Where Am I?

This weekend at Westwinds we participated in a simple interactive worship moment. We invited everyone to take a card off of a table and write something on each side:

Side 1= one word that describes where you are with Jesus/one word that sums up your current spiritual state

Side 2= something you want our staff to pray with you about

About half of our adults who were here participated in this prayerful moment which is very encouraging. It takes some courage to get out of your seat and participate in something.

I am thankful for our people's honesty. These words mean something. I am looking forward to following up with many of them.

This is my prayer list this week. This list and the names attached to them are above my desk right now. These are MY people.

I am thankful for an opportunity to be in relationship with the people of Westwinds. Here are the words that came in:


70%
ABANDONED
ALONE
ANGRY
AWAKENING
AWESOME
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING/RECONNECTION
BENT BUT NOT BROKEN
BEST FRIEND
BLESSED
BLOSSOMING
BROKEN
BROKEN
CHANGE
CHANGING
CLOSE
CLOSER
CLOSER
CLUTTERED
COMMITTED
COMPLACENT
CONFLICT
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSION
CONNECTED
CONTENT
CONTENTMENT
CRAVING
CRUISE CONTROL
CURIOUS
DESPERATE
DEVOTED
DEVOTED
DISAPPOINTED
DISTRACTED
DISTRACTED & SEPARATED
DRIFTING
EXHAUSTED
FAITH
FAITH
FAITHFUL
FAITHFUL
FALSE
FASTED
FEAR
FEAR
FIGHTING
FLIGHTY
FLOATING/CONFUSED
FLOUNDERING
FLOURISHING
FOCUS
FOLLOWER
FORGIVE
FORGIVING
FOUND
FREEDOM
FRESH
FRUSTRATED
FRUSTRATED
FULL
GIVING
GOOD GROWTH
GRACE
GRACED
GRASPING
GRATEFUL
GRATEFUL
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWTH
GROWTH
GROWTH UNDER PRESSURE
GUIDANCE
GUIDANCE/LISTEN
HANGING ON
HAPPY
HEALING
HOLDING ON
HOPEFUL
HOPEFUL
HOPEFUL
HOPELESS
HOPELESS
HURT
HURTING/TRUSTING/LISTENING
IGNORANT
IN LOVE
IN PROCESSS
IN-BETWEEN
INCONSISTENT
INCONSISTENT
INCONSISTENT
INQUIRY
INTERESTED
INTIMATE
INTRIGUE
JOURNEY
JOURNEYING
JUDGMENTAL
LACK OF FAITH
LACK OF TRUST
LACKING
LAZY
LEARNER
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LIFELINE
LOOKING
LOST
LOST
LOST
LOST
LOST
LOST
LOST/FIND
LOVE
LOVE
LOVING
LOVING
LOVING
MAN-UP / AUTHORITY
MENDING
MOURNING
MOVING & TRUSTING
MOVING > GOD
MOVING FORWARD
NEED
NEEDY
NEW
NEW
NOWHERE
NUMB, LOST, BROKEN, ALONE, DEPRESSED, DESTROYED, FUCKED
OBEDIENCE WITH JOY
OVERSCHEDULED
OVERWHELMED
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
PEACE
PEACE
PEACE
PEACEFUL
PEACEFUL
PEACEFUL
PEACEFUL
PEACEFUL
PRODIGAL
PROGRESS
PROGRESSING
PURSUIT
REACHING
RECOVERY
REMEMBERING
RENEWAL
RENEWED
RENEWING
RENEWING
REST
RESTART
RETHINKING
SCARED
SCARED
SEARCHING
SEEKING
SELF-CONDEMNED
SELF-CONTROL
SELFISHNESS
SELFLESS
SERVING
SKEPTIC
SMOOTH HIGHWAY WITH RANDOM RUMBLE STRIPS
SPIRITUALLY GRATEFUL
STAGNANT
STAGNANT
STAGNANT
STAGNANT
STALE
STARTING OVER
STARTING OVER
STARTING TO BE FOUND
STRENGTH
STRENGTH
STRENGTH/HOPEFUL
STRENGTHENING
STRONG
STRONG
STRONG
STRONG FOLLOWER
STRUGGLE
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STUBBORN SEEKER
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK IN MY MIND
STUMBLING
SUBMIT
SUCK
SURRENDER
THANKFUL
THE BEGINNING
THIN
TOLERANCE
TOO BUSY
TORN
TRAILMATES
TRANSFORMING
TRANSITION
TRUE TO MYSELF
TRUST
TRUST
TRUSTING
TRUSTING
TRUSTING
TRYING
TRYING
TRYING
TRYING TO WRAP HEAD AROUND CONCEPT OF GRACE
UNDONE
UNFOCUSED
UNINSPIRED
UNRESTED
UNSURE
UNSURRENDERING
UNWANTED
WANDERING
WANTING
WEAK
WEARY
WITH
WORK IN PROGRESS
WORKING
WOUNDED
YEARNING

Cyber-Confessionals

Today was a great day at The Winds.

We opened up with The Who’s “Join Together” which, I must say, is a great call to worship. We also covered Eddie Vedder’s “Rise Up” from the “Into the Wild” soundtrack. Great tune. Vocal and mandolin. Period.

We are in the middle of this series entitled, “Sin Monkey.” The idea is that sin is like a little pet monkey you buy and bring home. He’s cute and cuddly and a joy at first but, as he grows, and you begin to lose “control” of him, he thrashes your furniture, claws up your family, pees on everything, and flings poo at your kids. Pretty soon, none of your friends wants anything to do with you because of your little pet.

We showed this video today (below) which is spooky macabre, and looks like something Tim Burton might produce. The video is a good picture of the effects of sin that is enjoyable for a season but has long lasting damaging effects. The music is creepy cool—it’s the song that plays in my head when my daughter’s porcelain dolls run around the house in the middle of the night.



Today’s highlight for me was the first-time use of our cyber-confessionals. Five booths were built in back of the auditorium space where “confessors” could go behind a curtain and confess sin anonymously to anonymous “confessees” on the other end of a terminal. We used Yahoo! Messenger and set up profiles for confessor1,2,3,4,5 and linked them to confessee 1,2,3,4,5 respectively. So, when a confessor went in to a booth and started typing, their confessee was ready to listen and pray with them. The confessees were from Michigan, California, Tennessee, and other states. We will have the booths up for a few more weeks.

Stay tuned for more interactive worship confession ideas. This series is full of them. We have some creative and meaningful things planned that I can't wait to share with you!

Westwinds Sunday Morning Prayer

You were prayed for this morning . . .

Many of you by name, most of you by face, all of you—not knowing who would be here and if we might have the privilege of spending time with you.

That you would feel comfortable seeking God in this place.

That you would sense the move of His Spirit in the broken people who call this place home and those who are seeking a home and are unsure quite yet if they have found it.

You were prayed for this morning . . .

