by Dale Reeves

Story Pastor

 

There have been several tragedies we have been consumed with in the news the past few weeks: the horrific wildfires in the Los Angeles area; the tragic collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 with a Black Hawk helicopter just outside of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C, in which 67 people lost their lives; and just two days later a medical transport plane carrying a six-year-old patient and five other passengers crashing in a ball of flames near a shopping center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, causing other fatalities and casualties in its wake. And, each day we see more reaction (both positive and negative) to the mass deportation of illegal immigrants these past two weeks. On all fronts, political finger-pointing has been fierce in D.C., and on social media.

 

Perhaps you don’t watch the news much these days because of all the depressing information that is constantly thrown our way. It might make you anxious, depressed, or angry—so you choose to avoid as much news as possible. I can relate to your feelings, and that is why “The Pour Over” email newsletter that arrives in my inbox three days a week has been a good solution for me. It is about a five-minute read, summarizing the biggest news of the day, is politically neutral, and written by Christians. It is possible to know what’s going on in the world, and not react in anger and anxiousness, while reflecting the peace and hope of Christ. It helps me to not only stay abreast of daily national and international news, but most importantly, it provides a biblical lens with which to view each event. Their mission is to “be a trustworthy news resource guiding people toward eternal hope.” And they just surpassed the one million subscriber mark. Wanna know more? Click here.

 

Always Ready

Often when I read the news of the day, I immediately go to God with my concerns in prayer, because I know he always stands ready for me to come to him. His Word tells us, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16, NLT).

 

It’s always interesting to me to see friends post on social media a comment such as . . . “If you are the praying type . . .” or “If you believe in the power of prayer . . .” followed by their particular prayer request. Jesus might respond, “If you are the praying type?!?” I am reminded of the words in Luke’s Gospel, that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1, ESV).

 

I remember having a particular discussion about prayer with my mom when I was a child. As I recall, the occasion for the talk with my mom was prompted when I was called on to pray in a group and I didn’t feel like praying at that moment. I told her about it, and I was quickly corrected with the words, “You should always be in a spirit of prayer so that you can offer a prayer when you are asked to.” At the time, I didn’t know that I would spend my life in the located ministry, but I have often thought about my mom’s instruction. King Solomon was right when he said, “My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction” (Proverbs 1:8, NLT).

 

As a pastor, I have often joked about being the “professional pray-er” at small group or family gatherings or celebrations, and I always enjoy leading in prayer—but it gives me even greater joy now when one of our grandkids or nieces or nephews offers the prayer for a family meal. And, their prayers are generally shorter than mine! Jesus told us in his Sermon on the Mount that it’s not about the length, or the “right words” used. It’s more about our belief in the One whom we are addressing. That reminds me of the time I heard the late Tony Campolo share the story about how he prayed in a worship service once and a lady came up to him afterward and began to correct the grammar in his prayer. And his response was, “Well, you know, I wasn’t really talking to you anyway!”

 

When we pray, whether it is in the privacy of our own homes, or in public with others, we aren’t doing it seeking the praise of other people, we should simply be approaching our Creator, our Abba Father, in humility and transparency, without any pretense or fancy words.

 

What, How, and Why?

What should we pray for? In the devotional book, Truth for Life, that I am reading every day this year, pastor and author Alistair Begg says this:

“In the example that Jesus gave—the Lord’s Prayer—we discover that God’s spiritual children are free to address God simply and directly as their heavenly Father. . . . We are to ask for God’s name to be rightly honored, for Him to bring His kingdom in us and around us, and for Him to supply our daily needs. We are to admit our need for daily dependence, the necessity of extending forgiveness to others, and our dependence on God for dealing with temptation. In our prayers, Jesus explained, we are to seek and ask to see God’s glory and grace in the midst of everyday life. . . . He stands ready to listen and to help. Be sure to treat prayer as a holy habit and never as an optional extra.”

 

How should we pray? A second-century Christian named Hegesippus records that James, the half-brother of Jesus, “was frequently found situated upon his knees asking for forgiveness for the people so that his knees became hard after the manner of a camel.” Perhaps your preferred method of prayer is to be like “Camel Knees” as you humble yourself before God in prayer. According to the Bible there are lots of postures we can take when we approach our heavenly Father. We can stand (1 Samuel 1:26; Luke 18:10-14); lift up and stretch out our hands (1 Timothy 2:8; Psalm 141:2); look upward with open eyes (Psalm 121:1; John 11:41); sit (Judges 20:26, 27; 2 Samuel 7:18); lie on your bed (Psalm 4:4; 63:6); be still and silent (Habakkuk 2:20); bow before him (Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 5:7); lie prostrate on your face (Joshua 7:6; Matthew 26:39); kneel (Acts 9:40; Ephesians 3:14); and walk (Joshua 6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

 

It’s interesting that not once in Scripture are we instructed to bow our heads, close our eyes, and fold our hands, as many of us were taught to do as children. Not that any of those actions are bad, but I assume we were taught this so that we would not be distracted and “bother our neighbor” when going to God in prayer.

 

No matter what posture we assume in prayer, the crucial thing is that we come to God often, whether it is the first thing every morning, the last thing we do when we are going to bed, or an ongoing conversation we have with our Father all day. You might pray best while you are driving, riding a bike, prayer walking your neighborhood, waiting in a drive-thru line, or while consuming the news of the day. Our God is a refuge and strength for us. He wants us to live anxiety- and anger-free and to come to him with praise and adoration, presenting our daily requests, and interceding for others boldly and consistently. That’s the Why! Whatever you do, find a way to pray.

 

The first Sunday of this year, our lead pastor, Brad Wilson, asked our church to join together in praying for three specific things this year:

  1. That we remember how desperately we need Jesus in our lives.
  2. That we view all people in the same way that Jesus views them.
  3. That we would not limit God by putting him in a box.

 

Brad concluded that message with these words:

“When we put God in a box, we may miss out on what he is doing, and what he wants to do in our individual lives!”

 

So whether you are catching up on the latest news in a world in desperate need of Jesus, seeking God in the still and quiet moments he provides, or voicing a prayer in a gathering with others, the apostle John reminds us, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5;14, NIV).