Zondervan Blog: Prayer

Prayer

June 13, 2012

The Story of Saul and Ananias: Why Listening to God is a Risk Worth Taking [Excerpt]

Have you ever noticed how when Saul became Paul, God didn't do all the heavy lifting? He asked a Christian named Ananias to help Saul, and Ananias almost didn't do it...

This is an excerpt from Bill Hybel's The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond [eBook]. -Adam Forrest, Zondervan

A risky mission for Ananias

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God spoke to Ananias in a vision, telling him to go to Saul and deliver a message. God even provides the address where Saul is staying [Acts 9:10–12].

"Hey, God," [Ananias] essentially said, "I don't know if you've neglected to keep up with the daily news or what, but Saul's name is all over the headlines. He's a terrorist, and the whole reason he's in town is to destroy the church that I attend. If you think I'm going to actually seek him out, well, then one of us is crazy!" ...

God stood by his one-word reply: "Go." And Ananias went. [Acts 9:13-16]

Earlier that day...

On the road to Damascus as Saul lay there blinded by the light, God had issued him a triad of instructions, as well: "Get up, Saul. Go into the city. And wait." Saul now had a decision to make. What would he do with the direction he'd been given? He's a tough guy—should he just stand up, shake his fist at heaven and say, "Is that your best shot?"

In perhaps the wisest move of Saul's life to that point, he chose the other path. The text says that he rose, he was led into the city by his band of brothers (who were probably shocked to be leading their once-fearless, now-helpless leader), and he waited for whatever would happen next [Acts 9:1-9].

Listening to God: A risk worth taking

I have read [Acts 9:17–19] many times, and with each reading I find myself trembling just a bit...

[Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength."]

Bill Hybels

Think about it: a highly intelligent (though completely misdirected) man—who will someday become a powerful force in the hand of Almighty God—is lying blind on a bed with no clue what he is to do next—other than to wait. If someone could only deliver a small dose of knowledge—a divine insight to him—the blind man not only will regain his sight but will eventually change the whole world for good.

Ananias delivers that small dose of knowledge, and Saul goes on to write two-thirds of the New Testament; he plants churches that will have lasting impact; he leaves a legacy, not of bitterness and rage, but of boldness and righteousness and faith. Lost people are saved, believers are encouraged, churches are strengthened and entire communities experience times of great peace, all because two men hear God's whispers and have the guts to respond.

I imagine God cheering from heaven's balcony as he watched Ananias enter the home where Saul lay anxiously awaiting the arrival of a man he'd never met.

'You were so ecstatic about your license to kill,' I picture God saying to Saul, 'but I can do you one better than that...'

"You were so ecstatic about your license to kill," I picture God saying to Saul, "but I can do you one better than that! You're about to be granted a license to help millions of people throughout history live. You now have full access to grace. Full access to love. Full access to power. Full access to fulfillment. Stay close to me, Saul, and you will want for nothing. I will care for you. I will protect you. I will provide for you. And while we're at it, I'll even give you a new name. Paul—that's who you are now ... Paul, my brand-new creation...

I am convinced that one of the major reasons a one-time terrorist [Saul] wound up becoming one of the most impactful Christian leaders in history is because he chose the path of obedience. On day one, when Jesus asked him to do three little things, he did them. And that step of initial obedience began a pattern of submission to the will and ways of God. Despite the eventual respect among believers that Saul—now Paul—would come to enjoy, the apostle Paul never got too seasoned, sophisticated or smart to do anything less than that which Jesus whispered for him to do. How I wish the same always could be said of me!

- Bill Hybels (@billhybels)

A theme from this story leaped out at me: Small obedience can make a big difference. It doesn't always feel like that, does it? But in the case of Ananias, doing something that frightened him had world-changing results. And for Paul, those small acts of obedience marked a new kind of life, characterized by obedience and "full access" to grace / love / power / fulfillment. -AF

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Learn more about Bill Hybels's The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond (eBook).

June 06, 2012

When God Whispers, aka Sixty Pounds of Peaches [Excerpt]

Bill Hybels shares a story about following the Holy Spirit's promptings in this excerpt from The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond [eBook].

