Teach us to Pray

Jesus said that we must become like little children and perhaps nothing puts us in that role more than the simple act of prayer. Prayer is childlike in its approach to the father. Paul encourages us to pray in all circumstances at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and yet the very nature of prayer makes approaching the throne room of God something more than just usual. Like children, who take for granted that their parents are always looking out for them and are ever present in their lives, we approach God without pageantry or procedure. And, like children who are quite aware of their need for their parent’s provision and direction, we also see our prayers in the context of a dependant speaking of his or her need.

And yet, prayer is also a kind of place we enter, it is more than merely speaking out-loud. We gather for prayer, we go to a quiet place or a private place for prayer, we may even journey to a place of majesty or of fond memories for a special time of prayer. Although we may have spontaneous prayer, we also have a more disciplined time of prayer that, by its very nature, declares that we are very different from the God we pray to and somewhat removed from him. Like a child who plans a conversation with a parent and approaches the parent with respect, we too come before God with great reverence.

A 4 year-old boy was asked to lead the family prayer over Christmas dinner,

He began his prayer, thanking God for all his friends, naming them one by one. Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all his aunts and uncles. Then he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, even the Cool Whip. Then he paused, and everyone waited--and waited. After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, “‘If I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know that I'm lying?’ *

A child recognizes both the accessibility of God and the holiness of his time with God. God is a friend, but he is also sacred; he is comforting and awe inspiring. We can learn something from observing children the prayers of children.

Dear God, please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me. Oh, please take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we're gonna be in a big mess.*

Don Morrison

*(from Letters to God, weblog, http://my-prayer-for-you-today.blogspot.com/2009/01/childrens-prayers.html).

If We Are Really in a Battle, Who is Our Enemy?

Christians long to know that they have done something of importance in the kingdom of God. We find the passage in Matthew 25 where Jesus says that by serving one of the least of his disciples, we serve him – even by giving a simple drink of water. Sometimes we hope that is significant enough because we have got so many other things going on in our lives that we are not sure what else we can do. Or we just don’t see how we can make any other contribution.

So when do we need the armor of Ephesians 6? What is it for?

Most people make a great deal out of the defensive nature of the armor of God mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-20. And maybe that is the correct way to understand it - perhaps the apostle is only equipping us to not lose ground. There is value in that. And defending our ground is a difficult battle when against Satan comes at you with temptation. But it is worth noting that when a Roman foot soldier went into an offensive engagement, those are the same weapons he would take.

But, getting more to the question, it may not be so important that we design the battle plan so that we know we are in the battle, as it is that we just put on the armor and fight the good fight. When I don’t know what to say, but I know the person I am talking to needs to hear from God – that is a spiritual battle. When I want to help someone out, but I just don’t have the time or the energy – that is a spiritual battle. When I am embarrassed or hurt – that is a spiritual battle. Those are the opportunities we have to live out of the good news of our faith and to share it with others. Those are the times when our faith, our gift of righteousness, the word, our readiness all comes into play. What we do and say may be rather small and plain, but those are moments of battle when we feel the intensity and we know we were tempted to fall back.

If we are not aware, we lose the moment. That’s one of the reasons why it is so important to put on the armor. Wearing the armor helps us to remember that we are indeed in a struggle for the kingdom of God. When we are not aware, there is still a battle raging around us, but we cannot win, if we do not fight. Perhaps then, the battle looks like us being engaged in the lives and welfare of others. Perhaps it looks simply like that cup of water. Maybe, the biggest part of my battle is what I fight within myself.

Putting on the armor of God is like our own personal call to arms. It says, “I will be engaged – I will not be oblivious.” It says, “I am ready to fight – I will not miss the opportunity to serve.” Then the enemy I often fight is my own self-absorption, my own will, my own agenda.

Lord, help us to take up your cross and follow you, whether it is in plain, simple service or in great sacrifice. Help us to be ready and engaged in that moment so we will stand for you.

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost’s poem about life choices is set in the first two lines, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood / And sorry I could not travel both.” It is the nature of living that we will face many choices which in turn will tell the stories of our lives. But I had thought the title of this poem was “The Road Less Traveled” and that it was encouraging a certain way of thinking about facing the forks in our roads. The final lines seem to imply this, “Two roads diverged in a wood / And I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference.” One interpretation has been that the non-conformist road is better than the mainstream road which seems to be taken by the majority.

That’s what I had wanted the poem to say. I wanted Frost to agree with Jesus that the way of the majority is broad, but ends in judgment and disappointment. On the other hand, the narrow way may be difficult because it is not well worn by many travelers, but taking that forsaken path makes all the difference in our eternal destiny.

In fact, as I study the poem, I believe that it notices, with regret, the inevitability of life changing choices that must be made without a complete understanding of where they may lead and the revised perspective we have of those choices when we look back at them in the future. Those choices that make “all the difference” are made with limited perspective.

In a sense, Frost’s poem does say what I had desired. That is, he says that a choice must be made and you must take the one that seems right, for whatever reason, at the time. But, about our way of life, we have chosen to follow Christ because, by faith, we can see farther down the road, all the way to the end. We believe that Jesus is the trailblazer who has created a new path – not the mainstream path that is comfortable and often requires no choice at all, since it just goes with the flow. And not the path that blends with all other paths, giving no indication of the destiny that lies ahead. Jesus has blazed a dangerous, difficult path that is not so appealing. It is not a path for the mere adventurer (though it is full of adventure), since he will be disappointed with the commonness of its setting. Nor is it a path for those seeking the common, since Jesus continually challenges the norms of life.

If Jesus wrote about the road not taken, there would be no regret, no wondering about the other path. He confidently sought the Father’s will at every juncture of his life so we have no need for doubt or regret. Remember, we follow Him.

God is So Very, Extremely, Consistently, Unexpectedly, Unimaginably Good

God is good…..all the time. All the time….God is good!

When Christians are living in faith that God loves them and is involved in their lives, we can walk with a smile on our face. It means the realization and resignation that we don’t know everything, we’re not in charge of everything – and we don’t have to be. It is rest. It is the restfulness that trusts that whatever is happening to us, God is in control and will work all things to our ultimate blessing in Christ.

When Christians doubt, it is not always the kind of skepticism that leans toward agnosticism, it is often the questioning of God’s ways: “How could God (the god I have always thought God is), do or allow the things I see, (which I, personally, disapprove of)?” In other words, Christians doubt when they sit in judgment of God.

How much better to rest in his care and learn to trust. As Sara Groves writes in her song, “He’s Always Been Faithful,”

Morning by morning I wake up to find
the power and comfort of God's hand in mine.
Season by season I watch him amazed,
In awe of the mystery of his perfect ways

All I have need of his hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me

All that we have – all that we can ever have and hold onto is strictly by faith. Everything else melts away with the stuff of earth. When we trust and believe, we can see straight ahead to eternity. In that place everything is put right, everything makes sense. He has already given us his kingdom; we can live there now, by faith, when we trust that God is good….all the time. All the time….God is good.