Lifestyle of Peace | Christian Living & Discipleship

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Being a Single Christian in a Sexualized Culture: The Modern Ethic vs. the Christian Ethic

Single Christians... can we get some love?

As if being a follower of Christ wasn't hard enough, imagine being a single Christian! That is the predicament for many in the world, and in the United States today. Including myself. I'm 30 years old, single and I have no children. I follow Christ. And as a Christ follower I'm unique in that I must impose certain limitations on myself when it comes to romance and sexuality.

Being a single Christian is perhaps one of the most difficult situations to face. An individual of either sex is fully sexually active by age 13-14 (Penner & Penner, 2003). The sexual desires are extremely intense beginning in puberty. However in the culture of the United States it's becoming increasingly common for couples to wait until their middle to late twenties to marry (Penner & Penner, 2003). In addition, masturbation and lust are sins according to the Bible (Matthew 5:28). Pre-marital sex is also quite obviously a very serious sin (1 Corinthians 7:2, Ephesians 5:5). The Bible makes references to sexual immorality many many times. So it's clearly a very important area of conduct for followers of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, Matthew 5:28, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 7:2, Colossians 3:5). But how serious is it?

Ephesians 5:5 (English Standard Version) goes far enough to say it like this: "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."

This is the point during youth group when the kids will probably start rolling their eyes and tuning you out. But are we followers of Christ? If "no" then there's the door. If "yes" then we necessarily must take every word of the Bible, especially the New Testament very seriously. In addition, I believe many Christians today have been lulled into a false sense of security. They believe they may accept Christ and then live however they please. But that isn't the case. We need to be obedient workers of righteousness.

Anyone hanging around youth group long enough may notice a attitude regarding sex virtually synonymous with non-Christians (Morris, 2015). I attended a Cru (CCFC) event at a local college about six weeks in a row. By the end I had heard a lot of good teaching. But in between sessions I heard a lot of drinking, sex, and joking about lesbians (by one of the leaders). I know I'm not alone in that frustration. Many of us have felt that way in large groups, and many of us have been that person making a crude comment when maybe we should've just shut up. I know, I know, I've been that person too. We're not perfect, but we're called to obedience.

Again and again in scripture we notice how faith and trust in the work of Christ is undeniably married to Christian obedience, or in other words, repentance and the keeping of his commands (1 John 3:24, Luke 6:46, John 8:51, James 1:22-25, John 15:10, Philippians 2:12, 2 John 1:6-9, Romans 6:16).

Given the importance of moral sex conduct, what is the single Christian to do? The mainstream media would have sex before, during, and after marriage. Sex is quite often portrayed as occurring on the first date. Young and old alike see that portrayed in enough movies and eventually it becomes a normal attitude. It's basically expected. Christians and non-Christians alike are bombarded by sexually enticing imagery daily. How is the single Christian to stand against temptation?

Churches can help single Christians by beginning to generate a dialogue regarding important issues like sexual intimacy (Morris, 2015). Churches can also help by creating better support systems for the single Christians they serve (Morris, 2015). It's very important that single Christians have a place they can come to frankly discuss sexual frustrations and past sexual hurts (Morris, 2015). If single Christians don't have a place within the Christian community to discuss straight forward sexual issues, then they will most likely go outside the church with their questions and concerns (Morris, 2015).

For single Christians, there are certainly options for dealing with these issues. In many cases single Christians have unknowingly believed lies they've been fed by the media and culture (Morris, 2015). Men and women are programmed to believe that sexual intimacy is synonymous with emotional intimacy. Of course it's not. Women assume they can "get" emotional intimacy if they offer sex. Men assume if they can "get" sex their deep internal desires will be fulfilled. Of course both of those assumptions are entirely false. Singles assume that the best way to "keep" a prospective mate is to "put out." Yet studies have shown that the sooner sexual intercourse occurs in a relationship the more likely it is to end in break up (Penner & Penner, 2003). Studies have shown that those who wait longer to engage in sexual intercourse actually tend to stay together longer (Penner & Penner, 2003).

