Coffee With The Lord

I’ve been around long enough and participated in enough prayer meetings to know that we do a much better job of talking than we do listening when we pray. In fact Pentecostal/charismatics Christians (and I believe I can speak to that issue because I am one of them) find silence during prayer very difficult to handle. We want to talk, talk, talk, in prayer. One worship phrase after another… One “thank you Lord” after another… One utterance of the Lord’s various names after another… and then repeat them over and over again… and again… and again. Sometimes our mind wanders and we can’t even recall what we just said in prayer… kind of praying on “autopilot,”… know what I mean? If we’re tired (or bored) we yawn, we look at our watch, we put in the required time and then we go home… we spent an hour in prayer and we’re relieved!

Don’t get me wrong, I believe quality time spent with the Lord is valuable, important and effective… Notice, however, I said “quality time”… not simply “putting in time!” Jesus warned about it… He said, “When you pray do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles (or unconverted) do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:7) My Bible reading this morning put it this way… “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God! To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your hear be hasty to utter a word before God… When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger, ‘it was a mistake.’” (from Ecclesiastes 5:1-6 ESV)

Prayer is a conversation with God… speaking and listening! I know it’s difficult to break old habits but let me suggest the following: 1) Become aware of God’s presence on the front end of prayer. 2) Welcome His presence with thanksgiving and worship. 3) Engage your mind and heart as you begin to pray. 4) Quiet your heart in His presence and listen for the whisper of His voice (let Him speak first) 5) Speak honestly and in a heartfelt way what is on your heart. And 6) Listen for the Lord’s voice again…

Hey, I’m working on it too! I’m trying to do more listening in prayer… I’ve discovered that when the Lord speaks it’s a lot better than anything I’ve got to say… He’s interested in conversation with me… He doesn’t want me to do all the talking.

I am sure there is a tremendous sense of fulfillment and elation that comes from being honored in a champions parade… tickertape filling the air, the adulation of the appreciative fans, sitting in the back of a convertible waving at the crowds, lifting high a trophy… the long season behind you, the hours and hours of preparation and training paid off, the championship game over… Winners! Victors! Champions!

In many ways that picture has parallels in passage I read this morning in the Bible about the victorious, overcoming, Christian life (and how to achieve it – how to live it)!

“By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life! We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, we should make every effort to respond to God’s promises! Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you’re like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!” (adapted from 2 Peter 1:3–11 New Living Translation)

I mean it’s all there isn’t it? … He has chosen us and made a part of His team! We’re involved in the training that is necessary for victory! There’s the hope of victory for those who pay the price! And then the grand victory parade for spiritual life-champions! Gotta tell you, I’m “going for gold!” I want the “victor’s wreath!” (Check out 2 Timothy 4:7-8; Revelation 2:10c)

A heartfelt Thanksgiving post prompted by my Bible reading today…
One of the things I’m grateful for is my job! I hear people gripe and complain all of the time about their job. Gotta tell you I’m grateful for mine (and grateful for the people I work for… and with)!
I’m incredibly grateful for the privilege I’ve had over the years to serve as pastor of some wonderful congregations and the people who have been a part of those congregations! I’m also grateful for the privilege of teaching thousands of wonderful students at an excellent Christian university – Southwestern Assemblies of God University (I’ve been priivileged to have an association with the school for 30 years). I’ve also been honored to serve my denomination, the Assemblies of God, in the areas of Christian education and discipleship. Wow! What more could a person ask for – doing what you love to do – teaching God’s word and working with dedicated fellow servants of the Lord! How blessed I have been – I’m overwhelmed with gratitude to those I’ve served, and served with… I’m filled with thanks to God for the opportunity to have done it!
Here’s the passage I read this morning that prompted this expression of thanksgiving… “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil! This is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can find enjoyment?” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25)
So today if God has blessed you with a job that you enjoy and work that is fulfilling, you are incredibly blessed – as am I! If not, may I suggest that you can perform your daily duties as unto the Lord (and that changes everything!). (Check out Colossians 3:22-24) And if you do not have a job right now, let me know and I’d be honored to lift your name and situation to the Lord in prayer today and ask my Heavenly Father to provide work for you.
Happy Thanksgiving!!