Quiet Prayer: The Prayer Series

"For what purpose did Christ go up into the mountains? To teach us that loneliness and retirement is good when we are to pray to God...for the wilderness is the mother of quiet; it is a calm and a harbor, delivering us from all turmoils." - John Chrysostom, (c347-407) 

Technically, there is no such thing as wordless prayer. Prayer's very definition is talking to God. Prayers can be loud or silent, but communication is always involved. We may weep in God's presence or groan under immense emotional or physical pressure. God knows the intentions of the heart. The Holy Spirit prays for us  "with groaning too deep for words."

The Father knows what we need before we ask him. He created us for fellowship with himself. There are times when all we can do is groan or utter the word help - God is with us in our pain. 

Silence is a good habit to practice to cultivate the presence of the LORD in our lives. In the life of Jesus, silence seems more about the atmosphere, not the lack of words.

Jesus often slipped away to be alone with his Father. He told us that we would not be heard for "our empty phrases" or "vain repetitions."

Strategic pauses in prayer are important. 

If we talk all the time, how can we ever listen? Unlike non-Christian religions, our prayers are fueled by the knowledge of God and His Word. Our prayer lives as followers of Jesus should be informed by Scripture.

Sound doctrine (biblical teaching) protects us from listening to the wrong voices. Knowing your Bible protects you from allowing culture or various voices (human or demonic) to form your thought life.

Guard your hearts and minds. Pray silently and pray loudly. Pray all kinds of prayers. Let your focus always be on the triune God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

Scripture to meditate on:

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." - Romans 8:26-27 ESV

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words." - Matthew 6-7 ESV

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." - Luke 5:16 NIV

"In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety."  - Hebrews 5:7 NASB 95

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." - Ephesians 6:18 NIV

(1) Gerald L. Sittser, Water From A Deep Well, Page 131

The Mountains: A Place Of Encounter

 Scripture:

"...Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God." - Luke 6:12

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." - Luke 5:16

A Reflection:

I saw the Alps from a distance.

I was a passenger in a car in a small town in Germany. We were turning around in a parking lot when one of my companions pointed to them in the distance.

I was traveling with my son-in-law and his associates - they were there for business - I was tagging along. While I was grateful to see so many beautiful sites in Germany, Churches, Castles, and other historical sites, I was disappointed we didn't make time to visit the mountains.

Mountains are significant in Scripture. 

They are holy places where we find God's servants encountering the Divine.

The Bible tells us stories of God - encounters on mountains - considered "Sacred sites' and places of "transcendent spiritual experiences."

" Ezekiel 28:13-15 places the Garden of Eden on a mountain. Abraham shows his willingness to sacrifice Isaac and then encounters God on a mountain" (Gen 22:1-14). Moses met God in a cloud on Mt. Sinai  (Ex 3:19). (1) 

 Jesus went to the mountains to pray(Mt 14:23) in solitude(Jn 6:15) and to be with his Father. He was transfigured (Mt 17:1-8) in the presence of his disciples, ascended into heaven(Acts 1:10-12), and "refuted Satan's temptations" (Mt 4:8) from the mountains.

We may not have access to a physical mountain to pray daily, but we can have that special place to commune with God. And to refute the devil's lies by believing and speaking the truth of Scripture (out loud). 

My companions and I allowed inconvenient obstacles like money and time to keep us from experiencing the Alps. Don't let distractions keep you from encountering the LORD.  We make time and sacrifices for what we value most. We have access to the throne of grace at any time.

Prayer:

 Father, we come into your presence through Jesus - by the Holy Spirit. Would you help us to find a place of solitude? It doesn't have to be a mountain but a place where we can meet with You undistracted. We ask for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know you better. We are desperate to encounter Your Presence. And to learn what it means to abide in You. Amen

(1) Source: Dictionary of Biblical Imagery

Speaking Truth To Power

 

My Thoughts:

Speaking truth to power is a phrase I hear often. It reminds me of the various protest movements against governments that date back to the volatile 1960s. We see it today from groups on the political left and right.

