I've been studying this chapter this week, and had written down my thoughts to share, but last night and this morning changed things--clarified them. I am living out that chapter. If you will allow me, I'd like to share a personal story.
My son, who had a successful first semester in school, has fallen apart this semester. He has cried almost every day for 3 weeks. His teacher and I have tried to pinpoint every possible trouble. The girl who sits next to him who criticized his drawing? The boys who at first played football without him? The teacher who guides with correction? No, none of the above are specifically the problem. My son only hugs me while tears well up in his eyes and says, "I just want you, Mommy." (Psalm 131:1-2)
The disciplinarian side of me wants to say, "Buck up, boy. Tough it out. This is life." The Mommy heart in me melts and wants to bring him home and never make him go away again. I've tried everything. I've spent extra time at school helping and have spent extra time at home talking and playing with him. I've prayed with him, sung to him at night. This week we discussed the very Scripture we have here, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). He asked me what that means, "peace that passes understanding" and I explained as best I could.
When I picked him up yesterday he smiled and said he'd had a good day. Whew! Last evening while we were sitting together and talking he said that he figured out that he worries about stuff, and that yesterday he realized at one point that he had forgotten about his worries and accidentally had a good day. I chuckled at that, and said that I would be praying for him that he would accidentally forget again tomorrow. And so a few minutes ago, when I dropped him off at school, he reached around to hug me and said, "Mom, when you get home, would you pray for me that I'll forget my worries again?"
So my little boy, anxious about who-knows-what, knew that he could find safety and comfort in his mom, but is learning that even beyond mom, he has a God who will help him beyond his worries—not take away the facts, but take away the worries—and give him peace.
Richard and I chuckled at the fact that a nine-year-old has worries. How big can they be? And yet, to our Father, surely, as He looks down at us, he too must chuckle at our worries. How big can they be? After all, He's God. Is He not in control? And however He chooses to control our world, of this we can be sure: "the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Chapter 7 part 2
Yesterday we learned Miller's understanding of "poverty of spirit."
Poverty of spirit—the need for God.
Poverty of spirit can show itself in negative or in positive ways. Sometimes it becomes the desire for our own prominence rather than the prominence of God in our lives. The result of this desire is disastrous. We either turn people away from us by our attempts at self-aggrandizement, or we sink into a depression. But when we who are God's children realize our poverty of spirit, we respond positively. We are drawn to cry out to Abba Father, the only giver of peace and purpose and fulfillment.
This prayer is not an occasional event. This continuing realization of our poverty compels us to continual prayer. And this continual prayer is cyclical in nature. The more we realize our need, the more we pray; the more we pray asking for God's help, the more realize we can do nothing of our own and become even more acutely aware of our need. And through our humility and with His power, God will build His kingdom.
May God open our eyes to see our continuing need and draw us to Himself in unceasing prayer.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Poverty of spirit—the need for God.
Poverty of spirit can show itself in negative or in positive ways. Sometimes it becomes the desire for our own prominence rather than the prominence of God in our lives. The result of this desire is disastrous. We either turn people away from us by our attempts at self-aggrandizement, or we sink into a depression. But when we who are God's children realize our poverty of spirit, we respond positively. We are drawn to cry out to Abba Father, the only giver of peace and purpose and fulfillment.
This prayer is not an occasional event. This continuing realization of our poverty compels us to continual prayer. And this continual prayer is cyclical in nature. The more we realize our need, the more we pray; the more we pray asking for God's help, the more realize we can do nothing of our own and become even more acutely aware of our need. And through our humility and with His power, God will build His kingdom.
May God open our eyes to see our continuing need and draw us to Himself in unceasing prayer.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Chapter 7
We were just reminiscing the other day about some of the funny things our kids did when they were little. Two of them had a habit, when they were tired, of getting louder, faster and grumpier until they finally just crashed. We'd suddenly notice the eerie silence and look around. Sure enough, they'd be asleep somewhere odd like on the floor behind the couch or in a closet.
Miller's story of how he sometimes would get so excited about an idea that he would become dominating of the conversation, "interrupting, selling or boasting" and that "the only way to quiet [his] soul's desire for prominence is to begin to pray" (p.64).
He—and my kids—found themselves too full of themselves. They weren't full of the Spirit, thinking of others first or how they could best glorify God, but they were in a condition where they needed a place where they could get away, where they could empty themselves of themselves, a place of quiet and safety. For my kids, they needed a physical retreat of rest. For Miller--and I suspect many of us--we need a place of spiritual retreat, a place where we can empty ourselves of ourselves and see our spiritual poverty We need a place where we can then reach out to the One Thing that can fill us with peace…Abba, Father.
I was surprised to see the many times Abba was used in the Bible (p. 64-65). I tend to think of some of the prayers in the Bible such as "The Lord's Prayer" as a formal teaching tool, an outline of sorts teaching us how to pray. I had never realized that the opening, the "Our Father," was Abba—Papa or Daddy, if you will. Jesus' teaching the disciples how to pray began with the call from a beloved child to his Papa. How informal.
