Aunt Annie’s Ingrown Great Toenail

[With apologies to anyone who has an “Aunt Annie” or an ingrown toenail.]

Intercession, according to the on-line dictionary, is the “action of intervening for or saying a prayer for another person.” This intercessory prayer is the kind that we most often think of when we begin talking about prayer in general. This important aspect of prayer and understanding of the power of prayer is really only a tiny bit of our prayer life.

When we intercede in prayer, we may take the many physical needs that come to mind. We pray for that friend or relative who is dealing with the inconvenience of a cold. We pray for another who has been diagnosed with cancer—for the third time, and this one looks ominous. We pray for the pre-mature baby who is fighting for life in the NICU. We pray for the couple experiencing the tragedy of divorce. We intervene on their behalf.

However, since prayer is so much more than just the surface, and since we have been developing a prayer life that is a deeper relationship with the Father, let us take our intercession deeper too. Let us pray for the needs that we can’t see, those things that are hidden from us by the people who surround us. We may not know of the heartache that is tearing at the mind of an acquaintance—that may even be driving that precious soul to thoughts of suicide—but pray for them. Has a person (a close friend, a long-forgotten one, a neighbor, a passing acquaintance) ever drifted into your mind for no noticeable reason? That is a perfect moment for intercession—regardless of whether you know their circumstances or not.

Michael W. Smith, in his early days, penned the song “Pray for Me” in which the speaker suggests mutual intercession (“Pray for me, and I’ll pray for you”). This is good practice. It is also good practice to intercede regardless of the promise of reciprocity. I once had a friend who often prayed for “those it is our duty to pray for.” While I am not convinced that this all-encompassing prayer is the most effective form of intercession, I am sure that the sentiment of praying for the needs—even the ones that are not immediately brought to mind—is well-taken. And I am confident that God is all-knowing enough to fill in the blanks when we cannot supply the specifics.

Pray for one another. In time of need or prosperity, intercede. And when you don’t know the words, let the Holy Spirit take the lead.

“In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.” –Romans 8:26

 

Prayer and Patriotism

This week my country (United States of America) celebrates her independence. I want to focus my prayers on the leaders, the welfare, and the benefit of America. In recent years, one of the hot-button theological issues among church leaders has been a debate over the appropriateness of patriotic decoration and declarations in the church-house. Owing to the season, I have even recently seen this debate get more “airtime” on a Facebook group that I follow. It seems that the battle lines are often drawn between younger and older pastors, and even more so between pastors and congregants. Those who side with the Flag are patriotic to the Nth degree and vigorously attached to the liberty that has been hard won with the blood of generations past. Meanwhile, others vehemently insist that the “sanctuary” is a place to worship God and not country arguing that to include patriotism in worship equates nation with deity and has no place in Christian practice. Some would welcome reciting a pledge to the American Flag each week, while others would remove songs such as “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” from the hymnals altogether.

In the midst of all this I am reminded of a couple of truths. First, one that was constantly placed before me when I was a student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. My Old Testament and Hebrew professor (one D. David Garland) was fond of telling students not to call the room in which we worship at the church a “sanctuary” because a sanctuary is the residence of God. “YOU are the sanctuary, the dwelling of God,” he would say, “that other place is a room where sanctuaries gather.” Sometimes we get too caught up in our righteous indignation for the space in which we worship that we forget the One that we worship.

Also, I try to keep in mind that while I am an American, and pleased to be one, I am not convinced that my country is on equal ground with my Savior. And because of this I take to heart the scriptural admonition to hold my country up in my prayers—to pray for the benefit and well-being of my country. Today, and especially this week, I pray that the leaders of my country will (wittingly, willingly, or otherwise) follow the direction of God, under whose authority they have their position. I pray for prosperity for my fellow citizens. I offer gratitude for the liberty afforded my in my nation. And I pray that I can be a blessing to my neighborhood, my city, my country, and my world. I pray that my patriotism will be evident and that my Christianity will be prevalent.

Pray for your country—for God’s influence, for God’s deliverance, and for God’s will.

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” –1 Timothy 2:1-2

 

Corporate Prayer

When we get together for the purpose of prayer, it has been my experience that we feel like we haven’t really done anything worthwhile unless we have a Bible study and then tack on a “prayer time” that is typically dominated by an “organ recital.” You know, when we list all the people we know who have something wrong with one or more of their organs, and we recite all the procedures or problems they have had, will have, or are having as we meet.