That you would feel part of “us.” That you would sense you are part of “we.”

That you would be greeted or acknowledged in some significant way. We want you to know you are loved. That this is a great place to begin. A great place to belong. We don’t want you to go another weekend wondering if someone knows who you are. Forgive us if you do.

That somehow the stress of commitments, choices, routine, deadlines, and things out of your control would in some miraculous way lighten and not distract you from embracing Jesus.

You were prayed for this morning . . .

That you would raise your hands and/or sing at the top of your lungs—not because you have to, not because you feel pressured, not because everyone else is, but because you can’t do otherwise as you respond to God and everything God is with everything inside of you as something is awakened in you.

That you would be able to look past our inconsistencies and holes and somehow, in spite of us, meet Jesus and hear from Him in a fresh way.

That in every one of these moment collections we will experience today, you will sense the overwhelming opportunity God is inviting you to embrace.

You were prayed for this morning . . .

That anything stupid we say or do that we might be blind to would not hinder you from having an opportunity to laugh at yourself and feel a camaraderie with us as you say, “wow, we all sure are a piece of work.”

That healing would begin today—for you and those you came with this morning— whom you are at odds with or there is a barrier between you. God, please don’t let another day go by without someone saying, “I’m sorry.”

That your overwhelming pain would be met by a sense of the overwhelming sufficiency of Jesus’ ability and willingness to hold you and heal you.

You were prayed for this morning . . .

That today, this very day, would be the day you say, “God, here is my white flag. I surrender. I need you. You are God. I am not.”

That fear would not paralyze you.

That dreams would be ignited in you and you would feel the freedom to pursue them to the glory of God and the wellbeing of the people He has called you to touch.

You were prayed for this morning . . .

That the uncertainty of the times and of your future would be eclipsed by an unexplainable and undeniable certainty that God is present with you.

That any ounce of suspicion, mistrust, or skepticism that resides in you or in us would be met with peace.

That we would have the privilege of getting to know you.

You were prayed for this morning . . .

Many of you by name, most of you by face, all of you—not knowing who would be here and if we might have the privilege of spending time with you. Thank you for being here.

Welcome to the madness, the beauty, the wonder, the home, the characters, the people, the movement, the journey, the mess, the healing, the solace, the fray, the imperfection, the joy, the dance, the lab, and the story that is Westwinds.

Rant and Prayer

I have asked God my entire life to make me an influencer. Make me the kind of person that makes a difference. Make me the person that is not afraid to call out injustice. God, make me the kind of person who sees injustice in the world and does something about it. Make me the kind of person that sees a need and motivates a group of people to meet that need. Make me a listener and an actuator. Make me a fighter. Make me a lover of people.

Mind you, I ask all of these things in relation to the world of people that surround me who have no hope, the world beyond my immediate reach yet not out of reach, my friends who are not followers of Jesus, the people in my community who flip off God because they believe they have been abandoned and disregarded, the intellectuals I know who fight God at every turn, yes, all of these and more.

I feel really good about the opportunities God has given me to do just that. And, he is making us more innovative and proactive as a community all the time.

You know where I am through spending my time?

With pissy Christians. With backwards Christians. With ingrown Christians. With sedentary Christians. With hostile Christians. With boring lackluster Christians.

Now, I know part of my role is to dialogue with other believers and other partners in crime about how we can better serve our communities, meet needs, be creative, etc. That stuff fires me up. That’s not the problem. My problem is not other believers who are movers and shakers. My problem is not even people who aren’t necessarily “up to speed” or innovative in ministry—as long as they are moving forward, asking questions, changing, growing, and stretching. It is great to learn from one another.

But . . .

If I get another email, blog comment, or Twitter . . . if I entertain one more conversation . . . if I have one more churched person pick a fight with me over sacred cows, methodology, church personality, the value of tradition, the errors of the emerging church, style and personality of ministry, the authors I read, etc. I swear I am going to kick them in the teeth. I mean that in the Lord.

Angry?

You bet.

Thank God these people are few and far between at my church. They are there but they aren’t many. They don’t stick around long because we don’t tolerate it.

For some reason, people whom I don’t know, have never talked to face to face, and whom I have no relationship with whatsoever somehow believe they have the right to tell me how to do ministry with the people I love and the community I am invested in.

Bullshit.

Stick to your own communities. Love them till you bleed. When you have nothing left because you have given your all for those people, drop me an email and tell me what has been effective for you. I won’t argue with you. I will celebrate with you.

I only have so much energy. And, I want it to go to my family, my church, my community, and those who need Jesus. So, stick to your boycotts, your silly battles that feed your identity, and majoring in ineffectiveness.

Don’t waste my time. It is a precious commodity and I am not letting you rob me any longer.

If I don’t answer your combative emails, you’ll know this post was for you.

If you are in ministry and find yourself wasting time on the wrong battlefields, please let me know. I would like to pray for you. Pray for me.

God, please bring unity to your church. Remind us what matters. Give us energy and purpose and vision and creativity and resources to incite change. Make us lovers. And, for those who want to stall the process of being Jesus to a world that needs hope—please shut them up and move them out of the way. If WE ever are that people, shut us up and move us out of the way. Then, break us and rebuild us and set us right again.

Amen.

I Want My Bible Back #2

We're continuing in a series of posts on Bible verses used out of context.

#2 Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them (NIV).”

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (KJV).”


I have heard this verse quoted out-of-context perhaps more often than any verse in scripture.

A typical quotable situation is : : :

• when the prayer team needs more people to join and sends out a plea for more to come to the weekly prayer meeting so "two or more are gathered."
• Or, when an email is circulated to pray for a health need or a need overseas.
• Or, as a sign-off at the end of an email that tells you to forward that email to as many people as you can to prove that you believe in prayer and love Jesus and want a special blessing
• Or, when someone is hosting a special prayer gathering and they tell me I need to be there as the pastor because, you know, where two or three are gathered God is there.

Scripture is full of many promises about prayer and many passages encouraging God’s people to gather together and pray.

This is not one of them.

Quite frankly, the passage really doesn’t have anything to do with prayer—or God somehow “showing up” when the magic number is reached. And, it is certainly not a recipe for how to pray and get God to answer.

Now, even if we didn’t know the context of this passage, shouldn’t we find it odd that God would somehow be “in the midst” of a group more so than in the presence of an individual? And why 2? Or is it 3? Can God make up His mind? How about 4?

Still, this verse gets tossed around in churched circles as if it were the secret handshake and recipe for the magic clubhouse prayer gathering.

But, we really don’t need a secret decoder ring to interpret this passage and understand the context.

The immediate context of this verse is found in about a five verse passage in Matthew 18 where the subject is how to treat one another in conflict resolution situations. This passage comes immediately after the parable of the lost sheep where Jesus talks about the Father’s love for individuals. That parable follows on the heels of passages on humility, servanthood and how we should treat one another as believers.

