Day 238: Matthew 26:41

Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus has gone off into the night after the Last Supper to pray and he has taken three of his disciples with him.  He has less than 24 hours to live.  While he prays, his disciples doze off.  Whether from exhaustion or stress, they wouldn’t keep their eyes open.

But Jesus admonishes them to be mindful about what’s going on.  He knows that it’s going to be a horrible scene.  Shockingly so.  He knows that all of his disciples and friends will abandon him, with the exception of a couple of the women.  He knows that the disciples aren’t that strong.  Peter, for example, has sworn that he will not deny Jesus, but Jesus knows that he will do so three times before the sun rises. (See Day 234).  They ALL want to do the right thing, but Jesus knows that they don’t have the discipline and spiritual maturity to follow through.

So Jesus warns them that they are in danger of falling into temptation.  Temptation is always nipping at our heels.  Jesus faced temptation in the desert at the beginning of his ministry so he knows what it’s all about (See Days 2-4).  In the Lord’s Prayer he tells us to pray for God to “deliver us from temptation.”    Jesus acknowledges that temptation is an ever-present problem relative to the human condition.

We are most vulnerable to temptation when we are stressed.  It’s when we are stressed that we start doing things we shouldn’t in an effort to relieve the tension.  We drink.  We take drugs (legal or illegal).  We yell at someone.  We bully people.  We engage in inappropriate sex.  We start worrying.  We fall into depression.  We become compulsive.  We get greedy.  We become egocentric.  We withdraw.   We hoard. We say things we don’t mean and we mean things we don’t say.  We give up.  We do stupid things.

Jesus knows that the only way that his disciples are going to make it through this is if they are prayed up.  Prayer is the thing that gives you that “peace that passes understanding.”  They need to listen to God’s instructions.  If they do what Jesus suggests and open up the lines of communication through prayer, God will remind them about all that Jesus has taught them.  He will comfort them and encourage them.  He will help them see past the darkness of their immediate situation to the glorious future that God offers to mankind through Jesus.  They need to stay awake and pray or they will not be prepared for what’s going to go down.

Here are some quotes about prayer that I like:

• “Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart”.― Mahatma Gandhi
•  “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”  ― Søren Kierkegaard
• “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” ― Mother Teresa
• “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” ― Abraham Lincoln
•  “The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You’ll feel more patient and less pressured.”  – Rick Warren
• “We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.  Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don’t want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time because His idea of ‘good time’ is seldom in sync with ours.”  ― Oswald Chambers
• “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” ― Martin Luther
• Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God. – Billy Graham
• In our home there was always prayer – aloud, proud and unapologetic. – Lyndon B. Johnson
• Prayer is more than meditation. In meditation, the source of strength is one’s self. When one prays, he goes to a source of strength greater than his own. – Madame de Stael
• Prayer changes things. – Mahalia Jackson

What tempts you?  For me it’s food.   Also getting irritable.  Worry is always at the door.  Sometimes, anger.  If it’s really bad I withdraw.  It’s important for all of us to recognize when we are going off the rails and turn it around.  Slow down, take a deep breath, and pray.  We need to get it together because in the Kingdom of God good intentions are not good enough.  Yes, God knows our hearts, but he won’t necessarily save us from the consequences our own poor choices.  He cautions us to aim for the narrow gate (See Day 60) because, as the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  And so Jesus tells his disciples to stay awake, pay attention, and pray.

What does this scripture say to you?

Day 163: Matthew 18:18-20

And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.

This is really a restatement of Day 147 when Jesus handed over the keys to the Kingdom of heaven to Peter and told him that heaven and earth are one.  Jesus tells Peter that what is done on earth also happens in heaven.  It is a profound statement, and in total contradiction to what people of Jesus’ time believed about God’s Kingdom, which is also referred to as the New Age or the Messianic Age.  They believed that the Kingdom of Heaven would suddenly manifest itself sometime in the future, but Jesus said that it is already here, already evolving, already being shaped by what we do on earth.  He says that everything we do here is also done in heaven.  If you want heaven to be good, then you have to start doing things according to God’s will right here, right now.  He states it as a simple fact.  A better world isn’t going to drop out of the sky – we have to build it here brick by brick, by loving God, by loving each other, and by coming together with others in prayer.

Early on Jesus gives us instructions about how to pray in the Sermon on the Mount (Days 40-42).  At that time he tells us that prayer should be private and meaningful.  He also offers us the Lord’s Prayer as an example of how we should pray.

In the Sermon on the Mount he said prayer should be private.  I am very grateful for this scripture where Jesus tells us that praying together is also a good thing because I love to pray with other people.  My husband introduced me to group prayer at his church in Chicago.  When I joined the group it was just him (the pastor) and three elderly people – Floyd, Sarah, and Wesley.   We met in a little circle of chairs around a candle in the Fellowship Hall.  The service was based on a traditional evening prayer model so there was a little liturgy and a little singing, followed by extemporaneous prayer by those assembled.  I always remember Sarah praying for God to “protect us in our comings and goings.”   I also remember how Wesley would pray for “our talented pastor.”  After John and I married he added “…and his equally talented wife.”   We both looked forward to that weekly blessing.   We prayed about everything from situations taken from world news to the concerns of our local congregation.  It truly became part of the fabric of my life.

Me lighting a candle before Evening Prayer.

