Prayer Is a Conversation

By Charlotte Lowrie

For years, I’ve admired believers who can pray with power and passion, with eloquence; prayers that inspire listeners to renewed faith and service. For years, I’ve known that I am not I am not one of those people. I’ve thought that I “should” be an eloquent pray-er, and that’s been troubling. In fact, if even one other person is present, I get nervous and self-conscious—a response that is a world different from my daily ongoing conversations with and prayers to the Lord.

Of course, I know that there is a difference between prayers prayed in different contexts, such as prayers prayed in a worship service with a group of believers, and the daily prayers of an individual believer.

First, I looked at what Jesus taught about prayer. The classic passage on praying is found in Matthew 6. In verses 5-15, Jesus gave specific instructions on prayer. To paraphrase, He told us:

• Not to pray in places and in ways to bring attention and credit to ourselves.
• To pray simply. The Father already knows what we need. Just ask.
• To pray privately--in a prayer closet with the door closed.*

And then Jesus gave us the Lord’s prayer, a short prayer of perfect order and simplicity. First we honor the Father and pray for the advancement of His Kingdom. Then we ask him to provide for our daily needs—needs that He already knows. Then we ask for forgiveness of our debts as we forgive others. We ask for His protection from temptation and evil. Then we give Him the glory and honor that belong only to Him.

Certainly, Jesus’ model of prayer argues for simplicity. But I wanted to know more, and so I asked. As I’ve known for many years, prayer is a two-way conversation. With every sentence there must be time for an exchange. If the Lord questions me, I pause, listen for His questions, and then answer from the heart. I am careful with answers. Because He knows the heart, only a heart-honest answer will do. And if I ask questions, I must likewise pause and listen from the heart.

That attitude of prayer as a conversation sets the stage for a rich exchange. Beyond that, the Lord expects that we will, “Pray always from the heart simply, for I know the heart. Anything else is simply noise, and it is not heard.”

It’s important to note that He did not say to pray from the mind. The mind is strong and opinionated. It makes excuses. It has desires, logic, and it colors real needs with both right and wrong motivations. By contrast, the heart reduces the chatter of the mind to our true, essential needs. In some ways, it is harder to pray from the heart than from the mind. For example, to pray from the heart, I have to first question myself closely before prayer to see what lies heavy on my heart. And when I know what’s on my heart, then my prayer is unfailingly simple and direct. In other words, searching the heart truly gets to the heart of things.

Finally, the Lord added, “It is the heart that the Father know and sees. It is the heart that He cares for.”

And when I still have questions about whether my prayers are acceptable, He asks me, “Are your prayers answered?” And the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” So I continue to pray as a two-way conversation, simply, and from the heart. And it is indeed good.

Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

* The prayer closet brings to mind the Jewish custom of covering the head with a tallit for morning prayers. A tallit is a large, rectangular shawl. When closed, the tallit forms an instant prayer ‘closet.’ A blue thread is sewed into the fringe so the wearer will remember and do the commandments of the Lord, and be holy unto God. (Numbers 15: 38-40)

Looking to the Bible for New Year's Resolutions

New Years is a time of new beginnings, fresh starts, and resolutions seem especially appropriate today with the unique calendar sequence of 1/1/11. We resolve all sorts of things, but at the heart of them all is to the desire and conviction to change one thing or another in our lives. Of course, all the resolutions in the world pall by comparison to the life transformation that comes through Jesus Christ.

But when we "resolve" in unison with the Lord, we can experience success in our goals. I looked in the Bible for resolutions, and I found many. These resolutions inspired me, and I share them that they may inspire you as you look forward to this new year.

"Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, 'A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar' (that is En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help form the Lord; Indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek Him. (2 Chronicles 20:2-4, New International Version)

"The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way." (Daniel 1:7-9)

"I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." (Psalm 119:16 NIV)

"Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name." (Psalm 18:49 NIV)

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2)

And my favorite resolution from the Bible is in Joshua:

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

May the Lord richly bless you and keep you now and always.

What Is Christmas About?

It isn't about black Friday or consumer spending.

It isn't about tinsel, garland, or decorated trees.

It isn't about Santa Claus.

It isn't about a snowy white day.

It is about the birth of the Son of God.

It is about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no other.

It is about a revolutionary new covenant that reconciles mankind with God.

It is about the light that Jesus brings in a world of darkness.

