I haven’t posted a blog entry in a few months – forever in my book! That isn’t because I haven’t been writing, I’ve just been working on some theologically weighty topics on and off that need more time (sigh!). Anyway, I will get it together, but, in the meantime, today while I was cleaning up my kitchen after an afternoon of making gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with my teen girls small group (love my girls!) and doing our latest lesson from The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, God really impressed on me to put my next planned activity for the afternoon on hold and blog about a few lessons in prayer that I’ve been reflecting on. These likely are not new, but are ones that God has reminded me of over the last few months and, in some cases, years. I’m going to attempt to make these short and snappy, but we will see how that goes!
For the last several months, God has really been growing my prayer life. One obvious way He’s done this is through increased time in prayer. Another way, among others, has been through reading The Circle Maker, which I first did last spring. It’s a book on prayer that I think can be summed up with one of the mantras repeated in the book: “God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God.” It focuses on the concepts of dreaming big, praying hard and thinking long (multi-generationally) – all in prayer. This isn’t a book review, so you can check Circle Maker out in more detail here. It really brought together lessons I have learned in prayer and packaged them neatly for reflection and implementation in my prayer life now. A few months after reading Circle Maker it was recommended as an option for my teen group study, and I almost picked the student edition immediately. Although I see the girls benefiting from the study, I really believe God had me choose it for me too! Every chapter I have reread so far has directly addressed situations I am currently facing and dovetail into other lessons God has impressed on me though other media. Some principles in the book are peppered below. I also recommend checking it out!
Prayer is part of God’s sanctification process for His children.
Sanctification can be a theologically deep concept, but here I will sum it up as the process of God making believers in Christ more like Him here on earth. At times in prayer we can become focused on “unloading” to God, petitioning Him for our personal needs or praying for others. While those are all good things, at times, consciously or unconsciously, we can see getting an answer to our requests as the end. While God loves to provide for our needs and answer our prayers in various ways, He also uses our time in prayer to grow our dependence on Him and conform us to His likeness. We find that as He transforms us in prayer, an answer to a prayer is the natural – but secondary – response to pursuing Him. Today we read a chapter in Circle Maker that I think has an appropriate section: “you shouldn’t seek answers as much as you should seek God…If you go looking for answers, you won’t find them, but if you seek God, answers will just naturally find you.” p. 56 (see section for other context). Our prayers are part of the process of God changing us, and His work in sanctification continues until we get to heaven and are perfected.
God also just loves for us to spend time with Him and experience the benefits of doing so! Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (ESV). The joy we can experience in God’s presence – no matter what our circumstances – is a wonderful respite from life’s challenges and, even better, does not compare to what believers will experience in heaven!
God’s plans and thoughts toward us are infinitely greater than our own.
I love this truth! In a nutshell, it’s that whatever I may go to God thinking I want, what God is thinking toward me is so much bigger than anything I can even conceive. I love to illustrate this principle with kids by asking them to think about the grandest thing they could ever imagine. Then it follows to say, “whatever God is thinking is infinitely bigger than that!” Isn’t that verse amazing!?!?!??? Now, what God is thinking may have nothing to do with what we’re thinking is “best,” and it may even involve pain, but His Word says that His plans are mind-blowing, beyond what we can imagine! Two scriptures that God has impressed on me in prayer for things I desire have really given me rest and helped me encourage others: the popular Jeremiah 29:11 and I Corinthians 2: 9.
Jeremiah 29:11 says:
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (NKJV)
First Corinthians 2: 9 says,
9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—” (NIV)
For the last several months, God has really been growing my prayer life. One obvious way He’s done this is through increased time in prayer. Another way, among others, has been through reading The Circle Maker, which I first did last spring. It’s a book on prayer that I think can be summed up with one of the mantras repeated in the book: “God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God.” It focuses on the concepts of dreaming big, praying hard and thinking long (multi-generationally) – all in prayer. This isn’t a book review, so you can check Circle Maker out in more detail here. It really brought together lessons I have learned in prayer and packaged them neatly for reflection and implementation in my prayer life now. A few months after reading Circle Maker it was recommended as an option for my teen group study, and I almost picked the student edition immediately. Although I see the girls benefiting from the study, I really believe God had me choose it for me too! Every chapter I have reread so far has directly addressed situations I am currently facing and dovetail into other lessons God has impressed on me though other media. Some principles in the book are peppered below. I also recommend checking it out!
Prayer is part of God’s sanctification process for His children.
Sanctification can be a theologically deep concept, but here I will sum it up as the process of God making believers in Christ more like Him here on earth. At times in prayer we can become focused on “unloading” to God, petitioning Him for our personal needs or praying for others. While those are all good things, at times, consciously or unconsciously, we can see getting an answer to our requests as the end. While God loves to provide for our needs and answer our prayers in various ways, He also uses our time in prayer to grow our dependence on Him and conform us to His likeness. We find that as He transforms us in prayer, an answer to a prayer is the natural – but secondary – response to pursuing Him. Today we read a chapter in Circle Maker that I think has an appropriate section: “you shouldn’t seek answers as much as you should seek God…If you go looking for answers, you won’t find them, but if you seek God, answers will just naturally find you.” p. 56 (see section for other context). Our prayers are part of the process of God changing us, and His work in sanctification continues until we get to heaven and are perfected.