When we moved to the suburbs we couldn’t find a church with group prayer so we started up a couple of gatherings.  One is an evening prayer service where about 7 of us gather weekly to pray for the church, its members, and its concerns using traditional Lutheran prayers.  It also includes a time of free prayer.  The Church Council joins us once a month to pray before their meetings.  They say it has made a big difference – there is less conflict and the meetings end earlier.

The other prayer service is based on the “Harp and Bowl” model with continuous music accompanied by intermittent spontaneous scripture reading, spoken prayers, and prophetic words.  There is no teaching, no preaching, no explanations, no liturgy, and no contextualization.   Harp and Bowl prayer was introduced by the International House of Prayer in Kansas City where they have been worshipping continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week since 1998.  Imagine that!!!! The term Harp and Bowl is derived from Revelation 5:8 where heavenly beings offer the Lamb (Jesus) their “harps and bowls filled with incense”. The “harp” refers to music and worship songs and the “bowls” are the prayers of God’s people.

Just this week we started a new prayer opportunity in our church called “Stay and Pray” where we get together after every worship service to pray with people for their individual concerns.  It’s important to do this because many of the people who come to a church for the first time are experiencing some kind of crisis and it’s a great way to reach out to them and show them that we care.

All of these prayer groups are a great blessing in my life.  You come in tired and stressed, and you leave peaceful and enlivened.  I guess that’s because “Where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.”  Yes, Jesus is right there with us along with the angels and all of the rest of the company of heaven – healing us, making things right, and carrying away our burdens so we can take on the burdens of others.  As far as I’m concerned, prayer meetings are a little taste of heaven here on earth.

What does this scripture say to you?

Day 110: Matthew 11:25-26

Father, Lord of heaven and earth!  I thank you because you have shown to the unlearned what you have hidden from the wise and learned.   Yes, Father this was how you were pleased to have it happen.

Every Friday at Sunset Jews around the world gather in the privacy of their homes for the Shabbat meal.  It is the most important ritual in Jewish life, based on the 5^th Commandment – “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.”

This meal is surrounded by a liturgy that involves the lighting of candles, recitation of prayers that honor God’s creation and Laws, washing of the hands, and a ritual from which Christian communion is derived where the family shares wine and bread.

Another element of the Shabbat ritual is the blessing of the children.  At this time one or both parents place their hands on the child’s head and recite a short blessing.  Then, it is a custom to whisper something special into the ear of the child, an encouragement or a word of praise for some accomplishment in his or her week, such as a good mark on a test or playing nicely with a kid brother. It’s a special moment between parent and child, a way of connecting in a very personal way.

The way I read this scripture, Jesus is revealing that God has just whispered something into his ear, a special little something to encourage him on his journey.  When I read this I feel like I’m sitting in on a very intimate moment between Jesus and his Father God.  It is so touching. I can imagine Jesus lifting his head to heaven and smiling.  I can sense his delight. At this point we don’t know what God has whispered, but we hear Jesus’ reaction.

What is Jesus’ response to this word from God?

Praise – “Father, Lord of heaven and earth!”

Gratitutude – “I thank you…”

Humility – “….because you have shown to the unlearned what you have hidden from the wise and learned.”  

Affirmation – “Yes, Father this was how you were pleased to have it happen.”

When Jesus receives this special prophetic word, he doesn’t just go on about his business.  He immediately acknowledges it in this special way.  In this scripture Jesus teaches us how we should respond when God blesses us with a special blessing – a word of encouragement, a good medical report, a financial blessing, a reconciliation, a glorious sunrise, a new job, a revelation, a new birth, a brush with death, a day of fun, an act of kindness.

We shouldn’t just take it for granted and go on about our business. We should stop everything and tell God how much we appreciate what has just happened.  We should respond to God with praise, gratitude, humility, and affirmation.  Jesus provides us with this model for how we should react to a blessing from God, just as gives us the Lord’s Prayer as a model for how we should pray.

But it doesn’t end here.  What does he do next?  Offer a sacrifice at the temple?  Build a memorial on the spot where it happened?  Light a candle? Write it down so he won’t forget?  Jesus shows us the next step tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

What does this scripture say to you?

 

Day 58: Matthew 7:9-11

Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

[With these words Jesus continues to teach about the Law of Moses as the Sermon on the Mount continues.  He takes some of the most important topics and explains to his disciples, in specific terms, what it means to be “more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires” (See Day 23)].

Yesterday (Day 57) Jesus told his disciples that if they ask, seek, and knock and that God will turn their visions into reality.

Jesus follows up with a little metaphor that describes the Father’s heart.  How cruel it would be to give a hungry child a stone?  Or to endanger him with a snake?  Isn’t it preposterous that any earthly father could be more generous and loving than our heavenly Father?

In this little paragraph Jesus describes God as a father who loves us and cares for us.  He is not a harsh taskmaster who judges us and withholds things from us if we aren’t good enough.  All we have to do is ask for what we need and he will provide it.  Not in a “name it and claim it” kind of way that orders God around, but we can definitely ask for our daily bread.  Or strength to make it through another day.  Or courage and wisdom to help build his Kingdom here on earth.

Jesus says we shouldn’t be afraid to think big.  If God is on our side what harm can it do to ask?  He’s not going to punish us for asking!

