Yes, Argue. But, Yes, Pray

The more I ponder the plight of our country the more I'm reminded that public square conversations are needed and defense of the Christian worldview from those who want to attack is necessary. There needs to be healthy arguments given in defense of the Christian position. However, I'm also reminded the only thing that will bring real and lasting change to our country is a revival of the gospel. For that we must pray.

In Colossians 1:3-6 Paul writes to the church there:

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,

 A few points of observation for us to consider here:

1 . Paul calls the gospel "the word of truth." The gospel is the truth about God, us, the world, and reality. 

2. Paul states to the Colossian believers that the gospel is bearing fruit and increasing in the whole world. The gospel was going forth and bearing fruit. The influence of the gospel was spreading and growing. 

Friends, the God who brought the growth and increase from gospel seed planting is the same God we serve today. He can revive us again. He is the Sovereign Lord of the universe and of the harvest. We must pray for revival to burst forth on our land. Until then, may we be faithful seed planting and soil watering believers, who live with a fervency of prayer for God to cause the word of truth to increase throughout the world.

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4 Tips for Implementing Prayer in Your Marriage

The old adage goes "A couple that prays together, stays together." That's only a clever saying without any real statistical evidence, right? Wrong. 

A Gallup poll conducted a study specifically on that question found that only 1% of all couples that prayed together daily got divorced (1 in 1156 couples). That is an amazing statistic when you consider that the national statistic is 50% of all marriages end in divorce.

The University of Texas, San Antonio, did a research project for the "Journal of Marriage and Family" of 1387 couples. The study found that couples who share practices such as Bible reading and prayer in the home had strong marriages and a higher degree of satisfaction in their relationship. 

However, most statistics bear witness that most couples are not spending time in Bible reading or prayer. It is estimated that only 4% of Christian couples pray together. Did you catch that? Christian couples! 

Only 1% of couples who pray together are likely to get divorced, yet only 4% of Christian couples pray together. This is why Christian couples have the same divorce rate as non-Christians.

Christian couples need to start praying together; it's good for their marriage and the longevity of it. If there is a "duh" sentence in this entire blog, it is that one. But while it may be a big ole "duh," it is not happening. 

So how can you start implementing prayer together? Here are some thoughts:

1. Talk to your spouse about your desire to begin praying together daily. 

When you share your desire with your spouse, share with them these statistics. Read the article to them or send it to them. You may find your spouse desires to do this too, but felt insecure about bringing it up. 

2. Acknowledge you have insecurities praying aloud together and then get over it. 

I know that sounds harsh, but you have to get over it. It is okay to acknowledge having insecurities about praying. The reason we have insecurities with praying aloud with our spouse is that they know our junk and that we are not perfect. This makes us feel hypocritical trying to "act all spiritual." But praying together is not acting spiritual. It is a vital and much needed element in your marriage. Quit being insecure. Realize that neither of you are perfect. Understand your prayer is not graded. And focus in on talking to God together with your spouse.

3. Figure out what time of the day works for you, schedule it, and do it. 

Not every couple can commit to the same time as others. Perhaps you and your spouse would have to do different times on different days due to schedule. But the key is to plan it and do it. Don't wimp out when you feel the insecurity and fear welling up. Determine to begin building the habit. Grab your spouse by the hand, say "It's time to pray," then do it.

4. Create a prayer plan/schedule.

A prayer plan or schedule is a list of things you can pray for as a couple. You need to pray for each other and your children daily. You can also pray for those pressing needs in your or a loved one's life. But you may also decide to pray together for a number of other things. For example: Mondays you can pray for your church and leaders. Tuesdays could be reserved for your children's teacher(s). Wednesdays could be prayer for the President, our government officials, and country. Thursday could be prayer for each others parents/siblings/nephews/nieces. Fridays can focus on friends. Saturdays are good for focusing on church services the next day. Sundays are perfect for praying for each other's spiritual growth. This is only an example schedule. You can create your own list and your own days.

Couples that pray together stay together. The old adage is actually true. Statistics bear it out. So take these tips and start implementing them. It's the closest thing to divorce-proofing your marriage.

