Prayer Works

Psalm 65:2 calls our God, “You who hears prayers.” As we examine our own personal prayer lives, do we view God’s listening to our prayers casually? It may be something we do if we can find the time or if we have a particularly pressing matter. It is something we take for granted. If God, however, does not take our prayers lightly, then we should not approach prayer casually.

Think of Elijah at Mount Carmel in I Kings 18, whose quiet, reserved prayer was answered resoundingly where the antics of the idolatrous priests were ignored. Remember Hezekiah, in II Kings 18-19 who turns to God in simple prayer against overwhelming odds. Finally, Daniel, in Daniel 6, continues to pray to God despite the law, and God saves him from a death sentence for his crime of prayer.

These stories are not just here to give us things to cover in Bible class or to talk about how God used to interact with His people. They are here to remind us that prayer works.

Defined By Prayer

In I Chronicles 4, we find ourselves in the middle of genealogical records, and, in verses 9-10, we run into a brief mention about a man named Jabez (meaning pain). We are told he is more honorable than his brethren, that he prays to God, and that God grants his prayer. We know nothing more about this man other than that he prayed to God. That is the snapshot we have of him: a man who calls on God for blessings and protection from evil.

Christians of the First Century devoted themselves to prayer. Acts 1:14, Acts 1:24, Acts 2:42, Acts 4:24, also within Acts 10, 6 12, 16, 20, 21 – we see Christians giving themselves to prayer time and again. These are defined by their prayer lives.

Measured By Prayer

We’ve had numerous lessons on how and why to pray. We know it works. Why not use it? It is a measure of our spirituality, our humility, and our faith. Of the many things Paul prays for in his recorded words, spiritual needs come first. In Matthew 6, in the Lord’s Prayer, only one physical need is mentioned. The more spiritually minded we are, the inclined we will be to kneel before God in prayer.

Before Jesus gives an example of prayer in Matthew 6, Jesus admonishes His audience not to pray in showy ways, in a proud manner. Instead, like the publican in Luke 18:9-14, we should approach God in humility, and that humility is rooted in our faith. I Peter 3:15 calls on us to sanctify Christ, and I Peter 5:6 tells us to humble ourselves in that sanctified presence. Ephesians 3:20-21 expresses Paul's’ faith that God is capable of doing more than we can imagine. We simply need to have faith in His power.

We have the time to pray. We have reason to pray. The question is one of humility, of faith, and of spirituality. God hears our prayers, and prayer works. We should be like those First Century Christians, like that briefly mentioned Jabez, and be defined by devoting ourselves to prayer.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Second Mile Thinking

Say you are driving your dream car (let’s say a two-seater sports car) and stopped at a stoplight, where you see three people standing in a torrential downpour. One is an elderly lady having chest pains, your best friend who saved your life in college, and you dream girl or guy. This is not a scenario unique to me; it comes from various job applications, and one answer went this way: “I would let my best friend drive the elderly lady to the hospital while I stood in the rain with the girl/guy of my dreams.”

Inconveniencing self is a concept to which we are not easily attuned. Very few applicants who see this question think to give up the car. We limit our own options based on things we view as nonnegotiable. Of course, we would remain driving the two-seater. Therefore, we think we can only help one in this scenario. We don’t see how a bit of self-sacrifice creates a better solution.

Going An Extra Mile

Matthew 5:38-45 embodies second mile living. In this sermon on the mount, Jesus encourages His audience and us to be merciful, even to those who would wrong us. Jesus says to go above and beyond in our service and grace toward others. He tells us to exceed expectations, and the reason is found in verse 45 – that we may reflect the nature of our Heavenly Father.

What if God did not have a second mile way of thinking? How would He have viewed Creation? How would He view our shortcomings and rebellions? Where would the plan of salvation be? Remember Romans 5, reminding us that God loved us when we were most unlovable and then gives of Himself sacrificially to stand in our place. Also be mindful of II Peter 3:9, describing God’s patience, His desire for all to repent and turn to Him in time. I John 1:9 tells us of God’s faithful forgiveness, and chapter 2:1 speaks of our Advocate when we do fall into sin. God has gone the second mile in providing us mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

Luke 5:54, Luke 6:36, I Peter 5:10, I Peter 2:3 – these passages speak to the Lord’s goodness, His graciousness, His mercy, His forgiveness. Where does He draw His line? Where does He say, “Enough is enough?” When does He decide we are unforgivable, beyond hope, or not worth the effort? God goes above and beyond in His mercy toward us. How can we do any less in the mercy we show to our fellow man?