After all it’s not like prayer ever backfires on us.  I’m reminded of The Monkey’s Paw, a short story by W. W. Jacobs. A couple receives a monkey’s paw talisman that has the power to grant them three wishes.  Every time they use it they get what they want but there are horrible consequences.  For example, their first wish is for money to pay off their house.  The husband is subsequently killed in an accident and the wife receives exactly the amount of compensation they had wished for.  The next two wishes are even worse so I won’t elaborate.  Again, prayer requests are never like a monkey’s paw.  They never turn evil on you.

I ran into this kind of mentality when I was at an Hispanic church with many former Roman Catholics. They equated spirituality with suffering.  Many said that they didn’t want to deepen their relationship with God because they were afraid that he would increase their burdens by make overwhelming demands of them. They believed that if they got close to God would make them sick or take away their money and material possessions.  Of course, this is ridiculous.  Jesus never made anyone sick, nor did he take their things.  Because of this false belief they thought the safe choice was to keep God at a distance.

Actually, when I thought about it, I understood what they were talking about.  Before I read the Bible I had the impression that if you were a practicing Christian and you didn’t give away all your money and take strangers into your home you were a hypocrite who would end up in hell.  This little misunderstanding kept me away from church for about 12 years.

Later I got involved with the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (now Catch the Fire) in Canada.  Their mission statement was “To Receive God’s Love and Give it Away.”  Within that context they taught the millions who came from all over the world that “More Lord!” was a very sufficient and meaningful prayer.  More love, more discernment, more wisdom, more peace on earth, more social justice, all the good stuff. Especially more of God himself!!!

God doesn’t mind being asked.  In fact Jesus tells us we SHOULD ask (see Day 57).  He says to ask, seek, and knock.  He wants us to be hungry for more of him and his Kingdom, so that, like little Oliver Twist, we say, “Please, Sir, may I have some more?”  He promises he won’t humiliate or reject us or punish us with a stone just for asking. We shouldn’t be afraid.  Like they say, God answers every prayer request – “yes”, “no”, “later”, or”wait”…because he has something even better in mind.  Lots of times “wait” is the best of all!  His plans are better than ours.

So, my prayer today……..MORE LORD!!!

What does this scripture say to you?

Day 57: Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks will receive, and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to those who knock.

[With these words Jesus continues to teach about the Law of Moses as the Sermon on the Mount continues.  He takes some of the most important topics and explains to his disciples, in specific terms, what it means to be “more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires” (See Day 23)].

Here Jesus delivers to his disciples a powerful exhortation as he begins to wind up his great sermon. Dream big! God will be with you! God will provide!

Jesus has a vision about social and religious reform. In this Sermon on the Mount Jesus shares his vision; in this scripture he teaches his disciples how to make it happen.

The first thing Jesus tells his disciples to do is to ASK God for direction.  To ask is to declare your willingness to partner with God to achieve his goals and to volunteer your services.

Then he says to SEEK out ways to help make it happen. This may involve research, learning, practicing, experimenting, purchasing, and of course praying to affirm the vision.

The final step is to KNOCK – when the time is right, God says to take action.  Then he takes over from there.  God opens the door and the vision becomes a reality.

The first example that comes to mind is the ministry of the great civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

ASK – Born in Atlanta in 1929 in Atlanta, Martin was the son of a Baptist minister.  Wikipedia says that by the time he was a teenager he had serious doubts about Christianity.  I’m sure he was doing a lot of asking – about racism, injustice, and whether or not Christianity could provide the answers to the problems he saw around him.  I’m sure he asked God and everyone else.

SEEK – He apparently got an affirmative answer because he entered seminary, received his doctorate degree and began pastoring a church in Montgomery, Alabama.  One of King’s favorite scriptures was Matthew 5:43-46 (Days 34-35) – the ones about loving your enemies.  He connected with the Quakers because of their commitment to peace and non-violence.  They in turn funded his 1959 trip to India where he learned from Mahatma Gandhi about achieving social change through pacifism.

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white person, King became the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.  Parks and King were both arrested and his house was bombed, but the boycott proved effective and racial segregation on Montgomery buses was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court.  This launched an almost continuous campaign of similar protests and boycotts over the next few years.  (My husband John marched with him in one of those demonstrations in Chicago).

KNOCK – In 1963 the stage was set for the historic March on Washington. The entire nation watched on TV as more than a quarter of a million people gathered to hear King deliver his brilliant 17-minute “I Have a Dream” speech that changed the course of history.  He knocked loudly on the door or every home in America, and doors that had been previously closed were opened wide. Dr. King and his dream were warmly received my most of the country and the tide turned.  Even his assassination a year later couldn’t stop the civil rights movement.  It was a death blow for institutional racism in the United States.  God’s vision of equality still hasn’t been fully realized, but his hand continues to guide and direct others to pick up where Dr. King left off.

How many things do we fail to receive because we don’t ask God?  It seems like you can go into any church in America and somewhere you will find a long list of sick people for whom the congregation is praying. We pray for people with cancer or diabetes.  Instead, why don’t we pray for cures for these diseases?  Instead of lists of sick people, why don’t we have lists of diseases that shouldn’t still be plaguing humanity?  It seems like we are contented with things the way they are.  We are willing to accept sickness and suffering as natural and inevitable.

