Monthly Archives: November 2013

Prayer: Lesson 7 – Problems With Prayer

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LESSON 7

PROBLEMS WITH PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

Prayer has many facets to it. Both the Old and the New Testaments are full of examples of people’s prayers. Unfortunately the Bible is not a manual for prayer. We have to glean our understanding from people’s experiences and God’s responses.

It is easy to misunderstand prayer because, as human beings, we do not find it easy to understand how and why we should communicate with Someone we cannot see and who does not communicate with us in an audible voice.

We tend to think of prayer as communicating with God on the same level as we communicate with one another. We have probably been taught that prayer is talking to God – in a sort of one-way monologue that does not expect a response and doe not understand how to interpret the responses we may get from Him.

Prayer is a learned experience

Even Jesus’ disciples, having watched and listened to Him praying many times, asked Him to teach them to pray. Listening and speaking to God takes practice. If you find it difficult in the beginning, don’t give up. Learning to communicate with God is worth the time and effort you put into it.

We can’t possibly deal with all the problems we encounter in prayer. We can only highlight a few of the main ones under the following categories:

1. PROBLEMS WITH OURSELVES

Speaking to an unseen Being

Until we get used to the idea that God is real and He is as near to us as our breath, speaking to someone we can’t see feels foolish. It takes practice to become God-conscious. Proverbs 3:6 is good counsel to help us develop an awareness of God.

“In all your ways acknowledge Him…”

Hearing the sound of your voice

Praying aloud will help you with the problem of a wandering mind. It may be difficult to do in the beginning because you may feel silly talking aloud when there is no other visible person there.

Praying the Psalms aloud will help you get used to hearing your own voice.

Dealing with a wandering mind

Reading Scripture, especially the Psalms, as well as verbalising your thoughts will help you to concentrate.

It is good to have a notebook and pen with you to write down anything that is taking your attention away from God that you can deal with later.

Being selfish and self-centred

Discipline yourself to start with setting your mind on God. No matter how pressing your need might be, keep in mind that God is with you, that He is good and that He is in charge. There is no situation outside of His control and care.

Go back to Jesus’ pattern prayer. Begin with “Our Father…”

Humility and honesty

Humility is not about feeling like a worm before God. It is about taking your rightful place before Him. You are both a created being and a son.

Don’t tell God what you think He wants to hear. Be honest. Tell Him how you feel, what you think and what you believe. He can work with that.

Prayer is more about changing you than changing your circumstances. Your circumstances change and your needs are met as you are being formed into the image of Jesus.

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect (contemplate) the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit .“ 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV).

Question: Discuss some of the problems you face with prayer relating to yourself as a human being.

2. PROBLEMS WITH GOD

Praying to the wrong god

It is possible to pray to the wrong god if our concept of God comes from our imagination and not from the Bible.

The God of the Bible is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God Jesus mirrored in His life.

Use the Scriptures to develop your understanding of who God is. Read passages like Ezekiel 1; Isaiah 6; And Revelation 1:12-18; 4:1-11

Having a wrong expectation of God

We can become disappointed and disillusioned with God if our expectations are shaped by what we learn from others and not by what the Bible teaches. Too much of our “faith” is trusting God “for” something instead of trusting God, full stop.

Be careful of the faith teachings that take Scripture out of context and expect God to do what you demand because you try to hold God to His word. That is manipulation, not faith.

Having a wrong perspective about God’s will

God has a plan for you but His plan is subject to His bigger plan for His kingdom to be established on earth. His will for you is much more about shaping your character than about making you comfortable.

Being a son means being in submission and obedient to Him regardless of what you want.

Question: Explore the possibility that your unanswered prayers relate to your wrong concepts of God and His will.

3. PROBLEMS WITH PRAYER

We can pray sinful prayers

If our prayers arise out of the consequences of our disobedience.

“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Stand up! What are you doing on your face? Israel has sinned.’” Joshua 10:10,11a

God had instructed the Israelites to destroy everything in Jericho. Achan disobeyed and brought disaster on the whole nation. Joshua’s praying was unacceptable to God. The solution to the problem was to get rid of the offender.

We can pray presumptuous prayers

Job prayed many presumptuous prayers. It was the philosophy of his day that God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked. Because his experience did not fit his philosophy, he challenged God because he believed he was righteous and therefore his suffering was unjust.

God responded by answering him, not in quiet, sympathetic voice, but in a whirlwind and storm, challenging him to be God.

