Prayer 2.0: Intercessory Prayer

I have been thinking about prayer lately, especially after reading Richard. J. Fosters book "Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home". I believe out of all the books I have read on prayer, his books says a lot that is in connection with my own heart and also brought up many points I had not thought about before in my meanderings concerning prayer.

I think prayer, like anything else in our frail human existence, is prone to sin, prone to deception, and is prone to our own selfish ways. Ironically, because prayer is such a spiritual matter, rarely does anyone question the manner in which they pray. How can the communication between me and my creators become corrupted, how can it become prideful and selfish? I think we live in a "me, I, deserve" generation. We have our fast lines, our drive-through, our ordering online... we have our texting and instance messaging. Everything we do is quick and easy as technology has helped jump us forward, sadly only to confuse us by making us busier or injecting boredom into our lives as we wait and no longer know how to exist in a state if we are not constantly in motion. Prayer helps us learn patience, not just the patience to wait on God but also the patience to quiet down our lives enough to listen to God, if we even find enough time in our life to pray to God.

However, even in our prayer life we have become disillusioned at how selfish and prideful we are in our life. When we come to God, we come into his presence to thank him for the day, to thank him for what he has done in our life, and to petition him toward the future. Notice a trend going on? Everything we tend to pray for is about ourselves. Very little of what and how we pray involves praying for others. In my own prayer life I try to balance this by praying for others before myself, something that not that easy to do when you are going through a tough time and want instant answers, as most of us do.

Lately I have been thinking about Intercessory Prayer a lot more because it is praying on behalf of others, yet there is something more intimate about this type of praying then merely saying a name on a list and sharing a phrase-problem with God. Intercessory Prayer is deeper than that, it is praying to God for a friend or family member, someone you have an intimate connection with, you pray in your suffering and into their own suffering over their life and situation. In this type of prayer you are bringing another soul, wounded Christian or suffering human, before God. It is as if you are picking them up, holding that person suffering in your arms, and walking them before the throne of Christ Jesus.

Of course, in many of our churches we pray for others, but I think it lacks the depth because we pray for others we are not connected with. Rarely in churches and small groups do we pray for those who are in the room and close to us, but we pray for the friends or relatives of those in the room, meaning we rarely find that wonderful intimacy between ourselves and our other brothers and sisters in Christ. Usually, I believe we do not pray in this manner because we are afraid to open up and someone might use our weaknesses and concerns against us. Many times we also do not get enough information; we get only a phrase and do not get the full extent of how they know this person and why this request concerns them so deeply. Personally, I enjoy long prayer request from others longer than a phrase or sentence... more information helps me to plead before Christ and try to put myself in their place of suffering. Still, do not think that I am immune to praying only for myself (Sadly, when I do actually pray). I am like everyone else who feels my own concerns first and must push past my own life into the lives of others. I think this is the only way we ever feel the compassion of Christ toward others who need to see his love and goodness, while at the same time gain wisdom and boldness in helping our own brothers and sisters stay strong and persevere in the faith.

In the end, I feel the need for myself, and all Christians, to be more mindful of others who are suffering in some way, who are feeling lost, alone, confused... Who need jobs and clarity, who have family members who are ill, who need help in clarifying their calling, and those who need help paying their bills. We live in a selfish world and the least we can do is not let that selfishness infect our communication between us and God.

~ Daniel

Other Links:
http://www.allaboutprayer.org/intercessory-prayer.htm
http://www.gotquestions.org/intercessory-prayer.html
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0404.htm

Dream Big!

 If there is one thing I would tell anyone who is younger, who is struggling through their teen angst or college or the aftermath of higher education and trying to pass that transition into the full-time job... it would be to dream big, but also not to give up on your dreams. Or better yet, don’t give up on the calling that God has placed in and on your life. I had friend in the past called to be a doctor; they had the gift but settled for nursing. I had another friend who was called to missions but settled for being a bilingual secretary in a business. These are not bad things, but if these friends sacrificed their calling because of fear then they have a long road ahead of them. I feel like once you give up on one dream, on one thing, and leave it behind; it starts a snowball affect and your life begins to go downhill unless you are able to go back, figure out what you want and go for that once again.

