Lord, Teach Us To Pray

One of the misconceptions I had about prayer stemmed from an incomplete understanding of its purpose.  Another misconception had to do with the learning and intentionality required to achieve powerful and effective results.  (James 5:16)  If we think of prayer as “merely” talking to God, we tend to stop short of learning how to pray according to God’s Word.

I find it interesting that of all the things the disciples heard Jesus say and saw Him do, the one thing they asked Him to teach them was how to pray.  (Luke 11:1)  Why not something more awesome like feeding thousands with just a few loaves and fish, calming storms, or raising the dead? 

…why prayer?...

I just read a great book by Dr. Myles Munroe called “Understanding the Power and Purpose of Prayer”.  He suggested several reasons why the disciples wanted to learn how to pray above other things.

In terms of ministry, the disciples saw Jesus praying more than anything else.  The Bible tells us how Jesus was up early, often withdrawing to quiet places to pray.  It sounds like Jesus devoted hours each day to prayer.  His miracles, on the other hand, took mere minutes, seconds even.  Consider the ratio of time spent.  Consider the results.  What a lesson this is for our lives and ministries!

Often we think we’re too busy to pray, especially for hours a day.  Yikes!  But what if 1 hour with God could accomplish hours of work by knowing how to direct our efforts according to His will?  By avoiding all those things He didn’t have planned for us, including false starts and spinning wheels from striving in our own strength?  By having the right mindset of peace, joy, confidence, and courage?  Prayer is meant for us to talk to and hear from God – agreeing with His will, and receiving His wisdom and guidance for carrying it out.  Spending time in prayer actually saves time in the long run.

I’m sure the disciples also recognized how prayer developed intimacy between Jesus and the Father.  We know that Jesus always knew God’s will and did it.  (John 5:19-20)  How often do we spend hours talking about problems with only frustration and weariness as the end result, no solutions?  Societal issues.  The economy.  Healthcare.  The government.  Wayward teenagers.  Addiction.  Those are some pretty big problems.  Maybe we should do less talking and more praying because it’s our prayers that God needs to actually be able to operate in those situations and to use us as well.

We also see in Luke 11:1-4 that prayer doesn’t come automatically, it needs to be learned.  While Jesus was praying, the disciples weren’t, they were just watching and waiting.  They obviously saw something different about Jesus’ prayers and didn’t think they could pray that way on their own, even though they would have grown up praying in their synagogues.  So what did Jesus do?  He taught what we call The Lord’s Prayer to serve as a model.  Jesus taught us because He agrees we need to learn.

I’ve been learning a lot about prayer lately, including that there is a lot to learn – much more than I had originally thought.  But that shouldn’t intimidate us from communicating with our loving Father and Creator; rather it should excite and motivate us to press in deeper!

God Needs Us

Am I the only one who finds prayer a bit challenging?  Not the “talking to God” part, but more so in understanding its purpose, and the principles for those powerful and effective prayers that get results. (James 5:16)

On February 14^th, along with June and Pastor Abram, I had the privilege of teaching local pastors and church leaders about the purpose, principles and power of prayer.  And as usual, teaching also turned out to be a huge learning experience for me as the Lord opened my eyes to His truths and my misconceptions about prayer.

What happens when our prayers aren’t answered?  Sometimes we feel abandoned by God or doubt His love for us.  We may question God’s character, integrity, or faithfulness to His Word.  Or we may doubt ourselves – our faith, our understanding of God’s Word, our discernment of His will.  Maybe we decide that prayer is not for us; rather it’s for those more spiritual, eloquent, or gifted.  (After all, it is a spiritual gift, right?)  Ultimately, our prayers dry up.

Prayers are meant to be answered, so when they don’t bring results we need to find out why.  We need to look to the Word of God for insight, and avoid jumping to the wrong conclusions about God or ourselves, conclusions that actually contradict the Word of God.  And I think one way we short-circuit our prayers is through an incorrect or incomplete understanding of their purpose.