It isn't about sugar cookies, homemade fudge, or peanut brittle.

It isn't about holiday parties or velvet dresses.

It isn't about covered casseroles, eggnog, or hot toddies.

It isn't about the number or cost of the gifts that we give.

It is about letting His light shine in our lives.

It is about living the change that He's made in our lives every single day.

It is about the rising, irrepressible joy in our hearts knowing that

It is about the Savior who is coming again.

Live Expectantly

By Charlotte Lowrie

Since I began following the Lord, there are many days that I am astounded by His work in my life and His work in the world. But in a recent conversation with the Lord, I learned that being astounded is something that belongs in the beginning of a walk with the Lord, but over time it should change.

The Lord taught me that, "As long as you are astounded, you do not experience the power that is available to you as you walk in the Kingdom day by day. Astounded is for the beginning of the walk."

Rather, He explained, I should, "Expect in faith all that I can do every day. Be expectant." He emphasized again, "If you want the power of the Kingdom, move beyond being astounded. Be expectant."

And so while I am still in awe of all of His creation, it serves to remind me that He can do everything, and I can expect Him to work in my life far beyond my imagination.

Giving the Gift of Praise

On some days, I am so filled with joy and thanksgiving that I want to sing, write poems, and do anything and everything that I can to praise God. On one of those days, I thought about praising God, and I realized that any ability I have to praise comes directly from the God I'm praising. And this idea began a conversation with the Lord. Here is what I learned.

Everything good within us comes from God. There is no beginning and no end; there is no separation. While I wanted to give Him a gift from me, I had to wonder if it was really a gift if it came from Him in the first place.

The answer to that was that "He desires back what He has given to you, for that glorifies Him."

The expression is ours, but the Source is God. Simply stated, praise flows from Him to us, and then back to Him for His glory. So praise is yet another gift from Him. Our part is to: "Accept it. Expect it. Embrace it." And we should expect it every single day, and, of course, to give it back to Him every single day.

Alway Enough Time

If you're like most people, there never seems to be enough time to do what needs to be done, much less enough time to do what you want to do. If there is a common answer to most questions that come our way, it most often is, "I don't have time."

Not long ago, I was given a writing deadline that astounded even me. In recent years, I've worked on short book deadlines as a matter of course, but when I saw the deadline for a new project, I thought that it was a typo. I quickly learned that it wasn't a typo. I protested and resisted without success. Then I prayed. The Lord assured me that there was time. Because I know that He knows, I put away my resistance, and I got to work. To my astonishment, there was time. Maybe not all the time I wanted to polish the project, but there was, indeed, just enough time.

Just as there is God's "perfect enough," there is also God's "time enough." For God, there is only the infinite, divine Now. His yesterday is His today, and His tomorrow is His today. Time was made for man, and the Lord is not bound by it. So when He gives us work to do, there is also time enough to do it. No rush—but time enough. We are in the unique position of walking simultaneously on earth and in His Kingdom, so we, too, are on divine time.

When we stay focused on Him, there it time enough to do all that He would have us do.

More Insights from Prayer

One of the beautiful things about walking with the Lord is His way of teaching me every day just exactly what I need to know. Sometimes I have the urge to understand everything about a problem, concern, or even an area of interest that is on my mind. But the Lord reminds me that He shows me the way as I need to be shown.

I know myself well enough to also know that even if He showed me everything at once, I would likely not remember it all. But when I’m shown what I need to know as it relates to my situation, then I remember it well. His way is always perfect.

And here are some recent insights from prayer time that I hope will be helpful and encouraging to you.

• It’s important to walk strong in His victory—the victory won on the cross and with His resurrection. The Kingdom needs those who are strong—those who can walk strong in His victory.
• Being “in the will of the Lord” means doing every day what He gives us to do. Very often, my daily work seems unrelated to Kingdom goals. But the Lord reminds me that I may not know how my work serves Him, but He knows, and that is enough.
• “Our creativity works together—what I’ve instilled in you, and what I inspire you with. That is how the gift works.”
• “Stay where I have placed you. Do not be anxious about other things, or you will miss what I have for you here.”
• Do not crowd out your creativity with too many thoughts. Give it space and time. Let it breathe.
• You are in only one place at a time. Be there completely and fully.
• You forgive the person, not the act.
• “In all things, I am able.” Amen.