Living God’s Word

James 2:8 calls on us to fulfill the royal law to love each other as ourselves, and he reminds us, in verse 13, that mercy will be deprived of those who live mercilessly. James then goes on to remind us that acknowledging such qualities in God means nothing if we do not live it. Jude 22 reminds us that mercy saves. We are to be merciful as God is merciful (Luke 6:36 again). Then, in Ephesians 4:25-32, Paul tells us to be as forgiving as God is.

Colossians 3:13 tells us to forebear with each other, again reminding us of the forgiveness we should embody. II Timothy 2:24 calls on us to be gentle, avoiding strife with others. Romans 14:19 calls us peace makers and peace keepers. Paul calls on us to pursue peace by calling us followers of it. These verses are not here as filler. They tell us how God views us and how we, in turn, should view others.

Conclusion

This begins by removing selfishness from our minds. Those Romans soldiers expected a commoner to carry their pack one mile. Jesus says to do the unexpected and go two. He calls on us to remove self as a priority, to put others first, to embody mercy and forgiveness, to live peacefully with those around us. How often should we go this second mile? In speaking of forgiveness, Jesus says to Peter that our well of forgiveness should be bottomless in Matthew 18:22. Our reservoir or selflessness and patience should be as deep.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Treasure in Jars of Clay

II Corinthians is an interesting letter by Paul. It does not flow as smoothly as most of his other epistles, and we see a very emotional side of Paul throughout the book, particularly in chapter 2. He continually returns to the concepts of glory, of mercy, and of his own efforts as a minister in Christ. He spends much of the book defending his efforts, his motives, and his authority. In II Corinthians 2:17, he reminds his audience of his sincerity in teaching them.

Paul’s Defense

We can see many discouraging things in Paul’s letter – opposition from the world, our family, and even brethren, those who would seek profit from Christianity, those who would challenge him at every turn. In chapter 4:1, however, Paul asserts he will not lose hope in his ministry from God. He contrasts himself with those who would tamper with, dilute, or peddle God’s word. He sees opposition all around, but he remains sincere.

When we dilute God’s word, we dim the glory of God. As Paul, we should so internalize the glory and joy of God’s word that we feel a personal attachment to it. Think of Paul’s use of “our gospel” and “my gospel,” not claiming ownership but demonstrating the personal attachment he has to that word.

Paul writes about the god of this world, in verse 4, blinding us to God’s word and crowding it out of our lives. The sins of this world, our physical desires and pursuits, can appear less bad than they are on the surface. Sin can look brighter than it really is, and this leads us to being blinded by that false light. Paul reminds us, though, in verse 6, that God’s light can bring us from that blindness.

Paul’s Treasure

Then, in verse 7, Paul refers to a treasure stored in jars of clay. In contrast to those Pharisees of Matthew 23, who Jesus described as being whitewashed tombs filled with death and bones, Paul says we may be clay pots, but the gospel stored within us is priceless treasure. We may be imperfect and fragile as those earthen vessels, but what is contained in our hearts is beyond value.

In verse 8-9 he speaks in generalities about the persecution that comes from carrying that treasure within him, but II Corinthians 6:4-10 and 11:23-33 go into more specific details. Any of us might lose heart at those obstacles, but Paul does not. Instead in II Corinthians 4:11, Paul says he endures so Jesus may be seen in him. Once, the Word became flesh and dwelt among man. Now, others should see Him in us by the way we reflect his glory in our lives.

In verse 13, Paul quotes from Psalm 116:10 about believing and speaking God’s word, about maintaining hope among discouragement and trials. He reassures them of the hope of resurrection, reminding them the more they reflect the treasure of Christ’s gospel, the more souls that will turn to Christ, the more God will be glorified in our earthen vessels.

Do Not Lose Heart

As in chapter 4:1, Paul repeats the refrain, “We do not lose heart,” in verse 16. Here, he puts his trials, his afflictions, his humiliations, and his pain in perspective to the treasure of eternity. Eternal life is his goal, so he does not lose heart. We have a lot to put up with, as did Paul in his life, and we may feel as fragile and ugly as jars of clay at times. We have a treasure, though, beyond value if our faith and hope are in the resurrection of Christ.

lesson by Tim Smelser

True Conversion

To be converted is to turn away from one thing to deliberately turn toward another. It is a decisive change. To what then were you converted? We preach, “hear, believe, repent, and be baptized,” which is not a bad approach to take. The problem may be, however, that our approach converts people to ideas and teachings rather than to Christ.

