Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Our Pastor's Prayers

"See him on his knees: he talks with God; he pours out his heart before the Lord; and in return—whether the world chooses to believe it or not, it is a matter of fact with us—in return the great Invisible Spirit pours into the praying heart a stream of sacred comfort, stays it in its time of trouble, and gives it to rejoice in its moments of sadness." ~ C. H. Spurgeon

For yesterday's devotion time, I opened a book I just received from Grace To You entitled "At the Throne of Grace - A Book of Prayers" by Pastor John MacArthur.  After reading the forward written by his children, the preface written by MacArthur, and the first prayer, I am confident that it will become a treasured book.  It will be one of those that can be read over and over again because of the depth of his expressions to God with cited Scripture verses to further exhort and encourage.  They may be Pastor MacArthur's words, but they reflect what I am sometimes unable to express.

I often wish that I had the same eloquence that men like my own Pastor, Paul Guay, MacArthur, and Spurgeon were so blessed with.  When you read their writings or hear their utterances, there is never a question as to what it is they are conveying.  Although they may have a stack of papers in front of them blackened by ink with their sermon notes, the words that flow during their delivery issue from their hearts.  It is from there that the Holy Spirit speaks through them in order that we, God's children, are able to glean His perfect will for us.  They are teachers in the true Biblical form of the word and the man who is privileged to sit under men like these are truly blessed.

But we sometimes view prayer as a more personal relationship with God, one we are unwilling to share with others.  I understand Pastor MacArthur's hesitancy to allow them to be put into book form.  After all, for the honest preacher they are an unwritten and unpracticed intimate conversation with his God, an expression from the place with which only he and the LORD are familiar.  His concerns that they may be wrongly used are well-founded.  All too often, people merely go through the motions as they stand in public prayer, reciting by rote, half-listening, then mumbling "Amen" at its conclusion without really understanding where they are standing and the One who is seated before them.

The pastoral prayer given before the service starts is perhaps the most important time of worship.  It is the Pastor who is able to open his heart and make it visible to others that unites us to humbly approach the throne of grace where our Holy God is seated.  We stand together as one like-minded body with similar petitions, drawing us closer to the LORD we love.  This all so important prayer prepares our hearts and minds for what is coming next.  It is an opening statement to God that we have gathered to come before Him in worship, praising Him, laying our petitions before Him, and anxious to hear His word.

The second prayer in MacArthur's book had a different theme.  It told the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness.  I believe the prayer's intent was to reach into the minds and hearts of those who may have been sitting idle in their pews, unconcerned or unaware of all that God the Father through God the Son has done for them.  And for those who had already received salvation, it was confirmation of this truth; a reminder, so to speak.  Reading Pastor MacArthur's words took me back to my beginning,  the time of not knowing Him and of my former depravity.  They made me appreciate the love God has for His children, and of the selfless sacrifice He made to save me.

When our Pastor starts the service with prayer, rarely does he speak for himself.  Rather, he employs what is commonly called the "third person" form of the subject.  The pronoun goes from being singular and aimed at oneself (I and me) to plural (we, us), drawing the congregation together as one body with similar conditions, praise, hopes, and pleas.  Although it is a way of uniting us with one voice, our hearts meld together and we join with him as we approach the throne of grace to lay our petitions before the LORD.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be alone with God, to commune in prayer with Him in the privacy of your "inner room" (Matt. 6:6) where it is just you and Him.  These are moments of intimacy and closeness that are unequaled, for the believing man is confident he is in God's presence and that He hears every word.  Jesus often slipped away from the throngs to have those intimate moments with the Father (Mark 1:35; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; Luke 9:18; Luke 22:41).  But we should also delight and take comfort in the times when others are speaking for us.  God's presence is no less real, and His ear is just as receptive in these circumstances.

The pastoral prayers that are being spoken define the commonality we have with each other.  They are a way of sharing the precious and divine attribute of knowing Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation He has so graciously bestowed upon us.  It is a way for God to draw our minds and hearts away from the pressing issues that may have followed us into His sanctuary, and to place our focus on Him as our worship begins.  The Pastor's words prepare our hearts for the sermon to come that will further exhort and encourage us.

