Prayer is the breath of discipleship; God’s Word is our food. Congregational worship that is weak these areas will be anemic in others as well. How can our times of prayer in worship become more effective? One way is to pray Scripture. An simple way to start is to start with the prayers of Paul in the New Testament. Take for example, Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossae [1:9-12]:
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” [NIV]
Paraphrase into your own words as a prayer to the Father:
We have not stopped praying for ____ and asking You, God to:
fill ___ with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
in order that ___ may live a life worthy of You, Lord
and may please You in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work
growing in the knowledge of You
being strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might
so that ___ may have great endurance and patience
and joyfully giving thanks to You, Father, who has qualified ___ to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Another prayer of Paul’s is found in Philippians 1:9-11:
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Praying this passage would look something like this:
And this is my prayer: that ________ love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that _______ may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Praying Scripture not only deepens our prayer life, but puts the Word of God in our hearts and minds.
Look at the prayer of Jesus in John 17: 15-26:
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.
This is a great chapter to memorize, but let’s pull out what Jesus was praying:
1. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
2. Sanctify them by the truth
3. that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
4. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory
Pray this as well. We know that this is God’s will, since it came from the lips of our Lord, himself. Protection from Satan’s deceptions, oneness in Him, and unity among each other are powerful requests. Paul’s prayers center around the development of God’s nature and character in our lives to accomplish what God has called and commanded us to do. Strengthening our prayer life will also strengthen our worship.
Showing posts with label Lord's Prayer and worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lord's Prayer and worship. Show all posts
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A Trip to Heaven
Henry & Helen, friends and long time members of the church die and go heaven. They comment to one another as they walk toward the pearly gates, “Well, it was about time! Things were getting so bad, I just don’t know if I could have held out much longer. It sure is nice to be able to walk without pain.” “You can say that again!” replied the other. They get to the gate and sure enough Peter is waiting to welcome them in.
“Welcome!”
“Thank you, Peter, we’re so excited to be here! We’ve heard so much about the place. I can hardly wait to have David sing one of my favorite psalms. Especially to that tune of…”
“That’s right,” broke in the other. “I’ve always been kind of a history buff and would love to talk to Abraham, Moses, Joshua and get the real story, you know, the story behind the story.”
Peter’s puzzled face doesn’t seem to register.
“When can we check into our Mansions? I think I want the downstairs sky blue, and a green room that open up to a backyard garden. There are gardens here are there? I mean, didn’t God create the Garden of Eden? Surely He’s got something up here like that!”
Before Peter can answer, the other begins his part.
“That sounds great! I would like something like that myself! Maybe we could get ours close by, seems like there’s plenty of space around here. And what about clouds and personal angels? I always thought I had one when I was living on the earth, now I’d like to see mine for myself, just in case I need something. Do we get to choose our angels or are they assigned?.......
Just then, John and Mary, another couple approaches, and the first voices of the first fade away. The scene is different somehow, for now it seems that they are in the city of God itself. A voice from the throne is heard like a mighty waterfall, but yet as gentle as a summer breeze: “Well done, my good and faithful servants…”
The couple seem totally overwhelmed and speechless. As they turned toward the light and the voice that was coming from the throne they were completely struck with awe. They gasp, “Oh the majesty, oh the glory of it all!” Without hesitation they fall to their knees, hands lifted in worship. Filled with inexpressible joy, they cry out loud: “Oh Lord God! You are worthy, You were before all time, You created the heavens and the earth, You provided the way that we might know You, Kings of kings and Lord of lords! By Your love and mercy and grace You saved us, redeemed us; we aren’t worthy, Oh Lord!"
Yes, there are mansions, yes there is the city with its gates of pearl and streets of gold, and yes, there are the saints from ages past, but their focus in heaven was the worship of the Lamb that was slain.
----
Obviously, no ones knows what everything is like in heaven, but we do know a few things. The description of heaven in the first scene perhaps describes how some people understand worship and heaven is the culmination of all the things they had desired for themselves. It is all about what they like, what makes them feel good, warm and fuzzy. Most likely these would think that heaven should be just an extension of the worship they had on earth, fully centered around themselves.
As we read the book of Revelation, the picture seems to fit closer to the second scene. John gets to peek into what’s going on, and it isn’t shopping for the mansion with the best location. The city is there in all its splendor, but the center and focus of everything is He that is on the throne. The is an overwhelming speechless awesomeness that overtakes all that enter, for God is there.
