Prayer Mentoring with Mark Batterson (Part 2)

Posted on by Shay Reyner

A few more prayer maxims from Batterson… and some comments from me:

If you don’t establish a PRAYER HABIT you’ll never break the SIN HABIT. You’ve probably heard it said that “sin will keep you from prayer or prayer will keep you from sin.” Confession is not something we do well. We have a hard time admitting that we are wrong. But sin will short circuit our walk with God. A strong prayer life includes a time of allowing God’s Spirit to search our hearts and reveal areas of sin. But if we don’t have a habit of prayer God never gets a chance to do this. I  liken it to using dental floss. I don’t like to do it but I know that I need to do it because there is stuff clinging to my teeth and gums that will wreak havoc in my mouth. I might not notice it but my dentist sure will and there will be a painful price to pay. I need to pray because unless I do there is decay happening that will build up and destroy my relationship with God. There are sin habits in my life that will only be broken when I get before God and allow His Spirit to go to work.

Prayer is the difference between THE BEST YOU CAN DO and THE BEST GOD CAN DO. When I do not pray I am essentially saying to God that I can handle life on my own – that my strength is sufficient to deal with everything that will come my way. And it is – until it isn’t! Then I find out very quickly how much I need God. It is a humbling thing to admit our neediness. But isn’t that exactly where God wants us to be? In an ongoing state of neediness – drawing on the resources of His strength and letting Him use us as we are fueled and energized by Him. Prayer gives me a chance to express to God that I cannot do it on my own; that I indeed do need Him; that apart from Him I can do nothing.

I better wrap this up ’cause I just realized something – I really need to go pray.

Pondering Ephesians 5:17-20

Posted on by Shay Reyner

This Week’s Passage: 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 It is the word “filled” in verse 18 that I have been thinking on. It is a word that keeps popping up in the book of Ephesians. We saw it in 1:23, “the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” We saw it in 3:19, “that you might be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God.” We saw it (or a form of it) in 4:13, “…attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” And we see it here.
It is a word that for me automatically puts a picture in my mind and immediately prompts some questions that I really don’t want to have to answer:
1) To what degree am I filled with the Spirit? Is it even possible to be partially filled?
2) If I am not filled with the Spirit then what am I filled with?
3) How can I get unfilled with the unspirit like stuff and filled with the Spirit?
4) When I get filled do I stay that way or do I leak? And if so, why? And how do I keep from leaking?
Reminds me of a story I heard years ago…
A country church was having their annual revival meeting. On the first night the preacher preached a message about repentance and the need to return to the Lord. At the altar call, a man came down the aisle saying “Fill me Lord, fill me”.The next night the preacher challenged the congregation with the need to totally surrender their lives to Christ in complete obedience. Again the altar call was extended; like the night before the same man came down the aisle saying “Fill me Lord, fill me”.The third night of the revival preacher warned his congregation of the evils of sin and urged the congregation to live lives of holiness. Again at the invitation was made to give one’s life to Christ, the same man came up the aisle saying “Fill me Lord, fill me”. 

To which someone in the back of the church yelled; “Don’t do it Lord, He leaks!”

If the truth be told I believe that we all leak – so we need to continually be being filled with the Spirit. This is why I need to stay in the Word. This is why I need to come before the Father and pray. This is why I need to worship. This is why I need my brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to be filled with the Spirit, filled to the measure of all the fullness of Christ. But if you see me leaking pray for me and help me plug the leaks.
I’m just sayin’!
Next Week’s Passage: Ephesians 5:21-24

Prayer Mentoring with Mark Batterson (#1)

Posted on by Shay Reyner

I n his book The Circle Maker, Pastor Mark Batterson,  shares a number of prayer principles that succinctly help me to remember some things about prayer. Over the next 4 weeks I’ll share a few of these and make a few comments.

Prayer is the difference between YOU FIGHTING FOR GOD and GOD FIGHTING FOR YOU.

Yes, we want to fight for God as a part of His army BUT it is much more important that He fight on our behalf. This is where prayer comes in. We do not want to be on the battlefield without Him. He has called us to arms but he has not called us to go into battle alone. He is a fierce fighter – and most battles are lost before they begin because God is not on the battlefield.

