Belief and Prayer

February 18, 2010 Thursday

Belief and Prayer

Okay, suppose you are feeling like you should get out more. You are feeling like you should join a club to be with people more, because you have just been spending way too much time alone. After all, we humans are a social lot, for the most part, we are not meant to be alone all the time.

So there is new club you heard of in your community that meets every Thursday night. They go from one member’s house to the next, alternating each Thursday until each member has had a turn, then they start over. The club is a Hockey Fan Club. They watch different games every Thursday night and just more or less enjoy each others company while the games on. At least that is the word you get from your neighbour, he talks about the fun they have and has suggested you to join.

After giving it some thought, you think, I like hockey, I know most of the guys, so why not give it a try. What have you got to lose?

So you call your neighbour and tell him, and he thinks that’s just great, and it so happens that it his turn to host, so all you would have to do is walk down the street. So it is settled.

Already you are feeling good about the decision. You are looking forward to it with, almost child like anticipation. You can hardly wait.

Soon Thursday arrives and it’s off you go to your neighbours house. As you approach the house, you see a very large Montreal Canadian flag in the yard. You chuckle to yourself as you continue on, you knew that your neighbour was a Habs fan, and you are a die hard Toronto fan. So you are thinking this will be good, nothing wrong with a little gabbing back and forth with friends.

Your neighbour meets you at the door and he is glad to see you, and he welcomes you into his home. Now you are a bit taken back. Your friend has a Habs hat on, shirt, belt buckle, and even slippers! There is Montreal memorabilia all over the place. He pours you a glass of pop, and it comes to you in a glass, you guessed it, with a Habs emblem on it.

You are being polite and cordial, but you can’t help thinking, its fine to be a fan, but this seems a taste much. However, this is his house, and he was kind enough to ask you in the first place, so you decide that to each his own is the order of the day, so its off down the stairs to the basement to join the guys for the game.

When you enter the room….you are even more surprised. There are a lot of faces that you do not know. They are all laughing and being guys, as they all loudly welcome you after your neighbour introduces you. You begin to feel a bit out of place. Because every single one of these guys have Montreal shirts and hats on.

Suddenly this large fellow comes barrelling at you wearing a huge grin with a huge hand sticking out to greet you. He looks as though he might run you over. He doesn’t and you are happy, he grabs your hand and shakes your entire arm much harder than your shoulder likes. He bangs you on the back as if you were choking on a grape. While doing so he informs you of your next shock.

“Hey there how ya doin?...Glad to meet ya…My name is Elmo…But you can call me Bee…I’m the head kadoodler of the Habs Howlers…that’s what we call our little group…Ol Fred here has said you might be joinin our little group…I think that’s just great…The more the merrier…Just one rule though…Yer gonna half ta git you a Habs hat an shirt…Can’t be a member if ya ain’t showin yer colors…You are a Habs fan ain’t ya?”

Well….you had no idea….the first word that you can think of is flabbergasted.

Not wanting to disappoint your neighbour Fred, you stay, and you kind of just stay quiet and do a lot of nodding and smiling….You get through the night.

On the way home it occurs to you…you actually enjoyed the evening. Heck….you even say to yourself you had fun. This, feeling stays with you, you just can’t seem to shake it. A few days go by and you have yourself convinced that you wouldn’t mind doing that more often.

So there you have it. You continue going. You go out and get the things you need, shirt and hat, and you become a certified member of the Habs Howlers.

Now the thing you don’t tell the rest of the lads is that you still are, really deep down, a Leafs fan. And even though, you let on to the lads that you are entirely for the Habs, they never really are ever able to change your feelings.

If we admit it, and no one will know but you, there are a lot of things in life that are very similar to the forgoing scenario. We will go to great lengths in order to gain acceptance from others. We want to have that feeling of belonging. We don’t want to be on the outside looking in. We want to be part of things.

I have said many times before that a person’s walk with the Lord is their own. To me that is how it should be. We may smile and nod when we hear things we don’t completely agree with. Yet in order to be accepted by other people, we will compromise even what we believe; to avoid a disagreement, or worse, be banned from whatever group you may belong too.

So what do you believe…really? Thinking what you believe, saying what you believe, and acting in accordance with what you believe, can be, three different things. There are times when you don’t know what to believe. The person who tells you they never have a doubt about their beliefs, is a person that I am very careful around. Because I think we all doubt at times.