Today, as we contemplate the ways in which we may find ourselves full of ourselves, may we recognize that it is actually a demonstration of our poverty of spirit. May we be drawn not to bigger, louder, boasting behavior, but to a place of quiet in which we empty ourselves and call humbly to our personal, loving Abba Father. May we feel His arms around us and His smile upon us and His love working through us.
Miller's story of how he sometimes would get so excited about an idea that he would become dominating of the conversation, "interrupting, selling or boasting" and that "the only way to quiet [his] soul's desire for prominence is to begin to pray" (p.64).
He—and my kids—found themselves too full of themselves. They weren't full of the Spirit, thinking of others first or how they could best glorify God, but they were in a condition where they needed a place where they could get away, where they could empty themselves of themselves, a place of quiet and safety. For my kids, they needed a physical retreat of rest. For Miller--and I suspect many of us--we need a place of spiritual retreat, a place where we can empty ourselves of ourselves and see our spiritual poverty We need a place where we can then reach out to the One Thing that can fill us with peace…Abba, Father.
I was surprised to see the many times Abba was used in the Bible (p. 64-65). I tend to think of some of the prayers in the Bible such as "The Lord's Prayer" as a formal teaching tool, an outline of sorts teaching us how to pray. I had never realized that the opening, the "Our Father," was Abba—Papa or Daddy, if you will. Jesus' teaching the disciples how to pray began with the call from a beloved child to his Papa. How informal.
Today, as we contemplate the ways in which we may find ourselves full of ourselves, may we recognize that it is actually a demonstration of our poverty of spirit. May we be drawn not to bigger, louder, boasting behavior, but to a place of quiet in which we empty ourselves and call humbly to our personal, loving Abba Father. May we feel His arms around us and His smile upon us and His love working through us.
A Praying Life ~ Chapter 6
HE MUST BECOME GREATER, I MUST BECOME LESS.
JOHN 3:30
This diagram is from chapter 6 and I wanted to include it because it is a great illustration of Miller's discussion of helplessness. The more we know and love Jesus, the more we realize how much we need more of Him and less of ourselves!
Miller describes the diagram: "The immature Christian on the left side has a small cross and a small view of her sin. she has little need to pray. The mature Christian on the right side has a large cross and a large view of her sin. The result? She prays more...Surprisingly, mature Christians feel less mature on the inside."
This whole chapter has been extremely eye-opening to me. To be honest, I have always struggled with maintaining a consistent prayer time. I have struggled making it a priority and staying focused. I am dependent on myself, others, and things, in addition to God. What God, through Miller, has helped me see is that I do not consider myself helpless...Most of the time I think I can do life on my own. Miller bluntly says, "If we think we can do life on our own, we will not take prayer seriously...But when something is important to us, we make room for it. Prayer is simply not important to many Christians because Jesus is already an add-on." By putting myself in this statement it hits home pretty hard: "If I think I can do life on my own, I will not take prayer seriously...But when something is important to me, I make room for it. Prayer is simply not important to me because Jesus is already an add-on." Hmm. Convicting.
Thank you, Lord, for showing me how helpless I am. Lord, will you daily show me my need for you? Forgive me for being so dependent on myself.
JOHN 3:30
This diagram is from chapter 6 and I wanted to include it because it is a great illustration of Miller's discussion of helplessness. The more we know and love Jesus, the more we realize how much we need more of Him and less of ourselves!
Miller describes the diagram: "The immature Christian on the left side has a small cross and a small view of her sin. she has little need to pray. The mature Christian on the right side has a large cross and a large view of her sin. The result? She prays more...Surprisingly, mature Christians feel less mature on the inside."
This whole chapter has been extremely eye-opening to me. To be honest, I have always struggled with maintaining a consistent prayer time. I have struggled making it a priority and staying focused. I am dependent on myself, others, and things, in addition to God. What God, through Miller, has helped me see is that I do not consider myself helpless...Most of the time I think I can do life on my own. Miller bluntly says, "If we think we can do life on our own, we will not take prayer seriously...But when something is important to us, we make room for it. Prayer is simply not important to many Christians because Jesus is already an add-on." By putting myself in this statement it hits home pretty hard: "If I think I can do life on my own, I will not take prayer seriously...But when something is important to me, I make room for it. Prayer is simply not important to me because Jesus is already an add-on." Hmm. Convicting.
Thank you, Lord, for showing me how helpless I am. Lord, will you daily show me my need for you? Forgive me for being so dependent on myself.