I think Jesus would say that’s not good enough.  He says to dream big.  He says that God is ready and willing to give us what we ask for.  We should ask for an end to racism, poverty, violence, disease, depression, hopelessness, war, homelessness, sexual slavery, political oppression, and all the other things that are clearly not of God.  We just need to ask, seek, and knock – God will take care of the rest.  When we pray the Lord’s Prayer and ask God to establish his Kingdom here on earth, we should believe that it’s actually possible.  Just like Dr. King, we should allow ourselves to have a dream and then do all that we can to make it a reality.  We should settle for nothing less.

So let’s all think of one thing that we think is impossible and write it down somewhere.  A Kingdom of God thing – something big that’s been on your heart. Then ask God for it and see what happens.  I dare you.  I double dog dare you.

What does this scripture say to you?

Day 52: Matthew 6:31-33

So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.

[This is a continuation of Jesus’ teaching about materialism and worrying.  He is explaining to his disciples how they can be “more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.” (See Day 23)].

Jesus continues to repeat this concept, apparently for emphasis.  He really, really doesn’t want his disciples wasting their time worrying about where their food and clothes are coming from.  This is the second time he has mentioned food; it’s the third time he’s talked about clothing.

This is also the second time that he mentions that God already knows what we need (See Day 41).  I think this is the whole point of this scripture.  If we focus our minds and efforts on doing what God wants us to do, and he will provide for our material needs.

Do you believe this?  It seems like most people would rather retain control of their material needs and rely on God only when it comes to the things they think they can’t control, like healing incurable disease or straightening out their kids.  For example, when they make their decisions about what to do with their lives they follow the money – to the right university, to the right job, to the right retirement place – without any real input about where God wants them to go or what he wants them to do.

One of the main principles that Jesus wants to teach us is that there is abundance in the Kingdom of God.  Supernatural provision, in fact.  He says it here in this scripture, and demonstrates it throughout his ministry.  In the Kingdom of God a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread can feed thousands if we believe.  With the way we currently do things there are serious shortages, but in the Kingdom of God there is plenty of food, plenty of healing, plenty of love.  Plenty of everything we need.  Jesus invites us to take a great leap of faith and step into the Kingdom with him.

Acceptance of the concept that we don’t need to make financial security the centerpiece of our lives is absolutely essential to the establishment the Kingdom of God here on earth.  What are the implications of this?  Why is it important?  Well, in a world of shortages we have to compete for scarce resources.  We have to push each other aside and beat each other down to get what we think we need.  We believe that when we share with others we are taking food out of the mouths of our own families. We believe in the “survival of the fittest” paradigm which says we have to be strong and selfish to survive.

This primitive way of looking at things is totally antithetical to the way it works in the Kingdom of God.  In this scripture Jesus says God will supply our needs and admonishes us to surrender these false beliefs.  When we believe that God is our provider everything changes.  We don’t have to chase money anymore.  We can be gracious with others.  We can share freely.  We don’t have to compete.  We don’t have to compromise ourselves.  We can freely love and freely enjoy our lives.  We can enjoy a higher level of living.

While I believe that sharing and social justice are imperative in the establishment of Kingdom of God, I also believe in the supernatural provision that God promises.  I believe in it both because Jesus says it is so and because I’ve seen it so many times.  I’ve seen that when people trust in God, the money they need comes in, a job offers turn up, housing arrangements emerge.  Right at the last minute.  I have so very many stories I could share but this one is my favorite.

Our friend Chiquita was a single woman living in Chicago trying to take care of her five grandchildren.  The kids liked singing Gospel music so they ended up attending our church.  To care for the kids Chiquita relied on money that came to her through social services.  To receive this money she had to have a 4 bedroom apartment which, in Chicago, is very hard to find.  At one point they lost their apartment and had no place to live.  They didn’t part with the landlord on good terms, so they needed to get a new place without the benefit a good reference. It was an impossible situation.  For a few weeks they lived with friends but ultimately they ended up staying at the church because they had no other place to go.

Every Saturday night some of us prayed at the church.  We put on a CD, got out the banners and tambourines, and had ourselves a good old time.  On one of those Saturdays Chiquita and one of her kids came in and sat at the back.  Sometimes I didn’t know what Chiquita thought about Christianity; when she originally came to the church she said she was a Muslim. On this evening she sat there for a while, and then she asked us to pray for her grandson.

Our group gathered around the boy and began to pray.  As we prayed, something really hot seemed to rise up and we all started to sweat.  It was weird. Suddenly the young boy, who had never displayed any signs of affection for me, grabbed me around the waist and began to hug me.  He was so hot it was like he was burning up and my glasses totally fogged up.  He hugged me for a long time while everyone continued to pray.  Suddenly he let go and sort of scampered away.  It seemed like he was happy.  It seemed like something got healed.

Within a couple of weeks Chiquita and her family were in a new home – a newly remodeled frame house with plenty of room.  A nicer house than any of the rest of us lived in.  It just turned up.  The owner said he was looking to make a difference in the lives of a family that might not otherwise get to live in a nice house.  He didn’t care that they didn’t have references.  It was awesome.  They sought God, and he took care of their impossible material need.

