Pray In the Spirit

How often do you pray? How do you pray? Are you praying in the Spirit? Do you wonder what that means? Are you praying in accordance with God’s will? Do you wonder what his will is? Are you alert? Are you persevering?

We all pray some. Some of us pray a lot. Often our prayers are for people we know or ourselves. We ask for healing. We ask for guidance. We ask for relief. We ask for strength. We ask for courage. We ask for wisdom. We ask for discernment. But are those God’s will?

A lesson that’s taken me many years to learn is that sometimes I need to say, “God, I don’t know what to ask for, do what furthers your plan.” Then I am quiet. I listen. I wait for God. Sometimes God provides a thought right away. Other times, he doesn’t provide it for quite some time—days or weeks.

I believe telling God we don’t know what to pray for, ask for his will, and be quiet is one way to pray in the Spirit. But there will be times when we can feel the Holy Spirit moving us and guiding our prayer, which is praying in the Spirit as well. We much prefer the latter rather than the former.

Our culture doesn’t like quiet. We are always busy. If we are not busy in conversation with someone, we are busy doing something. Our phones seem to be an extension of our hands. Our minds are constantly occupied. It makes it near impossible to be still and that God is with us.

I pray we all seek to pray in the Spirit. I pray we cherish quiet time. I pray each one of us will set aside our busyness, stop, and be still, waiting for God. Pran in the Spirit. Listen for God to speak. Ask for God’s will to be revealed. Sit quietly with God. Be still and know that he is God.

Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

Confirmed By God

Have you been in the presence of greatness? Have you been with someone who is always positive? Do you know anyone who has an aura about them, as though nothing could stand in their way? Are there times it is scary or at least uncomfortable to be with them?

Being around greatness can be both amazing and uncomfortable. It can be fun and scary. It doesn’t matter if the person’s greatness is in athletics, academia, leadership, or anything else. Often there is an aura about the person, a confidence that borders on cockiness.

Being around a person with those qualities can be exhilarating and intimidating. Jesus was such a person. His disciples who travelled with Him witnessed amazing things—miracles of healing, raising the dead, feeding thousands with very little, casting out demons, and amazing teaching. Perhaps one of the most amazing things they saw was Moses and Elijah meeting with Jesus as He was transfigured, becoming as bright as the sun.

The apostles Peter, John, and James went with Jesus up the mountain. They witnessed the meeting and the transfiguration. Then they heard the voice of God speak. They were told in plain words that Jesus was the Son of God and God’s Chosen. They were told to listen to Him. They were so shook by the experience, likely trying to process what had just happened, that they didn’t speak of it until after Jesus had died and been risen.

Today, we don’t often speak of it. We like to speak of Jesus being our brother or how He has changed our lives. But we rarely speak of God confirming Jesus as his Son. When was the last time you told someone about Jesus’ meeting with Moses and Elijah? We should learn about and tell others of Jesus’ amazing feats, including God’s confirmation of who He is.

I pray we all learn more about Jesus’ amazing feats. I pray we remember that God confirmed Jesus’ identity. I pray each one of us tell others about God’s confirmation of Him and His amazing feats. Know Jesus’ amazing feats. Imagine His aura. Know God confirmed Jesus. Tell others about Jesus’ feats and identity.

Luke 9:35-36 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Goodness of Prayer

How often do you pray? What is the environment or setting in which you pray? Are most of your prayers in the midst of strife or in a rush? Are you more likely to be asking God for something you desire? Have you ever spent time in prayer in a secluded and quiet place?

Other than when praying publicly, such as in church, our praying is private. Sometimes our prayers are rushed or lifted up to God in the heat of the moment. There is nothing wrong with that. When we need his help, we should be both comfortable and willing to ask.

But Jesus often went to a secluded place to pray. Why? There are no distractions when we are away from people, away from a television, and away from our cell phones. It is when we are away from everything that distracts us that we can fully focus on God. We can converse with him about what is going on in our lives and honestly ask him what he wants us to do for him. When we set aside the time to go somewhere secluded and allow ourselves plenty of time, we can wait for God to answer us.