Most likely, this agreement between two or three is in regard to judicial matters where an offender and the offended agree to settle their dispute in the presence of witnesses so that, if the matter where to come before the whole church or be made public, there would be witnesses as to the agreement that was made.

The presence of two or three witnesses shows up only a couple of verses earlier when Jesus urges brothers to handle their conflicts between one another. But, if there is no agreement and the offender will not listen the offended party is urged to take one or two others along so there is the testimony of two or three witnesses.

This kind of conflict resolution—agreement between brothers and sisters in the presence of other brothers and sisters—is God honoring. He blesses it, condones it, authored it, and is in the midst of it. This is kingdom living.

This passage, and the larger part of Chapter 18 all flow out of the disciples’ silly question about who will “be the greatest” in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus, tenderly and through story after story, slaps us upside the head about kingdom living as He encourages us to live lives in harmony and humility.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #10

The prayer posts just keep on coming.

I had a wonderful talk with a woman today who I respect as a constant pray-er. She had some questions about my blog posts and we shared a bit more of our prayer journey together. We saw eye to eye on most things and disagreed on some others. That was okay for both of us because we are both committed to the process of learning. I hope these posts are inviting you into that process as well. Please comment.

In the course of the conversation, she asked if I would expand my thoughts on the purpose of prayer and the validity of it. Fair enough. The last thing I want anyone to think is that I don’t believe prayer has purpose. Oh, Lord, if that has come across in any way please help me hone my speech more accurately.

I have read back over my posts again and I don’t take back any words. What I do want to communicate loud and clear is that while I tend to poke fun at “us” and laugh at myself and question the way we promote prayer, it is all in a spirit of seeking God and understanding Him. My burden is for myself, my friends, those I am in relationship with, and my church.

• I don’t want to play Christian
• I don’t want to lead new believers in the wrong direction with prayer expectations
• I don’t want to clutter up prayer with bogus language

• I want prayer to mean something.
• I want prayer to change us.
• I want prayer to draw us closer to God.
• I want prayer to not be a thing we do but rather a place we exist.

I want to be part of the everyday kingdom, meet needs and have mine met, be forgiven, learn to forgive, receive protection and deliverance and experience rescue like Jesus said I could experience and know through prayer (Our Father Who art in heaven . . .)

Jesus taught us to pray. Paul told us to do it always. Heroes of the faith modeled it.

As we talk about prayer, what it is, what it is not, what we get tired of, and the questions we have of prayer, etc. I pray (seriously) we don’t overlook the magic of prayer.

When I say “magic” I do not mean it in the sense of an incantation. I do not mean we somehow control God. I do not mean we summon his presence.

I mean there is something about prayer we can’t explain. And, when we are obedient in it, as it changes us, as we become part of the praying community, as we open up to God, things happen . . . magical things.

I feel the same way about the sacraments. We explain them away in an effort to help people understand and sometimes run the risk of stripping them of their magic.

For instance, when it comes to Holy Communion (Eucharist, Lord’s Table, etc.) some believe in consubstantiation (the body is somehow actually present with the bread and wine). Some believe in transubstantiation (the bread and wine actually literally become the body and blood). Some believe communion is simply a memorial act.

It is good to discuss all those things but it is far better to simply be obedient in participating in it. Whatever it is that “happens” during communion, we cannot dismiss the otherworldly magic there is in participating in something that saints for thousands of years have done before us. Every one on the same playing field. To each the same portion.

Baptism is much the same. Whether one believes it is a public proclamation, a right of passage into a community, or it confers grace on an individual, no one should deny the act of obedience in baptism carries with it a certain unmistakable magic for the individual being baptized—and even those observing the event. Something happens to us when we are baptized. Period.

I am currently reading the novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. The scene is 19th Century Britain and all magic has been reduced to an art that is “studied” and “talked about” by gentlemen who know the craft yet don’t practice it. The story follows a younger new magician who apprentices under someone with a rather “restrictive” view of magic but breaks free on his own to create a whole new age of magic. One review of the novel stated Clarke “manages to portray magic as both a believably complex and tedious labor, and an eerie world of signs and wonders where every object may have secret meaning.”

Sometimes, we reduce prayer to the old magic. We talk about. We study it. But doing it . . .

I love how N.T. Wright describes prayer as standing at a fault line between two worlds that have converged—heaven and earth. And standing at the fault line with Jesus is sometimes magical.

I believe in things unseen. I believe in peace that passes understanding. I believe in perspective. I believe in partnering in a kingdom venture with God. I believe in deliverance. I have seen people healed in times of prayer. I believe prayer changes me. Changes us.

In conclusion (for now) I do not believe prayer is a numbers game, I do not believe we can conjure or manipulate God, I do not believe God heals every wound in this life through prayer, I don’t believe God “promised” us to move according to our prayers . . .

But, I cannot deny the magic.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #9

Continuing with our conversations on prayer, let’s dive into prayer and God’s will.

I once heard a story about how Adam and Ever prayed for days in the garden (pre-fall) over what they should eat for dinner. They went on prayer retreats, spent time apart from one another praying, prayer journaled, prayed together, etc. but never came up with “God’s will” for their dinner. The point of the story was that God told them to eat “anything” from the garden—just not “that” tree. At the end of the story they settled on fruit salad since God wasn’t giving “clear” answers.

This imaginary scenario/story is typical of the way many of us approach “God’s will” for our lives. It’s the same kind of approach that some people have when they are looking for a job or a spouse.

However, we can find no clear evidence in the Bible that God is in the business of revealing a “perfect choice” for us through prayer. Some choices are better than others. Some choices are definitely wrong.

Sure, there are stories throughout scripture where God physically showed up and revealed His desire for someone but we need to put that in a different category.

I do strongly believe however, God IS revealing His will to us and HAS revealed His will to us in many ways.

For instance, God HAS revealed His moral will to us in scripture. Whenever there is a crisis or one finds himself or herself at in impasse or quandary, it is safe to say a good spot to check first is with the Bible—where God has already revealed and communicated a moral standard.

If your friend is wondering if he should start having an affair with his neighbor—no prayer is needed. Answer=no.

I actually had a conversation with a gal recently who wondered if it was God’s will for her to pursue an affair because she saw so many “godly” qualities in this other man who seemed to be her “soul mate.” Ummm . . . no.

When it comes to making choices, we can know some things with absolute certainty:

• God does not contradict himself.
• God will not move us to do anything contrary to scripture.

There may be any number of choices and dreams we could pursue in life that may be “in God’s will” for us.

You can pick any job in the world—just not “that” one.

You can have any spouse that may reciprocate your love and your wooing—just not “that” one.