It is great to have a democracy that, in theory, allows free speech. Although, the reality is that you could lose your job over your opinions.

Jesus taught his disciples to worship him in Spirit and Truth. He gave his disciples both then and now spiritual authority over the demonic. 

The Apostle Paul taught that the real powers in charge occupy the spiritual realm. They influence political decisions and policies we see played out on earth. Many politicians are puppets serving their dark overlords.

We need to face it: monovalent entities are pulling the strings of their political puppets whose policies are counter to the Kingdom of God.

When we hear lies, we should counter them with the truth of Scripture, not our political opinions. 

That is how we speak truth to power. 

When the spiritual powers hear the proclamation of the gospel and when people receive it - they tremble.

 Principalities and Powers are not fearful of believers who do not speak the truth in love. They scoff at our attempts to argue with the people they control.

Yelling at demons during a prayer meeting is not how we exercise spiritual authority. We pray to God and invite his presence to drive the darkness away. The proclamation of truth and prayer are effective ways to push darkness away. People who submit to Jesus through a lifestyle that reflects the values of the Kingdom see results. We have authority over demons, but our focus must be on God.

The Scripture:

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12 ESV (Read the whole chapter)

 "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." - Ephesians 5: 11 

"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” - Luke 10:19-20 

Note: In Luke 10:19-20 Jesus is talking about ground-level spiritual warfare. Disciples of Jesus have the power and authority to cast demons out of people and sometimes places. We have not been - given the authority to cast out evil cosmic powers in the heavenly realms. Those Powers that influence cities, states, and governments can only be - removed through the proclamation of the gospel, repentance, and prayer.

Here is the Apostle Paul's spiritual battle plan:

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." - Ephesians 6: 13-20 

 

The Anvil - A Prophetic Picture

 "I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'These are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" - (Zechariah 13:9 NLT)

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." - (1 Peter 1:7 NLT)

"Anvil - a heavy steel or iron block with a flat top, concave sides, and typically a pointed end, on which metal can be hammered and shaped." - Online Dictionary

During a prayer meeting a few years ago, I had a mental picture of an Anvil. This was a time of intercessory prayer for our Church and our community. We were engaged in spiritual warfare. I believe God communicates through mental images and impressions to encourage us. I don't think every thought or picture that pops into my head is a message from God to the Church!

 But for me, it seems like a good picture of what many believers need to think about, especially in times of intense spiritual attack. God uses the testing of our faith to strengthen us and forge us into vessels for his purposes. Without trials and testing, we become weak and spiritually ineffective. All bodybuilders know that growth comes from resistance. So, spiritual growth requires us to resist the world, the flesh, and the devil.

 

Fire is a metaphor used in various ways in the Bible. God uses the fire of his holiness to purge sin from us. He uses stressful circumstances to purify our hearts and to make us battle-ready. Our battles are not with people but with worldviews and ideologies that clash with the Kingdom of God. In the Old Testament, God told Israel to drive out enemies from the land he gave them. Some wonder why He didn't destroy all of Israel's enemies for them. But, I believe God wanted his people to grow stronger by obeying his commands and learning how to fight for freedom based on his covenant commitment to them.

As New Testament believers, our enemies are spiritual beings. We must be diligent to drive them (demonic strongholds) out of our lives. We must help others experience freedom, also. The attacks never stop, but our goal is to become stronger as we grow dependent on God. In a sense, we become a weapon forged by the Master's hand that he uses to drive out spiritual darkness.

How George Müller Started His Day

George Müller (born Johann Georg Ferdinand Müller, 27 September 1805 – 10 March 1898) was a Christian evangelist and the director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. He was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren movement. 

He cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime and provided educational opportunities for the orphans to the point that he was even accused by some of raising the poor above their natural station in British life. He established 117 schools that offered Christian education to more than 120,000. - Wikipedia 

"While I was staying at Nailworth, it pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, irrespective of human instrumentality, as far as I know, the benefit of which I have not lost, though now...more than forty years have since passed away.

