Category: Prayer - IRONSTRIKES

Thy will be done

1/24/2018

"Now, the whole thought in prayer is to get the will of God like that done in our lives and upon this old earth. The greatest prayer any one can offer is,

"Thy will be done." It will be offered
in a thousand different forms, with a thousand details, as needs arise daily.

But every true prayer comes under those four words. There is not a good desirable thing that you have thought of that He has not thought of first, and probably with an added touch not in your thought. Not to grit your teeth and lock your jaw and pray for grace to say, "Thy will be endured: it is bitter, but I must be resigned; that is a Christian grace; Thy will be endured." Not that please. Do not slander God like that.

There is a superficial idea among men that charges God with many misfortunes and ills for which He is not at all responsible. He is continually doing the very best that can be done under the circumstances [that He designed] for the best results. He has a bad mixture of stubborn warped human wills to deal with. With infinite patience and skills and diplomacy and success too, He is ever working at the tangled skein of human life, through the human will. (pg 202)"

-S.D. Gordon

To read more about prayer, go to the book, Quiet Talks on Prayer by S.D. Gordon

Why won't God answer my prayers?

6/12/2015

If my 9 year old studied Math and English the way he studies SpongeBob Squarepants, we would already be entertaining scholarship offers from Ivy League schools. So it was no surprise when we pulled into the CVS parking lot last Sunday that his eyes fixed immediately to the SpongeBob Movie promo plastered boldly on the RedBox machine just outside the front door.

Dad, dad, dad, dad, DAD, DAAAAAD!!!!! Can we rent it? Can we get it?

I’ve been waiting for this day!!! Come on dad, give me a dollar.

Seriously, dad, can I just have a dollar? We can watch it together tonight!

Dad, dad, DAAAAAD! Please dad!

As my hand reached reluctantly for some cash, I caught my daughter’s glance in the rear view mirror. Without saying a word, she was screaming at me with her eyes, “please don’t, dad….please don’t.”

You see, my son’s birthday is in less than two weeks, and his middle sister had already purchased the BlueRay of this cinematic masterpiece as his gift. It was sitting at home on her dresser, wrapped not only in festive paper and bows, but with all the love a big sis can muster for her annoying little brother. Letting him rent it now would ruin her heartfelt plans.

So I told him no.

And all Chum Bucket broke loose.

He begged. He pleaded. He negotiated. He called on the name of Great Neptune’s Ghost. He stood emphatically next to the RedBox machine. Stomped his feet. Asked his mom, his sister, and random people leaving the CVS for a couple of spare singles. He manipulated. He refused to get back in the car.

(If it’s not clear yet, he doesn’t easily take no for an answer – a characteristic I love about him, unless he’s using it on me).

“But why dad? It’s my favorite movie!”

“Because I’ve chosen not to let you right now.”

“But that’s not a good enough answer,” (yes, he said this). “I need to know why!”

“The answer is no, not today.”

“But daaaaaad, why not today? I want to watch it now!”

I glanced quietly over my shoulder at his sister, still wondering how all this would play out from the back seat.

“Listen, I know things you don’t know. And that’s going to have to be good enough for you right now. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

I was instantly shattered by my own words, and immediately recalled Tim Keller’s mind-blowing quote from his book on prayer:

“We can be sure our prayers are answered precisely in the way we would want them to be answered if we knew everything God knows.”

If Austin knew what I knew, my answer would’ve made complete sense to him (well, accounting for the fact that he’s still a 9 year old boy). But he didn’t have the whole picture. He couldn’t have the whole picture. Not yet. From his context, my hesitancy and delay was completely illogical. It’s summer break. We had no plans that evening. The movie was a perfect family activity that night, at least in the way his world was ordered.

But our world isn’t just about him. While I have his joy in mind, while I WANT to give him GOOD GIFTS, I know things he doesn’t know. And that means “no” is the best gift I can give him right now.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11

Is God saying NO to you? Remember, there’s a greater story being told, the characters, theme, setting, and plot of which you can’t completely comprehend or understand right now. But rest assured, He gives good gifts. Do you trust Him?

