Bonhoeffer’s prayer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906 – April 9, 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, a participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism and a founding member of the Confessing Church. He was involved in plans by members of the Abwehr (the German Military Intelligence Office) to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

He was arrested in April 1943 by the Gestapo and executed by hanging in April 1945, 23 days before the Nazis’ surrender. His view of Christianity’s role in the secular world has become very influential.

Bonhoeffer wrote the prayer below while incarcerated in a Nazi prison, uncertain of what his future would hold.

MORNING PRAYER
O God, early in the morning I cry to you. Help me to pray And to concentrate my thoughts on you: I cannot do this alone. In me there is darkness, but with you there is light; I am lonely, but you do not leave me; I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help; I am restless, but with you there is peace. In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience; I do not understand your ways, but you know the way for me… Restore me to liberty, and enable me to live now, that I may answer before you and before me. Lord, whatever this day may bring, Your name be praised.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

It’s a new day and most of us are likely enjoying freedom outside the walls of a prison. We may be facing a variety of events and issues; some big and some small; some tough and some easy. But few of us are facing execution.

In the midst of his darkness, Bonhoeffer asked God for the liberty and strength to live in such a way that he could one day stand before God unashamed.

When we pray today, what will we ask of God?

***
© Richard Alvey and iLife Journey, 2012. All rights reserved.

What would happen?

You and I live in a culture where we gather in stadiums and around televisions for hours at a time to watch guys run around a field with a pigskin ball in their hands as they try to cross a white line.

We express enthusiasm, emotion, and affection for football and other sports, and it begs the question, what would happen in our culture if the church prayed with such passion? What would happen if Jesus dominated our affections more than the superficial trivialities that garner our attention? What would happen if we spent hours before God praying on behalf of the church, the lost, and the poor around the world?

Of course, your Radical Experiment does not have to start in a stadium. It can start in your living room or prayer closet. Anyplace can be the place you begin to connect the practice of prayer with the purpose of God in the world.
~ Excerpted from Radical by David Platt

He’s right you know. We spend a boatload of time and energy and resources on things that are only temporary.

One day we will all stand before our Maker. Imagine Him asking:

“How could you spend all that time on games and stuff that turned to dust when men, women and children all over the world were lost and needing to know me?”

I don’t offer that to make you feel guilty but as a gut-check. Are we paying attention to what matters most?

Beyond arenas and games, there are even good things that can distract us from the more important work of praying for those who don’t know Jesus.

I read the David Platt quote yesterday morning as I was gearing up for a big week of activities surrounding Easter. With three messages to prepare, three services to plan, and a fourth service to participate in I was already feeling some pressure.

These are good activities surrounding what is arguably one of the most important days for all followers of Jesus. I want to do a good job and that’s one of the reasons they hired me.

But even preparing for our church activities should take a back seat to praying for those all around the world who do not yet know the grace and truth of God made real and available through Jesus!

What would happen if we spent hours before God praying on behalf of the church, the lost, and the poor around the world?

***
© Richard Alvey and iLife Journey, 2012. All rights reserved.

Immeasurably More!

Have you seen the new commercial by a well-known do-it-yourself store when a couple rushes into a big house where the walls are covered with nothing but white paper?

They are both carrying markers and when they draw the outline of an object on the blank wall it immediately pops into reality. A new appliance, some pieces of hardware, a new window or door.

As a guy with a carpentry background who struggles to complete remodeling projects on our old farm-house in a timely fashion I would love one of those magic markers.

But the point of the commercial is that this particular do-it-yourself store can take whatever you imagine and make it real. How cool is that?! But I’ve got one better.

In his letter to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul prays for them to be rooted and established in love and able to fully grasp the width, length, height and depth of the love of Christ. Then he makes this amazing statement:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:20-21

Paul has own unique way with words. How do you calculate “immeasurably more”? Whatever it is, God can do it with whatever we ask or imagine.

Obviously, this is not a promise to satisfy our own wants and desires. And our ability to imagine tends to grow smaller as we age. But in keeping with God’s kingdom purposes, what can you imagine God accomplishing?

• Healing for a wreaked marriage?
• Boldness to share the hope of Christ with those who don’t know Him?
• Wisdom and grace for parents dealing with a rebellious child?
• Real peace for a heart troubled with worry?
• Freedom from addictions or sinful habits?
• Better choices made by a rebellious child?
• The hard-hearted person finally opening up to receive God’s gift of grace?
• Character and integrity in those who serve in our government?
• Courage to forgive those who have hurt us?
• A renewed love of God for those who claim Jesus as Lord?

God delights to bring all manner of new life and restored hope because He loves us more than we can begin to fathom. The question is…

… what is it that we ask God for or imagine Him doing?

***
© Richard Alvey and iLife Journey, 2012. All rights reserved.

I’m sick and tired of the hype about new Easter ideas!

I’m all for new thoughts and ideas. They usually help to stimulate my slow-moving and limited brain cells. So I subscribe to various ministry newsletters.

