“I have always been taught to end a prayer with ‘in Jesus’name’. Does the Bible
teach this?”—Charles
The practice arises from Jesus’ teaching found in John’s gospel (14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24). Many Christians take His words literally, routinely beginning or ending prayers with this precise formula. This is not a bad practice.
The problem, of course, arises when the words become rote to the point that they have no real significance to the speaker. For some folks, the phrase is a legalistic requirement for legitimizing the prayer. For others, the words take on a magical quality; i.e., the speaker assumes that if he attaches this phrase to the petition, then God is obligated to respond accordingly.
Praying “in Jesus’ name” is affirming one’s faith in Jesus as the Son of God who, as our “great High Priest” (Heb. 8, 9, 10), hears our heart cry. The one who prays with this understanding is reaching out to Him with unfettered faith.
Furthermore, this prayer is a declaration that the one who is praying desires deeply what Christ Himself desires. In ancient thought, one’s name was a reflection of one’s character and purpose. Thus, to speak in a person’s name was to express agreement with the nature and will of that person. Jesus’ name means “The Lord saves”. To pray in His name is to recall who He is and what He has done for us through His death and resurrection. In this prayer, we recognize our need for grace and forgiveness as well as our desire for His will to be done in our lives and in our world (see Matt. 18:19-20; I Jn.5:13-15).
All our prayers, especially our requests, should be couched in our willingness to accept God’s will, believing that He knows what is best for His children.
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Praying Without Ceasing
“What does it mean to ‘pray without ceasing’? I just can’t interrupt my life to stop
and pray all the time.”—Jay
This text appears in a passage where Paul is giving instructions for Christian living (I Thess. 5:13-17ff). “Live in peace with one another,” he says. “Admonish the unruly, encourage the fearful, help the weak, be patient with everyone . . . always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.” Most of the verbs used here are present, active, imperatives; i.e., strong instruction to “keep on doing these things; don’t stop; make them a habit.” Paul continues, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing . . . in everything give thanks.”
The exhortation has more to do with attitude and condition of the heart than it does saying a particular set of words, assuming a certain position (e.g., kneeling) or being in a certain location. Fundamentally, prayer as communion with God is inherent in the believer’s daily life. Praying is beginning the day aware of His presence and gladly speaking to Him. It is submitting your plans for the day to Him, seeking His mind in decision making and bending your will to match His.
Prayer takes place as you marvel at the wonders of the world and perceive every blessing large and small as evidence of His hand in your life. Prayer involves recognizing trials and troubles as opportunities to deepen in your faith, even as you bring heartache and grief to the One who hears and cares and heals.
Continuous prayer flows from the conviction that He guarantees your eternal destiny with resurrection power, freeing you to live fully in the world (I Pet. 1:3-5). Concluding each day with Him, consciously grateful for His grace, provision and guidance—this is prayer without ceasing.
and pray all the time.”—Jay
This text appears in a passage where Paul is giving instructions for Christian living (I Thess. 5:13-17ff). “Live in peace with one another,” he says. “Admonish the unruly, encourage the fearful, help the weak, be patient with everyone . . . always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.” Most of the verbs used here are present, active, imperatives; i.e., strong instruction to “keep on doing these things; don’t stop; make them a habit.” Paul continues, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing . . . in everything give thanks.”
The exhortation has more to do with attitude and condition of the heart than it does saying a particular set of words, assuming a certain position (e.g., kneeling) or being in a certain location. Fundamentally, prayer as communion with God is inherent in the believer’s daily life. Praying is beginning the day aware of His presence and gladly speaking to Him. It is submitting your plans for the day to Him, seeking His mind in decision making and bending your will to match His.
Prayer takes place as you marvel at the wonders of the world and perceive every blessing large and small as evidence of His hand in your life. Prayer involves recognizing trials and troubles as opportunities to deepen in your faith, even as you bring heartache and grief to the One who hears and cares and heals.
