prayer

life / prayer — 1 Comment
22
Apr 09

At the end of the day, people are just people

I must admit that today didn’t start all that well. Some things I had wanted to see done didn’t get done. It put me in an upset and frustrated frame of mind. My wife calls me compulsive at times--I think I’m just a perfectionist.

So, I retreat to my office and catch up on the morning’s news and see what’s happening in the twitterverse. There I see it. Something that caught my attention:

human3rror1

The thing you have to know is that I do not know @human3rror personally. However, I do know that it seems as if he is a technology god. His brand is huge and his work with WordPress and websites is well-known. Just by his position alone at North Point Community Church, which is Andy Stanley’s church, is intimidating.

So, being a prayerful person that believes in the power of prayer, I follow through the link which takes me to @human3rror’s blog post. I precede to be wrecked for the whole day! It’s a little before 12:30pm and I just feel done after reading this:

My wife had a scheduled doctor’s appointment with our OB/GYN in the morning and it was essentially a routine checkup about her pregnancy. For those that didn’t know my wife was pregnant with our 2nd child that we had been anticipating for a while.

I say was because that is no longer the case.

I immediately go into a state of shock for a few minutes. Then I pray over the family and for healing of emotions. Afterwards I ponder the weight of what just happened. How could something so tragic happen to someone so young and vibrant and doing all he can to glorify God through his work? It just all seems so unfair.

I was just reminded that no matter who someone is or how high of a pedestal I or someone else elevates them, in the end they are no different than you or I. They experience ups and downs just like we do. In some cases, they are called to endure more pain and hardship than we may ever witness in our own lives.

Online and throughout the business day he is known as @human3rror. However, he really is just a man named John Saddington that loves the Lord, his family, and his fellow brothers & sisters just like we do. He’s a real person with a real life and at times, real struggles. He feels pain just like we do.

Mr. John Saddington, I am sorry that I cannot even begin to tell you that I know what you must be feeling or what you are going through. As a father of two daughters myself, I cannot imagine what my life would be like if one of them were never born. However, I do know that God gave you the ability to grieve and the ability to heal. He will clear the way so that you may know what steps to take as you continue in this journey he has given for you to follow. As empty as you may feel now, always leave a place for God to come in and fill the void. He makes all things new, but never let’s us forget our past and our experiences as they are all used to help us move forward. John, may you come to know love more greatly than at any time in your past as people surround you in prayer and compassionate thoughts. Know that even though we don’t really know each other, that you and your family will be in my prayers as you go through this stage of your life’s journey. Know that at the end of the day, you are just a person like everyone else. It’s okay to cry and grieve and deal with the pain of your loss…the world will not stop moving because you are out of touch for awhile. Be like water my friend.

[you can read John Saddington's entire blog post by clicking here.]

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church / prayer — No Comments
3
Apr 09

God, make us ________ !

I’ve been giving a lot of thought about LifeChurch.tv‘s One Prayer project for 2009. This year’s theme is “God is _____.” Last year’s One Prayer project was a bit of a struggle for me as it was going on around the time my mom was ill and she passed away a few days before One Prayer went live last June. The only time I had to record my video message was on a lunch break in-between visits to the hospital. It was rushed, unedited, and I ended up rambling on a bit too long in some places. However, as poor as the message may have been, I just felt so compelled to make it happen. Even just getting the video uploaded took enormous effort. Finally, I was allowed the opportunity to just FedEx a DVD to LifeChurch.tv (it seemed like another one of those battles in my life of spiritual warfare). I don’t think the video message was used in any churches last June, but I do know that I saw other pastors take the title and make it their own. I also met some amazing people that are still my friends today as a result of my participation last year. The theme last year was if you could have just one prayer to God for the church, what would that prayer be? The title had to be in the form of this prayer/statement: “God, make us _________ .” My title was “God, Make Us Uncomfortable.” (You’ll have to sit through the video in order to learn the story behind that title) :)

So, as I’m thinking through (and definitely praying Ephesians 6 over myself this time!) the message for this year, and reminded of all that happened last year, I thought I’d present the question to you. So, if you had just one prayer that you could lift up to God and that you knew he would answer, what would that prayer be? Reply below with your prayer: “God, make us __________ .” and why you chose it. I’d really appreciate having the opportunity to see what burdens your heart for the local church.

