Radical Womanhood

Praying for the Right Things

Driving down the road yesterday, I caught a bit of John MacArthur's daily radio show. The broadcast was called "Praying for the Right Things (Part 1)." It was a perfect message to hear in light of yesterday's post on women boldly praying. I tuned in during the middle of the broadcast. Dr. MacArthur was talking about how Jesus--who not only knew how everything would turn out, but was actually in charge of making it happen--still prayed during His life here on this earth. If Jesus prayed, then how much more should we pray?!

Dr. MacArthur followed that by saying: "We cannot, then, believe in the sovereignty of God, we cannot just believe in the teaching of the Word of God, if it somehow strips us of the passion to pray. Prayer then is a heart longing to unite with the holy purposes of God for their accomplishment. . . .Prayer is the act in which I line up with the purposes of God and through which He works those purposes to fulfillment. Prayer moves God, God moves His people, who move in response. So that's the resource and whatever you may believe about the sovereignty of God, no matter how firm your confidence that He is in charge of everything, it cannot diminish your prayer life."

Then Dr. MacArthur looked at 2 Thessalonians 1:11 and what Paul wrote about prayer: "To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power."

"Those three things are magnificent things. Worthiness? That has to do with spiritual character--that the Lord would make you the kind of person you ought to be. Fulfillment? That God would then fulfill in your life circumstances every holy longing. And then, finally, that whatever service you do will be done with power...That's the right stuff to pray for," he said.

I highly recommend listening to the entire message.

May God fulfill in your life circumstances every holy longing!

How Then Should We Pray?

My sister, Alice, was recently praying with her daughters and said, "Let's pray that God speaks to us about this situation." And my niece, Claire, responded, "But, Momma, God is always speaking. Let's pray for ears to hear Him." What a delightful response of faith!

But what about when it seems we are dull in hearing and dull in heart? What about those times when we think God once spoke to us about something, but it was many, many years ago and we've not seen any change in the circumstances we are praying about? Or what about when our prayers seemingly are met with silence? Are we then tempted to conclude that silence or no circumstantial change means we should give up?

I think if we're honest all of us would say yes. I know I would. There are many times when my faith has flagged and my brothers and sisters in the Lord have had to, in effect, hold my arms up in prayer. Their intercession for both the subject of the prayers and the weary person who has been praying is critical and invaluable. I want to be faithful in persevering prayer, but I can find myself flailing in a sea of unbelief, bitterness, apathy, and even despair.

For this reason, I have found comfort in the perseverance of Isaac's prayers. Genesis 25:21 tells us that Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was barren, and the Lord answered him and Rebekah conceived. If we read that passage in a hurry, we miss the test of faith. For the previous verse tells us Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah. But it's not until verse 26 that we find out that Isaac was 60 when Esau and Jacob were born. Infertility is a difficult test for any couple, but when you are supposed to be the child of promise and the ancestor of future nations, childlessness is truly trying. (Especially when your half-brother, Ishmael, is having no trouble producing offspring!)

So, for 20 years, Isaac (and, presumably, Rebekah) prayed. They prayed through all her most fertile years--and still, nothing. Perhaps Isaac remembered the lesson he learned as a teen about how the Lord is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides, and he stood firm. But Scripture shows that the common human experience is an imperfect track record, so I'm convinced that Isaac was like all the rest of us--waxing and waning in faith, but by the grace of God, still persevering. I like how Ligonier Ministries' Tabletalk publication comments on this situation:

The record of Ishmael's offspring concludes the first half of Genesis 25. Here we see clearly how the Lord has been true to His promises to Abraham and Hagar. As God predicted in 16:7-12, 17:20, and 21:13, the Egyptian's son fathered twelve princes who grew into a great nation settling "over against all his kinsmen" (25:12-18).