Sure life changes us and sometimes we must change because of circumstances; however, this is not giving up on our dreams if we still hold them dear and close. I dream of being a husband, a father, and a minister someday. Sure I have been a part-time minster but I mean full-time, at least in some job where I am helping people. I also dream of being a published writer, at least articles if not book(s) someday. I would also like to lead more worship... And I know I am not that great and the guitar but I can sing and I dream of being more involved at some point in the future using that gift as well.

I have actually had people in the past tell me because of my more introverted personality that youth ministry or ministry in general might not be for me. It was kind of downer but I really did not care in the end because if God has called me then it doesn’t matter what people say. Sure it matters if they are trying to help or guide you into your ministry niche where you can use your gifts; but so many people give up on their dreams way to quickly because of life or money or tragedy. And here is the thing: Dreams do not come easy, anything worth having takes time and effort and may be a very difficult road to travel. But the great thing about God is he promises never to give us something we cannot handle and even better is that God is right there with us through every difficulty. And in our weakest times God can and will be our strength, we can call on him.

Well, I guess that is really all I wanted to say... I originally intended on writing my note on prayer but this needed to come out first for some reason, so my note on prayer will come shortly. But just do not give up and also do not ever be afraid to ask for prayer. We are not this alone! You cannot be a lone ranger Christian and we were not meant to be! Never be afraid to ask for prayer or advice or guidance from friends or family, always take it as a grain of salt, and in the end put all your longings at the foot of the cross and from there your dreams will likely come into focus and you may find clarity that you did not have before. From this clarity God may grant you a vision, small or large, of where he is leading you to go next, but don’t expect it to be easy, having faith and trusting God never is easy but it is the only way we will ever grow.

In Christ,
~ Daniel

Flaw of Online Communication

This is something that has been bothering me for a while now, increasingly as I see it cause conflict in my own life. Here I am in the online universe, I am on Facebook and have about 300 friends but how many of them, how many of you all do I truly know? In all reality I would probably have closer to 400-500 friends if I didn’t go though and delete people I never talked to or only met once, those random people who add you but then never speak to you or reply to your messages. I may be more introverted than extroverted, so communicating online does help to some extent because it gives me time to think about my words, to choose them carefully, though I try not to obsess over what I say or write. If I do, I normally do not post it or come back to it later. So what is this flaw? What is this huge negative thing about communicating online with things like e-mail, Facebook, twitter, and the like?

Face-to-face contact... Yes, actually speaking and communicating to people to their face. First the problem came with cell phone, then the ability to text, and now it’s the new smart phones - no one is ever paying attention to anyone else. All our free space in our time is not spent pondering what we will do later or taking time to observe and notice others, maybe strike up a random conversation with a stranger. No, instead it is spent pulling out our phones to call or text someone, to check Facebook, or play games. Our associations with others have gone from real to digital, digital with a profile pic next to it; and instead of a living personality it is all texting and online messages. We are missing people and each other and in doing this we are beginning to miss and loose ourselves.

Yes, I admit I am a Facebook addict. Luckily it would cost me more to have a new phone and internet so my phone is simple and I do not have the ability to be an addict online while I am at work or away from my home computer, so that helps - but I am still online when I am at home. I see the status updates and news-feeds rolling by and I message people about how life is going and ask if they want to hang out. Sometimes I would just prefer to speak to people on the phone but would really enjoy actually to be in the presence of other people. We are all not connected but disconnected somehow. In some way we all know one another but truly know no one at all. If we don’t take this seriously now and set out space and time for real in-person relationships when will it stop? How will it be in 5 or 20 years when technology keeps growing and expanding?