This post was written by Rev Erik Cooper. You can find his blog here: http://beyondtherisk.com/2015/06/09/why-wont-god-answer-my-prayers/

Praying while working

2/26/2015

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed

Reflecting on how to increase possibilities while reducing personal and spiritual challenges in my ministry in the marketplace, I often wonder if the man Jesus could have managed his earthly ministry responsibilities without the discipline of praying. In the figurative sense, some of his battles were not so far removed from my personal experiences in our highly dynamic yet pressurized, at times unpredictable and inhuman corporate playing fields.

I simply cannot imagine Jesus engaging in his earthly ministry without drawing the physical, spiritual, and emotional strength from prayer. Without Jesus’ reliance on the source of power found in prayer, I believe that his "human side" may have signed up for a “mission-impossible.”

Jesus’ resilience in his ministry guided me to study his recorded prayers in the Bible more closely. I wanted to find out what enabled Jesus to surrender completely to his Father’s will and mission that inevitably led him to the Cross. I limit my results to 3 characteristics that helped me improve my personal approach to prayer in order to fill it with more impact.

1. Jesus prayed with authority that gave his prayers unequalled power. As Christians we have the rare privilege that Jesus passed that authority to us. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can pray with the greatest self-confidence for the ministry God has called us into.

2. Jesus prayed for other believers.When I studied John 17 (v. 13-15), I made the interesting discovery that Jesus narrowed the circle of those he prayed for. First of all, he prayed for those God had given to him (v. 6,9). In a second step, Jesus lifted those people up who would believe in him through the message of the disciples (v. 20, 21). I believe that this approach adds quality to my prayers for new believers and their “spiritual survival” in the sometimes harsh realities of corporate life.

3. Jesus prayed in solitude and silence. Jesus preferred and recommended prayer in solitude: “But when you pray, go to your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” He often withdrew from the crowd to solitary places like the mountainside, sometimes even without the knowledge of his disciples. To have that exclusivity of solitude and silence, Jesus even chose a specific time of day: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

I discovered the benefits of his disciplined approach purposely seeking solitude and silence for prayer:

Solitude and silence help me to fully concentrate on God’s word.
Solitude and silence allow me to listen attentively to what God has to say.
Solitude and silence deepen the intensity and earnestness of my prayers.

I conclude that prayer has the same non-negotiable component for us as for Jesus Christ. There are many things we can easily do without in our daily routine, but we cannot and must not do without prayer!

But how do we incorporate prayer as a non-negotiable habit into each day before we venture out to be witnesses? Jesus’ prayer life suggests that this habit is in some measure connected with one’s personality and life-rhythm, one’s specific personal needs and ministry requirements. Therefore I would find it somewhat presumptuous to define a “ready-to-wear” solution for someone else. Yet I can at least share two important factors from my life that made it much easier to make prayer a non-negotiable part of my daily agenda: the issue of “time” and the aspect of “location.”

1. Time - I had to “make time for God” in my increasingly busy work schedule. To set aside that exclusive time slot for prayer and studying the Word of God, I eventually had to sacrifice some sleep. My best chances are the very early morning hours. I never regretted this step! I am convinced that the quality of my performance at work and serving our workplace small group “Christians@telekom” depend largely on my dedication to prayer and Bible study during those early morning hours.

2. Location - I designated a special corner in my living room for my private conversations with God. Others might find that needed solitude in their cozy kitchen or study, or they commune well with God in nature. Depending on one’s personality and ministry situation some might even fall into that exceptional category of people who hear God’s voice in the craziest humdrum. Well, I don’t! I need that biblical solitude and silence to pray, contemplate, and listen to God.

How do I manage ‘time” and “location” in light of my business travels? That usually requires some creativity. Two examples: The early hours in hotel rooms work by and large quite well. I have also discovered that our international airport in Frankfurt has two chapels that have become a little safe haven prior to an overseas’ trip. Seek out chapels in airports.