Christians of today are more impacted by the media and culture than I think we'd like to admit. We watch secular shows, listen to secular music, read secular books, go to church on Sunday, and assume we're acting on Christian values. Then why is sexual immorality such a problem for Christian youth and young adults? Maybe we're getting messages we don't realize we're receiving. Maybe we're believing falsehoods without even consciously noticing.

Stolen waters are portrayed as so much sweeter than those forged in relationship and time (Proverb 9:17). Yet those who have taken stolen waters often testify to the emptiness and guilt found there in. Though a one night stand, or sex with someone already married to someone else may be exciting and intoxicating at the time, later guilt, shame, remorse, and trouble come as a result. In addition, in those occasions when sex occurs rapidly and out of marriage, there is no spiritual aspect. Only the flesh is temporarily titillated. But the flesh will the next day simply cry for more, more, more (Proverb 27:20). And that desire fed is never ending, and never satisfied.

In stark contrast is the sacred spiritual sex between husband and wife within the bond of marriage. In that sacred union of bodies there is not only fleshly enjoyment, but also a spiritual communion, and an intense love and connection between the two. Such a sexual experience is not simply emotional or intellectual, or joyous, but also a spiritual act of closeness that draws the couple even closer together. Such an experience is the reward for patience and vigilance when seeking the person God has fore-ordained us to be with. It is most certainly worth it to wait. True love is worth the wait. And the beautiful thing about sex within marriage is that it's meant to be enjoyed frequently, passionately, and constantly (Proverb 5:19).

Many young Christians unknowingly trust in the sexual ethic of the world, thinking they will find fulfillment within that game of chase, manipulation, control, and indulgence. But instead many find longings cracked open that can never be closed again, like sexual addiction, sexual illness, and broken patterns of relationship. At face value the sexual ethic of the world may seem appealing, yet God's word is proven right despite our best ideas again and again, as we see divorce on the rise, broken families, children born out of one night stands, and young people hurting, confused, and lost. Thankfully it doesn't have to be that way, if we would just trust that God is in fact right about sex. He provides the strength. But we need to do the footwork. We need to examine our own root convictions and adjust them into alignment with the biblical truths found in the word (Morris, 2015).

Proverb 4:23 (ESV) says "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." And in the Song of Solomon three different times the woman in the poetic saga urges the young women of Israel: "Do not awaken love until the time is right" (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4). Our hearts have a tendency to bounce around in a hundred different directions. The culture often tells us "trust your heart." But instead I urge you to trust the Spirit. Access the Holy Spirit within, and request His guidance. Seek his wisdom. Do not look to our hearts, which are often so fickle, selfish, and flighty. We must guard our hearts. With threats like pornography which may seem "harmless" at the time. We need to remember that these things we see in life cannot be unseen. And so often these displays trigger in us desires that can never be truly fulfilled. They are dead ends.

As it says in the Song of Solomon, men and women be gentle with hearts. We have incredible power over those who may have romantic feelings for us. Don't trigger love. Don't play on emotions, play games, and endless hollow flirtations. Be cautious how you dress. Do not awaken the love in another's heart until it is time. We have many blessings in our physical appearance, the clothing we wear, and the beauty we carry. Let us be humble, and wise with it's application in daily life.

In conclusion, the battle is difficult. But we can indeed stand, if we truly address the lies we may be believing and replace them with the truth of God's word. Many would probably still say: "Well you're probably right, but I'm still going to do it my way." In that case, just as in any other, when we decide to play god about what is right and wrong, we have that choice, but we do not have the choice of determining the consequences of those actions we take. We can let God teach us through the Bible or we can learn it the hard way. I was one of the people who had to learn the hard way. I acted out and lived foolishly. Ultimately it was hollow, empty, and emotionally troubling. Today I choose God's way. It is the best way, and truly the way of real fulfillment. God will provide. Trust him.

But ultimately it's your choice! Make it a good one.

References

Morris, S. H. (Director) (2015, May 27). CCOU 303: Single Sexuality. Issues in Human Sexuality. Lecture conducted from Liberty University, .

Penner, C., & Penner, J. (2003). The gift of sex: A guide to sexual fulfillment. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group.

