wholelifeworship

(This is an ongoing series, which began on May 15^th, on prayer as it relates to Whole Life Worship)

Over the next few days I want to look specifically how we can use the “Lord’s Prayer” as a model for prayer. Each line of this prayer is a concept of prayer in and of itself. As we use the Lord’s Prayer as several prayer concepts, our prayer life and our relationship with God is deepened and expanded.

My friend and colleague, Rev. Clyde Hodson (President of PrayerMentor), first introduced me to looking at the Lord’s Prayer as a model. At the time, my prayer life was inconsistent and lacked vitality. After understanding this model, my prayer life came alive and my understanding of who God is in relation to life grew exponentially (as did our church, by the way, which doubled in size during the year Clyde and I prayed together three times a week using this model).

The first line of the Lord’s Prayer is:

Our Father, who art in heaven.

We take for granted that Jesus taught us to address God as our heavenly Father. But this was a radical concept during Jesus’ day. Faithful Jews saw God as holy, powerful, the Provider, the Righteous Judge, and the Lord of the angel armies (“hosts”). But the idea of God as Father was almost sacrilegious. God was considered too holy and too far above the human realm to be seriously considered as a “Father.” And no faithful Jew would ever consider themselves as a son or daughter of God. That was a position reserved for someone on the “Messiah” level.

But Jesus taught us to call on God as our Father. Most likely, when Jesus taught this prayer in the Aramaic language (which was the language he used in teaching and conversation) he used the word, “Abba” (meaning “Daddy” or “Papa” – a child’s way of addressing their father).

Can you imagine the shock in the disciples’ faces when Jesus told them to call on the Almighty as “Daddy”?!

What Jesus knew that His disciples didn’t (and that we take for granted) was that God’s truest desire for us is to call Him “Daddy.” God’s deepest desire was not for us to just be His creatures or His servants or even His chosen people, but that we would become His children! This was the whole reason why Jesus came and gave His life for us on the cross, which is why the Apostle John declares, with amazement:

Behold, what manner of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called the “sons” and “daughters” of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

So when I pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven,” I am stating God’s greatest desire fulfilled: that I am now His precious child through the work of His only begotten, Jesus Christ. I use this part of the prayer to thank Abba/Daddy/Papa for loving me, for adopting me, for making me his child. I spend time reveling in the fact that I belong to Him. I think about how deeply and intensely I love my boys, and transfer that emotion to how God feels about me (and so much more because He is the Good Father). I bask in the safety and protection of my Daddy, who is also Sovereign of the Universe and the Almighty One.

Do you catch my drift?

This is more than a 6 word opening line to a short prayer. This is a portal to inexpressible joy, my friends! God is my Father! God is your Father! God is our Father – who art in heaven.

One last word: Jesus taught us to begin our prayers with “Our Father,” not “My Father.” This means that His deepest desire is not just for me, but for others. He so loves my brothers and sisters in Christ. He so loves those who have yet to discover Him. And so, I, as His child, should love people as my Daddy loves them. Sons and daughters of God need to learn to love as Daddy loves – as Jesus demonstrated to us. (And, boy, do I have a ways to go!)

So when we pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven,” I hope we have a greater sense of what we’re actually saying and what it means to Abba/Papa/Daddy when we pray it from our hearts. It’s the great, noble starting place for our Whole Life Worship.

#lordsprayer #abba #prayermentor #wholelifeworship

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(This is an ongoing series, which began on May 15th, on prayer as it relates to Whole Life Worship)

In Luke 11:1, Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray. This seems like an unusual request, since they all were taught how to pray as faithful Jews. But they knew Jesus was quite different than the rabbis they grew up with. Jesus had this sense of credibility, wisdom, and power that made his prayers and life different than the rest. They knew that if they asked Jesus how to pray, they would get something that would actually tap them into truth, grace, and relationship with God.

Jesus’ response (in Luke 11:2-4) is the essence of what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” The form we use (which is slightly expanded) is found in Matthew’s narrative (6:9-13).