Why do you believe so few Christian couples pray together regularly? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

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5 Ideas for Using Accountability

The idea of accountability has always been prominent with Christians. Many have been for it and some against it. Those against it claim that accountability is pointless because people can still, and will, lie about their actions. While this can be true, it does not mean that accountability is unsuccessful in helping people walk according to the Scriptures. Those for accountability argue that is both biblical and necessary for healthy Christian growth. 

Accountability is all about growing with others. Discipleship is best lived out with others. It is in close community that we take the largest strides of growth in our faith. When accountability is working properly, it deters sin, keeps us disciplined, promotes humility, and concerns us about the growth of other believers. Having accountability through one-on-one, two-to-three, or small group relationships are more valuable to your growth in grace than you can comprehend. So here are ways you can use accountability to become a well-rounded Christian. 

5 Ideas for Using Accountability

 1. Quite time accountability. Accountability partners can help you be faithful to spend time with God. It is vital that we spend daily time in the Word and prayer. This is not for the super-spiritual alone, it should be the goal of every Christian. We need the wisdom of God's Word to guide us. We need the daily dose of humility that prayer provides. The act of prayer is an act of recognizing your own insufficiency. Prayer humbles us before God to recognize our need for Him and His ability above all others to provide for us. I have written about how I spend time with God if you would like more instruction on this area.

Accountability Ideas:

** Find 1 or 2 people who serve as accountability for this area of your life.
** Check on each other daily using tools like a phone call, a text, twitter, Facebook, or email.
** Share with each other what time of the day you are setting as your quite time with God, and commit to texting (or any another method) each other prior to those committed times to encourage them to follow through with their appointment with God.


2. Battling Sin. There may not be a greater need for accountability than in the area of battling sin. The ancients would call this practice the mortification of sin. If we do not commit to killing sin, sin will be killing us. James 5:16 exhorts us to "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another..." This is not a suggestion, but a command from God's Word. Why do we need this kind of accountability? Because sin that remains in the dark gains power, dominion, and strength. Sin grows stronger and more dominant in our lives when it is covered up and hidden. However, when sin is exposed, and we talk about our struggles by letting others in to our battles, sin loses both its power and appeal. 

This is why we desperately need others to help us battle sin. Practically speaking, accountability in this area gives others a chance to speak truth into our lives, pray for us, and encourage us as we fight the good fight. Instead of wallowing in our sinful failures, challenge each other to confess and repent of sin, turn to Scripture to find tools to combat particular sins, and pray for each other. 

Accountability Ideas: 

** Have a person (you can have more than one, but not too many) you can meet weekly to share your sin struggles with.
** Meet for coffee or lunch with your accountability partner. Another option is a phone call on the way to work or during a lunch break during the week. You could even do a Skype or FaceTime conversation during a time you are both available. 
** In instances where a persistent sin continues to remain in a person's life, commit to reading a book together on the subject, memorize Scripture on the issue, or go together to meet with a pastor/elder for further counsel. 


3. Faithfulness to our home responsibilities. If you are married, then you have home responsibilities. Every man and woman has God-given roles they are called to fulfill. These home responsibilities include being a parent. So if you are a man who is married and has any children, you have many responsibilities. You are called to lead your family. This includes leading your wife spiritually. You must ensure she is growing in her relationship with Christ. You must also lead your children. This involves one-on-one discipleship with your kids, as well as family worship. I know so many families who want to have family worship, but do not. These responsibilities are where good accountability partners can come in handy. 

Accountability Ideas:

** Have an accountability partner check with you weekly to ask if you are leading family worship. Set a day that you plan to lead family worship and have your accountability parter check to ensure you have prepared for it.

** Ask your accountability partner to check regularly if you are: 1. praying with your spouse, 2. praying for your spouse, and 3. talking to them about what they are currently learning in their walk with God, and 4. what they are currently struggling with. 
4. Faithfulness to our church responsibilities. If you are a believer, you should be committed to a local church. There is no such concept as a churchless Christian in the New Testament. Christians are saved from our sins and saved into a community. Inside this community every person has a role. We are all given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of building up and edifying the church. As a committed church member you should be giving financially, in some type of group outside of Sunday mornings, serving with your gifts, and attending Sunday worship gatherings weekly.

