An Evening of Prayer, Take 2!

OK, the last attempt at a night of congregational prayer was not what we were hoping for. We had planned to have an outdoor prayer meeting and met with storms that would make Noah nervous.

But here’s the good news: we will be inside this time around. Covenant Community Church has been very gracious to us, and is allowing us to use their building for the prayer meeting! 5157 Wexford Run Road, Wexford, is the address, just on the other side of 79 from Marshall Middle School.

As we have already seen from God’s Word in Habakkuk, the Lord keeps a different schedule than us. His plans are sometimes different and always better than ours. And the greatest blessing He gives us through it all is prayer. We have the invitation to go before the God of the universe and converse with Him! What an awesome privilege. And you will never enjoy the experience of the goodness of God without prayer.

Need more incentive? Probably not, but I am going to share with you some reasons for prayer I recently read in an article in Israel My Glory:

1. It demonstrates our relationship with God.
2. God calls us to it! (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
3. It demonstrates our dependence on God. (Psalm 121:1-3)
4. It is a way we serve God. (Luke 2:37)
5. It strengthens our faith. (Ephesians 3:20)
6. It is worth doing! (James 5:16)
7. God always answers. (1 John 5:14-15)

In the comments section below, you can offer more reasons! 

See you Friday at 7PM!

p.s. - prayerlessness is carelessness

Looking for a Few Shameless People...

Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. Luke 11:5-8

I have met a lot of Christians. A. Lot. All over the world. And do you know what is true for 99.7% of all of the ones I have met? A struggle with personal prayer life.

Why is that? I think people sort of adopt this “God is going to do what God is going to do” mentality. Don’t get your hopes up, let’s just keep our prayers in the safe zone: God bless grandma, help me to have a good day. Amen.

I love the above story from Jesus, because it totally destroys our lame prayer mindset. It’s actually a humorous story. A guy shows up at his neighbor’s house, in the middle of the night (keep in mind that midnight in the first century meant nothing was happening except sleep). And what’s the big emergency…? He wanted a snack for his buddy. Three biscuits to munch on is hardly an emergency, hardly worth bothering your neighbor over. If you wake me up asking for a snack, you better run, because I am going to throw it at your head.

But this guy helps his friend out. Why? Because he is a great chum? No, it is because of the asker’s impudence. That’s another word for shamelessness. Uninhibited.

“I don’t care what time it is, I don’t care that you are sleeping, I don’t care that this can wait, I don’t care that it’s not even for me but actually for a guy you don’t even know, I don’t care that your kids are asleep - we need a snack. Come on, help us out. We need it. Please! If you can do it now, that would be helpful. Or we can give you a couple seconds to get it if you…”

“ALL RIGHT! Here’s your stupid bread! Beat it!”

The parable isn’t about the woken up guy, the parable is about the asker. More specifically, the parable is about the shamelessness of the way the guy brought his request.

The point is shocking: Be just as shameless when you bring your requests to God. Jesus goes on to say why: God. Will. Answer. (Grab your Bible and read verses 9-10 - I dare you!)

We are praying as a church Friday night (the 10th). Details are on the home page under “Events”. Join us.

And bring your impudence, oh shameless ones. God told us to! We are going to take his invitation to come boldly.

p.s. - Canned prayers not allowed, especially that “Now I lay me down to sleep…” prayer.

Some Words on Fasting...

This Friday, we will be meeting for prayer at 7:00 at Covenant Community Church. I encourage you not only to start praying now, but to fast and pray. Fasting must be a part of our spiritual walk!

What is fasting?

Fasting is abstaining from food (or something else*, in some cases), for measured periods of time in order to heighten my hunger for the things of God.

*Note: If you have a medical condition, you can fast from something other than food!

There are different types. There is a normal fast (abstaining from food for spiritual purposes), partial fast (only abstaining from certain things, see Daniel 10:3), absolute fast (abstaining from food and water! See Acts 9:9), and we even see at times in Scripture the corporate fast (see Joel 2:15).

What’s the deal with fasting?

As human beings, we naturally hunger for things. We look for things to satisfy us. But because of the curse of sin on the world, we have a tendency to hunger for things that do not satisfy. We think that we can be fulfilled by things of the earth. We fill ourselves with food, entertainment, work, TV, and an endless list of other distractions. But the real hunger is never satisfied, because only God can do that! We know the fulfillment that comes from walking in the Spirit, serving Christ where He has called me, and giving what He has called me to give.

So fasting is the way to break away from the danger of being enslaved to food, and focusing our attention instead to our real hunger - a hunger for God. We are freed to focus on the hunger for what we really want, what we really need!

In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus said: 

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Note a few things Jesus taught concerning fasting:

a) Fasting is expected. Jesus said “when you fast” - NOT “if you fast”. Our Lord spoke of fasting as if He was just expecting it to be a part of our walk with Him!

b) Fasting is between you and God, not between you and others. Some people were turning fasting into a show. “Look at how spiritual I am. I have been fasting for so long… I am so weak… so faint… I am so amazingly spiritual…” And if you do that, and someone does give you a pat on the back - enjoy that pat. Because that is all you are getting. You have “received <your> reward”. Keep it between you and God. It is possible for you to fast for all the wrong reasons!

c) Fasting has benefits. I am not talking about health benefits. Jesus said that God sees and God rewards. What are the benefits of fasting?

---In Isaiah 58:6-11, God gives reasons to fast, showing the benefits of it! Grab your Bible and look through these verses.

When should we fast?

1. When we are caught in a sinful pattern. v6
    
2. When we have a heavy burden. v6
    
3. When we are oppressed by the enemy. v6
    
4. When we want to give to someone else. v7
    
5. When we need to be encouraged. v8
    
6. When we are seeking answer to prayer. v9
    
7. When we need to examine ourselves. v9
    
8. When we need direction. v11
    
9. When we feel the need for restoration / revival. v11

Fasting has a way of refocusing our spirit, our appetite, our very purpose on God Himself. Especially during the seasons of our lives when it seems we need God to show up in a special way.

Check out the following website that was passed on to me, and join me this week in fasting and prayer!
http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/index.htm

p.s. - too hungry for junk too often

Prayer: the ultimate game-changer

John 16:33 - I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Life can be hard, amen? The Lord gave us, in John 13-16, some tremendous resources to get us through a hard world. So far we have seen:

• PEOPLE TO COUNT ON.
• THE PROSPECT OF THINGS TO COME.
• A PERSON WITH PRESENCE AND POWER.
• A PLACE TO BELONG.

He gave us even more, one that we don't use near enough: the PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER.

John 16:23-24 - In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 

Many times Jesus told us to pray in His name. What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? 

This means much more than tacking a phrase at the end of your prayer. It is praying in unity with Christ, that is, praying for what Jesus would want!

Prayer certainly changes things, no doubt about that. But when we pray, when we really pray, we find that prayer changes US! You find yourself becoing less concerned with what you want, and more concerned with what will glorify God. And when that becomes your agenda, it doesn’t matter what the world throws at you because you are in tune with God

In John 14:27, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

So enough with trying to find peace the worldly way - it's temporary and shallow.

So enough with expecting everything to be great here during our stay on the earth, it isn’t going to happen.

Are you using the resources that God has given you? We can experience the peace that Christ gives as we do life together, keeping our eyes on eternity, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, walking in obedience and communing with God in prayer.

Let's do it - but let's do it with the resources God has given us. 

p.s. - that is quite a toolbelt we have!