Sitting quietly in prayer with God away from all the distractions is relaxing, enlightening, and provides us mental relief. Oh, we may need to sit there for a while for that to happen, but it will. It takes a little time for our brains to stop thinking about all the things we need to do or stop worrying about tomorrow. Yet, when we take the time, it will. Jesus made time to get away from the mob who just wanted Him to perform a miracle. We need to make time to get away from all the demands being made of us.

I pray we all recognize our need to pray. I pray we make the time to get away from the distractions. I pray each one of us will experience relaxation, enlightenment, and mental relief through prayer. You need to pray. You need quiet. You need to escape distractions. Experience the goodness of prayer.

Luke 9:28-29 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

Be Transformed In Christ

What does freedom mean to you? Is your understanding of freedom wrapped up in your ability to do what you want? Do you view freedom as being free to pursue happiness? Have you considered your freedom to pursue God? Will you use your freedom to do so?

Living in a country that values freedom, we often think of it as being free to pursue the job we want and the material things we want. We think of it as the ability to go where we want to go when we want to go. We may even view our freedom as an entitlement.

But the freedom the Apostle Paul speaks of to the church in Corinth is not about any of those things. It is about the unveiling of God’s truth and our ability to see and hear it. It is about us ingesting the truth of God and it changing us from the inside out. The freedom we have in Christ includes being transformed to be like Him.

Will we accept this freedom? Unfortunately, far too many continue to hold onto the chains of the world. They continue to be locked in the prison cell of culture. They continue to pursue what our culture tells us we should pursue, rather than pursuing the glory of Christ. God has given us free will, allowing us to make the choice to accept his freedom or reject it.

If we choose to accept the freedom of Christ, our lives are changed. The worries of the world are no longer our worries. As we are transformed to be like Christ, we learn to trust God in all things. We learn that he is working in this world, even when we don’t see it. When we accept the freedom offered, we are set free in ways we cannot imagine while trapped in the prison of our culture.

I pray we all choose to accept the freedom God offers. I pray we break free from the prison of our culture. I pray each one of us will be changed from the inside out to be more like Jesus. Accept the freedom of Christ. Break away from cultural norms. Be changed. Be more like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

Speak Frankly

What does being frank with someone mean to you? Does it mean that you speak your mind? Does it mean you don’t care what others think when you speak your mind? Are you willing to speak frankly when it matters most? Will you speak frankly about Jesus?

There are some people who will speak whatever is on their mind without regard to who they speak to and the consequences of speaking. They will claim they can’t help it or that they are just being themselves. Then they wonder why people don’t want to be around them.

Am I saying we shouldn’t be frank? No. However, using a little tact and wisdom can go a long way. We can speak truth without being offensive. Being frank does not mean we need to be offensive. We can speak frankly and with wisdom by first listening, truly listening, and understanding what truth the person needs to hear.

It is important that we speak frankly about Jesus. He is not some watered down, impotent idol who is being worshiped as a god. He is the all-powerful King of kings. He is the ever-present Lord of lords. He is the Savior of the world. He is the ultimate judge. He is the living example of what love is meant to be. To speak about Him frankly is needed.

Yet, the person we are speaking with may not need to hear He is King of kings. They may need to hear He is our Comforter. They may need to hear He is our Protector. They may need to hear He is our Provider. But we can only know what aspect of Jesus they need to hear by listening closely to what they are saying and hearing what is left unsaid. This is where wisdom and discernment come in. Ask God for them so as to speak frankly about Jesus.

I pray we all seek to speak frankly about Jesus. I pray we listen with attentiveness. I pray each one of us will tell others what they need to know in the moment about Jesus. Speak frankly about Jesus. Use wisdom and discernment. Listen closely to others. Speech frankly with tact.