The final problem with communicating online is that it also brings out our insecurities sometimes, usually by accident. Little status updates tell our personal thoughts, blogs/notes show our inner thoughts broadcasted to the world, and regular flaws in communication between personality types and the sexes in general are intensified. Online there is no tone, no inflection, no facial recognition or body language to express what the other person is saying. All we have are words, which studies show are only 7% of communication, so by communicating online we miss about 93% of what is being communicated (http://www.robertphipps.com/articles/body-language-facts-and-stat-s.html).

In the end what I am saying is this: Ponder calling someone, or even better, attempting to hang out with other people, real and in-person. Is that hard to imagine? Why? In addition, when you hang out turn your cell-hone off or on silent (NOT VIBRATE) and if you cant resist the urge to check it every three seconds then leave it in your car or go without it for one day. Instead of letting technology control you why you don’t you try controlling it. Learn some self-control, learn not to be rude to others in person by checking you phone every five seconds, and learn to value the quality of the time when you are with a group or someone one-on-one. Let’s bring back real friendships, intimate relationships, ones that exist face to face and not merely online... not merely chatting across the digital spectrum of cyberspace

Lets Live Life in Creation again
And Live Life in the Digital a little less

~ Daniel
Additional Articles/info:
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7898510.stm
http://media.www.tcudailyskiff.com/media/storage/paper792/news/2009/10/02/News/Text-Messaging.Could.Hurt.Ability.To.Read.Nonverbal.Cues-3790853.shtml
http://www.alternet.org/media/95629?page=entire
http://www.healthadel.com/internet-addiction-in-teens-with-psychosocial-disorders/

Thank You Friend

Hello Friend,

Every so often I sit am amazed at my life, those people in it who help me through the tough and rough times, as well as, laugh with me during the funny ones. This happened twice this past Sunday, once at Pioneer in Sunday School, Worship, and the new Members lunch and then again that night at a small group I am apart of at First Baptist Church. Sometimes I feel down but am happy to know I have people who support and encourage me here in Abilene, both spiritually and emotionally. I have good friends and most of them are not fickle, even if we are not best friends, I feel they see a part of me - one seeking Christ.

Sometimes though, I try not to be overly spiritual (or come across that way at least). As a called-minister or older-christian I never want to think or even act like I have all the answers. Last night at the small group we were talking about gifts and while I know I do have the spiritual gift of pastor/shepherd it is something I haven't really got to develop a lot, not in the ways I would have liked thus far. I have more developed myself through teaching, discernment, encouragement along with trying to work on my abilities in music. However, writing is something that has become a passion of mine, something that has developed since middle school, which was also the exact time I began to feel a call to ministry. Apparently, from what I have read in Adam McHugh's book "Introverts in the Church", people who are more introverted express their thoughts better through writing and also normally have a sort of spiritual journal, something else I have been doing either on paper or online since my freshmen year in college sometime in 2001-2002. I actually have about seven full notebooks now... Somehow my blogs/notes have crossed between something of my everyday experiences and those spiritual journal entries I would write. Sometimes I am not sure if I am too personal or too open, other times not open enough. Especially when it comes to your personal experiences with sin, specifically secret sins, it is difficult to express the agony and anguish one deals with when they try to follow Christ and lay behind the gossip, slander, malice, lust, anger, bitterness, pride, envy, jealousy, their past... and all the other little and big things that keep us from God and hinder our growth.

I guess I write this to say thank you to all my friends who are there for me, who see me in a way that not many people see others anymore today. You don't just see me online or through a text or just through a phone call but as a brother in Christ, as a fellow Christ-follower. And even if I don't say it often I am truly thankful and want you to know that I pray for every one of you... maybe not every day but I am mindful of you and pray for your growth and that you find your gifts and use them for God's glory, finding a niche, a ministry, some outlet to let the light of Christ shine through you.

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. -Hebrews 12:1

Your Brother in Christ,
Daniel