However, as Moses begins the "generations of Isaac"...we find the Creator's pledge to multiply the promised heir (17:15-19) as yet unfulfilled. Undoubtedly, the Abrahamic promises of salvation (life, land, and descendants, 12:1-3) rest upon Isaac's shoulders. Moses again mentions that Abraham fathered Isaac (25:19) to remind us that he is the covenant heir. But Rebekah is barren; no son is apparently forthcoming for Isaac (v. 21a).

Isaac does what all believers must do when facing a desperate situation: he prays to his Father in heaven. His prayer is remarkable both for its intensity and duration. The Hebrew for Isaac's intercession ('athar) is the same word Pharaoh uses when he begs Moses to entreat Yahweh to stop sending the plagues to Egypt (Ex. 8:8). Isaac also likely offered costly sacrifices as he prayed since Zephaniah 3:10 uses a related noun to speak of those who will bring offerings to the Lord. Moreover, Isaac did not stop praying when Rebekah's womb was not immediately opened. He continued on his knees for twenty years before his wife conceived (Gen. 25:20, 26b).

Isaac models for us the prayer of endurance. We can trust God for the strength to persevere because He has called Himself the God of endurance and encouragement (Romans 15:5). What God has ordained for the furtherance of the gospel and the glory of His name, He will do. Let us not grow weary in praying to our infinite Father.

(P.S. While I've been studying the Old Testament recently, I've been struck by how persistently the nations of Israel and Judah would lapse into idolatry. That's why today's article in The Washington Post about Hindu practices and how the Internet is being used to connect Hindus abroad with the temples in India was so familiar to read. Granted, the peoples of the Old Testament didn't have the Internet, but otherwise, the religious practices and motivations for prayer are strikingly similar. Assuming this report is relatively accurate and balanced, it is interesting to read from a world religions perspective.)

Priorities and Decisions: Unbelief and Prayer

I often receive letters--sincere, heartfelt letters--from those who have prayed long and earnestly about something they desire. But it doesn't appear their prayers were heard or, worse, it appears that they really were given a stone instead of the fish they requested. These letters are heart-rending to read. The painful confusion jumps off the page (as does the anger in many cases). I wish I could personally respond to each letter I receive, but unless that became my full-time job, there aren't enough hours in the day to be faithful to all I'm supposed to do and keep up with this correspondence. So that's why I began this blog. It provides a way to publicly consider some of the trends in the letters I receive (yes, I do read them all).

Yesterday I received a letter in which a woman told the story of learning to pray with more expectancy and faith about a husband; she was shortly thereafter asked out. This developed into a long-term relationship. But unfortunately, it ended and ended rather badly. Now she is wondering if God can be trusted again. Why did these circumstances occur when she was trying to pray in faith toward a God who promised good gifts to His children?

Honestly?... I don't know. And that's not a very comforting answer, I realize. But if I were to say anything other than that, it would be presumption. I have no idea why these circumstances turned out the way they did. I'm not God and He didn't consult me on this one. But I do know this: Job went through much worse and he was able to be satisfied with a revelation of God's character, and not a detailed response to his specific questions. The nagging particulars of his experience ghosted away when Job realized the tremendous gulf between the Omniscient Creator and himself, leaving Job with one clear statement of faith: "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2).

I recently completed Henry and Richard Blackaby's book, Hearing God's Voice, my copy of which is now thoroughly stained in highlighter yellow. One of the sections that is especially marked up is titled "Why Pray?" The authors write:

The motivating impulse of our praying should not primarily be what is on our heart but what is on God's. Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us today our daily bread," but the crux of the Lord's Prayer is, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10-11 HCSB). It is understandable for us to pray from the honesty of our hearts, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me." But our ultimate conclusion when we pray must be, as it was with Jesus, "Yet not as I will, but as You will (Matt. 26:39 HCSB).

It is a miraculous thing to consider we have any relationship at all with a holy God. Then to be told that we can speak to Him and He will hear us! And if that weren't enough, He wants to reveal His heart to us and use us--the very creatures who sinned against Him and cost Him greatly to redeem! These facts alone should keep us from ever questioning His goodness to us. Even in deeply painful circumstances, we are still objects of outrageous mercy.