This is the most famous prayer in the world, and deservedly so. In this short prayer, Jesus sums the essence of worship, alignment, purpose, petition, and protection. However, because this prayer is so familiar we often lose sight of its richness and meaning. Also, we’ve seen abuse and misuse of this prayer, like when it is treated as a “lucky charm” or as a way (attempt) to manipulate God to do our personal bidding.

But this prayer has ushered me into deep experiences and connection in my relationship with God. So, I want to share some of those experiences and insights from the Lord’s Prayer with you. Many, many times the Lord’s Prayer has kept me strong on the path of Whole Life Worship.

There are basically two ways I pray the Lord’s Prayer: as a model of prayer (where each part of the prayer represents a concept of prayer) and as a prayer that anchors my focus on God. I’ll cover the model of the Lord’s Prayer in the next several days. Today I want to focus on the latter application.

Like the Jesus Prayer and the “Help My Unbelief” prayer, the Lord’s Prayer is easy to recall; it is short and to the point. Most of us memorized it when we grew up as children and youth. I enjoy praying it with the church (which we need to do more often – my bad, as the Worship Pastor). But I particularly have found it to be powerful as I pray it during my Personal Worship Times and at various moments of the day.

As I mentioned, the Lord’s Prayer is like an “anchor” for me. When my heart and mind are going too fast for me to get my bearings (which is all too often), praying the Lord’s Prayer aloud stills my inmost being. It reminds me who God is, who I am, and what I am supposed to be doing.

I think one of the problems with praying the Lord’s Prayer is praying it too fast; without much thought or reflection. So when I pray it, I pray the prayer slowly: one phrase at a time, followed by a pause. This helps me to be “present” in the prayer.
“Our Father who art in heaven” – I soak into the meaning of what it means to address God as my heavenly Father. “Hallowed be Thy name – I reflect on some of the many names of God (Holy God Almighty, the Lord who Provides, the Alpha and the Omega, etc.) “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” – I remember that I (as well as all Creation) was created for His will and purposes, and aligning myself to that. And so it goes.

When I pray the Lord’s Prayer in this manner, my perspective of life changes dramatically. I am at a place of steadfastness, of surety. My heart has begun the process of being stilled and quieted (which leads me to another prayer – Silent Prayer – which I’ll share about later). My soul adopts a posture of waiting and anticipation to what and where God will lead. My mind is more ready to engage with the words God’s Spirit shares with me through Scripture and reflection.

How do you view the Lord’s Prayer?
Do you pray the Lord’s Prayer? If so, how?
How have you seen the benefit/challenges of this prayer?

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(This is an ongoing series about prayer in Whole Life Worship)

One of the most profound prayers in the Bible is found in Mark 9. A father watches helplessly as his son is being tormented by demonic powers. Jesus’ disciples cannot cast it out. Jesus comes onto the scene, having just been transfigured in glory on the Mount. But instead of casting out the demon, Jesus engages in a casual conversation with the father. The demon tosses the boy like a rag doll by now, and Jesus makes what appears to be an “unconcerned” comment to the father, “Everything is possible for one who believes” (v. 24). To which the father cries out to Jesus in desperation,

“I believe. Help my unbelief!”

In this prayer we see several things. First Jesus is neither casual nor unconcerned in this story. His actions are intentional. He is trying to draw out the father’s desperation. By waiting, the man becomes more and more aware of his son’s condition. He finally reaches a point of desperation. Desperation unlocks the power of faith.

Second, the prayer is steeped in humility. Not a false humility, but a humility based on reality. The father is helpless without God’s help. He cannot change his son’s condition. There is no contingency plan. There are no theological loopholes. The father realizes he has no merit that would warrant help. Either Christ helps him or his son is lost.

