Why and How Should I Tell Others?

Why? 

1. Because Jesus asked us to. In the Great Commission, Jesus tells us to “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). While this may be the most common verse that encourages us to spread the good news, the word ‘go’ is written in the Bible over 1000 times. Perhaps it is time to actually listen to what Jesus is telling us to do.
2. Not only are we commanded to spread the hope in Christ, people around the world are so desperately in need of the truth. Our friends, family members, neighbours, and strangers around the world are searching for fulfillment in all the wrong places. It is you and I that can direct them to Christ. 

How?

Presence

As followers of Christ, you and I “are the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”. 

Nicky reminds us that salt was used to preserve food, to prevent it from going bad. What a calling that is for us to be the salt of the earth – we are to prevent society from walking away from God. And we can help do this by using our light. There may not be many people who agree with your faith, but just like the flame of a small match can been seen from afar, the light you have in you because of Christ can be used to direct people to Him. 

“People do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16). 

Our behaviours are absolutely crucial. Some people can identify others as Christians by their actions, while other people watch the behaviours of others because they are Christians. Whatever the case may be, we are being watched and therefore our words and actions to testify of Christ within us. 

The behaviours of kids and parents attest to their values
and how they are raised.

When I was 12 years old, my parents took the entire family to Florida during March break. There were no individual TV screens for each passenger so all of us children had to find another way to be occupied for 2 hours in a cramped plane. I’m not sure about you, but I have experienced some pretty cranky, inpatient children during flight – it definitely tested my patience! So imagine a family of 7 aboard a plane: 2 parents with 5 children of the ages 13, 12, 10, 8, and 7. It could have been a disaster, but for the full flight, from boarding in Buffalo to taxiing in Orlando, we were nearly silent the entire way. We arranged the seating so that we could play card games, work on puzzles, and colour pictures together. As we were gathering our baggage to leave the plane, a lady came up to my mom and asked, “Are you Christian?” My mom was caught a little off-guard by her question, but she responded, “Yes, we are actually. Why do you ask?” The lady told my mom that she was so impressed with our behaviour and the way we interacted with each other that she concluded we must be a Christian family. How amazing is that! We had no idea who the other passengers on the plane were, but our behaviour testified to them of our faith!

Peter says that “they may be won over without words [but] by the behaviours” (1 Peter 3:1-2). Actions do speak louder than words and if our behaviour speak to our faith, it can often be much more influential than the words we use to testify about God.

Persuasion

Sometimes the thought of persuading people brings a negative connotation, but Peter reminds us to persuade by reasoning, not by pressure. Be gentle. Have respect for the individual. Don’t try to pressure them to Christ because you will most likely create a very negative experience for the person; instead, provide logical reasons and share your own personal story. 

Proclamation
“Come…and you will see” (John 1:41). Albert Minkins told his friends about Christ but rather than just telling, he invited them out to a conference. Albert’s conversations, excitement, and behaviours made his friends curious about what this God thing was all about. At the conference, Albert’s friend, Billy Graham, gave his life to Christ, and since that one invitation, Graham has transformed thousands of lives through his worldwide events and books. We can’t all be Billy Grahams, but we can all be Albert Minkins. “Come and see.”

Power

I have a passion for people, desperately wanting every individual to experience the love and grace of God in a personal way. But sometimes, I have tried too hard. I focused too much on my words and what I could do rather than letting God use me. Jesus tells us that there is power in the Word, but there is also power in the Spirit – it is the Holy Spirit, not you and I that changes lives. So when we are telling others about our story and about Christ, we must let the Spirit work through us.

Prayer

Prayer is power! As Carlos shared, when you and I came to Christ, it is most likely because people were praying for us. We as individuals don’t have the power to change lives, but we can pray for ourselves to have the courage and boldness to share and for God to open the blind eyes of our friends and family so that they can know Christ personally too.  

Alpha Challenge:

1. Make an intentional effort to share Christ and your story with someone this week.
2. Don’t let a negative response cause you to give up. Continue to pray for boldness to share and for lives to be changed. 

Does God Heal Today?

Healing?? Yes. Simply put, God says, “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).