Over twenty years ago, Jim Cymbala wrote a book that chronicled the events that led to the turn around of a dying congregation—the Brooklyn Tabernacle. A small church that was breathing her last welcomed a young Cymbala as their pastor. The young preacher did not know what to do to make things happen in the struggling neighborhood, but in his book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire he tells the story of how when the church desperately turned to the practice of corporate prayer, God began to work wonders.

What was so different about Brooklyn Tabernacle? What is so different about real corporate prayer than what many traditional churches are doing in what we call our “mid-week prayer service”?

I’m glad you asked. It has to do with where and how we seek the presence of God. We start with a heartfelt—heart-wrenching—desire to actually do whatever it is that God wants to happen in our life and in the life of the local church to which we belong. We bring this desire—personally and collectively—before the feet of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And we keep on pouring out this heart-deep prayer for the will of God to so fill our lives that there is no room for anything else.

What happened in Brooklyn, and what can happen again in the life of your church is a movement of the Holy Spirit so strong that it will rattle the rafters of your church building, humble the hearts of your church members, and storm the streets of your community with a taste of what the early church saw at Pentecost. (see the record in the book of Acts)

All of this is a result of true, sincere, congregational, corporate prayer. What it looks like can be anything from a group of church leaders meeting in a back room to a standing room only crowd spending their lunch hour in the worship center of their local church for the purpose of praying. It is not your personal, go inside your closet and close the door, type prayer. And it is not the out in the public, letting the world know you are part of God’s family, type prayer. No, this is the family of God gathering together and unifying their hearts in search of God’s will, God’s movement, and God’s way, type prayer. And our homes, our churches, our communities, our cities, our country, and our world desperately need Christ followers to engage in more of this type of prayer on a regular basis because not only does God love this, but He wants to inhabit this kind of prayer in the hearts and lives of His people today—just as He did in the first century.

“They cried to you and were set free;
they trusted in you and were not disgraced.” –Psalm 22:5

 

Father’s Day Prayer

Today we celebrate Father’s Day. Traditionally it is a day for outdoor grilling, joining Dad for enjoying some favorite sporting event (most likely on television), and gifting of ugly ties. But in keeping with our prayer emphasis for the year, I would like to share this prayer for my father—perhaps it will strike a chord with you as well.

I thank you, Father, for my father.

The man who showed me man-ness.

Firm in discipline, strong on care

Filled with faith, though short on hair.

He filled with love and laughter every day

He taught the way to work and rest.

May as he walks with You long days

And I be imitative of his ways.

“²Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, ³so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.” –Ephesians 6:2-3

 

 

Public Prayer

Before we start quoting and judging according to the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (or Tax-Collector, see Luke 18 for the story) [oh, and don’t do like I did as a child and think that Jesus is talking about a Pharisee and a Republican—American politics had not been invented yet], hear me out: there are times for public prayers. When we are praying in public, for particular reasons, we ought to follow some guidelines.

First, let’s talk about why we should use guidelines. When you are praying in public (perhaps, but not necessarily in a church setting) someone who does not follow your particular brand of Religion or even Christianity may be present in the crowd. Remember that you are a Christ-follower and will be seen as such when you are praying. And one must never forget that he/she is being watched (and often judged) when praying in public—by believing groups and non-believers alike.

So, what are these guidelines, you may ask. I believe (and this is strictly my own personal opinion, and I offer it as humbly as anyone could who is claiming expertise in an inexpert world) that public prayer ought to be an extension of our faith, and offered reverently and I should say sparingly.

1. Pray with a view to the reason you are asked to pray. If you are asked to offer a closing benedictory prayer at the close of a church service it is not time to catch up on your personal prayer life, correct something you disagreed with in the pastor’s sermon, or at the very least re-preach the sermon for someone who should have heard it in the first place. Or perhaps you are at a family gathering and have been asked to say grace over the meal—say thanks and move on, everybody is already hungry. Or you may have been asked to offer a specific prayer at a community event. Rather than proselytizing everyone in the audience, offer the requested prayer and let the program continue.
2. Do not compromise in your prayer. While you don’t want to be controversial or political in your open address to God, you also don’t want to water down the Gospel by what you say publicly. Pray earnestly and sincerely. Pray with conviction. And pray “in Jesus’ Name.” You, a Christian who addresses his prayer to God and desires to ask all things in line with Christ’s will, have been asked to offer the prayer. Your host should be aware of this part of your prayer life when they ask.
3. Pray out loud. Again, you have been asked to pray publicly, not privately. There’s an old joke about a man who was praying in church and was speaking barely above a whisper. Someone called him out saying, “Speak up, I can’t hear you.” To which the man responded, “I wasn’t talking to you.” This does not really apply when you are asked to pray publicly. In the church setting, someone may desire to agree with your prayer—they can’t if they don’t hear it. In the case of a community event, your prayer is as much a faith-speech as anything else. (With this in mind, in the case of the community event, go ahead and write the prayer out, and even read it—it should be short anyway, and this way you can say what you mean to say by drafting, revising and editing, just as you would a keynote speech.)
4. Finally, let God be the focus of your prayer. You’ve been asked to pray, not to make the keynote speech. Let the One you address with your words be your main audience. This is a great witness to those who do not believe as you do. You are saying, “The God I serve and pray to is more important than I am.”