We can also safely operate by the proverbial ideas:

• There is safety in a multitude of counsel (Proverbs 11:14)
• Being open to correction is a way to wisdom (Proverbs 19:20)

In many ways, the OT prophets were “tested” by this logic and this instruction. When someone stuck their head up and said, “thus sayeth the Lord” they were opening themselves up to the testing and scrutiny of scripture and of the community.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 and other passages specifically warn about messages or dreams that contradict scripture

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer.

Deuteronomy 18 teaches the prophet’s words must come to pass. Prophet posing presented some pretty harsh risks.

19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?" 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

In reality, we are seldom faced with the kinds of “false dreams and visions” that the above scripture is warning us about. Though history has shown the church and the world abroad plenty of “crazy” visions and schemes that left unchecked by scripture and wisdom have ended in tragedy. Kool-aid anyone?

But . . .

You might be surprised at the countless seemingly harmless ideas and dreams that are presented to the local church leadership all wrapped up in a feverous box stamped, “God gave me this dream” day in and day out.

Often times, people judge the validity of their dreams/visions/choices/ideas based on the lack of any apparent obstruction or difficulty in achieving them. In the same way, many are quick to judge something as “invalid” or “not God’s will” based on roadblocks.

Scenario: A man is out of work and applies for a job in a new town. His wife hates the town, they will have to compromise on the children’s education, they have been warned by many friends not to go there, the man has a past history there that will be hard to overcome, there is no church for them to be involved in, etc. However, the man is offered a new position in the town after searching for work for a year. Should he take it?

OR . . .

Scenario: A woman applies for a job in a new town. She has been drawn to this town her whole life. Though she has been gone a few years, she grew up there, there is opportunity to help the community, she loves her home church there, she has many great relationships there. Many have counseled her that it would be wise to pursue something in this town. She knows that if she keeps pushing on towards her dream of moving back she can accomplish great things and she has a vision for the community. But, she can’t find a job there. Should she give up trying?

It is my conviction that just because something comes easy it doesn’t make it good. And, just because something is difficult doesn’t make it not worth pursuing.

I am certainly not saying praying for direction is irrelevant. Far from it! I do believe we should pray through difficult choices. I believe as we line our desires up with scripture, listen to wise counsel, practice Godly wisdom, learn through mistakes, meditate on the Word and digest it, and respond to God our prayer life will come alive and we will gain Godly perspective and direction.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #8

This post focuses on the “quirkiness” of group prayer—the people and the prayers we all put up with and/or don’t know what to do with in group prayer gatherings.

And, in no certain order—as they pop out of my brain—here are a list of things that will make me want to put my head in a freezer in group prayer settings : : :

Prayer gossip. This is where a “prayer request” is shared as a covert tattletale operation or a way to fill everyone in on something. i.e. “We should really pray for Susan. I don’t know if it is true or not but I heard she is having an affair with her neighbor. It is probably true. She has been acting weird. Let’s pray.”

The "unspoken" prayer request. Who started this one? I don’t understand. i.e. “I have an unspoken prayer request.” Thanks, Joe. “Lord, we pray for Joe’s unspoken request. You know what is going on. Please deal with that.”

The long talker. This is the guy you can’t shut up in the prayer meeting who wants to talk about himself a lot and/or whine about his life and/or prays for a stinking long time without giving anyone else a chance. The problem may not lie with this guy as much as it does with the leader who doesn’t step in and set boundaries.

The holy roller. This is the person who either speaks in tongues and makes everyone freak out or prays so loud and fast and adds so much “energy” that everyone is looking for the exit door.

The “share your prayer requests” time. This is the time when everyone chats about what they need to pray about before they pray. This usually eats up most of the prayer time and then you get to hear it all again in the short “during prayer” version.

The “praise report” time. Yeah, this one always weirds me out. This is when you get to hear all about things that happened throughout people’s week that they are happy for. They range from great things like “I got a new job” to trivial things like “I found a new lady to do my nails.”

The prayer echo. i.e. “Yes, Lord. I echo what Steve and John and Tim and Joel have said. Yes.

I like the sound of my own voice person. This person prays very verbose prayers. Poetry. Long. Loud. Pause. Pitch. Pace. Punch. Their prayer is a COM201 rhetoric exercise. Very well spoken. And they know it.

“Mmmmm. Yes, Lord.” This person is pretty self explanatory but, just in case we need help, this is the person that doesn’t say much in the group except, “Mmmmmm, yes, Lord.” Over and over again. It’s not that it’s bad to agree with one another. But . . .

Touchy prayer person. This person feels the need to reach out and grab you during prayer. Maybe it’s the knee. Maybe it’s the back rub or shoulder squeeze. What makes it awkward is that they are the only ones doing it. It’s different if everyone is holding hands. But, somewhere in the middle of “let’s pray” and “amen” this person surprises you with the touch. If the hand goes on the shoulder it can be especially weird because they usually don’t know they are pushing you into the ground with their hand weight. Can actually be okay if it is a friend.

The out-of-context Bible verse prayer. This may not be weird for everyone but it always derails me. This is when someone is praying about something and they decide they will “claim” a Bible verse as proof their prayer is legit but it is totally out of context and not what the passage means. i.e. God, we are so glad there are three of us praying here tonight because we believe ‘where two or three are gathered you are there.” (that is not what the verse means outside the context of Matthew 18 and furthermore, God is “present” when even one is praying).

The “let me fill you in” prayer. This is the prayer where someone tells a story as they pray. The story is not for God’s benefit. It is for everyone else. i.e. “Lord, today I was sitting watching the kids play bla bla bla . . . when I remembered that time back in college bla bla bla . . . and it was then you made it very clear bla bla bla . . . and in light of that I pray for my friend Don next to me . . . who is very much like my neighbor Hank who just last night said blab la bla . . .

The bomb-drop prayer. This can be a doozy. You don’t want this one to happen. This is where the person has something to say but doesn’t know how to tell everyone so they drop it like it’s hot in the middle of the prayer. i.e. “Lord, you know that we are getting a divorce” or “Lord, not everyone knows here but I have been lying for years about stealing that money” or, “God, you know I am having an affair with so-and-so” etc. When the prayer bomb is dropped it is intended to diffuse the shock of the person’s news because—after all, they are telling God and you can’t interrupt.

The Bible study/preacher prayer. This is the prayer where someone believes they have some wisdom to impart to you and they use the prayer time to do so. i.e. “Lord, before we came in today I couldn’t help but notice John was having a hard time disciplining his child. Lord, we trust your word is true when it says to train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from there and we pray for John that he will understand this truth and apply it to his life. Lord, we know you desire John to be a good parent. Your word also says . . .”

The prayer you pray all the time and don’t do anything about it prayer. This prayer is a weird one. An example is the guy who always prays God will give him an opportunity to share his faith at work. Got news for you buddy . . . you have been praying that prayer for 10 years. The opportunities have come and gone. What you need is to get off your butt and talk to someone. Someone please tell this guy God already answered his prayer and he needs to move on.

