Tag: Mentoring

Prayer Mentoring: Facebook

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facebook_iconFor God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. ~Phil. 1:8-11

The super cool thing about facebook and twitter and Google+ (for the 2 people out there that use it) is prayer. Not in terms of seeing prayer requests but in terms of remembering.

Tip #1 pray through your friends
Use you “friends” list as a prayer list. Pray for you you can and pick up where you left off. Imagine what Paul’s prayer life would be like had facebook been around then? If you haven’t connect with someone in awhile or you know that they’re going through a hard time send them a private message that you’re praying for them.

Tip #2 don’t gossip
Facebook is another avenue for gossip and being a busy body. Don’t gossip. Instead, treating facebook as a reminder to pray for people you know in some way keeps a vertical perspective on our horizontal relationships.

Tip #3 pray right away
If a person puts a prayer request done pray right away and then say prayed. Often we say we’ll pray and then forget to. Pray right away. As others post it’ll remind you to pray again if God leads you too. Don’t wait. Just pray.

Tip#4 facebook isn’t real, face to face is
Nothing can replace REAL human contact. Sometimes rather than post a message, pick up the phone, talk and set a time to meet face to face. Facebook isn’t a replacement for community and praying in person. A helpful tool, yes, but not a replacement.

Remember God
A weird thing about facebook is it gives a small glimpse into the life of God. Imagine being bombarded with everything! Remember God is judge and you’re not. Said another way: God is God and you’re not. That said, if all the joys, annoyances, etc blow you mind sometimes, it’s nothing compared to what God goes through. And, he still hears and cares for us.

Prayer Mentoring: Jesus

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IMG_3319Jesus
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ~John 15:5-7

Jesus is key to our prayer life. Our identity, our power and our effectiveness is Jesus. Often if our prayers seem to hit the ceiling if we feel overwhelmed or if we think we’re bigger than we are, it is time to go back to basics: Jesus.

In Christ
The greatest weapon we have in the spiritual warfare of life is Jesus. Too often we think it is about us. It isn’t. It never is. When we remember who we are in Christ, ministry is tremendous, prayers powerful and God moves. Why? God acts to glorify his name.

Jesus is present
When Jesus gave the church it’s mission to make disciples of him, he promised his presence. Jesus didn’t die and raise again and then that’s it. Jesus is still involved in leading and building his church. Jesus is the boss and CEO of the church. Elders, deacons, trustees, etc work for Jesus. He rescued us and enables us to serve.

The word
Sam Wolfe in his book “Building the House of Prayer” states this: Christ in us – Presence. His word in us- Power. Jesus said If my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. Living out the Word of God is key to an effective prayer life. It means being so in tune with God’s wishes that it’s a no brainer for him to act on our request.

Jesus saves, Jesus sends
Getting our focus back on Jesus isn’t just about Jesus saving us; It’s about Jesus sending us! God sent the son to reach us. Jesus sends us to reach others that belong to him. You cannot separate the mission from the savior. If our hearts are not about the mission, we’re not letting the words of Christ abide in us. Jesus saves us and then he sends us to proclaim what saved us.

In Jesus’ name
We close our prayers in Jesus name because Jesus is our great high priest who went and goes before the father on our behalf. Our fruit, success, power, effectiveness is in Jesus and the finished work on the cross. Because of Jesus we have a relationship with God, access to God and are able to effectively serve God. Abiding in Jesus is central to a great prayer life.

Prayer Mentoring: Reach

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…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. ~Ephesians 6:18-20 ESV

Pray
The key to a successful prayer life is to pray. Paul instructs us to pray at all times. This means we need to be in continual contact with God. Communication is important to any relationship. Paul gives this instruction in the context of spiritual warfare

In the spirit
The Holy Spirit is critical. Paul states in Galatians and Romans how those in Christ are lead by the Spirit. This is also a reflection of the filling of the Spirit within us. There is a real and mysterious interplay between the Spirit and ourselves when it comes to prayer.

Ask and ask a lot
Prayer means to ask, supplication means to beg. It’s the idea of a child jumping up and down asking for something. Paul tells us we need to go before God and plead our case.

 Be alert
The Bible frequently discusses the need to be alert. Christians must be aware of those around them. Specifically, Christians should be aware of the ministry of their church family. We have a responsibility to uphold one another’s ministry in prayer.