Continuous prayer flows from the conviction that He guarantees your eternal destiny with resurrection power, freeing you to live fully in the world (I Pet. 1:3-5). Concluding each day with Him, consciously grateful for His grace, provision and guidance—this is prayer without ceasing.
Why should I pray?
“If God knows everything, why should I pray?”
—Jay
There are many texts in the Bible which address prayer. It is a broad topic which has given rise to many different methods and views of communication with God. Since we can’t discuss all of these, let’s focus on a few basic principles of prayer.
Prayer, to a great degree, is a way of life, a continual dialogue with God, speaking and listening (I Thess. 5:17.) It is a rehearsing of God’s promises and provision, a grateful celebration of joy and life. (Many prayers recorded in Scripture reflect this.)
Prayer is the deep cry of the soul when human resources come to an end. We are invited to bring all our petitions to God—and we are promised peace as an answer (Phil 4:6-7.)
In our prayer, we acknowledge our dependence on God. The “Model Prayer” (Matt.6:9-11) affirms that the holy, sovereign, heavenly Father, God, is the One in whom we place our trust and whose purpose we desire to see fulfilled on earth. This same prayer incorporates an ethical dimension: we ask God to teach us how to forgive and to live.
With these things in mind, we more clearly understand that prayer is not simply a recitation of a wish list, focused on “me and what I want.” Prayer is an activity that, in the doing, changes me, making me into the person God wants me to be, transforming my mind and spirit to be more like His.
There are many texts in the Bible which address prayer. It is a broad topic which has given rise to many different methods and views of communication with God. Since we can’t discuss all of these, let’s focus on a few basic principles of prayer.
Prayer, to a great degree, is a way of life, a continual dialogue with God, speaking and listening (I Thess. 5:17.) It is a rehearsing of God’s promises and provision, a grateful celebration of joy and life. (Many prayers recorded in Scripture reflect this.)
Prayer is the deep cry of the soul when human resources come to an end. We are invited to bring all our petitions to God—and we are promised peace as an answer (Phil 4:6-7.)
In our prayer, we acknowledge our dependence on God. The “Model Prayer” (Matt.6:9-11) affirms that the holy, sovereign, heavenly Father, God, is the One in whom we place our trust and whose purpose we desire to see fulfilled on earth. This same prayer incorporates an ethical dimension: we ask God to teach us how to forgive and to live.
With these things in mind, we more clearly understand that prayer is not simply a recitation of a wish list, focused on “me and what I want.” Prayer is an activity that, in the doing, changes me, making me into the person God wants me to be, transforming my mind and spirit to be more like His.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Sword of the Spirit
“Is the ‘sword of the Spirit’ mentioned in the ‘armor of God’ passage a reference to the Bible or could it be something else?”—Ben
In this familiar passage (Eph. 6:10-17), the “sword of the Spirit” is followed by the phrase “which is the word of God.” We have been taught that this “word of God” is indeed referring to the Bible . . . and why not? “The Word of God” is a commonly used appellation for the Bible, at least in our day. Support of this usage is found in Jesus’ refutation of Satan with Scripture, declaring that man should live “on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:1-11).
Interestingly and importantly, the use of “word” in the New Testament denotes several things besides the written word: Jesus seems to indicate that the Old Testament command is the “word of God” (Mt. 15:6); the congregational proclamation of Christ is the “word” (Col 3:16); Jesus is God’s word of personal revelation (Jn. 1:1, 14); “the living and enduring word” is the good news which saves, “the word which was preached to you” (I Pet. 1:23, 25). The “word of God” is living and active, piercing the soul and judging thoughts (Heb. 4:12). None of these passages either demands or denies that “word” must always stand as a reference to the Bible as we know it.
Since you raised the question, perhaps we could consider another interpretation of “the word of God” in Eph. 6:17. Perhaps it is a reference to prayer! This makes sense contextually: the next two verses mention prayer and petition (“in the Spirit”) five times. It makes sense theologically: prayer is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. It makes practical sense: boldness for witnessing comes through prayer. It’s worth thinking about!
