The other day on Twitter and Facebook I threw out a simple question: If you pray, where and how did you learn to pray? It’s a question I have never really thought much about before last week, but it seems like that might be something important to know. I mean, knowing where and how you learned to talk to the Creator of the Universe seems sort of significant. And yet, I usually don’t think about how I do it, or how I learned to do it, I just kind of wing it, which is not necessarily bad.

The informal survey that I took yeilded one result that really struck me. Of the 20 or so answers that people gave almost all of them had a relational basis and not a scriptural one. This is not necessarily bad, just significant. A lot of people said they learned from their parents or grandparents, from their teachers or from the example of other poeple at church. Every answer could be traced back to the simple idea that every person that responded learned how to pray from another person! That is significant if you think about it.

In realizing the significance of this I also realized two other things. First, if we are going to learn from other people, effectively acting as their disciple or student, then we need to make sure that they are a Godly person with an intimate and genuine realtionship with the Father with whom we wish to speak.

Second, and more profoundly, we must realize that other people are learning to pray by watching us. I don’t know about you, but that one scares me. I can tell you flat out that my prayer life is not what I want it to be, and if my kids are going to model their prayer life after me then I really have some work to do, and fast. In realizing this I also realize my responsibility to study scripture all the more to make sure that I know as much as I can about what the Bible says about prayer.

So let me end by asking you: Where and how did you learn to pray? And to add another question; how does that effect the way you want to teach others?

In his book Prayer Richard Foster writes:

Darkness is a definite experience of prayer. It is to be expected, even embraced.

This goes along with some of the thoughts I wrote about the other day on the blessing of the silence of God. I’ve been here in my prayer life before, though I’ve never really thought of it as darkness. But, thinking now, I guess that’s what it is; a time when we cannot quite seem to connect with God and we are therefore communicating with Him apart of the light that is Him. Kind of philosophical huh?

I’m not claiming to understand it, but I have lived it. I hate those times in life when I pray and pray and pray and then something significant doesn’t happen. I’m tempted to think it’s a lack of faith, or maybe just a lack of the proper etiquette. But then, I know that isn’t true. God hears my prayer, He just chooses to delay in answering. A delay that is ultimately good for me and a part of His plan.

As for embracing the darkness of these times of prayer, it’s frustrating and hard. Those times when God just won’t man up and do what I ask (tell) Him to do are difficult, but mostly because I’m selfish.

I think embracing times of darkness will produce in God’s people and endurance of faith that would otherwise be totally impossible. If prayer was as easy as calling a hot line, making a small payment, and knowing that everything we asked for will be delivered in exactly the way we want it, then we can pray without ever flexing our faith.

But it is during the times of darkness, when the whole world seems to be moving away from the Jesus whom we love and serve. And we faithfully stand by Him, embracing the darkness, those are the times that we test and approve our faith. Those are the times that we feel how alive our faith really is

Any thoughts?

Ok, I’m getting back to real life again. Last week my entire family was sick, my wife and I are still fighting some junk off, we traveled out of town for a wedding, and today I’m back and trying to wrap my head around everything I have to do.

While I was out of town I was fortunate enough to stumble across the Karate Kid on TV. I was also fortunate enough to not have anyone tell me that it is a stupid movie and to change the channel. So, what did I do? Oh yeah, I watched the Karate Kid, and loved it! And, “surprisingly” I was reminded of a few things:

• Karate Kid Lesson 1: sometimes menial tasks prepare us for far more important things.
  The Karate Kid had to sand the deck, paint the fence, wash the car and do other menial things. He thought that he wasn’t learning anything, but later realized that the physical motion of doing those things was the same motion to block a punch, kick, and so on. I think life is a lot like this.

  Sometimes God has us in places that seem totally pointless. But, there is a point, a lesson, a task, and a calling in even the little things. Sometimes we just need to look under the surface.

• Karate Kid Lesson 2: learn balance first and the rest follows.
  The Karate Kid had to learn to balance and defend before he was taught to punch and kick.

  Balance first, in life and in Karate. Too often I go running after something without first being balanced in my thinking and in my spirit. I am continually learning that I must balance the things in my life so that I’m not controlled by things, but so that I can be led by the Spirit.

• Karate Kid Lesson 3: the enemy always plays dirty and to win.
  The bad dudes in the movie were dirty, no playing by the rules for them, only playing to win by any means possible.

  Our enemy fights just as dirty, and worse. We have to constantly be on the look out for his sucker punch.