2 Corinthians 3:12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with complete frankness,

Perspective of God

How do you see God? What is your perspective of him? How do you see Jesus? Do you view Him as a brother and friend, or as the King? How does your perspective change how you act? Have you given it any thought? Do you think you should?

Our perspective of who God is, who Jesus is, has a significant impact on how well we obey God’s commands. If we view God as an overpowering tyrant, we will obey out of fear. If we view God as a loving Father who only wants the best for us, we will obey out of love.

Unfortunately, some will cling primarily to the viewpoint of Jesus as brother and only obey when it suits them. It is not that viewing Jesus as a brother is incorrect, but we cannot always see Him in that role. We must remember that He is the King who sits on a throne. He is the ultimate Judge. He has all the power of God.

So, how should be view Jesus? He is our brother who is the King, the Judge, and the Lord. He is to be obeyed with love and a little fear. We are to lean on Him for strength and courage. We are to trust in His promises. We are to seek understanding from His teachings. We should go to Him to ask for all that we need and trust that He will provide.

The Father and the Son are more than we can fathom. The gift of the Holy Spirit is to be our guide in all that we do. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God is revealed to us, if we will listen. So, open your hearts, minds, eyes, and ears to see and hear God as the Holy Spirit reveals him to you. Love God with all your heart and be in awe of who he is.

I pray we all check our perspective of who God is. I pray we understand that Jesus sits on a throne as King. I pray each one of us opens ourselves to the Holy Spirt and asks God to reveal himself to us. View God as God. Know that Jesus is King. See Jesus as Lord. Listen for the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 99:1

The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! 

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

Radioactive

Have you even had a skin disease? Did it affect your face? Did you have chicken pox? Did you have the measles? Were people afraid to come near you? Were you kept inside away from everyone? How did you feel about that? Were you hoping the disease would go away quickly?

Have diseases that have a negative effect on our faces are not fun to deal with. Whether it is chicken pox or the measles or some other disease, all we can think about is ridding ourselves of the disease. We do not like to be isolated. After all, we are community people.

Moses did not have a disease, but the people were afraid to come near him. Once he explained the reason for his face shining, they were willing to come within a reasonable distance. They needed to hear what God was saying to Moses, how God was instructing them to travel along the path he had laid out for them. Even if they were not always obedient.

We do not see people whose face shines in the same way Moses’ face shined. Yet, we do see people who are radiant. When they are filled with the love of God, their face shines. When they continually seek to follow Jesus, their face shines. We can see the joy on their face. Opposed to Moses, we are attracted to people like that.

We, too, can be people with faces that shine. How? Be filled with the love of God and seek to follow Jesus. The closer we get to God, the closer we follow the Jesus, the more joy Jesus pours into our hearts making our faces shine. We become a person everyone else wants to be around. We become Jesus’ shining light in a dark world.

I pray we all are filled with the love of God. I pray we seek to follow Jesus as close as we can. I pray each one of us will allow the love of God to shine through us making us a light for Jesus. Be filled with the love of God. Follow Jesus closely. Allow God’s love to shine through. Be a light for Jesus.

Exodus 34:29-30 Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.

Luke Warm

How is your passion toward God? Do you have a passion for him? Are you hot? Do you feel a burning desire to serve him? Are you cold? Are you refreshing, like a cold glass of water, to those you serve? Or are you lukewarm? Not really hot nor cold?

Jesus desires that we be hot or cold. He isn’t looking for lukewarm followers. He wants us to be burning with desire to know Him, seek Him, learn from Him, serve Him. Those who are hot are out setting the world on fire for Jesus.

For those who are cold, they are refreshing. They are like a cold glass of water for those they serve. Jesus likes those who are refreshing. They bring new ideas for new ways to tell others about Him. They lift people when they are down. They brighten a room when they walk in. People can see their compassion.