Third, the prayer is not focused on the problem, but on the Person. The father does not ask Jesus to heal his son. Rather, he asks Jesus for more faith (“help my unbelief”). Too often, my prayers are all about my situations, my predicaments, and my need. The focus on prayer should always be on God – yes, the One who answers prayer; but, more importantly, the One in whom we need to trust in a greater way than our predicament.

In praying this prayer, the father also took responsibility for his faith. He also said, “I believe,” meaning that he knew that his part was an active belief and trust in God. This was extremely important. While the answer to the prayer came from Christ’s power, the man had to essentially “let go and let God.” A greater faith would be given if he surrendered his trust to God.

I’ve seen this prayer be so powerful and effective in my own life. My victory over addictive habits in my life came as I prayed a similar prayer, “Lord, I choose to overcome this addiction, help my lack of overcoming power!” Or when I knew I needed to forgive someone who deeply offended me, “Lord, I forgive, help my unforgiving heart!” Or when I lacked love for person who seemed unlovable, “Lord, I choose to love this person, help my lack of compassion!”

This is the foundational prayer that leads to transformation. It is the humble realization that we are not yet at a place that we need to be – but can only get there by the grace of God. So we ask Him:

“Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”

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One of my spiritual friends shared with me his desire to glorify God by controlling his eating habits. We had been praying that God would help him to do this. My friend shared later that week he had not been able to eat very much because he had some gastro-intestinal problems. We looked at each other and said at the same time, “Was that an answer to prayer?”

This question struck a chord with me because one of the problems we have with prayer is our expectation. More often than not, our prayers are given with the expectation that God will answer our prayer in a comfortable way. When we ask God for help with our eating habits, we expect that He would somehow make our appetite disappear – in a comfortable way. When we ask God for provision, we expect He would do it in a way where we would not have to work too hard (like a check in the mail or win the lottery).

As I read Scripture, I see that “comfort” is not one of the priorities of how God answers prayer. Verses like “Count it all joy when you encounter trials of many kinds” (James 1:2) and “God disciplines us for our good” (Hebrews 12:10) and “Endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3) point to the fact that God is more concerned about our character than our comfort.

As people committed to Whole Life Worship and being transformed into holiness by God’s power, we should not be surprised when God answers prayers in an “uncomfortable” way. Neither should we be resentful. Rather we should be thankful, for God is doing something better in us through an uncomfortable response than He could if He gave us what we want in the way we wanted it.

In each of the above verses, God uses trials, hardships and discipline in our lives to produce a mature faith, fruit of righteousness, and a victor’s crown. And our suffering is only temporary. I don’t know about you, but I would rather suffer a little bit and win, than be a comfortable loser.

I want to point this out to you so that we can be aware of how God answers prayer. Many times we think that God has not answered our prayer because He did not answer it the way we wanted Him to. I believe that God answers all of our prayers; we just need to become more aware of how He answers them.

Here is an axiom that has helped me to see new ways on how God answers prayer:

“If the request is wrong, God will say NO. If the request is right but the timing is wrong, God will say SLOW. If the request is right but my character is wrong, God will say GROW. But if the request, timing and my character is right, God will say GO.”

The fact that God answers our prayers should excite us. He is so actively involved in our lives. Even when His answers to prayer seem a bit uncomfortable and, perhaps, unorthodox, we should stand in wonder of His love for us and His supreme wisdom. We can give thanks to Him in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18) because He works all things together for the good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28) as He answers our prayers in His way.

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Some of you astute and devout readers (wow, thank you!) have noticed that I’ve re-blogged a couple of  entries in the last week. These were blogs from the beginning days of wholelifeworship.com. I realize that I probably should have said something about it. I’m kind of new at this blogging thing, so I appreciate your patience with me. From now on I will put a notification at the beginning of the blog if I do a re-blog.

There were several reasons why I re-blogged those articles: I’ve had a little bit of writer’s block (or is it called “blogger’s block”?), also some unexpected scheduling issues that took much of my discretionary time, as well as some fatigue, and – admittedly – some lack of discipline. But there was one pretty legitimate reason why I re-blogged those particular articles:

We’ve had a significant amount of new readers join us in recent days and I wanted them to understand the foundational concepts of Whole Life Worship.

