Five Steps To Meditation - Step Two: Prepare

The primary key to scriptural meditation—your Bible—is implicit in its name. You must choose and carefully read a passage upon which to meditate. Choose—there’s the rub! The Word of God is packed so full of gems with personal treasures for you, His beloved child, that choosing just one is sometimes a difficult task in itself. If you have a specific need or problem, your choice is easier. Use a concordance or one of those lists of passages addressing a variety of needs, moods, or problems contained in the back of many Bibles. Or look on line.

If you just want to feel close to Him (what could be more important, after all?) pick a story from His life or choose a favorite Bible story with which you are already familiar. You’ll be surprised at what new things you’ll learn!

In a pinch, you can just open the Bible and point. Unless you hit the genealogies (and maybe even then), it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll find a vivid picture of God. Here’s an important note if you have never done anything like this and are afraid you haven’t enough imagination, God has given everyone just the minds needed to get to know Him. He also expects us to develop ever-increasing abilities to see and hear Him, and it won’t always be easy. Sometimes it will seem impossible. But He said you could know Him, and “has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”(Numbers 23:19) Here’s another encouraging note from someone else. Ellen White was speaking to someone who had not accepted truth that was new to him, so she uses “if-you-had,-God-would-have” language. That means that for someone who wants to accept all the truth God has, it could also read “if you do, God will.” Here is what she says:

“If you had received the truth into a good and honest heart, you would have become a channel of light, with clear perception and sanctified imagination. Your conceptions of truth would have been exalted, and your heart made joyful in God. God would have given you a testimony clear, powerful, and convincing.” (1888 Materials, 1052)

When you meditate, keep your Bible near at hand. The depth of the blessing you receive from biblical meditation will be dependent on how much care you take to become familiar with God’s Word before going on. What the Bible says is far more important than anything you or I or anyone else says or thinks about the Bible.

You will especially need your Bible after you meditate, if you feel that God has given you any new or different understanding of truth. Check what you think He told you with what He has already said. Remember what we read in Isaiah 8:20: “If they speak not according to this word, it is because they have no dawn,” or no light. It’s possible to be honest and still get off track, if you don’t immediately check your impressions with God’s revealed Word.

Five steps to meditation - Step One: Pray

There are Five steps to meditation. Try them, experiment with them, pray about them, change them to fit your own patterns. Do whatever it takes to make meditation a tool that works for you—a tool that will bring you closer to the One who loves you best of all.

Step One: Pray

There is no Christian meditation without prayer no matter how pure may be the motives of the person attempting the meditating. In fact, in a way it’s misleading to call prayer a “step,” since Christian meditation is a part of prayer, the listening part. Begin by asking God to help you relax, stop worrying, and put down your burdens. He’ll tell you, “’My peace I give to you … Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27) Ask Him to forgive your sins and take away your own desires and wishes that might confuse you. He’ll remind you, “’Trust in [Me] with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge [Me], and [I] will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6) Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your mind and help you to gain exactly what you need from this time with Him. And hear Jesus answer, “’The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26)  Cont…..

Meditation in the Bible

There is much concern, and rightfully so, among Christians, when someone brings up meditation. There are a lot of counterfeits out there. People ask, are we trying to “conjure up” Jesus or someone from the Bible, or get Him to give us “special knowledge,” or special treatment? Are we trying to enter a trance?  What is meditation, and how does Christian meditation differ from the world’s counterfeits? The Bible’s answer may surprise you. We’ll go into it in some detail, so that you can know everything the Bible says about it. And don’t just take this presentation’s word for it, either. Study for yourself.

The English word “meditate” is listed fourteen times in Strong’s Concordance, only two times in the New Testament, and one of those—Luke 21:14—really should be “premeditate.” “Meditation” is listed six times, all of them in the Old Testament. Fifteen of these references are in the Psalms, and seven of those are in Psalm 119. Interestingly, Psalm 119 uses a different Hebrew word than the other passages use. It is siyach, which means, and I quote Strong exactly, “to ponder, i.e. (by impl.) converse (with oneself, and hence aloud) or (trans.) utter: commune, complain, declare, meditate, muse, pray, speak, talk (with).” Other than Psalm 119, only Psalm 104:34 uses the noun form of this word.

The rest of the Old Testament passages in which “meditate” occurs use forms of another Hebrew word—hagah—which means, “to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by impl. to ponder: imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter.” So the two Hebrew words are pretty much equal in meaning.