Most of the articles come from men and women seasoned with plenty of ministry experience. And most usually have some nugget of wisdom or insight to offer.

But I’m sick and tired of the hype of new Easter ideas! 

We are still weeks away from Easter but here is a list of the articles that have already come across my computer screen:

• 16 Tips for Better Easter Impact
• 6 Preaching and Teaching Tips for Easter
• 11 Keys to an Explosive Easter Service
• Easter Challenge to Pastors
• 40 Easter Outreach Ideas
• 4 Ways to Keep Easter Guests Coming Back
• 12 Ways to Make Sure Easter Guests Don’t Come Back (A creative way to express what we should avoid doing)
• 8 Vital Elements of an Easter Sermon
• Church Will Give Away $1000 on Easter

If you add all of these magical numbers together they equal: 1 nauseated pastor!

What do you suppose the disciples of Jesus were doing after His death but before that first Easter morning?

Mourning: They were grief-stricken over the death of Jesus. They felt lost.

Examining: How did this happen? Did we miss something? How did we get here?

Praying: “Dear God, do something!”

What if we approached Easter this same way? What if we used this season of Lent to really get ready for Easter?

Mourning: Are we grief-stricken that our sins and the sins of the world led Jesus to be crucified.

Examining: What am I doing with my life? What are my real priorities? Am I putting God first?

Praying: “Dear God, do something! And let it begin with me!”

The only way for the world to experience the effects of a risen Savior is for me to first experience the effects of a risen Savior!

“Lord, stir my heart and quicken my spirit. Draw me closer to You and awaken me to live in the reality of a risen Savior. Transform my head, my heart and my hands as I give myself to love broken people in a fallen world!”

***
© Richard Alvey and iLife Journey, 2012. All rights reserved.

Don’t forget this when you’re getting ready for church

Getting six kids ready for church definitely made for some interesting moments. Now that they’re older and the two oldest have moved out it’s much less eventful.

When folks would marvel at how our kids were always dressed and ready, they would occasionally ask how we did it. I just smiled and told them to ask Susan because I had little to do with it. Being a pastor I was usually heading out the door when everyone else was getting up or still getting ready.

We all have our own routines for getting ready but that’s not the part of the process I’m speaking about. The most vital part is praying before we even head out the door.

Pray for your church staff: Ask God to give them a clear vision for what He is trying to accomplish and a willingness to fully participate. But also be sure to pray for their family. It’s not easy to be the pastor’s spouse or kids. People tend to look at them differently and even keep them at arm’s length. They are real people and they need real relationships.

Pray for your church’s volunteers: Every church is sustained by all the selfless volunteers that teach and usher and greet and rock the babies and… You name it and they do it.

Pray for everyone who will gather: Every person there needs a special touch or word of encouragement. God knows exactly what we need to be drawn closer to Him and into a more active role within His kingdom agenda. Ask God to make every heart gathered open to His leading.

Pray for your church: Ask God to use your faith community to impact your local community with the love and grace and truth of Jesus. Ask God to burden your church’s heart with a passion to share the gospel with their neighbors.

Pray for the missionaries that your church supports: Not sure who they are? Find out! Not sure how to pray for them? Ask for God to lavish them with His grace to accomplish whatever it is He has for them to do.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” ~ Ephesians 6:18

 

 

How reading the Bible can destroy your soul

We can often use the Bible in ways that stifle spiritual life or even destroy the soul.

Really? Stifle spiritual growth and destroy the soul? That’s the observation made by Richard Foster in Life with God. He points out that the root problem has to do with two common objectives people have for studying the Bible.

The first issue is the practice of studying the Bible for information or knowledge alone. There is much that we can learn from the Bible and learning is a vital part of growing. But knowledge alone tends to make us arrogant.

The second issue is that people often study the Bible to find some formula that will solve the pressing need of the moment. When we go looking for simple formulas we greatly increase the risk of taking Scripture out of context and this can lead to some unhealthy conclusions.

The real danger in these two common ways of approaching the Bible is that they leave us or someone else in charge. They are, in fact, ways of trying to control what comes out of the Bible rather than submitting to the process of transformation that Scripture can accomplish in us. When we approach the Bible from the perspective of whole-life discipleship to Jesus, amazing changes can take place in us.

So how do we approach Scripture in a way that promotes real life change?

READ with an open, focused mind and a surrendered heart. Ask God to help you understand the context (big picture) of what you’re reading and the author’s original intentions.

REFLECT on what you’re reading. Pause to reread portions of it and let it soak in. If something really speaks to your heart highlight it or make a note. If something raises a question jot it down to explore later.

RESPOND to what you’ve read. Is there an action to take or an attitude to adjust? Is there a sin to confess or a praise to offer God? Prayerfully invite the Holy Spirit to continue speaking to you from what you’ve read.

Use a small notebook to record your daily reading, reflecting and responding. This is a great way to review your journey with God through Scripture and can be an encouragement when times get tough.

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If you’re sharing our journey through The Story then read chapter one in it and The Heart of the Story. If you’re just hearing about The Story and want to know more click on the page tab above.