Many of the initial blog articles in January and February explain the “Whole Life Worship concept.” This concept, which asserts that Biblical Worship (Romans 12:1-2) has less to do with music and worship services and more to do with our daily life choices in the grace of God, is the essential building block of a truly transformed life. In fact, all of the devotional articles that discuss how to apply spiritual principles to real life situations assume a certain understanding of the Whole Life Worship concept. I want to affirm that every time we turn to God in an everyday ordinary situation, we are actually worshiping Him – in the way that He loves to be worshiped!

I realize that some people don’t have the time or the technical know-how on how to refer back to the archived blog articles. So from time to time, I will re-blog those essential articles on the Whole Life Worship concept. As well, I may re-blog some of the more popular articles (ok, I am a little on the lazy side at times!) But they will be far and few between, and I’ll let you know right up front that it’s a re-blog.

And for those of you who want visit my archives on wholelifeworship.com and get the essentials of Whole Life Worship right now, here are the past blog articles that I recommend:

Jan 18, 21, 23, 31

Feb 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

But the bottom line is that I need to keep writing new blogs on Whole Life Worship. It’s a pretty wide open topic (I mean, “life” is a pretty big topic, as is “worship”) and I want to develop better writing skills. And someday I’m going to make a book out of all of it (ok, so there is a little hidden agenda!) But the main reason is that Whole Life Worship needs to be written about, by me, by others, and by you! God deserves our whole lives and we are so much better for it – as is our world!

So, as an act of holding myself accountable to you, I will be writing on the topic of “prayer” (as it pertains to Whole Life Worship) over the next few weeks.

I appreciate the affirmation that I’ve received through comments that some of you have posted on the blog or have sent to me via email (wholelifeworship@gmail.com).  It motivates me to think deeper and write more on this topic. Please keep me in prayer; that the Lord would continue to inspire and develop me. And feel free to pass this on to others who might need the encouragement and transformation that comes from living our lives in worshipful response to God in Christ.

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Over the years we have seen a number of reality TV shows that demonstrate outward change: “Extreme Makeover”, “Ugly Duckling”, “Loser” to name a few. On these shows, we see a radical change in people and places: a house gets remodeled, a face gets rearranged, a body loses excess poundage. But have you noticed that all these changes are on the surface? Nothing this world offers can truly change a person from the inside out.

In Romans 12:1, Paul gives us a definition of worship:

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercies, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.

But he doesn’t end there. The second part of Paul’s radical definition of worship in Romans 12 can be found in verse 2:

Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern God’s holy, acceptable and perfect will.

In the last blog I mentioned that worship is more than a song or a service, it is the offering of our whole lives to God, 24/7. That is the worship that God deserves; that is the worship God expects. But did you know that as we offer ourselves to God that something truly amazing happens: we get transformed! And not just a facelift or a makeover, we get transformed from the inside out. How does this work?

As we offer our whole selves to God in worship, we are, in a sense, surrendering our all to Jesus. This allows Him to do His good work in us. This good work began when we first asked Jesus to be Christ (King) of our lives. But it is not a work that is complete at our conversion; it is an ongoing work that God does throughout our lives. And He will complete it (Phil. 1:6), but only as we surrender ourselves to Him in worship. The end result is that we will become like Jesus (1 John 3:2) in our character, mindset and (to a certain extent) ability (Jesus did say anyone who believes in him will be able to do the things that he does; even greater things – John 14:12).

God commands us: “Be holy as I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). There are two ways people try to do this. The most popular way is to try to act like God: they do good works, participate in spiritual disciplines, and keep themselves morally clean – to the best of their ability. The Pharisees approached holiness in this manner. But this fails to truly accomplish anything. What results is either spiritual failure (they can’t keep it up) or spiritual pride (which is actually a form of hypocrisy – you act changed when you really aren’t). None of this is true godliness or holiness.

