Why Keep Praying...Does Prayer Really Change Things???

Our lives are filled with plans, promises, pains, and picturesque moments. In every one of these emotions and circumstances we are encouraged to thank God because it is His will (1 Thessalonians 5:18). But have you ever been in a place where you just didn’t know if you should be thanking God or fussing at him.

In Romans 8:26, Paul writes, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”

So, even when we don’t have the right words, we have the Holy Spirit who pushes our broken and unintelligible utterings from our hearts, beyond our lips, and toward God.

Prayer is one the most powerful tools a believer in Christ carries. Prayer calls down angels, calms stormy situations, and sees us through both the cool and the crazy moments of our lives. Yet, given the outstanding benefits of prayer – our prayers are often suffocated by impatience or fear.

I heard a preacher once say that our God is old school. God doesn’t own a microwave. He prefers Crock Pot blessings. Microwaves heat from the out side and will leave parts undone yet stoves and crock pot heat food patiently and thoroughly.

How does a believer develop the patience to hold on and maintain faith when they feel their time is limited?

How does a believer dismiss the fear that God won’t answer when they are praying with all of their might?

(Matthew 26:39)

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Matthew, Mark, and Luke explicitly detail Jesus’ prayer at the Mount of Olives.

In our greatest moments of agony understand that everyone is not going to understand what you are going through. The bible says Jesus traveled with his disciples only so far before He pulled away to be alone. Your family and friends may have been through something similar but its still different from your personal experience.

Luke 22:40 Jesus tells the disciples, “Pray that you will not give into temptation”

On of our greatest challenges is not that we won’t pray but that we will be tempted to GIVE UP on our prayers. 

Jesus says don’t give into temptation…

Then, Jesus walks away approximately 50 feet, drops to his knees and lays on his face. He is about to face an extreme circumstance. In this moment, similar to Jesus tears at the grave of lazarus, we once again get a glimpse at the human side of our Lord and Savior.

POINT #1

We receive REAL answers when we recognize and appeal to a REAL savior

It’s hard to talk to someone who is invisible

Jesus says, “My Father, Father, and Abba, Father” in the Gospels – each denotes that He is speaking to not only the Father of all but also his personal Father. This shows the closeness of their relationship. We have to realize that when we pray, we aren’t praying to an ATM machine, genie, or magic being in the sky. We are praying/communicating to someone who knows us intimately.

Question:

How many of you all are in a relationship

What is a reasonable amount of time you would expect to hear from them per day?

What is a reasonable amount time that your Heavenly Father should hear from you?

POINT #2

We receive REAL answers when we are REAL honest

The bible says in Isaiah 65:24: "Before you call I will answer, while you are still speaking, I will hear."

How cool is it to serve a God that knows exactly what we need even before we ask.

Yet, I believe we just aren’t upfront about our needs. We only want Him to fix the issue but not the root cause of the issue. We want quick solution instead of complete healing. Tell Him everything and allow Him to fix everything. Everything? Everything!

POINT #3 

We receive REAL answers when we wait for REAL answers

If God puts you on hold don’t hang up...

The human nature of Jesus was torn. The arduous task He was about to embark upon would torment His mind, body, and soul. Yet, He declares that God’s will is paramount.

The split second decision of Jesus to fully trust God is sometimes way too long for us to reach.  

In the darkest part of the storm Jesus cried out, Peter cried out, Moses cried out. Each was delivered. Why is your mouth still shut?

God won't give us what we can’t handle and He gives us what He wants us to grow in to.

You are given bigger shoes because your potential for growth is expected.

We I train people at the gym, I tell them, "If you are persistent you will get it – If you are consistent you will keep it"

It's biblical - check out Luke 18:1-5. Your resilience in faith is not begging - its consistent asking with confidence through faith. Begging is done in fear not faith.

The moment Jesus began to pray He was strengthened by the angels and every moment following that God never left his side. You have the Holy spirit in you and God has declared he will never leave you. Stop leaving him when your prayers aren’t answered your way. 

He knows, He gives, and He is on time.

Isaiah 41:9,10:

"You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you, and have not cast you away. Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

The difference between guiding and leading...

Last week, I traveled to one of the most amazing cities in America with the Devos Urban Leadership Initiative. For four days, brilliant and passionate youth leaders from across the country gathered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a leadership conference. Each day was filled with encouragement, inspiration, and fun. However, every morning before we gathered together for breakfast, there was an optional three mile run. One of the event organizers, knowing that I enjoy working out, asked me to lead the three mile run on two of the three days. The run organizer told me that there would be some people who would run faster than me and some that would run slower but he trusted me to keep the pace. I was excited for the opportunity, this was my chance to excel in one of my passions with other powerful youth leaders.