Big words guy. Self explanatory. Knows the prayer jargon and uses it. Thick.

The King James prayer. Leave the multiple thee’s and thou’s where they belong--17th Century England. Thee works well sometimes in a song because it rhymes well with “me” and “see” but, other than that . . .

Break out in song prayer. Now, this can actually be cool sometimes but nothing will make everyone more uncomfortable in no time at all than when someone breaks out in song during prayer expecting everyone to join along but . . . no one knows the song. Obviously, the person “thought” everyone would know it or they wouldn’t have started it. But, nope. Wow, this is awkward. The words slowly die, the volume goes down, then there is the awkward “where do I finish the song?” moment. Exit doors?

Think of any others?

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #7

This post is on the topic of “group prayer.”

When I say “group prayer” I am referring to any number of prayer vehicles such as small group prayer, prayer email groups, prayer chains, etc.

Each “group” has it’s own dynamics and it’s own personality so, though I am throwing them all into one group for this post, I will also separate them and discuss their own idiosyncrasies in future posts.

For years, I have led prayer groups. I led one in High School before school in a classroom. I have led small groups where prayer is a focus. I have pastored prayer teams.

Over the past few years at Westwinds, we have had prayer groups come and go. We have had groups organize for the purpose of praying through “requests” that come in on cards and emails. We have had groups meet during Fusion. We have had one particular prayer group that has ebbed and flowed and died and rose from the ashes countless times with countless leaders at the helm.

Recently, I had someone ask me why I didn’t seem very supportive of the “prayer group” (the one that keeps dying). I think it is time I jotted some things down to clear up that little misconception.

It is a misconception that I don’t “support” it but, this person was very astute in thinking I have some concerns. The concerns are not with “prayer” but rather some of the “prayer talk” surrounding a group of this nature. I plan on getting together with some of those who want to see this group thrive but I am going to show my cards and seed the conversation here first. I think it is also good for the rest of us.

Before I voice my concerns and invite you in to the conversation, I want to point out some important things—some of the things I LOVE about group prayer.

• For starters, I believe in prayer because God instructs us to do it (Ephesians 6:18). I believe it aligns us with God and helps us develop a relationship with our Maker (Matthew 26:41). I believe prayer gives us perspective and reminds us of who we are in light of who God is(Ephesians 5:2). These things are true of private and group prayer.

• I believe there are some great benefits to prayer besides “getting answers” or tracking things in a journal to see how God moves—or doesn’t move.

• I believe prayer unites us. Jesus prayed for our unity with one another. He prayed we would be in community with one another and with God just as He and the Father are in community. This unity talk was all in the context of His prayer (John 17). When we pray with one another, not only are we aware of one another’s needs, concerns, victories, challenges, etc., we don’t have a chance to bicker with one another. We get on a level playing field. We focus on something other than ourselves. Group prayer promotes unity.

My concerns with group prayer in some contexts revolve around some myths about prayer and some problems with group dynamics.

Let’s look at a couple of the myths.

Myth #1—the more people that pray, the better chance God will answer that prayer in the way we want.

There are a few different scenarios with this myth that bother me to my core. It is not always “stated” as I have it stated above but it is certainly implied.

The greatest infraction is probably the Fwd: Fw: Fw: email prayer request. It’s not the request itself that bothers me—I like to know what is happening with my friends and I love to pray for them. It is the prayer request that comes in from a friend of a friend who has a brother who knows a guy in some country I have never heard of that seems to think if “enough” people pray his prayer will be answered. And, that I need to stop everything I am doing and pray and forward that prayer request to as many people as possible so that it can be answered.

I don’t see “the more people who pray” argument anywhere in scripture.

Again, good things happen when God’s people are in unity but we don’t have any reason to believe that God is counting prayers before He makes a move.

Frankly, I think this perspective is dangerous. I think it is a slippery slope that leads to believing we somehow hold the power to make things happen if we have enough “faith.”

Myth #2—If we “bathe” an event in prayer, God shows up.

Again, God does not “need” us in order to make a move.

God moves in spite of us. God moves without us.

Myth #3—If we don’t have a large group of people praying for “XYZ” then God WILL NOT “bless it.”

False.

God has already revealed his moral will and many of his expectations to us. When we do those things, we are doing His will. He is happy with that.

This sometimes shows up in conversations like “if we don’t pray for God to bless the weekend services how can we expect things to go well and expect the Spirit to show up?”

Answer: We can expect things to go well because the Holy Spirit who moves spontaneously is the same Holy Spirit who guided the planning of the event and is the same Holy Spirit who lives in every believer who is told to worship in community with one another. Therefore, when we worship together, the Holy Spirit is there. Period.

We don't have to beg Him to be there. We don't have to pray He will "rain down" on us.

We can however, pray that while we meet together in HIs presence we are focused on Him, non-distracting and helpful to those who may not believe yet, treating one another kindly, not full of ourselves, listening, attentive, uninhibited, etc. Boy, do we ever need to pray these things.

I am a proponent of prayer. Alone. Group. All of the above. These myths and some others are what add to my “caution” about group prayer meetings. I love them. I support them. But, now you see inside my head a little more.

Do any of you experience some of the same thoughts/concerns?

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #6

This post flows better out of the previous post . . . so you know . . .

Right after Jeremiah pours out his heart—and his angst——he gets back to work. I picture him letting out a huge sigh as if to say, “there God, I said what I had to say.” And God replies, “Yeah, I hear you. I know how it is to be laughed at. I know how it is to feel betrayed. I know you can’t take too much before you melt down. It’s okay. I made you. I know.

The last thing I learned about God and honesty and prayer in this passage is:

• You won’t always get the “answers” but you may get a whole new perspective
  

Jeremiah goes back to work. He realizes that God never ever said his job would be painless. I think the pain he expressed to God gave him a much greater perspective than if he had said a few “hail Marys.” I think He learned something about God’s faithfulness in the way God handled his honesty. I think the pain gave him a greater awareness of what it must be like to experience pain without God holding your hand. I think the honesty helped him move on.

I once talked to a friend a few weeks before she went to be with God. She had cancer. Two little girls. Beautiful. Every time I ran into her though, she had a smile.

One day, I cornered her at church. I asked her if she ever said, “this sucks!” to God. “Do you ever shut your door and scream? Have you ever given God the finger? Or, is this otherworldly glow you have something you experience all the time?”

She broke down a bit and shared with me that she felt a freedom to address God with all her anger based on how He handled honest prayers in the Bible. We talked about the King David (you should read his rants!) and his honesty. We talked about Jeremiah. And, we saw a pattern with these guys. We saw anger and disappointment, then a prayer of absolute pain and an honest cry, and then we saw a pause—a reflection, and finally, new perspective.

Mary told me the Psalms encouraged her to be honest and they gave her perspective when fighting her cancer. But, the difference between Mary and I at that moment was that she had a real clear perspective that only came through pain.