Photo from Google Earth

God wants us to give up control of our material needs.  We want to take care of the small stuff (money) and leave the Kingdom stuff to just drop out of the sky on us.  I think this scripture says God wants us to use our time, energy, and talents to build up the Kingdom.  He wants us to make fixing the world a priority. He wants to take care of the small stuff (basic material needs) for us so WE can work on the big Kingdom-building stuff.  We need to do the work.  Important principle here.  If we take care of his business, he’ll take care of our needs.

Remember Psalm 24:1 says, “The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his.”  None of that material stuff belongs to us anyway.

So what comes to mind is another good old Gospel song called On Time God  popularized by Dottie Peoples: “He’s an on time God, yes he is…He may not come when you want him, but he’ll be there right on time.”  Here’s the link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e728Mx2kCk

What does this scripture say to you?

Day 42: Matthew 6:9-13

This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored; may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need. Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.

[This is a continuation of Jesus’ teaching about proper performance of religious duties.  He is explaining to his disciples how they can be “more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.” (See Day 23)].

So what does Jesus have in common with iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel?  Strange question?  Well, her words are the first thing that came into my mind as I read this scripture.  She said, “Always remove one thing before you leave the house. Less is more.”  Both Jesus and Coco had a great respect for simplicity.  Yes, they both agreed that less is more.  Keep it simple.  Keep it tasteful.  Edit it down.  (I keep telling myself that as I write this blog).

If you were raised Christian, you definitely know this one even though the words are a little different in the Good News version of the Bible.  It is, of course, the Lord’s Prayer.  After telling his disciples what people SHOULDN’T do when they pray, [specifically make a spectacle of ourselves (Day 40) or babble (Day 41)] he now tells them how they SHOULD pray.

He gives them a really great prayer.  Straightforward.  Salutation, praise, adoration, petition, confession, forgiveness, and protection.  All in a few simple phrases.

First, this is a communal prayer.  It is not a prayer for me or you.  It’s a prayer offered by those in the faith community on behalf of and for the benefit of everyone.

Our Father in Heaven… We identify who we are praying to; we name the one with whom we long to connect spirit to spirit.  Our Father – not some far away, aloof, judgmental dictator.  Our Father – the one who loves us and cares for us and made us in his image out of the good earth.  Our Father -who is not a person but a spirit who dwells in the spiritual world called heaven which is both far away, and yet as intimate as the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our Father (not My Father), the head of the household that includes all of the people of the earth.

My your holy name be honored….We are then invited to remember that God’s name is holy because he himself is holy, set apart, high and lifted up, perfect and without flaw.  He must not be taken for granted as though he is just an ordinary father.

May your Kingdom come, May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…Next, we affirm the mission of Jesus – to prepare for the Kingdom of God here on earth.  Remember Day 5?  He says the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!  He wants all the earth to get ready!  He wants us to make God’s plans our plans.  When we pray these words we submit to doing things his way, which is not necessarily the way that the world, or the church, or our friends, our government, or our instincts tell us to do them.

Give us today the food we need….We admit that we are not self-sufficient.  We recognize that we have needs and only God can satisfy them.  Even the most basic things like bread that we think we are making ourselves come from God.  It all belongs to God and flows to us from his generous hand.

Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us…..Once again Jesus says again that we cannot receive what we are unwilling to give. (See Days 11 and 35).  We are forgiven only when we forgive.  We receive mercy only to the degree that we extend it.  Jesus wants to firmly plant this principle in our hearts so that it will take root and bear fruit.

Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One…Finally we ask God to protect us from testing (temptation) and the power of evil.  God and God alone can deliver a person from evil.  We can turn away from it and hold it off, but only God can banish it.  We are only safe from evil when we are under the shadow of God’s wings, when we are walking on the safe path that he has prepared for us.

In the tradition of the church this prayer usually ends with a benediction, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.”  A nice ending, even if it’s not the words of Jesus.  I think he’d approve.

There it is.  A clean concise prayer with no wasted words.  Full of so much meaning that you can meditate on it every day for a lifetime.  It is an inherently Jewish prayer that focuses on God and his will for all humanity. This prayer challenges our faith and encourages us to probe the depths of our hearts.  What does it mean that God wants us to think of him as our Father? Where is heaven?  What does it mean to be holy?  Do we understand what it is to honor his holiness? What can we do to help build God’s kingdom?  What are we doing well; what can we do better?  Do I need to ask for forgiveness for anything; is there someone I need to forgive?  Am I grateful for all that God has given me today?  Do I appreciate it?  Is there something someone else needs that I can provide?  When has God saved me from the power of evil in my life?  Am I entering into his protection by living out of God’s truth?

More than just a bunch of words, it’s a perfect prayer; a prayer for the ages.  A prayer that reminds us that when it comes to matters of faith, “Less is more.”  It’s a prayer as beautiful and luminous and genuine as the pearls that Coco Chanel preferred.  Pearls of wisdom.  It’s a prayer with so much truth in it that it makes as much sense today as it did 2000 years ago.  It is a prayer to be studied, a prayer of infinite depth.  A prayer worth repeating until the Kingdom of Heaven is established here on earth.  I guess when that happens God will give us a new one.

What does this scripture say to you?

Day 41: Matthew 6:7-8

When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.

[This is a continuation of Jesus’ teaching about proper performance of religious duties.  He is explaining to his disciples how they can be “more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.” (See Day 23)].