“The Lord said to Job, ‘Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let him who accuses God answer Him.’” Job 40:1,2 (NIV).

God had to strip Job down to nothing until he realised that, though he thought he knew God, he knew nothing.

“‘My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.’” Job 42:5,6 (NIV).

We can pray selfish prayers

God is gracious and generous but He does not pamper us or encourage small-minded and selfish prayers. He wants us to learn to see beyond our own needs to the needs of those around us, to pray for one another and to what we can to meet other people’s needs so that others in turn can meet ours.

“You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures .” James 4:2b,3 (NIV).

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests,. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18 (NIV).

Question: In what ways do you pray prayers that God cannot answer?

CONCLUSION

1. Prayer is simple but it is not easy.

2. God deals with us as His sons and daughters.

3. Prayer is about putting God and His kingdom in their correct perspective.

4. Prayer is about getting God’s will done on earth so that His glory is put on display.

5. When we pray according to God’s will, He hears us.

6. When we are more concerned about God and others, He will take care of all our needs.

Fruit Or Fruitless

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FRUIT OR FRUITLESS

“As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and travelled along. He addressed them, using this story: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was trampled down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted but withered because it didn’t have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop. ‘Are you listening to this? Really listening?'” Luke 8:4-8 (The Message).

How many sermons have been preached on this story!

As the crowds joined Jesus, He was aware that all of them represented one or even more of the soil types of which His story spoke. No doubt the scribes and Pharisees were among those whose hearts were so hard that the seed of God’s Word would remain exposed on the surface until the birds came and snatched it away.

What makes hearts so hard that the seed will never take root? Disobedience creates calluses in people’s hearts. God speaks and, because the time is not convenient, or because His instruction seems foolish or cuts across our own wishes or intentions, we do nothing. The next time His speaks, we hear but do nothing again. Eventually we no longer hear Him because our hearts have become deaf to His voice.

Sin dulls our sensitivity to His word. Self-will and the notion that we know better or that we are convinced we are right, like the Pharisees were, shuts us off from the influence of God’s Word until it no longer penetrates our minds and we dismiss it with contempt.

Gravelly soil represents the shallow person who is so caught up with the glitz and glamour of the world and the all the interests and entertainment that it can offer that the delicate roots of the Word of God find no place to anchor themselves. There’s hardness under the surface that resists the truth and the small plant of faith eventually withers and dies.

Ground that is full of weeds is like the person who has a divided heart. Jesus identified the weeds as “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of riches.” These are interesting concepts. To worry implies that you are split — you are here but your mind is there. You may be in church but your mind is somewhere else, churning over a situation or problem you cannot solve. You are unable to give your attention fully to God’s Word at that moment.

The deceitfulness of riches is equally distracting and you are equally split in your mind. Instead of being content with what you have now, you are continually living in the future — scheming and planning how you can get more money then. “Weeds” rob you of contentment and distract you from living in the present and in the place where you are here and now. Consequently God’s Word is gradually pushed out of your mind as you grapple with your worries and your ambitions.

The person who recognises the value of what God says and applies it diligently to his life, not allowing sin, pride or self-will to prevent its entry into his heart or the glamour, greed or worries of the present life to choke its growth, will receive the Word. apply it and show the fruit of its influence in the way he lives.

There is a little of each type of soil in each of our lives, depending on our attitude to the issues the Word addresses. We may resist what God has to say about any sin we are entertaining; we may be shallow or superficial in our attitude towards something God requires of us that touches our pride or our purses; we may have worries or ambitions that we are not prepared to relinquish to Him, and in those areas we will shut out the Word and become unfruitful.

The fruitfulness of the seed depends entirely on quality of the soil that receives it.

When God looks for fruit in your life, what will He find?

 

 

God’s Girls!

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GOD’S GIRLS!

 “He continued according to plan, travelling to town after town, village after village, preaching God’s kingdom, spreading the Message. The Twelve were with Him. There were also some women in their company who had been healed of various afflictions and illnesses: Mary, the one called Magdalene, from whom seven devils had gone out; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s manager; and Susanna — along with many others who used their considerable means to provide for the company.” Luke 8:1-3 (The Message).

Luke gives us an interesting little interlude that is not included in the other gospels — some titbits of information about Jesus’ travelling companions, a group of women who accompanied Him and His disciples. This must have been quite unusual. Jewish women were normally in the background and would certainly not have travelled around the country with a roving rabbi.

