MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS ON PRAYER, Part 1

  As a context... this is Part 1 because this is a lifestyle issue and, as a result, continually growing. As we live a life as a pray-er we will continue to learn and apply... and that's exciting!

  Scripture is our best foundation for learning about prayer, what it's designed for, and how we go about doing ... praying. Some verses become foundational for us. but never allow them to be stagnant - we understand more the more we pray. There are some pillars, at least for me, that form my understanding on prayer, such as:

   "Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]." [James 5:16, AMP]

   The Message Bible says: " Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with..."

  Again, using only this one verse we see that in just these 2 expressions we can expand on our understanding. Then you look at the words.. such as 'righteous man'. Do you know what those words are telling you? Do you appreciate that you have been put in a position of 'righteous' but that isn't of your own doing (2 Corinthians 5:32)? And I could go on. My point is that, as with most spiritual matters, nothing is ever one and done. 

  What will follow now and in future 'parts' will be scripture to ponder and some thoughts that emanated from my ponderings and experiences. And if it seems I'm repeating myself, maybe not... maybe it's a new layer of understanding that's emerged.

* Prayer is not one way communication, and it requires us to be silent and LISTEN for the Lord’s reply to be heard. And once ‘heard’ then to follow. That always is our decision since we have graciously been created with Free Will.

* Without starting the day - INTENTIONALLY - by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6) then we leave ourselves open to attack. When our arch enemy sees that we do have our armor on daily and STAND in it, this doesn’t stop him but it does make him less effective.
* The greatest weapon we have at our disposal to defeat those temptations and seductions the devil throws at us daily is our Sword. The Word of God should never be handled lightly. It is our defense and we need to treat it with care. ‘Care’ in my world of definitions means that we take time to build ourselves up in what the Word says.

* Never forget that Jesus defeated satan by saying: It Is Written. This is the model, the example of how we can defeat satan. But we need to remember that satan undoubtedly knows scripture even better than we do so he will manipulate it, even by only one word. If WE don’t have the Word in us, we could easily be duped and lied to. 

* Prayer is not an act we do. It is a lifestyle we engage in throughout our lives. It is more than just the time we take at the beginning of the day. It is the lifestyle that directs our day.

* I'm a grate advocate of the prayer of agreement. First, it's not a manmade understanding, it is scripture.
 
  Agree, anything, ask... is followed with 'will be done'.  Additionally, there is the statement that Jesus will be with them, in their midst. The Amplified version expands our understanding of this verse:

"“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” [Matthew 18:19]

   "Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." [AMP]

  However, it is the Message Bible that puts a period to this:

   "Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

  My addition for me is to make certain that when I am about to stand in agreement that I know precisely what I'm agreeing to/with. It is not an action to take hastily nor unthinkingly.


[[The final question always comes back to You! How do you know, understand, integrate, apply what is relevant to you and your life?! Does it make any difference to you and who you are and are becoming?]]

Burden

Have you ever considered yourself a 'burden'? How does that make you feel? Uncomfortable? Do you understand why? Shift emphasis... How do you feel when someone needs your help? For example: what is your reaction when asked to pray for someone or what if the need is financial? Back to you, when you became aware you needed help and how did you ask for it? How did that make you feel? Relieved... that someone else was helping? Aghast... that you needed help? Wary... that there were strings attached to their help? Delight... that you had a partner to help to resolve your situation? A mix of all that? 

For me, I have said (for decades) that the last thing I ever wanted to be is a burden for someone else, especially read 'financial'! If I had fears, this would top the charts. However, this can also be a delusion, a misapplication of what 'burden' means. I think I was operating from the perspective that I had no choice and needed to lean. And somehow that was always applied to material things and then translated into spiritual ones. Talk about a disapprobation.

How does this get translated into a spiritual issue... one that leaves us alone and defenseless? Did you ever consider it was a ploy of the devil?. First: we need each other. We don't have all the answers? And too often we don't ask, seek, knock? When it comes to 'burden' there are a number of verses, typically thanking God for His relief/rescue. What I'd like to focus on is what scripture says about burdens in relation to each other.

   "Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of

    the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]." Galatians 6:2

   GotQuestions - "Galatians 6:2 says, 

   “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The word burden

    here means “a weight of personal and eternal significance.” It can refer to a

    character flaw, a struggle, or a moral requirement. 

Much of our problem/misunderstanding (?) regarding 'burden' can come from the apparent contradiction in our understanding of Galatians 6:2 and 5, 

   

   “Each one should bear his own load.” [6:5]

Are these verses really contradictory? How can we bear someone else’s burdens if we are each supposed to carry our own loads?"

Do you have your definitions? Do you understand? Knowing that scripture does not contradict itself then how do we reconcile a seeming disparity between Galatians 6: 2 and 5? Or is this merely looking at both sides of the issue? 

Bottom line - how we define and act about/on burdens whether our own or someone else the Love of the Lord should be our motivation. Those 2 verses aren't in contradiction... read them with the heart and mind of love. If you do... you will see how both exist.

