Prayer is a Door

I've noticed that many books on prayer approach it like it is a skill to be mastered. As though if I pray in just the right way God will give me what I request. Almost as though there is a winning formula to prayer and if I pray in just the right way then I can always win and winning looks like getting what I want.

I don't think that prayer is something to be mastered any more than a conversation or a close relationship is something to be mastered. Certainly it is something in which I can grow in my comfort, ability, depth, and intensity. But I dislike the implication that prayer is primarily about getting what I want from God. While there is certainly some biblical truth in the perspective above, to me it seems incomplete and lopsided.

What I would offer up as a beginning thought for prayer is this: Think of prayer first as a door through which you enter into God's presence. There is much more for us to learn about prayer, but let this be your first and overriding thought on the matter and you can deal with the rest later.

You see many of us think of prayer like sending an email. We compose the message and send it off from a distance. We have complete confidence that the message will get it where it is going and we are reasonably confident that we will get a response. It may be an effective and reliable way to communicate with God but at best it is communication at a distance. We send our prayers up to Heaven and wait for a response. (I am treading carefully because this view certainly finds some support in Scripture. See for example Solomon's prayer of dedication for the temple and especially God's response to that prayer in 2 Chronicles 7:14)

But for the New Testament believer, I am increasingly convinced that there is a better metaphor for prayer. Prayer opens a door through which I enter into God’s presence. It doesn’t transport me to heaven, but it might as well because it awakens my spiritual senses to the reality of God's presence all around me.

So when you pray, your first concern is to be mindful of entering into His presence. This is how we believe Adam and Eve talked with God as they walked with Him in the Garden (Genesis 3:8). They didn't communicate from afar until after they sinned. Or consider King Hezekiah. Is it of little consequence that he and so many others first entered God's presence by entering the temple before they prayed (Isaiah 37:14-15)? So too we ought to first endeavor to be mindful of entering God's presence before we focus on making our requests known. Surely too this is how we will talk to God in Heaven, not from far off but face to face. And now, through the power of the Spirit, surely the believer can pray in a similar manner. 

So do not pray from a distance. Don't "talk to the ceiling" hoping that someone up there is listening. Instead, focus on entering into God's presence before you pray. Cultivate a mindfulness and awareness of Him being present where you are. I often do this by reading and praying over a few psalms. As I contemplate God's attributes my Spirit rejoices. I am reminded of how big God is, and I begin to praise Him. As I praise the door opens for me. I become aware of His Spirit stirring within me and suddenly I am in the presence of God. This more than anything else helps my prayers. It keeps them humble. It focuses them on praise. It brings about confession. And above all it makes prayer precious and enjoyable to me like never before. 

How Not to Slap People

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

James 1:19-20

Do you ever just want to smack somebody? Lately, I have found myself wanting to do that more and more. And the sad part is they really don't deserve it. I'm getting more frustrated with people than normal and I don't know why. My temper is short. My patience shorter. Mostly, this all occurs in my mind. I don't think the people around me have noticed it much yet, but they soon will if I don't get it under control. But how?

What I am really mad about often isn't the minor annoyance that just occurred. It's the fact that it or something like it has happened five times this week! In other words, I've been keeping a record. Not so much a record of wrongs as a record of annoyances. Pet peeves. Things that kinda tick me off. I don't actively think about it, but all of that frustration is building up just below the surface of my life. So much so that I can be completely happy one minute, but as soon as something frustrates me all of that old built up frustration surges to the surface and I'm ready to explode. The amount of frustration I feel is all out of proportion to the situation. I am convinced that Christians ought not live this way, that we ought to discipline ourselves to deal with our frustration in a better way so that we can be "slow to anger." I knew I had to find a better way.

It occurred to me that I needed to find a way to vent my frustrations. I could yell at the people that are frustrating me, kick the cat, take it out on my family, or force my wife to listen to me complain for the third time this week OR I could take it to the Lord in prayer. I've decided that venting my frustrations in prayer is far superior to the other options. For a while now I have been utilizing the A.C.T.S. prayer model which stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. I'm going to change it to the F.A.C.T.S. prayer model and add in frustrations.

For me this is a two part strategy. First, in my extended prayer time I need to focus some time on praying over all the things that are frustrating me. If I can vent all of that to the Lord and let it go, then I can start my day at a frustration level of zero instead of 100. But secondly, and maybe even more importantly, prayer must become my first response when I sense frustration starting to build. When someone cuts me off in traffic or does something else that drives me nuts I need to pray about it right that second. 