At this point you may begin to think how strange it is that the Hebrew words for “meditate” seem to include so much sound. We know that non-Christian meditation often includes sounds, chants, and mantras. It brings to mind a completely different passage—or is it so different? There is a text about “wizards that peep and mutter.” (KJV) The text is Isaiah 8:19. Here it is, from the New American Standard Bible:

“And when they say to you, ‘Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God?” If you look in the lexicon to find out what word is translated “mutter,” you will discover, perhaps to your astonishment, that it is hagah—same word, same form, same tense as “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.” (Joshua 1:8, emphasis supplied.) The same word as “in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2, emphasis supplied.) The same word as “I meditate on Thee in the night watches.” (Psalm 63:6, emphasis supplied) and many more! Clearly, the action the wizards were performing was not wrong—in fact, we are commanded to do it. What then made them wrong? Let’s go back to Isaiah 8.

“Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.” (Verses 19-20) “No light in them.” (KJV) These wizards and mediums are using a God-given form of communication to consult, not the dead, of course, but the devil. They are then using the information they receive to lead the people who believe them away from the Word of God. The Lord makes it very clear what He thinks of these practices in the following verses. Here is His strongly worded warning:

“And they will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.” (Verses 21-22)

But what about those who do not follow these deceivers? “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; … The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.” (Isaiah 9:1-2) And there follows one of the most beautiful of the Messianic prophecies.

Is any of this still going on in this enlightened age? Today it comes as part of the broad category labeled “New Age.” The principle is crystal clear. Meditation connects you with somebody. You might want to be certain with whom you are connecting! Every one of the above texts commands that we are to meditate upon God, His law (the Bible) and His works. To be afraid to do that is like being afraid to use the telephone in case you might get a wrong number. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) It’s a promise.

The Spiritual Discipline of Meditation

In our Western culture, we place great value on the ability to talk. We reward individuals who are articulate, quick on their feet, and can express themselves verbally. In fact, some of those who are most rewarded are those who can talk for long periods of time and say nothing. If you don’t believe this is true, turn on Monday Night Football and cover up the screen of the TV. Just listen to the audio! For that matter, you can learn the same thing just by leaving the TV on all day.

In fact, talking is so valued that we have entire radio networks devoted to just talk! And there is never a shortage of talkers. What is missing from our culture is the ability to listen. In fact, so rare is this skill that we pay professional listeners, psychologists and psychiatrists, to listen to us!

So what does all of this have to do with meditation? First off , the goal of meditation is to slow down the talking that goes on constantly in our brain. We chatter to ourselves incessantly. And for the most part, we are completely unconscious of this chatter. The process of meditation is designed to make us aware of this chatter and help us slowdown so God can get a word in edgewise.

How does this work? Begin by finding a place where you can sit quietly, where you will have no interruptions. Try it here, today. Invite someone to read Colossians 3:2-3 and then quietly focus on the passage. Can you feel your mind being tugged at from many directions? Reread the passage. Then quietly reflect. Do this as a group for five minutes.

What was it like? Were you surprised at all the thoughts you had? Were you surprised at the kinds of thoughts you had? How did you feel?

One of the easiest ways to practice this “stillness” is to pay attention to your breathing. Don’t make any e! ort to change how you breathe. Just notice when you are breathing in and when you are breathing out. At first, you will find yourself distracted from your breath by your thoughts. When you realize that you are not paying attention to your breath, just notice this and go back to focusing on your breathing.

This exercise is one way of preparing to listen, really listen for God. As in our human relationships, most of us spend most of our communication with God talking. And, interestingly enough, this constant talking gets in the way of our connection with God, just like it gets in the

way with our connection with other people. Few of us really listen, because we are constantly distracted by the chatter in our heads.

This skill of sitting quietly takes time to learn and develop. Be very gentle on yourself as you begin to practice. As you sit quietly, strong feelings may come up. You may feel things that don’t make sense to you. Don’t be overly anxious. As with the thoughts you think during this process, just acknowledge the feelings, feel them and let them go.

Sitting quietly in meditation helps us learn to really listen. We may not hear a voice when God speaks to us, but quieting the chatter will let us hear God.

Bible Study Part Two: Interpretation

This session will introduce us to the second skill of inductive Bible study: Interpretation.

Purpose of Interpretation

To interpret means to explain or tell the meaning of something. When interpreting a Scripture passage, aim to determine what the author meant by the words used, keeping in mind the original audience. Try to put yourself in the writer’s place and recapture the thoughts, attitudes, and emotions.