God also just loves for us to spend time with Him and experience the benefits of doing so! Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (ESV). The joy we can experience in God’s presence – no matter what our circumstances – is a wonderful respite from life’s challenges and, even better, does not compare to what believers will experience in heaven!
God’s plans and thoughts toward us are infinitely greater than our own.
I love this truth! In a nutshell, it’s that whatever I may go to God thinking I want, what God is thinking toward me is so much bigger than anything I can even conceive. I love to illustrate this principle with kids by asking them to think about the grandest thing they could ever imagine. Then it follows to say, “whatever God is thinking is infinitely bigger than that!” Isn’t that verse amazing!?!?!??? Now, what God is thinking may have nothing to do with what we’re thinking is “best,” and it may even involve pain, but His Word says that His plans are mind-blowing, beyond what we can imagine! Two scriptures that God has impressed on me in prayer for things I desire have really given me rest and helped me encourage others: the popular Jeremiah 29:11 and I Corinthians 2: 9.
Jeremiah 29:11 says:
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (NKJV)
First Corinthians 2: 9 says,
9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—” (NIV)
Both in heaven and on earth, God only desires and plans good for our lives. We may not think of suffering or hardship as good, but let’s not forget that the Father put His Son through the ultimate suffering to accomplish His grand plan to give us eternal life! Through Christ's agony on the cross came His victory over sin and the opportunity for us to be made right with God – justified – through belief in His Son. And even when we sin, God still promises that, for the believer, He works all things together for our good. How special that should make us feel!
Father knows best.
This lesson relates to the last one about God always having good for us. Trusting that God knows best – even in the most trying times - is SO.HUGE. In theological speak, it’s resting in the sovereignty of God. Things happen in our lives that we may not understand – why God caused or allowed a death, breakup, job loss – the list goes on. But if we can take comfort in the fact that God is in complete control and knows better than we do, we can accept the bumps, bruises and bombs in life. Isaiah 55: 8-9, which we actually read today in church, says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God is just much greater than we are, and, frankly, even in the challenging times, that makes me really happy – that my life is not left to chance, but is in the hands of my Creator, who knows exactly what He is doing. Moreover, that God knows best AND His plans for me are always infinitely greater than my own excites me – what may seem like a disappointment is an opportunity for God to blow my mind!
Years ago I heard this quote from Elisabeth Elliot that so encouraged me that I ended up memorizing it from repetition: “Let’s not forget that some of God’s greatest mercies are His refusals. He says no so that He may, in some way we cannot imagine, say yes. All His ways with us are merciful. His meaning is always love.” What an awesome, loving Heavenly Daddy we have!
What God purposes always happens.
This last lesson is about discerning the voice and move of God in prayer. There are times where we think God is moving in a particular direction, but what we thought God was going to do ended up not happening, at least initially. I have even heard it put, “God told me ‘x’ but ‘y’ happened.” While in some cases this may be an oversimplification of the situation, I think any instance where things do not go the way we may have thought God was directing is a good opportunity to look at a couple aspects of God’s character.
The first: God does not lie or change His mind.
Numbers 23:19 says:
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (NIV)
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (ESV)
Further, Isaiah 55:10-11, which follows Isaiah 55:8-9 that was quoted above about God’s ways being higher than our own, is God speaking about Himself: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (NIV)
If you believe that God is speaking to you that something will happen, it will come to pass, or it was not God speaking. At times what we think is God not fulfilling what He spoke to us could just be Him delaying an answer –He may say no to something for a time, and then He may later say yes in the same situation. In those cases, it is not God changing His mind, but Him working out His plan over time. Also, in such instances where the final answer does end up being what we thought God said, our belief will be validated when the act comes to pass. In other words, at times we just have to wait out God’s promises – often for longer than we think! Scripture is filled with examples of people who had to wait a long time for God’s promises to materialize, but, where they actually were His promises, they always did!
On the other hand, where what we thought we heard from God does not happen, in those instances we may have opportunities to later reflect that, while God may have been speaking to us, we made the wrong conclusion. In some cases it may be that we become better able to discern God’s voice another time as we grow in our faith, including through doing the things that we already know to do. See James 1: 22-25.
Other times, we may not be able to fully understand what God was doing in a situation until we get to heaven and have full knowledge. As 1 Corinthians 13 says, now we know only a part, but, when we get to heaven, we will know fully, as we are fully known. And at that point, we’ll be in the glorious, unimaginable presence of God and probably won’t even care about some situation that weighed on us so much earth. Another reason to look forward to heaven!
