Thursday, July 25, 2013

Quotes on Prayer

Prayer Awakens, photo by Kevin Shorter from Flickr

“Pray, and let God worry” –Martin Luther

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” -James 5:16

“It is taken for granted that all the disciples of Christ pray.”
–Matthew Henry’s commentary

“You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray.” –Matthew Henry’s commentary

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God." –Brother Lawrence

"Seven days without prayer makes one weak." –Allen E. Vartlett

"Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees."
 –William Cowper

“Prayer is where the action is." –John Wesley

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” – St. Augustine

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.”
–Oswald Chambers

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” –Corrie Ten Boom

“For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”
–Saint Teresa of Avila

“Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.” –Billy Graham

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
–James 5:17-18

"Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet." –E. M. Bounds

"Prayer does not influence God. Prayer surely does influence God. It does not influence His purpose. It does influence His action." –S.D. Gordon

"Four things let us ever keep in mind: God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer, and God delivers by prayer." –E. M. Bounds

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” –Romans 8:26

“And when you pray. . .” –Matthew 6:5-8

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A Review of Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul

from Kregel Publishing

One of the best kinds of Bible study helps, or tools, are chart books. Chart books can be extremely helpful in condensing complex and exhaustive information into bite-sized chunks of readability and easy comprehension. The assimilation of valuable information into clear, easy to read and visually appealing formats is so important. Many people learn visually and the structure of a chart becomes very helpful in seeing the flow of important concepts and information.

This being said, Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul should have been a great addition to so many other chart books that are out there on the scriptures, which help us discover and to better understand the Bible. However, this book is more plain text than it is charts and it reads more like a dry commentary than a visually appealing chart book, leaving the reader disappointed and busy sifting through an over abundance of text. There are over 100 charts in this book, but they are small, not always self-sufficient in the information they present, they are secondary to the text, and are not the primary content of the book.

The concept of covering the letters of Paul in a chart book is a great idea, but it does not appear that the author has met the goal of covering the letters of Paul solely using charts. If you are looking for a chart book on the life, letters, and theology of Paul, you will be disappointed with this book. However, if you are looking for a great survey of Paul’s life, letters, and theology and background information and contextual information concerning Paul’s letters, and some commentary on Paul’s letters, and you do not mind a lot of reading, then this book could be for you.

Here is what the publisher has to say about Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul:

Paul's letters have fascinated and challenged most every reader of the Bible. As a result, many general introductions and specific studies on Paul are available, but none are like Charts on the Life and Letters of Paul, which provides over 100 charts to explore the apostle's background, life and ministry, letters, and theology. The charts visually offer clarity on:

  1. Basic insights (e.g., "Autobiographical Information")
  2. Comparisons (e.g., "Parallels between Acts and Paul's Letters")
  3. Advanced tools for further study (e.g., "Key Words in Romans")
  4. Analysis (e.g., "The 'New Perspective' on Paul")
  5. Research (e.g., "Key Texts and Their Interpretations") 
Comments on the charts and discussions of significant theories-with leads for further exploration-are offered together with an extensive bibliography that includes references to past and current Pauline scholarship.

Interested Bible readers as well as students of Paul's life, letters, and theology will find plenty of material to deepen their understanding. Teachers will find the charts to be a valuable teaching resource. This book is an excellent supplement to any general introduction or specific study on Paul.

In exchange for this non-biased review, the reviewer received a free copy of the book, Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul. This review is also published on My Two Mites, Examiner, Amazon, and Christian Book.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

When You Pray

Praying Hands, photo by C Jill Reed from Flickr

“And when you pray. . .” –Jesus, Matthew 6:5

In The Sermon on the Mount, an assumption Jesus makes is that the follower of God will pray. Jesus says, “When you pray” three times in Matthew 6:5-8.

Matthew Henry’s commentary on this verse, “when you pray,” states, “It is taken for granted that all the disciples of Christ pray.” The commentary goes on to say, “You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray.” As followers of Christ we will pray just as we will eat or breathe.

Prayer is a natural relationship with Christ and has Christ as its own reward. Brother Lawrence, who wrote The Practice of the Presence of God, wrote "There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God." It is only natural that followers of Christ would be in such an intimate communion with Him in prayer.

Jesus goes on to say this about prayer in The Sermon on the Mount, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full” (Matthew 6:5).

The religious leaders of the day were seeking attention and notoriety for their prayers and “self-righteousness.” The reward they received was the attention and fame. However, they were missing the point of prayer altogether. The point of prayer they were missing was a relationship with the almighty God. Prayer is a relationship with God and is its own reward.

Jesus instructs the crowd of disciples, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

A relationship with our Father is its own reward. Relationships take time and intimacy. It is in the practice of prayer that we have the reward of prayer, intimacy with God. As E. M. Bounds put it, "Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet." In meeting intimately and privately with God in prayer, we learn how to relate to God intimately. We learn to pray.

Jesus continues, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7).

Often times we can have the false belief that God will not hear our prayers unless we get our words right, or unless we have enough words. The Bible is clear, we often do not even know how to pray, but God gives us the right words and even interprets our groans. As it says in Romans 8:26, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

Jesus goes on to say, “Do not be like [the pagans], for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8).

As a loving Father, God knows what we need, even before we ask. If God did not already have our best in mind, or if God was not aware of our needs, He would cease to be a loving Father and would cease to be God.

In Matthew 7:9-11 Jesus says this clearly, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

God is expecting us to pray. Jesus did not say, “If you pray,” no, He said, “When you pray.” God desires a relationship with us in intimate prayer and communion. As Oswald Chambers put it so well, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” There is nothing greater than intimacy with God in prayer. A.W. Tozer said, "[this] worship of the loving God is man’s whole reason for existence.”

So, when you pray . . . “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).


Bibliography

Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (Mt 6:5–8). Peabody: Hendrickson.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Prayer is God’s Will for Us

Prayer Booth 3, by Zach Alexander from Flickr

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

One of the most common, and profound, human questions is one of purpose, “Why am I here?” From a Christian perspective this question is adjusted slightly to, “What is God’s will for my life?”

From the beginning of creation humanity was made for an intimate relationship with God, in worship, in rejoicing, and in communion with God in prayer and in thanksgiving.

In Genesis 3:8 we see this intimacy between God and Adam and Eve as God walked with them in the cool of the day, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8).” God related intimately with His people from the very beginning.  

Today we can find this intimate relationship with God in our prayer lives. Billy Graham said this about prayer, “Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.” Prayer is a conversation with a friend, as Saint Teresa of Avila put it, “For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”

It is fitting that Paul asserts rejoicing, prayer and thanksgiving as God’s will for our lives. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 he says, Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

God desires our worship and God desires an intimate relationship with us. Simply put, prayer is God’s will for us.