The Tongue

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” James 3:1-2

When my first grade teacher, Miss Hamm, sent home my first report card, she noted, “Gary enjoys talking in class with his many new friends, while I am teaching. He needs to learn to pay attention.” My Mom got the message. My Dad made the point. It was a short learning curve.  

The Tongue is a powerful tool for good or a weapon for evil depending on the will, and the character of the person doing the talking. Talk is driven by your tongue. Prayer is driven by your heart. If you don’t develop a heart for prayer, your unbridled talk will spew out of your big mouth. When you choose to be prayerless, you will step on your tongue, and stumble into error. This only happens…EVERY TIME!

Scripture places a heavy responsibility upon all who are called to teach, and warns them to bridle their tongues.  When you prayerfully yield your will to The Father, your tongue will be harnessed for His personal use, not yours.

Jesus prayed to yield His will to The Father’s will. Before He spoke for Him, Jesus spoke to The Father. False teachers are in love with the sound of their own voice, and breathe their own ether. The most dangerous place in the world is between them and a microphone. The last place you will find them is in the prayer closet. They love the spotlight.

Jesus was called Master, by His disciples. It was not an honorary title, but a necessary bridle. They referred to His authority and jurisdiction over their lives. The Master intended to control the tongues of His discples, by empowering them to use their tongues for the honor and glory of The Father. He intends to exercise the same control over yours.

“Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.” James 3:3

To avoid accumulative error, ancient mariners used the rudder of their ships to make steady course corrections. The proper use of the rudder insured their ship would arrive safely at their destination. Huge ships and precious cargos were in danger when the rudder was impaired or ignored.  A dysfunctional rudder meant a navigational error could not be corrected. Drifting farther and farther of course, the ship could reach a point of no return, crashing upon the rocks of a distant shore, far away from the pilot’s intended destination.  The rudder and your tongue share the same reputation for having the power to guide or collide.

“Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.” James 3:4

The Tongue has the capacity to illuminate or incinerate. When you race towards a confrontation with an annoying person or enter into a conversation about an absent person, your prayerless communication will shed for more heat than light. When you fail to pray before you speak, you are setting in motion a scorched earth policy that was birthed in hell, not in Heaven.

“So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” James 3:5-6

Note to Self: A bridle, rudder and spark have one thing in common. Though relatively small, they all have the capacity to make a great impact for good or evil. So does your tongue. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!  

The Works

“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”  James 2:26

As a child of the 1950’s, I often accompanied my family on cross-country trips, before, during and after the development of America’s amazing Interstate Highway System. The path of our car would wind its way along clogged, two lane roads, through tiny towns. All along our route, there were traffic jams, while cars were halted. Huge mounds of red clay were in the process of being moved, by massive bulldozers and road graders.

The foundation of the highway of the future was mapped out, but until the work was done, life came to a standstill.  The one confusing sign I would read as we crawled through town after town was, “SLOW MEN AT WORK!”  As we pulled up closer to the sign, and seeing men leaning on their shovels, I would blurt out, “Why don’t they hire some fast men?”

The Book of James reminds me that faith is not just a noun. It is also a verb. Faith is not just an intellectual belief that I hold. It is a passionate conviction that has taken hold of me. Believing prayer transforms my faith into a passionate conviction, moving it from my head, to my heart, while bending my knees, and my will.

When you pray, you show signs of life. The only way for prayer to be unable to work is for you to refuse to pray. Jesus told His disciples to ask. Prayer is no more complicated than that.

“So that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. “ John 15:16

You may lead or attend a death defying church. Just because it exists does not mean that it is alive.  A body of believers is not life giving, until it carries out the same work as The Founder of the church.

Jesus prayed while on earth. In Heaven, seated at the right hand of The Father. He continues to intercede for His church. When you follow Jesus, you either enter into a life of prayer, or you become lifeless. The Body of Christ is either a praying church, or it is a headless corpse, not a living body.

Note to Self: Believing prayer is a sign of your living faith. When you stop praying, you stop believing. Eventually, you stop working, and living. Bending your knees and your will, are vital signs of your living faith, and prepare you for the work that matters, intercession. Jesus did it. He still does it. He has called you to it.  When you are prayerless, you are leaning on your shovel, and drifting off course into a spiritual coma. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Platitudes

“Go in peace, be warmed and filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” James 2: 16

One of the prevailing platitudes of cultural, Southern Christianity is the phrase, “Bless their heart.” It is offered up as a response to a wide range of encounters with human frailty. Sometimes it can be used as the equivalent of “You can’t fix stupid.” At other times it simply fills the gap between a person in need, and my lack of interest in meeting that need. “Bless their heart” may be said with a crocodile tear, and a catch in the throat, but it rarely leads to my hands reaching for a checkbook.