Have you ever had an experience like Bill's? I'd love to hear your story, just leave a comment on the post. -Adam Forrest, Zondervan

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There are seasons when I am "meticulously obedient" to the will and whispers of God, and then there are times when I'm sure I know a better way. Still, I try to keep coming back to my heavenly Father with open hands, an open heart and a keener interest in whatever insights he is willing to share. "God, if there is something you would like me to do," I prayed recently, "then please say so. It doesn't matter what it is; I'll do it."

Wouldn't you know it? He actually took me up on that prayer.

Lynne and I had just come from a funeral home across town after saying our final farewells to my aunt. As we approached our car, I spotted a frail, elderly woman pulling into the nearby apartment complex. She parked her car and began to slowly and laboriously pull grocery bags out of her trunk. "How about helping that woman with her groceries?" the Holy Spirit seemed to prompt.

I initially brushed past the whisper because Lynne was with me and we were ready to go. But I had just made that offer to God, "If there is something you would like me to do..." I knew I had to comply.

"Lynne," I said, "I've got this little pact going with God, and I need to go help that woman with her groceries for a minute..."

Bill Hybels

My wife tried to conceal her dumbfounded expression, but I saw it peeking through. You probably know the look, the one that says, "You? Living at your pace? Helping someone you don't even know? Wow. It must be God."

I approached the elderly woman. "Can I give you a hand with your groceries?" I asked.

"Oh, yes! Thank you!" she said, relieved.

I knew that this small act of kindness would honor God...what I didn't know was that those grocery sacks boasted thirty pounds of fresh peaches each.

The driveway leading back to her apartment ... was roped off, meaning residents had to walk a few hundred yards just to get from their cars to their homes. I knew that this small act of kindness would honor God and help meet a real need; what I didn't know was that those grocery sacks boasted thirty pounds of fresh peaches each. Pretending the added weight didn't affect me a bit, I said, "All set here. You lead the way."

She began winding through backyards that had become swamps due to recent rains. [It turns out the] woman was extremely arthritic [and] had some sort of emphysema that forced us to take a breather every forty-five seconds or so. It took us a full thirty minutes to make our way to her apartment, and by the time we arrived, we were tight. I had learned more about this dear woman's life than I could ever have hoped to know.

We entered her modest home, and ... I set the sacks on the counter before turning to shake her hand and then let myself out through the front door. The woman left her bony, wrinkled hand in mine long after the handshake was done. "I will believe to my dying day that God sent you to help me just now," she said.

The whole deal felt so inglorious—the wet feet, the longer-than-expected trek, the lack of any earth-shattering results—and yet as I walked away from the apartment complex, something in my spirit felt right. God had whispered a simple instruction my way, and this time I had actually slowed down enough to listen. There is no greater feeling in the world than to hear—and heed—God's voice...

I have come to believe over time that it is the little acts of obedience that invite God's power to fully flow in our lives.

I have come to believe over time that it is the little acts of obedience that invite God's power to fully flow in our lives. When you and I prove ourselves faithful with the small whispers, he entrusts us with bigger ones. And when we follow through on those big ones, big kingdom results can be gained. This is what Ananias experienced firsthand, on that day when Saul became Paul. Back to our text.

- Bill Hybels (@billhybels)

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Learn more about Bill Hybels's The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond (eBook).

May 29, 2012

The Keys to Overcoming Fear [Excerpt]

Do you feel overwhelmed by fear? We may learn something from the experience of David, who was the target of King Saul's murderous wrath. Read this excerpt from Craig Groeschel's Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World. -Adam Forrest, Zondervan

Craig Groeschel

It's easy to look at [David's] situation and think, "Wow... It must've been really hard for David to have [King Saul] put a death warrant on him." But if we put ourselves in David's sandals for a moment, it becomes downright horrific.

