How Not to Pray – An Object Lesson
by Ed Rodatus, 1992

Praying with Empty Words
[Take an empty pitcher and "pour" into a cup.]
Matthew 6:7
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling [empty words] like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

Praying Without Faith
[Pour water next to a cup, missing the cup.]
Mark 11:23-24
“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Praying Apart from God’s Will – Praying Amiss
[Pour water onto the bottom of a cup spilling it over the sides.]
James 4:3
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Praying Without Love
[Sprinkle water onto to the side of the cup.]
1st Corinthians 13:1
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Praying Without Honoring Wife
[Sprinkle water onto my wife.]
1st Peter 3:7
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

Praying to be Seen of Men
[Sprinkling water onto the audience.]
Matthew 6:5
“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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

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Praying Onto God – Accepting His Will
[Pour water into cup.]
Luke 22:41-42
“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Mark 10:38-39
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
“We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with…”

[Drink the cup of water thus accepting God's will.]

Priorities of life

I often need to remind myself of the priorities of life. Does what I am doing really matter? It can be a difficult question to answer. When we don’t bother to ask…we’re too busy. But it will become important sometime in our life. We are wise to assess our priorities sooner rather than later so we can make necessary changes.

These three remain

First Corinthians 13 defines love in a profound and poetic manner. It finishes with this: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  Trust God to best define priorities of life. Let the question become, “how well am I living out my life in faith, hope, and love.

Live by Faith

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”  The Source of faith is God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”  God gives us faith and the choice to exercise it. We must choose between cowering under our own anxious fears and trusting in God’s faithful promises. “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”   Live by faith. “Live by faith, not by sight.”

Overflow with Hope

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  God is also the Author of hope. Do I overflow with hope? We are called to hope. “There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called.”   Live in continual hope. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”  Overflow with hope. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Express God’s Love

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”  As we receive love from God we can truly love others. We fail in our attempts to love because we have not sufficiently taken hold of it ourselves. Rather than rely on feelings or become dependent on others we must recognize our own need to receive God’s love.  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Accept God’s love. Then, express God’s love.  “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Glory that lasts!

“How much greater is the glory of that which lasts!”   The Eternal correctly define priorities. God has given us faith, hope, and love. We reflect God’s glory when we take hold of these and then demonstrate them in our lives. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”  Live a live of faith, hope, and love.

Whosoever will…

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Matthew 7:24

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 10:32

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:25-26

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:4

And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Matthew 23:12

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:23

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
James 2:10

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Revelations 22:17

Stand

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
I have the witness of the indwelling presence and the power of the Holy Spirit Who is able to keep me from falling and present me faultless before the Throne of His Glory.

I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made.
I’m a disciple of His.

I won’t look back, letup, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed.
My present makes sense.
My future is secure

I’m finished and done with low-living, sight-walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, “chincy” giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.

I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.

I now live by presence, lean by faith, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set.

My gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the Cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus!

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me.

And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem, recognizing me,-
my colors will be clear.

[Edit: I just found the source to this writing. Find out about it here.]

The source of the problem:

Satan the destroyer, deceiver, and author of confusion.

Confusion causes disorder, disorder causes confusion.

In addition:

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”  (Romans 8:20-21 which references the curse in Genesis 3:16-19)

The problem in summary:

Satan, entropy (laws of our universe), the curse are against organization.

The solution begins with:

It is important to discard unbiblical methods, dispel the myths of psychology, the lies and deceptions of the world, and renew our minds with the Word of God. So rather than consider the opinion of men, let’s begin with God’s Word.

It’s far more difficult to refute error than it is to build truth upon truth. Paul says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)

The question that we all need to ask ourselves is:

Have we allowed unbiblical methods in our homes?  (Have we allowed Satan to rule?)

The world (and our flesh) resists God’s design for organization (God’s order) in the home.

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” (Ephesians 4:17)

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

Contrast:

James 3:16-18 says, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

Wrong order:

“ Satan devouring our children, ruling them by fulfilling the lusts of their flesh.
“ Our children manipulating and ruling mom.
“ Mom neglecting to see God’s provision of her husband and neglecting to respect him.
“ Dad neglecting to seek God’s authority and blessing on everything he does.