The first day we ran, I was filled with nervous excitement. I stayed with the front runner and enjoyed the pace. Day two was my turn to lead. I put on my flyest running gear and prepared to blaze a trail. We started together, then I took off at a great pace leaving most of the group behind. I finished the run way ahead of everyone and was quite proud of how well I ran. The third day, I ran even faster and gloried in the fact that I was so ahead of everyone that I could add nearly an additional half a mile to my run.

The bible says in Philippians chapter two verse three, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves."

Me with the giant Mr. Rogers Statue

When the conference ended I had a conversation with one of the morning runners. He was impressed by the runs but concerned about my leadership. What?!?! I lead the group, I was the fastest, I looked awesome in the lead. What was wrong?

"Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them." - John C. Maxwell

As we endeavor to RUN for Christ, lets remember that leading doesn't mean leaving others behind as we RACE to the finish. Your  intentions may not be purposely selfish however the perception of your efforts can be contradictory.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ leads the way for us but promises to stay close enough to guide us when the route gets uncertain. As you lead your family, coworkers, volunteers, and friends set the right pace but stay close enough to help out. If you are really good at something, help others get better. You look great in the front - now look back and make sure you haven't left your team...

#LeadOn

Jesus is at the door! What is on your welcome mat?

The upside to laying down...

If you had nothing to lose - would you give it all?

While in Brasil, we walked into this large but unfinished worship facility for Sunday service. Instead of pews there were white plastic chairs. Instead of a great sound system and elaborate lighting, we had the natural illumination of the sun, one speaker and a corded microphone. Yet, despite what many feel is necessary to have good ole' church - the presence of God was very apparent. Before I stood to preach, a young lady closed her eyes and sang "How great is our God"  in Portugese. I didn't know the words but I could catch the melody. Tears fell from her face as she sang. Although she could have performed for her audience of foreign visitors, her worship was for an audience of one. To prepare the room for His presence she gave her all and welcomed Jesus into the room.

He will meet you where you invite him.


Matthew 21:6-11
“So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought
the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on
them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road;
others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out,
saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the
name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” And when He had come into
Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the
multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of
Galilee.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21:6-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

1. Give everything to Jesus

Everyone at some time in their life has experienced the discomfort of
being restricted. There is nothing worse than wanting to be free and
having something hold you back. When I was younger my brother and I
would wrestle. The fights were rough and long. The way we determined a
winner was by submission. That meant that one of us was holding the
other down  in such a way that the other could no longer move. In
other words someone had to give up in order for the other brother to
win.

In this passage, Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem - the first of his
stops on his ultimate journey to the cross. The bible says that his
disciples (Jesus' team of followers) took off their robes and laid
them across the donkey that Jesus rode on. This was even before they arrived
to where the crowds were anticipating their arrival.

As a leader you must lead by example - how can we complain about what
others aren't doing when they never see us modeling it first. If you
want to see people love Jesus then you need to show people what thatlooks like. If you want to see people love others then people need to
see you love others. If you want to see people change their attitude,
behavior, lifestyle, bad habits then you need to show them what it
looks like. We can't complain about what they are doing if we aren't
showing them what better decisions looks like - Jesus is looking for
you to be the example

Jesus is intentional and your reading this today is no accident. But maybe while
you are here you are questioning why haven't I experienced anything or
felt anything. It's impossible to fill an already full glass. Often
the reason we can't receive is because we haven't made space.

Jesus wants to come in to your space and show you great and mighty
things. Jesus wants to show you real love. Jesus wants to show you
that you are special. Jesus wants to show you how amazing your future
is and how important you are but he needs you to let go of pride, let
go of fear, let go of rejection, and let Him in!

As Jesus entered Jerusalem the people laid down their clothes and even
palm branches to prepare the way. Then they worshipped.

Jesus is waiting for you to let go. Your future is depending on you
letting go. Your ultimate worship will begin the moment you - let - go

When you let go you are free to worship and free to live and love to
the fullest

There is a story of a missionary who traveled to a foreign country to
preach about Jesus. It was a beautiful place but his mission house had
no indoor plumbing and he had to wash his clothes in the lake. One day,
while carrying his clothes to the lake, the missionary noticed one man
swimming and another fishing. When the missionary got
close,r he saw that the man who was swimming was actually struggling.
The missionary called out to the fisherman but the fisherman didn't
move. He called out a second time - even louder - yet the fisherman
remained unmoved and the struggling swimmer struggled even more.
His arms flailed as he fought against the water. Soon, the struggling stopped and the
swimmer began to sink. Suddenly, the fisherman dove in and pulled the
swimmer out. On shore, the missionary asked the fisherman, "why did
you wait to save him?" The fisherman replied, " if I jumped in while
he was fighting the water, he would have fought me too and we both
would have died. I had to wait until he let go for me to save him."

