Practice, Practice, Practice!!! (A few words on the most offensive words in American Christianity )

There are a great number of ways to offend someone. In my years as a missionary and in my years as an awkward person I've discovered a great many ways to offend people. I can be complimentary, I can offer assistance, I can answer questions, I can respond to invitations, and in all these things I can and often have been offensive to someone. 

Of course there are times in our lives where we aim to "push someone's buttons", but for the most part what I've witnessed and seen in my own own life is an attempt NOT to offend someone. Most of us are not moving through life seeking out quarrels and offenses. Today I will share a few words on the most offensive thing to confront in the life of Christians in the United States.  

2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. 8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. (1 Timothy 2:1-8 NIV)

The most offensive thing to unbelievers is of course the confrontation of sin. The most offensive thing to contemporary believers is of course confrontation regarding prayer. You can preach Christ crucified for sin to an unbeliever and garner something of a similar reaction to when you speak with a professing Christian regarding prayer. For some unbelievers they will respond with anger, defensiveness, or apathy when confronted about eternal life and the wages of sin. For some believers they will respond with anger, defensiveness, or apathy when confronted about prayer life and their relationship with God. 

"Many hours are spent with men, how many with your Maker?" - Charles Spurgeon

The angry Christian gets upset when confronted about prayer. The excuses begin to flow and all sorts of manner of ill will can be emptied out of a person when confronted about prayer. In American Christianity with our fierce independence often the response will come in a manner similar to this "You pray and do your relationship with God the way you want to, and I'll pray and do my relationship with God the way I want to". 

The great flaw in this line of thinking and living is that of course none of us ought to pursue God "the way we want to". We ought to pursue God by his Holy Spirit in the ways in which he desires. Imagine a young person comes to you seeking relationship advice. This young person has burned down every romantic bridge they have yet pursued. They come to you for advice. "I really like this person" they say. "I want to make sure I don't mess this relationship up" they say. So, being the kind friend you are, you ask them "What sorts of things does your love interest like? What sorts of ways do they desire affection to be shown? What is their favorite food, music, hobbies, interests, and activities? What clues or instructions has you love interest given you that you can seek to gain their favor and returned affection?" Hearing this your friend becomes indignant with you, "How dare you meddle with my affairs! I'll sort this relationship out the way I know how!". The absurdity of this scenario is only slightly LESS absurd than Christians who are angry and want to be left alone, without aid, without advice, without empowering, without strengthening, without encouraging in their prayer life.  

The defensive Christian immediately resorts to "whataboutism". "Ask me about my prayer life, well what about my tithing? My offerings to the church? My helping with the nursery? My greeting others every Sunday? My cleaning up of the building after every event? What about my evangelistic efforts for the lost? What about my diligent and careful study of God's word? What about my faithful attendance at bible study? What about the meetings I attend to serve the church?" The defensive Christian reveals in this list a life which is categorically inappropriate in priorities. All of those things which a Christian does that are not undergirded (a fancy way of saying supported by) prayer are vain things! 

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1-2 ESV)

It's good to build a house. It's good to labor and work. It's good to watch over a city. These are all good things, just like all the things the defensive Christian brought up. Those are all good things, but if they are just done as a checklist, as a to-do list, absent of a love for the Lord motivated by an earnest seeking after the Lord's blessing, then those things are simply vain things. 

The apathetic Christian responds to the call to prayer with a listless laziness that refuses to be stirred. "Why pray?" thinks the apathetic Christian "I'll need to get up from my seat. I would have to rearrange my schedule. I'd have to spend moment in awkward silence. I'd have to train my tired eyelids to close but not close in sleep. I'd have to train my mind towards the things of God, I don't care about the things of God unless it's convenient." The apathetic Christian cannot be bothered.

The apathetic Christian will never see the power of God on display. They will never know to see that the child with cancer now lives because of God's mercy and grace and work through wise doctors caring around the clock. They will never know the hungry family that is being filled with the things of God and training up their children to be kind rather than selfish. They will never see unbelievers moved by a powerful God and the dead come to new life in Christ. They miss out on the things of God because they simply can't be bothered. Prayer meetings are dull events to them. Prayer meetings to the apathetic are filled with boring air rather than Spirit filled life. The Christian is never more close to the sin that so easily entangles, ensnares, and enslaves, than when they are apathetic! 