So do I think I believe in God? Yes I do. Do I say I believe in God? Yes I do. Do I act like I believe in God? Not always. Why? Because I am far from perfect.

In John Ortberg’s book “Faith and Doubt”, he talks about this very thing. He has a way of putting a certain question, which really makes you think. At least he did with me. It was one of those, wow, moments in life that has the potential to really change a person.

Ortberg puts it something like this. When you are doing something, ask yourself; would you do this if your mother was with you? Be honest.

Do you believe in Jesus? You answer yes. If Jesus were with you right now, would you do what it is you are doing? Would you change the way you behave? You say it is very likely I would change. And no I likely would not do this if Jesus were with me. But then you said you believe in Jesus, and part of that means you know that He’s always with you, and that He knows and sees all. He even knows what you will do before you do it. You say yes I believe so. To this I say, well why are you doing what you are then? If Jesus were here with you, you said you would not do what you are doing. But you also say that Jesus is always with you. So why then are you doing what you are?

See we are very complex organisms. Sometimes we have trouble even knowing what we believe for sure. I think one sure way is to look at how you treat others. Your actions are hard to hide. I think your actions will tell you what you believe.

Ortberg heard some one say, and he writes this in his book, “Faith and Doubt”, “There is good in this world…and it is worth fighting for.” This was from a movie, as he explains in his book. This line seemed to hit Ortberg like a ton of bricks. It really touched him. Later he realised why. He said it was because, “I believed this line without trying.”

I think that this likely tells us a lot about ourselves if we begin to think about it. How do I treat folks? Do I have to work at it in order to believe and keep believing whatever it might be that I say I believe? This is all a part of learning, for me anyway, a part of how I continue to grow. Self evaluation, I can not say it enough. Without becoming paranoid, self evaluation is a vital part of my growth. I suspect it could be for you too.

So here is a question. What do you believe about prayer?

There are likely more different ideas and right and wrong ways to pray than a person cares to count.

I am not going to tell you what you should or should not believe. All I can do is tell you what I think; what you believe or do not believe…well to put it bluntly….that’s your business.

My objective here is to hopefully give you cause for thought, nothing more. Further, if you disagree…well… that is also your business. We each one of us are different. I think that is a blessing in it’s self. So what is good for you, I say great! As far as what I believe; it’s what I believe, I think it is good for me.

Prayer in public causes some very strenuous thought for me. I am sure there are folks that can do it with no problem. But I wonder, and it’s not because of being afraid to speak in front of a crowd, is this type of prayer healthy? Is it real? Again I am sure there are some folks that are very sincere about it and very real. I am sure there are some that truly concentrate on the Lord when they are doing it.

What I question is, are we more concerned with making a good impression on the folks gathered with you? Are we concentrating on our words and how we put emphasis in the right places more than talking with the Lord? To those that are listening, are they more concerned with what the person is saying than with supporting the prayer? Are there those people listening to you pray just to get perhaps the latest news, or perhaps to catch you on something and be able to tell later how wrong you were? Do I always understand what the person praying means, or what their intent is?

There have been times when I have heard some pray; and as they continued they kept getting louder as if God was walking away from them and they were trying to make Him hear.

One person will tell you that you must get on your knees and humble yourself before God. Another something else. And on and on it goes, with as many different ideas as there are people.

To me, there is no need to be fancy, because the Lord knows what you are going to say before you say it. Simple straight forward talk, and I think that is important,

I just do a lot of talking to Him, most of the time silently in my thoughts. I also like to be alone where it is quiet, out for a walk in the forest surrounded by beauty, or in my furnace room. While driving from one place to another. Out on the river in a canoe, again surrounded by beauty. Any place where I can feel close to the Lord and be able to concentrate completely on Him.

Along with this, I try to be myself and be honest and real.

With all this said, there is nothing like the Bible and the instruction of Jesus to guide us. So let’s look at some of what Jesus said about prayer.

Matthew 6: 5 -15

5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray loudly. They want people to see them. The truth is, that’s all the reward they will get. 6 But when you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father. He is there in that private place. He can see what is done in private, and he will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, don’t be like the people who don’t know God. They say the same things again and again. They think that if they say it enough, their god will hear them. 8 Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 So this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, we pray that your name will always be kept holy. 10 We pray that your kingdom will come— that what you want will be done here on earth, the same as in heaven. 11 Give us the food we need for today. 12 Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us.13 Don’t let us be tempted, but save us from the Evil One. 14 Yes, if you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, then your Father in heaven will also forgive your wrongs. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, then your Father in heaven will not forgive the wrongs you do.

