Prayer & preaching...

Preaching has to be birthed God's Word which is of great importance. We need to recognise that preaching can have an effect on people - this is why it is so important that preparation and the preaching itself is saturated in prayer.
I have been following a series about preaching in prayer on John Brand's Preaching blog & you can follow it if you click here

Re understanding Prayer

Hey I have finnally completed the final pages of the book [re] understanding prayer Prayer written by Kyle Lake. As I have already noted in a previous post - the writer is a learner. and when he say he is re-understand he is not seeking to introduces us to a new technique or anything special like that. But just the real sense that so often we may well get stale and need to discover afresh prayer.
The heart of the book and the ultimatlely the message is summed up in the subtitle is "A Fresh approach to conversation with God". It is so easy to use churchy words in prayer such as "Bless" "lead, guide direct" "Repent". It is suggested here that it not about how many good theological words you may be able to fit into your prayer. Prayer is about a conversation and here is a quote from Lake:

"The essence of the conversation, though is altogether different.
It means you step into a dialogue not entirely knowing how the conversation will end or where the road will take you. It involves thoughts and feelings that are present in the moment. Intrinsic to true conversation are qualtities like silence, listening, truthfulness, and presence. They are no generated responses designed to sound spiritual. If so, we ask ourselves, who or what are we selling to God? Cars?" (p132)

We enter into this continued conversation (prayer) by faith not neccessary knowing what the outcome it will be.
Lake really says that prayer is not just what we utter - it is a lifestyle - it wouldnt be fair just for us to compartmentalize God into our schedules. Lake also says this about a conversation of prayer:

"If we want more from our lives with God, we could forge new
territory. Terrain that's not covered. We could allow prayer to
develop fully into what it's already becoming - fluid, seamless, open ended conversation that threads our day." (P161)

This devotional encouraged me afresh about prayer and need to be living day to day conversing with God.

Prayer in Busy days

I was dipping into a book entitled In Green Pastures a classic devotional written by JR Miller where he gives wee gems for each day of the year. The following is the entry for January 5 entitled "Prayer in Busy Days" on page 13:

"It is prayer that God shows his face to his children, that they have visions of his beauty and glory, that the things of his love come down as gifts into their likeness. If you would be blessed, get many seasons of prayer into your busy harrassed, tempted struggling life. It is in these quite moments that you really grow. Somewhere in every vexed, feverish day get a little 'silent time' for prayer. It will bring heaven down into your heart and make you strong for service." In Green
Pastures

So often we need that quiet moment in a busy day to recharge our batteries!

Reunderstanding Prayer

I still have this book by Kyle Lake entitled [re] understanding Prayer waiting to be read. But having a rough glance at the book I note that Kyle acknowleges that he is an amateur in prayer. Having read Philip Yancey's book on prayer, he would say the same thing. Writing about prayer, I would say the same, I dont thing I will ever be able to make the claim "I have mastered prayer". We will always go about with our learner plates.

How do we learn? We take time to sit like a babe growing up learning to communicate for the first time.

Anna devoted to prayer

Last night was writing here about Anna and just noticed not long after I had posted the verse before that she was a lady devoted to prayer

Luke 2:37b
She never left the temple serving night and day with fastings and prayers.

Read Reflect Renew

It is nearly that time of year again. Time when people have a wee bit more time to read reflect and renew. Again prayer is a theme we need to remind ourselves of and to re- understand prayer.

One of the books that I have set aside (if I have the time!!) to read is this book on prayer [RE] UNDERSTANDING PRAYER writing by Kyle Lake. Reading the following link for a review of the book click here. Look forward to gleaning fresh insights from prayer on this book. More to follow on this one!

Phil

prepare your heart

This advent my heart and prayer is that I would be lost in wonder, lost in worship. It is therefore important that I prepare my heart!

The following speak about preparing the way of the Lord:

Isaiah 40:3-5
"Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, Make a Highway for our the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight smooth road through the desert for our God. Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and the rough spots. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed and all the people will see it together. The Lord has spoken"

Old Testament prophets often prophesied about this Messiah. They were living in the anticipation of this messiah coming. There was really something to Look forward to. John the Baptist preached about message of repentance and forgiveness but he was not even worthy to tie the straps of Jesus' shoes, the gospel Mark tells us. Why was John the Baptist preaching? To prepare the hearts to welcome the new born King!

My prayer would be that many hearts would be prepared to hear this message. I would pray that this message of Jesus would always burn in my heart.

Prayer, Vision, Action!

Just finished reading the book entitled An Irregular Candidate: Jackie Ross of Blythswood written by Irene Howat. It tells the story of Jackie Ross who founded Blythswood 40 years ago and also involved in church ministry and community work in Locharron. Irene took to speak to Jackie, his family and friends and many others he worked alongside. While staying locally I did not meet Jackie Ross. Reading the book Mr Ross was an inspiration too many. He was man who saw a need and carried it out to completion. He had what many in the book might call "Tunnel vision". If he was envisioned to do something he had the perserverence to carry it on to completion. Many found encouragement from the fact that he wasnt just a visionary but was prepared to work alongside others in getting their hands dirty for the sake of sharing the gospel in a practical way.
I was reminded of Nehemiah who begun out with prayer then a vision then action and this is how it should be
Prayer>Vision>Action (All the way seasoned with prayer!)

Wrong Motives (James)

What are our motives in prayer?
This is what James speaks:
James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

What does this verse say? It says that we should pray according to his will and not in order to fuflfil our own selfish desires. This is a struggle as this world tells us to be independent and professional.

Lord we pray that you would help us to pray "let your will be done!"

Prayer for Opportunities.

Paul the apostle was not stand alone apostle attempting to do things on his own strength. Paul needed prayer too. He needed prayer that there would be doors open to share the gospel message and not only that he would present the message of Christ clearly. As we go about activities that we normally go about we should be praying for open doors to present Christ clearly. Sometimes this might be by the way we live our lives.

Colossians 4:3-4
praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

James & Prayer

Having spoken about James & camel knees - what does James have to say about prayer? There is a few things which speak prayer:

James 1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures

James 5:13-18
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
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Other posts on James:
James & his camel knees
No Resentment!

James & his camel knees!

You are maybe wondering what this post is going to be about with a title like that. James is a book in the Bible. According to tradition, James had camel knees . Camels (dessert animals) are said to have thick calluses on knees from all the kneeling that they do. According to traditions, James was constantly kneeling before the Lord in prayer. Tommorrow night, our church homegroup will begin looking at this wee book of James. It is amazing that there is many a pearl of wisdom in this wee book. Lots of things for us to chew over, think over and ultimatley hope that we are changed by the reading and studying of this book.

God's purposes and answered prayer

Proverbs 16:9 (New International Version)
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Since June I keep being drawn back to these verses in proverbs which speak about God's purpose. Not only that I know it as a reality as God works out his purpose in my life. In June my wife, accepted a post and I have now during this past week accepted a postition which will mean my wife will be staying at home and I will be going back to work.
In the answered prayer (you will see a link to post below) I noted that we continued to seek to keep our ears open to what the Lord would say to us. We do not want to be in the path of least resistance but hopefully trying to actively hear what the Lord has to say to us.
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Brian Robertson has a post on the theme of The path of least resistance

Other posts on purposes:
Purposes, Purposes, Purposes (October 24th)
God's purpose will prevail (June 30th) details the verses in Proverbs about God's purpose.
Answered Prayer (June 22nd)