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A Picture of Prayer

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Though the book of The Revelation is a challenge to interpret, I love reading it. It is the picture-book of the bible.

I suppose that I'm a visual learner. I love the visualization of spiritual realities presented through visions and symbols. While other New Testament authors carefully explain the conflict between evil and good, and give adequate instruction to live amid invisible spiritual dynamics, I love the pictures Revelation offers.

The Scroll With Seven Seals

Beginning in chapter 5, there's a scene where John sees the one on the throne holding a scroll that has seven seals. It seems no one can open this scroll that, evidently, explains the mystery of the ages. Weeping ensues.

Then John is told that there is someone who can open it. It is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. When he appears, it is as a lamb that has been slaughtered. We know who that is. One by one the seals are broken and the mystery unfolds.

The Prayers of the Saints

In chapter 8 there is a picture of what the prayers of the saints look like. An angel with a censor takes the incense arising (prayers of the saints) and mixes it with fire from the altar (symbolizing all that Jesus has done in his sacrificial death) and flings it back to earth with peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

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What a picture of our privilege in partnership with heaven. Jesus forgave our sin, defeated our enemy, reconciled us to God, empowered us as his agents on earth. We engage the conflicts on earth and pray. The results are as dynamic as thunder, lightning and earthquakes.

It is a characteristic of prophetic literature to depict spiritual dynamics in cosmic images. Just like thunder reminds us that we are not in control, and lightning displays more power than humans can ever generate, and an earthquake illustrates how little we can control our security, answers to prayer are powerful. Things change when heaven intervenes in earthly matters.

God's Power Displayed

This picture confirms what we know about the kingdom rule of God on earth at present. Those who fear God have more to say about the events going on than we have recognized. We are not to be dismayed when confronted with difficult or even impossible circumstances. We can pray.

When the first believers were being discriminated against by the civil and religious authorities, they prayed. The place was shaken (earthquake?) and they spoke freely of the resurrected Lord (Acts 4).

We are not hapless victims of evil while we sojourn here. We rule with Christ, speaking boldly about the finished work of Jesus and boldly petitioning our Lord.

When Paul was severely persecuting the early believers, the church prayed. On a trip to Damascus, Paul was struck down by a light (lightning?) and was converted to a great Christian missionary.

Every time God spoke to his people it drowned out and displaced the sounds they were being tempted to trust. (Thunder?)

Confident in Our Lord

We are not hapless victims of evil while we sojourn here. We rule with Christ. We exercise our authority by speaking boldly about the finished work of Jesus, and by boldly petitioning our Lord for heaven's intervention.

Of course, we often face insurmountable obstacles. They are necessary for us to display the enormous power of God as he acts in behalf of his people who seek to glorify him.

The Christian life is, by nature, supernatural. We expect to live confidently in both the visible and invisible realms of reality. As one saint said after reading the account of Revelation 8:1-5, "Let's smoke up heaven."

The post A Picture of Prayer appeared first on The Stream.

Has It Come to This?

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A silhouette of a young Christian woman is bowing her head in prayer, and desperation outside during sunset.

Someone has said that prayer is the most talked about and least practiced activity of the Church. Why do we have such a hard time with it? It is usually a last resort activity. We use it only when all else has failed. It is not uncommon to have someone announce with urgency, "we need to pray" and we all wonder: “Has it come to this?

The societal diagnosticians remind us often that we are a society full of angst, anxiety, frustration, anger, and panic. We spend billions of dollars and hours of time trying to alleviate these. Sometimes, trying to manage our anxiety becomes our full-time job. Our search for a modicum of personal peace defines our very existence. God gave us his solution through a man who had multiple obstacles in his life and every reason to fret. The apostle Paul offers:

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NRSV.)

Have We Neglected Prayer?

Maybe our angst is not a sign of the troubled times we are in, but a sign of our neglect of prayer.

Jared Wilson in his book, The Gospel-Driven Church, says "prayer is expressed helplessness. When we are not engaged in prayer, it is because we feel like 'we got this.' The extent to which you are not engaged in prayer is the extent to which you are relying on your own strength." I think he is right and it exposes my own presumption.

