Praying Without Believing

             “Be joyful always, pray continually . . .” I Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NIV)

    A man was baptized in my hometown a few years ago. That’s wonderful but not news that makes national headlines. It happens all the time. However, something made this baptism different: this was a man I had spent the last 20 years praying for almost every day.

    But I am embarrassed and ashamed to confess that even though I prayed for his salvation, I wasn’t convinced it would happen. Why? Because I saw him and his actions on the outside and I judged him.  I never stopped to consider that God was doing a mighty work on the inside, on this man’s heart. Shame on me.

    Year after year I watched him and prayed but also judged him by how I saw his life unfold. According to I Thessalonians 5:16-17, I should have been “joyful always” knowing that I  should “pray continually” for his heart to turn to Jesus each day and praising God for being faithful to answer when we call on Him.  

    Instead, I was judgmental and prideful during my prayer time. I didn’t speak these comments out loud but my thought life did: “Wow, God. He isn’t going to turn to you, is he?” or “I’m not sure even you can change the heart of concrete that man has, God.” And then there is this one: “So many are praying for him, Lord. Why isn’t he changing?”

    I tell you that, to share this: we may not see with our physical eyes changes going on in the lives of the people we are praying for but God is working on the inside to guide and direct them to His mercy and forgiveness and grace.

    We have no idea the battle that is being waged on the inside for anyone’s heart and life nor do we know the plans that God is putting in place as He fights for His children and their salvation.

    But He tells us to pray continually for a reason: because He, Jesus, has never once stopped interceding for us before the Father. If He never stops, why should we? I should have been trusting God to work in this man’s life and heart but instead, I was judging what I could see with my physical and not spiritual eyes.

    Can I just open up to you and say that there are loved ones in my family that I have prayed for, off and on, for years and I would hate to think that someone was praying for them with the same attitude that I had as I prayed for this man. Do you agree?

    So I have an idea: let’s all resolve to have an attitude of joyfulness as we lift up people all around us who do not have a face-to-face relationship with Jesus. Instead of praying “He probably won’t ever change, Lord” let’s instead pray “I am excited for the day that he turns his heart over to you, Lord.”

    My attitude in prayer. That’s what it comes down to—being joyful as we trust Jesus to speak truth to those around us. It’s not our job to judge if someone is changing inside. Our job is to pray continually, joyfully, hopefully. His job is to change hearts.

   Father, forgive me for using my physical eyes and not my spiritual eyes when praying for your children. Help me to trust you in all things. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever prayed for someone for months or even years and felt like your prayers were not being answered?

• Were you trusting the Lord and praying joyfully and continuously or did you give up and stop praying?

Apply

• Journal the names of people that you have prayed over for a long time – months or years.

• Beside each one write “I will joyfully and continually pray for you.” Then make sure to continue praying for them.

 Power

•  I Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NIV) “Be joyful always, pray continually . . .”

• Romans 10:1 (NIV) “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”

•  II Peter 3:9 (NIV) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Leaving home For Home

 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14: 1-3 (NIV)

   It had been a year to the day since my sister had passed away from cancer. I sat in my usual church pew - south side, four rows from the back –trying to focus on the picture over the baptistery of the cross and Jesus with His arms outstretched.

   My heart ached for her loss – not just for me as her sister but for her husband, daughters and grandchildren. I could not contain the tears threatening to break through or the knot that began to swell in my throat as it had so many times those past several months after saying goodbye to Mary.

   "Help me with this heartache, Lord.” I silently begged. “I miss her so much!”  And as He often does when His children call His name, the Lord whispered to my heart this wonderful thought:

   "On this day a year ago, you were preparing for Mary to die. But I was preparing for her to live! You were sadly expecting her to leave the earth but I was eagerly waiting for her to arrive in heaven."  I could just imagine our Father shouting "Get ready! My child Mary, my precious servant, is coming soon! Be prepared for her arrival!" as angels hurried to have her mansion ready.

   We see the death of loved ones as a loss and it certainly is – for us. We mourn the fact that we will not talk to them again here on earth . . . we miss smiles and laughter and hugs and their very presence with us.

   But our Father views the death of His children as something entirely different. He welcomes them Home. He ushers them into His presence. He puts His arms around them and showers them with love and compassion. I have no doubt that as my sister stepped before Him, our Father declared for all to hear: “Well done Mary, my good and faithful servant! Welcome Home!”