Prayer turns appointments into DIVINE APPOINTMENTS.

I’ve been pondering this past week in Ephesians 5 where Paul says to “make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.” When I am intentional about praying I am much more tuned in to the Spirit of God and recognize that even random encounters with people are divine opportunities that God has set up for me to take advantage of.

Pray like it DEPENDS ON GOD and work like it DEPENDS ON YOU.

God has established that people are to be His means of spreading the gospel and advancing the kingdom. There is not a back up plan. If we don’t get the job done then the job does not get done. But it is God working in and through us that brings results. As we pray and as we abide in Him, the Spirit of God is unleashed and God can work in ways that He otherwise cannot. John 15:5,7 says “Apart from me you can do nothing” but “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.”

Pondering Ephesians 5:15-20

Posted on by Shay Reyner

This Week’s Passage: 15 Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As I pondered this week I realize that I bit off more than I can chew. Verses 15-16 is about all i can handle because there is so much in those verses alone to think about. So next week will be a re-do of verses 17-20 for those who are pondering along with me.

The first thing I note is that I need to pay attention to context. Why does Paul say to “be very careful how you live”? It is because of what he said in verses 8-14 – “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the world.” We must remember that everywhere we go we incarnate the gospel. And all it takes is one act of NOT being careful and we give the gospel and God a bad taste in other people’s mouths. Not being careful is a major reason why the church of the living God has been labeled as nothing more than a club of hypocrites. Shame on us. There are things that we simply cannot do any longer once we pledge our allegiance to the Lord. Paul is not saying that we have a bunch of rules to keep. he played that religious game and it got him nowhere. Elsewhere he talks about the immense freedom that we have in the Lord. But it is a freedom not to do what we want but to do what is right and what will bring glory and fame to the name of Christ. When we live carefully and when we live wisely we understand that there are things that we cannot do and so we joyfully don’t do them.

But Paul also says there are things that we can do when we live carefully and wisely. We can “make the most of every opportunity.”. This means that we are to be an intentional people of action. I don’t know about you, but as I reflect on my days I recognize that there are a lot of missed and wasted opportunities. Paul reminds us that the days are evil. What does he mean? I think he wants us to remember that the evil one is on the attack. He is not being lazy when it comes to the business of subverting the work of the gospel by spreading lies and destroying the lives of believers. John 10:10 says that “he came to steal, kill, and destroy.” You don’t have to look very hard to see where he has had success. It is exactly because the days are evil that believers must make the most of the opportunities we are given. The evil one certainly is.

We are the instruments that God has chosen to use to spread the gospel and reach the nations. He did not ever say to his disciples, “Go into all the world…” and if that doesn’t work then we will go to Plan B. There is no Plan B. Therefore it behooves us to make the most of EVERY opportunity that comes our way.

“Father, would you open my eyes this week to all the opportunities that You put in front of me. And then fill me by Your Spirit with courage to act and with wisdom to respond in ways that that will bring You glory and advance the gospel.”

I’m just sayin’!

Next Week’s Passage: Ephesians 5:17-20

Prayer Mentoring with D.A. Carson (#5)

Posted on by Shay Reyner

A few quotes from the 4th chapter of Carson’s book called Praying For Others

God himself declares that unconfessed sin will cut us off from communication with him, from his powerful answers. “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short too save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isa 59:1-2) p.75

The sins that cut us off from effective praying may be the displays of evil condemned by Malachi – such things as half-hearted religion that offers God second best (Mal. 1:6-14), meaningless tears of repentance while adultery and divorce abound (Mal. 2:13-16), and abysmal absence of the fear of God, a lack that issues in the corruption and the oppression of the poor and unfortunate (Mal. 3:5), a wretched hankering after the ways of the arrogant and the evil doers of society, nurtured by a whispered suspicion that it is futile to serve God (Mal. 3:13-15). Small wonder that God is not moved by the prayers of people who behave in such ways. pp 76-77

If you are serious about reforming your prayer life, you must begin with your heart. Unconfessed sin, nurtured sin, will always be a barrier between God and those he has made in his image. p.76

My Comments: That second quote is worth pondering. There is a lot that is said that may be glossed over if you do not take the time and intentionally think about what it says.

