Why Pray?

 WHY PRAY?

“... your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” - Matthew 6:8

When our Lord taught about prayer in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus said, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

Notice that last sentence, “... your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” This verse reinforces our belief that God is omniscient. He knows all things. He knows our situation far better than we can explain it in prayer. Yet this fact causes some to ask, if God already knows our needs, why should we pray? What is the point in praying if God already knows our situation and the matters that trouble our heart?

Why pray? That is a fair question. I believe that there are three or four good reasons why Christians should pray.

First of all, we should pray because God commands it. Our Lord instructs us to pray. We are encouraged to pray. The Bible teaches us to pray. If there is no other reason than this one, it should be enough to motivate us to pray. Even though God knows what we need before we even ask, we should realize that He does not feel it is an inconvenience or an interruption when we share these burdens with Him. With all the critical situations that exist in our world, our Lord still welcomes His children in His presence. We should pray because God commands us to.

Secondly, we should pray because we need to. We have a need to get alone with God and express our cares and concerns with Him. Sometimes it is a relief just to have Someone to share our burdens with. There are some burdens that we carry far too long. We need to bring our burdens to the Lord and leave them there. As Christians, we must confess that there have been times we have felt so much better after a season of prayer. We've needed the time of confession, vulnerability and honesty. It has brought relief as we have poured out our heart and soul before the Lord. We exercise our faith as we bring our concerns to Him. In prayer, we entrust God with the overwhelming challenges that we face. Furthermore, many of us can testify how He has answered many prayers in the past. We should pray because we need to.

Also, we need to pray because others need us to. Many people around us face problems and challenges we can't help with. Yet there is one thing we can do for them … we can pray. Prayer is a means of showing our love and support to others. Although much of our praying is done in secret, it is still an effective weapon in the spiritual warfare going on around us. We need the prayers of others and they need our prayers, too.

Finally, we should pray because certain blessings are contingent upon it. God hears and answers when we pray. As we read the Bible, it becomes obvious that certain blessings are reserved for those who pray. In fact, James addressed this in his epistle when he wrote, “You have not because you ask not.” Although God is omniscient and sovereign, He has chosen to reserve certain blessings for those who simply ask Him in faith. Why can't that be you?

God hears and answers prayers. Praying is not a waste of time or energy. There was no one who needed to pray less than Jesus. Yet Jesus gave Himself to prayer. Jesus had busy days when people would crowd around Him, expecting miracles. Yet there were times He would get away from the crowd and spend extended periods of time talking with His Father. Let's follow His lead. We need to spend quality time talking with the Father ourselves.

Instead of asking, “Why Pray?” perhaps we should be asking, “Why aren't we praying?” The least attended church service tends to be the prayer meeting. While most Christians claim to believe in prayer, it seems to remain such a low priority for many.

If there has ever been a time when believers need to pray, it is right now. We are living at a critical moment in time. Much is hanging in the balance. The future of our country, the direction of the Church, the plight of souls are among the many vital issues facing us.

Let us pray!

A Call To Prayer

A CALL TO PRAYER

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” - Jeremiah 33:3

If there has ever been a time when Christians need to pray, it is right now. While most Christians believe that prayer is important, we tend to neglect this vital discipline. It is easier to busy ourselves with the events of the day than it is to get alone with God and pray.

Yet prayer is never a waste of time. The Puritan, John Bunyan, once wrote, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed. Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan.”

We are living in perilous times. Sin is embraced and celebrated by our society. Righteousness is rejected and scorned. Common sense is no longer common. In fact, it is astonishing at the depth of depravity and ignorance that is common place in our nation. We can't help but shake our heads in disbelief at the extreme that people have gone with their “logic.”

As Christians, we should be preparing for greater degrees of persecution. The level of persecution in America is very light compared to Muslim countries. But we must admit that Christians seem to be the target of increased hostility. Furthermore, we are witnessing apostasy among “Christian” leaders and denominations. In an effort to be “cool,” “relevant,” and “tolerant,” many have embraced the very sins that God plainly condemns.

We are nearing another Presidential election. The future of our nation seems to be hanging by a thread. The news media is overtly biased and refuses to take responsibility for their conduct or the results of their own activity.

What a mess! As an American Christian, I feel as though our nation is like the Titanic, doomed to hit the iceberg of God's judgment.