For me, it's like the president of the United States telling the CIA, the FBI, and the entire military, "Go get me that crazy Christian guy, Craig Groeschel. I want his sorry carcass, dead or alive." ... Wherever you live, imagine that the most powerful leader in your nation issued that command about you. Imagine that every force in the country is out scouring the countryside for you, interrogating your friends and your family, hot on your trail. You can't go to any public places. You're always looking over your shoulder.

This nightmare was the reality of David's life. No matter where he went, he couldn't escape his knowledge that the most powerful man in Israel wanted him dead. In Psalm 56:1–4, we get a glimpse not only into his ordeal but into how he faced it: "My enemies are in hot pursuit ... My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" (emphasis mine).

David clearly was overwhelmed and perhaps even terrified. But he just called it like it was, being honest with God... You can do the same thing David did. It's okay to admit that you're afraid. Name your fears. Just say, "Here's what's happening, God. Here's what I'm afraid of":

"I'm afraid my spouse might be having an affair."
"I'm afraid one of my kids might get a terminal disease."
"I'm afraid my best friend might betray me."
"I'm afraid my business might go under next year."

Say it over and over... 'I'm choosing to trust in you, God. Because of you, I'm choosing not to be afraid.'

Then follow that with what David did. "But even though I'm afraid, God, I'm choosing to trust in you." Take it just as far as David did. Say it aloud. Write it down. Rehearse it. Refer to it to remind yourself. Say it over and over: "I believe your Word, God. I'm choosing to trust in you, God. Because of you, I'm choosing not to be afraid."

Examining this passage further, notice the last thing David says here: "What can mere mortals do to me?" Well, let's answer that question. Honestly, what could mortal men have done to him? Well, for starters, they could have killed him! Perhaps even worse, mortal men could have captured him, tortured him, imprisoned him, and made the rest of his life miserable. These all sound pretty horrible.

So if all that's true, then how was David able to overcome his fears? By refocusing his view of the problem, shifting his fear-fueled thoughts from the temporary, earthly point of view to an eternal perspective. By stepping back and viewing his fear from a more comprehensive perspective, David could say, "You know what? Even if my worst what-ifs come to pass, if I still choose to trust God, no one can do anything that hurts me eternally. Nothing." Suddenly his worst what-if paled in comparison with the goodness and faithfulness of God.

The farther away I get from God, the more the what-ifs of this world begin to pile on, trying to suffocate me with fear.

What about you? What's your greatest fear? Can you choose to trust God with it? Be as honest with yourself as you can. This is really important. In my experience, the farther away I get from God, the more the what-ifs of this world begin to pile on, trying to suffocate me with fear. But the closer I am to God, the more I'm able to trust him, and the less hold the things of this world have on me. Choose. Tell God what it is you're afraid of. Then trust him no matter what.

- Craig Groeschel

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Learn more about Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World.

May 16, 2012

Seek and ye shall be surprised [Excerpt]

Yesterday Mark Batterson shared his experience with trying to Force a Miracle. Here's the story's unexpected conclusion — a real-life example of "seek and ye shall find," and how the finding will often surprise ... ye!

I love how this story hints that God is directing the scene, but Mark and his unnamed friends have their roles to play. That is exciting, because it's true in our stories too!

This story is from Mark Batterson's book The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears.

-Adam Forrest, Zondervan

The strange meeting

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I almost said no to a miracle.

A couple who had just started attending National Community Church requested a meeting, and I almost denied the request because they said they wanted to talk about church government. I love talking about the mission and vision of the church. Church government? Not as much! Plus, I was fighting a book deadline, so I didn't have much margin in my schedule. So I almost said no, and if I had, I would have missed out on a miracle.

As we sat in my office above Ebenezer's Coffeehouse, they peppered me with questions about bylaws, financial checks and balances, and decision-making protocols. And while I felt a little defensive at the time, I realize now that they were simply doing their due diligence...

After answering nearly ninety minutes worth of questions, they ended by asking me about our vision. I had so much pent-up passion after talking about policies and protocols that I just let it rip. I shared our vision of starting a Dream Center in Ward 8, the poorest part of our city and the primary reason the nation's capital is always in the running for murder capital of the country. I talked about turning our coffeehouse on Capitol Hill into a chain of coffeehouses, with all the net profits reinvested in missions. I talked about launching our first international campus in Berlin, Germany. And I shared our vision of launching multi-site campuses in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the greater Washington area. Then the meeting came to a rather abrupt and awkward ending. They said they wanted to invest in National Community Church, but they didn't say how or how much. They left, and I was left scratching my head.

