Prayer: First Response? Last Resort?

 

Last night I was reading a novel about team of archeologists that had discovered a Mayan treasure when a group of thieves attacked them and tried to steal their discovery. After a lengthy (and exciting) battle, the hero realizes they had exhausted all their resources. With a sigh he says, "Well there is nothing else to do but pray"

WAIT A MINUTE! That sounds like many Christians today! They are facing a great trial, they try everything at their disposal and nothing has helped. They finally say, "Well, we have tried everything else, I guess we better pray!"

Why do we see prayer as a last resort instead of our first line of defense? Oswald Chambers said, "We pray when there's nothing else we can do bit God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. Most of us would prefer, however to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results."

But that just shows that we don’t truly understand the nature of prayer. We often trun to prayer in desperation because we failed to pray as a first resort. When we neglect prayer, we are more likely to paint ourselves into a corner, so to speak.

Old Testament 007

 

If you are a regular reader of the Bible, you probably have certain characters that are your favorites. One of my favorite people I enjoy reading about is Jonathan, son of King Saul. Jonathan has many qualities I admire but the one quality I admire the most is his courage.  He was almost reckless in some of his actions.

In one of his adventures, he convinces his servant to go over into enemy territory. In 1 Samuel 14:6 he says to his armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those…men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf…” I love how he uses that word perhaps. If I’m in the middle of a battle and am asked to go into enemy territory, I would want more than perhaps. Yet Jonathan is acting on a hunch, a guess that the Lord God might help him. Kind of like James Bond (?)

God is waiting for people that are willing to step into an uncomfortable situation so that He can deliver you into a successful outcome. The trick is to know which situations to step into. God does not want you to be fool hearty. That’s why learning to be God-lead is more important than being well intentioned. Proverbs 4:11

Becoming God-led takes practice. Athletes that become great do so by mastering basic techniques. As a Christ-follower, take time to learn the basic tenants of faith. Exercise a routine that involves prayer, Bible reading and conversations about faith.

Power of Influence

When I was in Bible College, one of my professors taught me an invaluable lesson. He said, "The very first thing you need to do a a new pastor is to identify the person of influence in your congregation!" That is the person you need on your side. When a church is making an important decision, they look to THAT person to see what THEY think. That person does not necessarily need to be on the church board or be a staff member but the congregation values that person's opinion.  People need to realize that they do not need to hold a position of authority to influence people. 

India has a population of 1.4 billion people of which 966 million (78%) are Hindus. Hinduism owes much of its beginning to Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi was not a political figure but his thoughts influenced the course of India's direction. In his early adulthood, he was impressed by the Gospels of the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

To that end, one Sunday morning he visited a Christian Church and ask the minister how to become a Christian. However, when he entered the building the usher refused to give him a seat, and suggested that he should worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. He said to himself, “If Christians have caste differences also, I might as well remain a Hindu.” Gandhi later said, "I like your Christ; I don’t like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

That usher’s prejudice turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior. I am sure that usher did not realize his action may have prevented India from becoming a Christian nation. 

Every person has the power of influence to some degree. A teacher has influence with their students. A Sunday School teacher could affect a student's future. Who are you influencing? 

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.---Napoleon Hill 

The Power of One

Only one life will soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last...C T Studd

You would think that in such a big world with so many people; one person would have very little influence, wouldn't you? Well, you couldn't be more wrong.

Just one man voting the right way saved the United States from having Aaron Burr as President of the United States.

Just one United States Senator, voting according to his conscience, saved President Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Abraham Lincoln, from being cast out of office.

Just one man, John Wilkes Booth, changed the course of history when he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

Because we hear so much of brave, great, and brilliant people, we start thinking that such persons as ourselves don't count.

Nothing is further from the truth. God depends on us—on you and me—for some specific task. Nobody else can or will do this one job. Our nation needs many thousands of high-school teachers, especially men teachers. Boys are actually going to jail because of a lack of good, interesting men teachers who can inspire and lead them to good lives instead of bad.

God depends on us—each one of us, not all of us at once. When Jesus called his disciples, he made each one feel as if much depended on him. Of the twelve only Judas failed. The other eleven were faithful to death.

Today, nearly two thousand years later, Jesus depends on us as he did on his twelve. Never forget—you are important. Just one person, but still one. A very wise man said, "I am just one person, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I will do."

But God!

 There was a famous line from the TV series A-Team that said, "I love it when a plan comes all together." We all do but that is not often the case. NOTHING is the way we assumed it would be six months ago. Our world has interrupted. Schools, churches, jobs, restaurants...all closed down. Trips canceled. Parties postponed.

But this is nothing new. God has been turning plans upside down FOREVER.

Saul was on his way to murder a bunch of Jesus' followers when God blinded him and turned him into a missionary. Plans changed. Acts 9

David was a shepherd when a prophet of God came and named the new king of Israel. 1 Samuel 16

Esther was given in marriage to a pagan king but God used her to save an entire nation. Esther 2

Ruth was a refuge looking for grain to feed herself and her mother-in-law but God chose her to be included in the bloodline leading to Jesus. 

Ruth 2

Each of these people had a moment where God broke into their lives and showed them that His ways are not always our way. His plans are not always our plans.

The trick is, God doesn't always come to us in a blinding light like Paul. He uses a pandemic, a loss, a moment of anger or pain, to turn our plans into His plans.

What plans is God trying to interrupt in your life? Are you ready?

Are You A Misfit?

Do you recall the first time you felt out of place within your group of friends? You probably wondered how could the group of people that you had been extremely close with and shared many memories, suddenly feel so foreign? Even the things that once entertained you began to feel wrong. You began to feel like an outsider. You may have asked yourself why your friends had changed but they had not changed...it was you! 

The moment you surrender your life to Jesus Christ, we are literally giving Him free reign to do a work in us. In other words, He begins to make us new. The old is out the door and there is a new you! 

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 

Sitting? or Sent?

 When pastors get together, it isn't long until they ask how their home church is doing. Nothing wrong with the question but is interesting how pastors answer the question. The majority will answer something like, "We had 260 in attendance!" But do numbers actually tell how a church is doing or how healthy the church is? 

Most of the churches I have pastored were small churches and I have to admit I sometimes felt intimated when in a social gathering with pastors with larger churches.

Many churches think in terms of sitting capacity. How many people can fit inside the building. But churches also need to ask about their sending capacity. How many people are leaving Sunday, heading into Monday sent on a mission?

Being a Christ-follower means we are also fishers of men (Matthew 4:19) but that does not mean we just invite the fish [people] to come to the aquarium [church building] where the chief fisherman [the pastor] casts the bait [the gospel] and lands the fish [conversion]. 

The church I was raised in was small but it sent out several people: Pastors, missionaries, and Christian School teachers.

God is sending each of us to reach someone with the Good News that Jesus Christ came to earth to provide a way to heaven and provide eternal life.