“Bless their heart” has a parallel platitude offered up north of the Mason-Dixon line. When I lived in New York I discovered that it is usually offered up as a response to a sneeze. “Bless you” doesn’t mean a person is genuinely concerned. It doesn’t even mean you are going to be handed a tissue.

The Book of James excludes platitudes from having any place in the life of the church, or becoming the accepted expression of genuine Christianity. The healthy church guards against any temptation to offer up imitation fruit as a substitute for the real thing. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control are the industry standard for the church, not platitudes.  (See Galatians 5:22-23)

Perhaps the most pathetic platitude unleashed in the church is, “Our prayers are with you.” My greatest failure in personal prayer has been my willingness to respond immediately, and positively to a person’s request, “Will you pray for me?” It is not my agreeing to pray, but my forgetting to pray that is my failure. Can I get a witness?

The Father meets the needs of His children, but He often uses His children as His hands to deliver the blessing. Praying about a person’s need usually leads to some kind of sense of direction from The Father about how to meet that need. Failing to pray for a person in need usually leads to a failure to meet their need.

Praying is not daydreaming or delayed obedience. Prayer places you in the right position to hear from The Father and to obey His voice. Prayer is the means by which The Father gives you instruction, not the means by which you give Him information. The Father expects you to respond to the cries of His children. So, expect to hear from Him when you pray.

“But when our inclination is to spend time daydreaming over what we have already been told to do, it is unacceptable and God’s blessing is never on it. God will take the initiative against this kind of daydreaming by prodding us to action. His instructions to us will be along the lines of this: “Don’t sit or stand there, just go!” Oswald Chambers

Note to self: Avoid using “Bless their heart” as a platitude. Make it your prayer. Ask The Father to show you how you can be His hands in delivering a blessing to someone in need. The most immediate way to meet their need is to take them to The Father in the name of Jesus. If someone asks you to pray for them, never delay. Just do it. In a crowded room or a noisy restaurant, over the phone or in a moving car, start praying. You can keep your eyes open, and the line to Heaven will still open to you. Avoid The Platitudes. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Triumph

“So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:12-13

James reveals that The Father places the sin of showing partiality on the same laundry list wit adultery and murder. Good to know. Apparently the early church was not a concession stand offering people a soft drink. This passage reveals the church was a hospital for sinners.

Showing mercy to people you would prefer not to have in your life has always been tough medicine. From the earliest days of the church it has been a hard pill for believers to swallow.

Mercy remains the vital medicine for a healthy life, marriage, and church. Show it.  Never forget it. “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” V. 13

When victorious Roman generals returned home, the Senate would host a triumph in their honor. The Triumph was more than a parade. It was a spectacular display, and an sensory overload of Roman power. The route through the city was lined with cheering crowds. The general rode in a chariot before his loyal legions. Following in his train were the chained, captured leaders of the enemy, and the treasure, and exotic animals that had been taken from the conquered land. As the adoring crowds cheered, and praised the general’s name, a slave would be assigned the task of repeatedly whispering in the ear of the conquering hero, “All fame is fleeting.”

Showing mercy comes at the huge price of giving up the right to always be right, or your desire to hold people hostage by reminding people that you once were right.  You may have been right once, but you don’t’ have to throw yourself a perpetual parade. Get over it. Your fame has long since left the building.

Winning an argument and winning a friend don’t often happen at the same time. Very few people thank you for setting them straight, while humiliating them in the process.

Showing mercy to a person who disagrees with you, or sharing a pew with a person whose company does not appeal to you, are the marks of Christian maturity. Maturing is not a matter of getting older and meaner. Mercy is the sign of a child-like heart. Childishness reveals the need for a heart transplant.

NOTE TO SELF: Maturing in mercy requires a perspective on annoying people and personal attacks that only prayer can provide. Your view from the pew or your view from the pulpit only leads you to a distorted vision of The Father’s mercy. When you take your place on your own cross, you begin the lifetime journey of death to self. Eventually, persistent prayer will transform how you see others. Prayer shares The Father’s view of people that Jesus had from His cross.