Although there are those who have been gifted with the ability to speak fluently or persuasively, just the simple words of an honest heart is all that is necessary to secure an audience with God.  It is often said that others covet our prayers for them and their needs.  But the LORD covets them the most.  He longs to hear from us, regardless of the number of words used or how they appear to sound to others.  Whether our prayers are presented singularly or in unison, He is waiting for us to approach Him without fear or feelings of inadequacy.

Therefore, when your Pastor stands before you and asks you to bow your head with him in prayer, do so with all humbleness.  Be grateful for the faithful servant God has placed before you, one who is willing to speak not only for himself, but to also include you and your needs  in his prayers (1Tim. 2:1-2). 

Unite with him in spirit as he adds your unspoken praise or requests to his own.  Delight in the knowledge that the family of God to which you belong are joined together in what God desires the most from us: desiring His presence and approaching Him in humble gratitude.

And when your Pastor is done, don't just mutter your agreement.  Let your "Amen" be filled with heartfelt sincerity, expressing recognition with one united voice for the prayer that has been presented before the throne of grace.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Asking the Right Question

"At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, 'Ask what I shall give you.'  And Solomon said, 'You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you.  And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.  And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.  And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.  Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?' " ~ 1Kings 3:9

When you go before the throne of God in prayer, what do you ask of Him?

I am not talking about petitions for those things that are common to prayer: healing, protection, comfort, peace, and usually presented with a plea for immediacy.  What if you already have all these?  What if, like King Solomon, God had already blessed you with position and that which comes with it, yet, like Solomon, you long for more and know that it is not within you to accomplish it?

Although Solomon's situation was a tad bit more complicated and God came to Him in a dream instead of the other way around, he carefully chose his words.  But do we?

God's response to Solomon, "Ask what I shall give you," gave the king the perfect opportunity to have anything and everything a man could want.  He could have just as easily asked God for diamond-studded chariots, a bottomless vat of wine, fields yielding crops year round, and a treasury overflowing with the earth's riches.  Solomon could have requested that God give him long life, or for the defeat of all his enemies without lifting a finger.  In other words, he could have employed what is being taught by today's blab it and grab it preachers who tell you to pray for health, wealth, and prosperity, demanding it to be given to you because you are told you are deserving of it.  But God had chosen Solomon for a purpose and, because His decision was a wise one, He also foreknew Solomon's response and gladly granted him that which he asked, and more.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that the vast majority of us would not have asked for wisdom and discernment.  The proof is best given by the multitudes who believe what they are being told by the prosperity preachers and are practicing it.  Our sinful nature would have compelled us to ask for a long life of ease, the fancier car, the bigger house, and an endless supply of cash to throw around on worthless things that bring temporary pleasure.

Because most of us consider our own wants and needs before we think about how we could use it to further God's kingdom, greed and covetousness would be our first reaction.  (If you think you wouldn't be prone to this, consider what you would first do if you won the lottery.) We probably wouldn't even be aware that it had crept to the forefront, overshadowing His purpose for asking the question.  That is, until conviction over just how depraved our hearts really are washed over us, or we later learned that what we thought we needed only brought temporary pleasure, more disappointment, or misery.

God isn't a genie in a bottle to summon and ceremoniously present us with everything that woos and tempts us.  If He was (and thankfully, He's not), our first request would always be for a better position in life, more money, more comforts (what was your first answer to winning the lottery?).  You may argue that Solomon already had more than most, a palace, wealth, and a position of authority, so what more did he need?