The Gospel
The point is the Gospel. Our care and prayer for one another is the foundation and platform to share the Gospel. Caring and praying for one another isn’t the point, it’s the platform. The point is to engage and engage boldly with a lost and dying world.

The First Step
The first step to REACH people is to be praying and have others praying for you! There is a spiritual battle going on. Prayer is key and it’s the platform to point people to Jesus.

Prayer Mentoring: The unexpected

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This is a guest post. Lee Wise ran the internship program and taught evangelism at BBS when I attended there.

A Prayer For Today…

Joy In The Unexpected

“Lord, I thank you for the honor of knowing Someone who blesses me in so many ways, in so many unexpected places, during so many unexpected times in my life.    And today, Father, should I not so naturally discover ‘a joy piece’ within, I ask that You in your faithfulness would turn my heart your way to see You as I should. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!”

Joy In The Unexpected — An Inspirational Quote

Joy

Enjoying God in the most unexpected places
during the most unexpected times
©Lee Wise

Joy In The Unexpected – Reflections 

Sometimes it just happens:

In the most unexpected ways,
At entirely unexpected moments,
We take joy in the moment…

And acknowledge within the amazing part God has played in the process.

We realize more of his working,
Appreciate his graciousness to us,
And rejoice when we do.

The “size” doesn’t matter.  It’s not the size: it’s the fact.  The fact that it does happen and we recognize the reality of the Lord in one more unique way.

A Prayer For The Day…

 Reflecting On Scripture

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Psalm 27:7)**

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**Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com.

The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute this inspirational note. The copyright and this resource box must be included.

My Believer’s Guide To Achieving Success On Purpose — a highly personalized tool for dynamic growth in Christ.  Begin your  journey here: http://mybelieversguide.com

Prayer Mentoring: Your role in church

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Praying through your ministry at a church is an important aspect of prayer. I read this poem my senior year in college and it always stood out in how I pray over my service at a church. Use it in your own prayer life as you fulfill your ministry.

“This is my church…”
It is composed of people just like me.
It will be friendly if I am.
It will do a great work if I work.
It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous.
It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them.
Its seats will be filled if I fill them.
It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service.
If I who make it what it is, am filled with these.
Therefore, with God’s help,
I dedicate myself to the task of being all these things
I want my church to be.

Prayer Mentoring: God in your day

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The Bottom line:
We need God in our day, not God as a part of our day. Here’s the difference. Paul tells the Thessalonian believers to rejoice, pray without ceasing, and to give thanks- all a part of God’s will.

Rejoice!
A spirit of worship keeps our focus on God. A heart of worship is critical to being in God’s will. In your prayers, how are you worshiping God?

Pray without ceasing
Prayer is life long conversation with God. Some prayers are long, some are like texting, others a quick phone call. The idea here is we consistently talk to God throughout our day. After all, God is with us. How often do you pray?

Give thanks
Thanking God is trusting God. When we thank God in all things it does two things: 1) it focuses us in on God 2) it shows we trust in God’s plan for our life. How are you thanking God?

God’s Will
God wants to grow us and bless us. By fulfilling these three things we’re saying that we trust God to accomplish His will in our life. Don’t fall in the tyranny of God’s blessing where we think if we make the slightest mistake God won’t bless us. That’s not Gospel. Jesus died for all sins. All challenges we face are to conform and sharpen us more and more into the image of Jesus.

One more time:
Rejoicing, praying and thanking are three critical things to our prayer life. Doing these three things puts God in our day and not just a part of it.

Prayer Mentoring: Big picture

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In the past few weeks we’ve look at what prayer means, how to pray, our country, attitude, motivation… In learning to pray we must never forget what is critical to the process… We need to pray.

So, right now, stop what you’re doing, and just talk to God.

In learning about something we can easily get lost in the details. Prayer is talking to God. Like any relationship, consistent and constant communication is important. Talk to God. He loves hearing from you!

Prayer Mentoring: Motive

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The glory of God should motivate us to pray and how to pray. To glorify is to reveal one’s self for who they are. God wants to be made known and for people to understand who He is. Prayer is central to that.

Our work
Whatever we do should be for God’s glory while also giving thanks (Col. 3:17). Life is a stewardship of the resources God gave us. Our job, ministry, family, life are all areas of stewardship. The question is who are we working for? If we’re in Christ, then all we do is for Christ. How we work demonstrates our faith in Christ.