I’m just sayin’!

Pondering Ephesians 5:3-14

Posted on by Shay Reyner

This Week’s Passage: 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater —has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper, 
    rise from the dead, 
and Christ will shine on you.”

So this is a longer passage than usual but I thought that the two paragraphs flowed together so I wanted to tackle them together. Still it is a lot to ponder.

As I reflect on this passage a few things stuck out to me…

1) We are God’s holy people – When we believed and were born again our unrighteousness was exchanged for Christ’s righteousness. We went from being sinners who would receive the wrath of God to being saints who would enjoy the presence of God. We became His holy ones – yes still prone to sin but now with a Savior who takes our sin away.

2) We live in a world of unholy people – Unless you live in a monastery you know this to be true. And this passage makes it clear. Every day we face sexual immorality, greed, obscenities, vulgar talk, etc. It is tough to live in an unholy world and not be tainted.

3) We enjoy dabbling in unholiness – It’s kind of like going to the ocean when their is a rip tide warning in effect. We know that we should not go in but that doesn’t stop us from playing in the shallow water. Every year I hear of people who drown because they got sucked into a rip tide – when they knew better than to flirt with danger. That’s what we do – we dabble, we flirt – not even aware of the danger that is waiting to suck the life right out of us.

Paul pleads with us in this passage to REMEMBER and REFLECT on what our life was like prior to Christ. It was darkness! And to REJOICE in the fact that now we are children of light. And to live as children of light. To stop playing with the darkness – experimenting with it to see how much we can get away with and still be okay with God – but instead to do EVERYTHING to find out what pleases the Lord.

So then, here is something to think about: How do you find out what pleases the Lord? Now that is a question worth pondering and worth the time it will take to do it.

I’m just sayin’!

Next Week’s Passage: Ephesians 5:15-20

Prayer Mentoring with D.A. Carson (#4)

Posted on by Shay Reyner

In chapter 3 of his book Carson discusses Paul’s prayer in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12…

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here are a few of his comments:

(Paul) prays that Christians might become worthy of all that it means to be a Christian, of all that it means to be a child of the living God, of all that it means to be worthy of the love that brought Jesus to the cross…. We are not strong enough or disciplined enough to take these steps ourselves. That is why Paul prays as he does. If the holy God is to count us “worthy of His calling”, we must ask Him for help. (p. 54)

The twofold goal of Paul’s prayer is this: that Christ might be glorified in us, and we in Him. So I must ask you, as i ask myself: When was the last time you prayed with this twofold goal clearly before your eyes, as your obsession, your ultimate concern? (p. 60)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, at the heart of all our praying must be a biblical vision. That vision embraces who God is, what he has done, who we are, where we are going, what we must value and cherish. That vision drives us toward increasing conformity with Jesus, toward lives lived in the light of eternity, toward hearty echoing of the church’s ongoing cry, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!” That vision must shape our prayers, so that the things that most concern us in prayer are those that concern the heart of God. Then we will persevere in our praying, until we reach the goal God Himself has set for us. (p. 62)

Carson shares a great illustration at the end of this chapter that has many applications – one of which is why we must keep eternity ever in mind as we pray lest we lose sight of why we are praying…

In 1952, young Florence Chadwick stepped into the waters of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, determined to swim to the shore of mainland California. She’d already been the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. The weather was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see the boats accompanying her. Still, she swam for fifteen hours. When she begged to be taken out of the water along the way, her mother, in a boat alongside, told her she was close and that she could make it. Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, she stopped swimming and was pulled out. It wasn’t until she was on the boat that she discovered the shore was less than half a mile away.

At a news conference the next day she said, “All I could see was the fog.…I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Good stuff to think on… I’m just sayin’!

Pondering Ephesians 5:1-2

Posted on by Shay Reyner

This Week’s Passage: Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

So the reason that Paul gives as to why we are to be imitators of God is because of how much  we are loved. This takes me back to Ephesians 3:18-19 where Paul is praying that we would be able to grasp just how much we are loved by God. So it would seem that the implications of fully grasping this fact are far reaching – not only will we be “filled to the measure of the fulness of God” but we also be able to imitate God. Probably these go hand in hand. The recurring theme then is the vital importance of “getting it”. Of getting it way down in the depths of our soul that we are inimitably loved  So how to we go from knowing that God loves us to KNOWING that God loves us. I’d like to hear your thoughts. Here are a few things that come to my mind….

