YGT: Thirsty Prayer

You're everywhere. In the morning dew. In the air I breathe. In the shower. In the toothbrush. In the coffee. You're inescapable. The lunchtime downpour reminds me of your omnipresence. The hurricane warning reminds me of your omnipotence.

You come in many forms, but specifically three - in gas, liquid, and solid. You encompass the whole earth as a gas, most of the earth as a liquid, and two poles as a solid. Even most of my body is made up of you. I can tell when I sweat and especially when I cry.

Water, you live in me and enliven me. You are vast and yet you can be consumed through a straw. I take you in constantly and let you out involuntarily. You comfort in the heat and whet the brow of the exhausted. You give life. You take life.  

When I'm thirsty, you satisfy.

God, you're everywhere. In the morning dew. In the air I breathe. In the shower, the toothbrush, and the coffee. You're omnipresent, ominpotent, and omniscient. You're everywhere, all-powerful, and all-knowing.

You're triune - you exist in three forms, but one. As Father, as Son, and as Spirit - as God. I know I'm made up of your God-stuff.  I reflect your capacity to work and your willingness to feel pain.

God, you live in me and have given me life. You're so big and yet so accessible I can feel you now. When I'm not trying you're still here. I receive you and release you, often without knowing. You've been a comforter and deliverer. You give and take away.  

I am thirsty...

Blessed be Your name.  

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Genesis 1:2 - And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Psalm 24:2 - For he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

John 7:38 - He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

YGT: Wading In

When beginning to consider the first post in this year of great thoughts (YGT), I stopped.  Or maybe I was stopped...

If we are seeking after great thoughts, for the great treasures of the Spirit, we must wade into deep waters.  This journey is like the difference between a pool and a beach.  There are pools where you can simply dive directly into deep waters.  However, in order to get to the deep waters at a beach, you must cross over the warm sand, enter into the chilly waters, and walk as the waters continue to rise around you; first to your ankles, then your knees, then your waist and chest, until finally, your feet leave the ground.

This idea of wading reminded me of the words Duke Divinity School Chaplain Sally Bates.  During a spiritual retreat, she explained that getting to a place of intimacy with God is not like flipping on a switch, but it requires deliberate and patient waiting.  While we know God can act immediately, God also reveals Himself through times of reflection, consecration, and prayer (interesting how the "suddenly" of Acts 2, occurs after the constant prayer of Acts 1; see below).  Let's not rush into greatness, but instead take time to wade into the deep.  Have a blessed week!

*Prayer below adapted from Howard Thurman's The Inward Journey:

While we wait in Thy Presence, search our spirits and grant to our minds  the guidance and the wisdom that will teach us the way to take.  Without You there can be no peace and no confidence anywhere.  Please teach us how to put at Your disposal the fruits of our hands, the products of our minds, the wealth of our land, and the resources of our spirit.  Lord, we desire You grant unto us the courage to follow the illumination of this hour to the end.  This is the simple desire of our hearts which we ask in quiet confidence.  Amen.

Chilly,

j.a.g.

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Acts 1:13-14

¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Acts 2:1-4

¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

On Minding Your Business

Last Sunday, I attended a prayer vigil for the unemployed (thank you Angie!). We listened to testimonies of those who lost their jobs and prayed for improved employment conditions in our community. While I was there, I have to admit, I felt a little guilty. Here I was, an employed person, standing there as if I had I had a right to testify about this issue. What qualified me to stand with the unemployed? What was my testimony?

This was really deep to me.. During the recession, I didn’t lose a job, I actually got a better job. I didn’t become underemployed, I became over-employed. Inside, I praised God as I left the vigil that night. I was blessed with a new job. That was my testimony - or so I thought.

As I was reading the Bible later that week, a wave of guilt washed over me again. I read Romans 12:10-13 and immediately was convicted. Verse 11 is what completely tripped me up. It says believers shouldn't be "…slothful in business". I was unnerved by what this may have meant. Was the Bible saying that we were not to be slothful (or lazy)? Oh no, it couldn’t be saying that. So I looked in another translation and the same verse said "… not lagging behind in diligence". OH NO! Not lagging behind? You mean God doesn’t want me to be late?

This was devastating to me. Inside, I didn’t want this to be true, but I knew it was. These verses were saying that having favor with God doesn’t mean having a job, but it means doing a job well. (I was not blessed because I had a job, I was blessed to work.) I was convicted because there are times where I may want to coast in life. There are countless other times where I am late (my wife will tell you this is an epidemic). Neither of these are qualities God desires in a believer. He wants us to be exemplary employees. I was convinced after reading this, that I wanted this to be my new testimony. I wanted to be known as a hard and diligent worker, for being on time and accountable. I wanted to be known as someone who minded his business and took care of it.

As I came to this conclusion, God showed me there is a reason He desires this type of character. He wants believers to have the Spirit of the “getter”. This is a spirit that is open and primed to get what God has for them. Those who are lazy and late are non-expectant. They are complacent and not ready to receive. Those who are diligent workers are constantly in preparation to receive from God. Whether He blesses today or tomorrow, they are prepared. (Quick sidebar: when God chose someone in the Bible, they were always busy working. Moses – for his father-in-law, David – as his father’s shepherd, Jesus’ disciples – as tax collectors, fishermen, etc. Before God chose them, He saw that they were hard and faithful workers… Hmm.)

We have to ask ourselves every day on which side of the coin do we fall. Am I minding my business in preparation to receive from the Lord, or not? God is trying to create in us a spirit ready to receive. He is teaching us this more and more each day we mind our business.