In this familiar passage (Eph. 6:10-17), the “sword of the Spirit” is followed by the phrase “which is the word of God.” We have been taught that this “word of God” is indeed referring to the Bible . . . and why not? “The Word of God” is a commonly used appellation for the Bible, at least in our day. Support of this usage is found in Jesus’ refutation of Satan with Scripture, declaring that man should live “on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:1-11).
Interestingly and importantly, the use of “word” in the New Testament denotes several things besides the written word: Jesus seems to indicate that the Old Testament command is the “word of God” (Mt. 15:6); the congregational proclamation of Christ is the “word” (Col 3:16); Jesus is God’s word of personal revelation (Jn. 1:1, 14); “the living and enduring word” is the good news which saves, “the word which was preached to you” (I Pet. 1:23, 25). The “word of God” is living and active, piercing the soul and judging thoughts (Heb. 4:12). None of these passages either demands or denies that “word” must always stand as a reference to the Bible as we know it.
Since you raised the question, perhaps we could consider another interpretation of “the word of God” in Eph. 6:17. Perhaps it is a reference to prayer! This makes sense contextually: the next two verses mention prayer and petition (“in the Spirit”) five times. It makes sense theologically: prayer is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. It makes practical sense: boldness for witnessing comes through prayer. It’s worth thinking about!
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
What do pastors do?
“What exactly does a pastor do?”—Linda
The old joke goes, “The pastor has it easy—he works only one hour a week!”
If the pastor follows the biblical descriptions, he has plenty to do in that hour! Much of what we understand of the role comes from Paul’s writings to the young pastor Timothy as well as some examples from the ministry of Paul himself and the other apostles.
Among these responsibilities are teaching (I Tim. 1:3; 2:7; 4:13), praying (I Tim. 2:1-8; Acts 6:4; Eph. 6:18-20), reminding (exhorting, preaching, correcting, etc., II Tim. 2:25; 4:2; Titus 2:15), evangelizing (II Tim. 4:5), and encouraging (this was at the core of Paul’s ministry in the book of Acts).
The role of the modern pastor, pivoting around these tasks, might also include daily study, planning and leading in worship services, visiting (homes and hospitals), making phone calls and writing notes, carrying out administrative duties (meeting routinely with various leadership groups in the congregation, working with budgets, coordinating with other church staff, participating in numerous organizing and planning sessions), doing various mission activities (both local and long distance), spending time with a wide range of age groups (including senior adults, youth and children), writing and editing articles, newsletters and weekly bulletins, officiating at weddings, baptisms and baby dedications, conducting funerals, devoting many hours to pastoral counseling (responding to the emotional and spiritual needs of people through the use of Scripture and prayer), and being involved in various ways in the local community.
The old joke goes, “The pastor has it easy—he works only one hour a week!”
If the pastor follows the biblical descriptions, he has plenty to do in that hour! Much of what we understand of the role comes from Paul’s writings to the young pastor Timothy as well as some examples from the ministry of Paul himself and the other apostles.
Among these responsibilities are teaching (I Tim. 1:3; 2:7; 4:13), praying (I Tim. 2:1-8; Acts 6:4; Eph. 6:18-20), reminding (exhorting, preaching, correcting, etc., II Tim. 2:25; 4:2; Titus 2:15), evangelizing (II Tim. 4:5), and encouraging (this was at the core of Paul’s ministry in the book of Acts).
The role of the modern pastor, pivoting around these tasks, might also include daily study, planning and leading in worship services, visiting (homes and hospitals), making phone calls and writing notes, carrying out administrative duties (meeting routinely with various leadership groups in the congregation, working with budgets, coordinating with other church staff, participating in numerous organizing and planning sessions), doing various mission activities (both local and long distance), spending time with a wide range of age groups (including senior adults, youth and children), writing and editing articles, newsletters and weekly bulletins, officiating at weddings, baptisms and baby dedications, conducting funerals, devoting many hours to pastoral counseling (responding to the emotional and spiritual needs of people through the use of Scripture and prayer), and being involved in various ways in the local community.
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