A Praying Life ~ Chapter 6
PRAYER = HELPLESSNESS
In the beginning of Chapter 6, Miller addresses the relationship between prayer and helplessness. Basically, he says that prayer equals helplessness. We are most likely to come to the Father when we feel helpless. When we are saved, it is because we realize that we can't do life by ourselves, we fall to our knees, and surrender it all. Likewise, when we come to God in prayer, it is because we realize we are helpless and in need of a helper. Miller says, "Prayer mirrors the gospel. In the gospel, the Father takes us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of salvation. In prayer, the Father receives us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of help. We look at the inadequacy of our praying and give up, thinking something is wrong with us. God looks at the adequacy of his Son and delights in our sloppy, meandering prayers."
Miller points out several examples in Scripture where helpless people are seen coming to Jesus:
* In John 4:43-54, a royal official begs Jesus to heal his sick son. He realizes that he is helpless and is depending on Jesus alone for healing. I can imagine that I would feel absolutely helpless also. The official cries out to Jesus, Jesus heals his son, "So he and all his household believed" (v.53).
* In John 6:1-15, the people who were following Jesus were helpless and in need of food. They called on Jesus and he provided and abundance of food! He gave them above and beyond what they needed.
* John 11 presents the story of Lazarus. This, being one of my favorite stories in the Bible, proves that God heals, provides, and does so in His perfect timing. He has the power to overcome death! Mary and Martha are helpless in this situation because their brother has died and they can't understand why Jesus did not come four days earlier so he could have healed Lazarus. As we see later on in the chapter, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, His timing being perfect. He does so to bring people to belief in Him and to glorify his Father. He says, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me" (vv.41-42).
These are examples of helpless people. People who realized that they couldn't do it on their own. So they called upon the LORD. Miller says, "The gospel, God's free gift of grace in Jesus, only works when we realize we don't have it all together. The same is true for prayer. The very thing we are allergic to-our helplessness-is what makes prayer work. It works because we are helpless. We can't do life on our own."
Father, I am helpless, and in need of you. I can't do life on my own...
In the beginning of Chapter 6, Miller addresses the relationship between prayer and helplessness. Basically, he says that prayer equals helplessness. We are most likely to come to the Father when we feel helpless. When we are saved, it is because we realize that we can't do life by ourselves, we fall to our knees, and surrender it all. Likewise, when we come to God in prayer, it is because we realize we are helpless and in need of a helper. Miller says, "Prayer mirrors the gospel. In the gospel, the Father takes us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of salvation. In prayer, the Father receives us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of help. We look at the inadequacy of our praying and give up, thinking something is wrong with us. God looks at the adequacy of his Son and delights in our sloppy, meandering prayers."
Miller points out several examples in Scripture where helpless people are seen coming to Jesus:
* In John 4:43-54, a royal official begs Jesus to heal his sick son. He realizes that he is helpless and is depending on Jesus alone for healing. I can imagine that I would feel absolutely helpless also. The official cries out to Jesus, Jesus heals his son, "So he and all his household believed" (v.53).
* In John 6:1-15, the people who were following Jesus were helpless and in need of food. They called on Jesus and he provided and abundance of food! He gave them above and beyond what they needed.
* John 11 presents the story of Lazarus. This, being one of my favorite stories in the Bible, proves that God heals, provides, and does so in His perfect timing. He has the power to overcome death! Mary and Martha are helpless in this situation because their brother has died and they can't understand why Jesus did not come four days earlier so he could have healed Lazarus. As we see later on in the chapter, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, His timing being perfect. He does so to bring people to belief in Him and to glorify his Father. He says, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me" (vv.41-42).
These are examples of helpless people. People who realized that they couldn't do it on their own. So they called upon the LORD. Miller says, "The gospel, God's free gift of grace in Jesus, only works when we realize we don't have it all together. The same is true for prayer. The very thing we are allergic to-our helplessness-is what makes prayer work. It works because we are helpless. We can't do life on our own."
Father, I am helpless, and in need of you. I can't do life on my own...
A Praying Life ~ Chapter 5
Yesterday we talked about the example that Jesus set for us. That he spent quality time with his Father and that he constantly admits his dependence on his Father throughout Scripture.
The second half of Chapter 5 gives us some practical examples of how to pray. I would love for you to share with me what your personal, daily prayer time looks like. Do you pray out loud? What time of day do you have your prayer time? What do you find works best for you?
Miller discusses some of the objections that we must overcome in order to establish a daily prayer time with the Father. I can relate to all of them. "I pray all the time," is one of the excuses we make for not having a focused time of prayer. Miller accepts that, "While being 'constant in prayer' is an important way of praying...this is no substitute for focused times of prayer." Another excuse is that we are too busy. I am totally guilty of this. But Miller says, "If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life. You'll always be a little too tired, a little too busy."
What Miller talks about next in the chapter is relieving to me. Taking baby steps! What a concept! I guess I have always had this idea in my head that my daily prayer time needs to be __ minutes long and needs to cover all of the prayer requests that are in my notebook. It's so overwhelming that it rarely happens. But Miller encourages us to start slowly. Start with 5 minutes and then build from there. This is much like trying to get in shape. If I am out of shape, I don't set a goal to run for 45 minutes every day. I may never be able to do this, I'll get discouraged, and give up! But if I start with a more achievable goal and build from there, I am much more likely to feel comfortable doing it and actually stick with it!