Have you ever had times that you have questioned the leadership role that God has placed you in? Or, have you had times that other people have questioned your leadership ability and your call to lead? Ever questioned yourself and felt totally inept to do what you know you must do?

I’m thinking this is likely what Aaron was feeling in Numbers 17 when the people were rebelling against authority. Previously they had questioned his actions, his ability to lead, and his call from God. I’ve been there, and in many ways am still there, fighting to lead people into the place that God has called us to go.

Its during these times that I have a tendency to look for a sign, for some kind of reassurance that everything is going to be ok and that I will still be able to feed my family and stand up strait when all is said and done. I don’t think the need for reassurance is bad or that it is testing God. Its just who we are and how we operate.

Well, Aaron got his sign. God told Moses to take the staff of the head of every family (twelve) and to put them in the tent of meeting, and the staff that sprouted would be the chosen spiritual leader. The next day when Moses went in, Aaron’s staff had sprouted, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds.

Maybe God got carried away on this miracle. Or, maybe there was great purpose in this. God could have just made Aaron’s staff spout with little flower buds and nothing more, but instead God chose to make it sprout, blossom, and produce food. There was no room for doubt, Aaron was God’s choice.

I have had many seasons like Aaron’s when I will doubt, and God will answer my prayers in a huge way, far above what I could ever hope or imagine. In the last year my cane has blossomed more times than I can count and I am constantly thankful for God’s little reminders of my calling all along the way. Here are a few of the things that He has blessed us with since we accepted His leading to plant a church.

• A free mini-van to drive
• A condo to live in rent free
• Various forms of financial help amounting to around $1,400
• A free computer (not new, but still a lot nicer than the one I had)
• My membership to a gym in Decatur paid for
• My web design business is growing, very slowly, but growing

I am continually thankful for these sprouts of blessing that we have had all along the way. And, I’m sure that many of you have similar stories. Please share them…

Have you ever had a day when you can tell that God is stirring your spirit? Today has been that kind of day for me. Yesterday was tough, as most Tuesdays are. For some reason the gravity of undertaking starting a church was really weighing on me. So this morning started with an element of brokenness and an awareness of my profound need for Jesus. It always amazes me how it is precisely moments like this that God uses to draw us near to Him.

Yesterday I was burdened because the gravity of God’s calling to plant a church was overwhelming, and today I am free as I have been struck by the gravity of Jesus’ sacrifice on my behalf.

The gospel that has consumed my heart today. I realize how much I need the gospel every day. Jesus death, burial and resurrection isn’t just a nice story that helps people that don’t know Jesus get to know Him, it is the backbone of who I am as a follower of Jesus. It is the love story that has and should consume my heart and mind. It is the truth that is absolute and unapologetically life altering.

It is this simple truth that sets my heart on fire; Jesus loved me enough to sacrifice Himself as payment for my rebellion against God. In His perfection He saw me in my brokenness and chose to love me.

Amazing.

This morning I was reading in Numbers 9 and was struck by the way that the Israelites traveled through the desert. They had a simple plan really, follow God. Sounds easy enough. They would set up the Tabernacle and the cloud (the divine presence of God) would cover it. As long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle the people would stay camped around it. When the cloud moved from the Tabernacle the people packed up and moved with it. They simply followed after the presence of God, and when God was no longer there, they followed Him to the next place.

How powerful would our lives be if we could follow God with that kind of simplicity and intensity? Its a simple idea that really should change the way we live. Discover the parts of your life where God is moving and camp there. Seek out the parts of your life where He is not moving and set out to follow Him.

Whatever you do, don’t camp in the wrong spot because you will be wasting your life sitting alone in some desert.

My prayer life has fundamentally changed recently. There was a time in my life when I would pray for my circumstances a lot, or I would pray for God to change the people around me. But something has changed in me recently, now instead of asking God to change a person, or a relationship, or even a conflict, I am asking Him to simply change me.

I think this came about because I began to recognize my own role in every unfavorable circumstance. I had this realization that every conflict, every weird encounter, and every misunderstanding was in some way caused by me (to a degree). And so, instead of asking God to change someone else, or asking Him to change a relationship or circumstance, I’m asking Him to change me.

As I change, so changes my outlook on life’s circumstances. As I get better the world around me may be just as dismal, and yet through my eyes seem brighter and more full of possibilities. As I change I become more like Jesus.

God, change me!