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus, Luke 23:34

Prayer is the only way you will ever share The Son’s perspective on The Father’s mercy. It is called mercy because people don’t deserve it, and they can’t earn it. When you can’t see your way clear to show mercy, prayer reaches for fresh vision. Prayer breaks your grip on personal grudges, and releases The Father’s mercy. Praying for people who don’t deserve it is a sign of maturity. Grow up. Show mercy. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Fulfilling

“If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” James 2:8-10

My first memory of neighbors is the elderly couple who lived next to our family when we resided in the church parsonage at 1426 South Fitzhugh. They were quiet, and kept an immaculate yard of thick St. Augustine grass. Right next to our fence line was their huge Gardenia tree. Its rich, pungent aroma would be sucked into my room by the attic fan all summer long. The older gentleman would bring their daily trash out in the back yard, and burn it in a barrel. I always met him at the fence line, and he would patiently talk to me while I asked one question after another. He often left bags of toys or treats hanging on the fence for my siblings and me. I loved my neighbor. When they moved out of the neighborhood and a parade of renters began to rotate through their home, I longed for the good old days. These new people were the same distance from me as my old neighbors, but I preferred for them to be much farther away.

Praying begins with emptying, and leads to fulfilling. Emptying my will, and fulfilling God’s will is the process of prayer for my life.

As a small boy, I had not learned this fundamental truth. These new neighbors annoyed me on so many levels. It didn’t pray for them. I avoided them. It would be years before the process of prayer would sink in, and change the way I think about having my will interrupted by God’s will.

“God’s purpose for your life is to knock you, out of you, and to fill you with Himself.” “Wild Bill” Stafford, Revivalist and Preacher

The Scripture clarifies the meaning of a neighbor. Your neighbor is not someone who is near to your heart, but can be anyone who is near enough or different enough to annoy you.

My new neighbors didn’t mow the yard, and rather than burn the trash, they just threw it in the back yard. They didn’t water the grass, and certainly didn’t mow it. The gardenias were not pruned, and the exterior front and side porches of the house began to look like a swap meet. I found myself preferring my old neighbors, and refusing to develop a heart for my new ones.

The Scripture warns you that showing partiality to someone you would prefer to be near you, rather than showing deference to everyone who is near you, is a sin. This is not only a warning shot across the bow for a disappointed child. It is the litmus test for the ancient and the contemporary church. Some things never change. People rub other people the wrong way.

Praying for your neighbor who annoys you may not change them, or move them, but prayer has the power to change you. In the event that God doesn’t immediately change those you don’t prefer, prayer will soften your heart, and draw you closer to people you don’t prefer.  This is a vital part of the process of prayer.

NOTE TO SELF: It is hard to hate people when you are praying for them. WARNING: It is not impossible, just hard. Make it hard to show partiality. Pray for those you don’t’ prefer, and learn to defer to God’s will.  When you pray your heart moves closer to people you don’t prefer, and it prepares you to defer.  If their heart ever changes, and they turn around to shake your hand, they won’t find your fist in their face. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Stain

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this; to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27

Living in Borger, Texas for three years provided a real education about carbon black. I have never looked at pencil lead, ink, or toner the same way.  Carbon black is one of the by-products of pulling oil out of the ground. Through the refining process, a black residue can be collected and utilized for all kinds of amazing products. At the time Dana and I lived in this great city, Huber Carbon Black and Sid Richardson Carbon Black companies were hard at work creating this unique product, and shipping it in specialized railroad cars and containers all over the country.

While this incredible work was going on, Dana and I were quite unaware of the daily, settling of a fine dust of carbon black that accumulated on the sidewalks, and lawns of our fair city. Dana began to notice it when her peach colored carpet in our new home started to reveal serious staining from the carbon black carried through the door on the soles of our shoes. I noticed it when I mowed the yard after the long winter season. Black smoke poured out, from under my mower and covered me from head to toe with carbon black residue. Who knew? I never heard it land on the lawn, but the carbon black had gradually accumulated and stained everything it touched. Including me.

Persistent, private, personal prayer is the driving force of “Pure and undefiled religion.” Without praying, churches may become death defying but they will never be life giving. The same is true in your life.  Praying protects purity, and it corrects staining in your life.

“Honest to God” praying protects your heart from an invasion of selfishness that follows you like a shadow, and attempts to cross the threshold of your life, and make itself at home. Prayer leads you to look at the helpless, and the homeless, and say, “Let me help you.”   Prayerlessness feeds selfishness. What starts out looking like a little, purring kitten, becomes a roaring lion, growling, “What about me?”