While I believe strongly that Christians need to unite and boldly stand for the right things and strongly renounce sin and wickedness, I also must admit that our long-term silence has permitted this nation to go down the drain.

While I intend to vote in November, I intend to do something far more important in the mean time. I intend to pray. I call on all believers to pray. Our nation needs our prayers. Our communities need us to pray. Families stand in need of our prayers. Our churches are in dire need of prayer. Lost souls need our prayers.

The prophet was told, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Notice that there are three things in this verse.

First of all, he was commanded to ask. Jeremiah was told to, “Call unto me.” He wasn't told to call on the government or visit a lawyer's office. Instead, he was told to call on God. Why do we use prayer as a last resort? God is available to hear our prayers right now. We are called to pray. Will you heed that call?

Secondly, he was told that God would answer his prayer. God said, “... I will answer thee.” God made Him a promise. I think one reason why people neglect prayer is that they no longer expect answers when they pray. Yet God still hears and answers prayer. Why wait any longer? Pray today!

Finally, God made a second promise. In addition to promising to answer Jeremiah's prayer, He promised to do miraculous things in response to prayer. God promised that He would, “... show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” While we believe that God did miracles in the past, do we believe He can do them today? He has never changed. He is still able to do mighty things. Yet many of these things will happen in response to prayer. Perhaps we aren't seeing many miracles because few people are really praying.

As believers, we need to unite in prayer. We need to pray with greater vigor than ever before. These are desperate times. We need to pray with desperation. We should pray with faith, believing that God is hearing. We should pray with expectation, anticipating an answer from our Lord. We should pray for determination, persevering in spite of the circumstances around us.

Let us pray!

Restoring Worship

RESTORING WORSHIP

“Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.” - Psalm 51:18-19

A. W. Tozer once wrote, “We are saved to worship God. All that Christ has done in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end.” As I read about heaven in the Bible, I am convinced that the primary business of heaven is the worship of our Lord.

Don't be confused. Worship is not a boring, stuffy church service. Worship is an act of adoration. Worship is esteeming God as being precious and priceless, great and glorious, majestic and marvelous. Worship occurs when we are captivated with God alone. With a sense of awe and wonder, we concentrate on Him with reverence and piety. When we consider the vast nature of our God, as revealed in the Bible, we are struck with a sense of fear. Yet we also love Him. We prize Him above all things.

While we may express our worship through music, the lifting up of hands, or a response to a sermon, ultimately worship is a matter of the heart. In America, we tend to emphasize the external response of worship to the exclusion of heartfelt worship, which is a mistake.

When David sinned against God, his life of worship wilted away. You cannot worship God and practice idolatry at the same time. David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah had devastated his life. Psalm 51 was his prayer of repentance, as he sought to have his fellowship with God restored. As he concluded the psalm, David realized that God's forgiveness and restoration would lead him to worship once again. This was something he missed greatly.

I believe that sin is keeping many Christians home on Sunday mornings. Instead of worshiping God with other believers, they are spending the Lord's Day away from their spiritual family. Rather than enjoying God's presence, they are drifting further from the place they should be. Perhaps that describes your situation right now. If so, let me encourage you to get back where you belong. Repent of your sins and get back in church. Get back to worshiping God once again. Don't let the devil deceive you into thinking that there is any substitute for worshiping God.

Personal revival leads to acts of worship. A believer should worship privately and publicly. Let's be active in both areas. God deserves our worship regardless of where we are at.

Also, we need to avoid deception. It is one thing to be enamored flashing lights or lively music at church, it is another thing to captivated by the Lord alone. While it is good to hear a strong, Biblical sermon on Sunday morning, the sermon should lead us to worship God with greater intensity.

Mankind was designed to worship. Sin has twisted this design and has led men to worship nearly everything from trees, to money, to success, to celebrities and even themselves. Everyone is worshiping something or someone. Few are truly worshiping the God of the Bible. As followers of Jesus, it should be our daily goal to worship the Lord alone.

It is easy to get distracted. It is easy to be deceived. Yet we need a revival of worship in America. Personal revival leads to repentance and change. Ultimately, such revival leads to renewed worship.

Our perfect God is worthy of worship. Why waste our time on anything less?