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But I think there is more going on as well. I'm not sure we know how prayer fits into our purpose and how it works in our relationship with God.

As preposterous as it sounds, we are God's partners in God's earthly work. He has chosen to work through humans to accomplish his purpose on earth. Adam and Eve were assigned to such a task for the whole race. This gives us a clue to understanding why we are incurable "fixers." We are attracted to problems and projects that need to be developed, fixed, or eliminated. However, we tend to forget that we are to do it as partners with God rather than as independent agents. We even despise those who appear to be always praying and never using their own minds to think and hands to work. We try to not to bother God with stuff we can handle -- and sadly, we think we can handle it all.

We Want Control

We don't like desperation, so we run from it. We enjoy being in control. But, we should not be surprised that God confronts us with problems too big for us. He does not want us living boring lives. We were designed and are redeemed to participate in bringing the supernatural kingdom of God to expression on earth. We are not made to be satisfied with accomplishing only what humans can do alone. We are agents of the heavenly realm. We crave supernaturality (new word? Why not?).

The life that we share in our relationship with God through faith in Jesus is energized by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. We expect to confront issues that require intervention from the supernatural. This perspective anticipates desperation. We are called to do that which can only be done in partnership with God. Our part always starts with prayer. It is our first response, not our last resort.

As we take our posts as citizens of both the kingdom of God and the land in which we live, we discover that there are issues that we just can't control. For instance, we can't change people by our own strength. But we are not limited to our own strength. If we are willing to partner with God we can see people change as he desires.

It is our time to get involved. There are multiple opportunities for divine intervention. We have a part. Yes. It has come to this.

Has It Come to This?

by

Someone has said that prayer is the most talked about and least practiced activity of the Church. Why do we have such a hard time with it? It is usually a last resort activity. We use it only when all else has failed. It is not uncommon to have someone announce with urgency, "we need to pray" and we all wonder: “Has it come to this?

The societal diagnosticians remind us often that we are a society full of angst, anxiety, frustration, anger, and panic. We spend billions of dollars and hours of time trying to alleviate these. Sometimes, trying to manage our anxiety becomes our full-time job. Our search for a modicum of personal peace defines our very existence. God gave us his solution through a man who had multiple obstacles in his life and every reason to fret. The apostle Paul offers:

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NRSV.)

Have We Neglected Prayer?

Maybe our angst is not a sign of the troubled times we are in, but a sign of our neglect of prayer.

Jared Wilson in his book, The Gospel-Driven Church, says "prayer is expressed helplessness. When we are not engaged in prayer, it is because we feel like 'we got this.' The extent to which you are not engaged in prayer is the extent to which you are relying on your own strength." I think he is right and it exposes my own presumption.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

But I think there is more going on as well. I'm not sure we know how prayer fits into our purpose and how it works in our relationship with God.

As preposterous as it sounds, we are God's partners in God's earthly work. He has chosen to work through humans to accomplish his purpose on earth. Adam and Eve were assigned to such a task for the whole race. This gives us a clue to understanding why we are incurable "fixers." We are attracted to problems and projects that need to be developed, fixed, or eliminated. However, we tend to forget that we are to do it as partners with God rather than as independent agents. We even despise those who appear to be always praying and never using their own minds to think and hands to work. We try to not to bother God with stuff we can handle -- and sadly, we think we can handle it all.

We Want Control

We don't like desperation, so we run from it. We enjoy being in control. But, we should not be surprised that God confronts us with problems too big for us. He does not want us living boring lives. We were designed and are redeemed to participate in bringing the supernatural kingdom of God to expression on earth. We are not made to be satisfied with accomplishing only what humans can do alone. We are agents of the heavenly realm. We crave supernaturality (new word? Why not?).

The life that we share in our relationship with God through faith in Jesus is energized by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. We expect to confront issues that require intervention from the supernatural. This perspective anticipates desperation. We are called to do that which can only be done in partnership with God. Our part always starts with prayer. It is our first response, not our last resort.