The other approach is “Whole Life Worship”, which starts by offering ourselves to God (as we discussed in the previous blog). It is saying to Jesus: “Here I am. I give myself to You. I can’t change me, but I know You can. Take what I have and what I am and make something wonderful out of my life.”

But too many people leave it there. As a result, they do not see their lives changing a bit. Offering ourselves to God is more than lip-service; it requires acts of faith. Paul says there are two acts of faith that lead to transformation. The first is: not conforming to the world’s mold.

Again, this does not mean we try to do this on our own power. First, we don’t have the power in ourselves to overcome the world’s influence. And second, even if we could accomplish this in our own power, God would not be worshiped – we would end up taking the glory! No. “Not conforming to the world’s pattern” requires a step of faith. It is believing that Jesus has the power to do something in and through us that we could not do ourselves. So much so, that we learn to “let go and let God.”

Let me share a personal illustration of how this works. Years ago I struggled with a powerful addictive behavior. I was totally enslaved by it. I knew it was wrong; I knew it wasn’t pleasing to God and I tried everything in my power to overcome it. But I couldn’t. I was so dismayed that I came to Jesus and said, “I can’t do it, Lord. I need Your help – bad!” To which the soft, still voice of Christ said to me, “I will help you. I will give you the power to overcome this. Here’s what I want you to do: step out in faith and live this next hour free from sin. If you feel weak, then cry out to me and I will give you the power to live the next hour free from sin. You will not see freedom unless you step out in faith and look to me as Your source of power.” And friends, I have to tell you: Jesus gave me victory that day, and the next and the next. Days became weeks and weeks became years. Though I must be on my guard against this “conformity to the world”, I am no longer a slave to it. Jesus gave me victory and transformation through the process of Whole Life Worship.

Successful recovering alcoholics and other addicts have a saying: “I can’t, Jesus can, and I’m going to let Him!” Do you also notice that they are also the most enthusiastic worshipers of Jesus? They understand the process of true transformation; they practice whole life worship on a daily, if not hourly, basis.

We all have our struggles with conformity to the world. It may not be an alcohol or drug addiction. It may be something less extreme (and, perhaps, more insidious), like arrogance or anger or impatience or controlling others or striving for physical beauty or materialism or self-centeredness. You could be addicted to sports or your job or the TV or fitness or cleaning. Maybe you know what it is. Or maybe you don’t and need to ask the Lord what it is (and He will tell you, believe you me!) But in any case Jesus wants you to be free and God wants you to become holy (they are the same thing). It begins with Whole Life Worship. Offer yourselves to Him, today.

How have you seen God transform your life? What did it involve on your part?

What things tend to draw you toward conforming to the world’s mold? How can Whole Life Worship help you overcome?

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I love that song “Heart of Worship.” It really speaks to the crucial issue of what worship is all about. In this day and age of “consumer oriented music” our churches have been caught up with consumer oriented worship. Matt Redman’s song is a reminder that worship is:

1. All about Jesus, not about us; and
2. It’s more than just singing a song

I think folks are getting the first part down; and that’s awesome! Worship is not what I get out of it; it’s what I put into it – it’s giving to God. It is wonderful when people realize that worship is not about hearing their favorite song, in their style, to their liking – but about giving Jesus Christ the praise that is due His name. That is the beginning of true communion with God.

The second part, though, is what I want to focus on. We know that worship is more than just singing songs to Jesus, but how much more? Worship is more than just my music, but how much more? Worship is more than just the hour a week I spend with my church family, but how much more?

The Apostle Paul gives us the answer to the “how much more” question in Romans 12:1. He writes:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.

How much more? Our whole bodies – meaning: our whole lives. When we do this, it is holy and pleasing to God.  If you were to ask God how He wants you to worship Him, He would say: “Give Me your whole life; that is your spiritual act of worship.”