What God Is Looking For

 WHAT GOD IS LOOKING FOR

“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” - Psalm 51:16-17

For many years, I was impressed with a number of things. I thought it was so great to hear someone recite, from memory, passages and chapters of the Bible. I was impressed with the leadership gifts of certain individuals. I thought highly of preachers who were gifted orators. I respected Bible teachers who could explain difficult Biblical passages with simplicity and clarity.

Certainly these are good things. But do they impress God? When we're around gifted and talented people, we can look at our own lives and get discouraged. If you're like me, you're not ultra-talented. Perhaps your gifts and talents seem few and limited. So when we meet someone who possesses great talents, we feel so small and question our effectiveness.

Yet God is the One who provides individuals with gifts and talents. While it is is our job to hone to talents and improve them, He is the giver of them. He gives to people as He sees fit. Furthermore, those with great talents are responsible for what they do with their talents. There have been many who've wasted their gifts and talents.

When David sinned against God, he made a tremendous discovery. In the Old Testament, sacrifices had to be offered when a person sinned. Certainly, David had the means to offer such sacrifices. He was the king. Yet there was a problem. Under the law, he should have been executed for his crimes. Adultery and murder were both crimes that should have brought his death. He was guilty and he knew it. Yet David discovered that God was not interested in a sacrifice. He was interested in something more.

The Jews were expected to follow the letter of the law. Many of the Jews were very knowledgeable of the law. They knew what sacrifices to bring and when to bring them. They could easily worship from their head, reciting the law. They could worship from their hands, offering sacrifices for their sins. Yet God wanted more. He was looking for more. While it is good to worship from your head and your hands, God wants us to worship from the heart.

That was the discovery David made during his confessional prayer in Psalm 51. God was not interested in the sacrifices he could bring as much as He was interested in David himself.

Here in America, we can make the same mistake the Jews made. We can get excited about church budgets, new buildings and paved parking lots. We can emphasize programs and people. We can have event after event. But do we really seek God Himself? Like the Jews, we can worship with our head and our hands, but never worship with our hearts.

Jesus quoted Isaiah's writings about the Jews when He said, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” The Jews were treating man-made rules and regulations as if they were divinely inspired. They created their own standards, to the neglect of the Scriptures. Their worship did not come from the heart. It was just legalism masquerading as worship. The same can happen to us.

David realized that God was looking for a repentant, humble heart. A heart sensitive to the Word of God. A heart longing for the glory of God. A heart that loves righteousness and hates iniquity.

When we attend church weekly, we tend to emphasize our appearance, our diligence and our outward expressions of faith. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with these things, but are our hearts really right before God? We may have prepared for church outwardly, but what about inwardly?

In David's case, the real sacrifice that God was looking for wasn't another animal. It was David himself. God desired David's heart, not his burnt offering. David had been a man after God's own heart. Now, at the bottom of the barrel, David realized that his heart wasn't right with God. David needed his heart to be changed. The sacrifice God wanted was the surrender of David's contrite heart.

No, God isn't as impressed with many of the things that tend to impress us. He is pleased, and at times impressed, with a heart full of faith and love. Church attendance, giving and serving are all important. Yet they need to flow from a heart of faith and love. A heart that is sold out to Jesus. A heart that has been touched by the Master's hand. A heart that is red-hot was a spiritual passion to please the Lord.

That is what God is looking for.

Spiritual Singing

 SPIRITUAL SINGING

“O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.” - Psalm 51:15

What has happened to singing in American churches? We've gotten spiritually lazy and want others to do our singing for us. I admit that I like to listen to good Christian music. When I hear a good Southern Gospel artist sing a great song, it blesses me. I have stacks of CD's available to listen to. I still have cassettes and LPs. I have MP3 music files that I have purchased online. If you open my Itunes program, my playlists will make it obvious what I listen to.

While our listening habits are obvious, what about our singing habits? I miss the old days when you could go to a Christian bookstore and look through sheet music and songbooks. I guess those days are forever gone, replaced by music accompaniment recordings. Even with “music tracks” and prerecorded accompaniment, singing has really decreased in the Christian community. We traded congregational singing for performances. While it is good for gifted singers and musicians to utilize their talents in the local church, we shouldn't rob others of the privilege of praising God through congregational singing.

God deserves our praise. Others cannot praise God on our behalf. There is no such thing as proxy praise. Furthermore, praise is not restricted to the church sanctuary each Sunday morning. Each of us should have a desire to praise God throughout the week. We don't need a pianist to accompany our singing. Neither do we need a full orchestra as we praise the Lord. Praise is a personal matter.