After recollecting my thoughts on the importance of prayer for the workplace, the four examples from Jesus’ prayer life, and my personal experiences, the question of whether a habit of praying based on Jesus’ model is really worth the effort may remain. I cannot ever answer that satisfactorily for other Christians. But in his book Life from the Up Side, J. Ellsworth Kalas says something that may encourage us to try following Jesus’ model: because Jesus "once said a very daring, almost outrageous thing about himself: ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.' That is, he was saying, ‘I am the plot. Without me, life is flat and thin, and dreadfully ‘realistic,’ but I give it purpose, meaning, and eternal value.”

Purpose, meaning, and eternal value come into our lives, when we truly celebrate this discipline of praying by making it our daily habit. That can be challenging and frustrating at times. More often than that praying is a glorious and joyful experience. We must remember: Jesus himself often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Jesus’ commitment to this intimate exchange with the Father serves as our model. His dedication to this spiritual discipline enabled Jesus to surrender completely to his Father’s will and mission. He received unequalled power, resilience, and authority to fulfill his earthly ministry that ended at the cross. There and then the door opened for us to embrace purpose, meaning, and eternal value, a life with a plot. So allow nothing in your earthly ministry to keep you from making prayer and contemplation your daily habit!

This post was written by Dr Baare. You can find the original post here: http://seedbed.com/feed/the-habit-of-prayer-in-the-workplace

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

8 Things to Pray for Related to ISIS, War, and Terrorism

2/23/2015

Pray for the families and communities of Christian martyrs.

“Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-5

Pray for the families of refugees displaced by the violence.

“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” Exodus 22:21

Pray for the wisdom of political leaders and their policies.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Pray for journalists who are reporting on the situation.

“Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.” Proverbs 25:13

Pray for Muslims around the world.

“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh…?” Jonah 4:11

Pray for the soldiers engaged in combat.

“For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” Romans 13:4

Pray for those committed to peacemaking and relief efforts.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

Pray for the lives and souls of terrorists.

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:44-45

This post was written by Andrew Dragos of Seedbed. You can find the original post here: http://seedbed.com/feed/8-things-to-pray-for-related-to-isis-war-and-terrorism/

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Sunday Meditation

9/21/2014

A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. Job 6:14

At some point during the recovery process we re-examine our most fundamental beliefs. A long process of sorting, examining and questioning takes place. And, in that process, our relationship with God is challenged. It is possible that our relationship with God will deepen and strengthen in the process. But it is also possible that we will find ourselves pulling away from God. We may find ourselves angry with God, or afraid of God, or unable to believe in God at all. This can be a frightening experience. It can feel like the very foundations of life are being shaken.

In times like this, we need many things. But at the top of the list is our need for friends who will accept us even if we turn away from God. We need friends who will not minimize our struggle or discount our feelings. We need people who will not be shocked when we are full of rage at God. We need friends who are able to hear the deep pain behind our words and who know that this, too, is part of our healing. We need people who can see beyond the immediate pain to the healing that can come.

Even when we forsake the fear of God, we need friends who understand, who are committed to us for the long haul, and who plead with God on our behalf.

Sometimes I feel agnostic, Lord,
I just don't know anymore.
Sometimes I want nothing to do with you.
Where were you when I needed you the most?
Sometimes I despair, Lord.
Sometimes I can't seem to hope.

I need friends who will not abandon me, Lord.
I need friends who will be patient and grace-full with my anger and fear.
I need friends who will stay with me as we wait for you to show yourself once again.
I need friends, Lord, who will give me courage to hope again in you.
Send help, Lord.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

Manly praying

9/17/2014

Have you ever noticed that Christians speak normally to one another, but when they speak to aloud to God they lapse into a strange language and tone? I call this “prayer-speak” and it’s epidemic in evangelical churches today.

Prayer-speak is especially prevalent among worship leaders.

Prayer speak silences men. Guys who might otherwise pray aloud are intimidated because they don’t know the “prayer code.”

A guy might be tempted to open his mouth and say, “God, I got a problem.” But he keeps quiet because his oration doesn’t sound holy enough.