   Amy Grant sang it very well: “In a little while we’ll be with the Father. Can’t you see Him smile! In a little while we’ll be Home forever . . . in a while. We’re just here to learn to love Him. We’ll be Home . . . in just a little while.”

   Father, thank you for loving us for an eternity…for wanting us to live with you…for not only building our heavenly Home with your hands but for celebrating as you bring us into your kingdom! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Do you ever get caught up in the everyday craziness of life here on earth?

• Does that cause you to think more or less about our eternal Home?

Apply

• Thank the Lord each morning for your temporary home away from Home.

• As you give thanks, ask God to place people in your path who need to know about your eternal Home.

Power

• John 14: 1-3 (NIV) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

• I Corinthians 15:55 (NIV) “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

• I Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV) “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

More Than Fine

 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” II Thessalonians 2:16 (NIV)

     I saw her moving slowly through the slacks aisle in a local department store, shopping but seeing nothing. I understood. The image of her beautiful daughter who had passed away tragically several months before came to mind and was woven through the heartache of my husband’s death only weeks earlier. 

   “How are you?” I asked her. “Fine. How are you?” she responded. “Fine.” I said and we both moved on. The Lord knew that neither one of us was fine or even close to that and He quietly nudged my heart: “You said you were fine and so did she but neither one of you are fine. Go talk to her.” I did not want to obey and instead went to another aisle in the store. But as much as I resisted, the Lord persisted. “Go talk to her.” And I went.

   I touched her shoulder: “You asked me how I was doing and I asked you how you were doing and we both said “fine” but we aren’t fine . . . we are hurting. It’s horrible losing someone you love.” She began to cry and I could not stop my tears. “I can’t imagine what it would be like without your husband,” she said. “And I cannot imagine what I would do if I lost a child.” I whispered to her. 

   When the heartache of a loss is acknowledged, two things occur. First, grief is validated and we know that we have a right to cry and to struggle. Secondly, sympathy and empathy help us to begin the slow process of healing. We shared a bond neither one of us wanted – that of losing someone we loved. But we were able to acknowledge that heartache and grief and to encourage each other to hold on to the Lord and depend on Him as we faced each day with our losses. 

   Grieving at the loss of a loved one cannot be ignored. Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus and He knew He would raise His dear friend in a matter of minutes. If asked how He was doing, I wonder if Jesus would have answered “Fine.”

   If you are grieving at the loss of a loved one, I urge you to gently share how you are truly feeling: “Right now I’m doing okay but I can’t tell you in 10 minutes how I will be.”  Or “I am holding on to the Lord with everything I’ve got but it’s so hard.” That allows the person asking the question to also gently encourage you or hug you or whisper your name to the Lord.

    We are told in I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) that we should “ . . . encourage one another and build each other up . . . ” May we always be willing to share and to listen to hearts that are hurting with a love and compassion that is more than just “fine.”

    Father, please help me to see those who are hurting and need encouragement with your eyes. Help me also to look to you with my heartache. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

• Have you suffered the loss of a child? Spouse? Parent? Close friend? What was your response when someone asked you how you were doing?

• How have you handled those situations in the past when you have come in contact with someone who was heartbroken over a similar loss?

Apply

• Write a note every few weeks to someone you know has suffered the loss of a loved one to let her know you are praying for her.

• Make a phone call to let someone experiencing a loss know that you have not forgotten and are lifting them up to the Lord. 

Power

• “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” II Thessalonians 2:16 (NIV)

• “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” Philemon 7 (NIV)

• “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

He Knows Us

  “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11 (NIV) 

    The high school girl my friend Brenda was working with opened the Christmas gift she had been given but “thank you”  were not her first words. “It was as if, for a second, she had quit breathing,” Brenda smiled. And then she shouted “You know me!” and leaped into Brenda’s  arms with a big hug that seemed to go on forever! Why exactly did she say that?

     Because every single item in the gift box was something she loved: a specific kind of candy, blue socks, favorite card games and other things as well. Brenda had listened closely to what her students had talked about as they met each week for therapy. She made notes beside each student’s name so she would not forget and then was able to put together a gift specifically for each one at Christmas.

    Brenda shared “my students have various learning disabilities and there are times when they have trouble understanding what I am sharing with them.” But this time, her student could not mistake the gifts as something left over on a store shelf placed in a box but rather specific gifts just for her. 