Yet I am concerned that praise is missing among the saints these days. Listening to others sing can be very moving. Yet God should hear praise from our own lips.

King David knew about the importance of music. Before he became king, he was a musician and singer. He was actually hired to play music that soothed Saul during his deeply troubling times. David was a songwriter. Many of his songs are preserved in the book of Psalms. In spite of his musical heritage, David came to a point where he had lost his song. Sin had cost David his song.

There are some, like David, who've sinned greatly and found that they no longer had a song. Like Israel, they could say, “How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?” However for most people, a hectic schedule and unrealistic expectations keep us busy and slowly robs us of our song.

We need to get that song back. Often I've quoted Lester Roloff, who said, “It is better to have a song and not be able to sing it than to be able to sing and not have a song.” What would an early spring morning without the song of birds? Yet if you attend most churches, the congregational singing is anemic, at best.

What about your singing? Do you have a song in your heart today? Perhaps you once sang to the top of your lungs as you drove to work. Now, the radio provides your music. Maybe you once sang heartily in church. Now the song is just words on a page. You need to get your song back.

David realized that if he got right with God, he'd get his song back. In the 51^st Psalm he wrote, “O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.” God is the One who gave us the song and He is the One that can restore it. Somehow, we tend to get in a rut and refuse to leave it. We get accustomed to a life without a song. Yet there is nothing like a heart that is hot for God, demonstrating love and devotion through song.

David asked for his joy to be restored. Along with the joy, he sought to have his song restored. The two go hand in hand. If you are missing your song, you're probably not basking in the joy of the Lord.

The good news is that both joy and singing can be restored. The big question is this: are you willing to live any longer without both of them?

Don't let pride keep you in the rut any longer. God is just a prayer away. He can cause your soul to soar and sing once again.

Why wait any longer?

The Cure For Spiritual Lockjaw

 THE CURE FOR SPIRITUAL LOCKJAW

“Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” - Psalm 51:13

Due to medical advances, we don't hear much about lockjaw these days. Tetanus (often called lockjaw) can be prevented with a vaccine. This disease is caused by a bacteria that creates a toxin within the body, resulting in painful muscle contractions. Thankfully, this is not considered a public threat to society today.

However, spiritual lockjaw does exist today. No, it isn't caused by bacteria, but it is a spiritual condition brought on by sin, doubt and the fear of man. Although we have little or no problem talking about politics, sports or the weather, spiritual lockjaw keeps us from boldly speaking the Gospel truth. When spiritual lockjaw sets in, we freeze at the very thought of mentioning the Name of Jesus. We get timid and shy about matters of faith. We keep silent when we should be talking about our Lord.

Spiritual lockjaw is a common problem among professing believers. Outside of a church environment, we tend to be quiet about matters of faith. The very message that others are needing to hear is the same message we won't share. That is spiritual lockjaw.

I must confess that American Christians have been duped into believing that “popularity” and “relevance” are more important than being a witness for the Lord. We even want a stranger to think highly of us, although we may never see him again. Our “reputation” has become an idol, a great sin that hinders us from being obedient followers of Christ.

While we wish to be respectable and even “cool,” we fail to recognize that God is not pleased with us. Although we claim loyalty and allegiance to Jesus, we are easily tempted to compromise and be silent.

Perhaps the sin of silence is our greatest folly. In spite of all the positive advances we've seen in the Church, this one sin has left us spiritually weak and fruitless.

So what is the cure for spiritual lockjaw? The answer is simple. We need to experience personal revival. I've been writing about this subject in previous weeks. Now we see the real need for such a renewal.

First of all, we need to remember. We need to remember how Jesus saved us. We were filthy, unworthy hell-bound sinners when the Gospel changed our lives. We are tempted to forget about this miracle. Whether it happened in your childhood, in your teenage years or adulthood, the memory of conversion should not slowly erode over time. We need to remember how the Lord saved us. Never get over your salvation. Conversion caused us to open our mouths in praise to the Lord. We were eager to share what God had done for us. We need to revisit this glorious event and live in its light.