PS. Whether you are in a position to participate this year or not, would you please at least visit http://2009.oneprayer.com and see what it’s about? If you can’t participate as a church, then maybe you could just lift this initiative up in prayer. Pray for the team at LifeChurch.tv and for the churches and for God’s blessing on all the new ministries that will be planted through this project. Thanks!

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leadership / prayer — 3 Comments
4
Feb 09

Ever been caught in this lie?

First of all, I don’t mean to make something completely unintentional out to be a lie, but if done repeatedly it becomes a serious lie that should not be overlooked. That lie is agreeing/promising to pray for someone and not being faithful to doing it.

Have you ever done it? Any of us that have agreed to pray for someone else has probably done it. If it’s done once and corrected, it’s a great lesson learned. If it’s done repeatedly, it’s a terrible shame.

I know that your intentions are always good when you agree to pray for others, but we must take prayer more seriously and be committed to praying when we say we will.

Proverbs 12:22 AMP-

Lying lips are extremely disgusting and hateful to the Lord, but they who deal faithfully are His delight.

How can we “deal faithfully” when our schedules are so busy and we get so many requests for prayer? It’s so simple your gonna take your open hand and smack it to your forehead and wonder why you haven’t done this already :) One of the things I learned during my time serving at my first church was a nugget of wisdom from my senior pastor a the time, Dale Borgen. In a leadership meeting he told us that the best thing to do was to simply take a minute and pray on-the-spot with the person requesting prayer. Not only would it allow us to keep our word and pray for that person, but at the same time they can get some immediate comfort by being there during our prayer for them.

Don’t be a person that agrees to pray and then doesn’t do it. There is no better time than the present. Take them aside and pray for them immediately. You, and they, will feel must better for doing so!

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Bible / devotion / prayer — No Comments
6
Jan 09

Mark 5: Keep it simple

Well, based on the poll responses it looks like I’ll be doing daily devotions this week. So, I figured I’d just use my daily Bible reading plan and comment on the verses I am currently reading. Today is Mark 5.

Mark 5 is a pretty amazing part of the gospel in that it deals with the power of Jesus and his authority to heal and drive out evil spirits. The thing that jumps out at me is the manner in which he does this. In Mark 5:8 Jesus says, “Come out of this man you evil spirit!” Mark 5:34 Jesus tells a sick girl with a bleeding problem, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” The third instance of healing in Mark 5 is done by Jesus simply saying to the daughter of Jairus in verse 41, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).

When I have been in prayer meetings it seems that one is expected to pray in a wordy way. It’s almost like the more words that are put into the prayer, the more powerful the prayer. I remember the early prayer meeting I would participate in when I first became a Christian; how overwhelming it was to hear all the elegant and verbose prayers of mature Christians and how inadequate and juvenile I felt when it was my turn to pray aloud.

I wonder what would happen if at a prayer meeting we prayed short, specific prayers and truly believed that it was not the power of the words, but the power of God that would answer the prayers. Would we feel good about praying if we prayed single sentences? Would those being prayed for feel short changed if they only received one sentence prayers?

Does it honor God more to pray elongated paragraphs or short, simple sentences that are lifted up to him and done so in faith? Before his healing of Jairus’ daughter, Jesus tells Jairus in verse 36: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” He’s telling Jairus not to listen to others and their disbelief that his daughter is dead, but to trust in the Lord and thereby his daughter will be healed.

We have been given all authority to pray over others in the name of Jesus. It is the power of Christ--not the power of our words--that makes prayer effective. Put your trust and faith in the Lord when you pray and he knows what you are asking and why you ask it. If it makes you feel better to pray in longer paragraphs, continue to do that. However, if you don’t pray in long paragraphs and feel like your prayer can’t be as powerful if your words are fewer, don’t believe it! Speak it in the name of Christ and believe and no more is necessary.

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evangelism/outreach / God / jesus / ministry / people / prayer / rancho cordova / Sacramento / worship — No Comments
5
Dec 08

God of this city

As I ponder what’s next with the call God put in my heart to share the love & grace of the gospel of Christ, I am reminded of the powerful and thought-provoking words of the song God of This City by Chris Tomlin and how I was moved to tears when I first heard this song. The chorus tells us:

    Greater things have yet to come
    And greater things are still to be done in this City
    Greater things have yet to come
    And greater things are still to be done here

Won’t you take a moment to watch the video and let this song speak to you today?

You’re the God of this City
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are

You’re the Light in this darkness
You’re the Hope to the hopeless
You’re the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

There is no one like our god
There is no one like our God

[Chorus]
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

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