The last things Miller mentions in this chapter are suggestions on how to spend time with the Father in the morning:
Get to bed (so you're not exhausted in the morning).
Get up (out of bed).
Get awake.
Get a quiet place.
Get comfortable.
Get going.
Keep going (focus on consistency).
Like I said earlier, I would love for you to share some of your prayer time "secrets". How did you go about building your prayer life? How do you pray? For how long? When have you found it best to have your prayer time? Where? How do you organize the things that you pray for? What strategies do you use to help you stay focused? What are some of the obstacles that you face?
The second half of Chapter 5 gives us some practical examples of how to pray. I would love for you to share with me what your personal, daily prayer time looks like. Do you pray out loud? What time of day do you have your prayer time? What do you find works best for you?
Miller discusses some of the objections that we must overcome in order to establish a daily prayer time with the Father. I can relate to all of them. "I pray all the time," is one of the excuses we make for not having a focused time of prayer. Miller accepts that, "While being 'constant in prayer' is an important way of praying...this is no substitute for focused times of prayer." Another excuse is that we are too busy. I am totally guilty of this. But Miller says, "If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life. You'll always be a little too tired, a little too busy."
What Miller talks about next in the chapter is relieving to me. Taking baby steps! What a concept! I guess I have always had this idea in my head that my daily prayer time needs to be __ minutes long and needs to cover all of the prayer requests that are in my notebook. It's so overwhelming that it rarely happens. But Miller encourages us to start slowly. Start with 5 minutes and then build from there. This is much like trying to get in shape. If I am out of shape, I don't set a goal to run for 45 minutes every day. I may never be able to do this, I'll get discouraged, and give up! But if I start with a more achievable goal and build from there, I am much more likely to feel comfortable doing it and actually stick with it!
The last things Miller mentions in this chapter are suggestions on how to spend time with the Father in the morning:
Get to bed (so you're not exhausted in the morning).
Get up (out of bed).
Get awake.
Get a quiet place.
Get comfortable.
Get going.
Keep going (focus on consistency).
Like I said earlier, I would love for you to share some of your prayer time "secrets". How did you go about building your prayer life? How do you pray? For how long? When have you found it best to have your prayer time? Where? How do you organize the things that you pray for? What strategies do you use to help you stay focused? What are some of the obstacles that you face?
A Praying Life ~ Chapter 5
In Scripture, Jesus doesn't ever command us to live a life that He Himself did not demonstrate while He was here on earth.
Vikki and I recently studied the book of John together. One lesson that I took away from this incredible study was how Jesus was so dependent on His Father. Throughout the book of John, Jesus says over and over how focused he is on doing the will of His Father. Miller references some of these very Scriptures.
The Son can do nothing of his own accord. John 5:19
I can do nothing on my own. John 5:30
I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. John 8:28
The Father who sent me has himself given me...what to say and what to speak. John 12:49
He truly is ONE with the Father. Not only does He call us to be like children and have "child-like" faith, but He Himself is a child and admits that he can do nothing on his own (John 5:30). His identity is wrapped up in His Father so much that, as Miller states, "He simply can't answer the question 'How are you doing?' without including his heavenly Father." Wow! Being in perfect union with the Father, Jesus' prayer life is an expression of this relationship, says Miller.
Throughout His earthly ministry He was so focused. Focused on His Father but also on individuals. "When Jesus interacts with people, he narrows his focus down to one person", Miller states. Isn't that so true of your own personal relationship with Jesus? Doesn't he have a way of speaking directly to you? In each of the terrible circumstances that have occurred within our church family these past weeks, He has used them to speak directly to me.
Just like any growing human relationship, Jesus needed one-on-one time time with the Father. For instance, I need one-on-one time with John in order for my marriage to grow and in order for us to keep healthy communication going. We need to spend time and energy concentrating on each other and our relationship. It's the same with our relationship with the Lord. As Miller points out, Jesus went away to tune into his heavenly Father. He needed this time in order to feel closely connected with Him. From this example, I am to learn that my prayer time is to be a time alone with Him.
Miller states that there is, "No substitute for spending time." He says, "Jesus' example teaches us that prayer is about relationship. When he prays, he is not performing a duty; he is getting close to his Father...You don't create intimacy; you make room for it. This is true whether you are talking about your spouse, your friend, or God. You need space to be together. Efficiency, multitasking, and busyness all kill intimacy. In short, you can't get to know God on the fly.
"If Jesus has to pull away from people and noise in order to pray, then it makes sense that we need to as well."
Vikki and I recently studied the book of John together. One lesson that I took away from this incredible study was how Jesus was so dependent on His Father. Throughout the book of John, Jesus says over and over how focused he is on doing the will of His Father. Miller references some of these very Scriptures.