Since healing is a supernatural phenomenon and works against scientific method, it is difficult for many to believe that healing is real. Healing, however, is prominent in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. In Matthew 4, “Jesus went all about Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” Jesus didn’t just heal a few people who were blind or lame, but He healed people that had all sorts of illnesses! God created you – from the colour of your hair to the specific cells and genes in your body – so don’t you think He can heal your body of whatever the issue is?? 

So yes, Jesus healed. What’s even more amazing to me, however, is that Jesus gave regular folk, like you and I, the commission and authority to do the same. Now for some, healing may not necessarily be your spiritual gift, but with the Spirit we can all at least pray for healing. Some people will receive words of knowledge via pictures, sympathy pain, impressions, or words for specific healings, while other times there is little voice from the Spirit. Whatever the case, we should fully pursue God’s healing power. I encourage you to pray someone (a friend, family member, stranger, yourself) who is in need a healing and pray with them:

• Ask them what they would like healing of.
• Pray in the name of Jesus for the Spirit and healing.
• Reassure them of God’s love, whether or note they were healed.
• Persist in prayer. No matter the outcome Jesus commanded it, independent of the success rate.

Now at this time, as we live between this age and the age to come, not everyone will be healed. Sometimes we wonder why God heals some people but not others, and ultimately, God knows. He has His purpose and we just need to trust Him. However, healing today is a sign of what is to come, a taste of the future age where everyone in Christ will be completely healed. How amazing is it that God gives us a little glimpse of heaven on earth! 

Alpha Challenge:

1. Continue to pray for our Alpha family. There are many physical, emotional, and spiritual healings that need to take place. (See the prayer request list in the circulating Alpha email).
2. Fully believe and pursue God’s healing power. Even having faith small as a mustard seed can move mountains. 

Alpha Retreat - Holy Spirit Weekend

What an amazing, powerful weekend for all of us! At this point, it has been a couple weeks since our one-day retreat to Braeside, but I love looking back to reflect on the experiences we all shared together. For some, the day was a time to let the Spirit take lead of your life; for others, the day was an important time to reflect on God’s work in your life and to rededicate your life to Him; and yet for others, this day became a significant moment in your life where you committed your life to Christ and accepted Him into your heart. Praise God! I thank God for all of you and for how He used the weekend to encourage each of you!

Who is the Holy Spirit?

From the very beginning, the Holy Spirit was involved in creation. Genesis 1:2 states that the “Spirit of God hovered over the waters”. At the time of creation, He brought life, newness and unity; and still today, the Spirit breathes life within us physically and spiritually. 

In the Old Testament, the Spirit only came upon particular people at a particular time for a particular task. In the example of Gideon who felt inadequate to lead the Mideonites, the Spirit filled him in leadership; in Samson’s life, the Spirit of God came upon him in power to destroy the people who were imprisoning him. However, the Old Testament is also filled with promises that God would pour out His Spirit on all people (Joel 2:28-29). The laws of the OT were a burden as no one could keep them so the Lord promised that rather than making the laws external, He would make it internal; meaning that the laws would be written on our hearts as something that we WANT to obey, not just a law we have to obey. This change in desire would be a result of the Spirit within us. Ezekial prophesied from God, saying “I will give you a new heart and a new Spirit I will put within you…I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules (Ezekial 36:26-27).

These promises became a reality in the New Testament after Jesus ascended into heaven. Acts 1 and 2 express the first accounts of the coming of the Holy Spirit into people’s lives. As in the case with the disciples and apostles, the power of the Holy Spirit allowed them to heal and to share Christ boldly. The same is true for us. Jesus calls us to “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord calls to Himself. (Acts 2:38).

To be quite honest, this was a hopeful reminder for me. There have been times that I wished Jesus was still here so that He could clarify things that He said, or so that He could guide me to making the right decisions for the future. Perhaps you have had similar thoughts and questions. However, Jesus was human and during His time on earth, His presence was limited just like ours: He couldn’t be everywhere at once, and He certainly couldn’t help everyone at once. If He would still be around, there is sure to be chaos in this world! Even Jesus tells us that it is for our very own benefit that He left earth because He promised to send His Spirit – a person of the Trinity who could be everywhere at once, who could help us all at once. He is here to comfort us, to heal us, to give us peace and power, to convict us, to guide us. Yes, we need Jesus because of what He has done for us, but it is the Spirit that comes to live within us. 