Lord, I honor You for my job. It is worthy work. It allows me to make a difference, but more importantly, it allows me to come into contact with Your people. All that, AND you feed and clothe my family through it! Please give me the wisdom and humility to work hard as if You were my boss, because in reality, You are. Give me a diligent and punctual spirit. Please forgive me for being lax and even murmuring. I am blessed to work. Thank You for my co-workers and our relationships. I love You.



Confessing,
j.a.g.








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Romans 12:10-13
10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

On Washing Your Hands

Psalm 26:6-7
6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: 7 that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.


Most Christians would agree that reading the Bible is important. Yet, most Christians also find it extremely difficult to do this consistently. Even those who do read consistently often find times where the Bible is hard to understand. Personally, there have been times where I read something and it just does not register at all. I will stare at the passage and nothing will come from it. I am sure you can empathize if this has happened to you. What I have begun to do is say a short prayer over my mind every time I read. My prayer comes from Psalm 119:18: Lord, open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. This helps my spirit focus on receiving what God has for me at that appointed time of reading.

God revealed to me that praying before we read is a lot like washing our hands before we eat. In our physical bodies, washing our hands is an important act. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that hand washing is probably the single most important measure in preventing and stopping the transmission of some very serious illnesses (reference below). The University of Maine also suggests that people should wash their hands 1) before touching food, or 2) as often as needed.

While we can’t rub soap on our spirit (not even going to attempt to go there), we can prepare our minds to be free from “contamination” when we read. We can adopt the University of Maine’s physical standards to our spiritual condition and wash our minds –

1) Before we read God’s Word. This is the spiritual “food” for the believer (Jeremiah 15:16 below). Cleansing our mind with prayer can help to remove the distractions and allow us to receive the specific truth or lesson God wants for us during that time.
2) As often as needed. This prayer can also help in secular atmospheres. When reading for work, class, or leisure, I have often confessed, “Lord, open my eyes that I may see wonderful things from THIS (law, text, assignment, etc.)!”


All the Bible reading in the world does no good without proper understanding. In order to understand, we should cleanse our minds of anything that would prevent God’s word from penetrating our hearts. Let's wash our minds with prayer before reading in order to see good things from what we read and prevent negativity. We need to confess our desires to hear God’s voice “cleanly” through His Word. He will reveal Himself and we will be surprised at how much we can receive by simply “washing our hands”.



Lord, I pray that our eyes are opened to see the wonderful things in Your law. I pray that Your Word becomes milk and meat in our lives. That we can drink and eat of it and be strengthened to serve You. As we attempt to digest Your Word, Lord please prepare our hearts and minds. In addition, God please prevent any contamination from things that are not like You. When we are reading other materials, let us be able to sift out Your truths in order to remain pleasing to You. Give us the wisdom to retain and also the wisdom to release. I pray that as we make vows and resolutions to read Your Word more consistently, You bathe us in Your blessings and cleanse us with Your care. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Rinsing,

Jeremy











http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4067.htm


Jeremiah 15:16 - Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

On Bold Prayers

At first glance, bold prayer can seem like a paradox. Boldness suggests pride, an arrogant inability to back down. Conversely, prayer reminds us of a submitted, humble nature. Yet, the two words speak of an assured faith in God. Removed from the brash, disrespectful, selfish connotations of boldness, there is a root of virtue in this word. Deep down at it’s core, boldness is born of an assurance that is neither good nor bad, simply true. Boldness is developed because of a sincere belief on foundational truths. In short, boldness comes from confidence. Prayer too, can be misunderstood. It is not a timid, distant dialogue with God. At it’s root, it is a naked, open conversation with God. The more honest, the better. Combined, bold prayers, are times of confident honesty.

We can learn from David in Psalm 143 of the Bible (listed below) about this principle. David, battered from his earthly existence, calls on God in a sincere and sure voice. This psalm exposes David’s heart, his boldness, and his example to us. He declares:


I need to be heard. Hear me (v. 7) - Can You make sure my prayers reach You and reach others? Can You promise they won’t come back unanswered? Can You at least agree to hear me when I call You?

I need to be directed. Cause me (v. 8) - Can You make sure I am headed in the right direction? Can You promise I won’t go the wrong way? Can You at least agree to lead if I let you?

I need to be rescued. Deliver me (v. 9) - Can You make sure I am delivered from my sins, my enemies, and myself? Can You promise to provide a way of escape? Can You at least agree to save my soul if You don’t save my body?

I need to be instructed. Teach me (v. 10) - Can You make sure I know what is necessary to serve You? Can You promise to give me teachers and lessons for my life? Can You at least agree to provide a textbook?

I need to be strengthened. Quicken me (v. 11) - Can you make sure I am strong enough to live for you? Can you promise to sustain me? Can you at least agree to be strong when I am weak?


While blunt and bare, David’s communication with God came from his relationship with Him. This is revealed in verse 12 - “...for I am your servant”. The reason he was able to approach God boldly was because he had already submitted his life and his spirit to God. His position, as a servant, gave him access to God and to honest and direct conversation. If you desire to approach God boldly, with candor and free of inhibition, submit to Him first. Bold prayer requires a servant’s heart.


I pray this changes how we pray. Our petitions to God should not be powerless pleas, but passionate professions of our faith in Him. I believe God cups His hand to His ear when humble hearts pray. Desire to pray with the heart of a servant. One who has a relationship that is built on confidence and truth. One who can pray BOLDLY.



Seeking,

- j.a.g.




Psalm 143
1Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.