The primary purpose of interpretation is to discover what the author meant, to discover the purpose and the message. This is not easy, because the writer is not around anymore. But try to be objective in your interpretations. Don’t think about what the passage means to you (this is application), but what it seemed to mean to the author. Even so, interpretations will vary a great deal. You can read a dozen commentaries on a biblical passage and have as many different explanations.

The Bridge Between Observation and Interpretation

The bridge between observation and interpretation is to ask yourself questions for understanding, questions concerning the meaning of words and statements. You probably use

this bridge more often than you realize. Usually when you read something, you may read the words in a passage, observe what the words say, and ask questions about words and statement you do not understand. In learning to become a Bible discoverer, you need to do these things deliberately. As you read a passage, always ask questions about meanings.

Why Ask Questions?

Some of the reasons for asking questions are: to stimulate thinking; to force yourself to think seriously about the meaning of words and statements; and to begin to identify those words, phrases, and statements that need interpretation. Asking yourself questions often will lead to more observations, prepare you for application and serve as the foundation for questions you might use in leading a discussion.

Learning to ask questions about meanings of words is a skill just like learning how to observe. Always remember that you are asking yourself the questions for your own understanding. That is why these are called questions for understanding, interpretive questions, or I wonder questions.

Bible Study Part 1

Bible study; what do these two words bring to mind? Do you relate them perhaps to a time when you were eager to learn as much as you could about God, or the Bible’s content? Perhaps, there is a sense of guilt that comes because you haven’t spent more time reading the Bible. Or, perhaps, there is recognition of how far you have come from your earliest reading of this Divine Record. Nonetheless, God’s Word is a continually accessible spiritual resource and still remains the primary means of learning about and experiencing God.

So how can we return to that eagerness? How can we study out of joy, not guilt? How can we allow God’s word to have a bigger impact on our lives? Perhaps the first place to start is to improve our study skills.

Malcolm Knowles, a renowned professor of adult education observed that adults learn 20% of what they hear, 40% of what they hear and see, and 80% of what they do or discover for themselves. They also learn best when new learning is related to their life experience and has some immediate usefulness to them. In this lesson I’m going to do less talking and you’re going to experience a little more.

A closer look at our current cultural context reveals that our present-day technological social environment, popular thought, practices, attitudes and views have influenced our approach to learning and how we implement newly discovered information.

Furthermore, in the spiritual realm and its link to lifestyle, the well noted research of George Barna points out that statistics tell us that in our information centered world there is no longer a marked difference between many believing church members and nonbelievers in, way of life practices, choices, habits, and attitudes.

How then do we study the Bible in a manner that will connect its study with our life experience? How can we meet our goals and outcomes for spiritual growth and Christian development?

A starting point is to note the contrasts between the informational and formational approaches to learning. Informational learning style approaches learning and reading in order to gather as much information as possible; moving quickly through the material in order to grasp it, master it and bring it under our control. This methodology makes our reading analytical, critical and judgmental. Unfortunately we use this same approach to Bible study and wonder why we are dissatisfied.

Contrary to the informational approach, the formational approach encourages us to study the Bible slowly enough to reach the deeper levels of meaning—giving enough room for meditation that actively helps us listen to God’s Word. The formational approach allows the Holy Spirit to speak into our soul and heart and allows the Word to master us. Therefore, our posture becomes one in where we become servants of the Word, rather than masters of the text.

The spiritual discipline and method of Inductive Bible Study is a formational process that incorporates a systematic method of Bible study, supplying skills that facilitate learning and experiencing the joy of discovering for oneself deeper insights into God’s truth. The inductive Bible study skills of observation, interpretation, personalization and application encourage and cultivate the posture of listening, reflection and response to God’s Word. Inductive Bible study creates an ideal greenhouse environment for learning, spiritual growth and development that is related to real life experience.

When we take on the skills that the inductive Bible study method furnishes, we are empowered with immediate usefulness for both personal and a teaching setting. As a result, inductive Bible study equips us with skills and tools for in depth Bible study resulting in life changing potential.

Prayer as Evangelism

Webster’s Dictionary defines evangelism “as the winning or revival of a personal commitment to Christ.” People sometimes think of large meetings. Actually, people often make commitments in less public settings. Prayer plays a big part in those commitments. As people find their needs met through prayer, they come into relationship with God. With relationship comes commitment. We will discuss several settings where people pray in ways that reach out to others. There are probably many more creative ways to pray as evangelism.

