Prayer: Part II

Do you pray "globally" or specifically?

While it is interesting enough--in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way--to think about God having a "30,000-foot view," it is we who need to maintain the direct line of communication. That is our job. Let's build the foundation for effective prayer.

In the gospel of John; John 15:5 to be exact, the apostle records the following,

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Nothing is a strong word. Nada, Zilch, Zip, Zippo, Fugghetabouitit! I am admittedly no preacher from Brooklyn, NY, but I can read and comprehend clearly. Nothing means; well, nothing. It scares me enough to desire not only to "remain in Him," but to foster that relationship, grow and strengthen my relationship with God and learn how to tap into the resources of the entire Trinity. I want to experience the full abundance of God's blessings.

As a leader in my home and in yours, we are called to be the foundation, the rock, the face of stability and the warrior of faith. Your family needs to trust you implicitly in all you do, so that you can "drive the family bus." Rain, no problem? We will wade through it. Snow, no problem? Our tires have chains for safety. Extreme heat? God provides us with air conditioning and water. And last and not least, remember the windshield and the windows. Think of your car as a hedge of protection. If you have already put on "The Armor of God," you are protected from the inside; your body is safe. You have a windshield you can see through and can even see the sky to pray as you travel. You have the steel barrier around you--albeit, aluminum mostly these days--that protects you from other cars that don't have "Jesus at the wheel." And you have windows. God will always provide a way out when trouble comes your way.

To recap:  You have the "Armor of God" on you. The windshield for seeing the heavens above. The exoskeleton of the car (think of this as the bubble or hedge of protection around you, better known as as the Holy Spirit.) And finally, windows for which to escape.

Despite what the insurance companies say, your car might be the safest place on earth you could be; theoretically. Perhaps I should have been a bus driver instead of a writer. Time will tell, I suppose.

Where can you find the passage that defines "Putting on the 'Armor of God' ?" None other than in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Paul writes,

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

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 of God's people."

Tomorrow we will dive in a bit more into the "Armor of God" passage from Paul to the Ephesian church. It bears noting that there are specific words and actions that Paul uses. Think of the imagery and the symbolism of each part of the Armor and what it represents. This also will require quite a bit of reflection on my part, so I am going to take time to do my own reflection. I will prepare for the ways that these symbols, pictures and principles can be learned; and therefore the resources we can tap into from this short, but extremely powerful, nine verse stanza.

We will reconvene with an analysis--the best I have, that is--and take a closer and more pin-pointed and precise look before continuing on the principles of, and for, effective prayer.

Are you prepared to dissect Paul's writing with me?
 

Prayer: Part I

The "Model for Prayer" was given to the disciples (and to us) during Jesus' teachings in Galilee.  It can be found in two Gospels, written by Matthew and Luke. The first, recorded by Matthew is thought to have been shared with the disciples in Judea, and in Luke at the "Sermon on the Mount."

Examine both, as this has been more often identified as "The Lord's Prayer," and could just as appropriately be called, "The Model Prayer." The outline of thoughts both shifts and defines how Jesus taught the disciples to pray; and by example, how we ought to pray. Carefully study the format, cadence, parts and how the "sum of the parts" make the "whole" extremely instrumental; leading to a more successful prayer life with daily and fervent practice; with purpose.

The following are the two Gospel versions:

In Matthew 6: 9-13 (NIV)

"Our Father in Heaven,
  Hallowed be Your name,
  Your Kingdom come,
  Your will be done,
  On earth as it is in Heaven.
  Give us today our daily bread.
  And forgive us our debts,
  As we also have forgiven our debtors.
  And lead us not into temptation,
  But deliver us from the evil one."

Amen. (capitalization emphasis mine, "Amen." added)

and in Luke 11: 2-4 (NIV)

"Father,
  Hallowed be thy name,
  Your Kingdom come.
  Give us each day our daily bread. this day,
  Forgive us our sins,
  For we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
  And lead us not into temptation."

Amen. (capitalization emphasis mine, "Amen." added)

I purposely picked to write on the topic of Prayer this week. Two weeks ago Sunday, my Pastor called our congregation to pray, with purpose, for 21 days, consecutively; without fail.. Topics were sent via text message at 6:30 AM each morning. As of this writing, today is day thirteen. The question behind this "call to action," was the following:

"How many of you can honestly raise your hand, by personal acknowledgment, saying that you have prayed--with purpose--for 21 days straight?"

with the next question being:

"How do you think your life would change, if you prayed for the individual struggles within your life would change, if you made a commitment and completed successfully, 21 consecutive days in prayer; with purpose?" 

My personal experience-- and I would make the claim in faith--that the results of, and blessings following, will flow like raging waters for each and every person individually, and for those who we lift up in prayer.

While I will know only the results that I experience personally--which I should purposely share as a testament to others--the masses undoubtedly experience extraordinary blessings, that have the chance to flow exponentially in perpetuity, for generations to come.

That is the singular idea for this chapter. To give you arrows within your spiritual quiver, that you can use repeatedly and daily, to improve your prayer life, the prayer life of others you teach and to become a stronger person while allowing your prayer to also strengthen and provide extraordinary, exponential and perpetual blessings to those you love.

In Luke, it does not mention which of the disciples asked for Jesus to "teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples" Luke 11:1.

How do you think your life would change; by examining your prayer life, asking God to teach YOU how to pray and fervently making it a habit in your daily life?