Solomon understood that it was his immaturity in leadership that caused him to lack the most important thing which would ensure God's will for His people was accomplished.  He needed God's wisdom in order to correctly discern the difference between good and evil.  With this precious gem, Solomon would be fit to rule and lead his adulterous kingdom with righteousness and Godly justice and his throne would be secure.  And because he recalled that God had fulfilled His promise to his father, David, and gave Him the praise for doing so, God was pleased and gave Solomon what he did not ask for - health, wealth, and prosperity, including the wisdom to properly dispense it.
"It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.  And God said to him, 'Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word.  Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.  I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.  And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.' " ~ 1Kings 3:10-14
Notice the condition at the end of God's announcement - the "if" attached to the beginning of the last sentence.  Considering that David had sinned many times against Him, it boggles the mind that God only mentioned David keeping His commandments.  After all, Solomon's mother was Bathsheba and we all know that story.  But Solomon would have his own problems that were brought about by disobedience to God's statutes, and he would struggle and prove his own weaknesses many times.  As his life concluded, Solomon gained the greatest piece of wisdom man can attain.  He  understood that the most precious thing man can possess is a right relationship with God and the wisdom He imparts upon His children to walk in obedience and righteousness.  All else is meaningless...
"The end of the matter; all has been heard.  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." ~ Eccl 12:13-14
A long time ago, I began to ask God to pour out His wisdom upon me.  Like Solomon, I knew that I was incapable of judging correctly without it.  I was no different because my life was also full of mistakes and errors in judgment.  Charles Spurgeon sums me up, and what I came to know, quite nicely:
"Many a man might have known if he had but been aware that he did not know.  A sense of ignorance is the doorstep of the palace of wisdom."
Because of my past and the folly I so energetically found myself in, I yearn for God's wisdom, asking Him to always keep my heart and mind firmly fixed upon Him and His desire for me.  Without it, I would be helpless and unable to live my life for Him.

In response, God is slowly but surely honoring my request, giving me only what I need at any given moment- no more, no less.   To be honest, I don't think my mind could handle the profound wisdom He gave to Solomon.  The term "information overload" has significant meaning in that regard; my mind is too puny to handle it, and God knows it.  However, it doesn't mean that I don't occasionally hit Him up for more comforts and ease.  But they are becoming less frequent because He places my focus on Him and the things He desires, rather than my own perceived lack.  Although it is often an uphill battle, God is helping me learn to be content and thankful for the bounty of blessings He has given me.

If God chooses to impart upon us His wisdom, what more do we need?  Buried within its eternal depths are the answers to everything, even those occasional unexpected and unwelcome things that life throws at us.  There is nothing we, with His help, can't overcome.  The discernment the Holy Spirit has given us is the necessary tool to understanding and applying the wisdom He chooses to give to those who ask.

God doles His wisdom out to us in predetermined increments according to the person and the need.  We will never know the length and breadth of it.  He is God and we are not.  But He wants to share much of it with us, and I gladly embrace it when He does.

Therefore, when you go before God's throne to present your petition, follow Solomon's example and first praise Him for the things He has already done for you.  Then ask Him for wisdom to discern between the waning good and the growing evil that is so predominate in this world and threatens to discourage you.  That request alone will assure the ultimate answer to whatever it is that sends you there in the first place.  The wisdom He blesses you with will help you understand the "why's" over the issues of life and better yet, equip you to handle the next thing that comes around. 
"God’s heart, not mine, is the measure of His giving; not my capacity to receive, but His capacity to give." ~ C. H. Spurgeon
Who knows?  As He did for Solomon, God may even give you a unexpected bonus for asking the right question.   There is no guarantee that He will and, if that is your purpose, it would be best to rethink what you are doing.  However, if He does choose to do so, count it as a blessing, then consider doing this:
Return the favor.  Take the gift He has graciously given you, lay it at His feet, and ask, "What is it that I can do for You, LORD?"

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Differences and Distinctions

Wongani before Beka took him home to be with her
As most of you know by now, I have two blogs - this one and Wongani's Hope, which is dedicated to a wonderful young woman and missionary in Malawi, Africa by the name of Beka Feth and her soon-to-be-adopted son, Wongani.  Beka's journey has been an incredible one and I hope you will take the time to read her story.

Beka has been going through the process of adopting Wongani.  Unfortunately, what she has discovered is that it's not as easy and convenient as it was for Madonna when she adopted a child from Malawi.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Beka isn't a world-renowned secular music star like Madonna who brought international media attention over her second attempt to adopt another child.