A surprising phone call

I wasn't sure anything would come of that meeting, but a few weeks later, they asked my assistant for a phone appointment. On an otherwise uneventful Wednesday afternoon ... I received one of the most unforgettable phone calls of my life.

"Pastor Mark, we wanted to follow up on our meeting and let you know that we want to give a gift to National Community Church." My mind immediately started racing...

"We want to give a gift, and there are no strings attached. But before I tell you how much we're going to give, I want you to know why we're giving it. We're giving this gift because you have vision beyond your resources." I'll never forget that phrase: "vision beyond your resources."

If the vision is from God, it will most definitely be beyond your means.

The rationale behind the gift was just as meaningful as the gift itself. And that rationale has inspired us to keep dreaming irrational dreams. Those four words, vision beyond your resources, have become a mantra for the ministry of National Community Church. We refuse to let our budget determine our vision. That left-brained approach is a wrong-brained approach because it's based on our limited resources rather than on God's unlimited provision. Faith is allowing your God-given vision to determine your budget. That certainly does not mean you practice poor financial stewardship, spend beyond your means, and accumulate a huge debt load. It does mean that you take a step of faith when God gives you a vision because you trust that the One who gave you the vision is going to make provision. And for the record, if the vision is from God, it will most definitely be beyond your means.

Having vision beyond your resources is synonymous with dreaming big. And it may feel like you're setting yourself up for failure, but you're actually setting God up for a miracle. How God performs the miracle is His job. Your job is drawing a circle around the God-given dream. And if you do your job, you might just find yourself standing waist-deep in three feet of quail.

"We want to give the church $3 million dollars." I was speechless. And I'm a preacher.

It was one of those holy moments when time stands still. I heard it, but I could hardly believe it. I was blindsided by the blessing... God's provision came out of nowhere...

It's not our man-made plans that move the Almighty; the Almighty is moved by big dreams and bold prayers. In the awkward silence of my speechlessness, I heard the still small voice of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit hit the rewind button and reminded me of a prayer circle that I had drawn four years before... [Mark tells that story in the post "Lessons Learned from Trying to Force a Miracle."]

Do you want God to surprise you?

Over the past year, I've been repeating one prayer with great frequency: "Lord, do something unpredictable and uncontrollable."

If you want God to surprise you, you have to give up control.

That is a scary prayer, especially for a control freak like me, but it doesn't scare me nearly as much as a life void of holy surprises. And you can't have it both ways. If you want God to surprise you, you have to give up control. You will lose a measure of predictability, but you will begin to see God move in uncontrollable ways!

Anything could happen. Anyplace. Anytime.

- Mark Batterson (@markbatterson)

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Learn more about The Circle Maker
Watch session one of The Circle Maker DVD Group Study

May 15, 2012

Lessons Learned from Trying to Force a Miracle [Excerpt]

Have you ever ever prayed for something that would advance God's kingdom, but your plan didn't work out? This can be disconcerting, to say the least.

"This could be God saying 'Not yet' instead of 'No,'" a friend says. But a delay is mysterious when we see a clear need for God's intervention. "Why would God wait?" I've thought. "Doesn't he know the timeframe I'm working with? I only get about three score and ten years to make a difference!"

These concerns come out dramatically in this true story from pastor and author Mark Batterson. This story is from his book The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, and I hope you find it as encouraging as I did.

-Adam Forrest, Zondervan

The $2 Million Dollar Miracle

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One day, I was praying for God's provision when I felt a prompting to pray for a $2 million miracle. The first thing I had to do was decipher whether this prompting was just my own desire [for my non-profit] to be debt free or whether it was the Holy Spirit who dropped that promise into my heart. It's tough to discern between natural desires and holy desires, but I was about 90 percent sure it was the Holy Spirit who put that promise in my heart. I had no idea how God would do it, but I knew I needed to circle that promise in prayer.