Luke’s inclusion of this bit of information about the women is in keeping with the theme of his gospel. He had a special focus on the humanity of Jesus, on His dependence on the Holy Spirit, on His prayer life and on the way He treated people, and especially women.

Unlike Roman society — and Theophilus, the recipient of Luke’s story, was a Roman — where women enjoyed elevated positions, women were nothing in Jewish society. Luke takes time to point out to Theophilus that Jesus had a different attitude to women from other Jewish men. He treated them with dignity and respect as equal to men rather than as subordinates or possessions.

These women who followed Jesus all had very personal reasons for loving Him. Mary Magdalene, for example, had been demon possessed until Jesus rescued her, probably from a life of prostitution, and gave her back her dignity. From that moment on she became a loyal disciple, following Him and ministering to Him and His disciples wherever they went.

She was there at the cross, unashamedly to let him know that she cared, even though she could do nothing for Him at that moment. She was at the tomb in the pre-dawn darkness to anoint His body. She was the first one to see Him alive and to tell the glad news to His disciples.

Why did Jesus choose Mary to be the first person to whom He revealed Himself? Was it to show His disciples and the world that women should be given the honour due to them as the crown of His creation?

There has been much speculation and even stories written about the relationship between Jesus and Mary. Was there a romantic connection which the Bible carefully kept hidden? I believe it is safe to say that we can trust the Bible to reveal the truth about something as important as this.

Right from Genesis, the writers of the books of the Bible, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were brutally honest about their characters. Nothing was put under wraps, not even the lapses into sin of its most revered characters, Moses and David. The gospel writers would certainly not have ignored or neglected to write about any romantic connection Mary Magdalene had with Jesus.

They loved Him and served Him out of gratitude for who He was and for His gracious treatment of them as people of worth who deserved the dignity and respect given to them by their Creator. That’s who Jesus is.

No matter who you are, you can be sure that the Master sees you as He saw those women, beautiful, treasured and worthy of honour because He created you in His image to worship Him and to be one with Him.

 

Prayer: Lesson 6 – The Outcome Of Prayer – God’s Kingdom

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LESSON 6

THE OUTCOME OF PRAYER – GOD’S KINGDOM

 INTRODUCTION

Prayer is primarily about bringing about God’s rule on earth so that His glory can be put on display. God has personally involved us in this enterprise because He gave man the earth to manage for Him as His vice-regents.

The kingdom of God is His family business. God relates to us as sons and daughters and allows us to share His rule by carrying out His will on earth.

The best way to get an understanding of our role in bringing God’s kingdom to earth is through watching and listening to Jesus who is our perfect  pattern.

1. JESUS IDENTIFIED WITH THE HUMAN RACE

Jesus came as a human baby to grow up and be one of us. He had to learn to be human and to experience everything that humans experience.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 (NIV).

He also had to learn the meaning of being a son.

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered and, once made perfect He became the source of eternal salvation for all wo obey Him…” Hebrews 5:7-9 (NIV).

Question: In what ways was Jesus just like us and in what ways was He different from us?

He was made like us in every way: He was tempted like we are; He functioned as a human being; He was empowered by the Holy Spirit; He had to learn.

He was different in that He was both fully God and fully man. He did not function as God in His earthly life. He set aside His deity and lived purely as a human being.

2. JESUS PARTNERED WITH HIS FATHER AS A MATURE SON

He was already aware of His sonship at the age of twelve. His obedience to His heavenly Father took precedence over His earthly parents.

“Why were you searching for me?” He asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49 (NIV).

He spent hours with the Father, nurturing His relationship with Him, growing in confidence in His Father’s disposition and will, learning how to partner with Him in His ministry and how to establish His kingdom on earth. He spent hours watching the Father and listening to Him.

“Jesus gave them this answer: ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what He sees the Father doing because whatever the Father does, the Son does also. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does.’” John 5:19,20 (NIV).

Question: In what ways can we imitate Jesus as a son?

3. JESUS ALWAYS PUT GOD’S GLORY AND GODS KINGDOM FIRST IN EVERYTHING HE DID

Jesus always viewed every circumstance from God’s perspective. relating to God’s rule.

Three examples:

1. He viewed sickness and death as an opportunity to show people what God could do.

“Walking down the road, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?’

“Jesus said, ‘You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do.’” John 9:1-3 (The Message).

Jesus received a message that His friend, Lazarus was sick.