Right order:

“ God directing dad directing mom directing children thus crushing the head of Satan and putting everything under God’s feet:

“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He “has put everything under His feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:25-27)

On the issue of what wives should do about husbands who don’t appear to take responsibilities or authority:

“Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” (1 Pet. 3:1-2)  :

Note: Order is command is direction (as in “in the way he should go”) …all under God’s authority (NOT our own, otherwise we are just grown up “Marvins”)

“A child left to himself comes to ruin.” He/she needs direction. “Don’t be deceived: evil company corrupts good character.” Who are our children following? Who gives the direction? TV??

“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He “has put everything under His feet.”

Point is that we are God’s generals, CEOs, sergeants, (whatever you want to use as an analogy), to order/command/direct under HIS command, HIS feet. See Genesis chapter 1:

“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (under God)

“ Be fruitful – have children
“ Multiply – have grandchildren (each child having children would be
“ multiplication)
“ Fill the earth – great grandchildren, etc.
“ …and subdue it!  That isn’t just about the fish in the sea and birds of the air, it is a thought that goes along with the “be fruitful & multiply” commands.

And so our hearts, and the hearts of all around us, spouses, children, grandchildren must be directed, trained, (as a train on the tracks) to do God’s purposes.

Remember the centurion in Matthew 8?

“For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘ Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith!!”

Wow! Acknowledge God’s authority in your life. Miracles will happen.

Important Key: Look at the “future” of what we are becoming, of what our children are becoming, in the things that we are doing now. (Remember the Marvin cartoon?) Is what we’re doing according to God’s purpose and His Kingdom?

Regarding the physical organization of your home: “Be not anxious…Seek ye first…”  As you get the spiritual authority established in your home the physical organization will follow.

The Word is living, active, sharp, able to divide between the thoughts and intent of the heart. Without having the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit in us our actions will become evil. That is, our specific actions, the “how to”, is derived from the Holy Spirit in us, the renewing of our mind through the Word, the cleansing of our sin through confession, prayer…in short: the spiritual disciplines that so many people neglect.

If we don’t eat, we will die of starvation. If we don’t pray, we will hurt, if we are not attached to the Root, we will starve spiritually, if we are not connected to the Head, well, who can live with their head cut off?

Read Philippians chapter 2 again and again. Your home will change and become organized!

I’ll end with this from Ephesians 5:18-23, similar to the 1 Corinthians 15 verse:

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

May God bless you richly!
Love In Christ,

Here’s the scoop:

I’ve moved my blog website a couple of times and the databases have not been compatible so I cut-and-paste my posts into this new site.

I also looked around for some articles that I’ve written and I’ve posted them here as well.

Thus the date of each post is not indicative of when the journal entry or article was actually written.

Prayer is a powerful (and commanded) activity that believers sometimes neglect or dismiss as unimportant. Yet even our Lord, Jesus, “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16) Even now, Jesus “always lives to intercede for those who come to God through Him.” (Hebrews 7:25)

Search the Gospels for the word “withdrew” and note how many times Jesus “withdrew” from His work, from the crowd, from His own disciples, and from the world in order to pray on the mountain, in the dessert, or in the garden. “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:23) It is important to Jesus and it should be important to us to get away to pray. “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (~Matthew 6:4a)

We become powerless when we neglect prayer. “Watch ye therefore, and pray always.” (Luke 21:36a, KJV)

We are told to “Pray without ceasing,” or in the NIV, “Pray continually.” (1 Thess. 5:17) “Are you in trouble? Pray! Are you happy? Pray!” (~James 5:13) Pray for your family; pray for you friends; pray for your enemies; “pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5) Live a life of prayer!

Observe the correlation between your prayer life and your physical life. The Bible says, “Are you in trouble? Pray!” Do you see need for change in your life or others around you? (spouse, children, friends) Pray! God reaches hearts when you can’t. “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind.” (Jeremiah 17:10a)

The way I think of it, there are many forms of prayer. Praise, being still, (resting), thankfulness, shouting, dancing…even working can be our worship, praise, and prayer to God. As we grow in maturity and discipline in prayer we begin to see how we can truly “pray without ceasing.” Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and His Father are one. Our communion with God is related to our prayer life. Pray and commune personally with God.