So take a minute to pray over all the things people do that make you want to lose your cool, all the things that you sense building up inside you. And throughout the day as things irritate you, take it immediately to God in prayer and let it go. Hopefully, by doing this you and I can both keep ourselves from actually slapping anyone.

The Day When Secrets Are No More

This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Romans 2:16

Mankind has always gone to great lengths to cover our tracks, to hide our iniquities, to keep our secrets. But no man keeps anything secret from God, and Scripture says that there will come a day when all the secrets of men will be brought to light.

It is good for us to be reminded that...

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. (Luke 12:2-3)

Imagine all the backroom dealings that will be revealed! Ever bribe, every illicit affair, every single cover up since the beginning of the world will be laid bare. On that day I imagine shame raining down from the heavens on all mankind. For even the impulse to keep these things a secret condemns us. Why should we conceal our behavior unless our conscience has already sat in judgment on our case and ruled against us filling us with shame? There is a saying, "the cover up is almost always worse than the crime." I can't help but think that this statement will ring true on that day. 

What secrets are you keeping? What will we find out about you? 

All of us have acted shamefully. All of us have secrets that we do not want to be made known, but there is only one way to cover all our shameful acts: the blood of Jesus! Plead the blood of Jesus over your shame anew today. Repent of your sins and put them off. Flee from the shame of sin and cling to the shame of the cross (see Hebrews 12:2 on "the shame of the cross"). As Christ changes us by degrees into His image, we will start keeping new secrets. So that the secrets that will be revealed about us on that day will be our secret gifts to the poor (Matthew 6:4), our secret times of prayer (Matthew 6:6), and our secret fasting (Matthew 6:18).

Oh, to be one of these redeemed who are cloaked in redemption by their secret deeds and by the blood of Christ even as shame rains down on evil men and women the world over. Lord, let me be counted among the redeemed!

Our Story (W.o.W. Rewind)

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Colossians 1:21-23

Let me tell you a story about our family, the human family. This story belongs to all of us, because this story tells what is true about all of us.

Once upon a time you were an enemy of God. You were born into a family of rebels who long ago broke away from God. They hated Him and had a proud history going back many centuries of opposing His leadership in their lives. But by your own actions many times over you proved that you rejected God's way of life and His right to rule over you just as vehemently as any other human ever has. (And some of you still do.)

But God, it turns out, is a King like no other. Instead of squashing this feeble rebellion, which He could have easily done, God's heart reached out in love to reclaim His rebellious subjects. He sent His Son to die for them and through the death of His Son, He has brought back to the former state of loving harmony those who believe on His Son's name.

Now God has a plan for these repentant rebels, these prodigals. At the end of time when He presides in judgment for good or ill over all His creation, He will present those whom He reconciled by His Son as trophies for His glory. He will keep them unblemished by this world. Their holiness will be above suspicion. They will showcase His great love and grace towards those who previously rebelled against Him, if they persevere in their reconciled state. You see, if they are to fulfill God's purpose for them, then these redeemed ones must continue established and immovable in their faith in the Son. They must not trade in the hope they have found in Him for some other supposed means of reconciliation to God.

This is the battle that those who accept the Son face, to stay true to their faith even as they live in a world that constantly tries to tear them away from Him. They face temptation on every side. Temptation to embrace evil and temptation to move their hope from Jesus to some other counterfeit option. If they are to bring glory to His name on that last day, then by His power at work in them they must persevere in the faith. The true mark of  genuine salvation has always been that it perseveres to the end.

***

Where do you see yourself in this story? Are you still opposed to God, hating and opposing His leadership over your life? If so, then look closely at the loving sacrifice of Jesus and allow it to change your view of this God (John 19). Are you one of the prodigals reconciled by the blood of the Lamb? If so, be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith to the end, so that your faith will not have been in vain, so that you may be found blameless on that final day. Cling to the cross of Jesus. Hold fast to the gospel of grace for in it alone lies your salvation and no one can snatch you out of His hand (John 10:27-30).

For further reading...

• John 19- Read the crucifixion story and be reminded of the price of your salvation. 
• Matt 10:22, Matt 13:20-21, Matt 24:12-14, John 10:27-30, 2 Tim 2:11-13, & Heb 6:4-8- Check out these passages which speak of true salvation enduring to the end. Admittedly this biblical teaching can be confusing, however I do not understand these passages to teach that a true believer can lose their salvation. Rather I understand them to teach that true salvation is proven true by the fact that it perseveres to the end. As always I stand before God and His Word ready to be corrected if I am wrong.