A Key to Faith in Your Prayers

Are there challenges beyond your own strength and abilities looming in the not so far future? Overwhelmed!?!?!

Maybe you’ve felt that before. Have you taken inventory of the types of prayers you offer during those pressure packed segments of life’s journey?

Sometimes, to my shame, I have thought, “Maybe if I prayed a little more earnestly or just one more time or stepped out and did a good deed, it might change something. Then, just maybe, God would honor this prayer.”

When I think about some of my paranoid ramblings during life’s seasons of desperation for God’s intervention, a Scripture comes to mind. Jesus gave these instructions just before He presented His disciples with the model to pray, what we know as “The Lord’s Prayer”.

Matthew 6: 6-  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  7  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  8  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Even though I don’t stutter when I pray (the original meaning for babbling), my prayers are repetitive (probably fall into the ‘many words’ category), and God hears the same thing again, and again, and…. That’s not all bad -- especially when you take the story from Luke 18 into consideration. There was a persistent widow who kept badgering a judge about receiving justice.  Consider this: if an unjust judge finally gave in to her pleas, how much more will God, our loving Father, work in circumstances to bring about justice for us. What is problematic is when petitions from my heart are offered without closure. What do I mean by that? Here’s a verse to illustrate:

Philippians- 4: 6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Thanksgiving will help spur your faith amidst agonizing, heartfelt cries that each of us feels when waiting on answers and offering our persistent prayers. It’s mentioned, but almost in passing right in the middle of a command, not to be anxious. Offer the prayers ‘with thanksgiving’ (v. 6).

“How do I thank God when I’m going through harsh circumstances in my life that are clearly out of my control?” you may ask. I think you mix the thanks ingredient into prayers by reminding Him and yourself of promises in the Bible that counsel you with the truth that He will never leave you, that He will not sleep on the job, that He will guard and keep you, that He will direct your steps as you live in submission to His plan for your life, and that He works in your circumstances to bring about His glory and your good. Rest in confidence that He said that He wants to bring you hope and a bright future. When you choose to put those kinds of statements in your prayers, the petitions and requests that you bring to Him are surrendering to HIS good purposes in your life. Choosing to trust that HE truly gives a rip about your heartfelt desires and trusting His heart are central to the thanksgiving. So, choose that posture.

It encourages me to remember that “your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8)  If we truly believe that,  we can move on with expressing faith in our GOOD God. Thanks mixed with your deepest expressed longings is key to prayers full of faith.

"Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it." A. W. Tozer in Signposts

Our Father...

March Madness is in FULL swing, and much of the United States tunes into the games, even while at their desks on the job. Many are glued to any device that will feed the fast-paced, nail-biting struggle between the Goliath’s of the hardwood and the David’s who earned the right to face them.  It’s an intense, exciting time for sports fans who love to see the skirmishes where small mistakes remain for a lifetime in the minds of players and decades in the memories of the university’s fan base.

You see players who love to compete AND who rise to the occasion to propel their teams to victory. Every mistake has ramifications, and victory is often dependent on a last second act of heroism.

Have you ever observed the parents of the players while their child is in the thick of competition? CBS and TNT’s camera crew make sure that we experience the reactions of parents in the crowd.

Try to imagine it. Your son steps to the free throw line. If he hits one shot, it’s a tie; then an eventual overtime. If he hits the second, he seals the victory.  If made, you were part of raising a hero. If missed, you may have to pick him up and dust him off when the emotional rubble of the event settles.

As a parent of a toddler and preschooler, I’m not seated watching their performance on a stage like the NCAA Tournament, but I’m painfully aware of the desire I have for my kids to succeed. I want them to live some of my dreams and accomplish their own as well. In fact, I need to surrender my dreams for them and make sure I do all I can to help them achieve dreams that are God-honoring that they have for their own lives.  

Recently, I tried to pray the “Lord’s Prayer” each day for two straight weeks. The first phrase, is “Our Father….”  You know it: Matthew 6: 9-13.

On a sleepless night, after a tournament game, the imagery of parents in the stands came to mind as I prayed for my own kids. Pictures of parents with faces buried in their hands during those intense moments, or a mother cheering with abandon for a son who hit a big shot were fresh in my mind. These thoughts came to me that evening. If He really is “Our Father,” don’t you think God has all that feeling for us, too? Maybe He wants us to achieve His will even more than we want. I’m thankful that His own security and identity isn’t all wrapped up in our performance, but He certainly is emotionally involved in our victories and our failures. He’s figuratively jumping up and down when we succeed and is moved, even with sadness, when we fail. And He works in circumstances and events to redeem the mishaps that cause us grief, shame, or embarrassment. In life, there are definite parallels to the intensity of competition found in the NCAA tournament. In general, life experience is rich and beautiful, but it is also a struggle with seasons that cause us to dig into win.

Isn’t it comforting to know you have a parent in your corner who wants you to succeed even more than you do? I can’t imagine Him biting His nails, but I think His heart wants us to flourish in all the challenges we face.

Blessed or Cursed?

Christmas is over and people are returning to stores, exchanging gifts or taking advantage of after- Christmas sales. Dads and moms are turning their focus to packing up the tree, lights, wrapping paper, and tinsel for next year before the New Year’s regular pace resumes. What an incredible time of the year to savor moments with family and loved ones we hold dear to our hearts!