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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Books and the Joy of Reading: George Washington, Helen Keller, C.S. Lewis, and the Bible

I've been reading a few books lately, and rediscovering the joy of reading. I'm sure many of these books were inspired by the very spirit of God.

I was reading a biography of George Washington. The author told of a battle during George Washington's early service in the British army in the 1700s. It was during the French and Indian war. Washington's commanding officer had been shot, and they were losing the battle badly. Washington was riding from one line of the battle to another trying to rally the men. His commanding officer had had five horses shot out from under him, and finally he had been injured. But Washington didn't have a scratch on him, and he suffered no injury during the battle. It was recorded that a native american looked on at those moments, and said that Washington had some powerful force, some being divinely protecting him.

I've also heard the story told of a certain foreign diplomat traveling in the United States, who suffered a brutal car accident. By all rights, the man should've been killed in the accident. Providentially, he was not. His name was Winston Churchill, the man who would see Great Britain through the horror of World War II.

History has always fascinated me, especially the history of the United States and of the great world wars. Consider the situation in Europe during World War II after the fall of France. The Nazis had conquered the whole of Europe and were encroaching on the Russians. Great Britain alone stood against the German army. They were outmanned, outgunned, and their technology was less advanced. In fact the Royal army had been stomped in their first engagements.

They were forced to retreat to the channel, and the only way they made it across the channel was from the help of civilians with skiffs and private craft to shuttle them across. The United States at that time was determined to stay neutral in the whole affair. During that time Churchill championed the cause of the British people, inspiring them to hold the line against the night. Imagine it. The battle of Britain rages. British fighter craft go into battle often outnumber 3 to 1, 5 to 1 and even 10 to 1, striking in against Nazi bombers intent on destroying their country. Still the British held out. At that time there were two key men in Great Britain, speaking to the people. Of course there was Winston Churchill, but there was also a certain C.S. Lewis, preaching some of the greatest sermons of his life (now recorded in a book titled The Weight of Glory.)

The point I see in all these "coincidences" and "lucky breaks" is a divine providence to provide the right people, at the right times, and at the right places. I'm sure at times it seemed hopeless to Winston Churchill, fighting alone against the Nazis. I'm sure he was terrified for the fate of his nation when rumors were heard that the enemy was forcing Jews and Christians into extermination camps. Can you think of a more terrifying scenario? Yet it wasn't over. God had provided the right people to see Great Britain through the storm. And in the end Great Britain received increasing help from the United States, until eventually the United States hit the shores of Normandy and changed the entire war. Great Britain won out.

Now we come to Helen Keller. Have you ever read any of the writings of Helen Keller? I personally haven't but I'm going to make a point of it. I've been reading quotes from Helen Keller, the woman who was born deaf and blind, and they are astoundingly beautiful. Did you know she was a devout Christian? I didn't. They never told me that in public school. Such revisionist history. Did you know George Washington was a devout Christian as well? Yep, he was. Anyway, Helen Keller said this about the Bible: "Just as all things upon earth represent and image forth all the realities of another world, so the Bible is one mighty representative of the whole spiritual life of humanity." Yes I will definitely be reading some of her books. Books are a real gift of life on Earth. Don't you think?

One of the first loves of my life was books. My mother would read books to my sister and I before bed every night. She read books in the Berenstein Bear series. I always remember one called "Owl Moon." It was a beautiful, and mysterious journey of a father and son walking into the woods in the middle of the night to go owl spotting. It captured my imagination.

I never thought I would be able to learn how to read. I was very anxious about it. It seemed impossible. I can still recall being six years old and fearing I would never learn to read properly. I was in 1st grade, trying to understand it. Despite how complicated it seemed, I began learning how to read. And I learned to love it dearly.

C.S. Lewis wrote in his famous sermon "The Weight of Glory" that each of us has a longing within us that can't quite be placed.

