Life-changing prayer

Jesus taught us to begin our daily prayer with the words, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). In other words, the first moment in prayer is remembering to revere and honor God’s name, or character. 

Why does God want us to consider his high and holy character the moment we begin to pray? 

How do we honor and revere God’s name? 

I love articles that quote the “greats” of our faith. God is unchanging therefore wisdom about God is timeless as well. Here is a wise thought from an article about prayer. 

Charles Spurgeon said, “True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that—it is a spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” Charles Spurgeon’s quote teaches us what it means to say to God, “Hallowed be your name.” 

When Queen Elizabeth passed away, people stood in line for more than twenty-four hours for the opportunity to walk past her coffin and pay their respects. For most, she was the only queen they had ever known. 

What is the longest line you have ever waited in? Was it worth it? 

Every time we bow our heads to pray, we have the chance to enter into a spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth. We have the chance to honor the one and only God in prayer. If you are like me, you have prayed many prayers that didn’t begin like Jesus taught us to pray; I haven’t always started my prayers by truly and intentionally honoring God in my heart. 

If Jesus taught us to begin our prayers that way, he had an important reason. 

Why do we honor God first in our prayers? 

Moses had just finished delivering the Ten Commandments to the people gathered at the base of the mountain. Then Moses taught the lesson that would become the prayer that God’s people were to pray every day, more than once. Moses knew that if the people prayed this prayer and truly meant the words, their lives would be lived with faith-filled priorities. 

That prayer is known as the Jewish Shema. Even today the devout Jewish people fill their day with the Shema. It is the prayer they begin and end each day repeating. It is the prayer printed on parchment and placed on their doorposts, in their phylacteries, and it is the prayer that they teach to all their children so it becomes an important part of their lives as well. 

The Shema 

Moses taught the people to honor God by praying, “Hear, O Israel: The Lᴏʀᴅ our God, the Lᴏʀᴅ is one. You shall love the Lᴏʀᴅ your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4–5). 

Moses taught the Israelites how to honor God. The first commandment to obey will always be: “You shall have no other gods before me.” The Shema began: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” 

Every prayer we pray must honor God as “our God” and as “the only God.” How would it change our prayer if we paused and focused on that singular knowledge before we ever continued the rest of our prayer? 

If, as Spurgeon said, prayer is a spiritual transaction with our Creator God, shouldn’t honoring God as Jesus taught be the way we uphold our part of that transaction? 

The second part of the Shema teaches us to “love the Lord” our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We can’t understand how to love God until we have honestly meant the words, “Hallowed be your name.” 

Moses and Jesus both taught the essential way to begin prayer is by revering the divine Name, the character, of God. 

The rest of our prayer will be different, and more effective, if we do. 

Life-changing prayer 

Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher and theologian who was a prolific author. He devoted his entire life to his ministry and accomplished a great deal, even though he only lived to the age of forty-two. His simple statement provides a key to what it means to pray life-changing prayers. Kierkegaard said, “Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” 

Moses told the Israelites to pray the words of the Shema and then said, “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6). In other words, the knowledge that there is one Creator God who is “our God” should be our primary motivation in this life. Our love and adoration for God should prompt our actions and should frame every prayer we pray. 

Moses, Jesus, Spurgeon, and Kierkegaard each teach us the same wisdom about God and the amazing gift of prayer. Life-changing prayer begins with the knowledge we are praying to the only God, the One who has created and changed our lives. 

Life-changing prayer will change us and others

I’ve heard several people say lately that they could use a revival. 

A lot of things “dry up” in August, and that can apply to our souls as well. Yet, that doesn’t have to be the case. 

August can be the month you step into a powerful prayer relationship with the One God, your God. You can approach the Creator of heaven and earth and truly say, “Hallowed be your name.” You can consider God’s great Name and his great grace. You will “pray without ceasing” when you fill your day with the knowledge that you have been invited to speak with your King, throughout the day, and give him the honor he deserves. Your prayers can be life-changing. 

God doesn’t change, but every day he changes those who pray to him from their hearts. 

May all of us “hear” the “Lord our God is One.” Let’s love him “with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Beginning a prayer with that worship and acknowledgment of God will impact the rest of the prayer because that praise will change the one who is praying. 

The perfect destination wedding includes an altar

There is a perfect destination for weddings that isn’t as common as it used to be. 

The weather doesn’t matter, the flowers will always be beautiful, and there is usually plenty of seating for friends and family. The price is very reasonable, and the setting is exactly what every wedding should feel like. 

The perfect destination for a wedding is a church because the altar is more than a wedding fixture; it is designed to be a wedding moment.

