Kids’ Persistent Questions

Today’s Reading:

• Matthew 6:5-7:6; Luke 6:37-42; Matthew 7:7-20; Luke 6:43-45; Matthew 7:21-29; Luke 6:46-49

Verse(s) to Ponder:

• Keep on asking, and you will received what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.… You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. – Matthew 7:7, 9-11, New Living Translation

Thoughts:
I was just thinking today about the connection between persistent prayer and praying to a Heavenly Father.

As a human father, sometimes I wish that my children wouldn’t ask so persistently. My son Michael is really, really eager to visit the Discovery Place (and we’ve already been there several times, so his experience gives him a lot of motivation to return). And he will ask me, “Dad, can we go to the Discovery Place?”

So I’ll say, “Yes, Michael, we can go.”

And he asks an important question: “When, dad?”

It usually takes me a minute to decide when I would like to take him to visit the Discovery Place, but the answer often ends up being something like, “We’ll go there next week on Thursday.”

You would think that I’d get a huge cheer right then! After all, I have just told Michael not only that we’ll go to the Discovery Place, but I’ve committed myself to a set date. I can’t postpone it beyond then without breaking my word (and I am very reluctant to do that).

But Michael is usually not very happy with an answer like that. “Yes” isn’t enough. “Next Thursday” isn’t enough. He wants to go NOW. And what that usually means is that for the next week, he keeps asking me over and over and over, “Dad, can we go to the Discovery Place? Can we go now?”

As I said, being a human father, this isn’t the most pleasant experience in the world for me. I can become a bit impatient… not that anyone else would know what I’m talking about, right? I’ve given my son an answer, I’ve given him the promise of a good gift, and I’ve given him a specific time when he can expect to receive it. Sometimes I wish he would just trust me and wait patiently.

A lot of the things we ask God for are things that He has said “Yes” to, also. Health. Wisdom. Character. Safety. And He has told us when we can expect to have them in their fullness—when Jesus comes back. Sometimes He gives us an early taste of them, too. But often, He asks us to wait.

Somehow, that doesn’t do much to satisfy our desires. We want those good gifts from God, and we want to experience them—fully—now. And so we ask, and we keep on asking. And we knock, and keep on knocking. And God keeps telling us, as we read His Word, “Yes, when Jesus comes back.” And we keep begging Him, “How about today? How about now?”

The really amazing thing to me is this: through Jesus, God encourages us to keep begging and asking. God is better with His children than I am with my son. He not only knows how to give good gifts, but God is patient and understanding toward His children’s repeated requests. He loves to hear them! He wants to have the opportunity to tell all of us—not just me, but you, too—to tell all of us a big, wonderful “Yes” over and over again. Through His “Yes,” God reminds us that He loves us. As He reminds us of His plan to fulfill every promise through Jesus, God thrills at the opportunity to fill our minds and hearts with His love again. And so He loves to hear us ask for His good gifts, not just once, but repeatedly. Every time we ask, we give Him another opportunity to joyfully remind us of His loving plans.

Note: I have obviously been less than consistent about posting devotional thoughts for a while now, so I’m not going to claim that I’ll be consistent for the next few months, or that the blog will be centered around a certain theme (it was supposed to deal with faith-stretching verses this year). I just hope that these thoughts are still an encouragement to you, whenever they come your way.

Prayer-Fueled Wrath

ALL – Psalm 136:1-26
ALL – Proverbs 30:7-9
OT – Nahum 1:1-3:19
NT – Revelation 8:1-13

Interesting passage for the day: And the perfume of the incense mixed with prayers ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. Then the angel filled the censer with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed and rumbled, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake. – Revelation 8:4-5, The Living Bible

Thought: Often when I wake up in the morning, part of my prayers to God include these lines from the Lord’s (or disciples’) prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Those prayers are beginning to be answered. In the hearts, souls, minds and strength of thousands upon thousands and even millions upon millions of people, our Father’s name has begun to be reverenced, His kingdom has come, and His will is being done.

But when will these prayers be answered fully? Why are some of our prayers going unanswered? Why do men and women get away with wickedness and evil? Where are all our prayers (and I’m talking about the godly ones, not the foolish and selfish prayers) going?

In Revelation, we see that they are being stored up to be poured out before God’s throne, mixed with incense. Our prayers for God’s righteousness to overwhelm the wickedness around us and finally reign supreme will be brought before God and presented as an offering that pleases Him. And in imagery that cannot help but communicate the connection between our prayers and God’s wrath on our rebellious world, the very censer that was once the container of our prayers, now emptied before God, becomes the tool by which fire from heaven is poured down upon this sinful earth in wrath.

