Tag Archives: morning prayer

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Morning Prayer: The Nature of Temptation


Passage: Luke 4:1-13

First Reading

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God… Jesus answered, “It is written:… (Luke 4:3, 4 NIV)

The devil seeks to plant questions in my mind about my identity. I may not be the Son of God, but I am a son of God. This is my most basic and secure identity. This is why it is such a threat to the enemy of my soul.

Second Reading

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. (Luke 4:1, 5 NIV)

How well am I discerning the leading of the Spirit and the misleading of the devil? I seem more easily aware of His more blatant attempts these days, but what the subtle ones? I feel troubled that I may still be letting my enemy lead me in ways that are not life-giving but instead life-draining. Jesus, I feel sad, embarrassed and shame looking back over how easily I have allowed Him to mislead me. I recognize my need to be able to discern the leading of Your Spirit.

Third reading

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (Luke 4:3, 4 NIV)

I’m feeling invited to learn further from the practice of a fourth century desert Christian, Evagrius of Pontus (Talking Back), who wrote nearly 500 pairings of example temptations and scriptural responses on the eight deadly thoughts–gluttony, lust, greed, envy, anger, acedia, vainglory, pride. Though I sometimes find his allegorical approach a stretch, I want to learn from his practice in the spirit of Jesus in the wilderness, especially as it relates to gluttony and acedia. I’d like to identify 5 key scriptures to help me in my wrestling against these two temptations.

(By the way, those key scriptures are listed below)

Acedia

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” (2 Corinthians 4:1)

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Gluttony

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4 NIV)

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:18-21)

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:14)

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Morning Prayer: The Holy Spirit and Fire


Passage: Luke 3:15-22

First reading

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them. (Luke 3:16-18 NIV)

John exhorted the people and proclaimed to them good news. Exhortation is good news in that it is possible to change. I can be refined into the image of “the one more powerful” than me. There is freedom and life here.

Second reading

His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:17 NIV)

Wheat and waste. I feel a deep hunger to be wheat that is gathered up into the barn of Jesus. I want the chaff of my life to be burned with His holy fire. I feel grateful places of His refining work in my life, in our marriage, in my ministry. It is hard, painful and humbling. It is also leads to goodness, joy and being lifted into the Presence. I feel gratitude for these difficult gifts. I see new places of felt peace, joy and spiritual energy that are the fruit of this moment of our journey.

Third reading

And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them… And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:18, 22 NIV)

I feel invited to pay attention for words of exhortation or good news today. Perhaps one of them will be the Father’s expression of love and pleasure.

Father, I welcome Your Spirit to open the ears and eyes of my heart to hear and see what You are giving to me. Thank You for Your great faithfulness.

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Morning Prayer: Revive Us Again


 

Psalm 85:4-6 NIV
Restore us again, God our Savior,
and put away your displeasure toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?

Restore us again. Revive us again. These phrases catch my attention. They imply that God’s people might need to be brought back to life and health more than one. Re-vive is already a second chance. Revive us again is at least a third.

This son of Korah asks three questions. Will you stay angry? Will your anger continue to our sons and daughters and, though them, to our future generations? Will you refuse to revive us again when we need it?

I recognize this need to be revived again. My life seems to grow thin and drain away. My vitality is sapped. I need to be brought to life again.

Here’s basic question that I must ask like the psalmist: Are You angry with me? Displeased with me? Irreparably? If I believe in the bottom of my heart or the back of my mind that Your basic orientation towards me is one of anger and displeasure bordering on rejection, then it would come as no surprise that I struggle to stay engaged with the scriptures in a prayerful way. I can imagine with fear a sense of coming to You with my Bible in hand, sitting in Your presence, but Your refusing to look at me, acknowledge me, let alone speak with me or care for me. This describes at least part of my emotional response to You sometimes.

Will You revive me again? Will you restore to my heart the peace and joy of my salvation? Will You grant me an inward sense of Your favor, Your affection, Your active Presence in my life? Will You enable me to abide with You rather than continue to be so wayward? Thank you for grace that is always greater.

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Morning Prayer: What Comes Before Worship?


A cluster of grapes at a vineyard 

(A morning prayer journal from the Journey, May 2012)

Word/Phrase

“…leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:24 NIV)

Reconciliation between brothers and sisters is of higher priority than our religious practices. God desires the offering of mutual love and forgiveness over our offerings of worship or praise. Our worship is hollow when it comes from a heart that is holding something against another of His beloved. What comes first in our thinking?

Feeling or Emotion

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister  will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:22 NIV)

I am saddened and a little embarrassed at how much less concern I seem to have about my anger towards another than the Lord has. I am troubled at how I can carry on what I believe to be a good relationship with God and yet so easily hold anger against others who I feel have wronged me (or maybe just inconvenienced me). I feel Jesus wanting more for me and from me in this.