What Jesus doesn’t want is lukewarm followers. They just muddle their way through life. They may attend church but do nothing more than that. They may occasionally pray but it is only when they are in trouble or want something. They may even serve others but they do so with lethargy.

We should want to be either hot or cold. If we find ourselves being lukewarm, we need to ask God to fill us with his Spirit and energize us. Jesus will grant us that prayer, if we are honestly asking from our hearts. He won’t leave us in a lukewarm state.

I pray we all seek to be hot or cold. I pray we ask God to fill us with his Spirit. I pray each one of us will serve Jesus with a burning desire or a refreshing spirit that energizes others or lifts them up. Be cold. Be hot. Be filled by the Holy Spirit. Burn for Jesus. Be refreshing. Lift others up.

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Giving Blessings

We have heard we are not to judge. We have heard we are to forgive. We have heard we are to give. So how well are we doing? Are we accomplishing them? Or are we still struggling? Be honest. Only you know the real answer, and only if you are truly being honest with yourself.

None of those three are easy, though forgiving may be the easier one of the bunch, at least on the surface. We can say we forgive them. We may tell ourselves to forgive what someone has done to us. We may believe we have, but still hold onto it just a little bit down inside.

Judging can be more challenging. We judge people by the clothes they wear, the way they speak, the places they go, and their actions. Even if we remind ourselves not to judge, we find it very difficult not to do so. But it becomes worse when we condemn them, push them aside, become sure they are going to hell, or even ask God to take our revenge out on them.

But giving may be the most difficult of the three. Why? It means we must give our blessings to someone else. It may be our time that is required to serve someone else, whether at a funeral dinner, helping them with a project, teaching Sunday School, or leading a ministry. They all require us to give up doing something else to serve someone.

Giving our money is an even larger challenge. We have worked hard to earn our paycheck. We rationalize not giving because we have heard of corruption in one organization or another, not the least of which is our churches. Yet, God is not holding us accountable for someone else’s corruption. He is holding us accountable for withholding what he has blessed us with to give to others.

Take notice of the reward Jesus promises when we give. We receive a good measure, pressed down, and overflowing. In other words, God will pour us a cup of coffee until it overflows onto the floor. He will fill our plate with food until it spills onto the table. We cannot out give God. So, give freely.

I pray we all work at not judging. I pray we strive to forgive with earnestness. I pray each one of us will give our blessings to help others trusting in the promise that God will give to us. Do not judge. Do not condemn. Forgive one another. Give your blessings to help others.

Luke 6:37-38 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Do What Is Hard

How easy is it for you to love your enemies? Who do you think of when you think of enemies? Do you do good to those who hate you? Would you rather return hate for hate? What about those who curse you or mistreat you? How do you want to treat them?

We want to defeat our enemies. We want to return hate for hate. We want to return curse for curse. If someone mistreats us, we want to return it to them. We have a real problem with seeking revenge. That is our idea of justice. Yet, it is not God’s.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies. That is very hard to do. But Jesus didn’t say it would be easy to follow Him. He says we are to do good to those who hate us. Oh my! That may be even harder to do. We can love, or say we love, our enemies so long as we aren’t near them. But if someone hates us, it is highly like they are closer to us than our enemies. They may even be family members. Doing good for them can take every fiber of goodness we can draw from God.

Blessing anyone who curses us is likely the last thing on our mind. Yet, Jesus tells us to do so. Again, very hard to do. Someone who curses us is likely right in our face. They may be screaming at us. How can we bless them? We must rely on the Holy Spirit.

Anyone who mistreats is also in our face or very close. They may be someone we work with or even a boss. Again, Jesus tells us to pray for them. What do we pray? “God, strike them down.” No. We should pray that God work in their lives to change them.

I pray we all take Jesus’ words to heart. I pray we choose to follow Jesus to be like Him. I pray each one of us will love our enemies, do good for those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us. It won’t be easy. Following Jesus is hard. Know that He will give you the strength.

Luke 6:27-28 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you.”