Our prayers matter. God hears them. He sees our suffering. He knows our misery. He hears our sobs. He hates the injustice, oppression and wickedness that we endure. As we cry out to Him through His pure and wonderful Son Jesus Christ, God is preparing to act. He will save us completely and finally from the pains of this life, and His answer to our prayers will be a wrath against sin that makes us wonder why we ever doubted that God cares about our troubles. He cares, and in His love for us, He will respond to our prayers in His wrath.

Question: Instead of asking what you pray for, I’d like to ask: What do you pray against? Have you grown impatient because God hasn’t dealt with it the way you wanted Him to deal with it yet? When you read Revelation 8 and see the results of your prayers, are you willing to wait for God’s timing?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Pray. Really—Pray!

ALL – Psalm 70:1-5
ALL – Proverbs 24:8
OT – Isaiah 54:1-57:14
NT – Ephesians 6:1-24

Interesting passage for the day: Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere. – Ephesians 5:4, The Living Bible

Thought: Prayer is harder for me, in some ways, than Bible study. When I’m studying the Bible, I always know exactly where my reading for the day is supposed to begin and end. If I have a question, I do some research until I think I have the answer. I can consult with “experts.” Even if I’m not sure exactly what’s right, I can at least get to the point where I have a lot better an understanding of all the perspectives I should be thinking through.

But with prayer, it’s a lot harder to feel like I’ve made progress. Sometimes I struggle to come up with words to say. When I do, I might be stumbling over myself. Even if I set a goal of praying for a certain number of minutes, I find that I struggle to fill them all with actual prayer. My mind gets distracted. The time goes by, and I’ve managed a sentence of prayer.

Perhaps that’s because I often don’t bring God my needs, but my wishes. I don’t take time to confess my true heart to God. I ask God to help me finish up the day’s business, but my prayer time is distracted time because my mind is so worked up about getting back to the day’s business.

Instead of just asking God to help me with my tasks, perhaps I need to pray more about Him changing the way my heart rebels against doing some of them. Instead of merely asking God to help my kids learn to be quiet (for once!), perhaps I need to pray more about Him teaching me patience, about Him leading me in being a good father to them, and about Him getting their full attention so that they grow in understanding that sometimes their volume bothers other people. Instead of praying just to pray, perhaps I should be praying so that I get to know my heavenly Father better and so that He changes my heart, my behaviors, my thinking, my speech—me. And as I get to know my own needs better—my need to be more like Jesus, not just my need to have a good day—perhaps my prayers for others will be deeper and more intentional and focused, too.

Father, help me to pray to You sincerely, exposing and confessing my deepest daily needs. Help me to see my need for a heart that grows steadily more Christlike. Help me to recognize that I’m not the most patient man in the world, and to pray about it. Help me to understand that getting my tasks done doesn’t mean that I’m a success in Your book, and to pray about it. Teach me to pray in a way that honors You, that really seeks You and finds You, that taps into my real needs and weaknesses and comes to You for my every provision and strength.

Question: Do you struggle with prayer sometimes, too? What helps you to turn to God for an extended time of honest prayer?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Looking Out for Number One

ALL – Psalm 8:1-9
ALL – Proverbs 18:23-24
OT – 1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14
NT – Acts 27:21-44

Interesting passage for the day: “For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul—for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God has granted your request and will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ ” – Acts 27:23-24, The Living Bible

Thought: If I were in a boat riding through the storm of my life, expecting the ship to go down, what would I be doing? I’d be praying for safety and keeping my eye on the nearest lifeboat, making sure that I could get to it quickly! That’s what I’d be doing!

But what was Paul doing? He was praying, but his focus was a bit less selfish than mine would be. He was praying for the rest of the men on board the ship with him—all 276 of them. And in response to Paul’s prayers, God sent an angel with a message of hope. Every single man would live, because God had granted Paul’s request!

Question: When trouble comes, do you look out only for yourself? Do you pray only for yourself? Or do you work and pray for the good of everyone around you?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Giving Up on God

ALL – Psalm 76:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 12:15-17
OT – Deuteronomy 26:1-27:28
NT – Luke 10:38-11:13

“Prayer doesn’t work.”

“God doesn’t care.”

“I’ve tried asking God. Nothing happened.”