[[The final question in all of these discussions always comes back to You! How do you know, understand, incorporate, apply what is relevant to you and your life?! Does it make any difference to you and who you are and are becoming?]]

Beginning anew

Not particular excited about the title, but I'm back... it's been an interesting 2 month journey. I'll share some of my experiences and learnings in future posts, but how... 

What's next! Not a question... a statement. (Somehow I think that 2023, the start of a new year and the end of my hiatus, begins on a Sunday, lovely beginning.) Somewhere in the middle of the hiatus time I sense a direction toward 'stand alone' books rather than series (there are 3 series with 5 books in each series). Unless something changes, stand alone is going to be my approach - the new book is going to be called, "Being You"... at least at this point.

First, we all have to come to the realize that becoming is an on-going, never ending process. Personally, I kinda like that. It's not that there aren't certain 'is' or permanent pieces like salvation and the Lordship of Jesus; but there are also the growing understandings - a process. A long time ago I came to the obvious conclusion that when it comes to spiritual matters - nothing is ever one and done, we all continue to grow in understanding and application. Read the Message Bible in how they share Paul's comments in Philippians 2:12-13

   "What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what 

    you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in

    responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better

    yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and

    sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you,

    God himself willing and working at what will give Him the most pleasure."

While the issue of salvation is one and done, the continuing understanding and appreciation is not. Many translations use the words 'work out your salvation in fear and trembling'. Obviously We continue to discover, to grow, to understand; which, obviously, our enemy does not want. Part of the reason would be our own understanding and standing... but part is what we share, demonstrate that others can learn.

For me, my best confirmation that I'm on my path, working and developing my gift is when I sense a kind of peace. If I'm not obsessing over what's next or trying to create 'it' in my mind; when I'm not restless in my spirit about my understanding... then I am on the right path headed in the right direction. Next I tend to start thinking about what the path will look like. Will the path be smooth, will there be pebbles, potholes and/or obstacles, maybe there are a lot of over hill and down in the dale, perhaps the path with have flowers or trees along the side. The answer is 'yes' - to all and more.

The point in all this is to remind us all that life is a continual process. And we are intimately engaged in this. Life can be abundant... but how do you define the word? What do you want your journey to be, to look like - how do you want to experience it - and circumstances play only part you give it. Beginning anew is not dismissing or forgetting the past but not being held captive to it. If you want to make a difference, be fruitful then our face is pointed forward and your hand can be firmly in the hand of the Lord. It's always OUR choice.

Hiatus **

I think we all are familiar with this word. Webster defines it as:

   "an interruption in time or continuity: BREAK: especially: a period when

    something (such as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted"

That's what I think is happening for me, I'm beginning a new season. For the pat 14+ years I've been writing a blog. I started out posting daily... then every other day... and finally, every third day. Also, during that time 16 books have been published. I'm not saying this to pat myself on the back nor give myself permission to provide an excuse... it is what it is.

I think I'm entering a season of preparation and growing in understanding. At least that's what I think. No, I won't stop writing. Writing does define Who I am, at least partially - I, like you, am not one dimensional. And I do love to write, but for the first time I seem to be direction-less. Completing the last book in this third series, by now I would know the next series - I don't. Granted it could be argued that I write about the same spiritual issues. No argument. I believe we are never done discovering all that each issue is, that we continually grow in understanding and application. As a result, though the topic may be the same, the writing isn't. It's always a new way of understanding, a new perception, a greater application. 

'My' writing is designed in a question-based format. I provide my thinking as a counterpoint for the reader to discover, define, refine what they believe. The point in this is to help the reader to continue to discover and grow. Basically I'm a teacher who is also involved in learning and as iron sharpens iron, everyone grows. It's not a contest. Different understandings are not threats. I like to not think in terms of 'right' and 'wrong' when it comes to understanding. Can both be 'right'? Can both be 'wrong'? As long as we involve, seek to have the Holy Spirit involved... truth will be the result.

   "But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth

    [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He

    will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the

    Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future]. John  16:13

Hiatus is just that. A time to refresh, to study, to grow... to think. At least this is what I think on this lovely fall day in September. Will the time be lengthened? Will it be shortened? No idea. But I want to follow where I think I'm being led. I totally trust the Lord that if I'm wrong or in the wrong timing, He will correct me. Correction is always a positive because the Lord doesn't condemn, criticize, blame, or shame - He always helps us to understand.

Ergo and Thus... don't expect any further writing-teaching until 2023, realizing that we move according to the Lord's plans.

It's HOW we do our WHO

When it comes to our mistakes, errors in judgment, sins...it's how we respond  that define us... in so many ways. 'Doing the right thing' is not always easy... it's not necessarily 'automatic'... but I think we always instinctually (or intuitively) know. The only question is - HOW we respond. Do we try to hide? ignore? shift attention? and there are a host of other like responses. Obviously the answer should be - apologize, where and to whom necessary, correct, and move on. And this can be incredibly difficult. But even the 'difficult' is no reason to avoid nor no 'excuse' for not doing what we need do.