Healing Prayer: What better place to have a healing prayer service than at a Christian medical office or hospital? Including prayer in the treatment gives God the true credit for healing.

“If you are sick, ask the church leaders to come and pray for you. Ask them to put olive oil on you in the

name of the Lord. If you have faith when you pray for sick people, they will get well. The Lord will heal them, and if they have sinned, he will forgive them. If you have sinned, you should tell each other what you have done. Then you can pray for one another and be healed. The prayer of an innocent person is powerful, and it can help a lot.” (James 5:14-15, CEV)

At Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute doctors offer to pray with patients before surgery. At Walla Walla

General Hospital patients can request staff to pray. Personnel announce “Code Love” over the intercom. All hospital workers who want to, pause briefly to offer a prayer for the person.

A story of healing prayer as evangelism comes from India.

“Doc, do you have a prayer meeting going on in this hospital? There are so many people coming here. What an opportunity it would be to start a healing prayer meeting every Saturday.”

Dr. Philip from Puna Adventist Hospital in India looked at this former gambler, alcoholic and smoker, still stunned by the story the man had told.

“Most people thought I was a loafer, but for 35 years I longed to be changed. Every time I tried, I failed. I was fed up. A few months ago at the Khadki bazaar, I saw a house full of praying people and quietly joined the group. It seemed like the bearded lay-preacher spoke only to me, reminding me of my past life.

“At the end of the meeting, he prayed. And I had an experience I will never forget. I just couldn’t control myself. I wept and wept for quite a long time. I felt a longing to follow this preacher wherever he went.

“So during the evenings when I was free, I joined him. Over a couple of months, I had not even realized I had given up smoking, gambling and alcohol. I felt peace in my heart, and Jesus became my friend. I could pray to Him, and He listened to me like a friend and father.

“I began to witness to my workers in Bajaj Auto. I no longer skipped duty. Friends began to wonder at my changed attitude. Over the past six months, I have led many of my colleagues to Jesus Christ.”

Dr. Philip had known this man for years. Formerly he had come for many excuses for missed work. Dr. Philip had given up on him. Now he marveled at the remarkable change.

Dr. Philip liked the idea of a healing prayer service. Jesus had healed many people on Sabbath. In his experience, he had felt a significant healing presence on Saturday.

His former patient suggested that his preacher could help set up a healing prayer service. The preacher came a long way for several months, paying his own way. He invited Dr. Philip to join him in all-day prayer sessions on mountain sides.

Since 2000, the Saturday afternoon healing prayer service at Puna Adventist Hospital has grown. Fifty to 100 attend. Meeting on the badminton court, they sing, share stories of God’s working in response to healing prayer and most of all they pray. (McGhee et al, pp. 92-94)

It has been said that certain famous evangelists wouldn’t come to a region to do evangelistic campaigns unless the church(es) would pray for a full year first. What would happen if all churches prayed this way during all years? What if the burden of their prayers all the time was more on people who need God than on Aunt Martha’s broken hip, much though Aunt Martha’s hip (and her heart) is a good reason to pray?

Prayer Walking: Have you ever walked through a neighborhood praying for the inhabitants of each house as you walked? This is prayer walking. Prayer walking opens the praying person’s mind to see the needs. Prayer walking can be done alone, in small groups, or larger groups. It is especially powerful if the prayer walkers are also watching for ways to put their hearts into real actions, whether official outreach events through the church as a whole, or just personal ways to meet the needs of those whose homes they are passing.

If walking with others, limit conversation to allow yourself to focus on prayer. If you meet someone greet them pleasantly and offer a silent prayer for that person. At times a person may feel impressed to meet the people in a particular house. One possible opening comment could be, “We are just walking through the neighborhood praying for people in each house. Is there something specific that you would like us to pray about today?” If a person answers, yes, and names a specific situation, then one could say, “Would you like me to pray with you now?”

However, suppose a person starts a prayer walk in a neighborhood without knowing anyone. No strong impressions come to initiate meeting any neighborhood residents. The big question comes, “What do I pray for?”

What are some things God promises to give us that everyone could use? Here are some possibilities: Love, Peace, Guidance, Protection, Healing, The Holy Spirit, Wisdom, Forgiveness.

And here are some verses that promise to fill these needs. There are others.

