EMBEDDING PRAYER INTO OUR DAILY LIVES – Part 3 of 3

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Prayer, more than any other single activity, is what places us in the flow of the Spirit. When we pray, hearts get convicted, sin gets confessed, believers get united, intentions get encouraged, people receive guidance, the church is strengthened, stubbornness gets melted, wills get surrendered, evil gets defeated, grace gets released, illness gets healed, sorrows are comforted, faith is born, hope is grown, and love triumphs.

In prayer -- in the presence of God -- we come closest to being fully ourselves.

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6112

A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Making a proactive decision about your church attendance can yield significant spiritual benefits. The Bible emphasizes the importance of Christians gathering together to support each other’s growth. Hebrews 10:25 encourages us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.” Whether it’s a formal church service or an informal small-group meeting, gathering isn’t about adhering to a strict rule; it’s about embracing a vital opportunity for spiritual development. We never know when God might move powerfully in a gathering where two or three or more are gathered together in Christ’s name (Matthew 18:20), touching our hearts and transforming us from within. If we adopt a casual attitude and think, “It’s raining today, so I won’t go to my small group,” or “we’re on vacation, we don’t need to go to worship,” we risk missing out on God’s potential work in our lives.

I’ll admit that throughout my life I have attended numerous church services and small groups where it seemed nothing extraordinary was happening within me. However, I’ve also experienced moments in similar settings where my heart was profoundly changed, or as John Wesley testified “strangely warmed,” and my life was turned around. There’s no way to predict when God will choose to use a gathering of His people, the teaching of His Word, corporate worship, or personal testimonies to impact us uniquely and powerfully. Only by deciding in advance to consistently join with other Christians can we ensure we’re in the right place at the right time to receive God’s gifts of grace, guidance and growth. Now that’s a New Year’s Resolution worth making and keeping. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#6021

GOD’S GRACIOUS GUIDANCE

“To you, O Lord, I offer my prayer; in You, my God, I trust… Teach me Your ways, O Lord; make them known to me. Teach me to live according to Your truth, for You are my God, who saves me. I always trust in you... He leads the humble in the right way and teaches them His will. With faithfulness and love He leads all who keep His covenant and obey His commands.”  (Excerpts from Psalm 25 GNT)

A letter came from a minister who, [after hearing a call to mission work}, felt obliged to leave his congregation and denomination, and now, like Abraham, goes out not knowing [to what place or situation]. In his letter, he quoted from a hymn by Charles Wesley on the sovereignty and security of God’s guidance. Guidance, like all God’s acts of blessing under the covenant of grace, is a sovereign act. Not merely does God will to guide us in the sense of showing us His way, that we may tread it; He wills also to guide us in the more fundamental sense of ensuring that, whatever happens, whatever mistakes we may make we shall come safe home. Slippings and strayings there will be, no doubt, but the everlasting arms are beneath us; we shall be caught, rescued, restored. This is God’s promise; this is how good He is… Here is the verse from Wesley:

“Captain of Israel’s host and Guide
Of all who seek the land above,
Beneath Thy shadow we abide,
The Cloud of Thy protecting love;
Our strength, Thy grace; our rule, Thy Word;
Our end, the glory of the Lord.”

 -- Adapted from J. I. Packer in “Knowing God” (1973)

#5898

THE RISEN CHRIST IS WITH US – Part 2 of 2

The risen Christ is with us and therefore we need not fear the events of this day or any day that lies in our future. We know that each day will be lived in companionship with the only One who is able to rescue, redeem, save, keep, and companion us through every experience of this life and the next.

This realization does not take away the pain or uncertainty life holds. But it does give us strength, wisdom, guidance, and most of all, a Companion to travel through each of these experiences with us. Easter Sunday and every Sunday are gentle yet dramatic reminders that we are not alone or on our own. As followers of Jesus, we walk with God in Christ, and that makes the journey rich in meaning, joy, and peace no matter where it leads. Jesus Christ is alive and reads with you now words that are intended to turn your eyes, heart, and life more fully toward God.

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#5833

GOD GUIDES US

“Yet I still belong to You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.”  (Psalm 73:23-24 NLT)

God guides us, despite our uncertainties and our vagueness, even through our failings and mistakes. He often starts us off to the left, only to bring us up in the end to the right; or else He brings us back to the right, after a long detour, because we started out by mistake to the left in the belief we were obeying Him. He leads us step by step, from event to event. Only afterwards, as we look back over the way we have come and reconsider certain important moments in our lives in the light of all that has followed them, or when we survey the whole progress of our lives, do we experience the feeling of having been led without knowing it, the feeling that God has mysteriously guided us. 