When I initially read this scripture I wondered exactly what kind of prayer Jesus is talking about here.  I looked around a little and didn’t get much clarification.  The actual word is battalogein, an obscure word that isn’t used anywhere else in the Bible.  It means to “stammer” or “babble.”  The prayers Jesus is referring to may also have been runes, incantations, magic spells, or other hocus-pocus type utterings that we today would associate with “witchcraft.”  Or just jibberish.  Who knows?

Based on the last sentence in this scripture, it seems that the pagans were praying for their gods to satisfy their needs.  They were spending a lot of time vocalizing in attempt to get the gods to do something for them.  Jesus says that words aren’t that important because our Father (term of endearment noted) already knows what we need.  It seems that Jesus is saying that primary purpose of prayer is not to get things or gain control over our destiny.  There is a deeper purpose.

Yesterday (Day 40) I learned that Jewish prayer is very structured with an emphasis on traditional prayers that are used throughout the day to remind them of God’s omnipresence and to foster a sense of awareness regarding all their thoughts and actions.  In other words, prayer keeps them accountable to God.  To quote again from the website http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer.htm:  “The most important part of any Jewish prayer, whether it be a prayer of petition, of thanksgiving, of praise of G-d, or of confession, is the introspection it provides, the moment that we spend looking inside ourselves, seeing our role in the universe and our relationship to G-d.”  While Jews do indeed have prayers of petition, the main purpose of all prayer is to strengthen one’s connection with God.

Going back to the first sentence, Jesus says that our prayers should have meaning.  We should know what we are saying.  Jewish prayers are full of meaning and tradition.  Jews don’t just recite these prayers – they study, reflect on, and immerse themselves in these traditional prayers that elevate God and remind them of his goodness.  As followers of Jesus I think we could be a lot more intentional and focused about our prayer lives.  We have a lot to learn from the Jews.

Jews also believe that prayer requires preparation, a certain mindset: “The mindset for prayer is referred to as kavanah, which is generally translated as “concentration” or “intent.” The minimum level of kavanah is an awareness that one is speaking to G-d and an intention to fulfill the obligation to pray. If you do not have this minimal level of kavanah, then you are not praying; you are merely reading. In addition, it is preferred that you have a mind free from other thoughts, that you know and understand what you are praying about and that you think about the meaning of the prayer” (http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer.htm).

Many Jews use singing and rocking back and forth while they repeat precious prayers and scriptures that they have committed to memory to help them enter into the kavanah mindset.  It is then that God meets them and speaks to them.

To Jesus, prayer wasn’t just saying words.  Jewish prayer is a meditative, transcendent experience.  It’s spiritual.  You don’t just phone in your requests and move on unchanged.

One of the first things that pops into my mind when I read this is, “What would Jesus think about tongues?”  Speaking in other tongues (unknown foreign languages) was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the early church that facilitated communication among people who could not otherwise understand each other.  These days “tongues” also refers to “prayer language,” a manifestation of the 20^th century charismatic movement.  Charismatic churches encourage people to “ask God to give them the gift of tongues”, which is usually a prayer language, not a known language.  I have a prayer language. I use it when I don’t know what to pray.  It’s not a foreign language, just something I do in place of extemporaneous prayer when I don’t know exactly how to pray.  Sometimes it feels like English gets in the way of connecting with God and this prayer language seems to help.

But reading this scripture, I have to question this practice because Jesus doesn’t approve of babbling.  He thinks we can do better than that.  I think what we call a prayer language may indeed be babbling.  Maybe I don’t really need a prayer language.  Maybe God has already given us a common prayer language. (No, not Latin).  It’s the same one Jesus used when he prayed – Hebrew.  (Yes I know Jesus spoke Aramaic, but he certainly prayed in Hebrew like all other Jews).  I’ve decided on the basis of this scripture I’m going to learn a couple of good prayers in Hebrew and I will use them when I don’t know what to pray.

I’m going to start with the opening verses of the Shema, a prayer that is used in for both morning and evening Jewish prayer.  It starts like this:

Sh’ma Yis’ra’eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.

(Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One).

 Barukh sheim k’vod malkhuto l’olam va’ed.

(Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever).

 V’ahav’ta eit Adonai Elohekha b’khol l’vav’kha uv’khol naf’sh’kha uv’khol m’odekha.

(And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and

 with all your soul and with all your might).

This is usually the first scripture a Jewish child learns.  It would have been the first one that Jesus learned.  It seems like an appropriate place to start.  I’m sure my Hebrew will be so bad that no Jew would ever be able to understand me.  It might be tongues to them, but it will have meaning to me.  It’s a prayer that Jews say gets the love flowing. It gets their kavanah going.  It opens their heart to heaven.  Hopefully it will do the same for me.  It certainly seems like a good prayer for when you don’t know what to pray.  Any time, really.

I’m going to give it a try and see what happens.  In light of what Jesus says, it makes more sense than praying with meaningless words.  Hopefully praying in the prayer language of Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Daniel, and Jesus will take my prayer life to a whole new level.  Those who know me know that I already have both the singing and the rocking part down pat.

What does this scripture say to you?

Day 40: Matthew 6:5-6

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.  But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.

[This is a continuation of Jesus’ teaching about proper performance of religious duties.  He is explaining to his disciples how they can be “more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.” (See Day 23)].

PRAYER: My Personal Experience I love to pray and I’ve had the privilege of praying with a lot of people from different cultures, traditions, and faith backgrounds. Of course I pray privately, but I have also been very blessed by the many experiences I’ve had with extemporaneous prayer shared in small groups and other public settings.