If you are asked to pray publicly, it’s okay to accept the request. Just remember to be God’s representative at all times.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.” –2 Timothy 4:2

 

Private Prayer

A number of years ago, my denomination experienced a controversy over (of all things) prayer. In an effort to avoid shallow or empty religion that was based on showmanship, most worshipers throughout the years have avoided the practice of speaking in tongues, especially in a public setting. Then one of the leaders admitted in an interview that he “practiced a private prayer language.” Accusations of “closet Pentecostal” and “charlatan” began to surface. Lines of demarcation were drawn in the proverbial sand, and the in-fighting began. Sadly, such displays of bickering over belief have ever only served to push people away from the Gospel that we as Christ-followers say we believe. And it makes us look like we can’t get along with ourselves—regardless of commands by our Lord and Savior to practice unity. Let me just note, especially for my friends more in the holiness tradition, that the practice of tongues by one believer need not label someone as over-emotional any more than a reserved spiritual practice (without manifestation of tongues) by another should negate any experience of the Holy Spirit in that person. I would just like to say that we should all practice a private prayer life—one in which we meet with the Master without anyone else present.

What your personal prayer time looks like will certainly depend upon your relationship with the Father. Perhaps you prefer to take a long drive, or get away into nature (by the sea or in the woods), or find a quiet and deserted chapel with stained glass windows. When you meet with God for these moments of alone time, you may sing, or talk, or listen, or even be driven to your knees as you cry out in an otherwise unutterable language that you’ve never heard before. What matters most, in the spiritual scheme of things, is that you are spending time with Jesus. You are sharing time with Him that is uninterrupted by the cares of the world. And you are spending that time in prayer—communicating one-on-one with the One who knows you better than you know yourself.

This moment is not a show-piece or a badge to be bandied about. It is just what is implied: a private, personal, (and might I add) powerful time with Jesus that will invigorate and refresh your spirit. These quiet moments alone with God will not only strengthen your relationship with Him, but they will positively affect your daily living as you continue to walk in this world. So, however you spend your personal prayer time, make time to spend it with Jesus.

⁵ “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.” –Matthew 6:5-8

 

Pray with Confidence

I like to go to the movies—or even watch them at home. With the advances in modern technology, I can even watch some of my favorites on my computer, laptop, or handheld device. Some scenes from favorite films touch on one of the attitudes of prayer that we can take advantage of. While we are to have a reverent fear of God, I do not think that He intends for us to approach Him as we see the Lion in The Wizard of Oz approach the title character—trembling, afraid, bumbling, and tripping over his own tail. Instead, I see little Arliss (Old Yeller) facing the fearsome stranger (played by a towering Chuck Connors, and expertly angled from the camera to make him look even taller) to trade a toad from his pocket for the thieving yeller dog.

Boldness is the word used in Scripture. When we enter into prayer time with the Father, we have all the privileges of one who is born to come before Him. If we are born again (as John 3 suggests) of the Spirit, then we are family—adopted into God’s household by His choice and design. As one lyricist put it, “I am His and He is mine.” This relationship brings the perspective of family into the equation. As a son or daughter of the Heavenly Father we have access that strangers can only dream of.

We can come boldly before Him because we are His children and because He is interested in our hearts, our lives, and our desires. He wants us to be confident that we can come to Him at any moment, with any request, for any purpose. He assures us that we can be confident that He will  answer our prayers in a way that will help us to grow, challenge us, and express His love for us (even when the answer is not one that we desire). Whenever we come near to God through prayer, He rushes to meet us and listens attentively.