The Psalms are full of prayers. Just reading them can be prayer. Take time to read them today. They can teach you how to pray. “I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.” (Psalm 13:6)

Ironically, most people are too busy to give much thought to time. Time is a unique and valuable gift from God. It is a gift we can give to others. We can either waste it or invest it.

It’s important to consider how we invest our time. Time is a finite resource.* It seems odd that we can be content to selfishly amuse ourselves even while needs are placed directly in our path. We can ask God to make us faithful stewards of time.

God has given us the time we need to accomplish His good and perfect will. Sometimes we involve ourselves with activities apart from God’s direction. It’s difficult (but doable!) to keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25) Jesus explains: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5) This reminds us of our need to frequently commune with God through prayer, His Word, the church and His saints. (Consider joining a small group fellowship!)

I love watching the many facets of change as summer rolls into autumn. It reminds me of the seasons of life as I now see them. We, too, need to be willing to change as the year and the years roll by. You and I were designed for a purpose, one designed by God, but it subtly and sometimes sharply changes over time. For instance, the ministry God called me to changed when I became disabled. But God still has plans for me. (I’m still here!) You, too, are called to a ministry for His kingdom. (1 Peter 4:10-11) Follow God, keep in step, walk by faith, and by all means keep moving forward! The Apostle Paul says it this way:

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14, NIV)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1-2a)
Always look at who you and your children are becoming, not simply who they are now.
As time goes by, seek to become a wholly devoted follower of Jesus Christ and fulfill the great commission!

* Although time is generally considered to be non-renewable, there are some notable exceptions such as in Joshua 10:12-14.

In order to keep our edge sharp, may I suggest taking some adult education courses this September? Bible study might not earn Continuing Education Units but the personal benefits are outstanding. Your church probably offers opportunities for Bible study and fellowship. Find out what’s going on and take advantage of every opportunity that you can.

“Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:9-10)

Maybe you are running ahead: “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9)

Falling behind? “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)

Think you’re too old? Titus 2:2 says, “Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance”

Tired and burdened? Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Already know a few things? “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7)

Our family, church, and employers will reap the benefits from our spiritual growth. God wants us to learn, grow, change, and become more like His Son, Jesus.

I must decide to put in the time and effort in order to learn. I hope you will, too.

Let this be our prayer: (Psalm 25, selected)

“Show me Your ways, O LORD, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.

Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them His way.

Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
The LORD confides in those who fear Him;
He makes His covenant known to them.”

When our children go back to school this September, let’s improve ourselves also and learn of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to Ephesian families and gave clear, practical advice that we need to read and heed today, especially chapters 5 and 6.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.”
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Just these four powerful instructions can make a major family makeover!

In these 2 chapters, Paul addresses the most important aspects of our life:

What we do: Paul tells us that we can and must know God’s will, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

About our conversation: “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.”

How we use our time: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Our jobs: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men…”

Our desires: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”

How to love: “…just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

There’s so much more. Read Ephesians chapters 4, 5, and 6 every day for a week and watch how the Holy Spirit will makeover your family through God’s Word. Read them out loud to your family. Find quiet places and meditate on specific verses throughout the day.

Here, Paul also alerts us about the reality of the spiritual battle that is going on. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Paul reminds us that the enemy is Satan. And Paul prescribes the solution:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

The phrase “be strong” appears throughout the Bible. The Bible consistently contrasts between strength by “the arm of the flesh” and “the arm of Lord”.  (Jeremiah 17:5-8)

In Ephesians, Paul also tells us how to “be strong in the Lord:”

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Stand firm:

+ with the belt of truth
+ with the breastplate of righteousness
+ with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
+ take up the shield of faith
+ take the helmet of salvation
+ take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
+ pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
+ be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Men, our battle is not “against flesh and blood… but against the spiritual forces of evil.” We cannot win by our own human strength: the “arm of the flesh.” Instead, we must “be strong in the Lord!”

When I can’t, God can!

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prayed and God answered. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul recognized that he could not endure by his own strength, but by yielding to God, he was able. Paul responds, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Men, don’t trust in your own strength or wisdom, instead, be strong in the Lord and His mighty power!