A simple question?
One of the things God has been doing in me is helping me to listen to my heart about those people around me who do know God; neighbours, colleagues and friends. The question that then follows is, who am I praying for?
You see, I am the product of being prayed for. I know who prayed for me before God broke through. I believe the conviction that my friend showed was somehow part of the process. I believe he saw an opportunity, possibly prompted by the spirit, and went for it.
How cool is that?!
In amongst the theological re-arrange that I am in, I will be deliberate in praying for those specific people around me who do not yet know God and I will look for opportunities to connect those people to the good news.
This is a step towards the vow that Mother Theresa; to only say Yes to Jesus.
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Prayer
I thought I'd just add a little example of how my understanding of prayer has changed. Corporate prayer:
Many of you will know this situation and probably have been in the exact situation. I was at a house group meeting and I was coming to the end when one of the leaders remembered that they should be praying. He then asked if anyone wanted prayer for anything. Each person had something to say and this went on for a while as people described good or bad things in their lives and where they wanted God to be in their lives. People took their time and were very honest and real, especially when talking about God and their struggles. This, however, brought the meeting well over time and everyone decided to call it a day, rather than run much more overtime.
Most seemed to feel like they'd failed to pray at that meeting.
I, on the other hand, thought otherwise. What they did as they spoke, was as close to the conversation that prayer should be, as any other experience of corporate prayer I have ever experienced. Unlike many of my experiences, there was no manipulation, just people sharing themselves with God and His church (each other.)
How cool is that.
Many of you will know this situation and probably have been in the exact situation. I was at a house group meeting and I was coming to the end when one of the leaders remembered that they should be praying. He then asked if anyone wanted prayer for anything. Each person had something to say and this went on for a while as people described good or bad things in their lives and where they wanted God to be in their lives. People took their time and were very honest and real, especially when talking about God and their struggles. This, however, brought the meeting well over time and everyone decided to call it a day, rather than run much more overtime.
Most seemed to feel like they'd failed to pray at that meeting.
I, on the other hand, thought otherwise. What they did as they spoke, was as close to the conversation that prayer should be, as any other experience of corporate prayer I have ever experienced. Unlike many of my experiences, there was no manipulation, just people sharing themselves with God and His church (each other.)
How cool is that.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
This is why I Love other people
We've been sold short.
It's not true.
Worship is not a lifestyle.
Your lifestyle could be Worshipful, but Worship is not a lifestyle.
Perhaps I should explain...
I can see how we got there. In the words of Matt Redman "I'll give you more than a song, for a song in itself is not what you have required."
In fact, tonight, at band communion, one guy shared his impression of this song. He said that he didn't know the song particularly well but that it made him think specifically about what the music finishes (fades) on a Sunday and we all go back to our lives, that it's '...all about you...' and I've never heard anyone interpret the song like that before. I really liked it. That is why I love other people (well, one of the reasons.) Onwards.
So, the thinking goes that Worship had to be more than singing, which is right. I just think we've plumped for the wrong solution to the problem we all face.
We all want to figure out this relationship on offer from God. It's mind blowing, so we have to have a system. Across history different people have tried different ways; from retreating from the world to trying to embrace all of it. Getting the balance right is very difficult. 'Worship' seems to be another one. 'It's close, but it's not right!' to quote the legendary Roy Walker.
Anyway, back to worship. Worship is simply not enough. Yet it is actually very inviting, it seems like we can achieve it and it can be guilt free!
Prayer on the other hand could be a lifestyle. Following Jesus is definitely a lifestyle. Both can cause the greatest guilt in us sometimes, whether we think we're doing well or not. Maybe that's why we choose Worship so easily. Then we can just let Worship be 'music' if we want and opt out. And back in again... It can be costly or without cost at all. Sometimes, we just don't want to pay the price, so we don't.
If your starting point is 'Prayer is a lifestyle' and that's how you lived, then I believe that you would see fruit coming from that lifestyle choice like thanksgiving, service, praise, discernment, joy, worship... Nirvana really had it right when they sang "Come as you are..." and it is this that we miss so often in prayer. We try to pray about the things we think we should pray about, rather than the things that are actually on our hearts. No wonder we struggle so much then. Prayer needs to be where we come as we are, pray how we are and pray for the things we think and feel at the time. God wants us how we are now, in order to lead us forward. Jesus modelled this time and time again, meeting people where they were, maybe up a tree or maybe by a well. If we accept this, we can be released from guilt, because there is no success or failure. Simply choosing to be with God, or choosing not to be.