So we press on, certain that prayer is not a vain thing and neither are the things we request in prayer. As the Blackabys outline, God is consistent in the pattern in which He speaks to us in prayer:

1. God takes the initiative to cause us to want to pray. We do not naturally seek God (Rom. 3:10-12). The fact that we desire to pray is evidence of God's work in us. When we pray it is because God has summoned us into his presence.
2. The Spirit of God reveals the will of God through the Word of God. The Holy Spirit takes the words and truths of Scripture and impresses them on our minds. As we pray, he will bring specific Scriptures to our mind.
3. The Holy Spirit helps us pray in agreement with what God is saying (Rom. 8:26). Our natural tendency is to meet God's Word with unbelief. The Holy Spirit works to align our heart and mind to accept all God is saying.
4. When God gives us direction in prayer, he will confirm that word to us through the Bible, circumstances, and other believers.
5. We adjust our lives to what God says. Once God speaks to us, we cannot remain the same. God's word always requires adjustments in our part. It is impossible to obey God without making adjustments.
6. We obey God. All of God's speaking to us means little unless we do what he tells us.
7. God works in and through us to accomplish his revealed purposes.
8. We experience God through our obedience as the Holy Spirit revealed we would. Experiencing God comes out of an obedience response to God's Word to us.

In the case of this recent letter, I don't know why this relationship unfurled the way it did. Perhaps this man was not a door God was opening, but she didn't detect that because this man popped up right after so much prayer. But I think point number three in the list above is most helpful right now. Our natural, sinful tendencies are to drift from the Gospel, to drift from the magnificence of the Cross. When we find ourselves wallowing there, the Holy Spirit is the one to enable us to say, "Help me in my unbelief!" (Mark 9:14-23). Then He provides us with the sustaining grace we need to continually seek fellowship with God in prayer.

Priorities and Decisions: Open and Shut Doors

It's been said that prayer is the way we learn God's priorities and direction for our lives. So when we've been praying for guidance, how then are we to interpret our circumstances?  Obviously the Bible records many accounts where circumstances looked bleak but were leading to a glorious conclusion (see Naomi or Joseph), or conversely where circumstances looked good but were actually snares (see the Gibeonite Deception).

In recent posts, we've had quite a conversation going about circumstances, faith, and obedience to God's Word. I wanted to explore the process of prayer first and then talk about circumstances, but I decided to flip-flop the order because of these conversations. When considering circumstances, it's common for Christians to speak of open or shut doors. When something (or someone) looks favorable and an opportunity presents itself, it's viewed as an open door. When something (or someone) is not cooperative (or even present!), it's viewed as a closed door. But this simplistic perspective is not always the wisest method. As Henry Blackaby writes in Hearing God's Voice, it's imperative to view open and shut doors against the plumb line of Scripture.

The problem with open doors is the emphasis is erroneously placed on the door rather than on God. Some people enter open doors under the mistaken assumption that God only allows good opportunities to come their way. Therefore, any good opportunity that comes along must be from God. Looking for open doors can appear easier than developing a relationship with God. Various opportunities, including questionable business opportunities and marriage proposals, can be treated as open doors. As you might imagine, this can often lead to disastrous results!

If decision-making were based entirely on open doors, people would not need a relationship with God; they could merely become "door watchers." Moses saw an open door to deliver a Hebrew being oppressed by an Egyptian. He went through it, and it cost him forty years wandering in the wilderness (Exod. 2:11-15). King Saul seized an opportunity to offer an unauthorized sacrifice to God, and it cost him his kingdom (1 Sam. 13:8-9). King David stumbled through an open door to an improper relationship with Bathsheba, and his house was filled with violence and heartache for the rest of his life (2 Sam. 11). Conversely, David twice had the opportunity to murder King Saul. Doing so would have removed his greatest enemy and opened the door for his rightful place as king. Yet both times David wisely recognized the opportunity before him was not from God (1 Sam. 24, 26). Simply entering an open door without checking to see if God opened it can bring catastrophic consequences.

