Tag: prayer

Colossians 4:2-18 – The Christian Life as Its Meant To Be Lived

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. (New International Version)

Every church has its problems. Much like individual believers, each faith community has its own character and personality – which makes their particular issues unique to them.

The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church in the ancient city of Colossae to address an issue which was weighing on his heart.

Broadly speaking, the problem of the church was legalism. That is, boiling down and condensing the Christian life into spiritual rules to live by. Although, on the surface, that may not sound so terrible, for Paul it was damaging to Christianity.

Whenever anyone or any group of people systematize Christianity into a list, it is a fool’s errand. Let’s face it: the worship of God, and thus the Christian life, is, for the most part, ethereal and mysterious. Throughout church history there have been legions of folks who have attempted to nail down Christianity into laws we can clearly see and hold people accountable to.

Whether it is making human contrived lists of sins to avoid and codifying them as something like the Terrible Ten or the Nasty Nine; or whether it is trying to humanly comprehend salvation in a tidy Five Spiritual Laws or Basic Principles for Life – all this predilection for list-making does nothing but discourage the Christian heart and divide one another about things that just don’t matter.

Paul wanted all his churches to be encouraged and united in the love of God in Christ through the enablement of the Holy Spirit. This requires prayer – lots of it! Because we must live by faith, trusting God for each step to take in the Christian life, rather than relying on the list to tell me what to do.

So, that’s why Paul ended his letter to the church on a note exhorting the people to never give up praying.

“Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of Containing God’s gift of himself.”

Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Devoting ourselves to prayer means that we will need to quit devoting ourselves to something else – namely, the nice, neat, packaged formula of do’s and don’ts on the list. Paul didn’t just want the people to adopt a different list; he wanted all the lists tossed into hell!

Instead of always trying to control outcomes, Paul wanted perseverance in prayer without knowing what the result and outcome would be. His deep desire was that believers would rely on God and the mystery of Christ. He longed for the church to pray with all their doubts and uncertainties – not believing they always needed sure answers for everything.

The Christian life cannot be made into some geeky algorithm so that we can avoid suffering, know all the right things to say in a conversation, and always keep God happy. God is not some algebra equation to figure out. He is not a gumball machine to put a quarter in and get what you want. He is not Santa God. 

Christianity requires living in the tension of not knowing everything and yet having cogent answers for others who inquire about our faith.  It is a dynamic relationship in which we must continually interact in prayer to God as we largely improvise our lives, spontaneously applying what understanding we have for each situation we face.

“The whole reason why we pray is to be united into the vision and contemplation of God to whom we pray.”

Julian of Norwich (1342-c.1416)

Christians need an ongoing dialogue with the God who answers in his own good time, according to his own good will. We are to make good use of the time God has given through choosing our words with others wisely as we simultaneously carry on a silent prayer conversation with God. This is a Christianity that’s far above rules and laws and checklists. It is Christianity as it’s meant to be lived, depending on Jesus, and relaxed in the Spirit.

This takes practice, practice, practice. Failure is both inevitable and expected. And that’s okay. We’re not living by lists and human contrived rules. We’re living a new life in the power of Christ’s resurrection.

God of Mystery, the One who conceals and reveals, forgive me for my attempts at reducing faith to a few spiritual rules to keep. Help me to speak in ways which are gracious, loving, and redemptive. May the person and work of Jesus come tumbling out of my mouth while I inhale the breath of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

*Above paintings of prayer by African artist Angu Walters

2 Samuel 5:17-25 – Inquire of God

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so, David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

So, David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so, David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” So, David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. (New International Version)

Ordinary Time of Prayer

Let’s take a step back for a moment and see the big picture of the Christian Year. We have thus far experienced Advent and Christmas with the birth of Christ. We moved through Epiphany with its focus on the light of Christ for the world. We experienced Lent, celebrated Easter and spent weeks in Eastertide, basking in the glory of the resurrection. Christ’s ascension, then the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost have come.

Now we are in Ordinary Time – the longest season of the Christian Year. It isn’t sexy. It goes on and on until Advent finally arrives again, months later. We are in the doldrums of summer and the daily reality of living with the tedium of doing what we need to do, over and over again.

Prayer can sometimes feel that way. Although it is the normal ordinary vocation of every believer, prayer is not always easy nor is it done consistently.

David’s Time of Prayer

David continued a practice of prayer in his reign, just as he had done repeatedly in the years leading up to becoming the king. The compiler of stories about David wanted to ensure the connection between prayer, obedience, and success. King David inquired of God, did exactly what God told him to do, and then watched God act on behalf of the people.

It sounds simple when I put it that way, doesn’t it? Pray. Obey. Succeed. Yet we know it really isn’t so easy. The monotony and demands of our lives have a way of crowding out such a simple plan. Although it might only require a few minutes of our time to stop and inquire of God before acting, we still may not do it, believing our anxious action to be more necessary than a brief pause.

King David faced and defeated the opposition because he deliberately took the time and effort to ask God for direction in what to do. David neither trusted in his own past experience nor his accumulated expertise. Rather, he kept up his ongoing practice of living by faith and trusting the Lord to guide him.

Sometimes we ask for divine guidance and get what seems to be weird answers. David was given precise instructions in dealing with the Philistines. From the vantage of a human General, the orders didn’t make a lot of sense. However, David did not hesitate to do exactly what he was told – and there was a decisive victory.

Our Time of Prayer

When it comes to our prayers, we ought to expect the unexpected. God’s answers frequently look more like problems than answers. They are often not what we expect. We may fail to see how they correspond to our prayers.

If we inquire of God to love others, the Lord just might respond by having us pay attention to someone in our lives who is obnoxious to us, whom we rather would not be around, at all. (Mark 12:31; Luke 10:29)

If we inquire of God to be near us, the Lord may break our hearts to especially be close to us. (Psalm 73:28; Psalm 34:18)

If we inquire of God to receive grace and mercy, the Lord will likely dismantle our pride and humble our hearts. (James 4:6)

If we inquire of God for justice to be done on this earth, the Lord might put the spotlight on our own lives and expose our spiritual bankruptcy, cause us to mourn, and make us meek, as the Son is meek. (Matthew 5:3-5)

If we inquire of God for wisdom and discernment, the Lord could send a muddle of confusion for us to work through, teaching us to distinguish between good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)

If we inquire of God to save us from our predicament and take away our fear and anxiety, we may get only silence for a long while – prompting us to persevere in prayer. (Luke 17:5; 2 Corinthians 5:7)

If we inquire of God for money, the Lord might give us opportunities to give money away and deplete our resources – helping to build treasure in heaven, not just on earth. (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 16:13)

If we inquire of God for happiness, the Lord just may take away a bunch of our stuff so that we will know the surpassing joy of knowing Christ. (John 16:24; Philippians 3:8)

Many of God’s best and greatest gifts come in the form of befuddling answers. If we learn to go with it and obey, a new world of possibility is opened to us that we never would have anticipated.

Being in Ordinary Time doesn’t necessarily mean getting ordinary answers to our prayers.

 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

*Above painting of King David by Dutch artist Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656)

2 Samuel 2:1-11 – A Devout Leader

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.

The Lord said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where shall I go?”

“To Hebron,” the Lord answered.

So, David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.

When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul, he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.

Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months. (New International Version)

Leadership today seems more complicated and compromised than ever. Narcissistic leaders appear to be everywhere. Leaders with competence and integrity struggle to maintain self-care and self-confidence in a sea of belligerent and polarized people.

And yet, there has never been a time with more resources for leaders in the form of podcasts, websites, seminars, books, education, etc. There seems to be an inconsistency, a disconnect between the availability of knowledge and the actual lived experience of leaders.

King David was a great and famous leader. We still talk about him three-thousand-years later! Three essentials made David, and can make us, godly and effective leaders.

A Devout Leader Has a Calling from G-d

David was the youngest sibling in his family. No one saw an aspiring leader, let alone one of the most famous kings in history, in David. While David was tediously tending sheep out in the backwaters of Judah, nobody was aware of his potential greatness. But G-d saw. And the Lord sent the prophet Samuel to anoint him as king.

Through a long series of events, the people of Judah recognized David’s gifts, abilities, and potential. And they affirmed those abilities and chose to place David in authority over the entire nation as king – confirming his anointing from years earlier.

Not everyone is called to a high position. Yet, we are all called to exercise leadership in our respective places and positions. Whether a parent, teacher, church deacon, factory worker – or any other role or vocation – we are in those positions through a divine call. So, we are to be daily mindful of that personal calling.

A Devout Leader Inquires of G-d

King David took his leadership cues from the Lord, and not just on what he believed was the best thing to do. David was both principled and pragmatic – rarely losing sight of principles just to get things done, nor short-sighted on the practical effects of decision-making.

David was able to hold both his biblical principles and keen pragmatism through inquiring of G-d. He was a person of prayer, constantly and consistently asking the Lord about everything. The times David failed to act on principled conviction and pragmatic practice are the events in which he simply did not look to G-d, but instead, rested on his laurels or relied on his position.

A Devout Leader Is a Servant to G-d

Perhaps one reason our world has a lack of good solid leaders is that we aren’t looking for followers who exhibit humility to the Lord through serving the common good of all persons.

David learned leadership through being a servant and a follower of G-d. Once becoming king, David used his authority and position to show steadfast love to the people in his kingdom – rather than focusing on consolidation of power or ensuring the people were serving the king.

A devout leader uses their influence to extend mercy and kindness – making the world a better place through attention to justice and systematically providing for the needs of others.

“True leadership is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you.”

J. Oswald Sanders

Conclusion

A true leader of G-d is called by G-d, inquires of G-d, and seeks to extend grace to others with the same grace extended from G-d to them.

In other words, character is the essential element for leaders. And that principled leadership is expressed through the competence of loving G-d and neighbor.

Leadership devoid of spiritual awareness will inevitably result in short-sighted and self-serving leaders. Conversely, devout leadership which evidences an integration of mind, emotions, and spirit will surely bring life and happiness to many.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV)

May it be so. Soli Deo Gloria.

O Lord our Divine Leader, bless human leaders throughout our world, that we may be a people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to one another. Lord, keep the nations under your care. Give grace to your servant leaders, O Lord, and grant them wisdom and mercy in the exercise of their duties. Give courage and foresight to provide for the needs of all people. Help leaders to fulfill their obligations.

And finally, teach people everywhere to rely on your strength and to accept their responsibilities to their fellow citizens, that they may elect trustworthy leaders and make wise decisions for the well-being of our society; that we may serve you faithfully in our generation and honor your holy Name. For yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Amen.

*Above painting: King David Playing the Harp by Dutch artist Gerard van Honthorst, 1622

**Above statue of King David by Italian sculptor Adamo Tadolini, 1856

Psalm 130 – Believe, Hope, and Love

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

I cry out to you from the depths, Lord—

my Lord, listen to my voice!
    Let your ears pay close attention to my request for mercy!
If you kept track of sins, Lord—
    my Lord, who would stand a chance?
But forgiveness is with you—
    that’s why you are honored.

I hope, Lord.
My whole being hopes,
    and I wait for God’s promise.
My whole being waits for my Lord—
    more than the night watch waits for morning;
    yes, more than the night watch waits for morning!

Israel, wait for the Lord!
    Because faithful love is with the Lord;
    because great redemption is with our God!
He is the one who will redeem Israel
    from all its sin. (Common English Bible)

Throughout church history, the book of Psalms has been used and understood as the Church’s prayer book.  Indeed, the psalms are much more than a collection of beautiful poems, words of assurance, and songs of praise – they are designed and meant to have regular and ongoing use as prayers. And I’m not just talking about the psalms being somebody else’s prayers; they are my prayers and your prayers. 

There are times when words fail us – where we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place and want to pray. Our stress and/or anxiety is so high, we can neither think straight, nor form anything coherent with our mouths. It’s in such times that the psalms present themselves to us as the path forward. 

What’s more, psalms are meant to be spoken out loud and more than once. And I’m not talking about saying them with a quiet mumble or a flat monotone.  No! These precious prayers of Holy Scripture are meant to be declared with full voice and a large amount of flavor!  They are to repeatedly roll off our lips with all the emotional and spiritual gusto which resides within us!  Tears and yelling are both appropriate and encouraged. 

For we do not possess a mere heady faith of thoughts and ideas; we also possess a faith that is robustly heartfelt, and dwells down deep in the gut where our bowels of compassion have their abode. 

Even with a cursory reading of today’s psalm, we can easily observe there’s more going on here than beliefs of faith, hope, and love. 

The psalmist is expressive, clinging to faith with a patient longing for God to make good on divine promises. It is chocked full of emotion, a prayer coming from the depths of the gut. The whole being is involved, and rightly so, because our faith affects the entirety of a person and everyone in the community of the redeemed.

If this psalm resonates with you in any way, let your proclamation of it be with the expanse of feeling inside you. After all, as people created in the image of God, we share God’s own deep sense of love – and love is genuinely love when it is outwardly expressed with a sacred combination of words, actions, and feelings.

Waiting, watching, hoping. We as humans do a lot of that. While we anticipate God’s response, we keep up the praying. We keep reminding God to be God. We encourage others to watch and wait and hope, all the while encouraging ourselves, as well.

Whenever we are stressed, more often than not, we thrash about, like a desperate swimmer in the middle of a lake, just trying to keep his head above water. Yet, the psalm tells us to do the counterintuitive: Don’t do something. Just stay there and relax. Why, in heaven’s name, should I do nothing?

Because the Lord will act.

And that action of God will redeem, renew, refresh, and revitalize. It will be new, like the morning dawn. A fresh day, that will not be like any other day before it.

God does his best saving work in the worst and most impossible of circumstances. We need not fear the overwhelming depths of difficulty and trouble. We can trust the Lord.

Perhaps the most awful of deep holes are emotional – deep depression and/or anxiety – a lostness inside oneself because of mental disorder. In such a dark oblivion, and terrible morass, one tries to survive into another hour, not just another day. Like a watchman waiting for the night to dissipate and dawn to break, there is a longing for God.

Deliverance and rescue seem slim. Hopelessness begins to calcify the spirit. Only love can release the hardening situation; the steadfast love of God is a gentle hammer, picking away at the grief.

This is a love which never gives up.

Today’s psalm begins as a desperate cry for help. It ends with an awareness of the need to trust, hope, and wait….

Blessed Jesus, in the comfort of your love, I lay before you the memories that haunt me, the anxieties that perplex me, the despair that frightens me, and my frustration at my inability to think clearly. Help me to discover your forgiveness in my memories and know your peace in my distress. Touch me, O Lord, and fill me with your light and your hope. Amen.

*Above painting of Psalm 130 by Virginia Wieringa