Start with “thank you”

It’s common practice to teach your kids to say ‘please’ and then ‘thank you’ when they have requests. But with God, things are a little bit different. God has already lavished on us more than we could ever fully comprehend.

• New life. ~ John 10:10
• Freedom from condemnation. ~ Romans 8:1
• The Holy Spirit to dwell in us. ~ John 14:15-17
• Transformation to become like Jesus. – 2 Corinthians 3:18
• The promise of eternity with Him. ~ Revelation 21:1-7

So instead of approaching God with a “please”, let’s begin with a “thank you!”

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. ~ Psalm 100:4-5

With God, ‘thank you’ should always come before ‘please.’ The first thing out of my mouth in prayer and worship needs to be praise for who God is and what He has done.

As Steven Furtick puts it: “If you thank God for everything before you ask Him for anything, it makes you realize you deserve nothing.”

Look again at the model prayer in Matthew 6. Jesus teaches us to first address God and then offer up our request. This serves to remind us that life does NOT revolve around us but around God.

It’s impossible to be self-absorbed and God-conscious at the same time.

So whether its gathering with other believers in larger worship services or fellowshipping with God on your own…

***

Stay alert!

Last night a new season of Biggest Loser got under way. It’s inspiring to watch people who are slaves to unhealthy habits begin to get their lives back; to regain a sense of freedom.

Being the first show of the season there were plenty of breakaway segments delving into the contestants’ backgrounds. The list of reasons or circumstances that lead to folks getting so out of shape and unhealthy is enormous. And most have struggled with it their entire lives.

But last night I noticed something. For the last few seasons, the ones I can remember, there have been one or two people who were at one time very healthy and very much in shape. The story that jumped out at me last night was Kim’s.

Being active came easily as a child for Kim Nielsen; she played basketball and softball, and in high school, she was the MVP and an all-state athlete for both sports. She went on to compete as a professional wrestler and model for Natural Muscle magazine. At her peak, she had just 10% body fat!

Now a single mother of three at age 38, Kim weighs 252 pounds and says she is tired of hiding from fans, friends and family because of the way she looks. She wants to be around as long as possible for her children and have the energy to keep up with them.

Life threw Kim some curves and now she’s stuck inside a body big enough for two people. What’s my point?

Stay alert!

It doesn’t matter how well we’ve done in the past, as followers of Jesus we still have an enemy who is out to destroy us.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ~ 1 Peter 5:8

Stay focused! Don’t drop your guard! Don’t be complacent but keep pursuing Jesus hard every day! In his letter to the believers at Ephesus Paul wrote:

 Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. ~ Ephesians 6:18

One of the best ways to stay on track in our journey with God is by praying for other’s who are sharing the journey. I’ve prayed for everyone who will read this blog, God knows who you are.

Who will you pray for today?

***

Where did Jesus learn that?

It’s one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. In fact, Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell of it.

Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane praying. He is about to be arrested and led off to be crucified. Knowing what is to come He is agonizing over it.

We don’t know exactly how long He spends in prayer but we do know that the breakthrough moment comes when Jesus prays…

 Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. ~ Luke 22:42

Jesus’ prayer is heralded as the supreme example of surrendering to the Fathers’ will; of giving ourselves to serve His purposes. But where did He learn that?

Jesus could have learned it from Holy Scripture (Old Testament) or from discussing kingdom issues with the rabbi’s like he did when he was 12. It’s also possible that He learned it from the Holy Spirit who came to dwell on Him after His baptism in the Jordan River.

Those are all viable options but I think Jesus learned it a little closer to home.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” ~ Luke 1:38

Without fully understanding all that would come with it, Mary responds to an angel’s announcement by surrendering herself to God’s purposes in her life. Given the difficult circumstances of raising the son of God it’s likely that Mary whispered that same prayer of surrender nearly every day.

The prayer that Mary prayed when Jesus’ life began is the prayer that her Son prays when His life is about to end!

It’s still a dangerous prayer to offer God, but the only way to be fully embraced in His bigger story!

Do you have the faith to pray this prayer and trust God with where it will lead?

***

Remembering those without freedom!

November 13 – International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

In the traditional church calendar, “All Saints Day” and “All Souls Day” stand out in the month of November, set apart to remember the saints of the church and the souls of those who departed this world. It is fitting, then, that the modern church has set apart the month of November to remember and pray for the persecuted church, through the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP).

There are many countries in the world today where Christians are martyred for their faith. Believers in Afghanistan are facing death threats; Christians in Uzbekistan, Nigeria and many other countries all around the world face violence, imprisonment and even death.  There are other places in the world such as North Korea where acts of persecution take place, but we don’t see or hear of it. Brother Andrew of Open Doors once said, “Our heroes are not with us simply because they are in prison.”

IDOP is a time set apart for us to remember thousands of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who suffer persecution, simply because they confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

Please pause for a few minutes right now to pray for their protection. Ask God to bring this issue to your mind throughout the coming month and when He does, pray again! To find out more or get involved click here.