Conversion is a familiar term in the New Testament. Acts 15:3, we see Paul and Barnabas telling the brethren of the conversion of the Gentiles. In Matthew 18:3 records Jesus calling on his followers to be converted as little children. In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus speaks of a future conversion of Peter. In Acts 3:19 records Peter and John calling on their audience to repent and be converted.

Conversion to Substitutes

Sometimes, we convert people to the idea of salvation. While this is a gaol, it is not the center of one’s spiritual foundation. Mark 10:17 shows us a man coming to Jesus, seeking salvation. Unfortunately, that concept of salvation was not enough for him to turn from materialism. Also, in Acts 8:13, a sorcerer named Simon hears, believes, repents, and is baptized, but he had not yet truly made a turn from his past to a new life in Christ. Matthew 13:20-22 speaks to those who immediately respond to the message of salvation but whose faith do not endure without a stronger foundation.

We might also be converted to the idea of blessings. We want to become children of God for the good things we feel should come from that conversion. This is exactly what Satan challenges in the beginning of the book of Job, when he accuses that Job will turn away form God should his blessings crumble. In John 6:25-26, Jesus addresses this problem with the crowds, seeing they followed him for the food they ate more than for his message. Do we pray for our daily bread while forgetting to hallow and honor God as the core of our faith? Remember what Paul says in Philippians 4:11-13; contentment comes from God, not from material blessings.

Sometimes, we are converted to the idea of outward appearances – pleasing others, peer or familial pressures, valuing the social aspects. In Matthew 23:3-5, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for this exact motivation, using religion for the perception and respect. This is also the case in Matthew 6:2-4. In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira contribute to the church for appearances. II Timothy 4:9 speaks of one who loved this present world, forsaking God’s work. Being members of the right faith, of the right church, having the right stances – these are not the objects of our conversion.

Were You Truly Converted?

Rather than asking, “To what was I converted?” perhaps a better question would be,”Was I really converted in the first place?” In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands his followers to make disciples, to make followers, from the nations. If we are converted to Jesus, we are followers of Him. We do not follow ideas, philosophies, or blessings. We simply follow Him. The only thing that can cleanse us, make us pure, wash us from sins, is Jesus’ sacrificial blood. It takes a deliberate change in our lives to reach that sacrifice. We must sacrifice self, turning away from everything that holds us to this world, so we can reach forward to the next.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Attitude Affects Altitude

Some time ago, the Ashville, North Carolina’s tourism board ran an advertisement campaign that “Altitude affects attitude.” The idea is that going higher in the mountains makes us feel better. Conversely, in our spiritual lives, our attitude affects our altitude. It affects and reflects how high our aspirations climb. It is a powerful thing, and it is something over which we have complete control. It is surprising what we can do and what we can become when we set our minds to it.

In I Peter 1:15-16, we are called to reflect God’s holiness just as His people were called in the book of Leviticus. It is a call to change our ways of thinking, to change our perspectives, to change our attitudes. We remind ourselves continually that we are set apart, that our actions and behaviors are to be like God’s. If that is our starting point, much in our lives will begin to change.

Practical Places to Change Our Attitudes

What kind of attitude do we have toward those we view as enemies? In Ezekiel 33:11, God tells His people that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Can we say the same? Our interactions with others, the lack of love we may have for those enemies, may reflect a holiness deficit in our attitudes.

What about forgiveness – not accepting God’s forgiveness, but us forgiving those that have hurt us? Isaiah 55:8-9 records God inviting His people to forgiveness, for his ways and thoughts are higher than ours. He can forgive what we find difficult to set aside, but that is the mind we are supposed to emulate. Can we lay aside the past, and align our thoughts with God’s ways? Remember, in Matthew 6:14, reminds us that God’s forgiveness hinges on our willingness to forgive others.

Finally, how do we love? God loved us and interceded on our parts when we were farthest from Him. I John 3:1 reminds us of the nature of that love, and verse 16 reminds us of the extent of that love. Verse 18 calls on us then not to simply love by word, but also in deed and in truth. I John 4:7-8 encourages us to love, for God is love.

Conclusion Attitude affects altitude. If we want to rise to God’s standard and rise to a home in Heaven, the journey starts with our attitudes. Our love, our forgiveness, our holiness – how high do we aspire to rise in these ways? We can be more like Him. Our ways and thoughts can be like His. We just have to consciously decide to change our attitudes, and let our lives reflect that change.

lesson by Tim Smelser