Some would say that learning to Worship in all life's circumstances is the same sort of thing, but it comes to this: Worship should be one way. From us to God. It is about Him, not us. Prayer should be two way; a dialogue.
I think this is what God's really teaching me right now. God has been asking OG 'Will you Love me?' for some time. I think I need to re-arrange thing to get them back in the right order.
So I choose to learn what 'Prayer is a lifestyle' can teach me about following the One I love.
It's not true.
Worship is not a lifestyle.
Your lifestyle could be Worshipful, but Worship is not a lifestyle.
Perhaps I should explain...
I can see how we got there. In the words of Matt Redman "I'll give you more than a song, for a song in itself is not what you have required."
In fact, tonight, at band communion, one guy shared his impression of this song. He said that he didn't know the song particularly well but that it made him think specifically about what the music finishes (fades) on a Sunday and we all go back to our lives, that it's '...all about you...' and I've never heard anyone interpret the song like that before. I really liked it. That is why I love other people (well, one of the reasons.) Onwards.
So, the thinking goes that Worship had to be more than singing, which is right. I just think we've plumped for the wrong solution to the problem we all face.
We all want to figure out this relationship on offer from God. It's mind blowing, so we have to have a system. Across history different people have tried different ways; from retreating from the world to trying to embrace all of it. Getting the balance right is very difficult. 'Worship' seems to be another one. 'It's close, but it's not right!' to quote the legendary Roy Walker.
Anyway, back to worship. Worship is simply not enough. Yet it is actually very inviting, it seems like we can achieve it and it can be guilt free!
Prayer on the other hand could be a lifestyle. Following Jesus is definitely a lifestyle. Both can cause the greatest guilt in us sometimes, whether we think we're doing well or not. Maybe that's why we choose Worship so easily. Then we can just let Worship be 'music' if we want and opt out. And back in again... It can be costly or without cost at all. Sometimes, we just don't want to pay the price, so we don't.
If your starting point is 'Prayer is a lifestyle' and that's how you lived, then I believe that you would see fruit coming from that lifestyle choice like thanksgiving, service, praise, discernment, joy, worship... Nirvana really had it right when they sang "Come as you are..." and it is this that we miss so often in prayer. We try to pray about the things we think we should pray about, rather than the things that are actually on our hearts. No wonder we struggle so much then. Prayer needs to be where we come as we are, pray how we are and pray for the things we think and feel at the time. God wants us how we are now, in order to lead us forward. Jesus modelled this time and time again, meeting people where they were, maybe up a tree or maybe by a well. If we accept this, we can be released from guilt, because there is no success or failure. Simply choosing to be with God, or choosing not to be.
Some would say that learning to Worship in all life's circumstances is the same sort of thing, but it comes to this: Worship should be one way. From us to God. It is about Him, not us. Prayer should be two way; a dialogue.
I think this is what God's really teaching me right now. God has been asking OG 'Will you Love me?' for some time. I think I need to re-arrange thing to get them back in the right order.
So I choose to learn what 'Prayer is a lifestyle' can teach me about following the One I love.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Communion Night
Tonight was our band communion night. We work it so that the band is a contact group in it's own right. Tonight I was leading it. We were tying in with the 40 day lent book which we're following as a church. (It's produced by thereishope.co.uk)
Not everyone is reading it, and those that are, are not necessarily following it religiously, which gave me a chance to open it up a bit. I had a question in my head; Where do you stand? and there words; Lordship, Friendship and Faith.
When I got there, in fact before I got there, I was not up for it: I was not in the mood at all. That could have been problematic, given that I was running it...
It's funny how God often shows you things when you're not looking. Within a few minutes of being with that group of people, I felt lifted. Awesome. What a great team we have. I feel very blessed by how we get on together and how we can just be ourselves.
Thank you God for using me tonight and for encouraging me through my friends.
I specifically made time for us to pray for each other and by the end of the night God had encouraged all of us. How cool is that!
Not everyone is reading it, and those that are, are not necessarily following it religiously, which gave me a chance to open it up a bit. I had a question in my head; Where do you stand? and there words; Lordship, Friendship and Faith.
When I got there, in fact before I got there, I was not up for it: I was not in the mood at all. That could have been problematic, given that I was running it...
It's funny how God often shows you things when you're not looking. Within a few minutes of being with that group of people, I felt lifted. Awesome. What a great team we have. I feel very blessed by how we get on together and how we can just be ourselves.
Thank you God for using me tonight and for encouraging me through my friends.
I specifically made time for us to pray for each other and by the end of the night God had encouraged all of us. How cool is that!
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