What is Prayer? - Ephesians 6:16-18a

        In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit...
(Ephesians 6:16-18a ESV)

Westminster Shorter Catechism #98

Q.  What is prayer?
A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.

Great Expectations - John 14:12-14

     “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
    (John 14:12-14 ESV)

Pastor Mark Scholten

 We welcomed to our pulpit this week at Redeemer Church Pastor Mark Scholten of Faith Presbyterian Church in Akron. Pastor Scholten graduated from Hope College (Holland, MI) in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion. He also studied at the Oregon Extension and at L’abri in Switzerland. He received an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary (Jackson, MS) in 1992. Mark is married to Kathy, and they have been blessed with five children.

Spiritual Disciplines Week 3

We delve into chapter two this week of Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines and discuss prayer.

Westminster Shorter Catechism #98

What is prayer? A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.

God Owns Our Battles - 2 Chronicles 20:15

 A Prayer about God’s Ownership of Our Battles

The Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s. 1 Sam. 17:47
 
This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chron. 20:15
 
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 Jn. 4:4
 
     Dear heavenly Father, I love it when you’re selfish with things I don’t really want anyway—especially when you claim ownership of our battles. Though you give us armor to wear (Eph. 6:10–18), it’s you we must trust in as the Divine Warrior. We’re never more than David facing Goliath; but with you, we’ll not be afraid. Whether it’s a mere skirmish or an all-out assault, the battle belongs to you. Fear and discouragement are not the order of the day; faith and peace are.
     When we’re afraid of events in world history—when it seems like evil and terror will triumph, let us hear the laughter of heaven. Let us see your installed King, the Lord Jesus—the ruler of the kings of the earth. Give us a fresh sighting of the occupied throne of heaven (Rev. 4), and it will shut up our fears (Ps. 2).
     When we’re under attack by the seducer, accuser, and condemner of the brethren, once again let us see Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He is our wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30–31). Our boast is in Jesus, not in anything in us.
     When we get pulled into petty fights with our brothers and sisters in Christ, slay us with the gospel and bring us back to faith expressing itself in love.
     When marriage becomes a momentary battleground of two stubborn people—vying for control, ”rightness,” or self-glory, convict us by the Spirit, humble us with grace and return us to servant love.
     When we’re in the presence of evil and very broken people, keep us sane and centered by the gospel. Give us wisdom and freedom to love well in the dark places.
     When our divided hearts wage war inside of us, come to us in the storm, Lord Jesus, and make peace. It’s your grip of us, not our weak grasp of you, that will win this day and every day. So very Amen we pray, in your tender and triumphant name. - Scotty Smith

Scotty Smith shared this a few days ago. What a relief to know our gracious Father is not only concerned about our battles but is indeed in control of them.  Let us rest easy knowing He guides and directs all the events that come our way.

Specific Prayer

    At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
(Colossians 4:3-4 ESV)

General Prayer - Colossians 4:2

    Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
(Colossians 4:2 ESV)

An Evening Prayer

O Lord God, who hast given man the night for rest, as thou hast created the day in which he may employ himself in labour, grant, I pray, that my body may so rest during this night that my mind cease not to be awake to thee, nor my heart faint or be overcome with torpor, preventing it from adhering steadfastly to the love of thee. While laying aside my cares to relax and relieve my mind, may I not, in the meanwhile, forget thee, nor may the remembrance of thy goodness and grace, which ought always to be deeply engraven on my mind, escape my memory. In like manner, also, as the body rests may my conscience enjoy rest. Grant, moreover, that in taking sleep I may not give indulgence to the flesh, but only allow myself as much as the weakness of this natural state requires, to my being enabled thereafter to be more alert in thy service. Be pleased to keep me so chaste and unpolluted, not less in mind than in body, and safe from all dangers, that my sleep itself may turn to the glory of thy name. But since this day has not passed away without my having in many ways offended thee through my proneness to evil, in like manner as all things are now covered by the darkness of the night, so let every thing that is sinful in me lie buried in thy mercy. Hear me, O God, Father and Preserver, through Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen.
John Calvin and Henry Beveridge, Tracts Relating to the Reformation, Volume 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 98-99.