I call this “Whole Life Worship.” It’s the worship God wants from us. It’s also the worship God deserves from us. Anything less would be inappropriate and irrelevant. After all, did God only give a part of Himself to us? Did God only give us a song to live on? Did God only give us one day a week to provide for our needs? Did God only give us lip service to save us? No, He gave His all for us. Jesus offered His body as a living (and dying) sacrifice in order to save us from sin, death and the pit of hell.

This blog is all about taking a closer look at “Whole Life Worship”; what it means, how to do it, and what happens when we do it. Whole Life Worship opens the door to God’s Kingdom – the truly abundant life. Whole Life Worship changes us – it transforms and renews us. Whole Life Worship is what attracts others to Christ – they see how a truly God-centered life is the only way to live.

Let me end with this silly thought: there are two parties involved in producing a ham omelet – the chicken and the pig. The chicken contributed, but the pig was committed. (Get it?) But in a strange sort of way, this also describes the dynamics of worship. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. Whole Life Worship calls us to go beyond seeing worship as a contribution for God, and more as a commitment to Him. It is so much more than just a song.

How is your worship of God more than singing songs?

What are ways we can offer our whole lives to God in worship?

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On Wednesday morning, I prepared myself for the “Unexpected Opportunity” of having dinner with President Park, the first female President of South Korea. I had no idea what to expect; whether I would actually get to meet her or just be in the same room with her, whether anything would be said in English or just in Korean, whether there would be anyone in the room who could speak English, and what I would do all by myself with total strangers.

I kind of felt like Bilbo Baggins, going on a great adventure with people he didn’t know. Only Bilbo didn’t have a language barrier.

The one thing I had going for me is the One thing I always have going for me, no matter what I face – God. I knew that this invitation wasn’t just a serendipitous fortunate event. I knew it wasn’t just happenstance. For some reason, that I was not aware, God wanted me at this event. At the very least, it was an opportunity to honor my Grandfather (I called him, “Papa”) and the extraordinary contribution he made for an entire nation. But I sensed there might be something more and I wanted to be ready.

I had several times of prayer throughout the day. I expressed to God my fears and anxieties. I opened myself to whatever He wanted to accomplish through my going to this event. I even thought that maybe God’s purpose wasn’t to go to the dinner, but that perhaps I would be needed in a situation along the way (after all, it’s 60 miles from Fontana to LA – anything could happen). I surrendered my expectations, my comfort, even my life (if that’s what He wanted) to God. And I spent a lot of time in silence before Him in this posture of surrender and trust. During these prayers I felt tremendous peace and freedom. God was with me. And that’s all that mattered.

The travel to LA was uneventful. In fact, it was the fastest trip on the LA freeways I ever experienced. It helped that I was going “into” town during the rush hour when everyone was trying to get out of town. I found some parking right across the street from the new Marriott hotel at LA Live. It was a bit intimidating waiting in line, by myself, surrounded by 500 Korean-Americans who only spoke Korean, but God was with me. There was even a ray of sunlight that shined on me while waiting in line for the metal detectors.

When I found my table, I was greeted by some Korean-Americans who actually spoke English! They were the leaders of the Korean Patriot Organization, and asked me if I would come to one of their meetings to talk about Papa. They then introduced me to a man named Ralph Kim.

He not only spoke English, but with a perfect Central California twang! He knew my Papa … and my dad and my mom and my uncle!

I then met the lady who sat next to me, Daisy Kim.

Like me, her grandfather was honored as a patriot for Korea. Like me, she did not speak any Korean (she also had to ask someone to interpret the dinner invitation). Like me, she was a music major! Like me, she went to USC School of Music! She grew up in Reedley, CA … the same town where my mom grew up and where both my grandfathers are buried! I could not believe this was a coincidence. So this was why I was here – or at least part of it.

Also at our table was a Korean diplomat who also spoke perfect English. Daisy and I asked him questions about our grandfathers and why they were honored as patriots. He filled in some of the “holes” in our understanding. In short, our grandfathers helped maintain the “rebel” government that kept Korea intact under Japanese occupation. They also maintained the “rebel” army that helped the Allied troops to victory over Japan in WWII. My grandfather was freedom fighter!

