Praying One For The Other

I often chuckle when as a part of greeting another, how often the words "How are you?" are used. I chuckle, not so much because I think it is funny, but because the question seem more one of social etiquette than it is of genuine care. Think about the times you used those words, and ask yourself the question, "Did I really want to know?". Chances are, you really didn't, but the question seemed a good filler at the time.

I think the same thing applies among brethren when it comes to prayer. How many times have we committed to praying for someone, and promptly forgot to do so once we put the phone down, or the person has left our presence? It is a tragedy of our times that we are so often occupied with our own lives, that we can hardly make the time to invest in the spiritual well being of another, and especially, to pray for them. How many times have someone crossed our minds without our giving any thought to whether or not that person needed to be prayed for at that moment? It could be that the Holy Spirit allowed that intrusion in our thoughts so we could intercede on that person's behalf.

Praying one for the other is an integral part of Christian fellowship. James reminds us "...The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (5:16), and we see the Apostle Paul reassuring Philemon: "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers....That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus" (Philemon 4, 6). We should be reminded that "the power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is being prayed to." For God to act, He needs the cooperation of someone praying a prayer; making that request known. He most definitely listens to prayers, answers prayers, and moves in response to prayers.

Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer, and John recorded Him praying, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine" (John 17:9). If He found it necessary to pray for the disciples then, and seeing He continues to intercede on our behalf (Romans 8:34), how much more are we to pray for one for the other?

I challenge you to think about this the next time you commit to pray for someone, or someone crosses your mind. Each one of us may be that link to another person's breakthrough. May God grant us sensitive hearts, and the conviction, to be obedient to that which the Holy Spirit has prompted us to do.

Ordering Our Steps

Recently I've been looking at some of those fancy GPS navigation systems that, once configured, can get someone to their destination safer with step-by-step driving directions. Anyone who has ever been the recipient of bad driving directions, and who have driven around lost a few times, can fully appreciate the value of such a device. Thank God for technology!

However, as I scanned the various types and their capabilities, it occurred to me that in the journey of life we often get lost. We either follow bad directions, or in some cases, we navigate through life on a whim without any sense of direction. Along the side of life's roadways, we see evidence of the carnage that results from this kind of pursuit; dysfunctional relationships, dysfunctional families, misplaced priorities, to name a few. The truth of the matter is that it doesn't have to be that way.

In Proverbs 3:5-6, Solomon gives us what could be considered life's greatest navigation system. In that portion of Scripture we read: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." The rendition from the Amplified Bible is even more compelling: "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths." If we want step-by-step directions for our lives, there is no greater Navigator than God Himself. David reassures us "The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]" (Psalm 37:23, Amplified).

I like what Bible Commentator Matthew Henry said, in part, on Proverbs 3:5, "By faith. We must repose an entire confidence in the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, assuring ourselves of the extent of his providence to all the creatures and all their actions....we must believe that he is able to do what he will, wise to do what is best, and good, according to his promise, to do what is best for us, if we love him, and serve him."

As we go from day to day, may we take the time to become intimately acquainted with the Saviour, and trust Him to direct our every step. He knows the way through the mazes of life; all we have to do is to follow.

Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?

Jesus' encounter with the man at the pool of Bethesda as recorded in John 5: 1-9, is a fascinating story. Here was a man, afflicted with infirmities for thirty-eight years, whose excuse for his prolonged condition was that "I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me" (v. 7). I have often wondered where was his family? His friends? Did he not have anyone who cared about him to get him to the edge of the pool so that when the angel troubled the water, he would be among the first to step in? That aside, I have always been intrigued by verse 5, "When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"
It seems to me that Jesus' question spoke to the man's will; his desire. Had he become so comfortable in his condition that healing would have been nice, but it was not a pressing need for him anymore? I think of some people, Christians included, who seem to relish the role of victims, constantly rehashing and reliving all the negatives that have happened to them. They themselves will admit that such a state is stressful and make them unhappy, yet no matter how many people have tried to help them move along in their lives, they are stuck. Like the man at the pool, their total identity is now wrapped up in their condition; it defines them.
Yet how liberating it is when Jesus comes on the scene. It is not His will to leave us in our present state, but He comes asking the question: "Will thou be made whole?" I found it interesting that Jesus did not ask him if he wanted to be healed. That would only address his current infirmities, but by asking him if he wanted to be made whole, I believe that Jesus was not only speaking of his physical infirmities but to the total man. He was asking, "Do you want to be healthy spiritually, emotionally, and physically?"
The Healer is asking the same question of us today. I do not know what condition has held - and continue to hold you - hostage, but whatever it is, rest assured that Jesus can set you free. John tells us, "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked." He can do the same for you. He's just that kind of God.

Abiding In The Vine

Several days after cutting the grass in my backyard, I noticed that the grass clippings were no longer green, but brown. Of course, that made perfect sense because having being cut off from their source of food and nutrients, they could not survive. As I looked out at this natural occurrence, I thought of the words of Jesus as recorded in John 15:1, 4b-5: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman....As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me....I am the vine, ye are the branches...without me ye can do nothing."

In our increasingly secular humanistic age where reliance on self and one's abilities are highly touted, the Christian, if not careful, can lose sight of this profound spiritual truth. I'm sure most of us know, or at least have heard, those words spoken by Jesus, but have we taken the time to really understand them? The word "abide" implies staying/remaining in a given place or state, and Jesus used the word seven times in the first seven verses. Talk about emphasizing a point! The successful Christian is not the one who sings/pray the loudest, has the biggest Bible, speaks spiritualese, or has a perfect record of Church attendance. It is the one who constantly stays connected to the source of all that pertains to life and godliness, Jesus Christ, the true Vine.

The aforementioned grass clippings didn't have a choice to stay connected to their life source, but when He spoke the words "If ye abide in me" (v.7), Jesus made abiding in Him a matter of personal choice. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our days and the many distractions we experience, sincere Christians have to make the time to nurture this most important of relationships. Disconnected from Christ we wither away spiritually, yet it doesn't have to be that way. Jesus made it possible for us to experience the richness of being sustained and kept by the richness that flows from Him, for as long as we choose to stay connected to Him. As you examine your own life, what choice does it reflect?

"Without me ye can do nothing." Lord, may the profoundness and reality of that truth provoke us to do whatever it takes to stay connected to you.

Good Benefits

Someone once said that when it comes to serving the Lord, the "pay" is excellent and the benefits out of this world. This thought came to mind as I reflected on the words of the Psalmist, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits" (103:2). In the New Living Translation this verse reads, "Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me."

Among the many benefits David mentioned are: he forgives all my sins, he heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things, my youth is renewed like the eagle's. He gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly, is compassionate and merciful; slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. The love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!

There is absolutely no one that can top such a benefit package! The beauty of all this is that it is not a one time deal, but benefits that are available to us daily. David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote: "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation" (Psalm 68:19, KJV). The greatest miracle is the salvation of our souls, but our Heavenly Father did not stop there. In addition to giving us the gift of His Son, He threw in the best benefits package the world has ever known, and it is available to all who will put their trust in Him.

The next time we are tempted to complain, may we reflect on those things. May our prayer be like that of the Psalmist; "Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me."