We get discouraged so easily. So quickly. We think prayer’s supposed to be like a magic charm that creates good luck, a silver bullet that knocks our problems out of our lives. We’re like my daughter, who is convinced that she ought to get whatever she wants so long as she says, “Please.” So when we ask God for something, and we ask nicely, and nothing comes, we give up on prayer. Really, we give up on God.

Jesus taught His disciples not to give up. Encouraging His disciples to imagine being a man who needed bread for a guest, Jesus described this man going to his friend for help—in the middle of the night. The friend responded as most of us would in the middle of the night: “This can wait until morning. You’re a friend, but this is ridiculous! Goodnight.” But that wasn’t the end of Jesus’ parable:

But I’ll tell you this—though he won’t do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough he will get up and give you everything you want—just because of your persistence. And so it is with prayer—keep on asking and you will keep on getting; keep on looking and you will keep on finding; knock and the door will be opened. – Luke 11:8-9, The Living Bible

God isn’t just our buddy in the sky. He’s not an instant-gratification coin slot—put in a prayer, out comes a prize. He’s not to be taken advantage of. He won’t put up with it. He wants US, not just our prayers. And He’s willing to require persistence of us to find out whether we’re really after Him or just after His blessings. Of course, since God knows our hearts, our persistence is required more to reveal our hearts to ourselves than to Him.

But persistence is one of the marks of a true relationship, a true love. Those of us who pray quick trial prayers to “see what happens” demonstrate our lack of faith; such people think, “God probably won’t do anything, but it’s worth a shot.” Persistence in prayer is a mark of faith, because by persisting in the face of a seemingly unresponsive God we demonstrate how fully we know that we need Him. We will not turn elsewhere in vain efforts to control our lives; our lives are fully in His hands, and we’ll leave them there. That’s what persistence in prayer says. And God responds to our persistence. “Keep on asking and you will keep on getting.”

Have you given up on finding God’s help in your time of need? Have you prayed only once? Return to God in prayer over and over. Place your needs and desires in His hands. Trust Him. He’s faithful and good.

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Prayer Follows Forgiveness

ALL – Psalm 46:1-11
ALL – Proverbs 10:23
OT – Leviticus 27:14 – Numbers 1:1-54
NT – Mark 11:1-26

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive you your sins, too. – Mark 11:25, The Living Bible

Sometimes easier said than done. We’re such foolish people. Why would we rather hold on to a grudge against another human than keep an open relationship with the Living God?

So prayer follows forgiveness. In two ways.

1. Prayer follows us forgiving others. It’s pretty much pointless until then (see the parable of the unmerciful servant).
2. Prayer follows God forgiving us. Again, it’s pretty much pointless until then. Can you imagine trying to get an offended God to listen to our prayers?

The wonderful thing is that God has graciously provided for us to be forgiven; He wants to hear our prayers. Jesus Christ died on the cross so that God could forgive us and hear our prayers. Again, see the parable of the unmerciful servant. After God provides such a vast forgiveness for us, how can we not forgive others? If we remain unforgiving, then it becomes clear to God that we haven’t really accepted the new nature and relationship He’s offering us.

Forgive. Because God forgives. And then pray. And God will do what you ask.

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

I’ll Pray Later

ALL – Psalm 35:17-28
ALL – Proverbs 9:13-18
OT – Leviticus 1:1-3:17
NT – Mark 1:29-2:12

Since being appointed as pastor, I have been made more aware than ever before that any spiritual accomplishment is possible only by God’s grace. Even when everything is going well, I am completely overwhelmed and need God’s help and guidance and strength daily.

And yet, just like many others, I sometimes struggle to “find time” for prayer. I’m more aware of my need for time to give my Father my burdens than ever, and yet distractions and pressing deadlines still sometimes manage to convince me to “pray later.”

Jesus did not lack for pressures. And yet Jesus spent time with His Father. After a day full of ministry, healing the sick and casting out demons:

The next morning he was up long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray. – Mark 1:35, The Living Bible

I’m not saying that everyone needs to get up long before daybreak. But seriously, we need time to pray to our God. Find some time in each day. Cherish it. And pour your heart out to God.

What do you need to put in God’s hands today?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Resolving Christian vs. Christian Animosity

The message, preached on January 3rd, 2010, covered Philemon, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Paul’s letter urges Philemon, a Christian with reason to hold a grudge against Onesimus, to replace his animosity with love for his newly-converted Christian brother. Such an attitude transformation comes to Christians who pray for a growing faith in Christ’s work for us all, who understand that Christ makes debtors into brothers, and who follow Christ’s example of self-sacrificial, reconciling love. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Missions Trip to Brazil

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3

Hi,

If you received our Harner family Christmas letter or viewed it online at my three-quarter tank blog, then you know that God’s been very good to my family and me this year. It’s a privilege to serve as pastor at Swanton Alliance Church, where the believers are so wonderfully gracious.