Accountability Ideas: 

** Have your accountability partner ask you about: church attendance, serving, being in a group, participation in the life of the church, giving, etc. 

** Join with your accountability partner for regular prayer for the church, its leaders, its members, and its mission.

5. Gauging our Affections. This may be one of the most neglected areas of for Christian accountability. It is no problem to have someone ask us about what we are doing. But this area of accountability, gauging our affections, gets to the heart of how we are feeling. Are we growing in our love for Jesus? Are we finding our prayer times fervent and alive? When we sing praises do our hearts leap? When we read the Scriptures are we hungry for more? The affections can go through seasons of great fire and intensity, then go through seasons of cold and staleness. This is an area of our walks with God that would be well served to have accountability.

Accountability Ideas:

** Invite your accountability partner to ask regularly the following questions: how is your life for Jesus? What is your eagerness to read the Word and pray? How do you feel as you are reading the Word and praying? Do you anticipate gathering to worship with the church? Do you enjoy your time with God? If you were to evaluate your hearts affections right now, would you rank them as: hot, cold, or lukewarm?

Concluding Thoughts & Challenge

If you are attempting to live the Christian life in isolation from others, you are doomed to fail. If you believe you can get by without accountability, you are attempting a futile feat. You need others. You were made to walk with others. Accountability is a gift from God. Without it we are prone to wander and stray from God. With it we can fulfill our God-given callings and responsibilities. 

Question: Who are the first people that came to your mind as potential accountability partners while you read this post? My challenge to you is to send this article to them, ask them to read it, and then invite them to join you in an accountability relationship. 

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Need of Jesus -- Valley of Vision

Need of Jesus

Lord Jesus, 

I am blind, be thou my light, 
ignorant, be thou my wisdom, 
self-willed, be thou my mind. 

Open my ear to grasp quickly thy Spirit's voice, 
and delightfully run after his beckoning hand; 
Melt my conscience that no hardness remain, 
make it alive to evil's slightest touch;
When Satan approaches may I flee to thy wounds, 
and there cease to tremble at all alarms.

Be my good shepherd to lead me into the green pastures of thy Word, 
and cause me to lie down beside the rivers of its comforts.

Fill me with peace, 
that no disquieting worldly gales may ruffle the calm surface of my soul. 

Thy cross was upraised to be my refuge,
Thy blood steamed forth to wash me clean, 
Thy death occurred to give me a surety, 
Thy name is my property to save me, 
By the all heaven is poured into my heart, 
but it is too narrow to comprehend thy love. 

I was a stranger, an outcast, a slave, a rebel, 
but thy cross has brought me near, 
has softened my heart, 
has made me thy Father's child,
has admitted me to thy family, 
has made me joint-heir with thyself.

O that I may love thee as thou lovest me, 
that I may walk worthy of thee, my Lord,
that I may reflect the image of heaven's first-born.

May I always see thy beauty with the clear eye of faith, 
and feel the power of thy Spirit in my heart,
for unless he move mightily in me,
no inward fire will be kindled. 


The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions. Edited by Arthur Bennett, Copyright 1975. The Banner of Truth Trust. Carlisle, PA. (page 186-187)

4 Principles to Help Grow Your Ministry

Every church planter and pastor wants their church or ministry to grow. This is not a bad desire, it is a great desire. People in my tribe (Reformed) often turn their nose up at church growth, but this is silly, and downright wrong. Growing churches means that more people are hearing the gospel. Yes, there are cases where growth can be unhealthy, but having bad apples on the tree does not mean we should discount all apples. Churches and ministries are built to grow when they are functioning properly. Every pastor and planter should desire to see ministry growth. The gospel is a life-changing message. When that message begins to take root in a people and community the results can be phenomenal (see Acts).

So I want to share 4 principles from Matthew 9:35-38 that I believe can help church planters and pastors foster growth in their church or ministry. 