"I am trying to rip open the inconsolable secret in each one of you—the secret which hurts so much that you take your revenge on it by calling it names like Nostalgia and Romanticism and Adolescence; the secret also which pierces with such sweetness that when, in very intimate conversation, the mention of it becomes imminent, we grow awkward and affect to laugh at ourselves; the secret we cannot hide and cannot tell, though we desire to do both. We cannot tell it because it is a desire for something that has never actually appeared in our experience. We cannot hide it because our experience is constantly suggesting it, and we betray ourselves like lovers at the mention of a name. Our commonest expedient is to call it beauty and behave as if that had settled the matter." -C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, pg. 3

We try to ignore it, the world around us creates philosophies, sciences, and concepts to try to explain it away. Yet it stubbornly refuses to be appropriately classified, marked, and boxed. Some call it beauty and leave it at that. Yet there is something within us, a longing for something we can't quite define. Lewis related the experience of coming to that, and learning to know God as similar to a school child attempting to learn reading and writing. At first it's a drudgery. We begin down the road of the Christian life hardly knowing where we're even going, attempting for mindsets and positions of the heart that seem thankless, difficult, if not impossible, and stumble forward coming after a heaven we can't even imagine and a paradise we wonder if we even desire.

Yet as we learn and grow, it slowly starts to fall into place. We learn, we grow, we begin writing, reading, and creatively expanding our understanding. In the same way, in the walk with God we can scarcely imagine a heaven, a time when we might understand and might be able to enjoy such a place, yet we proceed forward, awkwardly, stumbling toward the goal of eventual knowing, relating, and perhaps even truly loving.

"If a transtemporal, transfinite good is our real destiny, then any other good on which our desire fixes must be in some degree fallacious, must bear at best only a symbolical relation to what will truly satisfy." -C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, pg. 3

I get a little taste of that journey when I pick up a book. Or when I page through the Bible. I understand a bit more clearly when I stare out my living room window and notice the sun shining down through the trees, droplets of water shimmering on the pine needles in the mid day sun.

Even when I fell into sin, drugs, alcohol, and addiction I still read a great deal. Though I often read rather dark and apocalyptic pieces. I think during those years of addiction I read every book written by Hunter S. Thompson, the famed Gonzo journalist. I also read people like Philip K. Dick, Henry Miller, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and H.G. Wells. Did you know all of those authors save Thompson were atheists? Anyway. One of the gifts of Jesus, and recovery has been a renewal of my appreciation for books and readings.

Given how much I need to read and study my college textbooks, when I engage in personal reading I usually do so with audiobooks. That way I can put the books on my mp3 player and listen while I work out. Or I can play the audiobooks on the CD player in my car. It helps to switch things up like that.

I'd like to highlight a free resource called Librivox. It's a website full of free audiobooks, recordings made by volunteers of books in the public domain. Definitely check it out! They have thousands of books on there. It's been a real blessing to my walk. I recommend checking out the G.K. Chesterton books. Also check out the biographies section, there are a lot of good ones.

Recently I've been reading a book called "Lies the Government told You" by Judge Andrew Napilitano. It's been a very eye opening read for me. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who seeks to understand the problems in United States government and politics. It's quite astounding. I also just started "The Weight of Glory" by C.S. Lewis. It's been excellent so far. Just the first few pages, especially page three have really captivated my imagination. I love books! Others coming up on my reading list are:

Seven Men: And the Secret of their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
1776 by David McCullough
The Sky is Not Falling: Living Fearlessly in these Turbulent Times by Charles Colson
Franklin and Winston by Jon Meacham
Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
Liberty Defined: 50 Essential Issues that affect our Freedom by Ron Paul

Books are a wonderful thing. In fact we receive the truth about God himself through a book we call "the Bible." "Bible" actually simply means "book."

"The English word "Bible" comes from bíblia in Latin and bíblos in Greek. The term means book, or books, and may have originated from the ancient Egyptian port of Byblos (in modern-day Lebanon), where papyrus used for making books and scrolls was exported to Greece." -source: About Religion

What are some of the books that influenced you the most in life?

I compiled a list of some of my favorite books over past few years. Definitely read these if you get the chance. They are classics.