A Morning Prayer

My God, my Father and Preserver, who of thy goodness hast watched over me during the past night, and brought me to this day, grant also that I may spend it wholly in the worship and service of thy most holy deity. Let me not think, or say, or do a single thing which tends not to thy service and submission to thy will, that thus all my actions may aim at thy glory and the salvation of my brethren, while they are taught by my example to serve thee. And as thou art giving light to this world for the purposes of external life by the rays of the sun, so enlighten my mind by the effulgence of thy Spirit, that he may guide me in the way of thy righteousness. To whatever purpose I apply my mind, may the end which I ever propose to myself be thy honour and service. May I expect all happiness from thy grace and goodness only. Let me not attempt any thing whatever that is not pleasing to thee.
Grant also, that while I labour for the maintenance of this life, and care for the things which pertain to food and raiment, I may raise my mind above them to the blessed and heavenly life which thou hast promised to thy children. Be pleased also, in manifesting thyself to me as the protector of my soul as well as my body, to strengthen and fortify me against all the assaults of the devil, and deliver me from all the dangers which continually beset us in this life. But seeing it is a small thing to have begun, unless I also persevere, I therefore entreat of thee, O Lord, not only to be my guide and director for this day, but to keep me under thy protection to the very end of life, that thus my whole course may be performed under thy superintendence. As I ought to make progress, do thou add daily more and more to the gifts of thy grace until I wholly adhere to thy Son Jesus Christ, whom we justly regard as the true Sun, shining constantly in our minds. In order to my obtaining of thee these great and manifold blessings, forget, and out of thy infinite mercy, forgive my offences, as thou hast promised that thou wilt do to those who call upon thee in sincerity.
(Ps. 143:8.)—Grant that I may hear thy voice in the morning since I have hoped in thee. Show me the way in which I should walk, since I have lifted up my soul unto thee. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, I have fled unto thee. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Let thy good Spirit conduct me to the land of uprightness.
John Calvin and Henry Beveridge, Tracts Relating to the Reformation, Volume 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 95-96.

A wonderful way to start your day. May our Lord bless your endeavors today.

A Prayer for Setting Our Hope on Future Grace

 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, and being sober-minded; set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 1:13   

 Heavenly Father, you won’t let us get away from thinking about your grace, for even one minute. And let me hasten to say, thank you, thank you, thank you. Grace at the beginning, middle and end—it’s all about your generosity towards us in Jesus.  
     I praise you for finally convincing the legalist and performer in me, that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. And I praise you for the ongoing schooling in the sufficiency of your grace, for all the broken things in my life: broken relationships, broken health, broken promises, broken church—broken me.   
     And now I praise you for commanding me to set my hope on yet-to-be-received grace—the unleashed fullness, the unfettered wonder, the undiminished glory of your contra-conditional love for us in Jesus. There is no God like you—no other God so immeasurably generous with helpless, rebellious, ill-deserving people like us.   
     Father, help me to remember that this hope-setting command is just as much a command to be obeyed as “Do not lie, do not steal, and do not covet.” You are serious about where we set our hope, for you know if we don’t set our hope on your grace, we will set it somewhere else: on saviors that cannot save, on people who are not God, on gospels that are not gospels, on idols that will ultimately fail us.   
     Father, I’ve never so looked forward to the Day when Jesus will be fully revealed—when the firstfruits of grace will give way to the full harvest of grace; when, as the Bride of Christ, we will enter the perfections of life in the new heaven and new earth. Until that Day, deploy us more fully into your story of redemption and restoration.    
     Where would you have us work for justice and beauty? Where would you have us show the daily-ness of your mercies and prove the wonders of your love? May the gospel enable us to walk more humbly with you, our God, as we serve the least and the lost. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ trustworthy and triumphant name. - Scotty Smith

Scotty Smith is Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition

 

A Prayer for the First Sunday in Advent

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
(1 Peter 1:10-12 ESV)

Dear Heavenly Father, it’s the first Sunday in Advent, a season of anticipation and celebration—a time to reflect on every good thing you’ve already done for us in Jesus, and the glorious things yet to be realized.

You’ve made promises you alone can keep; you give peace that can be found nowhere else; you’ve pledged a hope you alone can fulfill.  We praise you; we bless you; we worship you. As Advent progresses, fill us to overflowing with gratitude, humility and joy.

Father, grant us intense longings—like the ones that filled the heart of the prophets. The promise of grace and the Spirit of Christ thrilled them, as they anticipated the era of the Messiah—the time when you would begin to make all things new through Jesus.

And grant us joy-filled intrigue, like that felt by the angels. Your heavenly servants were overwhelmed as they pondered your unfolding story of redemption and restoration, for men and creation. We are the people the prophets were speaking about. We are the people angels envied. Hallelujah, many times over!