Therefore, if we as single Christian women are asked out by an unbelieving man, we know that this open door is not from God because God's word commands that believers be equally yoked and more importantly that women who have the freedom to make their own choices in marriage marry only in the Lord (1 Cor. 7:39). Yes, we desire to get married. Yes, this is a man asking us out. But this door cannot be viewed as an answer to prayer, because prayer is the means of aligning ourselves with God's will.

More on that next time. I hope you were encouraged by Henry Blackaby's clarification.

Prayer and Infertility

For some women, Mother’s Day is heartbreaking holiday. You’d like to receive sticky kisses and crayon cards from your own appreciative children, but so far that desire has gone unfulfilled. You have my sympathy. This has been a provocative holiday for me, too. My birthday and Mother’s Day are forever locked in close proximity—an ironic pairing as the years accumulate.

However, this year I have not struggled with childlessness. I can only attribute that to the Lord’s sustaining grace. I’ve found many reasons to be joyful this holiday, including having another year with my own mother. I’ve learned not to take that blessing for granted. I also have another reason to be joyful: the Lord answered prayers on behalf of friends of mine. After several years of marriage, Ben & Debbie received the medical diagnosis of infertility. They were told unequivocally that they would be unable to bear children. I remember when Debbie shared this diagnosis with me. I was actually excited to pray for them that God would be glorified in the midst of such human certainty!

Months later, I received the following testimony from her. I am posting it for the benefit of any woman who might be wrestling with her childlessness or potential limits on childbearing. Let us never forget that the lineage of our faith includes many barren women. As the angel Gabriel told Mary: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Just before we decided to begin a family, Mickey Connolly preached a message here at Covenant Life Church on trusting God Almighty. During that message, I had a distinct thought that our road to parenthood would require us to cling to our trust in almighty God. A year later, as we contacted the infertility specialist, we were not discouraged or weary, but anticipating the good of all God had for us, whatever that looked like.

After many tests and blood work, we met with the doctor and received a rather conclusive diagnosis. We would be unable to conceive on our own, and no drugs or surgeries would help us. The doctor was very gracious as he explained our two options: IVF or adoption.

After receiving this news, when we were left alone for a few minutes, Ben looked at me and with awe in his voice, he spoke the truth of the gospel: "Debbie, our sins are forgiven. We are going to heaven!" How this reminder positioned us to continue along this road with joy and hope in our great God!

'Our Eyes Are Upon You'

As I've studied the prayers of the Bible this week, I came today to the trust expressed by Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. The background to Jehoshaphat's prayer is that he's just been informed that a great multitude is assembled against him, and to make matters worse these are the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--nations whom the Israelites did not invade and destroy when they came from Egypt. Verse three records the king's reaction when he is informed of this threat: he is afraid first, then he counters his emotions by setting his face to seek the Lord, and then he takes action by proclaiming a fast throughout all of Judah.

His prayer starts by enumerating God's power and might. Then he lays before God the immediate problem and ends with the cry of faith: "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." As all of Judah stands before the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon a man who prophesies what to do: "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you." (vv. 15-17)

So the people followed this directive and the men entered into battle being led by a contingent dressed in holy attire, singing and praising the Lord. And the Lord, of course, kept His promise and fought the battle for them. This Old Testament account foreshadows the ultimate divine rescue won for us at Calvary. Looking at prayer on this side of the Cross, John Calvin wrote in his Institutes of the Christian Religion:

Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable. Surely, with good reason the Heavenly Father affirms that the only stronghold of safety is in calling upon his name [cf. Joel 2:32]. By so doing we invoke the presence of both his providence, through which he watches over and guards our affairs, and of his power, through which he sustains us, weak as we are and well-nigh overcome, and of his goodness, through which he receives us, miserably burdened with sins, unto grace; and, in short, it is by prayer that we call him to reveal himself as wholly present to us. Hence comes an extraordinary peace and repose to our consciences. For having disclosed to the Lord the necessity that was pressing upon us, we even rest fully in the thought that none of our ills is hid from him who, we are convinced, has both the will and the power to take best care of us. (emphasis mine)

Calvin writes about prayer in a section titled "The Way We Receive the Grace of Christ." I've only just waded into this material, so I've got a lot of learning to do. When I told my friend Nathan that I was doing a series on prayer this week, his eyes lit up and he practically leaped from his chair to grab his own copy of The Institutes in order to recommend the material to me. (Nathan's book recommendations have cost me a lot of money, but I have no regrets about the investments!) The section I quoted above eloquently expands upon the point of Jehoshaphat's expression of faith: "we even rest fully in the thought that none of our ills is hid from him who, we are convinced, has both the will and the power to take best care of us."

This is magnificently displayed for us in the events of Easter, for surely we never would have conceived to ask to be delivered from the judgment of our sins. Yet, this great need was declared and fulfilled in the gracious will and mighty power of God, so that we can rest fully in His finished work.

May you have a joyful weekend celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord. Happy Easter!

Praying Through the Events of Easter Week

Thirteen years ago this week, the Lord called my name and raised me from the dead to grant me everlasting life. I was on a trip to South Africa to visit my sister, Alice. What I thought would just be a vacation turned out to be the most significant moment of my life. It was Easter Sunday when I received ears to hear and understand the Gospel--the moment I went from being spiritually dead to being born again with new life from above. I have some very vivid memories of that moment, including crying very, very hard but not being sure why my emotions were so affected. I recall asking my sister and brother-in-law a lot of questions the following week as we traveled around the country from Johannesburg to Durban.

The next Sunday we visited Cape Town, a visit timed so we could hear Fred's former pastor preach there--C.J. Mahaney. What I remember was being stunned by C.J.'s transparent humor and his passion for Christ. I recall thinking that I could follow this man as he follows Jesus. What I did not perceive was the exquisite sovereignty of God to bring all of us from halfway around the world at just that time to meet in a small church in Hout Bay, South Africa. I had no idea that day that I was meeting my future pastor and boss. I was just trying to process the fact that God had done something significant in my life and that a few things were going to have to change. I had no idea that He would completely upend my life and eventually call me to work for a ministry!

These memories came flooding back to me last night as I entered the prayer room at Covenant Life. It had been set up with a series of "prayer points"-- large, freestanding banners with Scriptures drawn from the events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. In the middle was an oversized bulletin board where people had posted the first names of unbelieving friends and family members to be prayed for by others visiting the prayer room.

As I stood there surveying those cards, I prayed for the same mercy extended to me to be extended to the hundreds of names posted there. At some point, we've all stood in the crowd that mocked and jeered Jesus at the cross. Yet there came a time when it was granted to us to understand the significance of a dying Savior, a God who would take on His own wrath to spare us the punishment we rightly deserve in order to reconcile helpless sinners to Himself. My prayer was that this gift of illumination and regeneration would be extended to thousands more this Easter.

Might I suggest you join us in these prayers? You don't have to have a specially designated room with prayer point banners. You only need the memories of your own conversion, the Gospel accounts, and the names of those who don't yet know the Lord. Recall with gratitude how the Lord sovereignly orchestrated the events of your repentance and salvation. Pray through the narratives of Calvary. And petition the Lord to redeem and regenerate those whom you dearly love but don't love Him...yet.

Praying for Husbands

Yesterday, we looked at praying for God's glory. Today I have a testimony about praying for our provision.

About a year and a half ago, a small group of single women at my church decided to pray for single men. We saw the gender imbalance in our church, but we believed God was bigger than statistics. So we decided to pray specifically for single men to be added to our church--especially mature single men who might marry us.