Isaac Watts, (who was the author of a great many near and dear hymns to believers such as "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", "I Sing the Mighty Power of God", "Jesus Shall Reign," and "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?") in his incredibly practical book "a guide to prayer", says this about the practice of prayer:

"As the art of medicine or healing is founded on the knowledge of natural principles and is made up of rules drawn from the nature of things and from reason and observation, so the art of preaching is learned and attained by the knowledge of divine principles and the use of rules and directions for explaining and applying divine truths; and so, too, the holy skill of prayer is built on a just knowledge of God and ourselves, and may be taught in as rational a method by proper directions and rules."

Watts in his book points towards three truths of prayer:

1. Prayer is built on a just knowledge of God.

2. Prayer is built on a just knowledge of ourselves.

3. Prayer may be taught (and learned) by proper directions and rules. 

Prayer can be learned. Prayer can be worked on and grown. Prayer is a skill and it is a tool. Prayer is an ability and an activity. Prayer is hard work and a difficult task. When prayer is not exercised in the church it is mostly due to an ignorance, neglect, or arrogance. We may lack a proper foundation of knowledge of God, we may lack a proper foundation of knowledge of ourselves, or we may lack proper instruction in prayer. It is from lack that we often lack prayer. This brings some accountability back on us leaders in the church. If we don't pray ourselves, we cannot lead and instruct our people in prayer. 

Prayer and accountability to pray is a two way street. It is both on church leadership to instruct, lean on God for learning, train up, teach, embody, and be a living example of prayer. And it is on church members to pray, follow, learn, grow, and encourage leaders in prayer. 

I have heard countless times over the years, attending dozens of churches, "I like the church, but the preacher isn't that great". The Christians of Dutch tradition have a saying I heard recounted by Joel Beeke the other day "You pray me full, I'll preach you full. You pray me empty, I'll preach you empty." How many complaints have been made about the preacher, their dull attitude in the pulpit, their inept handling of God's word, their excessive hyperbole, their ineffective words, all these complaints and more are made out loud to other parishioners and members, but none of them to God! Pray for your preacher! Pray for your minister. Then take that principle and see it played out and you will see very quickly how short the walk is from personal prayer to global Christian impact. 

If you would pray for your pastor, what would the Lord do? If you would pray for your family, what would the Lord do? If you would pray for your neighborhood, what would the Lord do? 

We say we believe that God can raise the dead, make the lame to walk, and that the real historical person of Jesus was able to feed five thousand people with a few loaves and fish. Yet we deny the power of God, and we reject the Will of God to bring good news when we fail to pray. "It's too much" we think. "God can't change my neighborhood. God can't mend that relationship. God can't bring me back into fellowship with that person. God can't help my children. God can't help my grandchildren. God can't use my church. God can't work in my city. God can't work in my marriage. God can't give me the strength to overcome my problems."

The Christian who is absent in prayer, neglects prayer, and refuses to be encouraged and built up in prayer, is a Christian who denies the work of Christ at the right hand of God the Father:

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34 ESV)

So, what should we do? We should pray! We pray in the name of Jesus, by the power of his Spirit, to the Father. We go to God together in prayer. We go to God in secret in prayer. We go to God in worship with prayer. We go to God in need in prayer. We go to God broken and contrite in prayer. We go to God confident in prayer. We go to God wrestling for his Will to be done in prayer. We go to God in prayer! 

When I used to play basketball, my coach would tell our team to practice our free-throws on our own when we were at home. When I went to seminary, my professor would tell our class to practice on our sermons when we were at home. We practiced our free throws so that we might improve to help our team towards the goal. We practiced our sermons so that we might improve to help our congregations towards the goal. I tell you today, practice in prayer at home! Practice, practice, practice! Go to God and ask that he would teach you to pray. Go to God and ask that he would pour out his power for you to see in your life, family, neighborhood, church, community, city, and region. 

Practice, practice, practice prayer!