The Son can do nothing of his own accord. John 5:19
I can do nothing on my own. John 5:30
I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. John 8:28
The Father who sent me has himself given me...what to say and what to speak. John 12:49
He truly is ONE with the Father. Not only does He call us to be like children and have "child-like" faith, but He Himself is a child and admits that he can do nothing on his own (John 5:30). His identity is wrapped up in His Father so much that, as Miller states, "He simply can't answer the question 'How are you doing?' without including his heavenly Father." Wow! Being in perfect union with the Father, Jesus' prayer life is an expression of this relationship, says Miller.
Throughout His earthly ministry He was so focused. Focused on His Father but also on individuals. "When Jesus interacts with people, he narrows his focus down to one person", Miller states. Isn't that so true of your own personal relationship with Jesus? Doesn't he have a way of speaking directly to you? In each of the terrible circumstances that have occurred within our church family these past weeks, He has used them to speak directly to me.
Just like any growing human relationship, Jesus needed one-on-one time time with the Father. For instance, I need one-on-one time with John in order for my marriage to grow and in order for us to keep healthy communication going. We need to spend time and energy concentrating on each other and our relationship. It's the same with our relationship with the Lord. As Miller points out, Jesus went away to tune into his heavenly Father. He needed this time in order to feel closely connected with Him. From this example, I am to learn that my prayer time is to be a time alone with Him.
Miller states that there is, "No substitute for spending time." He says, "Jesus' example teaches us that prayer is about relationship. When he prays, he is not performing a duty; he is getting close to his Father...You don't create intimacy; you make room for it. This is true whether you are talking about your spouse, your friend, or God. You need space to be together. Efficiency, multitasking, and busyness all kill intimacy. In short, you can't get to know God on the fly.
"If Jesus has to pull away from people and noise in order to pray, then it makes sense that we need to as well."
A Praying Life - Chapter 4
Yesterday we looked at the first two ways that we are to be childlike in our talking to the Father, namely, in our asking and our believing. We saved playing for TGIF. Miller says, "Besides asking and believing like a child, learning to pray involves, surprisingly, learning to play again." A child's play is a frequent jump from one activity to another because of their short attention span. Miller compares this jumping around from activity to activity with our conversations. He says that often our conversations bounce from subject to subject. He uses the apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians to show that even he had a play-like quality to his prayers. Rather than let this frustrate us and cause us to want to give up, Miller says, "when your mind starts wandering in prayer, be like a little child. Don't worry about being organized or staying on task...Instead of beating yourself up, learn to play again. Pray about what your mind is wandering to." He suggests that this may even be the Spirit's nudging.
Is this a new thought to you?
Are you feeling the shift yet? From "have to do it" and "have to do it right", to just open your heart to God and have a conversation with him about what is on your heart? Miller tells us that it's not important what we sound like, how needy we are, or how much we need grace. We just need to get the words out. He says, "remember the point of Christianity isn't to learn a lot of truths so you don't need God anymore. We don't learn God in the abstract. We are drawn to his life."
How do you think this kind of praying draws us into God's life?
So, if you are frustrated over the fact that your mind bounces from subject to subject, Miller ends the chapter with words of hope. He says, "You'll discover that prayer is a feast. As you get the clutter off your heart and mind, it is easy to be still in God's presence."
Lord, we want more that anything for our experience in prayer to be more of a "feast". Draw us more and more into your life through our prayer times with you.
Is this a new thought to you?
Are you feeling the shift yet? From "have to do it" and "have to do it right", to just open your heart to God and have a conversation with him about what is on your heart? Miller tells us that it's not important what we sound like, how needy we are, or how much we need grace. We just need to get the words out. He says, "remember the point of Christianity isn't to learn a lot of truths so you don't need God anymore. We don't learn God in the abstract. We are drawn to his life."
How do you think this kind of praying draws us into God's life?
So, if you are frustrated over the fact that your mind bounces from subject to subject, Miller ends the chapter with words of hope. He says, "You'll discover that prayer is a feast. As you get the clutter off your heart and mind, it is easy to be still in God's presence."
Lord, we want more that anything for our experience in prayer to be more of a "feast". Draw us more and more into your life through our prayer times with you.
A Praying Life - Chapter 4
Chapter four continues the process of learning to be childlike with God in our praying. Miller says that in talking with the Father we are to ask like a child, believe like a child and play like a child. Today we will look at asking and believing and we'll save playing for tomorrow.
The first thing we must do in learning to pray is ask like a child. Miller describes this as asking for anything and everything, repeatedly, and without guile. He asks the question, "Why can we boldly go to the Father like this in our asking?" And he answers, "because it is God's desire to give his children good gifts."
Can you think of a period of time or maybe a certain circumstance in your life that might have contributed to your becoming less naïve and more cynical causing your childlike faith to die a little?
Think of a time when Jesus may have stood on a soapbox and yelled out about your act of faith.
