The Spirit of Prayer
This blog is designed to give people an inner look at a devotional life. Taking time each day to spend time with the Lord. The hope is if you travel on this journey with Rev. Jacob Shaw, you may be more inclined to spend time with the Lord as well. I encourage the use of a devotional, a scripture reading and prayer, then finally some form of artistic mark to tie it all together.
Today's devotional is taken from: Zacharias, Ravi. The
Logic of God: 52 Christian Essentials for the Heart and Mind. Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan, 2019. [E-Book] Chapter 28: The Spirit of Prayer
Opening Thought: I want to begin today by quoting a statement that Zacharias
also quotes in this chapters reading.
Prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure
undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted, a sky unobscured by the clouds,
a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the root, the fountain, the mother of a
thousand blessings… The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire, it
hath bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest; extinguished wars,
appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the
gates of heaven, assuaged diseases, repelled frauds, rescued cities from
destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the
thunderbolt.[1]
This quote comes from a John Chrysostom, a fourth century
archbishop of Constantinople. These words have a poetic tone, but the message
is powerful. In the fourth century, Chrysostom would have had ample time to
reflect on the glory of prayer, likely from his own experience of it, but also
the witness of other’s testimonies. I note this because these wonderful words
don’t just come out of nowhere, there is a real experience from Chrysostom that
is being echoed here. But it is not just Chrysostom, it is similar to the testimony of
million upon million upon millions of people who have discovered the truth of
prayer throughout history. There is something fundamental to the exercise of
prayer for those who wish to have a faith life. There is a reason for this, it
is because prayer is one of the key things that affirms the hope of faith.
Prayer is an intentional connection to God, there is a reason why Christ
teaches us the Lord’s Prayer, it humbles us before God and actively has us call
out to Him.
There are so many wonderful things to say about prayer, maybe I
do not take enough time to stress this in my active ministries, but when it
comes down to it, the entire Christian life is a form of prayer. Prayer has
an intension to it, it is stopping everything else and calling out to God,
inviting God’s love and will into your life. Prayer is a verbal, emotional, and
intellectual exchange. The life of the church and its people is to articulate the foundation of prayer in all they do, whether that is attending church, or working at
our jobs, we are to commune with God in all we do. We will sometimes take time
to pray in the traditional fashion, but let your actions
and endeavors be an extension of your calling out to God.
However, as much as prayer can be lived out, we do need to take
time to sit and talk with God. If we just live it out, we can lose sight of
intentionality in our faith; taking the time to remove all other distractions
and just be with God is vital. Any healthy relationship needs quality time. I
just watched an interview, where a man, (sorry I do not know his name, but I
will leave a link to the video at the bottom) makes the serious claim about the
detriment that social media and smart phones have made on the millennial
generations, (I would add that it has diminished many aspects of life for
multiple generations), and that one of the results is that millennials have a
hard time retaining meaningful relationships because they are so addicted to
their phones, they cannot put their devices down long enough to build real and deep connections.
If this is true, which I believe it is completely accurate, then how can we
expect young people particularly, but also people in general, to take time to
sit with God and be still, with no distractions. Chrysostom had the benefit of
his era, no phones.
The devotional begins with: Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you
should pray: “‘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.’
Second Thought: I want you to think about another cornerstone of the faith,
revelation. God reveals to us truth, and this, often because we run contrary to
truth, take time to sink in. In our modern era, where people seem addicted to
immediate solutions, it is hard to take time to generate anything worthwhile, let alone take in the wealth of truth and truth seeking.
The old expression, Rome wasn’t build in a day, is something that has
been lost in the current era. It is getting worse, in my opinion, because out
attention spans are so short. Our ability to scroll through headline on our
phones keeps us sworn into a false feeling of affirmation of worldview,
affirmation of likes and comments, and mostly in a void of complacency which pass times with
constant stimulus of endorphins. So, make sure you read today’s continual work,
because this may be one of the most important tasks you can take on in our current age.
Continual Work: I use my smart phone for work as many people do because despite
the negative elements of technology, there are many benefits. But when you are
home with your family, all phones should be limited or locked away. There are a
few companies that have smartphone lock boxes, but if you have the will power
you don’t need lock and key, though many of you may. Some families try
technology limits, which is totally respectable, if you can accomplish it.
Saying I will limit myself to an hour in the evening is one thing, but how
often is it just one hour. You can test this, buy locking the phone away. You
will notice how frequently you peer to your phone for affirmation and stimulus. If you are not a smart phone user or addict, you are likely fifty years of age or older, but not always the case. If your phone is not your slave master, ask yourself, what else might be, what do you do to keep your mind busy and from seeking truth.
What Rev. Jacob is Working On: Because my ministry does not have standard
work hours, and there is always a chance for pastoral care calls to come in, I
do have my ringer on, most of the time. I struggle with this, because I do find
myself checking my phone with every beep or notification. On “my day off” which
doesn’t always happen, I try to leave my phone at its charging station and
check it twice in the day just in case of emergency. Many ministers burn-out of
their calling to ministry because they cannot take time for their self-care and family
life, and with technology it can be even harder. So, I will continue to be
mindful of this danger.
Prayer for your day: Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed
be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive
them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us
from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and
ever. Amen.
Artistic Close: Take time to connect with God as Christ did.
Heinrich Hofmann | Public Domain
[1] Quoted in Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (Minneapolis:
Bethany Fellowship, 1959), 156.
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