Lord Jesus, multiplied “glories” have already come to us, and many, many more will follow, all because of the sufferings you offered on our behalf—once and for all. Indeed, every promise God has made finds its “Yes!” in you. May this entire Advent season bring us back to your manger, back to your cross, back to your empty tomb; and moving forward with you into your new creation story.
Long expected Jesus, you have come and you are coming again. You are the desire of every nation; you are the joy of every longing heart. By your all sufficient merit, you have raised us and you will raise us yet. So very Amen we pray, with gratitude and anticipation, in your loving and triumphant name. - Scotty Smith


Scotty Smith is Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition.

Faith Through Prayer - Mark 9:14-29

 

 

    And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
    (Mark 9:14-29 ESV)

Confession of Sin

Below is the confession of sin from last week's service at Redeemer Church. I believe it very appropriate for us all.

Our Father, we are guilty of sins both great and small, both public and private, both unplanned and premeditated.  Times without number we have failed to fulfill our duty and transgressed your commands.  Our thoughts have wandered, our beliefs have wavered, our desires have been tainted with the corruption of sin.  You have repeatedly shown yourself faithful to us and your mercies have been fresh each morning.  Yet, how often have we refused to trust you?  to thank you?  to love you as we should?  We confess ourselves to be unworthy and undeserving of the very least of your blessings.  Please forgive us for Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

The God of All Comfort

    For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus...(2 Corinthians 7:5-6 ESV)

Gracious Father, the incidental pictures in the Scriptures are often as profound as the intentional promises. The story of a conflicted Paul tasting fresh comfort through the care of a good friend is timely. You sent Titus to Paul as surely as you send the rain to the earth. Thank you, Father, for reminding us even your most faithful servants—those who know you the best, those whose grasp of the gospel is a zillion times better than mine—even these men and women experience restlessness, fear, and weariness.

     Why should we be surprised with we experience emotional depletion, spiritual weariness and physical exhaustion? Thank you that the gospel is not a story of supermen and superwomen, but of ordinary sinners, saved by grace, offering the aroma of the gospel through our brokenness, weakness and utter dependence upon the God who raises the dead.

     At times I still labor under the myth of omni-competence. If I just prayed enough, believed enough, or was filled with the Spirit enough, I would never get discouraged or downcast. What a groundless lie. What a horrible burden.

     Thank you for comforting us when we’re downcast. You don’t deride us, chide us, or hide from us—you comfort us. You’re “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). Thank you for the comforters you send us. Though you’re quite capable of sending ravens and rainbows as gifts of comfort, more often than not, you send a Titus to a Paul, or a Phoebe to a Paul (Rom. 16:1). You love to tell your story through your people.

     Father, on this glorious fall morning, help us to be honest about our weakness, expectant of your comfort, and thankful (and receptive) for whomever you send. And make us sensitive to the needs of others around me. In our weakness we may be more good to them than when we feel “on top of our game.” Who needs a word of comfort from another weary traveler? Show us, Father. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ compassionate and comforting name. - Scotty Smith

I think this is a common state for many of us. Life gets us down and we put more pressure on ourselves to be "omni-competent." This prayer is worded so well and mirrors many of our feelings perfectly. So let us praise God as He ministers to us through Christian friends. Don't deny yourself the comfort He provides.

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
(2 Corinthians 1:3 ESV)

Scotty Smith is Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition.

Seeing Jesus Everywhere in the Bible

Oh how I need this...

    Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
    (Luke 24:44-47 ESV)

     Dear Lord Jesus, eternal life is to know you, so I ask you to continue to do for me what you did for these men on the road to Emmaus; open my mind to see more of you everywhere in the Bible. You’ve begun this work, please expand and deepen it. Enable me read the law of Moses, the Prophets, and the psalms with you clearly in view.    
     Let me see you promised and prefigured; hidden and manifest in every text; as the shadow always present and as the substance coming in fulfillment; as my faithful substitute and as my glorious sovereign. Let me see you everywhere in the Scriptures, Lord Jesus.   
     For years I thought of the Law of Moses as rules and principles by which I could earn God’s favor and blessings, or at least micromanage my life for greater success. Now I understand that the law was given to drive us to you, Lord Jesus. It was never given as a basis of my acceptance with God. You fulfilled the law for us by your perfect obedience, and you’ve exhausted its judgment by your vicarious death. I wish I’d understood this earlier in my walk with you.
     I used to read the Prophets with a fear of judgment and great intrigue about the future of Israel. Now I realize that all of God’s promises point to you, Jesus. You are the “Yes” and “Amen” to every promise God has made. You are the final and faithful remnant of Israel, and in union with you, we have life—we have everything. The gospel of your kingdom claims the entire cosmos, not just the Middle East—not just old Jerusalem but the New Jerusalem as well; not just the first heaven and first earth, but the new heaven and new earth as well. What a great creator and gracious redeemer you are, Lord Jesus!   
     I’ve always loved the Psalms, but until recent years, I read them more with an appreciation for David than with adoration for you, Jesus. But you are the King installed by your Father, the one who inherits the nations and the ends of the earth (Psalm 2)—thus we are commissioned to go with you to all nations and to preach this good news in humility and with great hope.  
     Indeed, Jesus, continue to open my mind to understand how the entire Bible is a revelation of the gospel—the story of God’s commitment to redeem his people and restore the world by you. So very Amen I pray, in your loving and peerless name. - Scotty Smith