Father, we want to be childlike in our asking and our believing. Help us to be persistent in our asking, believing that you want to give us good gifts.
The first thing we must do in learning to pray is ask like a child. Miller describes this as asking for anything and everything, repeatedly, and without guile. He asks the question, "Why can we boldly go to the Father like this in our asking?" And he answers, "because it is God's desire to give his children good gifts."
Do you have confidence that your heavenly Father gives good gifts?
The second thing we must do in learning to pray is believe like a child. Miller says, "To learn how to pray is to enter the world of a child, where all things are possible. Little children can't imagine that their parents won't eventually say yes. They know if they keep pestering their parents, they'll eventually give in. Childlike faith drives this persistence." But, then he tells us of the unfortunate fact that this childlike faith dies a thousand little deaths as we are disappointed and are given promises that are broken, causing us to end up less naive and more cynical as adults.
Can you think of a period of time or maybe a certain circumstance in your life that might have contributed to your becoming less naïve and more cynical causing your childlike faith to die a little?
Think of a time when Jesus may have stood on a soapbox and yelled out about your act of faith.
Father, we want to be childlike in our asking and our believing. Help us to be persistent in our asking, believing that you want to give us good gifts.
A Praying Life - Chapter 3
Continuing with the idea of coming to God just as we are, the author asks the question "Why is it so important?" He says that rather than allowing who we really are to paralyze us, we may as well begin our prayer times with our self-preoccupying concerns because sooner or later they're going to come to our minds as an interruption anyway. The goal is to have our prayer times be about our real selves in our real lives. Take the masks off. Additionally, "In bringing your real self to Jesus, you give him the opportunity to work on the real you, and you will slowly change." And, low and behold, "you'll end up less selfish". God's kingdom comes "when Jesus becomes king of your life. But it has to be your life. You can't create a kingdom that doesn't exist, where you try to be better than you really are."
Are there situations in your life in which you are not willing to be real with God so that God can make the changes that he desires to make in you?
In his closing comments in this chapter, the author again turns our attention to the welcoming heart of God. He tells us that we are the center of our heavenly Father's affection and that, my friends, is where we find rest for our souls. If we remove prayer from this welcoming heart of God's, then praying is in danger of becoming a legalistic chore. "We do the duty but miss touching the heart of God. By coming to God 'weary and heavy-laden' we discover his heart; heaven touches earth and his will is done."
What do you think that the author means when he says, "By coming to God 'weary and heavy-laden' we discover his heart; heaven touches earth and his will is done"?
Faher, help us to bring the real us to you so that you can make the changes that need to be made in order for us to reflect your glory more clearly.
Are there situations in your life in which you are not willing to be real with God so that God can make the changes that he desires to make in you?
In his closing comments in this chapter, the author again turns our attention to the welcoming heart of God. He tells us that we are the center of our heavenly Father's affection and that, my friends, is where we find rest for our souls. If we remove prayer from this welcoming heart of God's, then praying is in danger of becoming a legalistic chore. "We do the duty but miss touching the heart of God. By coming to God 'weary and heavy-laden' we discover his heart; heaven touches earth and his will is done."
What do you think that the author means when he says, "By coming to God 'weary and heavy-laden' we discover his heart; heaven touches earth and his will is done"?
Faher, help us to bring the real us to you so that you can make the changes that need to be made in order for us to reflect your glory more clearly.
A Praying Life - Chapter 3
Yesterday, we said that the first step to getting to know God better through prayer is by coming to him as a little child. At the end of the chapter, Miller even goes so far as to say that coming like a little child to our Father is the "heart of prayer." What does this look like? Children are self-absorbed creatures that blurt out whatever is on their mind. Therein lies the difficulty, prayer exposes (to us, not to God, because he already knows) the truth about who we really are. We're messy. And, instead of coming to God and admitting that we're messy, we too often try to be something we're not. We try to be spiritual in our praying; we try to get it right.
Can you think of other reasons why we might not spend the time telling God things that are on our hearts (ie. we are of the notion that he knows anyway, why tell him?)?
I love what the author does next; he points us to the heart of the gospel - God accepting us and welcoming us because we are in Jesus. He reminds us that in God's Word "Jesus does not say, 'Come to me, all you who have learned how to concentrate in prayer, whose minds no longer wander, and I will give you rest.' No, Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, 'Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28, NASB). The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy....Don't try to get the prayer right; just tell God where you are and what's on your mind. That's what little children do." God's arms are open wide to welcome our weary hearts and to give us rest.
In your prayer times, do you see God as welcoming? If not, how do you picture God when you come to him in prayer?
Father, help us to see and feel your welcoming heart towards us and let that bring us to the point that we come to you with the real us rather than someone we're not.
Can you think of other reasons why we might not spend the time telling God things that are on our hearts (ie. we are of the notion that he knows anyway, why tell him?)?