I got what I thought was a $2 million idea for an online company called GodiPod. com. Lora and I invested the capital to get the business off the ground, but that $2 million idea turned out to be a $15,000 personal loss. In retrospect, I think I was trying to manufacture the miracle for God.

If we repent, God always recycles our mistakes.

This is what we often try to do, isn't it? When God doesn't answer our prayer right away, we try to answer it for Him. Like the day Moses took matters into his own hands and killed an Egyptian taskmaster, we get ahead of God. But when we try to do God's job for Him, it always backfires. Trying to get ahead of God cost Moses forty years. Of course, even then, God redeemed the forty years Moses spent as a fugitive tending sheep by prepping him to tend His sheep, the people of Israel. If we repent, God always recycles our mistakes.

The one upside to our failed business is that I did learn some valuable lessons about unanswered prayers that are worth far more than the $15,000 hit we took on GodiPod.com.

If God answered [our] selfish prayers, they would actually short-circuit the purposes of God in our lives.

First of all, I came to the humble conclusion that our prayers are often misguided simply because we're not omniscient. I'll be the first to admit that I've drawn some prayer circles around the wrong things for the wrong reasons, and God didn't answer those prayers the way I wanted Him to! If we were absolutely honest, we would have to admit that most of our prayers have as their main objective personal comfort rather than God's glory. If God answered those selfish prayers, they would actually short-circuit the purposes of God in our lives. We would fail to learn the lessons God is trying to teach us or cultivate the character God is trying to shape in us.

A second lesson learned is that no doesn't always mean no; sometimes no means not yet. We're too quick to give up on God when He doesn't answer our prayers when we want or how we want. Maybe your deadline doesn't fit God's timeline. Maybe no simply means not yet. Maybe it's a divine delay.

I learned that we shouldn't seek answers as much as we should seek God.

Finally, I learned that we shouldn't seek answers as much as we should seek God. We get overanxious. We try to microwave our own answers instead of trusting God's timing. But here's an important reminder: If you seek answers you won't find them, but if you seek God, the answers will find you. There comes a point after you have prayed through that you need to let go and let God. How? By resisting the temptation to manufacture your own answer to your own prayer.

It would have been easy to cash out on the $2 million promise after GodiPod.com failed, but I keep circling that promise. I still believed God was going to answer that prayer somehow, someway, sometime. I would have never guessed that the payoff would happen in a meeting about church government, but I stopped trying to manufacture my own answer and simply trusted that God would give an answer when I was ready for it. Then one afternoon, right around three o'clock, God came out of nowhere and delivered on His promise with a holy surprise...

God has surprised me so many times that I'm no longer surprised by His surprises. That doesn't mean I love them any less. I'm in awe of the strange and mysterious ways in which God works, but I have come to expect the unexpected because God is predictably unpredictable. God always has a holy surprise up His sovereign sleeve! The only thing I can predict with absolute certainty is this: the more you pray the more holy surprises will happen...

- Mark Batterson (@markbatterson)

Watch for the rest of this story on Zondervanblog.com tomorrow! To receive more encouraging and informative blog posts by email or RSS, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.

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Learn more about The Circle Maker
Watch session one of The Circle Maker DVD Group Study

May 07, 2012

The Kind of People Who Grow Good Fruit [Excerpt]

Ann Voskamp explores the deep-rooted link among surprise, joy, and humility. [Excerpt from Selections from One Thousand Gifts: Finding Joy in What Really Matters.]

Ann Voskamp

Perhaps there is no way to discover joy but as surprise...

The humble live surprised. The humble live by joy. The humble are the laid-low and bowed ones, the surprised ones with hands open to receive whatever He gives.

He hands them the earth. The earth. [Matthew 5:5]

But is it any wonder? That word humility itself comes from the Latin root humus — the kind of earth that grows good crops. God gives the earth to the humus-people, the humble ones. Humility is that good humus that grows gratitude that yields abundant joy.