Matthew 9:35-38 (ESV) - 35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

4 principles from Matthew 9:35-38:

1. Planters and pastors must have a broken heart and compassion for the city.

Notice in verse 36 that Matthew records Jesus overlooking the crowds, and he had compassion for them. Cities are not the buildings, roads, or signs that hang in a geographic region, they are the people. Cities are made of people. Jesus saw the people and had compassion on them. Why? They were sheep without a shepherd. In particular, they were sheep without Christ, the chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). 

Do we truly have a burden for those people of our city who are helpless and harassed because they live their lives daily without the presence, peace, and power of the chief Shepherd - Jesus? We should. Like Nehemiah who heard of the condition of Jerusalem and its people, he wept bitterly. He was distraught. We should pray God would burden us for our cities and give us a passion for the people without Christ who live around us. Ministry is first and foremost about people, not tasks.

2. There are plenty of people to reach in your city. 

Jesus tells his disciples that the harvest is plentiful. There are tons of people to reach. The harvest is massive. However, when you look at how some pastors and church planters act, you would think there is only a handful of people to reach and other churches are their competitors for reaching them. Pastor, your church is not the only church in the community. Those other churches are not your competition. If every church in the community filled their buildings up with lost people in our cities, there would still be thousands and thousands of lost people in our cities. 

We need to leave behind the small-minded, territorial attitudes about other churches and ministries. We should celebrate when other churches are growing. They are not taking the only available lost people. The moment we realize that there will always be an abundance of lost people around us to reach, we can begin cheerleading other churches to be successful. I believe it would change the culture of our local churches if we were more vocal about our happiness for the success of other churches. You will always win when you are pro-church, instead of anti-church. Root for your neighboring churches and ministries.

3. The number of laborers you have will determine the size of your harvest. 

This point was emphasized by a pastor at the 2013 Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. The pastor was from Kenya and he expressed that Matthew 9:37 shows us that the harvest is great, but we don't have sufficient laborers. This point raises out of the text implicitly because Jesus shows them that it is not a lack of harvest that is the problem. It is a lack of laborers. If we want to reap a large harvest of people, then we need a large army of laborers. 

This immediately raises the question about how we are doing raising up leaders. If you want your ministry to grow, then you cannot do everything on your own. You have to identify, train, equip, and empower leaders around you. If you want to reach a large harvest, then you need a system and process for surrounding yourself with competent laborers. If you want to remain small, then keep doing everything yourself. The size of your harvest will depend on how many leaders are working alongside of you.

4. Prayer is a vital part of our ministry labors.

Notice that Jesus' instruction for the disciples concerning the lack of laborers was to pray. Yes, go and recruit. Yes, train and equip. But all of this should begin, continue, and conclude with prayer. There is too much riding on our efforts to not be praying. Prayer is a vital component of ministry. If you can do your ministry without prayer, you are in trouble and your ministry is built on the wrong things. We must pray to the Lord of the Harvest to give us laborers for the fields. We need to pray God would grant us more leaders. I believe this includes the prayer that God would bring leaders to our church, but I also believe it includes God giving us eyes to see the leaders that He has already sent us.

We were not always church planters and pastors. We were not always concerned about the things of the kingdom of God. God changed us. God gave us eyes to see and passion to pursue the kingdom. We were likely invited by another leader at some point to join in this pursuit of expanding the kingdom of God. We did not just arrive in the role of pastor or church planter. This tells me that there may be all-star laborers just sitting in the seats of our church, waiting to be asked, waiting to be unleashed. I believe this requires prayer. We should pray God would stir the hearts of people to desire to labor for His kingdom, and we should pray that our eyes would be opened to identifying those people.

Conclusion

Notice that these four points touch on both hearts issues and philosophy of ministry approach. The first and fourth points are both heart issues. Your compassion for the city is a heart issue. Your willingness to make prayer a vital component of your ministry is a heart issue. The second and third points are philosophy of ministry issues. Understanding there are plenty of people to reach, believing you need to equip other leaders gets to the core of your philosophy of ministry. 

I challenge you to work through each of these points from Matthew's Gospel. As a church planter and pastor, you want your church or ministry to grow. I know I do. But we must have both the right heart and philosophy of ministry to see this happen. 