As we take our posts as citizens of both the kingdom of God and the land in which we live, we discover that there are issues that we just can't control. For instance, we can't change people by our own strength. But we are not limited to our own strength. If we are willing to partner with God we can see people change as he desires.

It is our time to get involved. There are multiple opportunities for divine intervention. We have a part. Yes. It has come to this.

The post Has It Come to This? appeared first on The Stream.

America! Pray for the Church

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Pray for America Flag Woman Prayer - 900

While many church leaders are encouraging their congregations to pray for the country, the country should be praying for the church.

Prayer is an intuitive response of humans when important things are threatened. It is an implicit recognition that we are finite. It is expressing a level of faith in a higher power or person. Some prayers are simple gasps of hope thrown heavenward. Others are thoughtful petitions aimed at communicating with God hoping for a response. Praying is good unless it is just a show of personal piety and a display of self-righteousness.

I sometimes wonder what people expect when they pray for the nation to be revived. Is God going to send a cloud full of angel dust to magically fix our ills?

Partnership With God

I think that if we understood how God has chosen to work on earth, we would want the church healthy and praying. Think about it. God has chosen to work on earth through human instrumentality. He has linked himself to humans in accomplishing his purposes on earth. His designation of Adam and Eve as his partners reveal his original intention. The biblical narrative tells how this has always been the way.

At any time, he could have intervened with angels, or he could have instituted another way of running the world, but he stayed true to his purpose. He chose Noah to build an ark to save a remnant when the world was so evil that it was destroyed. He chose Abraham to be the father of a family that would ultimately produce a son who would bring blessings on the earth instead of the curse of human disobedience. He chose Moses to lead God's people out of Egyptian bondage. He chose David to be the king of the nation. He chose Israel to be the vessel of blessing to the world.

Finally, he came as the ultimate God-man-partnership in Jesus. The Incarnation is God's declaration that human instrumentality is his way of working on earth.

Today People

Today, as always, he works through his own people to bless all people as they manage the earth. Those who have come to know God as Father through Jesus are his "today people." The church is that entity. They have been given the privilege of interceding for the world.

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Having been reconciled to God by the sacrifice of Jesus, they know that the core problem of society is separation from God. They know the message of reconciliation. They want the whole world to be reconciled to God, regaining what humanity lost in the Garden of Eden. They have a promise from Jesus that they can pray in his name and their prayers are heard. They share the life and mission of Jesus as his partners on earth.

In Fellowship With God

God blesses societies on earth when the people of those societies are liberated from the destructive fruit of separation. All people are designed to live in joyful fellowship with God, and when they are alienated, they are fraught with fears, and vulnerable to every demonic suggestion.

When the church prays, and offers the way of reconciliation, societies have hope. If all Americans knew the role of the church, they would be praying for the church to be revived. Peaceable and productive life on earth depends upon the health of the church.

A Healthy Church

Anyone can see that the visible church is not perfect. It is easy to criticize it for its failure. It is designed to show that God loves and forgives sinners; a safe place for anyone. It is made up of humans with all their weaknesses living with each other as forgiven children employed in God's mission to reconcile all to himself. The healthier it becomes the more effective it becomes. The welfare of any nation depends upon it.

Under the guise of "separation of church and state," rhetoric, some are trying to eliminate the church. They not only want its influence out of society, they want it out of existence. That is an obvious strategy from hell. Jesus has already said that "the gates of hell will not prevail against his church." (Matthew 16:18)

Pray for the Church

We pray with confidence that as members of his body, we are privileged to do his work. We pray that individuals who live in alienation from God and will see that he wants them; that he has provided a way for them through the Son; that they will find their role in blessing their own world with the freedom they have found; that their families and communities will see the light in the darkness; that behavior changes to fit their new identity; that laws will reflect the values of God's order -- to the glory of God.

America! Pray for the church. The nation depends on its health.

St. Paul Takes a Knee

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Praying Kneeling Football Season of Inspiration Sunset - 900

If you have been paying attention to the news lately, you are aware of the controversy involving NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem before the games. At this point it is not clear to the public what the protest has come to mean. It is not my purpose to clear that up, though I do think there is one former athlete who might have the best solution.