    I’m sure as you read this you already know where I am headed. We smile to think that a student would realize that  her teacher knows her favorite things. But how much more God knows everything about us, His children! 

• He knows our every need and gives us good things before we even ask. (Matthew 6:8) 

• He watches over us day and night. (Psalm 121:4-8)  

• He formed us; He knew us in our mother’s womb before we were even born. (Psalm      139:13-16)  

• He calls us His children (I John 3:1) 

• He gives us good gifts (Matthew 7:9-11)

   These are only a few of the reasons why we can trust that our Father knows us, just as Brenda’s student saw that her teacher knew her very well. There are hundreds more. But we aren’t talking about a teacher in a classroom. We are talking about the Creator of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, our God, our Father and sometimes our Daddy. 

    As we begin a new year, take time to stop and consider all that God has done for you - all the gifts He has given you before you even asked. And you will find that you, too, will throw yourself into the arms of your Teacher and shout “You know me!”

   Father, thank you for taking care of my every need, even before I think or ask. You are a good good Father to your children. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

• Have you ever felt that the Lord did not know you personally and care about your every need?

• Why do you think you felt that way?

Apply

• Before each day begins, thank the Lord for all that He has done and all that He is going to do in your life.

• Journal throughout your day everything - big or little - that shows you the Lord knows everything about you specifically.

Power

• Matthew 7:9-11 (NIV) “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

• I John 3:1 (NIV) “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

• Matthew 6:8 (NIV) “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” 

  

Jerry's Christmas

  “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)

    I’ll never forget that precious little boy: freckles scattered like tiny raindrops across his entire face, including his ears. Big brown eyes partially obscured by wispy blonde hair that brushed against an ever-present smile minus two front teeth.

   Jerry was a first-grade student at the elementary school where I worked. He came from a home that was short on money but long on love. His clothes were always someone else’s property first, but he never seemed to care.  And this Christmas season was no different.

   As a mother of three, I was frantically trying to balance home, husband, kids, and job while I shopped endlessly for the perfect “only thing I want” gifts for my family. Somewhere in the rush of the season, my focus shifted from the birth of a baby in a manger to the number of presents under our Christmas tree.

   There was some success but at a price . . . a high price. My Christmas budget was shrinking rapidly. “Why couldn’t my children want something a little cheaper?” I kept thinking. “Why do they think they have to have everything they see on television?”

   Those questions were occupying my thoughts as I walked down the first-grade hall and saw Jerry coming toward me in worn tennis shoes minus the laces and a winter coat that was about three sizes too large.  

   “Hey, Jerry! How are you?” “I’m good, Miss Nancy. It’s almost Christmas . . . Jesus’ birthday . . . did you know?” I couldn’t help but smile at that comment. “Yes, I have heard that. So what do you want for Christmas, Jerry?”

   He quickly replied “Oh, I already know what I’m getting. It’s the same every year.” At this point, I would have expected a child making that statement to duck his head in disappointment and go on, but not Jerry.

   As I bent down to hug and encourage him, Jerry put his hands on my shoulders and, with a huge smile, continued. “When I wake up on Christmas morning, there will be a BIG candy cane under my pillow!” he exclaimed as he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in anticipation of that moment. “And then, under the tree, I will get a little Matchbox car to add to my others. I can hardly wait, Miss Nancy!”

   As I hugged Jerry and sent him on to class, I could not hold back the tears of sadness – not for Jerry but for my attitude. Instead of focusing on Christ and His birth, I had gotten caught up in the world’s view that the number of gifts you have under the Christmas tree determines your happiness.

   Christmas at our home would never be the same again. All because of a candy cane under a pillow, a Matchbox car under a tree . . . and a very thankful little boy named Jerry.

   Father, thank you for the most priceless gift of love you could ever send – the gift of your Son - from a manger to the cross for us.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Do you find yourself focused more on gifts than the Giver of Life at Christmas?

• Have you talked with your children about the Ultimate Gift that Jesus gave each of us?

Apply

• Help your children write on slips of paper the gifts that they can give Jesus this Christmas, like trusting Him, being obedient, and sharing Him with friends.

• Have them wrap each of their gifts for Jesus in a box and offer each one to Him on Christmas morning in prayer.

Power 

• Luke 2:11-12 (NIV) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” 

• 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

• John 1:14 a (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”