Question: which of the 4 points would you say is your strongest and which is your weakest?

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How I Spend Time With God

On occasion I am asked by others how I spend time with God. Usually the question is asked from someone looking to find ideas for their own walk with God. They are curious to know what works for me, perhaps finding something helpful for themselves. I do the exact thing around other leaders. It is good to learn from others.

Since I get asked about this regularly, I decided to write about it. I'm going to outline my approach for spending time with God, then I'm going to give a few additional ideas and resources that can also be helpful.

My Approach

I like having routines. I do not always follow them perfectly, but they serve as guardrails to keep my life on the road. The following is my typical pattern and routine for spending time with God. 

1. I wake up before my wife and kids.

If you want to spend quite, uninterrupted time, you should wake up and start your day before the hustle and bustle begins. I am not against spending time with God during the middle of the day or in the evening, but I found personally I am more alert, rested, at peace, and ready to spend time with God in the morning time. If I wait until later, I either never get to it or it is always rushed and/or interrupted. Phone calls, texts, emails, and other things will snuff out quite time with God if I do not schedule it first thing.

Some people do not feel like they can afford to miss 30 to 45 minutes of additional sleep. My philosophy: I can't afford not to miss that sleep. I need to start my day with God. My family needs me to start my day with God. Something that may help you is to approach your time with God as a standing appointment. You wouldn't skip an appointment with your boss because you were sleepy. So you shouldn't skip time with God either.

2. Coffee, prayer, & self-gospeling. 

Once I am awake, I get my coffee brewing and I collect my Bible, highlighter, and pen. Once I have everything in place, I begin with a time of prayer. This prayer time is usually quick. I thank God for the gift of a new day. I praise Him for His greatness and glory. I ask Him to give me grace to read the Word and hear from Him. I pray for God to incline my heart toward His Word, so that I do more than read words on a page. It is also during this time that I rehearse the gospel message to myself. I remind myself that approaching God is all of grace. I thank God for His holiness and might. I reflect on my sinfulness and need of a Savior. I exalt in Jesus, my Substitute and Redeemer. And I place my faith once again in the risen Christ for my right standing with God. 

3. Intentional Bible Reading.

After I finish praying, I open my Bible reading plan to where I left off previously, locate the passages I am scheduled to study, and begin reading. I read carefully and thoughtfully. I highlight passages that really resonate with me or leap out. I jot down notes with my pen in my Bible's margins. When I finish my scheduled reading, but desire to read more, I'll go to the psalms or a Gospel or a letter from Paul.

I love using a Bible reading plan. I have not always done it, but I find it gives me consistency. In the past, when not using a plan, I would jump around to random texts, with no real purpose or intentionality. Using a plan that goes through all the Bible in a year keeps me neglecting major portions of Scripture I may otherwise never read. But all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for our learning (2 Timothy 3:16).

4. Closing Prayer.

After spending time in the Word, I close with prayer. This time of prayer is longer than the first, focused on repenting of sin, praying for strength, interceding for my family, and pleading for the Holy Spirit to help me apply the truths from the morning's study. While this is my closing prayer of my study time, I seek to pray throughout the day.

Additional Ideas and Resources

There are other practices that I incorporate into my time with God that are not always daily, but are regular. One of those practices is journaling. I will journal several times a week. I recount the events and conversations of the past few days that were meaningful or significant. I have done this for years, and find it enjoyable. Occasionally I'll go back and read prior entries to see how life has progressed. 

Another practice I enjoy is reading/singing/praying hymns. I love hymns. I do not always like their musical arrangement, but I cherish their lyrics. These songs are saturated with the gospel and feed the soul. I keep a hymnal on my desk. Similar to this is a handbook called Valley of Vision. It is a collection of short prayers on numerous topics. I often read one to close my morning study. 

Lastly, I like to sing. I'm not a great singer, but I enjoy doing it. I play music in the background as I pray and read. I also will pick a song or two to sing or sit in silent reflection. Music and singing flow from the heart's affections. It is difficult to enjoy music or sing if your affections are cold. I know it has been a good time with God when I'm bursting with gratitude while I sing. 