Love—1 John 4:16-19

Peace—Isaiah 26:3

Guidance—Proverbs 6:3

Protection—Psalm 9:9

Healing—James 5:13-15

The Holy Spirit—John 14:15-16

Wisdom—James 1:5

Forgiveness—1 John 1:9

As we pray, we can remember this verse. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (James 5:16, NASB) A righteous man? Who is that? “There is no one who does good, not even one.” (Psalms 14:3, Romans 3:10, NASB) But we do not despair.

Remember, what I cannot do, Christ can do in me through His Holy Spirit that lives in me. As I hide myself in Christ, God sees me as innocent and righteous. God wants us to ask. Jesus told us to ask, over and over again.

As we claim Christ’s righteousness in us, we lose pride in our own righteousness. When a prayer is answered, we don’t know who among the group God was answering. Who hid themselves enough in Christ’s righteousness to claim the answer? We don’t know. It’s useless trying to answer. The focus shifts to God’s answer rather than who prayed the prayer. “The prayer of an innocent man [in Christ] is powerful and it can help a lot.” (James 5:16)

Through our prayers God will help other people. Then they will know God, and they will pray for others, and they will pray for still others, and soon the whole earth will be filled with His glory and He’ll come to take us home with Him, where once again, we will walk and talk face to face with God.

Public Prayer

What does “public prayer” bring to mind? Probably most people think of the long prayer during a church service. Certainly that is one kind of corporate prayer. We will be talking about other forms. People offer corporate prayers as part of a church service. The prayers generally cover community concerns, world concerns and a few individual requests, usually those already known by the whole church.

Corporate prayer often includes a general invitation for God to be present in the service. These public prayers are not the time to preach a sermon. We’ll talk about prayer as evangelism later. The best prayers are simple and to the point using language commonly understood by most people. Some people write out these prayers and memorize them make sure they include everything in a logical order. The point is that the person praying in front of a large group is to be understood as representing all present, and even some who are not present. That one is speaking the voice and will of all, praying for things for which the whole body shares a concern. Before, during, and after an outreach event, this prayer is crucially important, but if it isn’t really the will of all, if it’s just the head elder, or pastor, or whoever, then it really isn’t corporate prayer. “Corporate” means of or pertaining to the body, and in this case, it’s the Body of Christ, the church we’re talking about. If, when that person up front is praying, the whole body isn’t praying along with him or her, in their own seats, then it isn’t corporate prayer.

Methods of Prayer in a Small Group

“If you are having trouble, you should pray. And if you are feeling good, you should sing praises.” (James 5:13, CEV)

There are many ways to pray in a small group. Some choose to take turns, following in order around a circle. Some may designate a beginning person and an ending person with anyone else praying as they desire. Another method is called conversational prayer, and can include both talking and singing. One way to do this is to have the leader or facilitator or a scribe write down requests as people mention them. The leader designates someone to offer the final prayer signaling the end of the prayer time. As the group bows in prayer, the leader starts praying a short prayer for one of the requests mentioned. Others add short prayers for that particular request claiming promises and praying for any aspect that comes to mind. When it seems right another person starts a short prayer for another request. Anyone can introduce the

next topic as prayer for the first seems to wind down. People pray randomly as things come to mind. Some may pray several times; some not at all. Pray as the Holy Spirit brings things to mind. Feel free to sing songs during the prayer. Everyone will join the singing. Continue praying until all the items have been covered. The person designated to close will offer a short final prayer.

There are even materials available for small groups which explore different ways to pray, such as using art, writing poetry, or lighting candles to represent the brightness of God’s presence, or to represent that we are holding someone in God’s light.

Forgiveness, Forgiveness

What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is a gift God gives us to give another. Sometimes we just don’t feel forgiving, but God can supply that feeling. The feeling is secondary, anyway. We don’t have to “feel like it” in order to obey any other commandment, why do we think we have to “feel” this one?

How did Corrie ten Boom come from hatred and bitterness to forgiveness? She tells of a time when she and her sister Betsie picked up pieces of wrecked airplanes and loaded them onto trucks. Because she was frail, Betsie picked up the smaller pieces. Suddenly one of the guards noticed. Betsie said kindly to the guard, “Please don’t give me more to do than I am trying to do

already, because I am not strong enough to lift these heavy parts.”

“You don’t decide what to do. I do,” the woman guard answered. With that she started beating Betsie. Other prisoners held Corrie back from grabbing the guard. Watching her sister get beaten was harder than getting a beating herself. Betsie urged her, “Don’t hate. Love and forgive.”