At the time, it was nearly impossible to add another meeting to our collective schedules. So we decided to form an online prayer group. The first of every month, we decided to set aside time to pray and fast for God to provide husbands. Over email, we would share Scripture verses or prayers with each other.

As if often happens, the group lasted for about a year and then slowly dissipated. But God, who is rich in mercy, did not waver in faithfulness toward us. Several weeks ago, I thought about this original group of 16 women. We range in age from early 20s to late 40s. Since we began praying, one has already gotten married, three are engaged, one is currently in a courtship, and two have been pursued for courtship. There may even be other relationships that I'm unaware of, but without canvassing the original group this is what I know at present. That includes women from both ends of the age spectrum--the Lord is not bound by what we might consider to be limitations. In fact, the group was rather diverse, and the statistics I just quoted included women raised in the church and women saved as adults, women from other nations, women with significant health challenges, and single mothers.

I hope this encourages anyone reading today who is despairing because of her circumstances or what "conventional wisdom" says about extended singleness. I remember that when we started this group, I had been crying out to God to glorify Himself in our weakness. I distinctly remember standing outside one night and praying while looking at the stars. I told God I wanted all the glory to be given to Him. I didn't want any method, practice, or dating business to be held up as the solution for our record high number of single adults in the church. I wanted to experience the same grace George Mueller did as he cared for thousands of orphans in 19th-century England: to take all my needs to God in prayer so that He got all the praise when the prayers were answered. As Mueller himelf wrote in the narrative of his life:

The three chief reasons for establishing an Orphan-House are: 1. That God may be glorified, should He be pleased to furnish me with the means, in its being seen that it is not a vain thing to trust in Him; and that thus the faith of His children may be strengthened. 2. The spiritual welfare of fatherless and motherless children. 3. Their temporal welfare.

John Piper expanded on this when he wrote:

"The order of those three goals is intentional. He makes that explicit over and over in his Narrative. The orphan houses exist to display that God can be trusted and to encourage believers to take him at his word. This was a deep sense of calling with Mueller. He said that God had given him the mercy in 'being able to take God by His word and to rely upon it.' He was grieved that 'so many believers . . . were harassed and distressed in mind, or brought guilt on their consciences, on account of not trusting in the Lord.' This grace that he had to trust God's promises, and this grief that so many believers didn't trust his promises, shaped Mueller's entire life. This was his supreme passion: to display with open proofs that God could be trusted with the practical affairs of life. This was the higher aim of building the orphan houses and supporting them by asking God, not people, for money."

I want to add that these prayers were not just for our personal benefit. We prayed for the single men who were already in our church to grow in godliness to reap a harvest of holiness and to find their wives. We also prayed for our pastors as they disciple the men in our church. These prayers seem to be getting answered, too. I've noticed that our monthly singles meetings seem to be dominated by young men. The worship songs we sing then are full of the rich bass sound of men singing praises to their glorious Savior, which is one of the most awesome sounds one will ever hear. I've also noted dozens of single men among the new members of our church. (If any of you new guys are reading this blog, please note my email address above welcome!)

The point is, we serve the same God as George Mueller did. He is timeless. He is generous. He loves to give good gifts to His children. He encourages us to make our needs known to Him, even though He is already well aware of them. Prayer is for our benefit on a multiplicity of levels, most importantly the intimacy it develops between Creator and creature. But I want to make sure I am not presenting myself in a flattering light here. I am no "prayer warrior." I have much growing to do in this area. However, I am encouraged by how gracious the Lord is to answer our prayers. I trust that by sharing this small testimony of grace you will also depart this cyber-outpost with renewed trust in Him who is so eager to respond to faith.

The Starting Point of Prayer

My sister, Alice, and I pray each week over the phone for the needs of our families--needs both great and small. We started this more than a year ago because there were some pressing issues in our extended family and we were driven to our knees about them. Since then, we have compiled a long list of answered prayers. I don't think a week goes by when we don't have some encouraging praise report of how God met us.