Yes, our attitude in prayer is one of confident boldness that allows us, as children of the living God, to barge into important meetings like little George Baileys (It’s a Wonderful Life) to ask Dad a question of importance. We will always have access to our Father in Heaven.

“But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.”  –Luke 15:20b

 

Pray with a Grateful Heart

More than once we have talked here (even this year as we focus on prayer) about being thankful in our prayers. Thanksgiving is one of the few attitudes that works wonders within our spirit whenever we enter into our prayer closet.

Today I encourage you to be thankful for all the things one should be thankful for: family, friends, home, health, and on and on. Even when things are not rosy and smooth, the attitude of gratitude wells up to make things rosier and smoother than they are or seem to be.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.”  –Psalm 100:4

 

Pray with Honor

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” You’ve heard these words of wisdom before; maybe you have even said them. Often, they are attributed to a beloved parent or grandparent. And they are very sound advice. If, in our humanity, we could only follow this sage advice, then we might have fewer hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and arguments. These words are about being honorable to those around us. And that—being honorable—is a major part of living our Christ-likeness.

Jesus took the road of honor at every turn. Even in those moments when it was necessary to meet out rebuke to those around Him, Christ held those around Him with honor. We ought also to honor those around us—and we ought to do so as we pray. In praying for our loved ones, we find the task of giving them honor fairly easy. When we pray for our enemies, not so much. Even so, we are commanded to pray for the well-being of our enemies, not their destruction. In so doing, we become more like the loving Father to whom we address our prayers.

Honor is something that we hold in high regard. Today, in the USA, we are taking a special moment to honor our mothers—we call it Mother’s Day. Some will gather with their families for a nice meal (either in a plush restaurant or at home) that Mom will not be allowed to lift a finger toward. Many will make it a point to honor Mom by joining her in worship (one of the few times in the year that they make it to church). Others will make a special call, send a pretty card, offer a special gift or flowers. And all of this will be an occasion of honor.

I suggest that our prayer time and attitude ought to be one of honor also. Certainly, we take an attitude of honor toward our Heavenly Father as we approach Him in prayer. But I think that this attitude is one that should also pervade our entire hour of prayer: seeking to honor our family, our friends, and yes, even our enemies, as we mention them in our prayers. It is an attitude that keeps malice from staining our prayers, and an attitude which purifies our motives for praying at all. So today, when we kneel in prayer, let us do so with a posture of honor for our Maker and for those about whom we pray.

“[H]onor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.”  –Matthew 19:19

 

Pray with Humilty

From time to time you hear it. Maybe it is even something you’ve experienced. I know that I’m tempted toward the attitude. “Why bother with praying. The last time I tried it God didn’t do what I told Him to.” And so we give up on prayer because we didn’t get our way.

There is a fallacy in this approach to prayer. It leads us to believe that the act of prayer is “tell God what to do, and an answer to prayer is that He does what I demand.” The fatal flaw in this thinking is that God is somehow our butler, that He is not really who He is—the creator and sustainer of life. It is a backwards attitude to prayer.

Effective prayer is not me-driven but God-focused. The approach to the Throne of Glory is not one that we take with the arrogance of a spoiled child but with the humility of one unworthy to even be in the same room with the Maker. A humble heart recognizes the privilege and mercy that are active in the process of prayer. A prayer that is heard, answered, and effective is one that comes from a heart bathed in humble repentance. When we are told to approach the throne of grace boldly that boldness springs from the attitude of one who knows who he is in relation to the One he is petitioning.

One of my favorite Bible stories is the parable Jesus told about two men who prayed. The first knew all the right words. And with his flowery language, proclaimed loudly in a public area of the Temple, was designed to draw the attention of all those around him. He ended his prayer with a flourish and stepped out of the worship center smugly satisfied with himself and his “perfect” religious record—without one thought of whether he had a relationship with the Almighty (after all, shouldn’t God be excited to have such a good player on His team?).

The other, in stark contrast was seen over in another corner of the Temple hardly aware of the presence of anyone else around him. Driven to a stark state of humility by the acute awareness of his own shortcomings, this worshiper focused his entire attention on God, begging for forgiveness.

The difference as the two praying men left the Temple is drastic. One, because of his arrogance and pride, leaves with self-satisfaction and an air of importance. The other, because of his humble heart, leaves with a cleansed spirit and a personal relationship with the Object of his prayer. The first, oblivious to the things he thinks he knows so well, and the other, purified by the One who is capable of making him pure.

Prayer is not a showboat experience, but an act of humility.

“I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”  –Luke 18:14