And yes, President Park came in. I didn’t get to meet her and I didn’t understand a single word she said in her speech. (And I wasn’t allowed to take a photo of her – darn! And the Secret Service people were all over the place). But I witnessed a historic moment: the first female President of Korea in her first trip to LA. She was elegant, graceful, regal, and I could sense humility in the way she spoke to us. It nearly took my breath away as I watched her speak. I know she is an earthly “ruler,” but the sense of awe and respect she commanded through her presence gave me a small glimpse of “majesty.” I thought to myself, “How much more is my Lord!” How much more noble, more gracious, more regal, and more humble is He! What a blessing!

I still don’t know all the reasons why my God dropped this unexpected opportunity in my life. Nor do we always understand why God does many things in our lives. But I believe if we hold these opportunities with open hands and open heart, with our gaze intently on Him, we will see how simply amazing He is through it all.

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How do you feel about your prayer life? Do you sense that you are in a rut – that every prayer seems to begin with “Lord, bless this” or “Lord, bless that”? Are your prayers becoming a spiritual grocery list – asking for things for yourself or for others? Do you notice that your prayers are more about your weakness than God’s greatness?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, then maybe God is speaking to you. Maybe He’s saying, “It’s time to grow up in prayer!”

Hebrews 6:1 says, “So come on, let’s leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ.” (The Message)

There is so much more to prayer than just asking God for things. But what are the deeper expressions of prayer? Here are some ideas on how to grow up in prayer:

1. Start with PRAISE! “Praise” is the missing gem of prayer. Praise is glorifying God for who He is. This is different than “thanksgiving” which focuses on what God does. Praise focuses on the characteristics of the Lord. For example: God is all-powerful, the Lord is the Creator of the Universe, Jesus is loving, etc. We praise God, not because He needs it, but because we need to remind ourselves how great His is – plus He deserves it! Praise also reminds us to whom we are talking (a rather sobering thought). Often our prayer requests are pitiful and short sighted because we have failed to factor in the “greatness of God” into our prayer equation. I encourage you to make a list of God’s characteristics to help you in your praise. As you read Scripture and learn more about God’s character, add to your list.

2. Use the Lord’s Prayer as a model. When the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray, he gave them what we know as “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13). Too often this prayer is used as some sort of repetitive incantation – which is exactly how Jesus does not want us to use it as (see Matt. 6:7). While the reciting of the prayer itself is helpful, I find that the Lord’s Prayer can also be utilized as an outline with six different sections: approaching God as Father, setting apart His name, aligning with God’s will, asking for daily provision, confession (forgiveness and forgiving others), asking for protection, and  ending with praise and doxology. I believe the order of the prayer is important; notice how far down the list “asking” is (number 4).

3. Read and study the prayers of mature believers. Letty and I have read written out prayers on occasion.  John Baillie’s Diary of Private Prayer is an excellent example.. These are powerful prayers that have helped give more substance to our prayer life. Here is an excerpt from the prayer we read the other morning:

Teach me, O God, so to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin. Let me use disappointment as material for patience. Let me use success as material for thankfulness. Let me use suspense as material for perseverance. Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering. Let me use praise as material for humility …

Another great resource for prayer is Richard Foster’s, “Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home.” In this book, Foster explores the various types of prayer practiced by Christians throughout the centuries. We need to learn from those who have experienced life and the Lord in deep ways. One of the prayers that Foster mentions is “Silent” or “Contemplative” prayer. It is where I wait for the Lord’s presence in silence (while graciously dealing with distractions) for 10-20 minutes. It has been powerful and transforming for me in recent days (more on that topic in a later blog).

There’s so much more for us to experience in God through prayer than the elementary method of asking for things. Prayer is the act of “spiritual breathing” for a Whole Life Worshiper. Let’s be encouraged to grow deeper in our prayer life!

