1. Generic prayer doesn’t leave me disappointed. If I don’t really ask the Lord for anything, then He can’t tell me NO. I do my best to avoid hearing NO whenever possible.
2. Generic prayer consumes much less time and energy. Convenience is terribly important to me. I have a rather busy schedule, so I prefer to cover all my bases with broad, prayerful strokes.
3. Generic prayer doesn’t force me to think about my own sin. Instead of repenting of specific sins and sin issues, why not just acknowledge sinfulness in general. Much less messy.
4. Generic prayer doesn’t force me to grow in holiness. If I don’t ask the Holy Spirit to help me to grow in holiness and Christ-likeness in specific areas of my life, then I’m not disappointed if I don’t. I’m usually able to convince myself that I have experienced “overall net growth.” 
5. Generic prayer doesn’t force my relationship with my Father to grow in intimacy. Sometimes it’s just easier to keep those we care about at a healthy distance.
6. Generic prayer doesn’t cause me to exercise my faith. If I keep it general, then there is no need to trust that my God is big, sovereign, mighty, loving, and capable of providing an answer. I do trust Him, but there is no need to press the issue.
7. General prayer doesn’t force me to wrestle with the heaviness of Jesus’ death on the cross. Enough said.

What about you? Do you pray generic prayers? Are you experiencing these benefits as well?

Just yesterday a stranger entered First Baptist Church of Maryville, Ill., walked down the center aisle in the middle of the 8:15 service, shot and killed Senior Pastor Fred Winters after the two briefly exchanged words.  The gunman was subdued by two church members after drawing a knife and stabbing himself.

From the First Baptist Church website:

On Sunday, March 8, 2009, a little after our 8:15 service began, a man entered First Baptist Church and fired several gunshots at our Senior Pastor, Dr. Fred Winters. Pastor Winters was taken to the hospital but died of his wounds.

Please pray for Dr. Winter’s family, our two brave members who were injured when they stopped the assailant, for the assailant himself and his family, and for our church members as they deal with this tragic loss.

In this day, where uncertainty seems to abound creating an environment in which people are vulnerable in doing things they might not do otherwise, one thing is certain, we, as human beings need a foundation upon which we can live our lives. We at First Baptist Maryville, along with other Christian believers, share this conviction: that foundation is God’s Word. In the pages of the Book we call the Bible, we find the pathway for peace, hope, and a quality of living life despite what circumstances we find ourselves in.

To those who believe in the power of prayer, we covet your prayers right now. 

Please take time to pray for Pastor Fred Winters’ friends, family, loved ones, as well as for the First Baptist Church body.

May the Lord be glorified, even in the midst of this great tragedy. 

You can read the full news story here.

Sadly, I’m not making this up. This is often the attitude I bring to the table when making decisions. Can you relate? Now, I’m not talking about little decisions like “what should I eat for dinner” either. I’m talking about major life decisions. Should I stay at my current job or make a change? Should I go to seminary? Should I move to another city or stay put?

This sounds absolutely absurd, doesn’t it? Yes, but also very true. This is often the way I make decisions. This is ALWAYS the way I make bad decisions.

I expect that there are a number of sin issues at play here: pride, selfishness, unwillingness to submit completely to God and God’s will for my life, laziness and ignorance to name a few. Fortunately, the Lord has saved me from myself multiple times. I have seen many metaphorical doors slammed shut in my face over the years. I thank the Lord for that. I have faced the consequences of many bad decisions along the way as well.

What if I exercised an greater dependence upon the Lord when making life’s decisions, big and small? What if I resolved to resist the temptation to lean on my own understanding? What if I humbly approached the Lord and sought His will for my life through prayer and the diligent study of His Word when faced with a decision? What if I got out of my own way?

I think I’ll pray about it…

How do you make important decisions? How much prayer, Bible study, etc. goes into the decisions you make?

Lent begins tomorrow. Do you participate in this season of fasting? What will you be giving up?