I remember one man I knew who prayed in French. I couldn’t understand a word he said but the presence of God was heavy when he prayed.  There was another woman who came to our evening prayer meetings.  She was always under the influence of something or other and could barely talk.  But when it was time to pray the words poured out of her mouth – prayers from the heart of God about the suffering and the beauty of life.  There was another woman whose prayers were so encouraging and powerful that they sent my spirit soaring.  One night at a prayer meeting someone stood up and started singing.  It was prophetic prayer and it sent chills up my spine and tears down my face.

For many years a group of us walked around the neighborhood quietly praying for peace and love in every home.  We would do this on Tuesday night, and Sunday would bring people who lived along that week’s route who said they suddenly felt a strong urge to visit our church. There was a man in our church who always prayed for John and I referring to us as “our talented pastor and his equally talented wife.” We always looked forward to that blessing.  And I’ll never forget those crazy prayer ministry sessions at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. Life-changing! I lead a prayer group at my church.  Most of the time is spent using “common prayers” published by my denomination, intermixed with specifics related to our own church.  Near the end of the session there is a short time for extemporaneous prayer or sharing, but most of the people talk rather than pray during this time.  We share whatever comes into our minds during the prayer time in a conversational manner.  Then, we end up with the Lord’s Prayer.  This seems to work well for us.

PRAYER: The Jewish Experience Because Jesus was a Jew, I thought it would be interesting to explore what Jewish prayer looks like so I could get a better perspective on this scripture and reflect on  what else he might find offensive in terms of today’s prayer practices.  Following is a summary of the Jewish perspective on prayer from http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer.htm:

“The Hebrew word for prayer is tefilah. It is derived from the root Pe-Lamed-Lamed and the word l’hitpalel, meaning to judge oneself. This surprising word origin provides insight into the purpose of Jewish prayer. The most important part of any Jewish prayer, whether it be a prayer of petition, of thanksgiving, of praise of G-d, or of confession, is the introspection it provides, the moment that we spend looking inside ourselves, seeing our role in the universe and our relationship to G-d. Observant Jews are constantly reminded of G-d’-s presence and of our relationship with G-d, because we are continually praying to Him. Our first thought in the morning, even before we get out of bed, is a prayer thanking G-d for returning our souls to us. There are prayers to be recited before enjoying any material pleasure, such as eating or wearing new clothes; prayers to recite before performing any mitzvah (commandment), such as washing hands or lighting candles; prayers to recite upon seeing anything unusual, such as a king, a rainbow, or the site of a great tragedy; prayers to recite whenever some good or bad thing happens; and prayers to recite before going to bed at night. All of these prayers are in addition to formal prayer services, which are performed three times a day every weekday and additional times on shabbat and festivals.”

Prayer is extremely important to the Jews.  It’s about connecting with God every minute of every day.  It’s disciplined and focused. It’s about submitting to God and acknowledging his presence in everything.  It’s not about asking for stuff.  It’s not about asking for healing.  It’s not about asking for strength or courage.  It’s not about us.  To Jews, prayer is about God. Period.  When Prayers Go Bad In this scripture Jesus describes one of the ways that he has seen prayers go off the rails.  What comes to mind when I think about this scripture is some of the problems I’ve run into when leading or participating in group prayer. I have noticed that there are certain patterns of prayer are not particularly helpful.  In fact they can be downright hurtful and off-putting. What follows is a sort of tongue-in-cheek thing; red flags that prayer is going astray; things that Jesus might not be crazy about.  These descriptions just kind of came into my mind so hey, what the heck, I’m sharing them.

Oratorical Prayer – Speeches in the disguise of prayer.  People gifted in public speaking are sometimes guilty of going on and on just because they are good at it and they enjoy letting the words have their way.  Often interrupted by snoring.

Performance Prayer – These prayers are those done for dramatic effect.  They may involve a lot of changes in vocal tone, yelling followed by whispering, gesticulating, singing, etc.  Applause is always appreciated.

Cathartic Prayer – Starts with pleading, moves into crying, ends in screaming.  Sometimes while writhing on the floor.  Or, angry rants.  All inappropriate.

Affected Prayer – When a person’s vocal tone and pronunciation completely change when they start to pray, it can be very distracting.  Also includes youth group prayers that include a phrase like “Father God” after every 2 or 3 words.

Infirmity Prayer – Long lists of sick people with gory details about what’s wrong with each of them.  Sometimes people are forced to leave the room because they feel nauseous or lightheaded.  The tone is gloomy and hopeless.

Egocentric Prayer – ….me, me, me, me…….

Royal Prayer of Confession – Confessing for other people using the royal “we” – we don’t pray enough, we don’t love enough, we don’t give enough, etc.  People should search their own hearts and confess their own sins.

Name It & Claim It Prayer – Ordering God around and telling him what to do. Usually a command for money or other material thing.

Educational Prayer – Prayers that are really conceived out of a need to tell others in the group what to think.

Manipulative Prayer – Prayers that are really conceived out of a need to tell others in the group what to feel or to enlist their aid in performing a task.  Bossy prayer.