Invitation

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. (Matthew 5:25 NIV)

Settle matters quickly. Today, I am invited to live in the moment and address whatever “matters” may arise quickly. I must not let anything corrosive linger in my heart. It does harm to me and to others. I must speak truth with grace as a leader here. I must have concern for those to whom I speak, but I must not fail to lead for fear of reaction or response.

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Morning Prayer: A Vision of God’s Glory


A painting we have been given by Valentin, an artist in the Dominican Republic.

A painting we have been given by Valentin, an artist in the Dominican Republic.

(From a morning prayer journal in April)

Psalm 105:3, 4 NIV
Glory in his holy name;
      let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
      seek his face always.”

Each line of this psalm verse seems alive to me this morning. What am I hearing?

      Glory in his holy name (3a). I tend to think of glory as a noun. It’s about weightiness. It’s about grandeur and brilliance. But here it’s an active verb. One dictionary suggests it is “to exult with triumph or to rejoice proudly.” I glory in his holy name when I begin to recognize the extent of His greatness and express my deep and humble praise about Him to Him. It is joyful. It is a 10 on the 1-10 scale. God is so beautiful, so mighty, so glorious, that the only fitting response is overwhelmed praise. When I lose sight of this God Who is always with me, my life becomes dimmer and smaller.

(I think of the group of worship leaders I will be with in a couple of weeks. They are charged with leading us in this kind of vision of and response to God. How easy, though, to become captured by worship leading as a profession, details of improving technical excellence, and opinions of those we lead, losing sight of the God to Whom we intend to draw attention.)

“Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice (3b).” I’m drawn especially to “seek.” This is an active orienting of my attention towards God. I have felt so distracted lately that it feels I’m seeking nothing…or everything. The psalm here invites me to a single focus on the Lord that inspires overflowing joy within me. Keeping the presence of God before me enables me to experience and express how deeply I am moved by joy before Him. Does my vision of God inspire joy? Do I see Him as He is—generous, masterful, magnificently good, longing to be gracious and delighting in mercy? Wouldn’t that fill me with joy that cannot help but overflow in thanksgiving and praise?

“Look to the Lord and his strength (4a).”  I’m invited especially to see the Lord’s might, and to recognize that I am strengthened in my life and my work in Him. When I feel weak, I am not alone. I am companioned by a powerful God Who is also my Father. When I am tired, I can remember I live my life in the presence of the One Who is my Rest. Thank You!

“Seek his face always (4b).” Looking into someone’s face is an act of intimacy, of friendship. I don’t gaze into someone’s face unless I feel free and welcome there. (I can’t imagine stopping in a grocery aisle and staring into a stranger’s face. I might even get kicked out of the store!).

Always. I imagine trying to live my life with Gem’s face always before me. Something like this is humanly impractical. Gem and I going through a day always in one another’s presence, let alone always looking into one another’s eyes, would be goofy…and probably dangerous! But I can live the whole of my life seeking His face. It is a face I can “see” with my heart and soul. I can live in The Presence. I can grow in my continual awareness of the smiling, caring face of Jesus before me.

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Morning Prayer: Steeped in God-Reality


IMG_0920Matthew 6:33-34 MSG

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

      34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Thought. I can steep my life in God’s presence, God’s plans and God’s provisions. I want to be richly aware of Who God is and what God does. I don’t want my life to be watery tea but strong coffee. I want my life to be heated by God Himself. I don’t want to be lukewarm or cold.

Whatever there is that worries me right now will take care of itself if I’ll be attentive first to God’s presence and God’s activity. If I let myself “get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow,” I’m no longer focusing my attention on God now.

Feelings. I feel invited into God-reality but I also feel tentative with my ability to carry out this intention. I’ve felt so distractable lately. I feel a deep need for simple, focused attention. I feel hungry for a simpler heart and mind. I feel grateful that God wants this for me more than I want it for myself.

Invitation. What verbs help me hear God’s invitation: Steep your life. Don’t worry. Give your attention. Don’t get worked up.

I’m going to take 15 minutes now to simply sit alone and quiet with God in my reading chair. Thank You, Spirit, for enabling me to be attentive to God with me in these moments.

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Morning Prayer: United with Jesus


A cluster of grapes at a vineyard where we stayed a few weeks ago.

Passage: Philippians 2:1-13
February 2012

First reading

Philippians 2:1, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion…”

“Any encouragement from being united with Christ.” This phrase, like the others here, are assumed to be true. It’s an “if” that feels more like a “since.” Since you have experienced such encouragement in union with Christ… Am I benefitting from the gift that it is to be united with Christ through faith? Am I fully benefitting from His gracious kindness in drawing me to Himself and connecting me to Himself in this way? My discouragement level of late would say that I’m not benefitting as much as I might.

Second reading

Same verse.