What does the Holy Spirit Do?

Sons and Daughters of God

Beyond the Spirit’s ability to comfort, guide, and convict us, it is ultimately the Spirit that makes us adopted sons and daughters of God. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God…you have received the Spirit of adoption” (Romans 8:14). Having the Spirit in our lives provides us with the greatest privilege, intimacy, and security we can ever experience. It is the Holy Spirit that testifies with our spirit that we are deeply loved by God; so loved, in fact, that we are heirs of God to his eternal treasures. 

Developing our Relationship

From the moment our lives are changed in Christ, we enter into personal relationship with God. And like any beginning relationship, things may be awkward at first: you don’t always know what to say; you’re not quite sure how to act with that person; you may be trying hard not to mess things up. Christians experience the same thing when they first enter into a relationship with God. Talking to God is an unchartered ground. What do I say to Him? Is this the right way to being doing this?

Praying can be a challenging conversation at times, but it is the Spirit that helps us to pray. “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words” (Romans 8:26). There is not necessarily a right and wrong way to pray – just talk. God wants to hear how you are doing, what’s going on in your life, and how He can help you. And just like in any relationship, God also wants to hear how much you appreciate Him. So if you don’t quite know what to say, thank Him for everything He has done and is going to do in your life. Take a moment to pause and let the Spirit guide you with the words to say. 

When we are led by Spirit, He also enables us to understand God’s Word. Many of us have shared experiences where, in the past, certain Bible verses that we listened to or read made no sense; but once we have the Spirit, “we are given a Spirit of wisdom and revelation, having our hearts enlightened” (Ephesians 1:17-18). Basically, the Spirit helps us to understand what God is teaching us through the Bible.

Family Likeness

Whether a believer or an unbeliever, we are all made in the image of God. Amazingly, when we become a son or daughter of God, the Spirit begins to transform us to reflect more and more the likeness and glory of God – this happens through the fruits of the Spirit. “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). These characteristics do not necessarily come instantaneously, but as you grow in faith, the Spirit will help you to become more like God. 

How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?

Every Christian does have the Spirit, but not every Christian is filled with the Spirit. The Spirit helps every Christian to pray, to understand God’s truths, to develop the characteristics of God, and to identify spiritual gifts; however, there is filling of the Spirit that we should long for. 

In Acts 10, the people experienced the power of the Holy Spirit and they were released in praise, worshipping God with their minds, hearts, and bodies. On a supernatural level, the people received a new language – a gift of tongues – in which people could speak in an unknown human or angelic language. The gift of tongues is both a form of prayer and praise that transcends our own language limitations. Perhaps you have experienced times when you are so zoned into a prayer but you no longer have the words to express how you are feeling or what you want to say. This is when the Spirit comes in: you are in control of your mouth, but it is the Spirit praying, not our minds. 

Often the gift of tongues is the first of supernatural gifts that is expressed when filled with the Spirit, however everyone’s experience with the Spirit is different. It is important to remember that the physical manifestations are not what matters but what is happening in the heart. I will admit that, because I so desperately want to be filled with the Spirit again and again, I sometimes pursue the manifestations rather than God Himself. But I have learned that eagerly desiring GOD is what is most important. 

So how do we receive this gift? Eagerly desire it and ask God. Put aside all doubt, fear, and thoughts of inadequacy, and believe in what God can do through His Spirit. Matthew 7:7 says “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.” 

It is important to remember that the gift of tongues is not the only manifestation of being filled with the Spirit. In fact, Paul encourages us to desire prophesy over tongues because prophesy helps to build up and encourage each other while tongues is only meant to be private between you and God (unless there is an interpretation). Whatever the gift may be, let us “pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 14:1).

How Can I Resist Evil?

Every one of us has either experienced evil, witnessed evil, or heard of the evil that exists in the world. The question is, why? Ephesians 6:11-12 states that there is a spiritual being who in active rebellion against God and this spiritual being has the leadership of many demons like himself. "For our struggle is not against the flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

The very first words of the Bible,"In the beginning...", tell of the creation story; yet there is more 'behind-the-scenes' details to the story. There is a spiritual battle of our souls. A God of love longing to bring us back into His arms and the devil doing everything to keep us from running to God.

So why should we believe that the devil exists?