Prayer also avoids the dangers of deferred maintenance. Postponing prayer leads to accumulative error in your life. Persistent prayer removes the daily residue of sin that can stain your heart with the accumulation of evil and error that falls on it and around it, while living in a fallen world.

Prayerlessness leaves precious little hope for the flow of your heart to reveal “Pure and undefiled religion.” Ministering to widows, and adopting children require your heart to be continually filled with the love of God.

Serving well without praying well, leads to compassion fatigue draining your well dry, with the needs of others. Serving without praying stains your heart with the residue of a sinful world, and eventually hardens it to the needs of others.

Note to Self: For your ministry to flow from a pure and undefiled heart, you must be consistently examine it for any sign of selfishness. Prayer drains the swamp of your selfishness, and keeps you from the stain of unconfessed sin in your life. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Hearing

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting of shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” James 1: 16-20

One of the joys of aging has been my loss of hearing. For me this arrived, in the form of selective listening, a great deal earlier than I have been willing to admit. Long before age could be blamed for it, one of the more consistent questions my wife, Dana, has asked me over the years has been, “Did you hear what I just said?” This is always a trick question, and there is never a good answer. “Yes” will be followed by a pop quiz. “No” invites “The Look.” This never ends well.

This is the paradox of prayer. Praying improves your hearing, not your speaking.  Unfortunately, when you are prayerless you assume that praying begins with talking. It is never wise to race into The Presence of The Father to share your unbridled opinions about His will for your life.

Racing into The Father’s Presence, without listening to His voice is like returning a friend’s call, without listening to your voice mail. You already have an explanation available to you, but your quick reaction only expresses your ignorance of the intent of their call.

Listening, before praying involves your loss of control of the conversation. Talking without listening is your attempt to stay in control of it. Word to the wise, God is in control. Pray accordingly.

Prayer actually begins by listening to the voice of The Father of lights, and the quicker, the better. George Mueller, one of the great prayer warriors of 19th Century England, began his daily prayers by reading the Word of God. He believed hearing from The Father was more important than speaking to Him.

Mueller was not shy about sharing his requests with The Father, but He was quick to listen, before he made them. Listening to The Father, he primed the pump of his heart with The Word of God before he voiced his requests to Him.

“The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and thoughts.” George Mueller

Praying to “The Father of lights” begins with listening to His Word. To do less will leave you open to selfish suggestions from your flesh, the politically correct opinions of others, and the reactionary anger in your own heart. None of these voices will lead you into the light. They will take you to the dark side…EVERY TIME.

“But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” – James – Pastor of the First Church of Jerusalem

Righteous indignation and moral outrage are exhausting exercises, and I for one am guilty of suffering from my over-exertion of both. Hardly a day goes by without another political scandal or theological debate hitting me in the face, and turning off the lights. Praying my way through the Word of God has become my set of night vision goggles to see what God is up to in the world. Looks can be deceiving. I have not been abandoned.  I have been challenged. Prayer leads me to The Champion, not to despair. I have read the last chapter. We win.

Note to Self: Don’t race into God’s Presence with a laundry list of woes, demanding He clean up the mess you have created by your prayerlessness, and your carelessness. You have failed to come to Him earlier for His direction, protection and correction.

Now, stop talking. Don’t panic. Check your voice mail. He has left a message for you. His Word is filled with wise counsel, and clear course corrections. Read His Word, and allow Him to speak to you before you breathlessly give Him your advice. Jesus is ready when you are. Stand next to Him. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Lure

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted. ‘I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” James 1:12-14

When Dana and I completed seminary in 1978, we moved to beautiful Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. This city is located in the northeastern corner of the state, and situated in the gorgeous, lake-filled Green Country, east of the city of Tulsa. We loved the people there, and when our first child was born, they received her into their hearts. B.A. will always hold a special place in our hearts, and feel like home to us.

As we began our student ministry at the First Baptist Church, we discovered young people with a passion for bass fishing. In support of their pursuit of the perfect bass, a huge industry had developed, turning the sport of fishing into a serious business, and an amazing science. Our students would often gather to watch TV fishing shows. One of the local bass pros would wax eloquent with tips and pet phrases. When he hooked his latest catch, he would shout, “Whoah! Son!”  He was so serious about his pursuit of fish, that he turned the swimming pool in his backyard into a bass tank. Can you say cement pond?