The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit.

Before this time my practice had been, at least for ten years previously, as an habitual thing, to give myself to prayer, after having dressed the morning. Now I saw, that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, whilst meditation, my heart might be brought into experimental, communion with the Lord. I began therefore, to meditate on the New Testament, from the beginning, early in the morning.

The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord's blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God; searching, as it were, into every verse, to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word; not for the sake of preaching on what I had meditated upon; but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have found to be almost invariably this, that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that though I did not, as it were, give to prayer but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less to prayer.

When thus I have been for awhile making confession, or intercession, or supplication, or have given thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I go on, into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it; but still continually keeping before me that food for my own soul is the object of meditation. The result of this is, that there is always a good deal of confession, thanksgiving, supplication, or intercession mingled with my meditation, and that my inner man almost invariably is even sensibly nourished and strengthened and that by breakfast time, with rare exceptions, I am in a peaceful if not happy state of heart. Thus also the Lord is pleased to communicate unto me that which, very soon after, I have found to become food for other believers, though it was not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word that I have myself to meditation, but for the profit of my own inner man.

The difference between my former practice and my present one is this. Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible, and generally spent all my time till breakfast in prayer, or almost all the time. At all events I almost invariably began with prayer… But what was the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, or even an hour on my knees, before being conscious to myself of having derived comfort, encouragement, humbling of soul, etc.; and often after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the first ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I only then began really to pray.

I scarcely ever suffer now in this way. For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father, and to my Friend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it!) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.

It often now astonished me that I did not sooner see this. In no book did I ever read about it. No public ministry ever brought the matter before me. No private intercourse with a brother stirred me up to this matter. And yet now, since God has taught me this point, it is as plain to me as anything, that the first thing the child of God has to do morning-by-morning is to obtain food for his inner man.

As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time, except we take food, and as this is one of the first things we do in the morning, so it should be with the inner man. We should take food for that, as every one must allow. Now what is the food for the inner man; not prayer, but the Word of God; and here again not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts....

I dwell so particularly on this point because of the immense spiritual profit and refreshment I am conscious of having derived from it myself, and I affectionately and solemnly beseech all my fellow-believers to ponder this matter. By the blessing of God I ascribe to this mode the help and strength which I have had from God to pass in peace through deeper trials in various ways than I had ever had before; and after having now above forty years tried this way, I can most fully, in the fear of God, commend it. How different when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the morning, from what it is when, without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials and the temptations of the day come upon one!" 

GeorgeMuller.org - The George Muller Web Site

 

Psalm 25:4-5

 

Jack Deere -- The Power of Prayer

Prayer And Integrity

 

“Fret not yourself( heat yourself in anger/vexation) because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart. – (Psalm 37: 1-4 ESV)

There are lots of reasons for unanswered prayer. God often delays answers, or he answers differently than we would like. Delays can be for building character in our lives. If it’s a loved one we are praying for, God could be dealing with them in ways we can’t discern. Some of our requests are not in alignment with God’s will. But we must remain consistent in asking and knocking on heaven’s door until He says yes or no.

A lack of integrity can be a hindrance to answered prayer. The NET Bible translates the word faithfulness as integrity:

Trust in the Lord and do what is right.
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity. (1)
Then you will take delight in the Lord,
and he will answer your prayers. (2) – (NET Psalm 37: 3-4)

What “land” have you received from God? Your home and family, your city, and your Church are places God has planted you. King David sought to walk in integrity in his home.

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.” – Psalm 101: 1-4 ESV

We know of David’s colossal failure with Bathsheba. His sin was costly, but he repented. He was a man after God’s heart because he sought to honor God’s word by keeping the covenant.

It takes discipline to live a life of integrity while being bombarded by media – allured by the pied pipers of Hollywood and big tech. Evil people are not a reason to fret. I believe the Bible teaches an acceleration of wickedness in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1.) Our response to evil is to share the gospel and prayer. And to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21.)

We must learn to carve out time to be alone with God and our thoughts. Learning to pray short prayers throughout our busy days will help us maintain our focus on God.