Corrie went off by herself. “I can’t forgive that brutal woman,” she prayed. The Lord reminded her of a text. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5, RSV)

Suddenly Corrie had an insight. What she could not do, the Lord, in her, was able to do. (ten Boom, pp. 36-38.)

Giving forgiveness doesn’t always take away the hurt, the loneliness or the pain. It doesn’t always fix one’s reputation or put the missing money in the bank. Forgiveness puts the responsibility for taking vengeance, if any, on God. Romans 12:19 says, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (NASB) When God takes revenge, He gives people what they need. He knows what’s behind a problem or behavior and works to correct it, rather than merely punishing just to be punishing.

At its most mature, forgiveness enables us to see that sinning human being as one of God’s beloved, mistaken children, one for whom Jesus died. Finally, it becomes possible to want that person to live a sanctified, forgiven life, and to join with God in His perfect kingdom of heaven.

Forgiveness allows us to take the action that will do the least harm possible to another. Forgiveness frees us from carrying the emotionally and physically damaging burden of bitterness. Forgiveness allows us to move forward focusing on important things that will build the people around us and ultimately God’s kingdom. 

The Power of Prayer in Small Groups

Take the power of prayer found in one faithful heart and add a prayer partner: their prayer becomes much more than the sum of the two of them. Then put a few prayer partners together into a small prayer group. Now the power explodes exponentially. Add groups together to become a whole church, and let those groups pray fervently for the neighborhood of their church, for the neighborhoods of each member, for the work of God in the whole world. What might God be able to do with such a church?

A small group often includes study time as well as prayer time. The small group usually meets once a week, often in the middle of the week. By consensus, the group chooses a book of the Bible to systematically study, or they may choose another book to read through together. Prayer time follows during which individuals request prayer for themselves or situations they know about. Then they pray together. A group dedicated specifically to become prayer warriors will spend at least as much time in actual prayer as in study or in talking about prayer requests. The requests will be made known to God in each other’s assenting presence, rather than to each other in God’s presence. Instead of spending twenty minutes on “praises and concerns” and five minutes saying, “God, You know the needs of each person mentioned,” prayer groups will spend the time in prayer, giving God the praises, telling Him the concerns.

This will help to avoid sanctified gossip. It is easy to talk about other people in their absence under the guise of “praying for that person.” Sometimes this is well-intentioned. Sometimes pride and feeling better than the one prayed for plays a part. Make sure that you are not sharing confidential information. It’s best to get another’s permission to bring concerns to the group. Maintain loyalty in the absence of another. Show other people in the best light possible. When negatives come out remember that everyone has them. Admit your own weaknesses.

God works more easily when we are unified in purpose. When two or three people agree, God will hear their request. Does this mean that everyone needs to think alike, dress alike and live alike? Absolutely not. We are all different. Still, in spite of the differences, we can unite in purpose. Knowing the motives and intentions of others helps us focus on the important. To get past appearances to motives, we need to ask questions. What does this mean to you? What are your intentions? Then listen trying to see through the eyes of another person. Look for what will enhance God’s kingdom. At times we have to give

forgiveness to get beyond differences.

Ask—Repeatedly

Remember that Jesus said to ask and since He repeated the advice as many times as He did, He must have really meant it. Ask for anything within His will. Whatever He has promised must be within His will, because God can’t lie. He can’t be unfaithful to Himself. He will do what He has said He will do. He will do it on His time schedule and His timing may not be here on this earth, it may only be done in heaven. For example, some illnesses God will not cure here. Some deformities will be cured in heaven. In some cases, the tears will be wiped away in heaven. But no matter when it’s done, God will do it.

Belief is an attitude. Belief grows as relationship with God grows, as trust grows. When it’s hard to believe, it helps to say like one man said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” The things we say react on our minds, making belief stronger. It’s important to say the things we want to believe or choose to believe.

To claim is to receive. When I receive a gift, I reach out, take it and then say, “Thank you.” Jesus said, “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, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7, NIV)

The seeking and knocking imply action, taking action to receive what has been asked for. Going through the same actions we normally do when receiving a gift strengthens our belief. To claim the promise, thank God for it.

Claiming Promises

In prayer we ask for what we need. But prayer is more than asking for things. “God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” (2 Peter 1:4, CEV) True prayer brings us into relationship with God. In that relationship we become more like Him and less like anything destructive around us.