In the upside-down kingdom of heaven, down is up and up is down, and those who want to ascend higher must descend lower. To receive God's gifts, to live exalted and joy filled, isn't a function of straining higher, harder, doing more. Receiving God's gifts is a gentle movement of stooping lower.

-Ann Voskamp

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Learn more about the devotional Selections from One Thousand Gifts.

Visit Ann Voskamp's blog at www.aholyexperience.com.

May 03, 2012

The Secret to Being Thankful "For All Things" [Excerpt]

Ann Voskamp shares a discovery from her spiritual practice of counting gifts. [Excerpt from Selections from One Thousand Gifts: Finding Joy in What Really Matters.]

Ann Voskamp

I had read it often, the oft-quoted verse: "And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). I would nod and say straight-faced, "I'm thankful for everything."

But [in] counting gifts, to one thousand, more, I discover that slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things. A lifetime of sermons on "thanks in all things" and the shelves sagging with books on these things and I testify: life-changing gratitude does not fasten to a life unless nailed through with one very specific nail at a time.

Little nails and a steady hammer can rebuild a life...

-Ann Voskamp

Q: It's "little nail" time. What's one specific thing you're thankful for? Feel free to share in a comment.

-Adam Forrest, Zondervan

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Learn more about the devotional Selections from One Thousand Gifts.

Visit Ann Voskamp's blog at www.aholyexperience.com.

April 02, 2012

An Unlikely Evangelist: What D. L. Moody's Life Demonstrates about Prayer & the Spirit [Excerpt by Jim Cymbala]

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Excerpt from Jim Cymbala's new book Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit.

When God's Spirit moves, his purposes are revealed and accomplished in ways that no committee, personality test, or computer program could ever figure out.

D. L. Moody is a great example of that. No one ever would have expected him to be one of the greatest evangelists of all time. Moody was initially a shoe salesman and basically uneducated. He was a short, overweight man and not very good-looking. He had a slight speech impediment and a rapid-fire delivery when he spoke.

D. L. Moody cartoon, 1875
From a cartoon of D. L. Moody, dated 1875.

After he became a Christian, he started working with children on the streets of Chicago, working with the YMCA, and later handing out tracts during the Civil War. Though he never went to seminary, his work bore fruit, and eventually he was invited to England to preach.

While he was there, well-trained, velvet-tongued pastors sat in amazement at his preaching. Many of their churches were dead, and the kingdom wasn't being extended. But along came Moody, and the crowds followed. Despite his limitations, God’s blessing was evident. The guy couldn’t even pronounce Daniel correctly. He said Dan'l. And more difficult names like Nebuchadnezzar? Not even close.

A man known only by Mr. Reynolds once described the first time he met Moody:

The first meeting I ever saw him at was in a little old shanty that had been abandoned by a saloon-keeper. Mr. Moody had got the place to hold the meeting in at night. I went there a little late: and the first thing I saw was a man standing up, with a few tallow candles around him, holding [a young African-American boy], and trying to read to him the story of the Prodigal Son; and a great many of the words he could not make out, and had to skip. I thought, If the Lord can ever use such an instrument as that for his honor and glory, it will astonish me. After that meeting was over, Mr. Moody said to me, "Reynolds, I have got only one talent: I have no education, but I love the Lord Jesus Christ, and I want to do something for Him: and I want you to pray for me." I have never ceased from that day to this, morning and night, to pray for that devoted Christian soldier.

In a sense, Moody was nearly semiliterate. I once saw a letter written by Moody that was reproduced in Love Them In: The Life and Theology of D. L. Moody, by Stanley N. Gundry. Any sixth grader could do better. There were no capital letters, and commas and periods were few and far between. He would have been laughed at today when we judge ministry by slickness of delivery style and not by spiritual power. Yet this man preached to millions of people with no sound system and became one of the best-known evangelists in the history of Christianity. He led thousands to the Lord and went on to found three schools and a university.

We're not all called to be a D. L. Moody. But regardless of how we're set apart, it is God's responsibility to equip us... Sometimes the work encompasses world-changing missions, such as that of Moody. At other times, the work is much more personal and closer to home...