The most reasonable answer is the world itself. Take a look around. We are in constant battle between good and evil. The desire to serve others vs the desire and abuse of power; being filled with joy vs emotions of anger and hurt; forgiveness vs grudges; happiness and self-control vs the loss of mental control.

While we cannot necessarily see the spiritual world, the Bible does have clear evidence of the existence of evil and of the devil throughout both the Old and New Testament. Many of the authors of the Bible urge us to protect our minds and hearts from being overtaken by the 'dark side' - often in very subtle yet powerful ways. Some of us admitted that it is actually easier to link evil with the devil than good with God. When we experience good things in life, we often assume that we deserved it, rather than believing that God deeply cares about us.

Nicky did warn us that it is dangerous to disbelieve in the devil because when unaware, it becomes difficult to protect ourselves against the evil tactics. On the other hand, it is extremely dangerous to have an unhealthy interest in the devil. There are millions of people attempting to yield the evil powers through voodoo rituals, weegie boards, and Satanic cults, which easily overtake one's physical, mental, and emotional states.

So what are the devil's tactics?

Doubt:
From day one, Satan has used doubt in an attempt to give us permission to walk away from God. He caused Adam and Eve to doubt God's promises and the same is true today: he makes us think we are mising out, but inall reality, we miss out when we aren't following God.

Accusation:
I am sure that we have all experienced the emotions of guilt over something we know we should not have done. But Satan also likes to make us feel guilty even prior to an inappropriate thought or action. Satan will often plant a tempting thought in our minds and then accuse us for thinking it. However, it is important to know that temptation is different from sin. Temptation is from the devil and it only becomes a sin when we adopt the thought as our own and act upon it.

Temptations should not bring us fear, shame or guilt at all. In fact, James tell us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith produces perserverance. Let perserverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete" (James 1:2-4). When you are faced with a temptation, rather than giving in, consider it to be a challenge that you can overcome and grow from.

What's our position?

Satan has been defeated by the cross and resurrection of Jesus ... but he is not yet destroyed (until Jesus returns). As Nicky said, it is like we are living between D-Day and V-Day. While the victory isn't official, Jesus is already victorious and all those who love and follow Him, share in the victory. Jesus also gave His disciples authority "to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." With Jesus, there is no reason to live in fear.

How do we defend ourselves?


"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes..." (Ephesians 6:11-17).



1. Belt of Truth - being grounded in truth will help us to counter Satan's lies (v. 13)

2. Breastplate of Righteousness - keeping your relationships right will protect the heart against guilt and condemnation (v. 14)

3. Boots of the Gospel of Peace - being involved in serve and being ready to speak of Christ (v. 15)

4. Shield of Faith - trusting God in difficult times...always. (v. 16)

5. Helmet of Salvation - win the battle of the mind to protect the mind against doubt and accusation (v. 17)
6. Sword of the Spirit - know your Bible...it's the only offensive piece of armor (v. 17)

Alpha Challenge:

1. Pray this week that you are able to guard your heart and mind against the devil's tactics. Pray that you can fight back - not with weapons of this world, but with good. Let's overcome evil with good.

2. Begin to act on what you have learned. Take one piece of armor and apply it throughout the day, or use it as a weekly focus.

How Does God Guide Us?

One of the most amazing truths is that God will guide anyone who is willing to follow. You don't need to be a problem-free person. Abraham was old; Timothy was too young; Moses stuttered; Jonah ran from God; Job went bankrupt; Peter denied Christ. It does not matter what 'issue' you think you have, God has and still can use EVERYONE. 

As Nicky mentioned, God guides us in 5 different ways:

1. Commanding Scripture

As we discussed last week, the Bible in general is a manual for life; however, it does not necessarily provide us with specific guidance for each person. Through intentional reading and praying, God often does speak to us through His book. Remember last week when Nicky shared his story about the one verse that kept showing up everywhere? A friend called him with the verse, his wife talked to him with this verse, and even a billboard sign showcased the verse. Some of us are beginning to experience similar situations of commanding Scripture.