Dana and I would often walk over the fields outside of town, with some of our more aggressive young fishermen searching for the next best fishing hole. As housing develops began to gobble up the countryside, there were small, bass filled ponds that developers would soon pave over with houses and streets. We were racing dozers and catching bass, as fast as we could.

One of my favorite memories includes watching Dana casting into one of these ponds, and resting her fishing rod on her stomach, while Ashley was still in her tummy. She always looked so cute, and to be honest, she caught more fish than I did.

One of the topics of conversation on these walks to the fishing hole would be the choice of lures. These were intense arguments about the latest and greatest creation. They had the most exotic names, but the life expectancy of a fruit fly. As soon as one lure would be advertised on the fishing shows on TV, another one would take its place. Apparently scientists were always striving to get into the brain of a bass, and read its mind. The lure was the key to landing the perfect catch, and the best minds of the nation were always working on the next one.

James warns us that the relentless enemy has always used lures, and still drags them in front of your eyes to get inside your mind. Don’t be too proud to pray for The Father’s discernment to avoid becoming “The Catch of The Day.”

Persevering under trial is only possible with persevering prayer. It is the key to discerning the difference between the truth of God, and the lure from the enemy. When you are prayerful, you are not blessed by the trial, but you are blessed in it by the companionship of Jesus. Pray your way through each trial, and let Jesus guide you away from any temptation. Don’t bite on lures that will bite you back, and carry you away.

Lures are meant to entice you into biting on the enemy’s next best lie.  The enemy doesn’t always try to scare you with the worst thing that can happen to you. Sometimes, he drags a trial in front of you, like a lure to distract you with what looks good in your eyes. In doing so he turns you away from what is best in God’s eyes.

Note to Self: Persevering prayer will remind you that the enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy God’s best for your life. The evil one sometimes lures you, by presenting you with what is good. His desire is to lure you away from God’s best. Don’t settle for a good idea, when God’s idea is best for your life. The enemy presents the lure. The Father blesses you with His Presence. The blessing of His Presence is just a prayer away. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Result

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. “

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:2-8

You’ve got to be kidding me! Trials and testing are an integral part of The Father’s process for perfecting faith in my life. The result of His process is meant to complete me, not to defeat me. Good to know.

“It can’t get much worse than this.” These may be the most foolish words in human language. Of course “IT” can. Saying them in the face of a trial or a test is like spitting into the wind of a wild hurricane. “IT” usually comes back to hit you in the face.

When Dana was diagnosed with breast cancer, the words hit our hearts with all the force of a sledgehammer. I was a mess, but she was resolute. Her first words were, “I am just going to have to fight it.” I, on the other hand, couldn’t figure out how to get out of the parking lot. I was in some form of shock. Though physically whole, my bell had been rung mentally and emotionally. Trials and tests come in all kinds of packages, and are rarely the same for everyone.

For six years the trials and tests that we have faced in her fight with breast cancer have come and gone. I have not faced all of them with joy. Dana, on the other hand, has found the grace to call this experience, her “Great Adventure.” Faith produces endurance, indeed.

We have endured tests and trials that we never thought possible, or probable. To be honest, at times they didn’t seem necessary. They arrived on our doorstep as unwanted intrusions, and they were wrapped in a good deal of confusion. Prayer became more than an occasional devotional exercise for us. It became our life’s breath. It was essential, and we did it early and often, throughout the day, and into the night.

Still, in spite of prayer, my lack of joy, when faced by these trials and testing, revealed an unsettling foolishness in my heart. My lack of joy was based on the lack of wisdom on my part, not the lack of love on The Father’s part. When “IT” hit the fan, I gritted my teeth for the endurance I needed for the furnace, but I often missed the cool breath of His Spirit to calm my heart in the middle of it.

Joy is the by-product of endurance. In the face of trials and testing, The Father’s children need not run around in panic as abandoned orphans. They are free to run t The Father in prayer, and receive from Him calm and confident assurance that in spite of appearances, all is well.

 Prayer has the capacity to gradually generate a calm assurance, and over-riding confidence in The Father’s love. Testing and trials tempt me to sense the absence of The Father’s love. This temptation is intensified by the relentless intimidation of immediate circumstances.  Prayer restores my faith in the presence of The Father’s love, and removes my fear of the absence of it.

Doubting The Father’s love, and the expecting His provision define “a double-minded man.” Only a fool would resist the process of The Father’s perfection, and still demand His provision.  When I am prayerless, I am faithless. When I am prayerful, I am faithful. Prayerlessness is an act of foolishness. Prayerfulness is a hurting child’s search for wisdom.