My husband, Jim, officiated a beautiful wedding last weekend. The bride was the daughter of special friends, and it was a blessing to witness and participate in her wedding. Why was this wedding so special? 

Because the bride and groom chose to include God in every aspect of their service. 

Their wedding wasn’t just a ceremony. It was a time of holy commitment to God and to one another. 

Why does the altar matter?

The first time the word altar is used in Scripture is in Genesis 8:20–22. 

Noah and his family had been at sea for a long time. After the sun came out and they were finally able to leave the ark, Scripture says, “Then Noah built an altar to the Lᴏʀᴅ and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lᴏʀᴅ smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lᴏʀᴅ said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease’” (Genesis 8:20–22).

The altar in this passage was built to offer God praise for his loving care and for preserving both people and animals for his future purpose. Noah made his offering to God and God responded with a promise of his own. God would “never again curse the ground because of man.”  

Time will move forward from season to season as long as the earth remains. Noah’s altar time with God is a biblical reminder of the way God has always completely and faithfully kept his promises. 

In Scripture, the altar was a place for the people to make sacrifices to God for sins. When the temple was built, there was an altar of incense, a place where God’s words were received. In Christianity, the altar was often seen as the Lord’s Supper table, which was used for sharing the bread and the wine of remembrance.  

Spiritually, an altar of sacrifice is no longer needed physically because Jesus was the final sacrifice for all sins, but there remains a significant reason to spend time at an altar. Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders of his day when he said, “You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?” (Matthew 23:19). 

In a very real way, any special place where people can encounter the presence of God, make commitments to God, and seek his voice of leadership becomes an altar. An altar is simply a place made sacred by the heart of the person who approaches God in that place. 

Is there a special place where you go to seek and experience the power of God or make a commitment to God? 

When have you stood at an altar and why?

Most people my age would probably answer that question by saying “My wedding.” Most weddings of my generation took place in a church where we exchanged our vows at the “altar.” But, keeping the words of Christ in mind, that spot was only an altar if the vows we made were a sacred commitment in our hearts to God and to the one we were marrying. 

When Jim officiates a wedding, he always explains to the bride and groom that their engagement period was a contractual relationship, able to be broken. He then reminds them that their marriage will be a covenant relationship between one another and God. He goes on to say that the moment when they take their vows they enter into a sacred, holy commitment to each other to live as one, under God as their King. 

Weddings don’t have to take place at a church, but they should always take place at an altar. Biblical marriage is one of God’s richest blessings in life. God ordained marriage and ordained the family structure. It is so important that marriage begins with a mutual commitment to live with one another, for God’s holy purpose. 

People don’t always keep their vows, and every husband and wife will make mistakes that damage their relationship with God and each other. But we should never underestimate the power of God’s blessings on a biblical marriage.  

We also should never underestimate the power Satan exerts in this world to destroy this great blessing either. There are so many negative statistics in our culture that can be traced directly to the non-biblical redefining of marriage and family.  

God’s ways are higher, and we never need to question his plans. God loves us and wants us to have a life he is able to bless. If our lives include marriage, we can know his standards for our relationship are high and holy.  

Revisit the altar

Jim and I will soon celebrate our forty-third anniversary. It seems hard to believe so many years have passed. People are beginning to be impressed by that number and sometimes ask, “What is the secret to your long marriage?”  

Honestly, it isn’t a secret; it’s God. 

Jim and I meant our vows when we took them at the altar and, by God’s grace, we have stuck with them. We have loved God and each other. God has blessed our love. But, as with every spiritual commitment, it is important to revisit the altar sometimes and remember the covenant decision we made to become one life together under God’s authority.  

The joy of a wedding

We were able to witness a biblical wedding this past weekend. A man and woman stood at an altar and became one life, together under God. It was a joy to listen to them speak their vows and know they were speaking them to God and to one another. It was a joy to pray for them, knowing God was able to bless and answer our prayers for these two godly young people. I expect they will have a special family and they will honor God’s will in their lives. 

For all of us, whom should we be praying for today? 

It is common in our culture to make the wedding more about the reception than the service. It is common to make the bride and groom the center of the day instead of making God the center of their future lives together, “until death they do part.”  

Marriage is one of God’s richest blessings. If you have a strong marriage, take a moment at an altar and thank God for that person you share your life with. If you want a strong marriage, take a moment at an altar and ask God to guide you toward that relationship.  

The altar is a place where you can experience God’s Presence and listen for his voice of guidance. After God spoke to Jacob, Jacob told his family, “Let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone” (Genesis 35:3).  