I love what the author does next; he points us to the heart of the gospel - God accepting us and welcoming us because we are in Jesus. He reminds us that in God's Word "Jesus does not say, 'Come to me, all you who have learned how to concentrate in prayer, whose minds no longer wander, and I will give you rest.' No, Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, 'Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28, NASB). The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy....Don't try to get the prayer right; just tell God where you are and what's on your mind. That's what little children do." God's arms are open wide to welcome our weary hearts and to give us rest.
In your prayer times, do you see God as welcoming? If not, how do you picture God when you come to him in prayer?
Father, help us to see and feel your welcoming heart towards us and let that bring us to the point that we come to you with the real us rather than someone we're not.
A Praying Life - Chapters 3 & 4
As Chris mentioned last week, the rest of the book , starting in chapter 3, is a journey into understanding what the praying life is all about. She pointed out that Miller wants to help us see that our struggle in learning to pray is often because we are focusing on prayer as an isolated discipline instead of focusing on getting to know God through prayer. So, with focusing on getting to know God through prayer as our objective, Miller tells us that we must begin by becoming like a little child. He says, "little children, even in adult form, are important to Jesus."
Do you/I go to God in prayer, believing that you/I are/am important to Jesus? Where in your/my life has God shown you/me that you/I are/am important to Him?
Miller adds that we have a problem in this area. He says that rather than coming to God as children, we often try to be something we aren't. We try to be spiritual in our praying; we try to get it right. "We know we don't need to clean up our act in order to become a Christian, but when it comes to praying, we forget that. We, like adults, try to fix ourselves up. In contrast, Jesus wants us to come to him like little children, just as we are." (emphasis added)
Miller gives a synopsis of what the prayer times of many of us looks like when he says, "We begin by concentrating on God, but almost immediately our minds wander off in a dozen different directions. The problems of the day push out our well-intentioned resolve to be spiritual. We give ourselves a spiritual kick in the pants and try again, but life crowds out prayer. We know that prayer isn't supposed to be like this, so we give up in despair. We might as well get something done."
Does this characterize your/my prayer time? If so, you/I are/am, in God's providence, in the right place. Let's ask God, by his Spirit, to open our eyes to see the truths in this book and to begin to know Him better through our prayer times.
Father, like little children, we come and ask you to help us get to know you better through our prayer times.
Do you/I go to God in prayer, believing that you/I are/am important to Jesus? Where in your/my life has God shown you/me that you/I are/am important to Him?
Miller adds that we have a problem in this area. He says that rather than coming to God as children, we often try to be something we aren't. We try to be spiritual in our praying; we try to get it right. "We know we don't need to clean up our act in order to become a Christian, but when it comes to praying, we forget that. We, like adults, try to fix ourselves up. In contrast, Jesus wants us to come to him like little children, just as we are." (emphasis added)
Miller gives a synopsis of what the prayer times of many of us looks like when he says, "We begin by concentrating on God, but almost immediately our minds wander off in a dozen different directions. The problems of the day push out our well-intentioned resolve to be spiritual. We give ourselves a spiritual kick in the pants and try again, but life crowds out prayer. We know that prayer isn't supposed to be like this, so we give up in despair. We might as well get something done."
Does this characterize your/my prayer time? If so, you/I are/am, in God's providence, in the right place. Let's ask God, by his Spirit, to open our eyes to see the truths in this book and to begin to know Him better through our prayer times.
Father, like little children, we come and ask you to help us get to know you better through our prayer times.
A Praying Life - Chapters 1 & 2
Welcome to Day 1 of our new format! We are going to be reading and discussing "A Praying Life" by Paul Miller. This week, we're going through the first two chapters, which ask some really profound questions. "Why should we pray?"; "Why is it so hard?"; and "What is a praying life like?" Let's briefly examine each of these questions in turn.
Why Should We Pray?
We should pray because we were made to pray. It is the means by which we experience and connect to God. It is also the avenue for bringing God into our everyday lives, allowing us to live out our faith in a more integrated manner. Miller states it well when he says, "Learning to pray doesn't offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart."
Why Is It So Hard?
Have you ever thought that there must be something wrong with you because you either can't seem to pray, or you don't get the results you anticipated when you do pray? Miller says there is something wrong with us. He says that our natural desire to pray comes from Creation, but our inability to pray comes from the Fall. "The friction of our desire to pray, combined with our badly damaged prayer antennae, leads to constant frustration."
But this inherent friction isn't the only problem! Miller maintains that American culture is probably the hardest place in the world to learn to pray. Our culture prizes accomplishment, intellect, competency, wealth, and busyness, so there is a pervasive sense that slowing down to talk to God (an activity which does not produce immediate, tangible results) is not productive. "Because we can do life without God, praying seems nice but unnecessary...Our trust in ourselves and in our talents makes us structurally independent of God."
In general, most Christians feel a lot of frustration when it comes to prayer.
What Is A Praying Life Like?
The rest of the book is devoted to showing us what a praying life is all about, but Chapter 2 attempts to sum it up in a few short pages. Here, I am attempting to sum up that summation in just a couple of sentences, so I know I won't be able to do it justice!