The other problem with prayer-speak is that it makes our prayers sound rather wimpy. Here is a prayer I heard recently from a musician as he closed his first set:

Dear God, we need you. God, we just need your love. God, we just need your presence. Father be with us in this time of worship. Lord just send your spirit so that every heart is touched. Father, that no one would go home the same.

Lord, I just pray that we would run into your arms and seek safety there. Father nothing compares to your love for us.

Father God we just pray that we would honor you in all we do. Lord, give us boldness to proclaim your word to every nation. Father make us your witnesses unto the ends of the earth. We just pray that your Word would go out into the world and change lives.

Father we just ask all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Does this sound familiar? You probably heard something like it last Sunday.

I don’t really have a problem with what the prayer said. It’s how it was said.

Notice the prayer invoked the name of God twelve times – at the beginning of each sentence. This is just odd. Did Jesus instruct us to repeat God’s name over and over when we pray? When we speak to a flesh-and-blood person do we say their name each time we open our mouths? “Jeremy, thanks for having lunch with me. Jeremy, what will you be ordering? I’m thinking about the tilapia, Jeremy. Jeremy, can you pass the salt?”

And what’s with the frequent use of the word just? Placing a just before a verb softens it. It gives our prayers the sound of a beggar. Would you just give me a crust of bread, God? Lord, I’m just a miserable sinner, just begging you for some little thing.

We are God’s sons, not his slaves. John Wesley said, “Storm the Throne of Grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down.” We should enter his presence with appropriate confidence. The tone of our prayers should reflect our place as God’s beloved children. Jesus was bold and familiar with his Father; we should be too.

Let’s reimagine the prayer above:

Lord, in the next hour we’re going to set aside all our worries and burdens and ask you to take care of those. We want to focus on what’s really important, but we’re so easily distracted by things that don’t matter. Forgive us for that.

We’re a needy people. We are nothing without you and your Spirit. We get beat up by life all week long, and we need this time with you. Thanks for loving us.

And we know you have a mission for us. You called us to be your witnesses, but we’re scared. We shouldn’t be – but we are. Next time we have an opportunity to speak up for you, fill us with your power.

We really look forward to this time in your presence. Speak to us now. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Feel the difference between the two prayers? They say basically the same things, but the second prayer sounds confident. You feel it in you gut. It’s not repetitive, hesitant or sing-songy. It’s surprising in its candor. It’s not stuffed with the usual churchy phrases.

Guys, we need to start modeling boldness in prayer. The next time you have an opportunity to pray aloud in a group I challenge you to do three things:

Invoke the name of God once, at the beginning.
Don’t place the word “just” before the verbs.
Speak to God as if he’s a real person. Make your prayer as conversational and “normal” as possible.

When our prayers sound like real conversation with a real God, more men will join in.

This post was written by David Murrow. You can find the original post here: http://churchformen.com/discipling-men/how-to-pray-aloud-like-a-man/

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

2 pray or not to 2 pray

9/16/2014

God has given us instructions in His Word that prayer is something that every Christian needs to be doing.  Prayer is, simply put, the way we come to know God personally.  Earnest, honest prayer that is filled with praise, confession, thankfulness, and requests is what God desires. Prayer also needs to be filled with times of solitude, to be free from distractions, so one can hear from God.

1) Is there ever a time we should not pray? We had a couple of American friends visit us while we were living in Germany and we were out to eat, enjoying the local flammkuchen at a little eatery. My friend ordered water because he didn't want to spend the money on soda and as the waitress opened the bottle and was about to pour, she told him that the bottle was going to be 6 Euro. My friend, who didn't understand European customs, didn't remember that we had told him that water is not free in European restaurants.  He became upset and the waitress withdrew his order of water. Instead she offered soda which was only 2 Euro. He agreed to that. However, you could tell that the waitress was visibly upset. We apologized to her as best we could. When she brought the flammkuchen to the table, we were about to pray aloud when I said, "I don't think we should pray. I'm afraid that it would give this waitress a bad impression of Christians." Now don't get me wrong I think it IS appropriate to pray in public but God reminds us that prayer can become sin.  In this instance we all agreed that praying publicly wasn't God-honoring in this situation.