God is with us, wherever we go. 

Pray that we will enjoy some time at the altar this week.  

God surely wants to meet us there to bless us, guide us, and show his love for us.

What place will be your altar this week? 

It’s simple: love God and love people

I was getting ready to go teach last week when I heard one of Danny Gokey’s songs on the radio. The song was released more than a year ago, but its message is so timely that it’s finding new life today. Gokey was on American Idol several years ago but didn’t win. He has chosen to sing for the Lord and his music is popular with those listeners. 

If you have time, listen to his song and consider the lyrics of “Love God Love People.” 

It is simple

The first commandment God gave Moses was: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The first beatitude Jesus preached was: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Both of those verses can be summed up as God saying, “Let me be your first love.” 

The most important part of our spiritual journey is learning to love God most. When Jesus said blessed are the “poor in spirit,” he was saying blessed are those who understand how much they need God. Those are the people who will allow God to be King of their lives. But, that’s a tough choice to make sometimes. Moses was up on the mountain receiving the first commandment while the people were busy making a golden calf.  

We tend to complicate what God has made simple. When we choose to love God most, the idols just don’t have as much appeal. That’s why both God, then Jesus, made it their “first words” of command. 

How do we stay in love with God?

I’ve been to Ephesus three times. It is a beautiful place, located in modern-day Turkey. Most people visit it as a cruise ship excursion these days. Much of the amazing city and its antiquities are still under centuries of dirt, waiting to be excavated. But, this video shows you what the ancient city of Ephesus looks like today.  

The apostle John spent a lot of his life and ministry in that important city, and you can visit his tomb there today. The culture of Ephesus had a lot of similarities to modern cities in America. Ephesus was a mixture of many cultures due to the fact it was a major seaport of that day. There was a strong Christian church, led by John and others. There were Jewish synagogues, a temple to Artemis, a huge library, a magnificent arena, and one of the largest marketplaces of that day. There were Roman baths, brothels, mansions, and other cultural meeting areas.  

The church in Ephesus was one of Paul’s favorite places, and he ministered there for several years. Paul wrote to Ephesus saying, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:15–16). According to Paul, this was a church that was fulfilling the commandment to love God and love others. 

Later, Jesus appeared to John on the island of Patmos and instructed the apostle to give the church in Ephesus a different message. Jesus said to tell the Ephesians, “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:2–5). 

In many ways, Christians in America are comparable to the Christians in Ephesus. We are “enduring patiently” and “bearing up” for the sake of Christ. We are doing our best not to grow weary, even though it seems like what we value most is no longer valued as much. We are “keeping the faith,” but is that enough? Jesus didn’t think so.  

Is it possible that Jesus would give the faithful in America the same message he told the Ephesians? “I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” 

It isn’t that we don’t love God and want to serve him. We do. But, do we love him like we used to? Do we serve him out of a sense of love and gratitude, or a sense of duty? There is a difference. 

Physician, heal thyself?

I make a living “serving God.” Everything I have written in this blog post is likely more for my own soul than anyone else’s. But, I have lately been impressed in my own moments with God to dwell on this subject.  

I want to serve God because I love him, not because I’m supposed to love him. How can I make sure I am motivated by love for God? How can I make sure I am giving God’s love to others instead of a version of that love that I have manufactured myself? 

If you have been a Christian for a while, do you have these same thoughts? 

It’s simple: love God and love people

Danny Gokey’s song lyrics appeal to God’s people today. We do tend to complicate God’s priorities. He gave his message to Moses. Jesus gave the message to his followers and, decades later, to the apostle John.  

The most important part of our spiritual journey is learning to love God most and to remain in that love of God as our highest priority. It is only when we continually receive God’s love that we have his love to give others. Everything else we work at in life depends on that one key factor of our faith. 

How do we know if we love God enough?

The apostle John answered that question for us. He was called John the Beloved. He was probably Jesus’ best friend and the only one of the disciples who loved Jesus enough to be at the foot of the cross. John took care of Mary after Jesus’ death. John knew how to love. 

John told the churches in Ephesus and the surrounding areas, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:11–12). 

The challenge: don’t put the cart before the horse. We tend to love others so that we can be loved by God. That’s backwards thinking. God wants us to love him most. God loved us so much that he chose to abide in us through his Holy Spirit. That is how his love is perfected in us. 

How can we know if we love God enough? 

We can look at the way we love others. Are people aware of God’s love because it abides in us and therefore flows through our lives to theirs?  

Moses, Jesus, and John would remind us to put first things first. Danny Gokey’s song gets it right. It is simple. If we love God, we will love others. 