I am sure you know how to look for some of those “great and marvelous promises,” those treasures of

the Bible. You know how to look up a certain thing you need, such as faith, or patience, or healing, and find promises of those things. You probably know how to claim those promises for yourself, too. One of the most popular ways is the Ask, Believe, Claim method. You find the promise, hold it up to God, even put your finger on it if you wish, and ask Him for it. You believe that He promises it to you, and you claim it as your own. No doubt you remember to lean as hard as you can on Thy will be done, not mine! Remember, some things are fulfilled later than we wish, maybe not even on this earth.

But have you ever looked for those promises in the light of this passage? Have you ever looked for a promise of healing or protection and then asked God how the fulfillment of that promise would make you partake of the divine nature, or, as the Contemporary English Version has it, make God’s nature become a part of you? It’s a whole different thought, isn’t it? “He shall give His angels charge concerning you, and they will bear you up in their hands lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Why? So you don’t hurt your

foot? Or so you will be more like Jesus? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.” Why? So we won’t feel bad anymore? Or so we’ll be more like Jesus?

Let’s look at a specific promise in the context of prayer as evangelism. It’s found in 1 John 5: 16-17. Here it is in New American Stand Bible: “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not [leading] to death, he shall ask and [God] will for him give life to those who commit sin not [leading] to death. There is a sin [leading] to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not [leading] to death.”

What do you suppose this means? Is it talking about the unforgiveable sin, the one where someone has thrown up so many brick walls against the voice of God that he can’t hear it anymore, won’t ask for forgiveness, and cannot be reached, even by the Spirit of God? If so, how could we know that? Only God knows that. I believe this verse means that we can always ask God for forgiveness and life for those around us, and trust that God will always give life where He can, and only He knows that.

We can walk through our lives on this earth, praying constantly for literally everyone who crosses our paths, praying for God’s blessing on them, praying the covering of Jesus’ blood over them, praying that if there’s anything we can do for them, God will show us. This is the kind of open communication He needs, the kind of prayer with which He can change the world.

But we pray and pray, and nothing seems to be happening. How long? How many times?

Prayer Partners

God always hears us. However, at times our sight may be clouded by our own experiences or perceptions. We need the view of others. A trusted friend can gently help us to see ourselves. “I promise you that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.” (Matthew 18:19-20, CEV)

When we have communicated and agree, we can pray together, and God will answer. When we gather together, God is there.

The best prayer partner is a trusted friend. Sometimes churches will assign people to each other as prayer partners. New friendships can grow from these partnerships, but developing enough trust to share at deeper levels takes time. With a trusted friend, one can share pains too deep to be shared with a whole church. Prayer partners watch out for each other spiritually. Times of prayer can be scheduled or they can happen spontaneously as needed. Prayer partners can communicate in person, by telephone or by email. Prayer partners bring each other’s needs to God. Both grow in their relationships with God. To be truly prayer partners, both people must feel comfortable enough with each other to be honest. A relationship in which one person shares while the other prays for him or her without sharing is more like a counseling situation than a partnership.

In describing the characteristics necessary for a prayer partner for a pastor, John Maxwell makes this statement. “The [two] must be of the same gender. You should never allow an intimate prayer relationship to develop between members of the opposite sex, unless, of course, they’re married to each other.” (Maxwell) It is best to have a prayer partner who holds no possibility for romantic attraction. Intimate sharing can precipitate and/or enhance romantic feelings. In addition, men and women think differently about issues. For prayer, it’s nice to partner with someone who can potentially better understand how you think.

Aside from praying for and supporting each other, prayer partners can also partner to pray for others, not only those they know, but for all who need God. Prayer partners can commit to praying regularly for those in their neighborhoods and workplaces to find a strong and loving relationship with God. They can especially commit to praying for the outreach of their church, particularly before, during, and after special outreach events. We will never know until we reach heaven how powerfully God used our prayers for others. Sometimes they help people we will never know. Often they help God mold us into the kind of people He needs to show His unconditional love to others.

Attitudes for Prayer

Prayer doesn’t have a set form or place. We can talk with God any time, any place, in many ways. We can pray quietly in our thoughts, pray audibly, or pray in writing or with song. If we listen, the Holy Spirit may impress us how to pray. Paul says, “In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words.” (Romans 8:26, CEV) God’s word is powerful, powerful enough to create the world. God will do what He says He’ll do. (Isaiah 55:11) As we pray, we can acknowledge that greatness and power, requesting that God be present with us.