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I remember a day when the winds cleared away the smog and clouds from the sky. As I looked to the mountains, my breath was literally taken away. Although I have looked at these mountains many times, I never really saw what now was obvious to me: the clear definitions of the canyons, ridges, and vegetation. The green of the highlands had magnificent hues and shades. As you looked up, the green melted into the purple of the rock, which vanished into the white of the snow cap. I paused and gave thanks to the Creator for the glory of such a sight that gave me a sense of “wonder.”

I’ve been stopping myself more often to gaze at the mountains or a flower or a small child or the bustle of a busy restaurant because there is a lot of “wonder” to be found. I was saddened to think how I go through life so fast and furious that I miss the many wonder-full things that happen constantly around me.

At the center of worship is a sense of “wonder.” Wonder is what makes worship of God fabulous, deep, rich. Without a sense of “wonder”, worship becomes a chore, an obligation, something to check off your “to-do” list. Without “wonder”, worship deteriorates into “religion” (ugh!) Unfortunately, our churches are filled with “wonder-less worship” and “wonder-less” worshipers. Perhaps you can relate.

Everyone knows what “wonder” is. God brings it into everyone’s life at one time or another. The other evening I had our worship team share a time in their lives when they were filled with wonder. They had no difficulty in recalling such times: the birth of a child, the sense of the Spirit-leading, a mountain-top experience at camp. These are times of great clarity; we see things as they should be – and we are in awe. Unfortunately, these times are far and few between. We wonder (no pun intended) why God doesn’t zap us with more of these experiences.

I believe that God is wonderful all the time! The reason why we don’t “see” it is because we don’t seek it. Sometimes God has to literally hit us over the head with an epiphany or revelation (usually accompanied by some traumatic event – positive or negative) before we experience the “wonder.”
It’s amazing what lengths God goes through in order for His wonder-fullness to break through our hard hearts and distracted minds!

Remember, Jacob in Genesis? He had to run for his life (fleeing from his brother Esau) before God had his undivided attention in the wilderness. It was there that the Lord gave him the vision of the “Stairway to Heaven”. Finally, Jacob was in awe and worshiped: “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place … and I never knew it!” (Genesis 28:16).

God’s presence was there all the time, it’s just that Jacob wasn’t aware of it until God had his attention. The lesson for us is that Instead of waiting for wonder to come us, God wants us to find it. I call this the discipline of “wonder-ment”. It is the attitude and mindset of discovering the wonder of God throughout our day and our experiences. God is there, the question is: are we looking for Him?

This discipline begins with two things that totally go against the grain of our busy culture: slowing and pausing. You’ve heard the expression: Slow down and smell the roses? That is the first step to wonder-ment. Slow down and look at the mountains. Stop at a park and breathe some fresh air. Pause at a busy mall and look at the people. Then, turn your attention to God: give Him praise for the scene of glory, lift up intercession for the lonely, busy people you see, laugh with Him as you watch children at play.

As you do this, don’t be surprised if God transports you into a sense of “wonder-ness”! Wonder is a not only huge portal for worship; it is an enormous portal for life itself. It elevates us past the mundane into the holy. But it begins by seeing the holy in the mundane.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie “Hook” is when one of the smallest of the Lost Boys (in Neverland) uses his hands to contort the face of Peter Bannister (who was once Peter Pan, but forgot who he was and ended up as a … corporate lawyer). After manipulating Bannister’s face to different expressions, the Boy lands on one and exclaims: “There you are, Peter. I knew you were in there!” And that was the beginning of Peter’s return to being who he really was, the Pan.

When we slow down and pause in the discipline of wonder-ment, we start to see the face of Jesus in everything. That is the beginning of wonder-filled worship, and the return of ourselves to who we really are: beloved children of the Most Wonderful God.

Indescribable, uncontainable! You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing, God!
Incomparable, unchangeable! You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same.
You are amazing, God!

(“Indescribable” by Laura Story)

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