Is it possible that as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” we might need to apply that to our worship as well? Allow this paraphrase to help capture the idea and application: “O holy Father, our Lord and God, You, Your very name is Holy. Rule over us here and may what is done in heaven be done here on earth as well!” Have we been praying for something all this time and not really understanding that for which we were asking?
Perhaps how we think about worship would change if we were to begin with the end and then work backwards. What if our worship on Sundays were modeled after the worship in heaven? Somehow, I can’t imagine getting to heaven and walking up to Jesus and saying, “Could I go over there? I think the angels sing better.” The worship in heaven is not about me, my likes and dislikes, the worship of heaven and but one center. The focus of worship in heaven is clear; God and God alone. Yes, there are streets of gold, and gates of pearl, but what makes heaven the place it is, is God. We dare not be like the little child who looks forward to his father’s return from a trip because of the gift he will be given more than seeing his father, himself.
Heaven will not be a place where we finally get what we always wanted, but the place where our wants will finally be as God desired. The central focus of heaven is the Lamb of God on His throne, not my wishes fulfilled.
“Welcome!”
“Thank you, Peter, we’re so excited to be here! We’ve heard so much about the place. I can hardly wait to have David sing one of my favorite psalms. Especially to that tune of…”
“That’s right,” broke in the other. “I’ve always been kind of a history buff and would love to talk to Abraham, Moses, Joshua and get the real story, you know, the story behind the story.”
Peter’s puzzled face doesn’t seem to register.
“When can we check into our Mansions? I think I want the downstairs sky blue, and a green room that open up to a backyard garden. There are gardens here are there? I mean, didn’t God create the Garden of Eden? Surely He’s got something up here like that!”
Before Peter can answer, the other begins his part.
“That sounds great! I would like something like that myself! Maybe we could get ours close by, seems like there’s plenty of space around here. And what about clouds and personal angels? I always thought I had one when I was living on the earth, now I’d like to see mine for myself, just in case I need something. Do we get to choose our angels or are they assigned?.......
Just then, John and Mary, another couple approaches, and the first voices of the first fade away. The scene is different somehow, for now it seems that they are in the city of God itself. A voice from the throne is heard like a mighty waterfall, but yet as gentle as a summer breeze: “Well done, my good and faithful servants…”
The couple seem totally overwhelmed and speechless. As they turned toward the light and the voice that was coming from the throne they were completely struck with awe. They gasp, “Oh the majesty, oh the glory of it all!” Without hesitation they fall to their knees, hands lifted in worship. Filled with inexpressible joy, they cry out loud: “Oh Lord God! You are worthy, You were before all time, You created the heavens and the earth, You provided the way that we might know You, Kings of kings and Lord of lords! By Your love and mercy and grace You saved us, redeemed us; we aren’t worthy, Oh Lord!"
Yes, there are mansions, yes there is the city with its gates of pearl and streets of gold, and yes, there are the saints from ages past, but their focus in heaven was the worship of the Lamb that was slain.
----
Obviously, no ones knows what everything is like in heaven, but we do know a few things. The description of heaven in the first scene perhaps describes how some people understand worship and heaven is the culmination of all the things they had desired for themselves. It is all about what they like, what makes them feel good, warm and fuzzy. Most likely these would think that heaven should be just an extension of the worship they had on earth, fully centered around themselves.
As we read the book of Revelation, the picture seems to fit closer to the second scene. John gets to peek into what’s going on, and it isn’t shopping for the mansion with the best location. The city is there in all its splendor, but the center and focus of everything is He that is on the throne. The is an overwhelming speechless awesomeness that overtakes all that enter, for God is there.
Is it possible that as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” we might need to apply that to our worship as well? Allow this paraphrase to help capture the idea and application: “O holy Father, our Lord and God, You, Your very name is Holy. Rule over us here and may what is done in heaven be done here on earth as well!” Have we been praying for something all this time and not really understanding that for which we were asking?
Perhaps how we think about worship would change if we were to begin with the end and then work backwards. What if our worship on Sundays were modeled after the worship in heaven? Somehow, I can’t imagine getting to heaven and walking up to Jesus and saying, “Could I go over there? I think the angels sing better.” The worship in heaven is not about me, my likes and dislikes, the worship of heaven and but one center. The focus of worship in heaven is clear; God and God alone. Yes, there are streets of gold, and gates of pearl, but what makes heaven the place it is, is God. We dare not be like the little child who looks forward to his father’s return from a trip because of the gift he will be given more than seeing his father, himself.
Heaven will not be a place where we finally get what we always wanted, but the place where our wants will finally be as God desired. The central focus of heaven is the Lamb of God on His throne, not my wishes fulfilled.
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