The apostle Paul commonly used the athlete as a metaphor for our struggle with the powers of darkness. He even described himself as a boxer and runner.

When it came right down to how he fought to win, we see that Paul took a knee.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. -- 1 Corinthians 9:25-26 (ESV)

Paul used the metaphor of an athlete to describe to his spiritual son, Timothy, one of the most vital principles of living.

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. -- 2 Timothy 2:5 (ESV)

But, when it came right down to how he fought to win, we see him take a knee.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named... -- Ephesians 3:14-15 (ESV)

The Battle in the Trenches

He goes on to pray for believers to be empowered with the Spirit in their inner being; that Christ might be real to them; that they would be grounded in an other-worldly kind of love; that they would comprehend the vastness of Christ’s love for them; that they might be filled with the fullness of Christ.

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The battle in the trenches (as football coaches often describe the main battle) is in prayer. But not just any prayer. It is a prayer for internal change that can only happen when Jesus Christ displaces selfish obsession in the inner being.

The external conflicts we face will not be fully settled until we see with his eyes and love with his heart. As radical as that might seem, it is the heart of the gospel. We not only believe in the historical Jesus and trust him to get us to heaven, we know the transcendent Jesus by means of the Spirit, and fellowship with him as a person, our Lord and Savior.

Illumination is Vital If We are to Live in Love

Paul knew that he was on a team with the Spirit of God. He could preach, teach, explain and exhort, but only the Spirit can reveal the mysteries of the risen Christ.

Paul was very active in his ministry, but he was not fooled into thinking that the real game was about reason and behavior. He used his remarkable skills to persuade his hearers about the reality of the Messiah, but he knew that convincing the mind was not enough. Until their spiritual eyes are opened, even believers operate on limited perspective. The mind and will can only do so much.

When the inner being is regenerated and empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, things change dramatically. So, Paul prayed. He knew that he was on a team with the Spirit of God. He could preach, teach, explain and exhort, but only the Spirit can reveal the mysteries of the risen Christ.

As a citizen of this country who is grateful for all those who have made great sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy, I will be standing when the National Anthem is played. When the real game starts however the best place to start is taking a knee.

Make A Positive Impact

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If you are a Jesus-follower, Jesus said you are the light of the world! Wow! A few months ago someone who had influence over my girls, Angel and Starr, at the time, asked a whole group of kids the following question: What did Jesus say about you? One of my girls answered, “Jesus said we’re […]

The post Make A Positive Impact appeared first on Sandra McCollom.

The Prayer of Faith

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Healing of a Blind Man by Brian Jekel

 Much of what passes for prayer is wishful thinking.

“Oh Lord, please heal Mary.” I’m sure you can, Lord. I just don’t know if you will.

“I beg you to heal Tom.” But if you do, no one will be more surprised than me.

You can pretty much guarantee these sorts of prayers won’t change anything because they are devoid of faith.

The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. (James 5:15a)

If you are not sure that God will answer your prayers, he probably won’t (see James 1:6–7). You may hope that he does, but faith is not hope. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don’t yet see (Hebrews 11:1).

Jairus came to Jesus certain that he could heal his daughter.

The woman who had been bleeding was just as certain that Jesus could make her whole. You need to be certain too.

There are no formulas or magic prayers for healing the sick. There is only faith in God. Our faith doesn’t manufacture the healing or compel God to heal us. Rather, faith is the means by which we access the abundant provision of his grace.

Faith is simply agreeing with God. That’s how we receive. If you don’t agree you’ll have a hard time receiving.

Two blind men came to Jesus looking for healing (see Matthew 9:27–30). Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Jesus then touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith it will be done to you,” and their sight was restored.

Look carefully at the faith of these two blind men. How many days had they fasted and prayed? None. For how long had they pounded the gates of heaven with persistent prayers? They hadn’t. Yet they had enough faith to get the job done.

How do we know they had faith?

It was evident in the way they spoke. They came to Jesus with a “Yes, Lord” attitude. They didn’t say, “I hope you heal us, Lord,” or “If it be your will, Lord.” They simply said, “Yes, Lord.” That’s faith.