I want the perspective, but not the pain.

I’ve learned a lot about God by watching my kids. I remember when I taught my son to pray. He was about 3 or 4 years old and I used to kneel by his bed every night and pray with him. One night, I asked him if he wanted to pray alone. He said he didn’t know how but, knowing that prayer was something like “just talking with God” he said he would try.

I walked out of the room and stood around the corner waiting—the proud father. A minute went by and then I heard him say “Hi, God.” That was it. Simple. I went into the other room and cried like a baby. My son taught me something about connecting with God that I was missing. Honesty. Simplicity. That was the end of my sanitized prayers. I had been ripping—off God and myself with my dishonesty.

I do believe in hope. In peace. In joy. I believe one can have all those in the midst of madness. And, I have experienced it. Real joy. Not a fake Jesus smile--a supernatural perspective in the midst of things I can't understand.

My hope and prayer is for me and you, that we will be honest with God when the pain comes. We will tell him everything—unsanitized and messy as it is. Then, we will pray, “what can I learn? What new perspective can you give me? How can I use my pain to help others on this long, strange trip.

Dare : : : Take out a piece of paper and write "God can handle it" at the top. Make a list of the things that seem unbearable and/or "unspeakable" to you. Hide the list somewhere. Take it out and look at it this time next year.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #5

As a father, I want to be a hero. I want my kids to love me. Sure, I love them unconditionally but, there is nothing like your baby running up to you unsolicited and hugging you. I don’t want tension. But, sometime—they don’t like me very much.

My 9 year-old is a doll. A princess. And, as most 9 year olds—she has a . . . problem with authority at times. I remember once when she was about 5 I had to send her to her room for a time-out. She had just finished having a meltdown of sorts. She was cranky, tired, had too much sugar, had been spoiled at a friends home, and wasn’t getting her way.

As she stomped off to her room she screamed the dreaded words I had never heard her say.

“I hate you!”

Could I handle it? Yeah. Did I tell her it was hurtful? Yes. Do I want to hear it said again? Not really. Did I stop loving her or beat her for saying it. No way. I told her there is nothing she could say that would make me stop loving her. I would still love her even if she didn’t apologize. As a matter of fact, I wept for her.

So, what does Jeremiah do? How does He handle it when he is angry at God?

7-10You pushed me into this, God, and I let you do it.
You were too much for me.
And now I'm a public joke.
They all poke fun at me.
Every time I open my mouth
I'm shouting, "Murder!" or "Rape!"
And all I get for my God-warnings
are insults and contempt.
But if I say, "Forget it!
No more God-Messages from me!"
The words are fire in my belly,
a burning in my bones.
I'm worn out trying to hold it in.
I can't do it any longer!
Then I hear whispering behind my back:
"There goes old 'Danger-Everywhere.' Shut him up! Report him!"
Old friends watch, hoping I'll fall flat on my face:
"One misstep and we'll have him. We'll get rid of him for good!"

11But God, a most fierce warrior, is at my side.
Those who are after me will be sent sprawling—
Slapstick buffoons falling all over themselves,
a spectacle of humiliation no one will ever forget.

12Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, no one fools you.
You see through everyone, everything.
I want to see you pay them back for what they've done.
I rest my case with you.

13Sing to God! All praise to God!
He saves the weak from the grip of the wicked.

14-18Curse the day
I was born!
The day my mother bore me—
a curse on it, I say!
And curse the man who delivered
the news to my father:
"You've got a new baby—a boy baby!"
(How happy it made him.)
Let that birth notice be blacked out,
deleted from the records,
And the man who brought it haunted to his death
with the bad news he brought.
He should have killed me before I was born,
with that womb as my tomb,
My mother pregnant for the rest of her life
with a baby dead in her womb.
Why, oh why, did I ever leave that womb?
Life's been nothing but trouble and tears,
and what's coming is more of the same.

What I learned about expressing emotion from God:

• God is not afraid of your honesty—He already knows, you cannot hide anyway, there was no lightning, there was no smoke when Jeremiah spoke these words. As a matter of fact, God continued to use Jeremiah and be pleased with him. (Moses fought with God as well)

• When you are convinced of God’s character and love—you know it’s safe. Jeremiah knew He was Lord and Creator (10:12-16) He is all powerful (32:27) He is everywhere present (23:23,24) He desires reconciliation (31:31-34) By God's very nature and names He let's us know He is "safe" and desires our honesty.
  

Jeremiah knew God could handle a messy, disorganized, angry, gutsy, painfully honest prayer. He cursed God out. He accused God of seducing him. He called God a liar. He threw it out. “This is where I am at, God.”

Quite frankly, I think Jeremiah was even being sarcastic with God in verses 11-13

11But God, a most fierce warrior, is at my side.
Those who are after me will be sent sprawling—
Slapstick buffoons falling all over themselves,
a spectacle of humiliation no one will ever forget.

12Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, no one fools you.
You see through everyone, everything.
I want to see you pay them back for what they've done.
I rest my case with you.

13Sing to God! All praise to God!
He saves the weak from the grip of the wicked.

I have a hard time believing Jeremiah was being "sincere" in 11-13. Those statement are bookended by him shaking his fist at God. I can picture him saying it in a mocking tone.

How do we feel about that? Are we ready for that kind of honesty? Is God?

Do we believe that God is all the things He says He is? Kind, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, just, righteous? If so, He has to be the kind of God that can handle my screwed up prayers.

This was a hard one for me to learn. For most of my Christian life, I may have said I believed it, but I certainly didn’t practice it. I was taught to be "respectful" in my prayers. Which usually, for me, meant "fake it 'till I make it."

Sometimes, the things I have thought “should not” be uttered.

Psalm 62:8 says “Pour your heart out to God, He is a refuge for you” It does not say to rehearse your prayers and clean them up. It doesn’t say put on a happy face. It doesn’t say turn that frown upside down. It doesn’t even say to take out the cursing. God is a refuge.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #4

Sometimes, the environment we grow up in—though it may be uncomfortable for us while we are in it—or we may not want to return to it—can be very helpful in our learning process if we embrace it.

This is true for me and prayer. I spent a good deal of time in one particular church experience as a child that I would never want to repeat, nor would I wish it on anyone. However, in those painful years I learned a ton. I learned a lot in the way one might look at a parent and say, “when I grow up I will not treat my child like that.”

So, here is a list of some things I learned from other Christ followers growing up (p.s. just in case you are not good at picking up on sarcasm, the list below is NOT something I believe). These things screwed with my prayer life for years :

What I learned about expressing emotion from “Christ Followers” :

• Christ Followers are “happy people” (shiny, happy people) at all times

They “know God is in control” so they smile
There is too much to be happy about—no tears

• Christ Followers who struggle and are frustrated are people without clarity

So, they give clarity with misquoted Bible verses and pithy grabbers intended to satisfy (God is in control, He won’t give you more than you can handle, there is power in weakness, there’s a prize at the end, there’s no crown without a cross, yada, yada, yada. They are not always false, but mostly they are untimely.