But maybe it has more to do with the fact that Beka doesn't have the bankroll that made it possible for Madonna to adopt two children from Malawi, in spite of her not meeting the legal requirements.  Madonna was able to appeal the lower court's decision, gaining approval by Malawi's Supreme Court.  After all, she donated $3.8 million dollars to "help Malawi orphans with food, school, and shelter."  It's clear that money and status incline the ear and persuade loose legal decisions, especially in nations as poverty-stricken as Malawi.

Only those who share Madonna's home or are intimately connected to her and the children she adopted know if the court made the right decision.  It goes without saying that the children would definitely experience a "richer" life than that which they were brought out of.  With her kind of money, they would never lack for anything, unless her motives were more driven towards how it would make her appear to her audience.  Celebrities are motivated by "image," but it doesn't guarantee that the children will receive the quality of love and devotion they need.

What is disturbing, however, is that the second child, David, was not an orphan.  His mother died giving birth to him, and his uneducated father, Yahone, was led to believe that he would still have contact with his son after the adoption.  When it became apparent that his parental rights would be completely taken away from him, he attempted to stop the process.  Even though Yahone was a poor potato farmer, he loved his son.  But, once again, money and fame spoke louder and he was convinced to allow Madonna to take him home with her.

By the way, three years passed before Yahone was given the privilege of seeing his son.  Time and distance has a way of destroying any relationship that may have been developed between them, and I'm sure that any memories of his father had been erased from David's mind.

Where does Beka Feth fit into all of this?

There is a vast difference between the two women.  One is motivated by money, fame, and ungodly behavior.  The other is driven by faith, trust, and a willingness to serve the LORD, even though her pockets are empty.

One was driven by questionable motives concerning adopting an orphaned child in Malawi.  The other compelled by a love so deep and abiding that her heart could not be without him.

One woman used her influence and fortune to attempt to establish a $15 million school for 400 Malawian girls.  The other woman relied upon prayer and her own sweat and blood, hard work and the beneficence of her family and friends to build a place of hope for all the toddlers who are thrust back into poverty once they are too old for the Crisis Nurseries.

Madonna feels $18 million isn't enough.  Beka Feth is thrilled when $18.00 is placed in her hands.

One woman parades herself before the poparazzi who splay images of her walking among the orphans and destitute of Malawi for all the world to see.

The other woman, Beka Feth, quietly and humbly waits for recognition and support; never expecting notoriety, never wanting glory for herself.  And when trials are thrown in front of her progress, she only asks for our prayer.

The difference between the two women is startling.  Madonna is driven by altruism and her own works, seeking glory for herself.  Beka is led by God to complete HIS work, giving Him all the praise and glory He expects and deserves.

Because Beka lives on hope and prayer and a meager allowance, the threat of losing Wongani is looming over her.  She also doesn't meet some of the legal requirements Malawi has instituted for adoption.  Recently, she was instructed by Social Welfare to secure an attorney to complete the process, and the outlook is dim.

Beka needs our help.

Let me put it this way:  God requires our help.  If you have read Beka's story, the evidence of His providence and His will cannot be disputed.  As I mentioned in the most recent post on the other blog that outlines Beka's present need, He is fully capable of seeing Beka through this latest trial with positive results.  But He prefers that we join with Him.  He is looking for hearts that are after His own, hearts that are willing to dig deep and pray often.

Wongani, safely home with Beka and thriving!
Who knows?  Maybe this test is as much for us as it is for Beka and Wongani.  If it is, I hope you are paying attention.  I am, and I am trusting the LORD to meet her needs and forever bind her to Wongani - with my help.

Please take a moment and visit Wongani's Hope.  Read the update that is there.  Pray, and pray some more.  Then, if your heart is compelled and you have the means, please cheerfully consider helping Beka (2Cor 9:6-8).

Your gift won't be wasted or spent foolishly.  It will be greatly appreciated by Beka and faithfully used for God's glory and to further His kingdom.