Mark 12: 38-40

38 Jesus continued teaching. He said, “Be careful of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around wearing clothes that look important. And they love for people to show respect to them in the marketplaces. 39 They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 But they cheat widows and take their homes. Then they try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. God will punish them very much.”

LUKE 11: 1-4

1 One time Jesus was out praying, and when he finished, one of his followers said to him, “John taught his followers how to pray. Lord, teach us how to pray too.” 2 Jesus said to the followers, “This is how you should pray: ‘ Father, we pray that your name will always be kept holy. We pray that your kingdom will come. 3 Give us the food we need for each day. 4 Forgive our sins, just as we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. And don’t let us be tempted.’”

Now let’s look at a few things that tell us how Jesus prayed.

Matthew 14: 23

23 After Jesus said goodbye to the people, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. It was late, and he was there alone.

Matthew 26: 36-46

36 Then Jesus went with his followers to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go there and pray.” 37 He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to come with him. Then he began to be very sad and troubled. 38 Jesus said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, “My heart is so heavy with grief, I feel as if I am dying. Wait here and stay awake with me.” 39 Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want.” 40 Then he went back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Could you men not stay awake with me for one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.” 42 Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if I must do this and it is not possible for me to escape it, then I pray that what you want will be done.” 26:39 cup A symbol of suffering. Jesus used the idea of drinking from a cup to mean accepting the suffering he would face in the terrible events that were soon to come. 26:42 do this Literally, “drink this,” referring to the “cup,” the symbol of suffering in verse 39. 43 Then he went back to the followers. Again he found them sleeping. They could not stay awake. 44 So he left them and went away one more time and prayed. This third time he prayed, he said the same thing. 45 Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the control of sinful men. 46 Stand up! We must go. Here comes the one who will hand me over.”

Mark 1: 35-37

35 The next morning Jesus woke up very early. He left the house while it was still dark and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. 36 Later, Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. 37 They found him and said, “Everyone is looking for you!”

Mark 6: 45-46

45 Then Jesus told the followers to get into the boat. He told them to go to the other side of the lake to Bethsaida. He said he would come later. He stayed there to tell everyone they could go home. 46 After he said goodbye to them, he went up into the hills to pray.

Mark 14: 32-42

32 Jesus and his followers went to a place named Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 But he told Peter, James, and John to come with him. He began to be very distressed and troubled, 34 and he said to them, “My heart is so heavy with grief, I feel as if I am dying. Wait here and stay awake.” 35 Jesus went on a little farther away from them, fell to the ground, and prayed. He asked that, if possible, he would not have this time of suffering. 36 He said, “Abba, Father! You can do all things. Don’t make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want.” 37 Then he went back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, why are you sleeping? Could you not stay awake with me for one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.” 39 Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. 40 Then he went back to the followers and again found them sleeping. They could not stay awake. They did not know what they should say to him. 41 After Jesus prayed a third time, he went back to his followers. He said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? That’s enough! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the control of sinful men. 42 Stand up! We must go. Here comes the man who is handing me over to them.”

Luke 5: 16

16 Jesus often went away to other places to be alone so that he could pray.

Luke 6: 12

12 A few days later, Jesus went out to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night praying to God.

Luke 9: 18

18 One time Jesus was praying alone. His followers came together there, and he asked them, “Who do the people say I am?”

These are but a few examples of what the Bible says about Jesus and prayer. It is my belief that the answer to a lot of our questions are in the Bible.

Like I said, I believe everyone’s walk with the Lord is their own. Who am I to tell anyone what they should or should not do? All I can say is I trust the Word. Especially the words in red, for they are the words of Jesus.

There are some folks that will use the Word in the Bible through their interpretation, to make others seem wrong, or to make themselves look right. I do not believe this is a good thing to do. Unfortunately it happens.

For me, I needed to get a translation of the Bible that I could understand, mine is the Easy to Read Version, from the World Translation Center in Texas, and I have to really think over what I have read. When I get to a verse of sentence that I do not understand, I ask many others what they think it means. Then I make up my mind.

Until next time

May the Lord be with you always.

Tex