How will you return to your “first love” today?

I might have been a Pharisee

Except for the fact I’m a woman, I might have been a Pharisee. 

I’m a big fan of rules, but one of theirs was “no women allowed.” 

Other than that, there is a lot about their lives I might have appreciated. But Jesus didn’t appreciate much about them at all, and that gives me food for thought this week.

This article comes out on St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick wouldn’t have been a great Pharisee, but he was a good friend and disciple of Jesus. 

WHO WERE THE PHARISEES? 

I read an interesting article on the Pharisees. They are mentioned ninety-eight times in the New Testament. The name Pharisee probably is related to the idea of being separate or detached, similar to the meaning of the word holy. 

The article described the religious leaders by saying, “In many ways, the Pharisees were the worst people in the world. They were cold and legalistic. At the same time, the Pharisees were the best people in the whole country. They were the holy men who kept the law; they pursued purity with a passion and wanted nothing more than to live lives that pleased God. They were sincere, albeit sincerely misguided.” 

So, where did the Pharisees go wrong? 

They wanted to please God but did the opposite. They took their eyes and thoughts away from God by idolizing rules as their god. It was the most prevalent sin throughout Scripture and remains a significant temptation for God’s people today. 

You have to admit, it is confusing. God told Moses to, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). The entire book of Leviticus is full of rules for God’s people. The Pharisees took God’s rules and turned them into thousands more. 

God gave us a framework of laws and standards in Scripture so we would know right from wrong. God’s people have always wanted to know what rules to follow because we want to make sure we are following God. The problem: it’s tempting to start following rules instead of God. 

God told Hosea, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). At some point, the people began to think God wanted the lamb or the wheat instead of their repentant heart and their love. 

That’s one reason Jesus was angry at the Pharisees. He told them, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others (Matthew 23:23). 

ST. PATRICK GOT IT RIGHT 

An interesting article on St. Patrick said that, as a boy, Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland. He was forced to work in the fields under terrible conditions. 

One night, in a dream, God led Patrick to escape to the coast, where he was rescued by some sailors and returned to his home. Years later, after becoming a Catholic priest, God called Patrick back to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick is credited with bringing the gospel to that country. He converted thousands of souls and started hundreds of churches throughout the country. Tradition says that he used the Irish clover to teach people about the Trinity. 

In his book The Confession, St. Patrick wrote: “The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.” 

Patrick learned to love God, and that priority enabled him to love even those who had once enslaved him. 

IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE GOD . . . 

Do we serve God hoping to appease him or because we love him? 

We can try to please God like the Pharisees, or follow the example of St. Patrick. 

Why did the Pharisees fail to please God while Patrick was named a Saint? 

The Pharisees served the letter of the Law and St. Patrick served the Lord of the Law. Pharisees felt like they grew spiritually as they learned to understand and obey more laws. St. Patrick wrote, “The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith.” 

If we want to please God, we need to examine our motives. 

When last did you obey a law simply because you loved and trusted the Lord of the law? 

TRUE LOVE IS NEVER AN ACT 

Jesus called the Pharisees “hypocrites,” the literal word for an actor. Jesus told them they only acted like they loved God. Jesus knew their hearts and said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25). 

I confess there have been many times I have worried more about the outside of the cup too. There were many Sunday mornings I got ready for church and spent more time thinking about what I would wear, who I would see, and what I would teach rather than Whom I was to worship. 

I might have been a Pharisee in the past, but I don’t want to be one now. 

There is a reason Easter is my favorite holiday and my least favorite day at church. The church was filled with new clothes, fresh flowers, a live orchestra, and a lot of people who only came that day because it was a holiday. 

In a way, I think I felt about Easter Sunday like Jesus felt about the Pharisees. It was more an act than an act of love. 

THIS EASTER, IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE GOD . . . 

Last Easter, we were stuck at home, with churches shut down. A lot of people felt like we missed Easter. But, I think God enjoyed much of last year’s Easter worship. There was no reason for people to act like they had Easter joy. Those who worshipped did so because they truly loved the God they sang to, prayed to, and were grateful for. 

It is the Lenten season, the days to prepare spiritually for Easter worship. It isn’t our “works” that please God; it’s our love and devotion. When last did you kneel at the cross and gratefully grieve the sacrifice Jesus made for our redemption? 

We can spend Easter acting like we love God or actually loving God for all he has done. The difference between a Pharisee and St. Patrick is that one knew how to please God, the other loved to please him. 

I might have made a good Pharisee, except for Easter. It is easier to serve God’s rules, but Jesus said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). Let’s remember the example of St. Patrick and make this a great day.