The other related principle is about recognizing that our sin can deceive us in situations where we may have thought God was speaking: that God does not sin and never causes us to sin.
James 1: 13-15 says, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
As we pray and seek to discern God’s voice in our lives, we need to be very aware of the impact sin has on our ability to hear Him. If we are led to sin, we also need to be honest about our condition and our choices and not ever claim that God directed us to make a sinful choice. As already noted, God turns even the bad decisions of a Christian for good, but we can’t blame our negative choices on God. But that His sovereignty covers even our sin should also remind us of the goodness of our God!
Lessons in Prayer
In this period of my life, God has increased my awareness of my dependence on Him, especially through prayer! I am guessing that every season after this one will heighten that awareness. And I am ever thankful for the sweet fellowship with God that I have experienced through prayer. I pray that as we commune with Him, we crave Him more, are changed and experience the life He has for us. Amen!
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 the Lord’s people. ~Ephesians 6:18
Father knows best.
This lesson relates to the last one about God always having good for us. Trusting that God knows best – even in the most trying times - is SO.HUGE. In theological speak, it’s resting in the sovereignty of God. Things happen in our lives that we may not understand – why God caused or allowed a death, breakup, job loss – the list goes on. But if we can take comfort in the fact that God is in complete control and knows better than we do, we can accept the bumps, bruises and bombs in life. Isaiah 55: 8-9, which we actually read today in church, says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God is just much greater than we are, and, frankly, even in the challenging times, that makes me really happy – that my life is not left to chance, but is in the hands of my Creator, who knows exactly what He is doing. Moreover, that God knows best AND His plans for me are always infinitely greater than my own excites me – what may seem like a disappointment is an opportunity for God to blow my mind!
Years ago I heard this quote from Elisabeth Elliot that so encouraged me that I ended up memorizing it from repetition: “Let’s not forget that some of God’s greatest mercies are His refusals. He says no so that He may, in some way we cannot imagine, say yes. All His ways with us are merciful. His meaning is always love.” What an awesome, loving Heavenly Daddy we have!
What God purposes always happens.
This last lesson is about discerning the voice and move of God in prayer. There are times where we think God is moving in a particular direction, but what we thought God was going to do ended up not happening, at least initially. I have even heard it put, “God told me ‘x’ but ‘y’ happened.” While in some cases this may be an oversimplification of the situation, I think any instance where things do not go the way we may have thought God was directing is a good opportunity to look at a couple aspects of God’s character.
The first: God does not lie or change His mind.
Numbers 23:19 says:
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (NIV)
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (ESV)
Further, Isaiah 55:10-11, which follows Isaiah 55:8-9 that was quoted above about God’s ways being higher than our own, is God speaking about Himself: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (NIV)
If you believe that God is speaking to you that something will happen, it will come to pass, or it was not God speaking. At times what we think is God not fulfilling what He spoke to us could just be Him delaying an answer –He may say no to something for a time, and then He may later say yes in the same situation. In those cases, it is not God changing His mind, but Him working out His plan over time. Also, in such instances where the final answer does end up being what we thought God said, our belief will be validated when the act comes to pass. In other words, at times we just have to wait out God’s promises – often for longer than we think! Scripture is filled with examples of people who had to wait a long time for God’s promises to materialize, but, where they actually were His promises, they always did!
On the other hand, where what we thought we heard from God does not happen, in those instances we may have opportunities to later reflect that, while God may have been speaking to us, we made the wrong conclusion. In some cases it may be that we become better able to discern God’s voice another time as we grow in our faith, including through doing the things that we already know to do. See James 1: 22-25.
Other times, we may not be able to fully understand what God was doing in a situation until we get to heaven and have full knowledge. As 1 Corinthians 13 says, now we know only a part, but, when we get to heaven, we will know fully, as we are fully known. And at that point, we’ll be in the glorious, unimaginable presence of God and probably won’t even care about some situation that weighed on us so much earth. Another reason to look forward to heaven!
The other related principle is about recognizing that our sin can deceive us in situations where we may have thought God was speaking: that God does not sin and never causes us to sin.
James 1: 13-15 says, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
As we pray and seek to discern God’s voice in our lives, we need to be very aware of the impact sin has on our ability to hear Him. If we are led to sin, we also need to be honest about our condition and our choices and not ever claim that God directed us to make a sinful choice. As already noted, God turns even the bad decisions of a Christian for good, but we can’t blame our negative choices on God. But that His sovereignty covers even our sin should also remind us of the goodness of our God!
Lessons in Prayer
In this period of my life, God has increased my awareness of my dependence on Him, especially through prayer! I am guessing that every season after this one will heighten that awareness. And I am ever thankful for the sweet fellowship with God that I have experienced through prayer. I pray that as we commune with Him, we crave Him more, are changed and experience the life He has for us. Amen!
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 the Lord’s people. ~Ephesians 6:18
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