2) Is there ever a time we should not pray? I had a friend one time who had a severe debt and asked God to pay the debt for him. He told everyone the exact amount and prayed fervently (personally, I don't think it's wise to publicly state an exact amount of money). Within a week, God miraculously provided that money and more. The person again broadcast the exact amount that God provided. The reactions were predictable. "Wow!" "Prayer works." "God is so good." "Praise the Lord!" and so forth...

I wonder what his friends who have been praying that God would work a miracle in their lives thought when God did not seemingly answer their prayers. Maybe they were encouraged. Maybe it lifted their faith. Maybe it caused them to pray more.

or

Maybe it discouraged them. Maybe they were like, "Why does he always get the breaks? Why did God answer his prayers and not mine?" Maybe they told themselves, "I guess I have to pray harder."

I wonder what the reaction would have been if God had not provided the amount or the amount with extra to spare. "Is God still good?" "Does prayer still work?"

3) Finally, I believe that God can heal people. God may choose to heal miraculously or he may heal slowly or he may heal at the hands of doctors. Healing is a biblical concept.

My friend had fallen on an icy patch and went to see his physician who told him it would be 6-8 weeks before he would be pain free. He was having severe pain and muscle spasms. He believed he was going to lose his job because he could hardly move. As he told me, just two days later, you can tell his pain was real. He was almost in tears as he was describing what he was going thru. When he was talking, I heard clearly in my mind, "You need to pray for him." So when he finished I grabbed a couple more guys and we prayed for him on the spot.  I walked away thinking, "OK I did what God told me to do. I was obedient. But nothing's gonna happen."

The next morning, I felt prompted to pray for him again and I did during my devotions. Later that day, I texted him. Here's the convo:

Me: How did it go today?
Him: Pain free and awesome, thanks for asking :-)
Me: You're kidding! No pain? The MD said 6-8 weeks.
Him: No pain, no spasms, no discomfort, no kidding!
Me: Wow! So work was good?
Him: It was great!

I was floored. I told Karyn about his healing and I said, "this is scary. God answered our prayers for his healing." Karyn said, "why is that scary?" I said, "because I obeyed and God healed. What else does that mean God wants to do?"

Later that week, I talked to my friend in person. He said when he woke up the next day (the day after we prayed together) he got ready for work and had forgotten all about his pain until I texted him. He said that it was then that he realized that God had healed him.

When I heard of his healing, I had mixed emotions:

- I had doubt. "Did God really do that?"
- I had some fear. "What else will happen if I pray? Will God do it again?"

but also

- I became more encouraged to pray right away with people in need.

- I had my faith lifted.

There may be people who heard of my friend's healing who may have also asked themselves, "Why won't God heal me? I have asked God numerous times and nothing has changed." Maybe his healing caused them to feel discouraged.

Yet...

Who knows the mind of God?
Who can understand the ways He works?
Who can bring an accusation before God?

These are all definitively unanswerable in my mind.

Still, I will pray.
I continue to attempt to understand, trust and believe.
I try to rejoice with those who have their prayers answered.
I mourn with those who don't seemingly have their prayers answered.

Yet, even in my imperfection and weakness, I point to God. What we see can't be all there is...

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Let nothing hinder your prayers

9/15/2014

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Peter is very clear here.

As husbands we are to:

1. Be considerate as we live with our wife - Do you put up roadblocks to her happiness and to her success? Being considerate is thinking about how to make her life better and easier. Being considerate is acting upon those thoughts. Consideration is asking, "can I do something for you?" and "is there something you need done?" Consideration is trying to anticipate her needs and doing them before she asks.

2. Treat our wife with respect - Being respectful is treating her like she is the most important person in the world. Having the niceties that a gentleman displays: Saying please, thank you, excuse me, etc. To respect her is to honor her. Do you dishonor her with your actions? Do you take her for granted? Do you tell your children how wonderful she is and that they need to respect her like you do? Are you brave enough to challenge your children to treat her like you do?

