Culturally Irrelevant

Most people write a post like this, apologizing for not posting because they’ve been too busy to write. My problem has been the opposite. Lots of late nights writing, just on the same project. At some point here in the next week or so I hope to be able to post it as a PDF with a few excerpts to summarize what it’s about.

Here’s a quick excerpt on prayer. Not the overall topic, but a supporting point:

David talked to God with gut-wrenching honesty. He exposed himself, spoke his mind, unafraid to be completely real and emotional. He didn’t have long lists of things he wanted for himself or for his success. He asked for nations, for God’s presence, for forgiveness, for the righteous to be filled. When I read his songs I hear agonizing desperation, ravenous spiritual appetite for God’s presence, ecstatic joy at knowing God, tremendous peace and a sense of being protected by God and led by his Spirit. I also hear anger against unrighteousness and injustice, frustration at God’s silence in the face of wickedness, and the desire for God to completely crush his enemies.

Jesus talked about prayer this way (my interpretation): “When you pray, don’t philosophize and eloquently verbalize just to impress your listeners with your knowledge of the scriptures. And don’t babble on and on with useless words that don’t come from your heart. Instead, get on your face in a quiet, secret place. Pour your heart out like a sinner and receive grace like a saint. Get real with me and I’ll get real with you. Don’t know what to say? Start with coming to me as your loving, all-powerful “Father” who knows what you need before you even ask. Then worship me and let the power of my name, my Kingdom and my holy will overcome you. Hang there for a while, maybe even get quiet, and then make any simple requests for the things you need. And if you’ve got a beef with anyone, you better take care of that before you come to me. It’s hard to hear anything when your offenses, unforgiveness and self-righteous pride are screaming so loudly in my ears. But come to me with a broken heart and I’ll answer you. If you’re dirty, repent for real and I’ll wash you and give you a clean conscience. If you’ll stay in this place, this heart attitude, then I’ll know you’re connected to my Son. I’ll give you what you want because I know your wants and desires are coming from him. And if the answers don’t seem to come right away, keep pressing in. It’s all in my timing, so don’t be discouraged. Just keep coming and trusting. You won’t be disappointed. (Matthew 5:23-24; 6:5-13; Psalm 24:3-5; 51:17; Luke 11:8-10; John 15:5-11; James 5:16)

And what is the promise when we have a life of prayer like this? Peace. A supernatural, comforting, able-to-handle-anything kind of peace. Paul says it this way: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Honestly, there have been times when I’ve been so distressed and afraid that I’ve wanted to quit walking forward in obedience. But when that happens, I hit my face, usually with 2 or 3 other guys who are faith-filled God-seekers, and after a while I’m so filled with peace and a sense of God’s good pleasure that I’m able to keep going. An encouraging word will come out, I’ll get a revelation from a specific passage of scripture, or sometimes I’ll just lay there and soak in God’s presence for a while. Either way you slice it, the result is still the same. The weight gets transferred. The doubt gets exchanged for strength and faith. The fear turns into hope. When I get up from the floor I have the strength, not just to keep going, but to walk in love, to know what I should do next, or simply to have the peace to not do anything at all except keep trusting, keep waiting and keep seeking his face. And sometimes that’s the hardest thing…to not do.