Patriotic Prayer – These prayers are thinly veiled patriotic speeches.  They involve flag-waving, lots of talk about our military might and how we are the greatest and strongest country on earth, judgments about elected officials (pro or con), death to our enemies, etc.  Always makes me want to click my heels and salute.

Soulish Prayer – These prayers are thinly veiled criticism of others.  “Oh Father God, please help pastor so-and-so.  Help him not to be so boring and mean.  Help him learn to seek your heart, Lord.  Please forgive him for not visiting me in the hospital…”

OK.  There it is. I got it out.  Those of you who don’t pray regularly in groups are probably offended, but if you’ve had a lot of experience with group prayer you are laughing because you know exactly what I’m talking about. As for me, I tend toward Educational or Manipulative Prayer when I go off the rails.  Bossy. That’s the way I roll.

Given how important prayer is the Jews, it’s easy to see why Jesus would be very upset when “prayer goes bad.”  So if we notice that we are doing any of those things I listed when we are praying, we should do as Jesus suggests.  Go back to the intimacy of our homes and reconnect with God in silence.  Then start adding a few words to start up the conversation – plain words, nothing fancy. We might want to find a book of common prayers.  The Episcopalians and Lutherans have great common prayers.  Of course Jewish prayers are super.  These carefully crafted prayers can help us get centered and remember what prayer’s all about.

Just remember that even a well written prayer can go bad if our heart’s not in the right place.  If you are self-conscious or have a tendency to perform, it may be that praying in public is something that you should leave to others.  It’s never a mistake to accept our limitations.  Because the bottom line is that reward from our Father that Jesus mentions – a word or a touch from the God of the universe in whom we live and move and have our being!!  It’s imperative that we keep this goal in mind.

What does this scripture say to you?

Day 38: Matthew 6:1

Make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public so that people will see what you do. If you do these things publicly, you will not have any reward from your Father in heaven.

[With these words Jesus continues to teach about the Law of Moses as the Sermon on the Mount continues.  He takes some of the most important topics and explains to his disciples, in specific terms, what it means to be “more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires” (See Day 23)].

What are the religious duties Jesus is talking about?  In the next few scriptures he elaborates on three major duties in Jewish life – charity, prayer, and fasting – things that Christians generally refer to as “spiritual disciplines.”  Spiritual disciplines are like a workout for your spirit.  They build up your spirit in the same way that a good workout at the gym builds up your body.

Spiritual disciplines bring you closer to God, and closer to each other. Someone who is spiritually healthy is able to connect with God spirit to spirit.  A spiritually healthy person is also able to connect with other people spirit to spirit.  Spiritual disciplines build up your ability to make these connections.

Let’s get back to that gym analogy.  If you go to the gym to get a date, you probably won’t get very fit physically.  You won’t really be paying attention to your instructor.  You will be paying attention to who’s looking at you.  If you are a girl you probably won’t want to look like you are straining.  You just want to look hot. But not in a sweaty way.  And you won’t consider it a successful workout unless you get a date.

In the same way, if you perform your spiritual disciplines so that other people will like admire or respect you, then you probably won’t get very fit spiritually.  You won’t really be paying attention to God or what the Holy Spirit is saying.  You will be paying attention to who’s looking at you.  Unlike the other example, you probably WILL want to look like you are straining.  You want to look fancy and flamboyant.  You want to get noticed.  And you won’t consider it a successful spiritual exercise unless someone compliments you on your piety or zeal or talent.

Some of the Jewish religious duties are practiced in private, others with the family, and others in the synagogue.  Charity would be one that would be practiced in public.  Prayer isn’t generally something done in public, although it was apparently happening in Jesus’ time.  Today some Jews pray in public at the Wailing Wall where the temple was located in Jesus’ time.   Some pray there because it they feel God’s presence in a site that has such historic significance; others may do it as a form of public protest against the Muslim mosque that was erected on this site.  Maybe in Jesus’ time some Jews were out on street corners shouting their prayers as a form of protest against the Roman occupation.  Who knows?  But usually Jews don’t pray in public, and Jesus advises against it in this scripture.

What kind of spiritual disciplines do today’s Christians practice?  The ones that come to my mind are worship, the sacraments, tithes and offerings, missions, reading the Bible, and prayer.  These are some of the common ones.  Some Christians don’t think they need spiritual disciplines because God loves them anyway, but this is missing the point.  We don’t do these disciplines to get God’s love or approval; we do these things to help us stay on track, keep our focus on God, and know his will for our lives each day.

I think all of us agree that we shouldn’t make a show of any of these things, but we’ve all seen it happen.  There’s a lot of performance in today’s churches – music, prayer, and public speaking can all become a show.  It’s a fine line.  On the other hand, enthusiasm is sometimes confused with attention-seeking and disinterest is confused with humility.  As with everything, we shouldn’t make judgments about others because only God knows what’s going on in the heart.  We should focus on our own interior motives and maintain our own spiritual disciplines so we can connect with God and others.  That’s the goal, after all.

Jesus warns his disciples not to make a show of their spiritual disciplines, and the advice is just as meaningful today.  If you notice that you are distracted by what others think of you, or if you find yourself bragging about the things you do, then it’s probably time to step back and connect with God in the privacy of your home.  Making a sideshow of your faith won’t do you any good and it will irritate those around you. Just like that skinny girl who hangs around the gym posing with her water bottle and her 3 pound weights.

What does this scripture say to you?