-- Paul Tournier in “Reflections”

#5377

TRUSTING OUR GUIDE

“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].”  (Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP)

Scripture’s testimony is that God cares about you and me and wants to guide our lives through the difficult path ahead. In every detail God’s plan, with all the wisdom and power He possesses, is far better and far superior than we can ever imagine. Our benevolent God, who wants the best for us, desires to guide our lives through His Word, which He has given that we might know His perfect will and purpose in all areas of life. What could be better than knowing God and the life He has for us to live? When we rely on our own strength and understanding, the way is foggy, full of obstacles and curves. When we entrust our way to God for His direction and leading, the way forward becomes clear and straight. 

-- Source Unknown, submitted by a SOUND BITES subscriber in Wisconsin


#4529

GUIDANCE: LETTING GOD LEAD

“Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.”  (Psalm 25:4-5 NKJV)

When I meditated on the word GUIDANCE, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word GUIDANCE. When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i." "God, "u" and "i" dance." God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

-- Source Unknown, from a SOUND BITES subscriber in Wisconsin


#4457

SEEKING GOD’S WILL

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.”  (Acts 16:6 NIV)

We don’t know how the Holy Spirit told Paul that he and his companions should not go into Asia. It may have been through a prophet, a vision, an inner conviction, or some other circumstance. To know God’s will does not mean we need to hear His voice. He leads in different ways. When seeking God’s will, (1) make sure your plan is in harmony with God’s will; (2) ask mature Christians for their advice;  (3) check your own motives -- are you seeking to do what you want or what you think God wants? -- and (4) pray for God to open and close the doors as He desires. 

-- from “The Life Application Study Bible”

#4213

GUIDING OUR CHILDREN

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”  (Proverbs 22:6 NIV)

It is not how many things you provide for your children. It is what you give them of yourself and the principles of Scripture that can never be taken away.

-- Charles Stanley


#4182

A WORD TO TEACHERS

A word to Christians who are [public] school teachers and administrators: Most of the teachers my children have had in school were Christians, and for this I am grateful.  Though you cannot overtly seek to bring your students to faith in Christ, you can minister to them.  You can encourage children and believe in them.  You play such an important role, and God is honored by what you do with your lives.  You chose a career that may never pay six figures but that allows you to invest in the lives of our children.  Teachers are heroes, and we are grateful to them.  And you as Christian teachers, while you may not intentionally use your position to lead children to the Christian religion, you may certainly let Christ's love shine through you.

You teachers may pray for your children by name in the evenings at home.  You may live the gospel in how you love them at school.  You may ask the Holy Spirit to work through you as you work with the most challenging of these kids.  You may listen for the Lord to guide you in what you do.

-- Adam Hamilton in “Confronting the Controversies”


#4176

PRAYER PLANNING

M. Scott Peck talks about his personal prayer life in “Further Along the Road Less Traveled” (Touchstone Books, 1998). He prays three times a day, although only for a few minutes of that time are spent in what most people would understand as prayer. The rest of the time, he sits and looks at his day through the eyes of the “objective Other.” He plans his day and then asks God to examine it and prioritize the activities. Later in the day, he looks back over the events, notes those times where he saw God at work and offers thanks, and asks for further guidance for the days to come. He says that he has found God to be the best time-efficiency expert in the universe. Those of us who claim not to have time to pray would do well to hear Peck’s experience and reexamine our own priorities.

-- M. Anne Burnette Hook in “Grace Notes: Spirituality and the Choir”


#4154

FAITH IS A JOURNEY

Jesus said, “I am the way…”  (John 14:6a)

Faith is a process, not a possession. It gives us something to chew on for the rest of our lives. Faith is certitude in the midst of doubt rather than certainty with no doubts. Faith is a journey with a compass which points us in the right direction, not a detailed map which tells us every step to take. Faith is not being sure of where you are going but going anyway because you like the traveling companions and you know Who leads the way.

-- William Willimon

#3969

A LIVING MESSAGE

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,…"  (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV)

God's Word tells us the truth about Him, about ourselves, and about the way He does things... God's Word is a living message to His people, literally "God-breathed." Those who read Scripture often recount the times when a particular message jumped off the page and spoke to their hearts.

Of course, [God] doesn't intend for us to use His Word like a collection of disconnected slogans that promise us everything we want. But when we sincerely seek to know God, the Scriptures provide clear guidance, warm comfort, and supernatural solutions.