Scotty Smith is Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition.

Feeling Distant from God?

Love his honesty in this clip...

Do You Feel Distant from God? from Desiring God on Vimeo.

Have You Lost Your Perspective?

    When my soul was embittered,
        when I was pricked in heart,
    I was brutish and ignorant;
        I was like a beast toward you.
    Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
        you hold my right hand.
    You guide me with your counsel,
        and afterward you will receive me to glory.
    Whom have I in heaven but you?
        And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
    My flesh and my heart may fail,
        but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
(Psalm 73:21-26 ESV)

      Dear Father, the older I get, the more I’ve come to appreciate the many voices you’re recorded in your Word. There’s no moment, melancholy, mania, or madness we experience in life that you haven’t anticipated and validated. Today I praise you for writing into Israel’s hymnal a song for the bitter and “beastly”—those who have moved into the temporary insanity of forgetting the gospel.

     Indeed, there are times when I forget that I’m living in a fallen world with a fragile heart among other foolish people just like me; what’s worse, I experientially forget how much you care for me, my standing in grace and your Big Story of redemption. My expectations of you, and of others, become more connected to la-la land than Canaan Land. When this happens, I become just like the psalmist Asaph—a thrower of pity parties, little ones and bigger ones.

     That you tolerate us in those times of disconnect is extraordinary. That you still treasure us when we lose touch with gospel sanity is astonishing. When we shake a fist at you, your grasp of grace is all the tighter. When we complain about a stony, silent heaven, you’re actively, quietly guiding our every footstep. When we try to ignore or run away from you, you’re just as resolved to end our journey in the fullness of your presence and joy.

     It melts my iceberg, jagged-edged heart… that’s what such love does. Continue the thaw. I’m not just the biggest loser when I pitch my tent in the land of disconnected heart; I’m also a thief, robbing a lot of people who are dear to me.

     Restore to me the full enjoyment of your free and full salvation in Jesus, dear Father. Rescue me from my self-centered, demanding heart. Let me live and love like a gentle, grace-full man. Life in this world is just too short to waste on being pouty and petty. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ loving and faithful name. - Scotty Smith

Scotty Smith is Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition.

Doctrine of Prayer Week 8

This is our final study of the Doctrine of Prayer. Please join us as we begin a study of the book of Ephesians  next week.

Prayer and Praise

    Praise the LORD!
    For it is good to sing praises to our God;
        for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
(Psalm 147:1 ESV)

God is praiseworthy. Getting that fact under our skin is not as easy as we might think. Self-centered praying (which is a form of idolatry) fails to appreciate that our purpose here on earth is to praise our Creator and Redeemer. Listen to the psalmist as he extols the praiseworthiness of God again and again. The Psalter used to be the basic diet for Christians.Christians sang psalms around the dining room table and in church services on Sunday. Subliminally, the God-centered praise of the book of Psalms became the language of prayer. Since psalm-singing has waned, the rich God-exalting praise that the Psalter represents has waned as well. - Taken from Tabletalk from Ligonier Ministries, April 2012 issue, by Dr. Derek W.H. Thomas.

Wise words for us all to consider. We all succumb to self-centered praying because we are all naturally self-centered. Let us therefore begin and focus our prayers on magnifying our great God. May we praise Him for the gospel and may the Spirit sanctify our prayers.

Tabletalk is valuable daily resource for study and devotions. You can order yours here.

Doctrine of Prayer Week 7

Doctrine of Prayer Week 6

    “Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size.
    (Exodus 26:1-2 ESV)

    And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
    And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
(Matthew 27:50-51 ESV)

    Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
        but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
(Proverbs 28:13 ESV)