My Top ten favorite books over the past 2 years...
10. The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
9. A Year of Living Prayerfully by Jared Brock
8. Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan
7. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
6. Christianity in Action by Henry Gariepy
5. Has Christianity failed You? by Ravi Zacharias
4. A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
3. Walking from East to West by Ravi Zacharias
2. Orthodoxy (book) by G.K. Chesterton
1. The Bible by various

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Friday, May 15, 2015

Noble: The Life of Christina Noble & her ministry to the children of Vietnam

You can tell a story is real, when circumstances tend to go from bad to worse. Terrible things happen, and we turn our eyes to heaven and ask God: Are you still there? Do you still care? How could you let this happen?

Yet you can also tell a true story, a real story, when God shows up at the most unexpected moments, at the darkest moments, to make his presence known, and bring good out of evil.

It was interesting in the case of Christina Noble, that she found herself in terrible circumstances, yet God used those moments to bring about revolutionary changes in the world.

In the film Noble the story is told of the life of Christina Noble. I was asked to write about the film and offered a special screening to view it before it's release. My first reaction was similar to most: "I don't have time." I had been working full time, I was trying desperately to finish up my last two classes before traveling to Virginia to participate in graduation at Liberty University. Yet a still small voice seemed to hint occasionally, to take another look.

Much is the same when it comes to the plight of the poor, the lost, the homeless, and the starving in parts of the world like India, China, North Korea, and Vietnam. "It's a tragedy, but I don't have time." Just recently, and quite late, I managed to allot some time to watch the movie Noble.

I was shocked, amazed, horrified, and inspired to the point of sobbing by the end. And I'm a guy, I don't cry easily. The story touched my heart in a very real way. The plight and life of Christina Noble was powerfully captured. It jumped right off the screen into my heart. Why? It managed to portray the struggle of life in a very real way.

Noble was a child of hope, and joy, singing before crowds in taverns. Yet after her mother's death, she was separated from her family and sent to an orphanage. Christina Noble was later reunited with her father. And then he vanishes. It had that quality of random brutality. When at moments in her life she desperately needed a cup of water to her lips, she was given a brick to the face instead. Life is often like that.

It's not like a movie, where the bad guys are defeated whilst the hero manages to create an elaborate situation where he keeps his honor, offers the enemies mercy, yet in the end defeats them. No. Life is ugly, and scary at times. We're held down and violated, mistreated and lost. We lose our dignity, and the bad guys often win. Things go from bad to worse, and Christina is left time and again, facing the altar of God broken, asking: Are you really there?

We as humans have a certain romanticism about life. Yet in reality, life is at times brutal and random. The Word says the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike (Matthew 5:45). And how much more so for the forgotten children? How much more so for the children of the streets of 3rd world countries?

My God, my God, how Noble is needed today. We in the west so often turn a blind eye to the suffering of the faceless. We can't see them, we blind ourselves to their suffering, and we harden our hearts to their struggle. After watching Noble it was much more real to me, the struggle of the homeless and lost. Rape, violence, sex trafficking, assault, kidnapping, are all daily realities for so many.

Everett Swanson, founder of Compassion International shared some of his story for one of my class lectures in Christian Counseling for Children 302 (at Liberty University). He told how children in these countries are targeted, because they have no defender. Children are weak, fragile, and easily snatched up and forced to do terrible things. They are naive to the world. They are the easiest target. It horrifies us, but children are certainly easy targets.

And how much more so unborn children in the womb? And truly truly, they have been targeted in our society, to genocidal effect. 53 million people dead. Real people. The tragedy is unspeakable. The heart cries for mercy from such organized madness. And God hears, truly truly, God hears.

The story of Christina Noble vividly portrayed in this movie is the message we all need to see. Christina Noble had nothing. She had no money, she had none of the right friends. She had been through trauma, rape, homelessness. She had been abandoned by her father, and lost touch with her brothers and sisters. She had been mistreated by nuns, those who should have cared for her and protected her.

What more to say, enough, leave her alone, let her be for just a moment? Just give her a chance, please? Anyone might say, she went through enough, now let her rest. But Christina Noble knew there was something wrong with the world. And she heard the call of God. In a dream she saw the chaos of Vietnam. And she answered the call and went, with nothing.