I feel a sense of longing for a more vital awareness and confident experience of the courage, comfort, communion and compassion that I see in this verse. (The preacher notices a way to turn these into 4 “C”s. Silly!). I have been opting for false filling and comfort through food lately. I am quite overweight as a result. I have felt resistant to changing eating habits due to a hidden belief that I will lose a source of necessary comfort if I reduce or improve my eating habits. That’s not actually true. What I am reducing is my well-being and mobility due to the extra pounds I’m carrying right now. I am aware of this burden countless times per day.

I desire to grasp the courage that is mine in the experience of union with Christ, that He is with me, for me, even in me. I am not alone in anything I do. I have One with me who is for me in ways I have not been fruitfully for myself. He is with me more than any other family member or friend who loves me. This is my courage, my comfort, my companionship and my compassion.

Third reading

Invitation. I’d say it is to have these four summary words, along with perhaps recalling to memory Philippians 2:1 through the course of this day when I feel discouraged, fearful, distressed, lonely or misunderstood (or just not understood). I welcome Your Spirit to enable me to recall these things to mind today. Amen.

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Morning Prayer: When Worship is Unfelt


A cluster of grapes at a vineyard where we stayed a few weeks ago.

Passage: Psalm 148
From February 2012

First reading

And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the Lord. (Psalm 148:14 NIV)

“The people close to His heart…”  I am one of these people. The Father holds me close to His heart. I matter to Him. He is very interested in me. He cares for me. He has deep feelings for me. But I don’t easily feel that today.

Second reading

young men and women,
old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
(Psalm 148:12, 13 NIV)

Feelings. I want to be one of these men (old?) who praise the Lord’s character. I wish I felt more of the joy, the energy, the pleasure of such praise right now. That I don’t makes me feel sad and a little ashamed. How can I not respond in my heart to His splendor? I long for a renewed heart and mind. Help me here, Father.

Third reading

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
(Psalm 148:13 NIV)

Invitation. I am invited today to praise the Lord’s name. I can do this by entering wholeheartedly into worship singing in the two morning services. I can do this in moments before, after and even during my two messages. And as His name alone is exalted, there is nothing today more awesome than Him–no human opinion, no beauty in creation, no wonderful insight.

Thank You Father for the gift of this day, and I praise You for the beauty and goodness and kindness of Your character.

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Morning Prayer: Lavishly Loved by the Father


Passage: 1 John 3:1-10

First reading

1 John 3:1a NIV, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

I am one of God’s lavishly loved sons. That really is who I am. It’s my primary identity. Every other identity defined by role, achievement, performance or another’s opinion is secondary at best. And the Father does not love me a little or just some. He loves me greatly and lavishly. I must let that love soak into my thoughts, feelings, assumptions, expectations and beliefs.

Second reading

1 John 3:9 NIV, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

Feelings. I feel fearful that if I have sinned since claiming to be born of God, and sometimes in rather dramatic fashion, then how can I be called one of God’s children? I read “continue to sin” as, obviously, continual. While I have continued to sin in my 33 years as a Christian, in another way, I have continually repented and turned from my sin countless times as well. I have not wanted to stay in my sin when I have fallen, but have wanted to return, express grief and intend a different way. Perhaps in this way I have not been one who just “goes on sinning” without any twinge of conscience or concern. This thought brings me a sense of relief. I do desire to remain in Him and never distance or disconnect from Him.

Third reading

1 John 3:2-3 ESV, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

Invitation. I am drawn to this “purifies himself” invitation. That it is given means that it is possible. Otherwise, it is a cruel word. I want to be pure like You, Father. I want to have a mind, a heart, a will, a body that is free from taint, mixture, deception. I welcome the guiding and empowering of Your Spirit in this intention. Apart from You, it is impossible for me to be pure. But I want to have a vision of You in Your beautiful purity that enables me to be pure myself. Amen.

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Morning Prayer: Confidence in God’s Presence


A cluster of grapes at a vineyard where we stayed a few weeks ago.

Passage: 1 John 2:15-29

First reading

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:28 NIV)

Continue in Him. Abide. And what would be the outcome? We would be confident and unashamed in His presence–at His coming. This touches deep feeling in me. To be confident in the presence of Jesus is a gift of grace and not a level I achieve.

Second reading

As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. (1 John 2:27 NIV)

Feeling. I hear these words about an abiding anointing, but wrestle with why I don’t always feel its reality in my life. This anointing is God’s Spirit. I really am taught by the Spirit about everything that matters. I’m grateful for this inner Instructor that is closer to me than I am to myself. I want to trust the reality of this anointing, but I sometimes doubt in the absence of obvious or dramatic evidence. Forgive me, Jesus.

Third reading

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:28 NIV)

Invitation. Continue in Him today. When feelings of self-doubt or shame surface in my heart, I can remember that these do not come from my Father Who anoints and teaches me. I can welcome the gift of confidence in His presence at anytime today I need it.

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