Pray – This is what Paul was doing in Ephesians 3:18-19. He was praying for his friends that they would fully grasp the incredible depths of the love of Christ for them. And this is where I think we must begin. We must plead with God to enable us by His Spirit to “get it”. The quest to  KNOW the love of God begins on our face before the throne of God.

Ponder – By and large God’s people today are not a thinking people. We have become lazy and allowed our pastors or SS teachers or favorite bloggers or google search to do our thinking for us. We MUST beging to think deeply about things – and thinking on how God has loved us through the sacrificial death of His Son is a great place to start.

Practice – In other words, allow God to use you to “live a life of love” – to demonstrate the love of Christ in real and tangible ways to the people around you. The theory is this – the more we put into practice what we know about the love of Christ, the more God will expand our KNOWING. Give it a try. What have you got to lose.

I’m just sayin’!

Next Week’s Passage: Ephesians 5:3-14

Prayer Mentoring with D.A. Carson (Part 3)

Posted on by Shay Reyner

Prior to discussing Paul’s prayer in 2 Thessalonians 1, Carson talks about the framework that Paul had in mind. Here are a few of his thoughts…

By and large our thanksgiving seems to be tied rather tightly to our material well-being and comfort. The unvarnished truth is that what we most frequently give thanks for betrays what we most highly value. If a large percentage of our thanksgiving is for material prosperity, it is because we value material prosperity proportionately. p.41

If in our prayers we are to develop a mental framework analogous to Paul’s, we must look for signs of grace in the lives of Christians, and give God thanks for them…. The specific elements in his thanksgiving show  the framework of values he brings to his intercession – and we urgently need to develop the same framework. p.44

Part of what Paul has in mind, as he prays, is this fundamental orientation to the end of the age, to the vindication of God’s people and to God’s retribution on the (ungodly)… If we do not aim for the new heaven and the new earth, many of our values and decisions in this world will be myopic, unworthy, tarnished, fundamentally wrong-headed. To put the matter bluntly: can biblical spirituality long survive where Christians are not oriented to the world to come? And in this context, can we expect to pray aright unless we are oriented to the world to come? p.50

My Comments: 1) As we observe signs of grace in other people and give God thanks for them it seems like it would be a good idea to let those people know how we see God at work in their lives – as a way of encouraging them.

2) There is an old expression that states, “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good.” Clever and catchy cliché – the only problem is that these words are unbiblical. Our hope for the future ought to fuel not only our praying but also everything about the way that we live. It is because we have a future that makes our present joyfully bearable.

I’m just sayin’!

Pondering Ephesians 4:29-32

Posted on by Shay Reyner

This Week’s Passage: 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

So here are a few things that grab my attention as I ponder this passage:

Do not let… Get rid of… – We have a choice with how we use our words. And we need to be careful with what we let come out of our mouth. One of the things that angers me the  most is when I hear somebody say something hurtful to someone else. This happens a lot more than you might think. Watch what you say!

…according to their needs – This means that we need to understand what the other person’s needs are before we open our mouths. Do they need support, compassion, encouragement? Do they need a word of grace or a word of truth? Do they need hope? Or do they just need to know that someone cares? I think for me that more often than not I am guilty of speaking at people rather than to people and their needs.

Do not grieve… – I’m not sure that we understand that when we say hurtful things we are not just hurting someone we are hurting God – causing His Spirit to grieve. Perhaps if people were more aware of this they would be more careful with what they say.

One the things that I will always remember my pastor Don Chasteen saying is that “Hurting people hurt others.”  It would serve us well to remember this the next time that someone says something hurtful to us. Their words are more of an indictment of themselves than than of us – and it is an indication that they are hurting inside and desperately need us to show them compassion and forgiveness – in the same way that it has been shown to us. When we do this we incarnate the gospel and demonstrate the love of Christ to people in real and genuine ways.

I’m just sayin’!

Next Week’s Passage: Ephesians 5:1-2