-- Stephen Arterburn in The Power Book

#3730

UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION

The fundamental mode whereby our rational Creator guides His rational creatures is by understanding and application of His written Word… the true way to honour the Holy Spirit as our guide is to honour the Holy Scriptures through which He guides us… The Spirit leads within the limits which the Word sets, not beyond them. "He guideth me in the paths of righteousness" -- but not anywhere else.

-- J. I. Packer in Knowing God

#3658

IN THE LIGHT OF GOD

Here is the great truth that, only when we see things in the light of God, do we see things as they are.  It is only when we see things in the light of God that we see what things are really important, and what things are not.  These things that seem vastly important, things like ambition, and prestige, and money and gain, lose all their value and importance when they are seen in the light of God.  Pleasures and habits and social customs which seem permissible enough, are seen for the dangerous things they are when they are seen in the light of God.  Things which seem evil, hardship, toil, discipline, unpopularity, even persecution, are seen in their glory when they are seen in the light of God.

-- William Barclay (1907-1978) in The Revelation of John (Vol. II)


#3616

WE NEED A GUIDE

God makes a promise, then tells Abraham to leave home and go where God will guide him.

Ben Patterson tells of a common experience of westerners, particularly missionaries, traveling through jungle sections of the Amazon. They will ask members of a village to give them directions to where they want to go. "I have a compass, a map, and some coordinates."

The villager knows precisely the directions to get them there, but he offers to take them himself.

"No, that's okay. I don't want a guide. I just want directions."

"That's no good. I must take you there."

"But I have a map right here. And I have a compass. And the coordinates."

"It does not work that way. I can get you there, but I must take you myself. You must follow me."

We prefer directions, principles, steps, keys. We prefer these things because they leave us in control. If I'm holding the map, I'm still in charge of the trip. I can go where I want to go. If I have a guide, I must trust. I must follow. I must relinquish control.

God is not much on maps and compasses and coordinates. Life just doesn't work that way. We don't need directions. We need a Guide.

-- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt


#3225

THE INFLUENCE OF THE BIBLE

Yesterday at the Inauguration President Obama took the oath of office while placing his hands on two Bibles. We are told that one of those Bibles was owned by Abraham Lincoln and the other was owned by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It doesn’t so much matter that they owned the Bible; what matters is that they were inspired and influenced by the Bible.

Dr. Jerry Wiles, in a booklet entitled Inspirational Highlights of the Bible in America, wrote, “One of the most amazing things about the Bible is the discovery of how little most people know about it at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Even in America, with all the various translations and versions that are available, most people have never read the entire Bible even once. However, reading through the whole Bible was a fairly common practice in the early part of our nation’s history. In order to have a well-rounded education in America today, it’s important to know something of how we got the Bible, the history and influence of the Bible in America, and most of all, the content of the Bible itself. We can get to know its content by reading it for ourselves. Spending only fifteen minutes a day we can read through the entire Bible in one year.”

The Apostle Paul admonished the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” May it be so for both the leaders and the people of this great country. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson


#3147

WHAT'S NEXT?

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105 NIV)

Only those who try to live near God, and have formed the habit of faithfulness to Him in the small things of our daily life, can hope in times of need for that special light which shows us our path.  To do as well as we can the job immediately before us, is the way to learn what we ought to do next.  

-- Evelyn Underhill

#3008

A POWER-FILLED LIFE

Abraham Lincoln had his share of setbacks on his way to success. He lost his position as captain in his short time of military service. His little country store "winked out," as he said, making him a failure at business. As a lawyer he was too impractical and unpolished to be very successful. And in politics he was defeated several times in bids for the legislature, congress, and the vice presidency. At last, in 1861 he was elected president of the United States.

Lincoln viewed all of his frustrations and victories through the eyes of eternity, observing, "That the Almighty directly intervenes in human affairs is one of the plainest statements in the Bible. I have had so many evidences of His direction, so many instances when I have been controlled by some other power than my own will that I have no doubt that this power comes from above."

Paul also experienced a long list of catastrophes on the road to a power-filled life: "Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked…I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the stormy seas…I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food" (1 Corinthians 11:24-27, NLT). In spite of these setbacks Paul could say that God had given to him "the effective working of His power."

-- Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in


#2337

PURSUING THE SPIRIT'S LEADING

The Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit that has always intrigued me. They call Him An Geadh-Glas, or 'The Wild Goose.' I love the imagery and implications. The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Sprit. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger and an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious at first earshot, I cannot think of a better description of what it's like to pursue the Spirit's leading through life than Wild Goose Chase. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something that institutionalized Christianity has missed out on. And I wonder if we have clipped the wings of the Wild Goose and settled for something less -- much less -- than what God originally intended for us.

-- Mark Batterson in Wild Goose Chase


#2319