Secondly, we need to repent. In other words, things need to change. We can't continue to be silent while many around perish. We have GOOD NEWS to share with others. If it is good news, why should we be timid about sharing it? When it comes to happy events in our lives, we are excited to share them with others, whether it be a marriage engagement, the birth of a child or unexpected good news. As recipients of God's grace, we have the best news possible. Don't keep it bottled up within!

Next, we need to relate. We need to speak. Open your mouth and testify to others. Start with a family member or friend. Build upon this experience by speaking to others … even to strangers.

The cure for spiritual lockjaw is simple. Draw closer to Jesus. The closer you get to Jesus, the more you want to talk about Him. Far too many professing believers stay at “a comfortable distance” away from Him. They want to get close enough to enjoy His blessings, but not so close that He changes them. What kind of disciple is that? If you're going to be a disciple of Jesus, walk just as close as you possibly can.

That's the cure for spiritual lockjaw.

Getting Your Joy Back

GETTING YOUR JOY BACK

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” - Psalm 51:12

When God used Phillip to conduct an evangelistic campaign in Samaria, the Bible says, “And there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:8). An entire city experienced “great joy.” It would be difficult to pinpoint a city experiencing “great joy,” today. Crime, social unrest and political division has gripped most cities. Even small communities aren't enjoying great joy.

But what about you as an individual? Do you have great joy? Is it obvious to everyone around you that you have great joy? If your family, neighbors and co-workers described your life, could they honestly say that you have great joy?

Sadly, joy is missing from most professing Christians. At conversion, each one of us experienced great joy. Perhaps the subsequent days, weeks and months were filled with great joy. But what about now?

King David once had a life of great joy. As he penned Psalm 51, this joy was missing from his life. The great joy he once enjoyed was gone. As he prayed, he asked God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

David lost his joy when we pursued sin. Sin cannot coexist with divine joy. Sin is a joy robber. Sin promises pleasure but leaves you depleted and defeated. Nehemiah 8:10 states, “... the joy of the LORD is your strength.” We lack such strength today!

Perhaps you can look back at your past and recall the days when you had great joy. Maybe those days are just a faint memory now. Nevertheless when you remember those days, you have an aching desire to return to them.

Can you have your joy restored? Is it possible to get that joy back?

The devil will tell you that you'll never get your joy back again. You need to realize that he is a liar. His lies have led you to the joyless life you are now living. His lies have deceived and defeated you. Why listen to him any more? Why give any attention to his lies? You need the truth. God's Word not only contains truth, it is truth (John 17:17). It is time to listen to the truth. It is time to heed the truth.

The truth is that the same One who gave you joy in the first place is the same One who can restore it. Yes, there are consequences to our actions. That was true for King David and it is true for us. Sometimes we must reap what we've sown. Yet it is possible to get your joy back.

The temptation is to get stuck in the pig pen and refuse to get out. Pride is a terrible substitute for joy. Pride keeps many people stuck in the mire. Rather than admitting their sins and seeking help, proud people go on with their addictions and sinful lifestyles. While they celebrate their independence and freedom of choice, they do so covered with the filth of the pig sty.

Another mistake that people make is to believe that joy comes through their circumstances. They believe that if their circumstances improve, they will have more joy. That simply isn't true. Joy is a gift from God. He provided it freely to us to begin with. We never achieved joy, we simply received it. There are many people who are facing wonderful circumstances, yet they are miserable.

So how does a Christian get his joy back?

REPENT. First, he needs to confess his sins and repent of them. That's what David did. As I mentioned earlier, sin is a joy robber. Perhaps your sins aren't as obvious as David's, yet until you repent, you are an unclean vessel that God refuses to fill with joy.

RETURN. Draw close to God once more. Even if you have no obvious sins in your life, if joy is missing, it is probably due to the fact you aren't as close to God as you once were. Return to Him in childlike faith.

REQUEST. Like David, ask God to restore the joy you once experienced.

REJOICE. Paul told the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4). Quit looking to your circumstances and begin looking at Christ. That is where the joy is. Don't wait for things to get better, simply rejoice in the Lord. Paul told the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord, “always,” not just on good days. Rejoice today. Rejoice because your name is written on high. Rejoice that you belong to Him. Rejoice in His love. Rejoice in His presence. Rejoice in His promises. Rejoice in the fact you have heaven for a home. Rejoice in the Lord.

You can get your joy back right now.

Rejoice in the Lord!