3. Remember that she is an heir of the gracious gift of life - Most importantly, she is a child of God. The Maker of the Universe, the Creator, has made her uniquely to serve His purposes. Do you treat her like a Christian sister? Do you encourage her spiritual growth? Do you encourage her to spend time with other godly women? Do you offer to take care of your children so that she can have some alone time with God?

"Christian husbands and wives share a common experience of grace and a common destiny of salvation. A husband must honor his wife since she, as much as he, has access to God's grace in Christ. In addition, since husbands and wives are partners together in grace, a husband's relationship with God will be affected for good or ill by his relationship with his wife. When husbands treat their wives with consideration and honor, they are true to the nature of grace. They are acting as God's people, and thus their relationship with God may be deepened through prayer."

Peter is very clear here:

If you don't honor your wife, your prayers will be hindered

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

How you think of God impacts prayer's effect on mental health

8/21/2014

New research suggests that individual expectations appear to influence how prayer impacts mental health.

For example, when it comes to easing symptoms of anxiety-related disorders, prayer doesn’t have the same effect for everybody. Baylor University researchers found that what seemed to matter more was the type of attachment the praying individual felt toward God.

Those who prayed to a loving and supportive God whom they thought would be there to comfort and protect them in times of need were less likely to show symptoms of anxiety-related disorders — symptoms such as irrational worry, fear, self-consciousness, dread in social situations, and obsessive-compulsive behavior — than those who prayed but did not expect God to comfort or protect them.

The study is published in the journal Sociology of Religion.

“While previous research has shown that people who have a secure attachment to God are more satisfied with life and less depressed and lonely, little attention has been paid to psychiatric symptoms,” said researcher Matt Bradshaw, Ph.D.

“For many individuals, God is a major source of comfort and strength that makes the world seem less threatening and dangerous. Through prayer, individuals seek to develop an intimate relationship with God,” Bradshaw said.

“Those who achieve this goal, and believe that God will be there to protect and support them during times of need, develop a secure attachment to God.”

In this context, prayer appears to confer emotional comfort, which results in fewer symptoms of anxiety-related disorders.

“Other people, however, form avoidant or insecure attachments to God — meaning that they do not necessarily believe God will be there when they need Him,” he said.

“For these individuals, prayer may feel like an unsuccessful attempt to cultivate and maintain an intimate relationship with God. Rejected, unanswered, or otherwise unsuccessful experiences of prayer may be disturbing and debilitating — and may therefore lead to more frequent and severe symptoms of anxiety-related disorders.”

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 1,714 of the individuals who participated in the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey. The study focused on general anxiety, social anxiety, obsession, and compulsion.

Teachings of Christianity and some other faiths use the parent-child imagery to depict the relationship between God and an individual, with one researcher describing God as “the ultimate attachment figure.”

The Baylor study findings are consistent with a growing body of research indicating that a person’s perceived relationship with God can play an important role in shaping mental health.

In theory, people who pray regularly may be inclined to live out their religion more faithfully, which may lead to less stress, such as marriage and family conflicts, researchers wrote.

People who pray often may have more of a sense of purpose in life or have more supportive personal relations. And many people use prayer as a coping strategy.

When it comes to personal prayer outside of religious organizations, however, findings by previous researchers have been inconsistent — and puzzling.

Some studies indicate frequent praying has positive effects on mental health; others report no effect — or even that people who pray more often have poorer mental health than those who pray less frequently.

“At the present, we don’t know exactly why the findings have been so inconsistent,” Bradshaw said. “Prayer is complex.”

Some possible explanations for varying findings:

Individual expectations – Some scholars suggest that “if you expect prayer to matter, it just might,” Bradshaw said. In several studies of older adults, people who believe that only God knows when and how to respond to prayer fare well when it comes to mental health; those who think their prayers are not being answered do not.
Style of prayer — In general, meditative and colloquial prayers have been linked with desirable outcomes, including emotional well-being, while ritualistic prayer actually has been associated with poor mental health outcomes.
Perceived characteristics of God — such as loving, remote, or judgmental — affect the relationship between prayer and mental health. “Our previous work has found that prayer is associated with desirable mental health outcomes among individuals who believe that they are praying to a God who is close as opposed to remote, and the results from the current study are largely consistent with this finding,” Bradshaw said.
Differences in study design and sampling.

