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Ephesians 1:9-14

06 Nov

God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
Ephesians 1:9-14

Dear God, context is so important. Some would take verse 10 out of context and say that “everything” refers to the second coming and that you never did this. But I read the verse in context and see that everything simply refers to adding the Gentiles (me) to the Jews. The new covenant is more than grace over works. It’s also about uniting us all as your children. We are all part of your kingdom now. Theologically, I’m not sure how you handled all of that (Gentiles) under the old covenant, but I’m grateful to be counted as your child now.

But Satan doesn’t want us united. I’ve said many times before that dividing us from each other is his Plan A, and it’s so effective that he rarely needs a Plan B. There’s something about the sin in our hearts, even among the holiest of us, that has a need to put ourselves above others and be convinced that we are better than them, “righter” than them, etc. I suppose that’s why your two greatest commandments are the antidote to this plan: Love the Lord your God with all your strength, heart, and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. Your command unites us. Satan’s plan divides us.

Father, be glorified in me. Forgive me of my sin and my desire (need) to be better than others. Replace my insecurity with love for others. Replace the shame I have with acceptance of grace. And help me to joyfully extend that grace to others and unite with them.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2019 in Ephesians

 

Romans 13:6-7

05 Nov

Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
Romans 13:6-7

Dear God, I think one way to look at this whole set of verses from Paul, including the ones before it, is him telling us to lighten up, do what’s right, be part of society, and stop being so hostile out of selfishness.

Hostile. It’s actually Election Day in our town/state (and probably in most or all states around the country). I voted early last week. There were about 10 things to come on, and about half of them involved taxation. There was one to prohibit a state income tax ever. There was one about taxing the value gained on precious metals stored in a place where you store them (that one seemed weird). There is this constant push/pull in our society around taxes. And I understand the desire to pay as little in taxes as possible. I feel that way too. But there are times when I feel like we start holding onto our money so tightly (I start holding onto my money so tightly) that it steals our (my) joy. That’s why it’s important to be a generous giver to others. I think the more I turn loose of my money in that way the more I can let go of all of it.

Father, first, thank you for providing me taxable income. Thank you for generously giving my wife and me the resources to cover emergency needs (like a new appliance that just broke) as well as enough money to help those around us. Second, help me to continue to turn loose and consider it all joy so that the money I have is not my own, but all yours. If that means paying taxes to support the common good, so be it.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 5, 2019 in Romans

 

2 Corinthians 3:6

04 Nov

He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:6

Dear God, I prayed recently about works/grace and how James (brother of Jesus) and Paul might have debated the issue. I think this verse gives an insight into Paul’s perspective. Paul was very in tune with the role of the Holy Spirit. It’s something I’ve been seeing more and more lately as I pray for myself and others.

This “new covenant” Paul refers to is such a paradigm shift that I can imagine there was a lot of debate and rejection over it. The old covenant still kept you at a distance from the individual, but this new brings you inside. That is radical. I wonder if that is something I don’t appreciate enough as a difference between Christianity and other religions such as Islam.

Father, help me to fully understand what all of this means. Help me to internalize (no pun intended) this concept and share it with others as appropriate. And as I pray for others, such as family and friends, make me mindful of this concept.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 4, 2019 in 2 Corinthians

 

Romans 12:19-13:7

03 Nov

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
Romans 12:19-13:7

Dear God, I’ve always found this passage fascinating. For a guy who ended up being killed for disobeying the authorities over him (in this case, the church and then the government), this is an interesting take on authority. How could he say this? Did he think that what he and the other apostles were doing was wrong? Did he just think it was worth getting in trouble?

I think the thing I’m learning to appreciate about Paul is that he never complained about how the church, the government, or even you treated him. Now, I might be forgetting some verses, but, for the most part, Paul accepted the consequences of his actions. He considered his life worth nothing to him.

In a modern day sense, I think of Martin Luther King, Jr. He would submit himself to the authorities while trying to let them know where he thought they had blinders. In the end, he changed a lot of hearts while working within the system (including imprisonment). I suppose Nelson Mandela is another example, although I don’t know his story as well as I should.

Father, help me to respect whomever I need to respect and to be your example. If I need to respect leaders of either party in Washington, help me to do that. If I need to object to anything they are doing, help me to do that in a way that honors you and accepts the consequences of my actions. And I pray for everyone in Washington right now. Whether they are prosecuting someone, defending someone, defending themselves, or testifying for or against others, I pray that you will be very present and provide for their safety. Make all of this pain count. Make it count for the individuals, the country, and the world. And reveal your truth and bring all of us into submission to you. Help us to be the United States of America.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 3, 2019 in Romans

 

1 Peter 2:7-9

02 Nov

Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:7-9

Dear God, I know that our sinful nature leads us to want to reject you and wallow around in our own humanness. How do I know this? Because it’s only 8:00 on a Saturday morning and that’s what I wanted to do already today. It’s as simple as asking myself if I want to spend some time in worship or if I want to be selfish with my time. I’m about to do a big exercise thing this morning, watch some College Gameday and then watch some football. But before I do that, as I make my breakfast, do I want to take a moment, listen to some Christian music and spend some time journaling this prayer, or do I want to put on some of my more adrenaline-pumping music, read some news, and let my emotions get caught up in the cares of this world? Do I want to till the soil of my heart, or do I want to water the thorns that will choke out your Spirit?