Why should we pray?  Do our prayers matter?  After all, God already knows, controls, and has predetermined everything.  He’s everywhere, all the time, and never changes.  I know the Bible tells us to pray and, of course, and I want to be obedient.  I also know that Jesus did and I want to model Him.  But I’m sorry, those reasons alone just don’t evoke the sense of passion, power, and effectiveness that should characterize true prayer. 

In Genesis 1:26-28, we learn that we were created to reflect God’s image - nature, character and personality – in order to have fellowship with Him.  We were also created to carry out His purposes on earth – to rule, to have dominion, to take care of things – using our own free will, abilities and initiative. 

We know God’s plans and purposes will always be accomplished. (Isaiah 14:24, Psalm 33:11, Proverbs 19:21, Ephesians 1:11)  We also know that God will never break or contradict His Word.  (Isaiah 55:11, Matthew 5:18)  Therefore, when God gave us dominion or legal authority on earth, He also limited Himself from taking over.  Otherwise, He’d violate His purpose as stated through His Word.

God needs our agreement and cooperation to accomplish His purposes – His will, His desires, His promises, and His blessings.  That’s why our prayers matter!  Prayer is how we give God permission to interfere in the earth’s affairs.

Think about the men and women in the Bible whom God used needed to carry out His will - Noah, Abraham, Moses, Esther, even Jesus.  It’s still God’s will that will be done, but He needs our prayers and obedience to carry it out.

What does God need you to accomplish?  What about me?   Let us pray!

Power Unleashed

“I care.” “I can do more than you think.”

“I have power.” “Even my small acts can change the world.”

“I love a challenge.” “All I need is a chance.”

These are among the many powerful statements from our youth.They want to be heard, valued, appreciated, and used by God. They are the voice of the nation, it’s very future. So at our recent Enrich conference, 75 local pastors and youth ministry leaders gathered to become better equipped in reaching our youth.

Pastor Jodie Stehouwer from Resurrection Life Church Mid-Michigan and Mike Benson from the Conquerors International Strength team were our guest speakers. Both have godly wisdom and practical experience in reaching youth, and huge hearts for unleashing their power and potential.

Historians say that 11 of the 12 disciples were young people. When Jesus went to be with his Father, he placed the future of the church into their hands. He unleashed the power that surrounded him, the passion within them, and the potential before them.

Something Pastor Jodie said really jumped out at me… When we’re only doing things within our reach, it also means our own strength and our own results. God’s plans are bigger than that. He wants us to reach beyond our abilities and comfort zones, to trust him, and to need him.

God does not qualify us through age or experience. He looks at our hearts. That is why it’s so important to equip young people, and release them to do what God has called them to do. Sure they will make mistakes – but everyone does. They might even fall into sin – but who is without sin?

As leaders, we need to have faith in our young people, but more importantly, we need to have faith in God as they step out. We need to believe in them.

Why? Because God does.

Forever Changed

I remember walking into Michigan Theological Seminary (now Moody) filled with excitement and fear, anticipation and intimidation. I was hungry to learn and deepen my faith, but I also felt like I was stepping in over my head.

Seminary was an incredible, life-changing experience for me - one that helped launch me into full-time missions. So it’s troubling to think that I have more formal training than 90% of the pastors here in South Africa. I am truly blessed, and now I’m thankful for the opportunity to bless others as well.

For the past 13 weeks I’ve been teaching Foundations for Christian Growth - a rigorous course that provides certification to graduating students. One of my highlights has been seeing incredible growth in each student. Deeper understanding of God’s Word. Better application in daily life. More intimate relationships with God. Increased faith.

The Lord knit together a diverse class consisting of pastors, church leaders, and laypeople; young and old; mature believers and seekers. Caroline (far left) came as a seeker wanting to know more about God and why she should give her life to Him. She attended faithfully, completed the homework on time, and did well on her tests. Yet as her mind was immersed in information, her heart experienced a transformation.

Her life was forever changed. Caroline came seeking, and left surrendered to Christ.

