There's Power in Prayer and It's Divine!

Earlier this week I revieved by email an invitation to pray and fast on January 30th for God's Spirit to move in Europe. Ever since my wife Sharon and I spent time ministering to the Eruopean team of Grace Brethren International Missions, God has "burdened" our hearts for the European mission field. So I wanted to "heed the call" but my schedule on the 30th was jammed full. So instead, I decided I would fast thru lunch the day before ... and spend some focused time praying for Europe. I was not alone. I received an email from Paul Klawitter this morning. Paul, the Eroupean Regional Director for GBIM wrote these exciting words,

"Dear praying friends,

My heart has been moved with the oh-so-many notes from around the world of people who joined us in prayer yesterday—people from California to Pennsylvania, South America and all across Europe. And if this has moved my heart, how much more so the heart of our loving Father. And God is already moving in response to our prayers. I received this note yesterday morning (Note that a few people wrote to say they could not dedicate the day on Wednesday to prayer so they began on Tuesday)..."

Paul went on to include a note which he has asked that we not post with its names and locations. But in a few words, this note was from one of Paul's coworkers in Europe who saw on the 29th the first coversion in his city after 7 months of making contacts. Coincidence that here I was U.S. praying that very day (along with many others) and there in Europe a man was gloriously saved? No way! When we ask, we shall receive. When we seek, we will find. When we knock, the door shall be opened. This is way cool. No, beyond way cool! Praise our merciful and faithful Father! There's power in prayer - and it's divine!

Thanks for stopping by,

pj

Ancient Help for Our Present Journey

As I concluded my reading (finally!) of Phil Yancey's recent book on prayer, I read a prayer that Yancey included in his final chapter. The prayer is quite old, having been written about 500 A.D. The writer was a monk by the name of Benedict. History knows him as Benedict of Nursia (Nursia was a small village northeast of Rome). Benedict is considered by many to be the father of western Christian monasticism.

When I read the words of his prayer the other day, I thought, "Here's a prayer that needs to be prayed!" So I typed it out on my computer, printed it and now keep it on my desk. It is powerful! So I reprint it here for you in hopes that you will through these ancient words find help for your journey of grace!

O Gracious and Holy Father

Benedict of Nursia

O gracious and holy Father,
give us wisdom to perceive Thee,
intelligence to understand Thee,
diligence to seek Thee,
patience to wait for Thee,
eyes to behold Thee,
a heart to meditate on Thee,
and a life to proclaim Thee;
through the power of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Thanks for listening,

pj

The Paradox of Answered and Unanswered Prayer

All of us who have been following Christ for any amount of time have experienced answered prayer. Not suprising. After all, there are NUMEROUS promises in the Bible that God answers prayer! But we have also prayed many prayers that have remained unanswered. Why so? If Jesus tells us to ask anything in his name and it will be granted to us - then why when I ask for something in his name - why don't I always get what I ask for? Sometimes, the answer to this might be clear. It may be because I ask selfishly. Or I might ask for something that is clearly outside of God's will and plan for me. But what about all those other times that I ask for things that would seem to be in accord with God's will? Hmm. . .

This year as part of my spiritual journey, I decided to concentrate on this spiritual discipline of prayer. One way I am doing this is by reading through a couple of key books on prayer, one of which is Philip Yancey's recently published book, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? In his book, he deals with this "problem" of unanswered prayer. His conclusion is worth noting. He writes, "The only final solution to unanswered prayer is Paul's explanation to to the Corinthians: 'For now we see through a glass darkly; then but face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.' No human being, no matter how wise or how spiritual, can interpret the ways of God, explain why one miracle and not another, why an apparent intervention her and not there. Along with the apostle Paul, we can only wait, and trust." (Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? - p. 247)

Will you join me as together we pray - and then wait and trust?

Thanks for listening,

pj

From Dijon to Ikea.

While visiting with Paul and Louise Klawitter in Dijon, France, I discovered that Paul had a really comfy chair in his office. I did some reading in it. I did some thinking in it. I did some napping in it. When I asked him where he got the chair, he informed me that they had purchased it in the Ikea store in Dijon. At that moment, I made the decision to find the closest Ikea store to Lancaster and get me one of those chairs!

Yesterday, Sharon and I drove to Ikea in the Philly area. After walking for what seemed miles, we finally emerged with the coveted chair. Once home, I assembled it (rather quickly for me!). Now I am enjoying it. It is every bit as comfortable as I recall Paul’s chair being! (For those of you who might be interested it is a Poang chair).

To obtain this chair, I had to expend a lot of effort. I had to locate the nearest Ikea store (which I was able to do online). Then, I had to find time in my schedule to make the 1 ½ drive to Ikea, make the purchase (and do some additional shopping while there!), and then drive back home. As I thought about that, I thought of prayer. Prayer is a spiritual discipline in which we spend time conversing with God. Prayer involves thanking, praising, asking, and confessing. It is at the same time both a huge privilege and a great responsibility. Consider the asking part of prayer. Jesus makes it clear that when we ask our prayers will be answered. In Matthew 7:7-8 He says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Yet all of us have experienced times when we have asked and we have not received. What then? Is God falling short on his promise to us? Listen to the following words of J.I. Packer from his book, Praying: Finding Our Way through Duty to Delight, p. 215:

“According to Jesus, there is no such thing as unanswered prayer when a faithful child of God brings requests to his or her heavenly Father. The prayer will be taken notice of. It may not be answered in the form in which we offer it. It may be answered by God making us aware that there are things in our life that have got to be changed before he can give us what we have asked for. It may be that he will answer our prayer in a way which makes us realize that we were not asking for precisely the right thing in the first place. So God answers the prayer we OUGHT to have made rather than the prayer we DID make. But that is not unanswered prayer.”

That’s good stuff. Feed on those thoughts. And keep on praying! Because as Jesus adds in Matthew 7:9-11: “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Thanks for listening,

pj