Father, I’m no better or different than anyone else. I want to indulge my desires and feed the emotions that make me feel right and make everyone else wrong. They feed my insecurity. They feed my need to increase at the expense of others. But for this morning, at least in this moment, I worship you and I thank you for everything you have done for me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 2, 2019 in 1 Peter

 

Ephesians 1:18

01 Nov

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
Ephesians 1:18

Dear God, is my heart flooded with light? Is that what people see in me? Is that what I seek from you? Do I have the confident hope you have tried to give to me?

Holy Spirit, I assume this is you. This is your role. You are what makes that difference. You are the one that baptizes me. You counsel me. You comfort me. You anoint me. You do that for others as well. I always pray that you do it for my children. Right now, I’m thinking of a friend who texted me yesterday and is in a lot of pain. She just went through a horrible parting from a longtime employer that didn’t end well. She has an elderly parent who is experiencing physical difficulty. She has a lot of stress in her life. What is the answer for her? In my mind, it is time and you counseling and comforting her. Providing for her. GIving her a straight path to follow. Leading her to a new Temple (I’ll need to tell her about that lesson you taught me).

Father, I submit myself to all of this. I need this. I need your Holy Spirit. Bathe me in it. As my high school youth minister used to say, help me to “bask” in it. Help this friend too. Help my children. My siblings. My parents. My in-laws. My nieces and nephews. My friends an coworkers. I also want to take a moment to pray for all of the people involved in this thing in Washington. On all sides, and from all angles. From the powers that be, to the investigators, to the witnesses, to the investigated, please be with everyone. Let your truth be told, and let your path be followed whether those who are on your servants know they are following the path or not.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 1, 2019 in Ephesians

 

“Unreasonable People” by Fred Smith

31 Oct

This prayer was inspired by Fred Smith’s blog post, “Unreasonable People.”

Dear God, Tuesday night I spoke to a group of donors about our nonprofit, and I mentioned the vision you gave our founding director to get involved in her local community and the health of those who couldn’t afford traditional healthcare. You showed her what to do each step of the way, and you answered the faith that she and others that came around her put in you. Now, 27 years later, it is a full-service medical, dental, and counseling clinic with over a $1 million budget that helps thousands of people. It started with one seed and no apparent resources.

Then, yesterday, I introduced some local people to the first nonprofit where I worked back in Waco. Again, your inspiration led four women to change the life trajectories of those living in deep, urban, multigenerational poverty by starting a therapeutic nursery that helps children starting at birth. Once again, they started with nothing but a vision and an inkling of what their next step was.

Then, this morning, I read Fred’s piece about to different pairs of people who had a vision to impact a problem. One was to clean up trash in the ocean (especially plastic) and the other was to do something about the medical debt that crushes people. They didn’t start with money, but just a vision and an idea of what to do next. I don’t know what role faith played in either of their stories, but I’ve noticed some themes.

  • No one did it alone. Even the woman who started our clinic had key people share her vision and partner with her to make it happen. The four women in South Waco had each other. Each of Fred’s stories has pairs of people, not a Lone Ranger (who had Tanto).
  • They started with no resources or apparent way to pay for it. The just did what was next.
  • They were faithful over a long period of time. These weren’t short-term solutions where people just swooped in, fixed it, and left. They committed for the long term.
  • Through their work, you didn’t eliminate the lack of access to healthcare on a grand scale, multigenerational poverty, trash in the ocean, or medical debt. It’s still out there. But you did move the needle through these people.

Part of the talks I give sometimes are about Nehemiah moments. You inspired Nehemiah to do something about Jerusalem in a way that you didn’t inspire anyone else. Then he took that inspiration, got people to come around him, including the king, and support his work. The money came. The resources came. But Nehemiah didn’t start with money and say, “What should I fix?” He started with a vision and then inspired others to join him.

Father, obviously, there is a role for those who have resources to try to figure out how to solve problems. But maybe one of the problems with that paradigm is that it is too easy to go it alone–without partners. It is too easy to try to take control of the process instead of depending on others to help you make it better. In our weakness, you are strong. You make us better through each other. You make us better through the iron of others sharpening us and our iron sharpening them in return. So please help me to have the humility I need to accept the help of others and embrace the process of them making our organization (and, in the process, me) better. Thank you that you don’t just fix things, but that you enter the world through your people. As Chuck Colson said, “Our hope isn’t in who governs us, or what laws we pass, or what great things we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people. That’s where our hope is in this country. That’s where our hope is in life.”