Tell God that you believe that He’ll honor any promise that you find in Scripture. The timing, though, is up to Him. For example, sometimes healing will happen only in heaven. But it will happen. Prayers which may be unanswered here on earth will be answered in heaven. Continuing to pray builds treasure for heaven, like putting money in a savings account for later. So leave the timing with God.

Ask humbly, leaving room for God to work His will. Be willing to have your own plans changed if God has a different plan.

And ask with gratitude. A woman had been badly hurt by another. The pain was so great that she didn’t think she could handle it. Sitting in church, she considered walking out. Suddenly, a thought popped into her head, “Thank God for the pain.” Without even thinking about it she quietly whispered, “Oh God, thank you for this pain.” Immediately the pain left. In its place was peace. Having pain shows us we are alive, and sensitive. If we didn’t hurt when people do cruel things to us, we wouldn’t be much good for loving, either.

We all need forgiveness. We all have done things that we wish we hadn’t. We all have traits we wish were better. God promises to forgive those things and to cleanse us—to make us better. (I John 1:9)

We all need to forgive, too. (Matthew 18:21-35; Matthew 6:14) Since forgiving others is God’s will, we can ask God to give us the forgiveness we need to give.

Corrie ten Boom saw terrible things in German concentration camps during World War II. After the war she gave talks about God’s forgiveness. The approach of a former German officer tested her attitude of forgiveness. Corrie recognized the man as one of her torturers. He did not recognize her.

“Your talk about forgiveness was wonderful,” the man began. “I was a guard. I need to know that I’m forgiven for my atrocities. Will you forgive me?”

Corrie tried to lift her hand to shake his. She couldn’t. Quickly she offered a silent prayer. “God, I will go through the motions, but you will have to supply the feeling.” As she gripped his hand, warmth started in her hand and spread up her arm and through her body. Feelings of forgiveness washed over her.

When we are by ourselves with God we can say exactly what we feel. We can talk just as we would to a friend knowing that the friend knows us in good and bad times and will see us for our good. Alone with God we can pray about issues that we may not want to tell others. Laying it all out before Him, we can find peace, direction, guidance. And God can use our personal, individual prayers to lead others to Him and to His peace, as well.

The Holy Spirit as a Gift

One of Jesus’ last promises was to send the Holy Spirit to be with us. “Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you.” (John 14:16, CEV) This is the highest form of personal relationship now possible for sinful humans. Just imagine it, God Himself lives with us!

This new relationship brings new thoughts into our minds. The things that God cares about, the people He loves, are now important to us, too. The Holy Spirit guides thoughts and decisions. Have you ever had another person suddenly pop into your mind? Some people pause briefly and pray for that person when that happens. Many have later found that at that very moment, that person needed God’s help. The Holy Spirit had impressed them to pray. In listening to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, those who pray join with God in bringing good things into another’s life. Creating God’s good through prayer, helping others to come closer to God, is evangelism at its best.

Prayer Part II-Jesus’ Relationship with His Father

When Jesus was on earth, He was one with God the Father. He would walk alone and pray with God. After one all night prayer time with God, Jesus named His twelve disciples. The Bible doesn’t say much about what Jesus prayed about on these occasions, however, Jesus attributed all His miracles to God in heaven. He was one with His Father. He prayed that we also would be one with God. When we are one with God, we can know His will. When we know His will, we can pray prayers for others that are in line with what God wants to do. When we are one with God, we want to do the things God does.

“You did not choose Me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in My name. So I command you to love each other.” (John 15:16-17, CEV)

When we partner with God, we pray for others and God brings good to others’ lives. Praying for others and watching God make their lives better is like watching fruit grow and ripen on a tree. God wants that fruit to grow and remain, not get blown in a wind storm. When we pray for anything that God wants, especially when we pray for other people, God gives good gifts. Praying for good for another person is a way of loving. “If you abide in Me,” Jesus said, “and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit.” (John 15:7-8, NASB)

Five times in His last conversations with His disciples before His death, Jesus told His disciples to ask. For example, “I tell you for certain that the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in my name. Then it will be given to you, so that you will be completely happy.” (John 16:23-24, CEV) The other times Jesus said to ask are found in John 14:13, 14; John 15:7, 8; John 15:16; John 16:23-24; and John 16:26. Jesus said the same thing in one of His first sermons, The Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 7:7, 8) If He repeated this idea so many times, He must have really meant it.

Just before He was crucified, Jesus prayed for His disciples. Here is part of His prayer. “I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us.” (John 17:21, CEV) During this same time, He promised the Holy Spirit many times.