Praying without ceasing

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New International Version)]

Pray continually. Or as I was taught, pray without ceasing. As a little boy growing up in a parsonage, I would try to imagine myself in that never-ending prayer meeting, on my knees, going over and over my list of prayer concerns. I could barely stay awake for thirty minutes of those old-time Wednesday night sessions. I figured that scripture must be just for old people like most of the ladies that were kneeling in the pews around me.

As a teenager I of course got much smarter and assigned the whole passage to the category of allegory, figurative, impossible. It was just not reasonable that anyone could be joyful ALWAYS, pray CONTINUALLY, give thanks in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. There was just so much more to life than joyfully saying prayers of thanks. Like bicycles and bruises, crushes and heartaches, playing and fighting with siblings and parents. Like having a life.

I am still learning that the meaning I assign to words is often different from what the author and/or translator intended. I understood prayer to be how we asked God to do stuff for us: forgive us; heal our grandmothers; protect the missionaries; make someone love us; help us get a better car, job, or house.

An earlier verse in 1 Thessalonians actually gives an example of how Paul practiced the art of praying continually. "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work ...." [1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (New International Version)] Look at those words, then look again at the words at the beginning of this post. There is a lot of similarity and overlap.

I believe praying continually is simply including God in all our conversation, whether we are mumbling to ourselves, joking with a friend, crying with a confidant, or spending some face-time with Jesus. How will your conversation change if you include God in all your jokes, gripes, wahoos, and OMG's.

Pray without ceasing. Try it. He's already listening, hanging on every word, every thought, 24/7, just waiting for you to include him. Talk about a BFF.

Wrestling with God

"Great is Your faithfulness, oh God; You wrestle with the sinner's restless heart." This is the first line of Matt Maher's "Your Grace Is Enough" as recorded on his "Empty and Beautiful" album. Yes, Tomlin recorded the song first, but Maher (pronounced mar like car) wrote it, and his recording bears his heartprint.

I have long been fascinated by the double entendre (two meanings), in the English translation anyway, of the name Israel, which is translated as "wrestles with God." I don't know if Maher was thinking of Jacob the heel-grabber being renamed Israel the wrestler with God, but my heart immediately goes there when I hear the song.

You ask, "What double entendre?" It is my impression that Jacob enters the match wrestling with God, trying not to lose, and ends up with a new name, a new limp, and a new wrestling partner. Wrestling with GOD, Jacob vs. God, becomes wrestling WITH God, Israel and God vs. the enemy.

Genesis 32 is a beautiful story of someone who has already set his heart to do the right thing, but is scared to death by what he fears will be the result of his obedience. He knows his own history well enough to have good reason to fear for his life.

Today I am looking at a $1,600 tax due bill and a savings account of $300. My natural inclination is to let fear overtake me and begin fighting with God over things like tithing and trusting. But God assures me He is on my side, and nothing is too great for him. He might allow me to have to pay some penalties and interest, but that isn't the end of the world. There are other things on which He wants me to spend my energy. Worrying about this financial crisis is not on God's to-do list for me.

I wrestled against God for over forty years. I am so glad He adopted me and made me a part of Israel, one who wrestles with Him against my true enemy, the deceiver.

Oh, and what about the "sinner's restless heart" that Maher sings about. Is that my heart? In my simplest understanding, a sinner is anyone who misses the mark. When I see where my arrow landed, and I see the bullseye of God's will for me, my heart grows restless. I get angry at myself, or I get angry at God, or I get angry at the world. But God in His love wraps me tightly in His arms like a colicky newborn, sings me a  soothing lullaby, and lets me look deep into His eternal eyes. What was I kicking against? What was I afraid of? Yes, Jesus, I trust you. Your faithfulness, oh God, is indeed great.

Trust

"Do you trust me?" That is the question Jesus asked me September 29, 1999, when the smoke and mirrors of my life crashed around me. He still asks me that question on a regular basis. My response was, and still is what Simon Peter answered in John 6:68, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

When Jesus' disciples started jockeying for positions of power in their skewed view of His coming kingdom, he stopped them in their tracks and said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Check out Matthew 18:1-10.

Change. Or don't. Live. Or die. Change how? Become like a child. What does that mean? "Do you trust me?" Watch a toddler with her father. Dad can throw her in the air, and she will laugh as she flies, knowing dad will catch her. Stupid, dangerous trust. But only stupid and dangerous if you don't really trust.

What stupid, dangerous thing has Jesus asked you to do? Do you trust Him?

This seems silly, but I think He asked me to start a blog. Good grief. Who's going to read it? "You are. And I Am. If anybody else does, blame me." Okay. I trust you.