How to Spend Extended Times in Prayer
Here are a few suggestions for ways to spend longer times in prayer:
– Go to a place where you will be undistracted. Do not bring your phone.
– Tell God your desire to grow in your ability to spend longer times in prayer with him, and ask the Holy Spirit to teach, help and stretch you.
– Have a centering phrase to say every time you realize your mind has wandered, because it will. For example, “Lord, I place myself before You.”
– Group the lists of people you’d like to pray for into categories and pray Scripture over one group at a time – e.g., unbelievers, family, those in ministry, etc.
– Review your last week or month, asking God to show you where He was pleased with your life/actions and where He was displeased. Praise Him and/or confess as needed.
– Write each of the areas of your biggest priorities/responsibilities on a 3×5 card. Slowly go through the stack of cards, dedicating each area to God. Ask Him to show you what it would look like for Him to be honored in each area.
– Make a list of the things that take up most of your emotional energy – e.g., anger at your boss, worry over a child, excitement over a new opportunity, etc. Think through each negative emotion and ask God to help you get to the bottom of your anger, fear, or anxiety. Pray for the ability to hand them over to God and live in submission and trust in Him. Pray through the list of positive or energizing emotions and ask for the strength and humility to praise God and give Him the glory for all of the good in your life.
– Read slowly through Psalm 139:23-24 and pray over each little thought that God brings to mind.
Remember that the determining factor in whether you spend time in prayer is your desire to do so. For thousands of years, people all over the world – living in a multitude of circumstances – have made time to connect with God in prayer. You can too!
Being Thankful for Harvey and Irma
In I Thessalonians 5, Paul instructs us to “give thanks” in all things. That does not mean we thank God for all things. Some things are bad and we want nothing to do with them. But God can bring good out of bad and we can learn to thank God in the face of all kinds of trials. Irma (and Harvey) have not only led me to pray a bit more, they have led me to offer thanks.
Books to Read
In year’s past, I’ve suggested books for your summer reading. I got away from that for a few years. It’s time to return. I know, you’re wondering, “Who has time to read?” Well, you do. And in fact, you need to. As C.S. Lewis noted, when the world is racing like a speeding train, you must read old books to keep your wits about you. They help you maintain perspective, even as everyone else loses theirs.
Prayer
Last weekend I spoke on prayer. This weekend I will do so again. The launching pad is Luke 18:1-8 – I.e., the parable of the Unjust Judge. Prayer is one of those topics about which a lot could be / should be said. Given that I only have two weeks I am supplementing these two messages by directing you to books on prayer. I have at least thirty in my office and I suspect more at home. I will not overwhelm you.How to Drive in India
February 24, 2016
Chennai Airport
Varghese and Suja just dropped us off. The homeward journey – via London – begins.
Yesterday was a good day. My bio-clock is still a bit off, so I was up very early and had a chance to do some writing. After a wonderful Indian B-fast, Varghese and I headed back to the HBI center, where I preached (Luke 6:20f) at a chapel attended by their church planters, doctorate of ministry students an assorted others.
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A glimpse of India
February 21, 2016
Siliguri, India
I’ve been mostly radio silent on this trip because the purpose was to get away and write (for next fall’s series), not to be on a missions trip. In fact, when I told Sheri I needed to get away for a couple weeks, I was initially thinking I would go to Saint Mary’s (in Mundelein) or perhaps a cottage in Wisconsin, not that we would go to India. But, this has been a great trip. We stayed in campus housing at HBI; I sat in their cafeteria (all alone) for about ten hours a day writing, and Sheri has had a chance to do some things at/through HBI. I did preach at New Calvary Church last Sunday, and Sheri and I have met with Varghese and Suja, and Bobby and Linette twice for dinner and to share – one at the Gupta’s apartment and once at the Grand Chola Hotel. But I got as much writing done as I could hope to do. At some point I go brain dead.
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What John Newton Would Say to Donald Trump
Until recently, Donald Trump was best known for his piles of money, reality TV show, and bad hair. Now, his desire to become the next president of the United States has dominated the headlines (and all of the other Republican candidate’s efforts to garner attention). What most people may not know is that Trump also likes to dabble in religion. Or at least he has opinions about one of the central components to the Christian faith – forgiveness.
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Remember the Secularization Theory?
Back when I went to school I was told that as information and education spread, religion would die out. This theory has long since been jettisoned by most. If they hadn’t before, last week was enough to cause most die-hard fans of the theory to give up. This is hardly all of the religion stories from last week, but it’s enough to make the point:
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Why Should I Attend Church?
Why should I attend church? Why should I drag myself out of bed – or harder yet, drag myself out of bed and wrestle with both the kids and my reluctant spouse – just to attend another worship service? What’s the point? Does it really matter? Why not listen to a podcast of (insert your favorite preacher here: Andy Stanley, Tim Keller, Ravi Zacharias, etc.) while sitting on the back porch? What’s church good for any way? Why does it even matter?
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The Surprising Effects of World Missions
If you ask most people – even many Christ-followers – what they think of when they hear the word evangelism, you can expect a litany of negatives.
Similarly, if you ask for their assessment of how the modern missionary movement has impacted the political development of the countries where missionaries worked, you will get a string of ugly terms, with colonialism, imperialism and forced conversion mixed in. Most now view missionaries in general – and evangelical Protestants in particular – as imperialistic bullies who did more harm than good.
But they are wrong.
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