“When Jesus got this message, He said, ‘This sickness is not fatal. It will be an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.’” John 11:4 (The Message).

2. He viewed all circumstances as relating to people’s relationship to God.

“About that time some people came up and told Him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar. Jesus responded, ‘Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans? Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you will also die.’” Luke 13:1-3 (The Message).

3. He taught and brought the kingdom of God into people’s everyday lives.

“He tried again, ‘How can I picture God’s kingdom for you? It’s like yeast that a women works into enough dough for three loaves of bread – and waits while the dough rises.’” Luke 13:20 (The Message).

If we are the sons and daughters of God, we need to be imitating Jesus. Since it is our role to continue the mission of Jesus on earth, we cannot do it in a hit-and-miss fashion.

Jesus gave His life to transfer us from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light.

“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.” Colossians 1:13 (NIV)

4. OUR RESPONSE TO JESUS PASSION FOR GOD’S KINGDOM

Jesus came to announce God’s kingdom and to set it up in people’s hearts by dealing with sin and opening the way to the Father.

His work would be in vain if we are not passionate about what He is passionate about.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15 (NIV).

Paraphrase: If you value what I value, you will do what I tell you so that you do not break my heart.

Jesus focussed all His energy on teaching and establishing God’s kingdom. His prayer was directed to doing His Father’s will.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 (NIV).

Question: In what practical ways can we imitate Jesus in His passion for the Father’s kingdom and glory?

CONCLUSION

1. Jesus is the model we are called to follow.

2. His passion for God’s rule in people’s live spilled over into everything He said and did.

3. His prayer life was the engine that drove Him. Anything less is unworthy of Him.

 

Weighed In The Balance

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WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE

“Jesus said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’  ‘Oh? Tell me.’  ‘Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker cancelled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?’

“Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.’  ‘That’s right,’ said Jesus. Then turning to the woman but speaking to Simon, He said, ‘Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If forgiveness is minimal, gratitude is minimal.’

“Then He spoke to her: ‘I forgive your sins.’ That set the dinner guests talking behind His back: ‘Who does He think He is, forgiving sins!’

“He ignored them and said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.'” Luke 7:40-50 (The Message).

Simon was a Pharisee! A Pharisee, a man with a huge ego problem!

The eyes of all the dinner guests were on him. No doubt they were all Simon’s cronies, friends and supporters, Pharisees and religious types who keenly felt his embarrassment because they were in this together. They were probably thinking what he was thinking when the woman made her appearance and washed Jesus’ feet.

Why did Jesus name and shame Simon’s behaviour so ruthlessly? Before the woman’s intrusion, He said nothing to him about his lack of common courtesy. He let it pass until the woman did for Him, out of humility and great personal cost, what Simon should have done as the host through a servant.

This whole dinner date thing was an absolute farce. Firstly, eating with Jesus as a sign of reconciliation was a sham. Simon had issues with Jesus along with all the other Pharisees and reconciliation was the farthest from his intention. Sitting at the table with Jesus was a company of hypocrites.

Secondly, he publicly humiliated Jesus and showed his contempt for Him, and no doubt for His disciples as well, by ignoring the protocol of hospitality. After all, Jesus was a rabbi, one on the same level as His two great contemporaries, Hillel and Shammai, and He should have been received with great honour.

And Jesus noticed but said nothing until Simon revealed his contempt for the woman as well. Then He jumped in with one of His famous and pointed stories. Simon would immediately have recognised who he was in the story if he were honest — the ungrateful debtor. Once again we see how Jesus differentiated between Simon’s and the woman’s hearts. In the presence of Jesus, the woman was aware of her own sinfulness and wordlessly craved forgiveness. In the presence of the woman, Simon preened and congratulated himself for not being like her — at least in the public eye!

The outcome for the woman was peace; an inner sense of wellbeing because her past had ceased to exist. She left Simon’s home deeply in love with Jesus. Simon, on the other hand was both uncomfortable and angry, along with his peers. Instead of loving Jesus for freeing him from the guilt of his past and giving him a new start, he was seething with rage at being exposed, and determined to get even with Him when the opportunity came.

He was, no doubt, joined by his other dinner guests who were outraged at Jesus’ treatment of the woman. ‘How dare He forgive her sins! Who does He think He is?’

Like them, it all depends on how we see ourselves in the light of who Jesus is. We can ignore Him and compare ourselves with those whom we hold in contempt or we can allow His light to expose our darkness and experience the freedom of forgiveness and a new life.

The choice is ours.