Just like many churches, Swanton Alliance Church sends teams overseas on missions trips. For the past five years, we’ve sent teams to Brazil, where we’re cooperating with several Brazilian churches to plant a church in a location known as Estruteral, a village of poor people find living space in a garbage-dump area. We’ve also been helping with the Brazilian churches’ outreach efforts.

So on this particular trip, we look forward to passing out hygiene items in Estruteral, hosting an English camp, witnessing, extending church invitations to people we meet, perhaps doing some construction and maintenance work, and celebrating a partner church’s fifty-year anniversary with them. Oh yeah… and I’ll be preaching. Twice. With a translator, I hope. 

I yearn for your prayers. Needless to say, many details have to come together in order for 10 people to plan a 2 week (July 14th-28th, 2010) ministry trip to Brazil. Pray for our health, for our safety, for our cooperation and unity, for our spiritual preparation (we’re working through the book of Mark together), for our ministry preparation, for our organization, for our hosts—anything that you can think of, we probably need prayer for it. So please pray. At least once a week.

And I could also use your financial help. The trip will cost me (and every other team member) about $1600.00, maybe a little more. I’ve already been setting my own money aside, and our team has also been doing fundraisers together—pancake breakfasts, garage sales, silent auctions. We’re trying to be frugal about our trip planning, too; we’ll be staying in church members’ homes rather than in hotels. But I could still use your help; my own funds are currently $1300 short. If you can’t contribute, please pray for us regularly, anyway. But if you can contribute, whether $5, $15, $25, $50, $100, $500 (ok, most of you can’t contribute $500, but some of you could if you wanted—I wouldn’t mind!), it would help a lot.

Let me know if you’ll be praying for me and the rest of the team. If you are also able to give, your gift will be tax deductible if you make your check out to “Swanton Alliance Church” and write “Matt Harner’s Brazil Trip fund” on the memo line. Any money coming in above the costs of my trip will go towards another team member’s expenses, and that would be a huge blessing to us all. We’re trying to buy our plane tickets in mid-to-late February. You can send any letters or checks to me at:

Swanton Alliance Church
113 Franklin Ave
Swanton, OH 43558

Thanks for being a part of my life and for praying faithfully for me, whether you can give or not.

Grace and peace –

Matt

Got Discipline?

ALL - Psalm 1:1-6
ALL - Proverbs 1:1-6
OT - Genesis 1:1-2:25
NT - Matthew 1:1-2:12

People say that I’m a disciplined guy. But right now, I don’t feel like that’s very true. I don’t get out of bed when I’m supposed to. I don’t go to bed when I should. I don’t exercise. I barely manage to feed the dog—let alone play with her. I can’t seem to find time to manage the family finances. And when I get online for work purposes, I keep getting distracted by news story after news story after news story; they go on forever!

So I’ve been praying that God would give me discipline. Because I need it. I need discipline so that I can take care of my family as I should. I need discipline so that I can serve Christ’s church as I should. I need discipline just to take better care of myself!

Enter today’s reading from Proverbs:

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair; - Proverbs 1:1-3

If I hadn’t been praying for discipline, I don’t think I would have noticed how often the word “discipline” comes up in these opening words. Why read the Proverbs? Because the Proverbs are “for attaining…discipline” and “for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life.”

If you’re like me, and you need discipline in your life, join me in reading through the Proverbs this year.

Father, give me (us) discipline through Your wisdom!

Who’s with me?

Listening and Talking to God

Daniel 9-10; Psalm 124; Proverbs 29:5-8

We’re so used to seeing stories about how people heard directly from God, whether in visions or whatever, that we sometimes skip right past this story. What story? The story where Daniel listens to God through the Scriptures.

In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom--in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. – Daniel 9:1-2

We never get past the Scriptures. God spoke through them. He still speaks through them. And through them, we can hear His voice. When we hear Him, we should take Him seriously and respond, as Daniel did:

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. – Daniel 9:3

Father, may we listen carefully to You by spending time reading Your words in Your Word. And may we not study them just to be sure that we can answer trivial questions about the details we find there; may we listen to take Your words to heart—and respond in fervent prayer.

What is it that makes you forget to spend time in God’s Word—or not to spend time in the Bible even when you remember that you should?