(1) Integrity – “Tend, Shepard, watch over, guard, faithfulness, honesty, and integrity. Or [feed] security, if the audience is likened to sheep.” – NET Bible (with notes)

(2) Answer your prayers – “or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the request of your heart.” – Net Bible (with notes)

A Reflection On Revival

 

The Word:

“Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?” – Psalm 85:6 ESV

Reflection:

We live in a day similar to the time just before the first great awakening in America. In the 1700s the Church in New England was declining morally and spiritually. God used men like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, and John Wesley to help as instruments for revival. But, unlike present-day America, even during their spiritual decline, the colonies had a much stronger biblical foundation than we do today.

In recent decades the Church in America has been guilty of excessive materialism and prayerlessness. And we have become biblically illiterate and resistant to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sadly, much of the western world is considered post-Christian. It seems (looking at it through natural eyes) irreversible. Europe has only its great cathedrals to point to their past Christian heritage. We in America can look back to the past when Christianity was acceptable in our society. Despite slavery and other obvious sins, the general population embraced a biblical worldview.

I believe the spiritual renewal of Churches in the west will precede revival. God is calling his people to repentance, to return to the faith of the early apostolic Church. This calling is to a radical commitment to Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus will have no rivals. This is a message to the Church.

It puzzles me that we expect non-believers to act like believers. Maybe it’s time we (the Church) start living the truth we proclaim. The world won’t agree with us, but at least they can’t accuse us of hypocrisy.

God still has a remnant in the western world who has not bowed their knees to cultural idols. We must resist cultural Christianity and return to the faith of the early disciples.

Pray for renewal in our churches so that we might see a spiritual revival in America and the rest of the western world. God uses ordinary people to pray and intercede on behalf of the Nations. It’s time to pray for the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in world history.

Watch and Pray: 

Father, would you open our eyes to see what you are doing on the earth. Open the hearts of your people to embrace the gospel that the early disciples both lived and preached. We ask you for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Your Church. Revive us again so that the world will see the truth of the gospel in our lives. And they will be drawn to the same Jesus that the early Church proclaimed. In Jesus’ name.

The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ: Reflections and Prayers of The Church Fathers

 

“He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” – (Matthew 28:6 ESV)

“Jesus Christ who was of the race of David, who was the Son of Mary, who was truly born and ate and drank, was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, was truly crucified and died in the sight of those in heaven and on earth and those under the earth; who moreover was truly raised from the dead, His Father having raised Him, who in the like fashion will so raise us also who believe on Him.” – Ignatius, (written around AD 110-115.)

A  Prayer
O God, who by your only-begotten Son has overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life, grant us, we ask you, that we who celebrate the solemnities of our Lord’s resurrection may by the renewing of your Spirit arise from the death of the soul; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. [Amen.] –  The Gelasian Sacramentary 

Why The Stone Rolled Back?

An angel descended and rolled back the stone. He did not roll back the stone to provide a way of escape for the Lord but to show the world that the Lord had already risen. He rolled back the stone to help his fellow servants believe, not to help the Lord rise from the dead. He rolled back the stone for the sake of faith because it had been rolled over the tomb for the sake of unbelief. He rolled back the stone so that he who took death captive might hold the title of Life. Pray, brothers, that the angel would descend now and roll away all the hardness of our hearts and open up our closed senses and declare to our minds that Christ has risen, for just as the heart in which Christ lives and reigns in heaven, so also the heart in which Christ remains dead and buried is a grave. May it be believed that just as he died, so was he transformed. Christ the man suffered, died, and was buried; as God, he lives, reigns, is, and will be forever. – Peter Chrysologus, Sermons 75.

A Prayer
“O God, who for redemption have your only – begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection has delivered us from the power of the enemy, Grant us to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him, in the joy of the resurrection, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”  – Gregory the Great

“For indeed the Lord remained on the tree almost until evening, and they buried Him at eventide; then on the third day He rose again.” – Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, XCII, (AD 100 – 165.)