2. Compelling Spirit

With any relationship, the more we know someone, the more easily we recognize their voice. The same is true of a relationship with Jesus: as as we get to know Jesus more intimately, we begin to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit.

a) Prayer is, or at least should be, a two-way conversation. You pray about your requests and your concerns, but don't leave it at that. It's like expressing your symptoms to the doctor and then simply walking out the door without any advice or solutions. God is the ultimate doctor, so don't you want to hear what He has to say to you?

b) Desires: God gives us desires to do His good purpose. God's desires become our desires. We did discuss the different desires we have, and we each personally know that all our desires are not God-focused. The desires 'of the flesh', so to speak, are the ones we need to push away and ignore - not always an easy task!

c) Unusual Experiences: There are several instances where people experience visions, angels, and audible voices, and often times, when given by God, these are very specific guidances.

But no matter how we are compelled, we must always remember to test the 'voice'. We can know if it is God's voice when it aligns with the Bible, when it is loving, encouraging, and when it brings the peace of God. 

3. Common Sense

"Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all of this." - 2 Timothy 2:7. Whether in the day-to-day events or in the big decisions, God often guides us through our thoughts. Even in terms of our abilities, we each have gifts and talents that are unique to ourselves. It's through these simple ways that God also guides us. 

4. Counsel of Saints

In Burlington, and especially at Glad Tidings, we are surrounded by a community of Christians. Whether you are wondering who Jesus is and what Christianity is all about or you are a Christ-follower, there is a community of people (family, friends, church members) that are able to guide you. 

There is nothing wrong with seeking advice from people. In fact, this idea of advice from people is something that struck me. Over past years, I have been flipflopping in my view of who to go to for guidance. At first I always asked people and never even considered asking God; then I began to only ask God, and not people, for guidance since God is God and He knows best. But today, I realized that we can actually ask both God and people for advice - and that both are equally valid! Not that we can ask advice from simply anyone, but God has given us mature, trustworthy, Christ-focused Christians that are able to help provide guidance.

5. Circumstantial Signs

"In your heart you plan your course, but the Lord determines your steps." - Proverbs 16:9

If you commit your plans to God and trust His guidance, God WILL act by closing and opening doors in our life. But remember...BE PATIENT. God may make us wait for directions but His promises WILL happen.

Alpha Challenge:

1. Be open to God guiding you - push away those 'flesh' desires and listen to God.

2. Ask someone who is a trustworthy, mature Christian to mentor and guide you. 

Why and How Should I Read the Bible?

Fact: The Bible is the world's #1 bestseller. Every single year.

In fact, this is such a fact, that it is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Perhaps the Bible is the best-selling book year after year because it is so powerfully impactful in our lives. Or perhaps because of our human nature to search for that relationship with a higher being. Or perhaps because Isaiah said that "The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8).

Whatever your opinion is, Jesus does tell us that "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Food is not enough; money is not enough; fame is not enough. No matter how little or how much we have, our natural craving for deeper meaning and purpose is evidence of a God that wants a relationship with us.

Revelation and Relationship

The Bible is just that: a manual for a life in relationship with Christ. Do you agree with Nicky that we are wired to have a relationship with God? Have you noticed that reading the Bible often confirms what you have been thinking? Have you experienced your conscience telling you not to do something? God is working in your life to have a relationship with you.

Now let's take a step back. Take yourself back to an evening where you saw the sun set with a beautiful array of colours. A stunning show of a lightning and thunder battle. A peaceful morning of the sun's glimmer on the lake. An understanding of the complexity of our genetic makeup. A miracle of the birth of a baby. Creation, the Bible tells us, reveals to us that God exists. It is the Bible, however, that reveals who God is.

The Bible is inspired by God and written by various different men across hundreds of years. The Bible isn't necessarily a simple book all about positive emotions. There are difficult issues to tackle - take suffering and death, for example; in the discussion of our experiences with reading the Bible, we all could express times where we did not understand the meaning of what we read or we did not understand God's actions. Yet for many of us, we can also recall times that reading the Bible brought us peace. This is because the Bible is His story, a story of God's love for us.

So is the Bible still relevant today? In our round-table discussion, we noted that the Bible helps us to learn who God is; it provides guidelines for living; it keeps us close in a relationship with God; it provides advice for life issues that we face today: money, relationships, temptations, etc.