We often feel so powerless as Christians. What can we do to change all this madness? So we simply let it go, and keep moving forward in life. Who could blame us? But the story of Noble challenges us to step out in faith. It challenges us to take a stand. It challenges us to awaken that sense of valor buried within, that image of God within, and calls for us to be valiant, brave, noble, in this mysterious drama they call life. When by all appearances there is no hope to change anything, one act of faith can change everything.

I mean statistically, a broke woman shows up to Vietnam to help children. Not special, not different, just a Christian woman who wants to help. What are her chances of starting orphanages that today serve over 700,000? The chances are impossible. Yet God does the impossible. One woman was willing, and God worked through her. Now not just 1 child, or 10, or 100 have a home, but 700,000 have a home, and someone to care for them.

We as Christians can't see how it can be done today, with all the corruption, the chaos, the immorality, and western man's retreat from God. We're discouraged. But we don't need to be. Time and again, God takes someone who by themselves could change nothing. Not a deity, not a superhuman, just a regular person like you or me. And they believe. They try it, and then it starts to fail, it looks like it's not working at all. Then at the last moment.. when all hope has faded, God blesses it.

Everett Swanson was just a young man, not privileged or powerful. Just an average guy, and he decided he would do something for the children. Today his organization Compassion International serves millions of children in 3rd world countries. William Booth wanted to serve the truly lost, the most destitute, the ones Jesus loved. He stepped out in faith, with very little, traveling around preaching. Today the Salvation Army which he founded serves millions in 135 countries worldwide. And Christina Noble decided she would serve the children of Vietnam no matter what. Today her organization the Christina Noble Children's Foundation serves over 700,000. They were not gods, they were not super men or super women. They were average, everyday people, who decided they would try to do something special. They believed God could make oasis in the ghetto. They believed God could make refuges of peace in mine fields. And you know what? They were right. God could. And he did.

Life is tough. For me it's been tough. For Christina Noble it was often nightmarish. There is great suffering in the world today. That is the effect of the fall of man. Yet that in no way changes our responsibility to God. He remains God. He never promises that we will be free from trouble. He does promise to be with us in the trouble.

As a Coldplay song played, and the credits rolled at the end of Noble I found myself sobbing terribly. I've had a tough go at life. Truly truly I have. With so much brokenness and struggle, one eventually starts to wonder: Can I really do this? Am I really going to be able to do this?

Several times I have turned to heaven, as Noble did, and said, "Lord, I don't think I can do this." The true story of Christina Noble reminded me, that though one may lose their family, live on the streets, be abused, kidnapped, raped, and abandoned... it can be done. She did it. She survived it. She regained her strength. Christina Noble was vindicated in the end. At many moments it seemed it was over for her. But it wasn't. So today I'm reminded, by her story, that I may solemnly look toward heaven and say: "Lord, you're with me and I can do this. I can change the world, because you're with me. We can do it. We can do it together. Amen."

Please consider sponsoring a child at the Christina Noble Children's Foundation website. Click here. Also consider viewing the award winning movie Noble, available streaming online.

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Tuesday, May 12, 2015

What is Prayer?

"The true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer." -Leonard Ravenhill

Prayer is the very life blood of the follower of Jesus Christ. We as his followers pray continuously, as the scriptures say. My prayer life has at times been very difficult and at times quite wonderful. A friend once said that she finds prayer awkward. I can certainly understand what she means. Prayer has at times been painfully awkward for me. What do I say to the designer of reality? What do I say to the one who knows the future, past, and present better than I could hope to imagine? How shall I say it? And do I really mean what I'm saying?

"Trouble and prayer are closely related. Trouble often drives men to God in prayer, while prayer is but the voice of men in trouble." -E.M. Bounds

Perhaps the most honest prayer I've ever prayed is a very simple one: "God help me. Jesus save me." It was a very effective prayer. That prayer changed my life. Though more correctly, the one on the other end changed my life.