Comment below.

I would, however, like to focus attention upon one specific word used by Warren:

“I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus (hay-SOOS)…”

A fair amount of debate and controversy has arisen over Rick Warren’s use of the word “Isa.” Isa, his critics claim, is a name (from the Qur’an) used for Jesus by Arab Muslims. Arab Christians, on the other hand, widely use the name Yasu’ for Jesus. Isa, a prophet, was not God-incarnate nor was he the son of God.  He was neither crucified nor was he raised from the dead. Isa is not the Jesus of the Bible.

This is a problem.

By praying in the name of Isa, Warren has incorporated a Muslim concept of Jesus into a Christian prayer. Muslims have been allowed to define terms as they see fit while the Biblical truth of the nature of Jesus Christ has been lost in translation.

For the Jesus of the Bible is the son of God, fully human and fully divine. He was crucified and raised again, so that sins might be forgiven.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-20, ESV)

It is only by the blood of Jesus that Rick Warren and other Believers might approach a most holy God with their prayers and petitions.

Jesus, Yasu’.  Not Isa.

Now seems to be a very appropriate time for me to point out that I am not an expert on this topic.  If you have further insight to offer on either side if this issue, please include it in the comments below. Please also note any helpful resources you may stumble across.

January 20, 2009 has quickly come to an end and there is little I can say to capture the significance of today’s events that has not already been said. Today, the pages of tomorrow’s history books were written before my very eyes. Today, I am especially proud to call myself an American.

Here are a few of my thoughts regarding the day’s events:

• It wasn’t an entirely happy day for me. In fact, I would say that my mood today has been downright somber. Some of you who know me well might guess that this is because I didn’t vote for Barack Obama. Good guess…but no. Our country is lost. Did you see it? Americans desperately yearn for change, for hope, for restoration, for joy, for happiness, for renewal and reconciliation. Unfortunately, they are looking to a mere man, Barack Obama, to provide all of these things. They will be left unfulfilled. True hope, joy, happiness, restoration, renewal, and restoration are found only in Christ. We have been given an incredible opportunity and platform to share the Gospel with those around us. Will we respond?
• George W. Bush has been shown very little respect by his critics. In fact, he was mocked today as he arrived at the inauguration ceremony. The office of the Presidency demands a certain amount of respect – respect that President Bush was rarely shown. It is not wrong to disagree with the President, but one should disagree respectfully. I pray that Christians (many of whom, like myself, passionately disagree with President Obama on countless issues) show our President the respect he deserves. We are being watched and must conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ.
• Say what you will about Pastor Rick Warren, but it was wonderful to hear the name of Jesus proclaimed boldly at the end of his Inauguration Prayer. 
• I fear that many are guilty of raising up Barack Obama as an idol.  
• I hope that one day, events such as these will not be surrounded with such celebration, as they will be commonplace.
• Obama is has an incredible ability to motivate and inspire with his rhetoric, but how well will he perform in the trenches?
• I am amazed at the number of people who refer to President Obama as simply “Barack.” I can’t imagine he appreciates that any more than George, Bill, George, Ronald, or Jimmy did.  
• Pastor John Piper recalls some very relevant thoughts about Being Pro-Life Christians Under a Pro-Choice President.
• CNN.com Live with Facebook was incredible.

 I look forward to seeing what our sovereign Lord does in our country over the next four years. May He be glorified.

I am not a morning person – and my Christian walk suffers because of this fact. It is more likely that I stay up until 5:00 AM than wake up at 5:00 AM. Quiet times spent in prayer and studying God’s word occur in the evening, afternoon at the earliest. At that point, most of my day has already passed.

MY MISSION: To become a morning person. Not because it drives my wife nuts that I press the snooze button 15 times every day (though this would certainly be a noble cause in itself). Not because I would be more productive. Not because breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Rather, because I am convinced that the Lord would be more glorified by my life if I were a morning person.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35 (ESV)

I’ll let you know how it goes. Who knows…if I’m successful, perhaps I’ll find time to post here on a REGULAR basis!