But this wonderful grace also tempts me to stay focused on the horizontal plane of our lives--and not on things pertaining to God's glory. This was highlighted to me in yesterday's devotions as I read this passage from Spurgeon on Prayer & Spiritual Warfare:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:9-10). I fear that we often begin our prayers with petitions for ourselves, putting our daily bread before Your kingdom and the pardoning of our sins before the hallowing of Your name. We do not want to do so today, but guided by our Lord's model of prayer, we want to first pray for Your glory. Here, great God, we want to adore You. You have made us and not we ourselves; we are Your people, and the sheep of Your pasture (Ps 100:3). All glory be unto You, Jehovah, the only living and true God.

I am often guilty of the same mindless manner of praying. So as I began to study the prayers of the Bible, I started with the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17. Even as Jesus was facing Calvary, He was faithful to start this prayer in the same manner as He taught his disciples to pray.

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. (John 17:1-10)

This week, as I prepare my heart and mind for Easter, I want to avoid rushing into prayer with my eyes on myself, but take time to adore and worship the one and true God. Again, here's Spurgeon:

...we pray for our Lord to come very speedily to end these sluggish years, these long, delaying days. But if He does not come soon, put power into Your truth, and quicken Your church so that she may become energetic for the spread of Your Gospel, so that Your kingdom may come. First and above everything, we seek the glory of God.

Overcoming Fear by Faith, Prayer and Love

This week, my church is commemorating the events of Easter through an extra Good Friday service, as well as hosting a special room for prayer that features "prayer points" guiding visitors to pray according to Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. So I am taking a cue from Covenant Life's Passion Week to create a series on prayer. I am also dedicating my personal devotions to studying the various prayers recorded in the Bible. My hope is that I will be strengthened in this spiritual discipline for I tend to be a busy, busy Martha instead of a reflective Mary.

Last night, our discipleship group met to discuss the topic of faith. Our homework included reading an article by Andrew Selle titled, "The Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Overcoming Crippling Fear by Faith and Love" from the Fall 2002 Journal of Biblical Counseling. This article is another goldmine of priceless truth. In it, Dr. Selle unpacks five points that help God's people overcome fear: Name It, Reverse It, Pray, Surrender, Love.

Obviously, the first step involves being very clear about what the fear is and what the final repercussions might be. The goal is to mentally walk through the process of what we fear to see that, though the end result may be bad in our eyes ("I die in an airplane crash"), it is not the end of the story when we view it through eyes of faith ("but then I am with the Lord because of what He did for me on the cross"). The point of this exercise is to come to realize that our greatest need has already been met in Jesus Christ, so since our Lord has overcome death--the wages of sin--we can face our lesser fears in light of that great mercy.

The second step is to realize that fear is the reverse of desire. As Dr. Selle writes, "You are afraid of dying: you want to live. You fear your children will fail in school: you want them to succeed. You are afraid of looking foolish: you want others to see you as wise and spiritually mature. You fear rejection: you want acceptance." But when those desires eclipse our love for God, they have become idols. Fear has a way of laying bare our idols, for which we must repent.

However, many an idol started as a genuinely good desire. So the third step is to pray about these desires. And this is why I am kicking off this series on prayer with what we learned from this article. Dr. Selle notes that biblical prayer--the kind of prayer that God answers--is never idol-driven, but motivated by God's glory: "Prayer for one's desires does not necessarily spring from an idolatrous root. In fact, true prayer uproots idols."

In the counseling example he provided in this article, his admonition was blunt but painfully necessary. "The devil persuaded Eve that God was essentially untrustworthy and miserly. Don't let him play the same trick on you. Turn your desires into prayer! Move from fear to faith!"

In our prayers, we can surrender our desires to God. Here is the conversation Dr. Selle had with one counselee about what this looks like: