prayer

Memorial Day

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For some reason, Memorial Day always sneaks up on me. It’s not like other holidays where I’m counting down the days weeks and months in advance. Even on Memorial Day weekend, I feel like I should be prepped and ready to go to work on Monday.

Lately, Memorial Day has become a kind of National Cookout Day. While I do enjoy a good BBQ as much as the next guy, that’s not really the purpose. It’s about honoring all those who have laid down their lives in service to this country.

As I learned, the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day is that Memorial Day is for all the military members who have passed away either from being killed in the line of duty or who passed away after service. Veterans Day honors all military veterans living or dead.

It’s easy to take for granted the freedoms we have in the United States. It’s equally easy to forget that that freedom was bought with a price. Men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice for us to be able to vote, to participate in the governing process, to speak our minds freely, and to live our lives as we choose.

I remember something about sometimes what we take for granted can be taken from us. When we fail to appreciate the cost of our freedom, it becomes easy to discard or to let slip away through carelessness. But to lose our freedom would be dishonoring and disrespectful to those who died fighting for us.

I’m praying tomorrow that we can all remember those veterans at some point tomorrow. In the midst of all the partying and picnicking, may we all take a moment to pause and reflect and give thanks for those who died so that we could live in freedom.

The Sweetest Lesson

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“Spread out your petition before God, and then say, ‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’ The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me” (Dwight L Moody).

I love the imagery of spreading out my petition before God. It comes from 2 Kings 19 where King Hezekiah receives a threatening letter from the Assyrians who are poised to invade the land. Instead of rushing into rash action, Hezekiah takes it before the Lord, literally spreading it out as a kind of offering of submission.

I also think of King Jehoshaphat who faced another massive army, but responded with the prayer, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12, ESV).

In short, they both chose to let God fight for them. They decided to let God choose for them.

In my lifetime, I have had several instances where I chose for myself and it did not go well. I was like the greedy man who took the wrong grail cup in the Indiana Jones movie only to hear the words “You have chosen . . . poorly” and basically shrivel up and die.

But every time I have been wise enough and patient enough to let God decide, I have never regretted the outcome. That’s assuming my patience lasted long enough for me actually to wait on the outcome, no matter how long it seemed to take.

Maybe it’s a good idea to literally take whatever it is that is troubling you and spread it before the Lord. It could be unpaid bills or a jury summons or some other document that gives you great anxiety. Or maybe you can spread out your hands in a posture of surrender.

Either way, you and I both need to let God choose. The old prayer still works: Thy will be done. One of my favorite fictional characters, Father Tim Cavanaugh, calls it the prayer that never fails because you truly can’t go wrong asking for God’s will over and above your own.

Thy will be done, no matter what. Thy will be done, even if it means my will is undone (with a nod to Elisabeth Elliott). Thy will be done. Period.

Of All My Posts, This Is One of Them

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Not every blog post will be a winner. Sometimes, there’s just nothing to write about. Or in my case, the ol’ noggin has shut down for the night. So you get a post like this.

I do think it’s important to fill at least part of your day with something that brings you joy. While it’s important to be aware of what’s going on in the world, it should become your whole day. Make time in your day for listening to music or going for a walk or simple sitting in silence and meditating on the goodness of God.

Also, you should periodically treat yourself to foods that you really like. And by periodically, I don’t mean periodically through the day, but every week or so. You don’t want to become diabetic (or pre-diabetic like me). As with most everything else, moderation is key.

It always helps to keep the big picture in mind. Sometimes, I get caught up in the minutae and forget that what I’m worrying over and obsessing about is finite and temporary. There’s no need to waste energy over something that you probably won’t remember a year from now.

It’s also helpful to keep a mindset of prayer throughout the day. That doesn’t mean you’re constantly in prayer, but as God prompts you through various events or people or memories, keep the conversation with God open.

And at the end of the day, it’s always nice to have a furry friend to come home to. In my case, it’s a very lovable tortoiseshell feline named Peanut, but you should have a dog or cat or hamster or something that will always be glad to see you when you walk through your front door.

Oh, and be sure to cultivate a grateful spirit. That goes a long way toward making your day better when you focus on the good and not the bad.

Praying for Muslims During Ramadan

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This year, I tried something new. I signed up through the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention to pray 15 minutes a day for Muslims during the season of Ramadan (February 28-March 30).

It was the first time I’d ever signed up to pray daily for any length of time. I quickly learned that 15 minutes of praying can seem like a loooong time when it’s just you trying to pray what’s in your head. Thankfully, the IMB posted daily reminders to pray with several prompts to guide my intercession. Plus, I found some other helpful websites to guide my prayer time.

Hopefully, this is not a humble brag. It should be something like if I can do this, so can you or anyone else. I believe that all of the greatest revivals in history began with people on their knees in prayer (or in my case laying in bed in prayer). I believe this time is no exception.

One particular website that caught my attention was from an organization called Missio Nexus. They have a radical prayer goal of seeing 10% of all the Muslims in the world come to saving faith in Jesus by 2028. By my reckoning, there are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world currently, so that would mean 180 million worshippers in heaven who formerly prayed to Allah. Or better yet, round that number up to 200 million. Can you imagine how amazing of an impact that would have on the entire world?

I hope every one of you will find a prayer passion, whether it be for an unreached people group or people from a different religion or even people whose paths you cross wherever you live, work, or play. It really does open your eyes to the great big world that exists outside of your and my needs and wants. Definitely keep praying for those needs and wants because God tells us to do that, but also be mindful of the Great Commission to take the gospel into all the world and the Revelation 5 scene with worshippers from every people group, language, continent, color, and nationality. That’s truly where God’s heart lies.

My Lent Readings

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So I may have gone a tad overboard with my readings for Lent. I suppose technically, some of them are specifically for Lent and some are devotionals for the entire year. Here’s what I’m reading. Hopefully it will inspire you to add these books (or others like them) to your to-read list at some point:

  1. God’s Message for Each Day – Eugene Peterson. This one is a daily devotional book from the author of the Message, more of a paraphrase than a translation of the Bible but still worth using. This little devotional has short readings for each day and has been very helpful.
  2. 365 Pocket Prayers – Ronald A. Beets. I don’t know if Ronald wrote these or compiled them, but there are 365 prayers, each with a different theme. There’s also a handy index listing the prayers by category in case you want to find a prayer for guilt or shame or anxiety or such.
  3. A Barclay Prayer Book – William Barclay. This is a prayer book that follows the Christian Year and Holy Days in the Book of Common Prayer and also has prayers for all seasons. There were a couple of phrasings in there that gave me a bit of pause, but overall, I’ve liked it enough to recommend it.
  4. It Is Finished: A 40-Day Pilgrimmage Back to the Cross – Charles Martin. This one is blowing my mind with new insights about Jesus’ journey to the cross. It’s very reverent and biblical in its retelling of the scenes of Jesus’ last week before the crucifixion. Another book I highly recommend.
  5. The Book of Common Prayer (1928 edition) – This book helps get me in the proper frame of mind for both Christmas and Easter with all the Advent and Lent readings leading up to Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. Plus, there are so many beautiful collects and other readings for all the Holy Days and other important days in the Christian calendar. It makes me want to be liturgical.

All that plus reading through the Bible in a year is a lot. So proceed with caution if you dare. Or you can recommend your own Advent and/or Lent readings that have encouraged and inspired you and maybe I’ll read them next year.

Speak, Lord

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Right now, I’m having a random memory. I don’t know why, but the words that Chris Brooks always spoke before reading a Bible passage are coming back to me. He’d pray, “Lord, would you go before us in this text and make a way. And together we say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.'”

Sometimes, I invite God into my Bible reading. Sometimes, I just plow right in. Sometimes, it feels like God is speaking to me as if He’s been reading my diary. Sometimes, it’s like reading words off of a page that I forget as soon as I’ve read them. Hmm, I wonder if there’s a connection.

I don’t necessarily think that there are magic words that force God to give us new insights into Scripture. There’s not an Abracadabra and then suddenly you understand everything about John 3:16 or 2 Timothy 3:16. But I think praying God’s blessing over the reading of His word helps us to understand that these are His words we’re reading more than simply being an ancient text.

There are lots of ancient texts. Especially religious ones. But none of the others are living and active. None of them can transform. In none of them can a passage you might have read hundreds of times suddenly jump out at you with new insight and application.

I’ve loved reading through the Bible again this year. Even the parts that aren’t always easy reading are divinely inspired. I know that in the more depressing moments that the meta-narrative is still leading me to Jesus. As badly as God’s people fail, that’s how much grace Jesus showed us when He arrived. More and more, I can relate to all the bone-headed decisions and choices that these people made. More and more, I see my need to preach the gospel to myself over and over because I still see my deep need of it every day.

So as we open the pages of the Bible to seek God’s face more than gain new knowledge, we invite You, Lord, to speak, for we are listening.

Be Ready

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“If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:13-18).

That’s the key. Be ready. If you live a godly life (or even make the attempt in the Spirit of God to live a godly life) it will draw attention. I heard once that believers should live questionable lives, but not in the sense of believing one way and living another but in such a way that the way we speak and behave will draw questions as to why we’re different (in a good way, hopefully).

I also think we should be praying at every moment for opportunities to have gospel conversations, especially with the family and friends we love and hold dear. I know the famous quote attributed to Saint Francis says to preach the gospel at all times and use words if necessary. I think from the Great Commission, words are always necessary. We simply need wisdom and discernment as to the timing of when we’re supposed to speak up and tell our gospel story.

The more the world slips further away from God, the more we will stand out. The more those not of God will hate us and mistreat us and try to trip us up. But also the more people will see something about us that they don’t have — peace under pain , joy in the midst of sorrow, patience under suffering, hope that never fails. Then some will want to know about that hope that we have. Then we should be ready to give an answer.

I found something that every believer should pray called the Three Open Prayer: “1) Lord, open a door to share the gospel. 2) Lord, open the heart of the lost to receive the gospel. 3) Lord, open my mouth to share the gospel.”

Pray for Ramadan

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One thing I started this year that will hopefully become a tradition is praying for Muslims during this time of Ramadan, a holy time in Islam where Muslims are encouraged to fast during the day and immerse themselves in Qu’ran reading.

There is a very helpful prayer guide that the International Mission Board has created to encourage believers to pray for Muslims during this time. There is a daily prayer guide that gives specific prayer points for people groups and practices so that we can better pray for God to reach out to these Muslims.

The website is https://pray4digital.com/prayforramadan. You can sign up to pray at certain times during the day throughout Ramadan. I have committed to pray daily from 7:05 to 7:20 pm (though I confess I have yet to pray during my allotted time slot. I usually end up praying later in the evening).

I truly believe all great movements of God start with prayer. I also believe that we have not because we ask not, so I think we should all be praying for a multitude of Muslims to come to faith in Jesus during this time. After all, Jesus is prominent in the Qu’ran, so it’s natural that they could easily be inclined to want to know more about Him.

I’m fairly certain that God is present when two or more are gathered in His name, but I would love to see multitudes of believers who love their Muslim neighbors and friends enough to pray for them. Remember that the same Paul who wrote 1/3 of the New Testament was originally a terrorist against the faith until an encounter with Jesus made Him the biggest champion of Christianity. Anything is possible when it comes to God.

I hope and pray that you will join me in this endeavor in praying for God to move mightily in the Muslim world. Above all, I echo the cry of every believer when I say, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

The Day After My Birthday

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“Through my whole life (young and old), I have never witnessed God forsaking those who do right, nor have I seen their children begging for crumbs” (Psalm 37:25, The Voice).

I’m 53 and I’m still learning that even when you don’t feel it, still you can choose to trust in God and His promises. You can claim God’s provision even when it seems slow in coming. You can thank God in advance for prayers He’s yet to answer.

The Bible says to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking for as long as it takes. I said before that sometimes we don’t have because we don’t ask, and now I wonder if we don’t have simply because we asked a few times and gave up instead of keeping on keeping on asking. We should be like Jacob who wrestled with God and would not let go until He blessed him.

I think prayer is a taking hold of God in the secret place and not letting go. It’s claiming the promises, confessing sins of commission and omission, giving thanks, interceding for others, and waiting to hear what He would say to us.

Even when the heart is heavy with hope delayed, we can pray God’s future promises for us as if they’re already ours. We can show gratitude ahead of the gift. We can pray for those loved ones who are far from God believing that God can bring them home. We can lift up the hurting and dying in the name of the One who is able to bring life from the dead.

I’ve heard that we should never stop preaching the gospel to ourselves. I suppose that’s what this is. Me reminding myself of God’s goodness that remains when He is absent or silent.

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13, New Heart English Bible).

My Belated Birthday Blog Post

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My birthday ended 33 minutes ago. I was tossing and turning in bed, trying unsuccessfully to sleep when I remembered that I had forgotten to write my daily blog post. I suppose getting a bit forgetful comes with turning 53.

I am blessed. This season of unemployment that I’m in isn’t one that I would have chosen, but I have learned a lot. Not so much new information, though there’s been some. Mostly, it’s just being reminded of what I already knew. It’s having that information go from theoretical to experiential.

I honestly don’t know what’s next. There have been moments of near-panic and high anxiety and there have been moments of calm and serenity. I have had thoughts of “God, please help” and “I can’t wait to see what God does next.”

My main prayer remains the same. It’s the prayer that never fails — Thy will be done. Even if it’s not my will. Even if it means my will, my desires, my goals be undone. Even if it means I am undone. I want God’s will because I know it’s the best.

I don’t believe in the saying that God never gives us more than we can handle. I think God never gives us more than He can handle. It’s true that God never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can bear but gives us a way out. But God’s testing is a different matter. My dependence on God grows as I am tested beyond enduring and I lean on the Lord for strength.

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NIV).

There’s joy at the end of this tunnel.