Miller says that many people struggle to learn to pray because they are focusing on prayer as an isolated discipline instead of focusing on getting to know God through prayer. Miller likens such an approach to going to the gym to work out just one body part --a very odd concept indeed! He also cautions against seeking a prayer "experience". "You don't experience God; you get to know Him. You submit to Him. You enjoy Him."
God is weaving a story with each of our lives. A praying life becomes aware of the story and our role in it. The process of developing a deeper relationship with our heavenly Father isn't easy, however. Contrary to our culture that values independence, prayer fosters dependence. It also exposes our "stuff" (e.g., pride, willfulness, lack of love, etc.), which isn't easy to face. When we spend time with God in prayer, we integrate our lives with His and with what He is doing in us.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion:
1. In just a few words, how would you characterize your prayer life?
2. As you go through your day-to-day life, do you generally feel connected with God or do you feel like you are "doing life" on your own?
3. Is Miller's emphasis on prayer being completely integrated with the rest of your life a new perspective for you, or is that how you've always viewed prayer?
4. Have you had any major disappointments in regard to unanswered prayer? If so, what did you learn through it?
Why Should We Pray?
We should pray because we were made to pray. It is the means by which we experience and connect to God. It is also the avenue for bringing God into our everyday lives, allowing us to live out our faith in a more integrated manner. Miller states it well when he says, "Learning to pray doesn't offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart."
Why Is It So Hard?
Have you ever thought that there must be something wrong with you because you either can't seem to pray, or you don't get the results you anticipated when you do pray? Miller says there is something wrong with us. He says that our natural desire to pray comes from Creation, but our inability to pray comes from the Fall. "The friction of our desire to pray, combined with our badly damaged prayer antennae, leads to constant frustration."
But this inherent friction isn't the only problem! Miller maintains that American culture is probably the hardest place in the world to learn to pray. Our culture prizes accomplishment, intellect, competency, wealth, and busyness, so there is a pervasive sense that slowing down to talk to God (an activity which does not produce immediate, tangible results) is not productive. "Because we can do life without God, praying seems nice but unnecessary...Our trust in ourselves and in our talents makes us structurally independent of God."
In general, most Christians feel a lot of frustration when it comes to prayer.
What Is A Praying Life Like?
The rest of the book is devoted to showing us what a praying life is all about, but Chapter 2 attempts to sum it up in a few short pages. Here, I am attempting to sum up that summation in just a couple of sentences, so I know I won't be able to do it justice!
Miller says that many people struggle to learn to pray because they are focusing on prayer as an isolated discipline instead of focusing on getting to know God through prayer. Miller likens such an approach to going to the gym to work out just one body part --a very odd concept indeed! He also cautions against seeking a prayer "experience". "You don't experience God; you get to know Him. You submit to Him. You enjoy Him."
God is weaving a story with each of our lives. A praying life becomes aware of the story and our role in it. The process of developing a deeper relationship with our heavenly Father isn't easy, however. Contrary to our culture that values independence, prayer fosters dependence. It also exposes our "stuff" (e.g., pride, willfulness, lack of love, etc.), which isn't easy to face. When we spend time with God in prayer, we integrate our lives with His and with what He is doing in us.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion:
1. In just a few words, how would you characterize your prayer life?
2. As you go through your day-to-day life, do you generally feel connected with God or do you feel like you are "doing life" on your own?
3. Is Miller's emphasis on prayer being completely integrated with the rest of your life a new perspective for you, or is that how you've always viewed prayer?
4. Have you had any major disappointments in regard to unanswered prayer? If so, what did you learn through it?
It is a new Year!!
I know. I know. We are finished with Psalms... so why the post?
Could it be that I want to see who is in the habit of checking the blog even when you know no one has posted? Hmmm....
Could it be that I am wanting a break from scrubbing shower tile, cleaning toilets, wiping down kitchen cabinet doors, fixing kitchen cabinet doors, w/d/folding laundry, deleting files and updating software on my computer, cooking chili, and washing dishes? (Yes, that is how I have spent New Years Day)
Could I want to tell you what my new year's resolution is? NOT!!
Is it just that today is my typical day to post and my day felt incomplete without touching base with you all? Maybe...
Writing the Friday post has been a learning experience for me. Seldom does my Bible study translate into a teaching place, so this has been a stretch--but a welcomed one.
The comments you all have made through the year have greatly encouraged me to continue even though many times I have felt my post could have been much more.
With the format for 2010 being much more of a discussion, posts from everyone will be key to maintaining our momentum. I know it helps me when comments are signed because then I know who I am talking with which personally helps me a lot, so I encourage you all to sign your comments.
I am excited about the book we are going to study... Have you started reading it yet? Has anyone finished it? I plan to read it completely as we go, so I have started, but am deliberately going slow.
So, Happy New Year!!!!
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