• Christ Followers that are “spiritual” have good sounding prayers to God—well thought out and verbose

Things I learned from the world, the media, friends, and the uninformed:

• God sends lightning

• God’s main job is to punish us

• We have to earn God’s favor—so don’t make Him mad!

• I must change before God accepts me (stop drinking, smoking, cussing, looking at porn, being angry), I must get my act together!

Things I learned from life experience and motivational speakers, tapes, and books

• Doubt is the opposite of belief

• It’s best to buck up, grab the bootstraps and move on

• People with emotional “issues” are weak

I believe these are unbiblical misconceptions about God, emotion, prayer, etc. and if we don't move past them, they will haunt our prayer life (or lack thereof) forever.

Another prayer dare : : : go down this list of misconceptions again and find one that may have you hamstrung. Tell someone about it. Investigate it. Ask someone to pray through the issue with you and ask God for a change of perspective.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #3

I think I have more questions about prayer now than I did when I started. I don’t have it all wrapped up nice and tidy. My “theology” of prayer is incomplete.

Some questions I used to ask (and some I still ask) : : :

Does it change His mind? Does God move only if I pray? What about multiple pray-ers? What about email prayers? Can I influence God? Is God the only one who hears? Does He only hear believers? How do I address Him? Does God wait for me to ask?

Today, we’ll camp on another one of my questions as you walk this journey with me. The big question today is . . . What can I and can’t I say to God—what are the boundaries?

Jeremiah’s story is recorded for us in the longest book of the Bible—containing more words than any other book. Jeremiah was a prophet who began speaking for God about 626 BC. Sometimes Jeremiah is referred to as, “the weeping prophet.”

Jeremiah lived in a time where people were giving God the finger. Probably a lot like the world we live in. They didn’t give a rip about God. The leaders were corrupt, the priests were liars, the people were crooked and self-centered; the moral fabric of the nation was getting weaker all the time.

So, God approached Jeremiah and told him He had an assignment for him. He wanted Jeremiah to tell these people that God still loved them and they still mattered, but He was going to teach them a huge lesson if they didn’t turn.

In Jeremiah 1:17 through 19, God gives Jeremiah the charge and a promise.

So Jeremiah accepts. He gets and audience with the rulers and warns them. He encourages them to repent—to turn. They laugh. Jeremiah is puzzled.

God tells Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house and watch him work. He sees the potter making clay pots but halfway through it the clay spoils and he has to mash it up and start over again. God says, “go tell the people what you saw.” So Jerry tells the people what he saw and tells them, “God was shaping you into a great nation but you have turned out to be bad clay. If you don’t repent, God will mash it up and start all over again.”

Well, they didn’t like that at all. People usually don’t like hearing they are about to get mashed. Damnation speeches aren’t very popular in any culture. They start to think of a way to shut him up for good.

Jerry, at this point, is going, “God, what’s the deal? These guys are after me. Why don’t you just do some of that God Kung Foo Panda action and go postal on them. Go Uma Thurman on these bad boys. Take ‘em out. This is ridiculous. He is getting a bit discouraged.

So God responds by saying, “I have another object lesson. Go buy a big vase. Gather all the leaders together again. Hold the vase above your head and tell them if they don’t repent, they don’t turn, they don’t humble themselves, they will be like the vase. Then, smash it to the ground (smash vase).”

He does it. And . . . they don’t like it. Jeremiah 20:2 says they then proceeded to beat him and throw him in stocks by the gate of the city. People could then walk by and ridicule him, spit on him, hit him, and hurl insults.

After hours of this torture, he is released. Jeremiah has reached the end. He is spent. He’s thinking, “Hey, I was just doing my job, God. I was doing what you told me. I warned them. I went to see the potter, I smashed the vase. He is confused, feels betrayed, he is very angry. He has a lot of baggage to deal with.

Not to mention the part where God promised to protect him.

What would you do if you were Jerry? What advise do you have for him? What do you do when you are just going along in life, trying to live right, trying to stay out of people’s way, trying to worship God the best you know how and then . . . crash. It all falls. Your protection isn’t there. How do you approach God? What do you say to Him?

Your good friend dies in a car wreck. You lose your job. Your teenager tells you she hates you and you are worthless. Your home is vandalized. Your family member talks about taking their life. You’re ridiculed and betrayed by a friend. Your spouse. A family member dies. A family member is called to war.

When you start feeling those feelings of confusion, abandonment, anger or resentment towards God, what do you do with the feelings? When God’s definition of protection and love seems like it came out of a different dictionary than yours, what do you do?

Today’s dare . . . if you have a hard time expressing to God how you really feel, start by telling Him you are afraid to tell Him.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #2

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. When it came to things like prayer, I had little frame of reference.

My grandmother had some beads she used to hold when she would pray. She would go from bead to bead chanting mantras. She called it her rosary. And, she wouldn’t only talk to God, she talked to his “mom” apparently—I thought her first name was Hail. Hail Mary.

My father occasionally talked to God and addressed him by his full name. I thought his last name was dammit. I’d pray before meals, tests, and when I needed something. But, God was really no more real to me than Santa Claus. We didn’t really “chat.”

And, maybe you’re like me in that when I first started attending a church—it wasn’t so much about heart change for me, it wasn’t so much about a journey or experiencing God, it was about, “doing the right things.” I wanted to be a good boy.

So, when I started attending club Christian—I started looking for examples. I started to mimic. I wanted to do things right. I’d hear things like, “Oh, Mr. So-and-So is a good pray-er.” “Oh, she has a direct line to God.” “That was such a ‘moving’ prayer.” “They are prayer warriors.”

I modeled a formula . . .

Recipe for Prayer:

• 1 dash of “tion” words i.e. “propitiation,” “supplication”

• A sprinkling of poetry—use generously

• A couple of adjectives before “Our Father” like “most gracious” or “all knowing”

• A few sighs

• 2 “amen’s” example: “amen and amen!”

• 10 or more uses of the word “just”—Lord, I just want to thank you just for . . .

This is the model I had learned as a child. Whenever I heard people pray, this is what it sounded like. I guess I got good at it.

One day, someone told me they liked my style of praying.

But, honestly, I didn’t want a prayer “style.” I wanted to know more about prayer. I wanted to talk to God.

If I were to ask my dad for his car keys, I wouldn’t say . . . “Oh, most loving and gracious father, might you bestow upon me—your humble son—thy keys for which to use the vehicle you have so lovingly provided for my use? I would say, “Dad, can I use the keys?” Plain. Simple. Genuine. So why did I talk to my heavenly Father as if I were in a Shakespearean play?

Then, I started noticing quirky things about prayer all around me.