Friend, Jesus wants to enter your sinking situation and take you to a
place of true freedom but he needs you to stop fighting and let go.

There is freedom when you let go
There is healing when you let go
When you let go Jesus comes in

Jesus is waiting - stop holding on to what you should have let go of a
long time ago.

When you lay down your issue Jesus will rise up in you!

How to handle life's speed bumps - Get Over It!

How to Handle a Speedbump

“Sit down and enjoy the ride,” were the only instructions I was given as I swung my leg over the seat of the “moto” - a term used for motorcycles or mopeds in San Andrés, Colombia. About half way through the ride, the driver of the moto next to me says, “Quit holding, let go!” It’s bad enough that that I am wearing shorts and no helmet, now you want me to let go! You see, the way my life insurance is set up…

I owned a motorcycle in America, but that paled in comparison to riding shotgun on a moped in a foreign country with few restraints.  It was one of the absolute scariest and yet most liberating experiences ever.

As we careened through the streets, motorcycles and mopeds flanked us on every side. It was like a herd of gas-powered cattle running through narrow streets and emitting fumes.

Fast was fun but every once in a while the driver would gradually clutch the left handle. Anticipating the impending hump in the road, he knew it was time to grab the brakes and slow down. The island has scarce stoplights but sufficient speed bumps. 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)

17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

God never guaranteed easy roads but He did promise to ride with us along the way. Occasionally we encounter moments that are rough and resistant to our pace. It is at these moments that we are forced to make a decision based on our perspective.

Just as the island of San Andrés has more speed bumps than stoplights, so do our lives. Your perspective will determine what happens at the bump in the road.

It’s not a ROAD BLOCK it’s a SPEED BUMP. GET OVER IT.

Greilan riding next to us

Slow down, adjust to the occasion and GET OVER IT.

It's ok to have your moment - just remember that you can GET OVER IT.

You are breathing right now and that is proof that you have survived every one of your absolute worst days. GET OVER IT. You know how to survive and fight again. GET OVER IT. Holding on to what you need to release will only delay your progress.

The interesting thing about life’s speed bumps is that we often see them coming. Why are you acting surprised now that it is here? Here's some help to get over the hump. God has blessed you with strength in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:10), escape from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), help in need (Psalm 46:1), and wisdom in lost moments (James 1:5).

I have confidence that you will not only get over this but also

recognize that once you hurdle the obstacle you won’t trip on what’s behind you.

#GETOVERIT

Reasons to smile - catch great memories

There is a particular game that is consuming the attention of children, youth, and adults. It has a very simple concept. Using a smart phone or tablet, individuals must seek-out and catch imaginary monsters in actual locations. Sounds kinda cool in theory. Well, the monster hunters are looking everywhere and without any discretion. They are so determined to get these monsters that they will go to extreme lengths to obtain them.

An on-line journal posted that the monster hunters are hunting so aggressively that they are even looking in a Holocaust museum. How are these gamers so intent on finding fun that they are willing to search in a place that holds memories from one of the most tragic eras in world history? 

As of July 2016, there is a petition to remove the little monsters from the museum on Care 2 Petition with nearly 17,000 signatures!

It is greatly apparent that our nation and this world are experiencing some very rough days. The senseless killings, terrorist attacks, and political upheavals are enough to make a person want to hide behind closed doors.

Yet, Numbers 14:6-9 helped me get a grasp on catching joy in a place filled with monsters. 

6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’[a] 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

God told Moses in the previous chapter that He was giving the children of Israel the land at Canaan. All they needed to do was explore it and take ownership.

The story goes on to say that 12 spies explored the land. When they returned with a report, they marveled at the land's beauty. However, ten of the twelve confessed that the land had giants greater they could handle. Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, had the intestinal fortitude to believe they were greater than those giants. Subsequently, the children of Israel wandered for 40 years for not fulfilling what God told them to do. 

How does this fit today?

Like I said earlier, it is obvious that the giants called fear, intimidation, hate, anger and more are in our land. Yet and still, our land is still good and we have the ability to enjoy the prosperity of this land if we go and obtain it. 

What would happen if we aggressively searched for JOY, PEACE, LOVE, UNITY, and BROTHERHOOD the way people are desperately searching for Pokemon and then held on to those things?

A cool feature in the game is that when you catch a little monster it saves to your profile. Then, when you need the motivation to keep hunting or a reminder of how far you have come, all you have to do is look back and enjoy your good "catches" or memories. Let's take time to remember the good days and keep looking for more!