But depending on our life experiences, we may view the Bible as a book of rules rather than relationship. But I encourage you to remember who God is: LOVE. As we discussed last week, He is the father and like any good-loving father, there are rules set in place because He loves us and wants to protect us. Believing in God and obeying his rules does not limit your freedom. If anything, it makes you more free because you can trust in God every step of the way.

This Week's Alpha Challenge:

1. Set a time in the day to read the Bible.

And when you are reading:

• Pray to God to speak to your heart.
• Ask yourself how the verse/chapter you read applies to you specifically.

2. Throughout your day, ask yourself: "Is God trying to speak to me? Is He trying to tell me something? Am I willing to listen?"

Why and How Do I Pray?

Every relationship flourishes through communication. While actions can speak louder than words, our friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, and children still love to hear with words how much we love them. When it comes to parents or a significant other, they love to hear how important they are to us, how much we depend on them, and how thankful we are for them. We love to see actions that prove it, but we also long for words that state it. 

God is the same.
He longs for us to communicate with Him. As we discussed, He knows what we are doing in life; He knows how we are feeling; He knows what our needs are. Our actions tell God how important (or not important) our God-Me relationship is. Just like a spouse knows what our little facial expressions mean, what sorts of silly habits we do, and what our individual quirks are, God knows everything about us. But He still wants to talk WITH us! What kind of relationship can you have if there is no communication?

Communicating with God is known as prayer. So what exactly does this involve?
Prayer is not just us asking God for help. When we pray, we are engaging in a two-way conversation with God, where He hears our prayers and where we can learn to listen to what He might have to say in response. 

God's response to prayer was a hot topic for our discussion. If God so badly wants us to communicate with Him, why won't He answer our prayers? We agreed that God's answers to our prayers can be "Yes", "No", or "Not Yet". The difficulty is that if a prayer is not answered, we tend to not know why. This comes down to trusting that God knows what is best for you. However, Nicky also points us to several verses that tell us our prayers may not be answered if there is:
- Unconfessed sin
- Unforgiveness
- Disobedience
- Wrong motives 
- Misunderstanding of God's will
- Wrong timing

Even if something works out that we prayed for, how do we know if it's God answering our prayers or simply coincidence that everything worked out? I think it really does depend on your outlook on life. I dare you to start heartfully praying for the little things in life. Do these prayers get answered? You may find that things in the world are aligning too well for it to be coincidence. Plus, what harm can there really be in praying a little? 

As we shared our personal stories together, some of us noted that some of our prayers did not get answered, and looking back, we are so thankful for that. Perhaps what we thought was best was not really in our best interest or in the best interest of others. Nicky reminded us that God's answer is always in love; He knows what is best for us. During our discussion, I thought of a line from a country song: "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers." You can listen to it here: Unanswered Prayers: Video and Lyrics.

People do pray in different ways and Nicky Gumbel reminds us of who we are talking to when we pray. Some people pray, "Hey you, Jesus, my homeboy..." (just imagine the accent, I have actually heard this), and while I do not want to disrespect them, we must remember that God is God - perfect, holy, just, loving, compassionate. And when we pray, we are praying to the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit. God deserves our utmost respect. At the same time, however, we should not paint God as being so holy that He is unreachable for us or unwilling to talk to us. Remember, when Jesus prayed, He prayed, "Abba", which means daddy. Think about when you were little (or maybe still now) when you called your father, daddy. Yes, we respect our father, but we still have that intimate relationship with him where we can depend on him and ask for help, knowing that he loves us deeply. The exact same is true for God. 


Therefore, we should be modelling Jesus' prayers. If you are not familiar with the Lord's Prayer, I suggest you look up Matthew 6: 9-13 - or the photo here. This prayer is a fantastic guideline for how we should pray, whether you pray it verbatim, break it down and expand, or use similar topics. Whether you have decided to just start praying today, or whether you have been praying for some years now, I suggest the following acronyms to help guide you.

Prayer Tips:

Adoration                             Praise
Confession                           Repent
Thanksgiving                       Ask
Supplication                         Yield


If you are up for a challenge, this is for you:
1. Start a prayer journal. Record your prayers and see how often God does answer your prayers.
2. Pray for the impossible. Be adventurous in your prayers - don't doubt what God can really do.
3. Be honest. God knows how you are feeling. Lay it all out, you'll be surprised at the results.



Photo Credit: http://angchronicles.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/lords_prayer.gif