Any tips? Leave them in the comments…

Imagine that you and five friends are watching a three-year-old video recording of a pastor delivering a message. As the sermon comes to an end, the pastor closes with a prayer. You look around the room and see that three of your friends are praying with their heads down while you exchange unsure glances with the other two.

What do you do in this situation? Do you pray along with the pastor? What if you don’t? Is that wrong?

Of course, the Lord will hear my prayers if I pray along with the pastor, but what about the pastor’s recorded prayer? Does the Lord hear it? Does He answer it? If the Lord does hear and answers the prayer, then my next question is this: Can I “pray without ceasing” by looping an audio recording of myself praying?

Is it sad that I have spent a significant amount of time pondering this issue?

The National Day of Prayer Task Force’s mission is to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family.

I can’t say that I disagree with any one part of the Task Force’s mission statement. Every individual is in need of repentance. Prayer is vitally important. The Christian community should pray for the United States and its leadership. That said, I do have some questions,thoughts, and concerns regarding the National Day of Prayer:

1. One-Day Event

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

I understand that most Christians do not limit their prayer lives to one day per year. Yet, I am concerned about one single, prayer-focused day. Black History Month, for example, is celebrated each year in schools across the country. African-American culture, leaders, literature, history – all packed into the month of February. Careful planning allows for the discussion of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Movement all before the end of the month. To what end? So that Black History can be forgotten for the remainder of the year? Where is Black History in the month of March and April? Shouldn’t Black History be integrated into everyday curriculum in the same manner that White History has been? So, too, should prayer be integrated into our daily lives. So, too, should we emphasize the importance of prayer each and every Sunday in our churches. We must maintain a certain level of prayer “intensity” throughout the year.

2. Public Prayer

Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. (Matt 6:5-6a HCSB)

The National Day of Prayer is very public in nature. When I participate in public prayer events this Thursday, can I be sure that my motives are pure? Why is it necessary for Christians to pray in public on this day? What if Christians gathered to pray in basements or in churches instead of around flag poles outside of public buildings? Surely, our prayers are not more effective if done in public. Why pray publically then? The temptation to pray for the wrong reasons becomes too strong. We must take a long, hard look at our motives. One might argue that that millions of Christians gathered to pray in public serves as a great witnessing tool. I am not convinced that prayer should be used as a witnessing tool before an audience.

3. Guilty by Association

How do we separate those who are praying out of duty to their civic religion or political party from those who are praying out of an authentic love for Christ? Not only is this day celebrated by Christians (that is, Christ-followers), but also by politicians and the religious.

Be assured that others are watching as we join hands with other professed Christians whom we do not know. They are watching me and the woman standing next to me. We will both be identified as the same brand of “Christians” by on-looking outsiders and non-Christians. I will be judged by her actions and she will be judged by mine. Do you know how she lives her life, what she does with her weekends, what she believes?

4. The Nations

And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; because You were slaughtered, and you redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Rev 5:9 HCSB)

I see nothing wrong with praying for one’s own country. That said, Christians must pray for all nations and all people. I remember to pray often for our troops, our leaders, our children, our country. How often do I lift up my own enemies and the enemies of the United States in prayer? Do I pray for their salvation? Do I pray that they would one day experience and accept the love of Christ? Do I truly have a heart for the world and God’s plan for the nations?

Once again, my intention is not to be abrasive with my thoughts and comments, but rather, to encourage dialog. I believe it to be the duty of all Believers in Christ to think critically about anything tagged with the “Christian” adjective. The National Day of Prayer now carries this label. May the Lord be glorified in our prayers tomorrow and all the days that follow.

Loved it? Hated it? Will you participating in National Day of Prayer events this year? How do you remain diligent and disciplined in your prayer life?