’s it . . . simple, short, but so powerful.  Jesus says that the humble sinner went home justified before God, not the other man.

 

          As we come before God in prayer, it begins here . . . in humble acknowledgement of our sin and our need for God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  We are sinful – God is holy.  Even our righteous deeds are like filthy rages to Him.  God says through the prophet Isaiah that He looks to those who are humble and repentant in spirit [Isaiah 66:2].  This is what the attitude of our heart must be as we come before a holy God in prayer.

 

          The second example is when the followers of Jesus ask Him to teach them to pray [Luke 11:1-4].  I’m sure you know this . . . the Lord’s Prayer.  It’s also found in Matthew 6:9-13.  This example is also very simple (it’s funny how we tend to make things so overly complicated).  Jesus begins with a humble statement about God:  Our Father in heaven, your name is holy.  He then prays for some specifics:  God’s will to be done, daily provision, forgiveness, and deliverance from temptation.  This is a great model for us.  No need for flowery language or special words or memorized prayers – just simple heartfelt expressions to God.

 

 

". . . pray about everything. Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done." [Philippians 4:6; NLT]

 

 

Here’s an acronym that many people use for prayer (it’s a good beginning point and not original with me):  A.C.T.S. – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

Adoration – praise God for who He is . . . like Jesus did as he began in his prayer:  Our Father in Heaven, holy is your name.  Speak of His greatness, His majesty, His glory.  Proclaim that He alone is worthy to be praised.  The Book of Psalms would be a great place to find some more examples.

Confession – it’s that idea of humble acknowledgment of your need for God’s forgiveness.  “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.”

Thanksgiving – there is so much to be thankful for!  Express those things to God.

Supplication – this is a “churchy” word that simply means making requests of God.  Like Jesus did.  Pray for God’s will to be done in your life and in your family.  Pray for God’s provision and protection.  Bring your needs to Him.

A.C.T.S. – It’s an easy outline to remember and a great way to begin the discipline of prayer.

          It's important to remember also that when we come to God, we do so through Jesus Christ.  Jesus himself said that no one comes to the Father except through him [John 14:1-6].  Scripture also tells us that there is but one mediator between God and man . . . and that is Jesus Christ [I Timothy 2:5].  This is true when we come to God for anything, whether that is salvation, forgiveness, or even in daily prayer.  We come to God through Jesus Christ.  Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can now have access to God through Him.  And, we can "approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" [Hebrews 4:16].

 

 

 

Worship Minister, Gateway Christian Church - www.gcch3.com

The Church in Jerusalem

A message I preached during a series in the Book of Acts:

Here is the Introduction:

 

"By modern standards they may have been naïve, but perhaps because of their simplicity, perhaps because of their readiness simply to believe, to obey, to give, to suffer, and, if necessary, to die, . . . the Spirit of God found that he could work in them and through them so powerfully that in Acts 17:6 (KJV) it is declared that they were turning the world upside down!"

 

Here is Lesson #1:  Obedience Outweighs Opinion

 

"When culture stands in opposition to the ways of God, the people of God must stand in opposition to the ways of culture. The 1st Century Church was constrained by God’s commands above the Law of man. We, now – in the 21st Century - are compelled to obey God rather than man."

 

 

Here is Lesson #2:  Prayer Precedes Power

 

"Before we will ever move in the power of the Holy Spirit

we must spend time in the presence of our Holy God."

 

 

Here is Lesson #3:  Reproof Requires Response

 

When reproof or conviction is brought into someone’s life, there is always a response.  We typically respond in one of three ways (or some weird combination):

Apathy – we ignore it and go on living as before

Anger – we lash out at the messenger
Attrition – we respond in sorrow and repentance

 

 

 

 

I enjoyed this message.  It was a challenge for me as I prepared and I hope that it challenges, encourages, and convicts us to move beyond "church" as usual and begin to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

Worship Minister, Gateway Christian Church - www.gcch3.com

Church . . . it's not what you think



"Heaven is my throne and Earth is my footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for me?" ~ Isaiah 66:1

 

"The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands" ~ Acts 7:48

 

I often hear people declare to their children as they zip down the hallway . . . "Stop running!  You're in Church" - which I suppose is appropriate if there are several other folks in the hallway and you don't want them to run into someone.

 

I've also heard folks say something like:  "Don't use that language . . . you're in church" or "Don't tell lies . . . you're in church" or "Don't [you fill in the blank] . . . you're in church."  What confuses me is the line "you're in church" . . . as if being in "church" makes all the difference.

 

Funny how we confuse the church building with being The Church.  We have some major misconceptions going on here.

 

I recently read an short post from Ransomed Heart Ministries about The Church that REALLY resonated with me.

 

Here's what it said:

 

Church is not a building. Church is not an event that takes place on Sundays. I know, it's how we think of it. "I go to First Baptist."   "We are members of St. Luke's."   "Is it time to go to church?"

Much to our surprise, that is not how the Bible uses the term. Not at all. When the Scripture talks about church, it means community. The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the kingdom. A shared life. They worship together, eat together, pray for one another, go on quests together. They hang out together, in each other's homes.

When Peter is sprung from prison, "he went to the house of Mary the mother of John . . . where many people had gathered and were praying" (Acts 12:12).

Anytime an army goes to war or an expedition takes to the field, it breaks down into little platoons and squads. And every chronicle of war or quest will tell you that the men and women who fought so bravely fought for each other. That's where the acts of heroism and sacrifice take place, because that's where the devotion is. You simply can't be devoted to a mass of people; devotion takes place in small units, just like a family.

We have stopped short of being an organization; we are an organism instead, a living and spontaneous association of individuals who know one another intimately, care for each other deeply, and feel a kind of respect for one another that makes rules and bylaws unnecessary. A group is the right size, I would guess, when each member can pray for every other member, individually and by name.

This is the wisdom of Brother Andrew, who smuggled Bibles into communist countries for decades. It's the model, frankly, of the church in nearly every country, but the U.S.

Now, I'm not suggesting you don't do whatever it is you do on Sunday mornings. I'm simply helping you accept reality—that whatever else you do, you must have a small fellowship to walk with you and fight with you and bandage your wounds. This is essential. [from Ransomed Heart Ministries]

Some excellent thoughts here!  It's the reason being plugged into a small group is SO essential . . . regardless of the attendance of the worship gathering you are a part of . . . mega, large, medium, small . . . it's all about true community/fellowship in Christ with others - walking with one another through the ups and downs of this life. 

Yes, the 1st Century church was a large body of believers . . . THOUSANDS.  There was exponential growth from the second chapter of Acts onward, but these believers met consistently from house to house in small groups to strengthen, encourage, support, and "be there" for one another.  You simply can't do that in a mass of nameless faces.



Worship Minister, Gateway Christian Church - www.gcch3.com