Our ministry
Paul prayed for the Philippian believers that their love would grow… to the glory of God (Phil 1:9-11). Again, our actions show our faith in God. Paul also reveals to us that this is a process. It’s not a check list, ok, got it done. Our ministry motive of the glory of God should propel us to grow in our love and service. Prayer helps keep this in mind.

Our aim
Paul prayers similarly for the Thessalonians (2 Thes. 1:11-12). When we look at our work or we look at our ministry, all of our lives should be centered on revealing who God is. Our conduct and actions show the goodness of God. If we don’t have this motive in mind, our life and ministry will be off, and so will our prayers.

The Bottom line:
God’s glory should be a motivating force behind our prayer life. Glorification revolves around revealing who God is. A life motivated for the glory of God and prayers for the same produce profound results in eternity. The question comes down to this: who are we living for?

Prayer Mentoring: Asking…

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The words for prayer in the Bible mean to ask. In studying prayer I found this shocking. Often people feel guilty about just asking God for things and not just talking to him. Asking is part of being a child of God. My sons often ask me things. In fact, that’s a majority of our conversations. Why? So glad you asked…

Words for prayer in the Bible
Hebrew– Palal (Genesis 20:7; Deuteronomy 9:20; Psalm 5:2; 1 Samuel 1:26)
Greek– aiteo (Mark 11:24; James 1:16)
Main meaning: To ask on behalf of another, intercede.
Related meaning: To ask or to demand.
This is the most common word for payer used in the Old Testament.

Hebrew– sha’al (1 Samuel 23:2; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; Psalm 27:4; Psalm 122:6)
Greek– deomai (Luke 22:32; Romans 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 3:10)
Main meaning: To ask for guidance, inquire.
Related meaning: To ask.
This word is used when the one praying is in great need.

Hebrew– paga’ (Jeremiah 7:16; 27:18; Job 21:15)
Main meaning: To ask for grace.
This word is a highly emotional term in which one beseeches God.

Greek– proseuchomai (Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 1:9; 1 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 13:18)
Main meaning: To pray, ask, beseech.
This word is the most common term for prayer in the New Testament.

The bottom line:
Though our talking to God should involve man different activities, like worship, thanksgiving and confession; prayer seems focused on one activity: asking. Next week we’ll look at the basics of prayer. I’m very grateful for the work Pastor Matthew invested in teaching men how to prayer. Much of these blogs comes from notes passed down from him.

Assignments:
Pray.
Find a tool that works for you to record what you asked God for. Include three things: date, request, and how God answered.
If you have not already, seek out a prayer partner to work through this journey with.

Prayer Mentoring: Just talking to God

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A few different and disconnected things in life pointed to the issue of prayer. Prayer eludes us often. We love it, it’s hard work, and often we don’t always understand it. Even the disciples- those traveling regularly with Jesus- struggled with the issue of prayer and asked “Lord, teach us to pray.” Given these things I want to write about prayer and it’s role in our relationship with God.

Prayer mentoring
Prayer is something that is caught not just taught. I would not classify myself as a master of the subject. I frankly don’t think I’ve had enough life experience to say I’m great in this area. In the prayer mentoring posts I want to echo mentors of mine who have taught me to pray, as well as share things in my journey with prayer. Blogging & writing isn’t the best way to learn how to pray. So, if you’re following this, seek out a partner to walk through this with.

Just talk to God
Just pray. Don’t try to be poetic or anything, but just start praying. A mentor of mine in college and seminary said this: “If something is truly worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.” The meaning of this proverb is this: You just need to start. You can always improve. Don’t let “am I praying wrong?” stop you from something that is important. Actually, something that is vital. Talk to God like He’s right there in the room with you… because He is!

Just ask
Matthew records Jesus saying this: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you… If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” We have not because we ask not, so just ask. That’s what prayer means, to ask. Here is a thing you can ask God for right now: God, help me learn how to talk you.

The bottom line:
Prayer is vital to our relationship with God. Prayer is also something that is caught not just taught. There are two key things to prayer: talking to God, and asking. In future posts we’ll focus on a different aspect to prayer. Most likely these posts will be on Tuesday. Ok, here’s your assignments for this week…

Assignments:
Pray.
Seek a prayer partner to work through learning how to pray together.
Ask God to help you learn how to pray.