Faith is agreeing with God.

Faith is saying yes to the Lord who heals.

Extracted from Ch.13 “Is it God’s will for me to be sick?” The Gospel in Twenty Questions. Now available in hardcover.


Make Room for ‘God Moments’ in Your Day

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maple

The team I was playing on had just won a highly contested game. The fans were celebrating, along with most of the players. I found myself instead doing what I usually do to retain my calm and control: I immediately focused on the next game.

It is good to be prepared for the future, and it is true that some people get so caught up emotionally in the present they aren't ready for what comes next, but that has never been my tendency. Not too high and not too low! That has been my emotional mantra for most of my life.

It makes for calm approach, but it can be a thief.

God Moments

Yesterday I was in the middle of my regular afternoon walk. It was a little late and I knew I had to hurry to finish before dark. Then my eyes caught a glimpse of a magnificent maple tree in fluorescent yellow fall foliage. Highlighted by the setting sun, its brilliance begged for homage. I spoke out loud to no one in particular, "That is beautiful." My next thought was, "but I must hurry. There is no time to stop" - just like I hadn't taken time to stop and celebrate after the game.

This time, though, I chose against my tendency to move on without appreciating the moment. I stopped long enough to give thanks to God for beauty, and  for the ability to recognize it.

It was a God moment.  I have missed too many of those.

Too Much Stimulus, Too Much Hurry

Our culture pushes us toward hurry. We are always moving on. We suffer from stimulus overload. We see so much, and experience such dramatic phenomena, we become dull to the moments when we could stop in time and experience the transcendent.

Our hurrying habits have led many to claim that God doesn't speak or reveal Himself in our era. Others complain that life is dull and boring; they suspect that God has forsaken them. The truth is that there are God moments built into every day. The same One who created the universe with its many marvels is very concerned that we enjoy what he has provided. He enjoys our joy!

Make Room for God Moments

The holiday season in particular can overload us with stimuli. I encourage you to expect the divine encounters and embrace them. Take time to worship. You don't necessarily need to go to a church structure to meet the divine when you recognize you're already in the great cathedral of his creation,  and when you realize that through the grace of the incarnation, God is present and ready to be worshipped. 

Make sure your calendar makes room for many God moments. They open doors for light and life to enter your world.

Where Should I Stand When I Pray?

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Prayer is more about speaking God’s will over a person or situation because he has given us authority to represent him and establish his will in the earth. This of course means you need to know God’s will. There’s a simple way to determine His will in most areas…

IF JESUS PAID FOR IT, IT’S YOURS NOW!!!

No if, and’s or but’s about it. It’s not a “prosperity gospel” or “health & wealth” concept to acknowledge that God’s will for you is that you walk in what Jesus paid for. So what did he pay for?

From Isaiah 53

He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.

He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.

He was beaten so we could be whole. He was bruised so we could be healed.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.

He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.

But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.

When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.

I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

Because of what Jesus has done for us and where we now are in Him, prayer can be an intimate discussion with God over the affairs of your life. And outwardly toward the world we are delegates and representatives decreeing what our God wants. Prayer should not be from a place of confusion or wonder it should be from a place of confidence in his will and then speaking it into manifestation.

The next time you pray…

  • Remember what Jesus did for you
  • Assure your heart that the effects of his actions are for you now
  • See Jesus as an overcomer in that situation
  • Affirm that you are in him, that you are a joint-heir
  • Speak the will of God as evidenced in the finished work of Jesus

The post Where Should I Stand When I Pray? appeared first on Forward Ministries.

How To Make America Great Again

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An election of historic proportions! That’s what they’re saying. The people have spoken! Congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence on this historic victory! In this post I want to focus on one thing – how we the people can truly Make America Great Again. It’s the reason I believe we witnessed […]

The post How To Make America Great Again appeared first on Sandra McCollom.

Why Is Trusting God So Hard?

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As a child of God, He asks us to simply trust Him to provide for us, guide us and help us through our daily lives.  Sometimes, though, this seems very difficult to do. My wife and I are planning a major move right now from Tennessee to Oklahoma.  On one hand, it makes no sense

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