“These are all important considerations, but a comprehensive understanding of the connection between prayer and mental health remains elusive,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do in this area.”

This research is from Baylor University. This summary of the study can be found here: http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/08/14/how-you-think-of-god-impacts-prayers-effect-on-mental-health/73602.html

5 confessions of a tired pastor

8/16/2014

At 2:30pm today, I hit the wall…you know what wall I am talking about. The one you may hit everyday too. I try so desperately to fight it, but often it overtakes my every move. A yawn escapes and there is something so satisfying about letting it go. It may be my personality, but I often find myself in these moments snapping myself out of a daydream. I do that often…I can’t seem to help it. Then, somehow, I make it through. I leave work and come home to a house teeming with life, pretend and snotty noses…and then it is bedtime for the kids and sometimes I stare at a blinking cursor…knowing that God wants me to share my heart, but with droopy eyelids. This is my life.

As a bivocational pastor, I have found myself getting into unhealthy routines because my brain and heart are on autopilot. Between my day job, preaching, visiting people in the hospital, counseling people, putting out fires, parenting, and life in general it is easy to make excuses for myself. As I write this blog today, I feel led to admit some things you may not know about me. I am tired…and I have some confessions to make.

The following are 5 confessions I have about my life as a pastor:

1. I don’t get into God’s word like I should- It is funny. The most energizing and life giving activity that I engage in is something that is often put on the back burner. Granted, I do dip into scripture regularly to prepare my messages, but I definitely feel the damage when I get into a habit of “snacking” on scripture and neglect the full meals that I need. I know that God is not going to keep me from Heaven because I got half way through the Psalms and got side tracked…and really that’s not the point. The point of soaking in scripture is to fall more in love with the author. I need this.

2. Sometimes I want to cuss- It’s true. It really affects the glow of my halo too. Don’t worry conservative fan base….I don’t, but I want to. Often something will come up that is stressful, or I have realized I have dropped the ball on a project, and I get as far as a “crud” and dare not go any further. What I have found, for me, is that the less I soak in scripture as mentioned above, the more these thoughts erupt.

3. From time to time I pray selfishly- It is a joy to pray for people in their time of need or simply when they come to mind. I will confess that there are rare times when I simply want to have what I want. A fat bank account, a new house, a smaller pant size, and the list goes on and on. As a result of these things, sometimes God hears about it…and the prayer request that someone gives me comes second. God checks me during these times, and reminds me of the blessings that He has provided…or…at the moment I will see one of my children boumding past my view and I am reminded how rich I am.

4. I find myself not trusting God- There are times where I look at the bank account and the prognosis doesn’t look good or I gear up for a relational battle that I think may be coming, and I forget that God is supposed to be in control. I try to take hold of the outcome so I am not left looking silly or so I can still look good. God has shown me, so many times, that his timing and methods are perfect. I don’t have to worry…but I confess that even though I preach this at church regularly, I often get caught in the negativity trap.

5. I often feel sorry for myself- If something happens to me or there were not many people at church this Sunday, I tend to have a short-lived pity party. It is a trance that I get into. I convince myself no one cares and no one should care, and I begin to get upset based on a false reality that I create in my mind. I think God wants so much more for me. He is always waiting for me, to snap out of it, and return to serving.

Like mentioned above, it is easy to come up with excuse after excuse. I could tell you about all the things I need to do between now and next week and cite these things as a reason for the way I handle situations. I am tired. I am a pastor. I desire to know Him more and serve Him. I get angry, and I falter. Obviously, I know God wants more from me. Sometimes it is really hard. But, when I think about it…I wouldn’t have it any other way. What keeps me going is the celebration I see in a person’s eyes when God reveals Himself to them in a mighty way. Really…I am living the dream, and my faults are opportunities to be transformed. I am not perfect but God is chpping away at my edges. I am so grateful.

This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. For the original post, go to: http://other-words.net/2014/08/08/5-confessions-of-a-tired-pastor/