It was not only the language that was bizarre, not only the Monty Python words and accents, it sounded so . . . unconversational and so . . . not real. Every prayer was so sanitized. So clean. So polished. So impressive.

I was talking to a friend of mine tonight about prayer and he said that even after reading my blog post yesterday he realized how many habits he slips into with prayer without even thinking twice—the language—the posture.

What are some of the prayer quirks you have? Have you been able to change old prayer habits? Do you have a default language?

Today's dare . . . make mental note of the things you say in prayer that you are not really even sure what they mean.

Do you use words and phrases you are not sure of? Make a list. Share them here.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares

Before I begin, let me say I love Jesus. I believe in prayer. I pray. I believe prayer is important. Jesus taught us to pray. Pray.

Please read all my prayer posts through that lens. Please.

I have always been somewhat of a student of prayer. I have never considered myself a “prayer warrior” and, quite frankly, the phrase makes me a little uneasy.

The topic of prayer has come up A LOT around Westwinds lately. I think it is time to blog a few of my thoughts and maybe you can process with me.

I have been a follower of Jesus for 30 years.

I have read more books and had more conversations on prayer than you could possibly imagine.

And, honestly, I don’t feel much further down the line with my understanding of prayer than I did 30 years ago.

Sometimes, I think I understood it better back then—when I didn’t know anything. And that very statement may actually be more profound than I originally intended.

I have changed my mind about how to pray, when to pray, how often to pray, and what prayer accomplishes more than you can imagine.

And, I'll be honest . . .

I have strong opinions about what bothers me when it comes to prayer. I have strong opinions about what bothers me about certain kinds of prayer agendas. I have strong opinions about prayer words and phrases—i.e., “get on your knees and fight like a man,” “we must align our hearts with God,” “lift your request up to him” . . .

I have strong opinions about definitions of prayer that somehow “require” God to respond in certain ways based on where my heart is or how often I pray or how many people pray with me, etc.

I will have some scattered thoughts and posts about prayer over the next few days. Comment please. Converse.

Sometimes, I'm a prayer mess.

I have shown some of my cards already.

Honestly, a lot of my prayer baggage is out of a concern for those who are just beginning to follow Jesus and are watching and listening. To us. To me. I am scared to death sometimes at the garbage that some people are fed about prayer that I believe is --at best-- silly and shallow and --at worst-- unbiblical. So, it is more than pet peeves that I will be sharing.

This first post is simple. No deep theology. No big questions.

Just a simple challenge.

This challenge is for the “seasoned” pray-er. This challenge is for the professional Christian pray-er. This challenge is for the student of prayer. It is not meant to belittle or demean anyone.

If we are going to have this conversation, I dare you to pray for one day like this:

• Without using the word “just” i.e. “Lord, we just want to just thank you for just . . .

• Address God differently than your normal go-to name i.e. “most gracious heavenly Father, etc.

• If you pray out loud this week, talk like you normally talk—normal inflections. Normal words.

• If you pray out loud this week, do not sigh

• Without using words you never use in any other context (most of the “tion” words like propitiation are out)

• Try ending your prayer with something other than, “in Jesus’ name” as a form of “sincerely”. Maybe try putting the “in Jesus’ name” at the front of the prayer. Or leave it off the prayer.

• Try praying “after” a meal once.

• Try praying in the middle of a meal once.

• Try praying with your eyes open.

• If you stand, try it on your knees. If you kneel, try standing.

• Do not use the phrase “we lift up” while praying
  

The next part of the challenge is tough. Kinda weird.

Make mental notes of how many times you hear other people praying around you in light of the above list. God will not be angry at you for doing a prayer experiment—He is bigger than that. I happen to believe God is a big fan of learning through observation.

After you try it for a day, discuss it here. This is food for conversation.

Prayer Songs and Turpentine

I have a habit of writing down prayers.

Often times, I will write my prayers and sit with my guitar and a recording device of some kind and keep that prayer/song for a bit. I don't know how many prayers I have actually committed to song but I know I have thrown away more than I can remember.

Sometimes, I will watch a video of a prayer song or listen to an mp3 of a prayer song days or weeks later, analyze where I was "back then," and compare it to where I am at the moment.

The recordings are never that great quite honestly. Stripped back. References. Logs. But, they are my prayers. Sometimes they are so stream of consciousness it isn't funny. Sometimes they make poetic sense. Most, I would never share.

I highly encourage this practice. I grew up feeling "guilty" for not journaling because everyone around me said that good Christians journal. This however, makes sense to me--to sit with an instrument of some kind and talk to God. So, I journal . . . but not in a diary. My journals require instruments, paintbrushes, turpentine, magazines, poster board, clay, exacto knives, spray paint, canvas, moleskines, etc.

This video clip (bottom of blog entry) is an example of a journal entry. Horribly out of tune at spots but . . . such is life, eh? I thought it would be good to give you an example of something raw. You have to approach the song journaling and not think about radio play or writing hits.

Yesterday morning I was exhausted x's 10. I just finished reading Peter Rollins' book, "How (Not) to Speak of God" and it was very encouraging to me, however--in the midst of my personal madness. There is a portion in the book where Rollins rocked my world by tearing apart the passage of scripture (Rev. 3:16) where we learn God would rather have us cold or hot but detests the lukewarm. I love the way the King James says it : : :

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth."

I have heard messages on this before and preachers always camp on the idea of being "on fire" for God. Youth pastors use this passage to rally the troops and say, "God wants to light a fire under your butt to do great things for the kingdom. He doesn't like casual Christianity." This is true but part of the passage is ignored with the Billy Blanks approach. And, it is always suggested that God prefers the hot over the cold.

What about the "cold" part?

Well, Rollins blew my mind by suggesting God embraces the cold because He appreciates our honesty. Our wrestling. Our confrontation.

We are every bit as close to God when we are feeling "cold" spiritually because He meets us in the cold. God is not afraid of cold. Cold may not be the best place to stay but it is certainly not apathetic. Cold seeks. Cold longs. Cold engages.

With all that, I went to prayer. I was honest with my Lord.

I gotta know You'll direct me--direct me, lead me where to go
I gotta know You'll protect me--no more games, no "on my own"
'Cause if I'm honest and I know that's what You want
I speak out both sides of my mouth
I know You're there
Still I think You're not
All my hopes, my dreams, my fears, my tears, the years
The months, the days, the minutes--every moment, Lord
I just gotta know You'll do what You say
I gotta know You'll receive me
'Cause sometimes I don't even believe me
And if I'm honest, Lord--and I know that's what You want
I want nothing more than to hold it loosely Lord, in my open hand
But, my open hand is all I've got
All my hopes, my dreams, my fears, my tears, the years
The months, the days, the minutes--every moment, Lord
I just gotta know You'll do what You say
You'll do what You say
Hallelujah, please Lord, do what You say
Is "the least of these" the last of me?

This post is also part of Creative Chaos at Ragamuffin Soul.