At the turn of a New Year, I find myself thinking about what the twelve months ahead hold and all that I want to accomplish. While pondering where I am in life and experiences of the past, a thought surfaces: “Aren’t the times we think are the most cursed, truly the most blessed?”

Think about it…

That’s what I’ve been doing today, and that thought comes back to me…repeatedly.

I still remember being fresh out of college, with absolutely no experience one would deem necessary for youth ministry. Full-time ministry, in a downtown church in Canton, OH, was a struggle after leaving the close friendships of college life. I learned to be faithful to what I sensed God wanted me to do, though much of the time it felt very unpopular. When you lead in any endeavor, it can be challenging to filter out the brashest voices of disapproval. And for the next two years, I prayed for God to help me to love the battle. But when I announced my resignation after two years to pursue a ministerial education, it amazed me that the youth I served showed brokenness at my parting.  Could I have been a blessing amidst days that I thought and felt were an absolute curse in my life? Nothing against some of the great people I was serving and with whom I served! My eyes failed me in seeing what God was accomplishing amidst the personal pain of dealing with the pressures of youth ministry.

Later, my pilgrimage led me into international missions where I served in Mexico for a few years as a single missionary. It was faith-forming to trust in Biblical promises that I tried to apply to my life, when I couldn’t figure out why an “all powerful” God wouldn’t see my need for close companionship. I was so thankful for a buddy who gave me a calling card to make the thousand plus miles disappear, at least a little, when I called my parents or other close friends. At the time, it was a trying existence as I struggled to communicate in Spanish, with ease, from my heart. Opportunities for deep relationships that could lead to a marriage were unavailable. The loneliness of those years, when I wasn’t able to talk to people in my heart language, wasn’t what I’d describe as healthy. The situation left me void of sensing blessings that were obvious. But, in our weakness, God is strong! I’m still in touch with many of the youth I served in that church in Irapuato, a city of central Mexico, and it still thrives as a place where lives are encouraged and transformed. Since I experienced a prolonged singleness, it gave me backbone for waiting in other seasons of my life. Humiliating experiences outside of my own comfort zone have provided backbone to endure through subsequent challenges. So, was all that I experienced a curse or a blessing?

At present, I’m a stay at home, full-time father. Friends with career success have told me that I’m in a privileged position. Most would consider a season of life without employment that shoulders the bulk of the bills in a household, a curse. The obvious blessing is that my wife has a job that cares for the financial obligations. We’ve learned to live at a much simpler level and practice thriftiness. We plan to invest and give at higher levels when greater employment opportunity comes along. Paramount in all of this -- I’m sensing I TRULY am blessed. I’m beginning to give up my angst about professional development and surrender fretting about the unemployment to God. After all, I’ve heard that He works for my good, and HE makes even what you or I might consider to be a curse, an incredible blessing. Looking forward to 2012!

Convinced -- that if I prevail, in faith, through the seemingly unfortunate experiences of life, even greater benefits await me on the other side. The greater the misfortune is felt, the greater the chance that perseverance in faith can turn the season into unimaginable blessings.

Do you feel cursed? It may be the door to your greatest blessing.

Romans 8:28  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Waitin'...

Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart ; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"




It has been said, “Patience is giving the opportunity for God to work according to His timetable.” Don’t you despise waiting, though? It’s amazing how I’ll check multiple lines in a grocery store just to make sure that I get in the shortest one. No doubt, change in perspective surely takes place when the fulfillment of a desire hasn’t arrived, but…we’ve all been there, haven’t we? Maybe we wait on the birth of offspring, a loved one to change and place trust in Christ, or we wait to find fulfillment in our job or an opportunity to travel to a dreamed of destination. No one escapes time in deliberation over an unfulfilled desire.



Have you ever noticed that main characters of the Bible spent a lot of time waiting? Noah waited on rain. Abraham and Sarah waited on the fulfillment of a promise and even tried to rush the process. The children of Israel awaited freedom from Egyptian bondage and, later, entrance into the “promised land.” Moses longed to see that land but wasn’t permitted. Joseph spent time in undeserved imprisonment. Hannah waited for a son to be born. David trusted in the LORD for HIS timing in the transition from Saul’s kingship. Like Joseph, prophets and apostles alike spent time in prison (one in a cistern) waiting for a fair trial or release. The Jews awaited the promised Messiah, and Simeon announced that he’d finally seen the consummation of that desire fulfilled when he laid eyes upon Jesus.



In this verse from Psalm twenty seven, two times the reader is commanded to wait. One time he is commanded to “be of good courage.” These are not suggestions, but rather, imperatives. And, the instruction to wait means to wait in expectation, looking for something. Interestingly, a secondary meaning of this Hebrew word for wait is to “bind together” or “collect.” Also, imperfect tense in the verb "strengthen” denotes that there is a process involved in the waiting to be strengthened. What may God desire to deposit into our lives that is our responsibility to collect and allow HIM to bind up (pull together) in our waiting period? He goes about transforming us as we follow HIS command to look to Him. As we obey HIS voice, HE promises to strengthen us -- something you and I NEED as we wait.



Though a different Hebrew word for "wait" is used in Lamentations 3:26, it sums up what is revealed in our verse from Psalm 27. “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” God is doing good things as we are following His commands to wait and be of good courage.