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 31, 2019 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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Ephesians 2:8-9

30 Oct

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

Dear God, I wonder how much time James (brother of Jesus) and Paul spent together. It seems they might have had interesting conversations around the fire on this topic. Where does your grace end and our responsibility to perform works begin? Is there an unholiness line I can cross with you? Are there still places of service to others that I am not willing to go? Is that a problem for you?

I was at an event last night, and I talked with a man who has spent a lot of time trying to help people at the Texas/Mexico border. I literally found myself wanting to get out of the conversation because it was so hard to hear. He told me about people from Venezuela who wanted to go to university but couldn’t because if you go to university in Venezuela you are committing to go into the military, and they didn’t want to fight to support the existing regime. He told me about a woman in this situation who had smuggled herself out of Venezuela and now she is on the Mexico side of the border awaiting her asylum hearing. If it fails, she will be shipped back to Venezuela. And hers isn’t that bad of a story. No rape. No threats of physical harm. I would imagine her asylum request will be denied. I know there are worse stories out there. They are hard for me to hear and I would rather just not think about it.

Will you hold that against me? I think James would say I’m failing you. What would Paul say? Will you still save me, but be disappointed in me? Does your grace even cover up that disappointment? What would I have to say if I were part of that fireside chat between Paul and James? What do I think?

Father, I suppose that my mantra in serving you is that I should be adequately grateful for the grace you give that Paul describes in this passage. Forget how you respond to my actions. Forget if you reward or punish me based on my works or my level of gratitude. My conscience tells me that I need to be grateful to you, worship you, and then do whatever I feel like you are asking me to do. In fact, I’m glad that I’m thinking about last night’s conversation this morning because it has encouraged me to meet with this man and learn more. I want to hear if there is some way, maybe even a small way, in which I might be able to help. Almost 17 years ago I told you that I want to be willing to touch other people’s pain. I confess to you that I have still put limitations on that willingness. Lead me where you want me to go.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 30, 2019 in Ephesians

 

Romans 11:30-32, 12:1

29 Oct

Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all…Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 11:30-32,12:1

Dear God, putting chapters and verses to scripture was obviously a very helpful thing, but it can sometimes artificially separates things that the author intended to be together. This mornings “verse of the day” from Bible Gateway was Romans 12:1, but it starts with the word “therefore.” Well, that told me if I am going to understand everything Paul means in that verse then I better go back into chapter 11 to see what point he’s making.

In this case, Paul was talking about our need for reconciliation with you. The need we have for you to apply mercy to our disobedience. And the need our friends and neighbors have for you to do the same. Because we need this mercy, our part is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices as our true and proper worship.

But why? Why should I try to tap into this mercy? Why do I need you? For me, I’ve learned that the more I pursue myself the more unsettled I am. If I indulge my whims, lethargy, self gratification, selfishness, and agenda for my own glorification then my spirit is destroyed. I pray about this all of the time. I guess it’s the foundation of my belief in you, but when Paul talked about the fruit of the flesh vs. the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 he described what the fruit of my own flesh looks like:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21

That’s who I am on my own. Why? Because Satan takes me there to destroy me. But when I offer my body as a living sacrifice to you in worship and offer the Holy Spirit good soil in my soul with which he can work I end up with different fruit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

Father, help me to remember throughout my day to offer myself as a living sacrifice to you. Help me to really know what that looks like. Speak to me in different moments in your still small voice and guide me through everything I do. Do it for your glory and my peace.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 29, 2019 in Galatians, Romans

 

1 Peter 1:24-25

28 Oct

For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:24-25

Dear God, it’s all very temporary, isn’t it? My glory. My problems. My suffering. My life. It seems so big in the moment. It seems so challenging and overwhelming. But then, when we look back years later it seems so small. That’s one of the reasons I am such a believer in study abroad programs and being a foreign exchange student in high school. When you get out and see a different part of the world, it makes your high school world seem so small.

Even as an adult, I’ve certainly walked through valleys that have overwhelmed me. But now I can look back on them with som perspective. And those are just periods of my life. One day, when I am in glory with you, I will see just how much I should have considered my life worth nothing to me (Acts 20:24). It will all seems so small. 100 years from now, my name and the things I actually did, while they might reverberate through history like dominoes knocking over other dominoes, will only exist on someone’s family tree. The problems I’m facing today will be gone.

Father, teach me to see the world the way you see it while simultaneously not missing the importance of these moments and my need for your direction and provision in them. These moments do, indeed, impact history more than we know. It’s just that has less to do with my identity than I will probably ever realize. So help me to decrease while you increase and guide me on this path.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 28, 2019 in 1 Peter

 
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