When I pray for those I despise, my enemies, those who annoy me or upset me, or people that actively work to ruin my ambitions and keep me down in organizations, I find in the days that follow, that I learn to love and forgive that person. My view of that person is changed by praying for them.

"There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him." - William Law

Prayer is communion with God. Prayer is communication. Prayer is conversation with God. A man once said that to be a Christian is to pray, if you don't pray, you're really not a Christian. Many of the greats across Christian history have been dedicated to prayer.

Martin Luther would pray two hours in the morning before starting his day. He said he had too much to do that day to not pray for two hours before starting. Prayer changes my outlook on life. Prayer changes my vantage point. Prayer puts me in the heavenlies, even for a few moments. Prayer helps me see things from the vantage point of love, selflessness, and hope.

"Prayer does not mean that I am to bring God down to my thoughts and my purposes, and bend his government according to my foolish, silly, and sometimes sinful notions. Prayer means that I am to be raised up into feeling, into union and design with him; that I am to enter into his counsel and carry out his purpose fully." - Dwight L. Moody

As Moody said, prayer is where I learn about prayer itself. We may start out with the idea that prayer is about letting God know what I want. Prayer is about making a request. That is a small aspect of prayer, intercession and requests, but perhaps the most important part of prayer is summed up in this statement: Seeking knowledge of God's will, and the power to carry that will out. We ask God for his purposes for us, and we submit ourselves to his plans for our lives.

A very effective prayer is one Jesus uttered: "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

Yet prayer is about talking to God. Sometimes I just tell God about what I'm thinking about. I tell God about my pain and sorrows. I tell God about my struggles, my depression, my happiness, my hopes, my fears, and my joys day to day. Any relationship needs conversation and discussion to flourish. Prayer is the vehicle of that.

I've been reading a book called A Year of Living Prayerfully by Jared Brock. It's been an good read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a down to Earth examination of prayer from multiple perspectives. Brock looked at the prayer lives of Jews, Catholics, Protestants, and many others to learn ways to improve his own prayer life. Probably my biggest take away from the book was learning the five finger prayer. I like simple and effective ways to pray. My prayers can get very jumbled up and messy. But the five finger prayer is super helpful.

All you have to do is look down at your hand. Your thumb points to you, so the first thing you pray about is the people closest to you: immediate family, grandparents, and close friends. Your pointer finger is where you pray for people who speak into your life and mentor you, like church leaders, teachers, professors, or people at work who oversee your work. The middle finger is the tallest, so for that one you pray for authorities and leaders. I tend to pray for Congress, the Supreme court, and the President. I also pray for local government, police officers, and international leaders. The ring finger is the weakest finger on the hand, so for that finger you pray for the weak and the lost. I tend to pray for those who struggle with alcoholism or drug addiction. I also pray for the poor, homeless, and those who are struggling with tragedy in their lives. The last finger is the smallest finger the pinkie, and lastly we pray for ourselves and our needs. I like that, simple yet effective.

Prayer is vital to the Christian life. So what is a good number for prayer? How many minutes a day is wise? Martin Luther prayed two hours a day as we discussed. George Whitefield (Anglican Priest famous for helping spread the great awakening in the USA) prayed three hours a day. William Bramwell (Methodist itinerant evangelist) would sometimes pray four hours a day.

I don't try to shoot for a particular number of minutes or hours, but somewhere between 30 minutes - 1 hour would be ideal. Though I seldom hit my ideal. Today I tend to get on my knees and say a short prayer before I start my day (5-10 minutes). During the middle of the day, whether at a meeting, or standing outside, I'll try to pray the "Our Father" slowly, focusing on meaning what I'm saying. Then at night, just before I go to bed, I'll usually get on my knees, in the dark, usually around 11pm or 12 and pray my longest prayer where I'll use the five finger method, then segway into some random thoughts, and close out with some praises to the Lord. The night prayer is usually my longest (7-25 min). That way I'm praying at least three times a day, a method originally used by Daniel (Daniel 6:10).

Prayer changes everything. Don't let disgruntled skeptics tell you it's pointless. Prayer is real, because God is real. Trust in him, keep praying, and watch the world change. Believe.

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