Resources: There are two books, in my opinion, that go unrivaled on the subject of spiritual disciplines and drawing closer to God. My first recommendation is Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciples for the Christian Life. This is a great book on all the different spiritual disciplines that can be incorporated into your walk with God. The second book is Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. Like the previous book, it outlines the different means of grace God has given to foster growth in our relationship with Him.

A Promise and a Challenge

James 4:8 promises that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. That is an incredible promise. If we will step toward God, make the time for Him, He will step toward and make time for us. How incredible! Take Him up on that. 

Remember Mary and Martha from Luke 10. Martha was busy, busy, busy. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha wanted Jesus to make Mary get up. Jesus' response to her is that, "one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42). Jesus said only one thing was necessary, and Mary was doing it. She was sitting at Jesus' feet. We should resolve to never begin a day without first sitting like Mary at the feet of Jesus. George Muller, the 19th century evangelist, believed it was man's first priority, each and every day, to get his soul happy in God. Let's heed that thought and spend time with God. 

Questions: what practices do you regularly incorporate into your walk with God? What new practices have you considered trying? Leave your thoughts and comments below.


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Spiritual Slumps

Sports fans are accustomed to hearing about slumps. Basketball players have shooting slumps. Baseball players have hitting slumps. A slump for them is a season of time in which they have a difficult time making a shot or getting a hit. 

Slumps are common in sports. It is unrealistic to think you can constantly make shots or get hits. So when players go through this, we often here the antidote prescribed, "they need to shoot their way out of the slump" or "they need to keep swinging the bat until they hit their way out of the slump." 

The idea is that they need to keep going through the habits and routines of their craft, be it shooting a basketball or hitting a baseball, until they get out of the slump. 

In the Christian life, we also experience slumps. It is not uncommon for us to go through spiritual slumps. During these times our relationship with God feels stagnant, stifled, and unproductive. These seasons can make it difficult to pray, read the Bible, or gather with the church in corporate worship.

So how do we get out of these slumps? Is there an antidote for overcoming these times?

The same advice given to sports players would be my advice for getting out of a spiritual slump. You need to "hit" your way out of it. You need to "shoot" yourself out of these slumps. What do I mean? You need to keep going through the habits and routines of our spiritual disciplines, until we get out of the slump. 

The greatest thing we can do during our spiritual slumps is start pouring ourselves into the Word of God. We need to read and reflect and rejoice at God in His Word. We need to pray. Pray without ceasing and with a fervency that God would awaken our cold hearts to Him. We need to gather with the church for worship. We need to be singing the praises of God and hearing sermons from the Bible. 

James 4:8 tells us "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you..."

The promise of this verse is that if we will make a move toward God, He will make a move toward us. If we are in a spiritual slump, the antidote is to run hard after God. God is not elusive, He is not hiding from us. 

So if you are currently in a spiritual slump, or soon find you are, shoot your way out through prayer and Scripture reading until you are out. 

Question: how often do you find yourself in spiritual slumps? What things have you found helpful for getting out of them?

Away with the Traditional "Sinner's Prayer"

How does someone come to faith in Christ? Is there a magic prayer which changes our status as hell-bound sinner to heaven-bound saint? Are our words alone enough to change our heart of stone to a heart of flesh that feels and beats for the Savior King?

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the "Sinner's Prayer" has gained mass popularity by television evangelist, revival preachers, and now, most mainstream churches. It typically goes something like this, "Just admit to God that you are a sinner, tell him that you believe in His Son Jesus, and commit your life tonight/this morning that you want to be a Christian. Friend, if you prayed that prayer then you are now saved. Your sins are forgiven and you will one day spend eternity with God when you die." Other things are often added or expounded upon, but for the most part, this is something we have grown accustomed to hearing from others. The question we should ask is: is this right?

Before this became the "popular" and "acceptable" way of leading someone to the Lord how did pastors, laypeople, and others instruct sinners on finding grace? This is a terribly important question! A friend of mine, pastor and blogger Tim Brister, recently posted a "Sinner's Prayer" on his blog from 19th century bishop J.C. Ryle (whom I thoroughly enjoy reading). I have posted this prayer below, see if you can notice the difference in how one should seek grace. See which of the prayers best models a biblical picture.