   "So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His

    purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion,

    kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure

    whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing

    graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a

    cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so

    should you forgive. Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in

    [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound

    together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others]." 

   [Colossians 3:12-14]

Even if the only verses we remember, Colossians 3 gives us our What as well as our How of doing our How we do Who we are. It also gives us a way to 'judge' ourselves: how we respond, what we do to resolve, and ultimately how this is added to our understandings,,, not least of which is ourselves.

We see that it is our Who that puts on a heart of: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience which becomes our foundation on which we act. Never feel that you go into difficult places (and learn important lessons) without a strong foundation. You are never a wimp or a foot mat or even 'wrong'. Sometimes our 'right' isn't expressed in a way that demonstrates speaking the truth in love. Without this motivation our words and actions can be misunderstood as pompous or opinionated or threatening. How can our message be understood or even heard? And never let your expression be an 'excuse'.

The How of our Who gives the other person a tangible example and we do tend to believe what we see over what we hear. Do you follow the directions in these verses? Are they your expression in responding? This is especially true when it comes to accepting our errors and dealing with them. You can't catch back the words you say and it can be difficult to explain our behavior.  But we can always make it... worse by our How.

Tests

We are always going through... Tests. But I think most of us need to redefine what the word means and does. I believe that the purpose for tests is to help us discover what we don’t know, what we still need to understand. God is not punishing us or displeased with us, He is testing us so that we find those areas we aren't prepared in/for yet and so that we will grow and become strong. God has a destiny for each of us but one of the ways we grow is through testings. 

Never forget that our adversaries, the devil, is always trying to defeat us. Unless we are in the word we become defenseless so one of the ways we are tested is in our knowledge and understanding of the Word. The devil is well versed in the Word and will attempt to use it against us. Therefore... one of the ways we can tell if what we are experiencing is a test is how does it make us feel? Do we feel threatened... or defensive... or criticized... or condemned,,, or shamed... or any other negative emotion then we know - it's from our enemy, not the Lord. Don't accept the lies. Do accept the testings so you can judge yourself.

I have written about test before but this is a deeper level of understanding about the purpose of the test. Never think that because you were going through a test the Lord doesn’t love you it’s because he does love you that he provides these tests so that we can determine what we need to know in order to reach our destiny. Also remember that if what you are going though is based in a temptation that this is never the Lord [James 1:13-15].

So how do we react to the test? Can we confidently act or do we hesitate. Hesitation is not the proper reaction because it calls into question our foundation and basically it implies a lack of confidence. When we are not confident in what we believe then how could be we possibly ever stand? The test proves our level of understanding and the source of our strength. And do not read this as my belief that tests are simple or a piece of cake. They're not. And some of them are more difficult the more we do 'study to become approved [2 Timothy 2:15]. 

   "Consider it nothing but joy, my [a]brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into

    various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience]

    produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let

    endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be

    perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing." 

    [James 1:2-4]

Process... Process... Process,,,

And again I say PROCESS!!!!!!! The 'older' I get the more I realize/am fully convinced  that all learning is a continual building process. I'm not certain that there is any spiritual issue that is ever 'one and done'... we are always 'in process'. It doesn't mean that we wait to act on/ apply our learning until we know everything. Firstly, how, if it is always an ongoing process, can we ever learn it all? And secondly, application is a form of confirmation/'approving what we know' and taking the next step into further understanding.

Especially for the new believer, I sometimes think we may unintentionally mislead them because no one is an instantly mature Christian. It takes time and especially it takes a commitment to study, to grow. Simply because one is a Christian doesn't mean that you don't make mistakes, errors in judgment - all this is in a state of continual growing - it's a process. Personally, despite scrapped knees and elbows and an occasional wounded pride, I enjoy this. 

One of the first things we do at the beginning of our growth is to begin to renew our minds - which is also unending but when you look at it as an adventure, a journey... totally different mindset.  We renew through studying the Bible and reading, and reading, checking different translations/versions. The Bible is our manual for learning and growing. It really is imperative that we don't think that one reading is sufficient. I believe we never outgrowing 'line upon line, precept upon precept. For me, one of the delights is discovering something 'more' or 'new' in the scripture I have read countless times. It's not that it wasn't there in the beginning... it's that I hadn't grown sufficiently to see and grow in what is being taught. Just like school. We learn our A,B,C's before we know HOW to read. Same principle.

Besides prayer and study, starting the process of learning and being and doing... we have the blessing of other believers. Isaiah talks about iron sharpening iron. That the times we share what we've discovered and listen to what others have gleaned and discovered. Never see this time as insignificant or unimportant - I would argue that fellowship is crucial to our growing and growing is crucial to our becoming the Ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) necessary to touch this world, each of our worlds we live in. Ephesians (2:10) talks about us being His workman. Do take the time to read, many times, Ephesians 2 to see what the Lord's done FOR us and how He can use us.

The point in all this is that when we accept Jesus as our Lord, we enter into a never ending opportunity [process] to grow and become all that He sees in us. Remember, He's not done with us yet. We shouldn't either.