Draw the Circle - Day 40 - Prayer Alphabet

"Lord, teach us to pray." - Luke 11:1

We did it!

40 days!

Not without tardy posts and slip ups, but 40 posts completed.  I hope this will be a resource even if you haven't gotten to day 40 yet.  I'll keep checking for comments.  I'm usually a fast starter but struggle finishing so I am thankful for your accountability.

It's been a roller coaster ride.  I've not always agreed with everything that Mark Batterson wrote, but I am thankful that he did write and prompted me to pray more.  Not that I have arrived.  I have many miles to go before I sleep. . . .

I want to encourage you to journal or blog when you read Scripture.  Processing by writing and reflecting has helped me take in more of what I've read.  It will do the same for you.  Even writing scripture helps you form spiritual memories.

And like jesus's disciples, let us pray that Jesus would continue to teach us to pray - continue to keep us hungry.

Hungry not for the tangibles (the "stuff") of prayer but for the living relationship with God that prayer provides.

And that is what it's all about.  If you read some of my early posts in Draw the Circle, that was what I wanted us to get to . . .

Intimacy with God

The "stuff" is all icing on the cake.

But I want the cake.

And as we partake of the "Cake of life," we'll discover ourselves aligning our prayers to the stuff that God wants us to have.

Stuff with which we can use to bless others.

But let us always strive in our prayer lives for the gift Giver over the gift.

Stay hungry my friend - for the Bread of Life
Stay thirsty my friend - for Living Water.

Keep drawing circles.

Amen and Amen.

Draw the Circle - Day 39 - Holy Ground

"Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground." - Exodus 3:5

Holy ground - the place where your life intersects perfectly with God's will - where God is present.

Moses found this moment is his calling at a burning bush - while tending sheep.

Gideon found holy ground while hiding in a threshing pit.

Peter when he went to meet Cornelius to share the Good News stood on holy ground when gentile Cornelius and his family spoke in tongues.

General Cecil Richardson stood on holy ground on a Saturday morning optical store.

Ken Gaub discovered holy ground at a pay phone at a rest stop near Dayton Ohio.

Have you had those moments?  When YOU KNEW you were exactly where God wanted you to be doing exactly what God wanted you to do?

If you haven't, you are missing out!  

Maybe you've stood on holy ground without realizing it.

Handing out water on tollgate?  or hot cocoa at Kohl's?  or giving away stuff at the library flea market? installing flooring?  hosting a birthday party?

My guess is that you've missed more burning bushes than you realize.

Because I have.  Sometimes I have the blessing of instant realization/revelation but often I find those holy encounters in reflection - after the fact.

I want more of them - in the moment.

I need to pray . . . and act.

Draw the Circle - Day 38 - Climb the Watchtower

"I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard-post." - Habakkuk 2:1

In the Hebrew testament, the Israelites often set up memorial stones/altars to mark a sacred event.  These sacred events became sacred places - a constant reminder of where they had met God in the past and how faithful God had been to them.  God would command them or they would know instinctively to pile up and alter of stones.   I can imagine how these memorial altars had an impact on anyone who made pilgrimage to them.

"This is where God provided a ram to Abraham."

"This is where God brought your ancestors into the Promised Land on a dry river bed."

"This is where Elijah whipped some Baal tail."

It had to bring their faith to life.

Think about how experiential the Passover meal is - taste - remember.

This Draw the Circle blogging has been good for me - it's reminded me of my calling and the visions/prayers that God has answered which fuels my faith for the future.  I've have several places where I put down a "pile of stones" to remind me that God has been faithful.

Do you have places or events that you embrace as major markers in your spiritual journey? your baptism?  a retreat?  a quiet walk? a birth?  a death?

Pile up some stones and pray. 

And be reminded that God is faithful.

Just look where He has brought you to this very day.

"This is where Jesus died for you."

"This is where he defeated death."

"This is where he promised he'd return some day."

Watch and wait and pray.

Draw the Circle - Day 37 - Prayer Contracts

"Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven." - Matthew 18:18

What space or place or property does God want to give the Vine?

It's a legitimate question.

For a season of indeterminable length, He's given us Emmorton Elementary School.  It's been far from perfect (how do you spell "broken AC?" but despite incoveniences it has been our home.

We've been nomadic for two years now.  Faithful Viners pull a trailer every week,  These Viners join others to set up and prep and pack up every week.

Could God have something else in mind for us?

One of our core values is that we want to stay simple - that we seek simplicity and that includes "traveling light" when it comes to property.  By God's grace, we've been able to use homes, and parks and restaurants and this school for a very small rental fee.  I think God loves this - it lets us put more resources into the Kingdom rather than in buildings.