Prayer has the capacity to turn a fool into a wise man. Your turn around begins when you turn your eyes towards The Father and turn away from your failure. Admit your lack of joy over the process, and your raging doubt about The Father’s provision.

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name. Your anger and doubt harbored in your heart towards The Father often comes disguised in more politically correct garments of disappointment, and discouragement. Underneath the fake rags there is genuine rage. Admit it. Let go of it. Don’t harbor it.

Failing necessary tests, pouting over trials and doubting The Father’s love are not signs of a student who is making progress in The School of Prayer. Fools can expect to be kept after school. Completing the course involves kicking foolishness to the back of the class, and moving to the front row to find wisdom in The Father’s direction, protection and correction.

The One

“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

Ø The Prayers: Jesus offered His prayers to The Father out of respect for Him, and deference to Him. The Son gave honor where honor was due.  At the very heart of prayer is a reverence and a respect for The Father.

Prayerless, rebellious children have no respect for The Father, so they offer Him no prayer. Before prayerlessness can be turned into prayerfulness, it must be called by its right name, and recognized for what it is. It is a lack of respect for The Father, and it is rebellion from His direction, protection and correction.

Jesus was no rebel. He was a revolutionary in the sense that He turned people around. His life revolved around prayer to The Father. His followers turn their faces to The Father in prayer, in the name of The Son. Prayerlessness is a sign of rebellion and disrespect for The One the followers of Jesus worship.

Note to self: Start your own revolution. Turn around and face The Father. Stop running from Him. Start praying to Him, in the name of Jesus. Anything less is rebellion. No matter how busy you are, or how successful your prayerless efforts are in the eyes of others, your best efforts are nothing but rebellion in the eyes of The Father.

Ø The Supplications:  Believing prayer is heard and answered. The essence of supplication is the supplying of what is needed to meet an expressed need. When Jesus made supplications to The Father, He expected to be heard and supplied. His followers should expect no less. When they pray in His name, and yield to the will of The Father, their prayers will be filled with expectancy.

Ø The Crying: Prayer expressed by loud crying is an explosion of passion that cannot be contained in a whispered request. Jesus prayed, knowing He was heard by The Father, and without worrying if He was overheard by others.  Children cry until a parent responds to their need, and sometimes they keep crying even after their need is met. Crying out to The Father was not unusual for Jesus. It should be a birthmark on those who follow Him.

Ø The Tears: Jesus prayed with tears flowing from His eyes, not just with requests pouring out of His mouth. His prayers were in touch with His heart, and His heart longed for a touch from The Father.

Ø The One: The Father was The One who could save The Son from death. Death by crucifixion was an execution, designed to be painful, and last a long time. It was cruel and unusual, but it was not punishment, used to teach the victim a lesson. It was not an education. It was annihilation.  

The Son did not fear death by crucifixion. He abhorred the thought of The Cross as separation. The Father would turn His face from The Son. Death on The Cross meant the end of a relationship between The Father and The Son that had never been broken. Sin would break it. Only The Father could heal it, and make it whole again.  Jesus prayed with passion for it.

Ø The Hearing:  The Father hears the prayers of Jesus. His prayers of intercession go directly to The One who is able to save Him and others. The prayers of Jesus go to The One source of strength and salvation, The Father.

Believing prayer is not wishing for something to be true, and wondering if it is. Believing prayer gains a hearing in The Presence of The Father, in the name of The Son. Believing prayer not only seeks to have a hearing in The Presence of The Father, in the name of The Son. Believing prayer waits, and listens to the voice of His Spirit for His answer, no matter how long it takes or whatever it may be.

Ø The Piety: Jesus is heard because He is right in the eyes of The Father. The piety of The Son is expressed by His reverence and obedience to the will of The Father.  Piety describes the character and the conduct of a person who has a respect and reverence for God.

Rather than rushing in where angel’s fear to tread, Jesus always got His marching orders from His Father. Fools rush in, but Jesus was no fool. His cautious and circumspect behavior, expressed by respectful prayer, was not a result of His fear of man, but His fear of God.

Prayeress people may appear fearless, but they are foolish children racing ahead of The Father. Breathing their own ether, and reading their own press clippings, they make a name for themselves, but often bring shame upon the name of The Father.

Prayerful people are not pious because they are perfect, but because they know their own limitations. They come to The One, The Father, in the name of The Son, to receive His Spirit’s direction, protection and correction. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!