Ryle's Prayer:

When does the building of the Spirit really begin to appear in a man’s heart? It begins, so far as we can judge, when he first pours out his heart to God in prayer. 

If you desire salvation, and want to know what to do, I advise you to go this very day to the Lord Jesus Christ, in the first private place you can find, and earnestly and heartily entreat him in prayer to save your soul. 

Tell him that you have heard that he receives sinners, and has said, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.” Tell him that you are a poor vile sinner, and that you come to him on the faith of his own invitation. Tell him you put yourself wholly and entirely in his hands; that you feel vile and helpless, and hopeless in yourself: and that except he saves you, you have no hope of being saved at all. Beseech him to deliver you from the guilt, the power, and the consequences of sin. Beseech him to pardon you, and wash you in his own blood. Beseech him to give you a new heart, and plant the Holy Spirit in Your Soul. Beseech him to give you grace and faith and will and power to be his disciple and servant from this day forever. Oh, reader, go this very day, and tell these things to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you really are in earnest about your soul. 

Tell him in your own way, and your own words. If a doctor came to see you when sick you could tell him where you felt pain. If your soul feels its disease indeed, you can surely find something to tell Christ. 

Doubt not his willingness to save you, because you are a sinner. It is Christ’s office to save sinners. He says himself, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). 

Wait not because you feel unworthy. Wait for nothing. Wait for nobody. Waiting comes from the devil. just as you are, go to Christ. The worse you are, the more need you have to apply to him. You will never mend yourself by staying away. 

Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you. Just as a mother understands the first lispings of her infant, so does the blessed Saviour understand sinners. He can read a sigh, and see a meaning in a groan. 

Despair not because you do not get an answer immediately. While you are speaking, Jesus is listening. If he delays an answer, it is only for wise reasons, and to try if you are in earnest. The answer will surely come. Though it tarry, wait for it. It will surely come.
Oh, reader, if you have any desire to, be saved, remember the advice I have given you this day. Act upon it honestly and heartily, and you shall be saved.

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A Prayer for the Overwhelmed

We often find ourselves tired, worn-out, and at the end of our ropes. Sometimes we become overwhelmed with all the circumstances that life has thrown at us. For many, this can become an incredibly difficult time in your faith. Many different things and scenarios can create this feeling, but regardless of the situation, the Bible tells us that Christ is enough. Our great God has given us the promise, in His Word, that He is with us and for us. In these times it is important to pray and to seek God through these times, not turn from Him. I have offered a prayer, for those of you who may struggle with the words to find when life is weighing you down. Pray this prayer from your own heart, and trust the Lord to do what He does for those who seek Him.

Father, I begin with praising Your name. You are worthy to be exalted and praised in all things, even when I am stressed. You are worthy to be lifted up and glorified, in and through my life, even when all is in chaos. I humbly come to You, my great God and King, and declare that it is true that You are all I have, and all I really need. While my heart knows this to be true, my flesh often runs to meet my own needs and relys upon my own strength. Help me today Lord to recognize that You are the great Sovereign Lord over all things, and that You invite me to bring every need I have, big or small, to You. You desire for me to bring my anxieties, depression, financial burdens, relationship problems, addictions, sins, and all things to You, as You teach me that I cannot bear them on my own. Help me to live in submission to You today. Help me to let go of things that I cannot control, though I desperately cling tightly to them.  

I want to pray specifically for those pressing issues in my life Lord, that perhaps only You know about. I pray for physical and emotional strength to walk through this day in such a way that only You receive the glory. I know in order for this to happen, I will need for You to undergird my faith and give me spiritual strength. Help me to face the battles that surround me with a confidence that can come only from You. Help me to keep my eyes focused on Jesus, the One who gave His life so that I would not walk alone. May the presence of Jesus in me be real today. Lord, I need you and I want you. Holy Spirit come, lead me, guide me, comfort me, help me through this time in my life. Help me to live in faithful obedience each moment of each day, and to not get overwhelmed by my circumstances. I know that you oh God are over all things. I know You can absolutely step in and change my circumstances. But even if You don't oh Lord, I will follow You still. I know that if You leave me in these circumstances, then there must be something You intend to do in me through them. Help me to learn to trust You instead of trying to be You. 