But I also  love NCC's call to start a coffee house - Ebeneezer's.  Honestly, I had that vision way back when I was in Saint Mary's County - long before I heard of NCC and Ebeneezer's - and I haven't been able to shake it.  I too see a place where Viners rub shoulders with community.  I already have a name or two - Holy Grounds?  JUST(ice) Coffeehouse?  (don't moan)

Starbucks talks about wanting to become people's "third place."  the place after home and work where people gather.  Shouldn't the church be the third place - where faith is fused with fun, fellowship, food?

I know the perfect place, but it will take an act of God.  So I'll pray and circle.

Will you join me?

Draw the Circle - Day 36 - Senior Partner

"Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." - Matthew 6:20

First - apologies for missing the last few days - I was pretty happy I was able to keep this going through vacation, but actually slipped when jumping back into the swing of things.

Two great stories on generosity

Most of us are trying to get to an actual 10th!  Stanley Tam gave it all away - $120 million over his lifetime.  That's just staggering.  He ran a true NON-PROFIT business - using his business to fund the Kingdom of God.

I believe God is searching this planet for men and women like Stanley - people who have been generous with little - conduits of God's grace - blessing others with the blessings God has given them.  I wish I could say I had his faith - his heart.

At 50, I am still learning.  Gonna drop to my knees now.

Draw the Circle - Day 35 - The Longest Lever

"Do not despise these long beginnings." - Zechariah 4:10

(Praying for you today.)

This might be Mark's best chapter.

I can't add to it or detract from it.

When I get back, let's pick a time (or times) to pray together.

Our prayer walks of course and also an extended concert of prayer.

We might want to consider such time of prayer BEFORE we serve on SAS.


Any takers?

Draw the Circle - Day 34 - Raise Up a Remnant

"And the remnant shall yet again take root downward and bear fruit upward." - 2 Kings 19:30 (KJV)

30 And you who are left in Judah,
    who have escaped the ravages of the siege,
will put roots down in your own soil
    and will grow up and flourish. - 2 Kings 19:30 (NLT)

Can a promise made to a certain people be a promise claimed by all?

Should a promise made to a certain people, be claimed by others?

Scripture often claims a local truth and a universal principle.  Often but not always.

Often you can determine a universal principle because it keeps showing up - across Scripture and across history.

Make sense?  It's universal because it transcends the local.

The principle of revival coming through the prayers of a remnant is true and universal.

Scripture bears it out.  History bears it out.

The Moravians, the fifty students at the Argentine Bible Institute, the Methodists, the Asuza Street revival . . .

That God would work with and through only a handful of faithful prayer warriors brings me great hope.

There's hope for the Vine!

We don't need a misquoted promise to Israel to know in our souls that this is true.

People who humble themselves in prayer and who seek God's face will be lifted up.

Those who abide in Christ will "bear much fruit."

Let's lay a foundation of prayer upon which God can build a great church.

Anybody up for an all-night prayer watch?

Draw the Circle - Day 33 - Prayer Covering

"Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on the one side, one on the other" - Exodus 17:1

Who do you have to support you in your faith walk?

Who is mentoring you? encouraging you? investing in you?

Who is PRAYING for you?

None of us are meant to do this faith thing on our own.

Who do you turn to for counsel and coaching?

If the answer is head scratching, then let's talk.  That's what the Vine is about - investing in one another.  And as your pastor, I'll help you get connected to the right person - possibly even me.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

We're all in this together.

Draw the Circle - Day 32 - Get a Testimony

" . . . and by the word of their testimony  . . ." - Revelation 12:11

What has God done for you?

This is the first question - a very important question to ask and to answer.

When you begin to list out the stuff God has done for you and the gifts He has given you, you've laid the foundation for your story.

Once upon a time, I was . . .  but then God . . .

Once upon a time, I didn't have  . . . but then God . . .

This isn't just one story, but multiple stories

Now comes the second big question.

Who have you told?

You have a story, really multiple stories, that need to be told.

The best time to tell them is right when they happen - when they are fresh, when you are excited about what God has done

But even when not fresh, your stories need telling.

They are the building blocks of our faith and they encourage others.

They encourage us and others to pray, to share, to give, to witness, to read God's Word, to serve  . . .

Viners need to hear your story(ies).  People who are not connected to God need to hear your story(ies).

And you need to tell them - for the benefit of your own soul..

I can't wait to hear your stories.

Keep drawing circles.

Happy 4th all!

Draw the Circle - Day 31 - Spell It Out

"What do you want me to do for you?" - Matthew 20:32

It's God's prerogative to answer prayer.  He doesn't mind us asking.

I still find it difficult - God has already given me life - it's hard for me to ask for more.