Here are some scriptures to help you search:

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)

Activity:

To emphasize this message during our youth service, I blindfolded two participants and placed a bowl in front of each. Inside of the bowls were cooked spaghetti and elbow macaroni as well as gummy snacks. The kids were given one minute to search through the gross stuff to find the good stuff. The catch was that they could only use one hand. Point: There is good in gross or bad days/moments. Even if you can't physically see it you should strive to find it. 

PS: If you are READING this - You have SURVIVED 100% of your WORST DAYS! Keep looking for better days.

Reasons to smile - catch great memories

There is a particular game that is consuming the attention of children, youth, and adults. It has a very simple concept. Using a smart phone or tablet, individuals must seek-out and catch imaginary monsters in actual locations. Sounds kinda cool in theory. Well, the monster hunters are looking everywhere and without any discretion. They are so determined to get these monsters that they  go to extreme lengths to obtain what they want.

An on-line journal posted that the monster hunters are hunting so aggressively that they are even looking in a Holocaust museum. How are these gamers so intent on finding fun that they are willing to search in a place that holds memories of one of the most tragic eras in world history? 

As of July 2016, there is a petition to remove the little monsters from the museum on Care 2 Petition with nearly 17,000 signatures!

It is greatly apparent that our nation and this world are experiencing some very rough days. The senseless killings, terrorist attacks, and political upheavals are enough to make a person want to hide behind closed doors.

Yet, Numbers 14:6-9 helped me to get grasp on catching joy in a place filled with monsters. 

6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’[a] 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

God told Moses in the previous chapter that He was giving the children of Israel the land at Canaan. All they needed to do was explore and take ownership.

The story goes on to say that 12 spies explored the land. When they returned with a report, they marveled at the land's beauty. However, ten of the twelve confessed that the land had giants greater they could handle. Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, had the intestinal fortitude to believe they were greater than those giants. Subsequently, the children of Israel wondered for 40 years for not acting on what God told them to do. 

How does this fit in today?

Like I said earlier, it is obvious that the giants called fear, intimidation, hate, anger and more are in our land. Yet and still, our land is still good and we have the ability to enjoy the prosperity of this land if we go and obtain it. 

What would happen if we aggressively searched for JOY, PEACE, LOVE, UNITY, and BROTHERHOOD in our land like people are desperately searching for Pokemon and holding on to those things?

A cool feature about the game is that when you catch a little monster it saves to your profile. Then, when you need the motivation to keep hunting or a reminder of how far you have come, all you have to do is look back and enjoy your good "Catches" or memories. 

Here are some scriptures to help you search:

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)

Activity:

To emphasize this message during our youth service, I blindfolded two participants and placed a bowl in front of each. Inside of the bowls were cooked spaghetti and elbow macaroni as well as gummy snacks. The kids were given one minute to search through the gross stuff to find the good stuff. The catch was that they could only use one hand. Point: There is good in gross or bad days/moments. Even if you can't physically see it you should strive to find it. 

PS: If you are READING this - You have SURVIVED 100% of your WORST DAYS!

Get it - Got it - Good!

Too broke to pay attention 

True story!

While eating at a restaurant the other day the most entertaining exchange took place between the manager and I. My son, who never finishes his food, had a delectable looking dessert. I wanted the dessert but didn't want to use the fork that was in my salmon. Gross! I asked the manager, who happened to be near my table, to bring me a new utensil roll. A short time later she placed a piece of candy on my table then kept it moving. It was so fast that I didn't even notice. I could practically hear that banana pudding calling my name and all I needed was a spoon.  Where was the manager, a waitress, the bus boy, somebody with my spoon? Before I knew it, my hand was in the air beckoning the manager back to my table. Perplexed, the manager inquired about my needs. As patiently as I could, I requested another utensil roll. The manager looked even more perplexed and said, "I gave that to you a while ago." I was like, "Where?!" She pointed to the lone tootsie roll on the table and smiled. By that point, my waitress had arrived and looked equally lost. We laughed and I explained that all I needed was a spoon for my banana pudding. The manager left and returned with the utensil roll, "Oh, this thing? We call this silverware!" 

Great customer service - poor understanding...

The bible teaches us, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

Proverbs 4:7 NKJV

Typically the reason mishaps occur in life is because something is broken. 

1. Broken communication

2. Broken mindset

3. Broken relationships 

4. Broken understanding

5. Broken feelings 

It's not fair to completely blame others when we do not receive our desired results or to even get mad at God because He hasn't answered our prayers according to our specifications.

Truth is, perspectives and expectations vary based on an individual's background, upbringing, and location. Take time to listen more than you speak and when you do speak - seek to understand and not to be understood. 

God knows your needs and when you need them - instead of just asking Him for your personal desires, ask with the desire to understand His giving and timing.