Thank You Triune God: Father, Son, and Spirit, that I am invited to come to You. Though I have no merit of my own, through Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, I am invited to experience deep fellowship with the Father as I pray to Him. I know that You are with me. May that comfort me today in all I do. 

I pray this in the name of Jesus, precious Lord & sufficient Savior, Amen. 

Leave a comment below: What things can I or others being praying for you about? Do you ever find yourself so overwhelmed with life that even praying can become difficult? Explain

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Making Time for What Matters

Life moves at a rapid pace for everyone. We have to quit making excuses for the things we fail to do. "I am just too busy" or "I just can't find the time" is not a valid excuse for failing to do things that are important. There are many things that are important for us to do in our lives that we have managed to carve out daily time for:

1. Sleeping
2. Eating
3. Bathing
4. Brushing Teeth
5. Etc.

We would all agree that these things are important for our daily physical health, and so we do them. We have learned over the years to create a routine and pattern that allows for these things to happen. We rarely have to think about doing these things, we just do them.

But what about habits that are necessary for our spiritual health?

Do you have a built-in routine and schedule in your daily life that allows for:

1. Scripture Reading
2. Prayer
3. Family Worship
4. Fasting
5. Etc.

We will do things in our lives that we have planned to do. You may feel that the spiritual disciplines I listed above are different from the habits we have created for physical necessities, but their not. The spiritual health of our lives are just as vital as our physical health. In addition, our spiritual lives will absolutely effect our physical lives. We must carve the time out and develop routines that make these things as second nature as eating, bathing, brushing our teeth, and sleeping. These things should be non-negotiable. We do them not because we "need" to but because we "must."

The benefits of building these routines into our lives far outweigh the costs. Not only will we be building great habits into our lives, the real benefit gained is that these disciplines are a means of grace that God has given to us to fellowship and grow with Him. They are not an end, they are a means to an end - communion and fellowship with God. We need this more than we need our next breath. It is the most important matter in our lives.

So the question I pose is: are you making time for what matters?

What routines have you created to help you build these disciplines in your lives? What struggles do you have when trying to implement these? Which of the few I mention do you find the easiest to do and which are the hardest?

Haiti, The Gospel, and God's Sovereignty

The tragic story of what has and is happening in Haiti is astounding. To think of thousands in a matter of moments being killed by such a unsuspecting event is horrifying. Yet in the midst of this tragedy and sorrow, we must be reminded that God is sovereign. Though we wish we could turn away and it disappear, we must be reminded that our world is broken and awaiting the return of its Savior to bring it to final redemption. And though we don't always understand why or how things like this can happen under God's watch, we are reminded that the people of Haiti need the gospel, and this tragedy will and can usher that in.

Unlike crazy Pat Robertson, who I can't believe I have to call a brother in Christ, I do not believe God was acting out some kind of judgment on Haiti. Instead, I believe it is a good reminder from God's Word (Romans 8) that all creation is moaning as in the pains of childbirth, awaiting the redemption of the sons and daughters of God. Awaiting the return of Christ. Awaiting final restoration.

As a church (The Journey), we are looking at ways that we can help bring relief to Haitian people. We will have updates to come soon on how you can get involved. In the mean time, here are several things we should partner together to pray for:

1. That the relief efforts and aid being sent and delivered would help relieve some of the physical suffering going on.

2. That the gospel of Jesus would come in power and that many would find hope and salvation.

3. That parents who lost children and children who lost parents would be comforted by the great Comforter.

4. That as a global community, God could use a tragedy of this nature, to remind us that the "betterment" of earth is not where our hope should lie. It is in Jesus Christ in whom we put our faith. We believe he is going to return to make right the wrongs that have occurred on earth. There will be final restoration. We look to that day.

Take some time today to pray for the country of Haiti. Pray for the people. Pray for the relief workers and missionaries who are hitting the ground. Pray for a mighty move of the Spirit of God there, that Jesus may be made known.