But God is generous.  And this is an ongoing learning for me.

God doesn't get angry when we ask - even when our asking is audacious - beyond God's desire for us.

God can use our asking to teach us.

Like Jesus told his disciples - "You really don't know what you are asking for."

When I was little my Dad took me to the general store - a Mom and Pop store in Cherry Run.  My best friend lived right behind the store.  When we got there, Dad bought me an orange "pop" but I wanted more.  I wanted to visit my friend, Craig, who lived in a house next door to the store.  My Dad kept refusing my request, but finally after pestering forever, he relented.  I was so happy.  Pop in hand, I ran out of the store and ran around the corner to visit Craig - Dad gave me a time limit.  It was dark outside the store and I forgot there was a set of steps leading into the private residence beside the store - concrete steps.  Well you guessed it.  I RAN into the steps - dropped my pop bottle and ended up with some major scrapes and bruises on my shins.  Dad came out gathered me up.  I felt so foolish. And home we went.

This event still forms me.  Sometimes we beg for want we don't need.  And God relents even though He wants better for us.

Maybe this event is part of my problem.  I don't know.

I just know Father knows best.

Draw the Circle - Day 30 - Abide in Me

"If my words abide in you . . ." - John 15:7

Are you spending time with God is His Word?

Do you have a daily reading plan?

There are a number of good plans both online and printable versions.

If you are task oriented, there is satisfaction in being able to check off the box and see the checklist grow as you read through the Bible.

But is is just as important to remember that reading God's Word is not task for the sake of task.  It is to bring us into relationship and intimacy with God.

Like reading this book together, I would love for us to "sync up" and all be reading and reflecting on the same text every day.  I always believe there is strength in numbers.

Please don't beat yourself up, if you don't have a plan.  Consider this encouragement to research and claim one.

And as you begin to implement an intentional plan to spend time in God's Word, don't beat yourself up when you miss.

One of the plans I have enjoyed has a built in safety net - five days of reading with two catch up days per week.

So if things get hectic on a day, you can catch up on the weekends or if you are caught up, you can explore other passages.

The whole key is to be able to celebrate that you are praying more than you did before and being formed by God's Word more than you did before.

These are the key building blocks for your faith - spiritual disciplines - God's Word, prayer and formation through ACTION.  We've touched on all these during this blogging series.

Here's some links to some excellent resources for Bible reflection

http://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/

http://www.navpress.com/uploadedFiles/15074%20BRP.dj.pdf  (printable)

http://dailybible.americanbible.org/pdf/dbrg_2013_english.pdf (printable)

https://www.youversion.com/reading-plans

One of the plans that I really like is from the last in this list - The Cell Rule of Optina takes you through the New Testament in 89 days which seems just about right to me - reading the NT four times in a year.

Of course if you haven't read through the whole Bible, The Story, is a good way to capture the whole narrative of he Bible.

What do you use?  What works for you?  What are stumbling blocks?

Share below.

Draw the Circle - Day 29 - A New Prayer

"Sing to the Lord a New Song" - Psalm 96:1

Mark brings up a great point about going through the motions in your spiritual disciplines.

Are you able to sing "morning by morning new mercies I see."?  

Also fascinating that after singing a song 30 times, we stop paying attention to the word.

Kim?

I notice that on some songs, I do put less energy into thinking about the words, but often when I "put a song down" then pick it up later it becomes fresh again.

How can you stay fresh?  How can you keep from just checking of a box?  Critical to staying in tune with God is the pivot point of attitude and anticipation.

I'm talking about an attitude that anticipates God's presence.  How can devos or worship ever be boring when God shows up?  Well, the short answer is, it can't.  And that means that you must come into both private and public worship with a sense of anticipation.

I get to meet God this morning!  - in a prayer, in a song, in a piece of scripture that pops off the page when you read it. in a thought that just blows you out of the water . . .

I've been blessed with being able to help people on Sunday morning move from routine worship to remarkable worship - when the sense of God's presence is more than occasional encounter but a weekly expectation.  God is in the house!  I'm thankful for this gift - it's all God working on and using a country boy preacher.  It's amazing to me, when folk come and God always seems to touch someone.

Can you expect the same in your quiet time?  YES!  Try listening to music and really concentrating on the words. Grab a hymnal and read the text as poetry.  Put yourself in a new testament story.  Use posture - like the Quaker emptying and filling we practiced two Sundays ago.  Try fasting.  Go outside and focus on something in creation - something small you walk by every day.  Marvel at how God created it.  Listen to the birds greeting the day and picture them singing  their chorus to God.

If you are in routine mode, I and others can help.

Share some of what you do to get out of the rut.

(Anybody out there?)