[Get off the Sidelines with the Spirit's Power]

Just as each member of the human body functions differently from the others, the Spirit energizes each of us in the body of Christ to fulfill God's purpose. Without the Spirit's power being exercised, we tend to sit on the sidelines, inactive and unfulfilled. Worse, we are tempted to critique those actually "in the game" trying to proclaim Christ and serve his people. Anyone can criticize the efforts of another believer, but at the judgment seat of Christ, we will answer for ourselves only, not another...

Christ didn't die on the cross so that we would spend our time as Christians on earth merely sitting around waiting for his return. Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few" (Matt. 9:37). The reason for the shortage today is that too few are yielded to the Spirit whom Christ sent to us. But there's still time, and we have a patient, merciful Savior on our side.

Who knows how God can use you if you step out in faith and let the Holy Spirit take control? We're not called to be spectators watching from the stands as the prince of darkness goes about to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Jesus said there is a shortage of workers, but the actual work will be done by God's Spirit through you and me doing things beyond our wildest imagination. It all begins when you offer yourself to serve.

And then we can pray the prophet Isaiah's prayer, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isa. 6:8).

- Jim Cymbala (@jimcymbala)

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Then, on Sunday...

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March 12, 2012

Will God Help Imperfect People? [Excerpt by Jim Cymbala]

Excerpt from Jim Cymbala's book Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit.

'And let us... [fix] our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.' -Hebrews 12:1-2

Will God reject our requests for his help because we're still flawed and immature in some ways? Not if we desire to live right before God and experience more of the Holy Spirit. Humility and a sincere desire to please him will always gain a hearing at the throne of grace.

We must not keep on looking inward at our faults and moral failures. Let's just sincerely confess everything the Spirit shows us and then move on to better things, like always keeping our eyes on Jesus [Hebrews 12:1-2]. He is the one who promised the Holy Spirit to men who had recently deserted him at a critical time. It wasn't their track record or righteousness that earned the promise; it was his love and their desperate need.

Does the Spirit want to do everything we have read about [in the Bible] or not? If he doesn't, then the Bible is a very misleading book. If he does, then our seeking his help, strength, love, wisdom, and direction is not in vain. Each time the Holy Spirit prompts us to move in a new direction, let's obey immediately. This will help us develop a deeper sensitivity to his voice...

As sure as morning follows night, the Holy Spirit will move in new ways among us. Let's leave the timing and manifestation of those things to God, whose ways are not like ours. But while we wait, let us keep working for Christ and serving others in his name. Spiritual revival is not reserved for hermits hidden away in a desert, but for believers living in the real world. With God the best is always yet to come...

When the Spirit works through surrendered, faith-filled people like you and me, Christ will be glorified. The church will be built up. The Word of God will be honored. The kingdom of God will be extended. For that is why he came.

- Jim Cymbala

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Learn more about Spirit Rising

(Some styling above is a web-exclusive feature not included in the text of Spirit Rising. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

Posted at 09:57 AM in Book Excerpts, Inspiration, Prayer | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

March 07, 2012

Seeing God During Hard Times [Excerpt by Ann Voskamp]

Excerpt from Ann Voskamp's Selections from One Thousand Gifts: Finding Joy in What Really Matters.

How do you find God in the mess? St. John whispers it clear:

"We [actually] saw his glory... For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift" (John 1:14, 16 AMP).

To see the glory, name the graces.

That's the mystery map to the deep seeing! We saw His glory ... because ... we have all received one grace after another. Grace — that is what the full life is full of. To see the glory, name the graces. Retune the impaired senses to sense the Spirit, to see the grace.

Why is it so hard? Practice, practice.

We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see.

The discipline of thanks only comes with practice. When we practice giving thanks, we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see.

-Ann Voskamp

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Learn more about Selections from One Thousand Gifts.

Visit Ann Voskamp's blog at www.aholyexperience.com.

(Some styling above is web-exclusive. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

Posted at 09:54 AM in Book Excerpts, Inspiration, Prayer | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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