“I was not born again before, because of this class I’m born again. The Spirit of God is dwelling in me. I know what God is expecting from me and he delivered me out of Satan’s authority and power. I was full of anger and revenge from the past, but now I know I have to plant forgiveness so that God can forgive me too.” - Caroline Mofokeng

Please join us in praying for Caroline and the rest of our FCG students as they continue growing in their faith.

Created for Relationship

God created us for relationship – to love Him, to be loved by Him, and to love others. Because of this, one of the most powerful and effective ways Satan can sabotage us is through our relationships. Broken marriages, unhealthy relationships between parents and children, sacrificed friendships, and division in our churches…all within the body of Christ.

During our recent Enrich leadership conference, more than 100 pastors and church leaders joined to learn God’s design for relationships, and how to handle challenges and communicate in a godly way. Our final session was an open discussion where folks could ask tough questions, exchange ideas, and encourage one another. It was a pretty amazing day!

Based on the feedback, it was clear that these leaders left inspired and equipped to nurture their relationships with God and with those whom the Lord placed in their lives. After all, it’s what we’ve all been created for!

“Today I learned how to strengthen my relationship with God and prepare myself to win battles against Satan with the Word of God alive in me. It is my heart’s prayer that God gives me strength and increases my faith to make a difference in the lives of my children, my church, my relatives, and community.” - Masetjhaba Magdelin Tau

Second Only To Love

In talking to pastors and church leaders, we’ve found that Finances is an area where many struggle due to lack of training and limited resources. Did you know that the Bible has more than 2300 verses about money, second only to Love? Or that 2/3 of Jesus’ parables were about wealth, possessions, giving and stewardship?

Why the emphasis on money? Because it’s where we are tempted...humbled...and where we often struggle to trust in the Lord. It’s a source of life and blessing, but can also be a trap Satan uses to separate us from God. It’s the means by which we can do God’s work and bless others. And it’s a powerful witness, positive or negative, to Believers and non-Believers alike because it captures everyone’s attention.

How we manage our money – whether we have a lot or a little – reflects our relationship with God. So on June 13th, we pressed in to managing our money God’s way. Our workshop topics included having the right attitude about wealth, achieving financial freedom, tithing and giving, goal-setting and budgeting, and teaching biblical principles in the church.

When I asked the pastors how many had ever developed a budget or used one to manage their church or business finances, no one raised their hands. By the end of the workshop, all agreed that the information learned and practiced would be helpful in leading their congregations.

“As the teaching was given, I learned that I must do things God’s way, then implement what I learn in my life, business and church. I will teach my church the importance of tithing 10%, and also managing the other 90% well as stewards of what God provides.” – Pastor Thulo Shadrack Mile

“I will teach the church God’s principles about money and how to implement them. I will also apply what I have learned for myself and my household so that I can model what I teach.” – Pastor Stella Charlotte Molefe

Please join me in praying for these leaders as they model and teach what they have
learned.

Celebrating Our Saltiness

On Friday, November 5 we held our final Hand in Hand conference of the year with more than 80 church leaders in attendance. Our theme has been “Being Salt and Light” and we’ve learned so much together!

At this final conference, Pastor Abram taught us how being unified as a church body helps us to be Godly examples and effective witnesses to others. Next we spent time in worship and prayer, and sharing amazing testimonies of how God has worked in and through us this year. The goal was to not only learn from and encourage each other, but also to celebrate!

Amy Riep ended the conference with a powerful teaching from The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. This passage just precedes Christ’s calling to be Salt and Light, and teaches us the attitude we need to carry it out.

Humbleness. Godly sorrow over sin. Repentance. Hunger and thirst for righteousness. Mercy. Peacemaking. Endurance.

She also gave an interesting fact about salt – that the Roman armies would pour salt out on their conquered lands to basically render them unusable and prevent them from being taken back by their enemies. As salt, not only do we season the earth with the hope of Christ, but we also claim territory for His kingdom that Satan cannot take back.

What a great day! I’m so thankful for the opportunity to equip and strengthen local leaders, and to also be strengthened and encouraged myself.