“Now there was a widow that kept asking a judge for justice…”
Photo: friarmusings.wordpress.com

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray an not give up.  He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God not cared about men. And there was a certain widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ And the lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says.  And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?  Will he keep putting them off?  I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’ Luke 18:1-8

The reason I like this prayer is its ongoing nature. We continue to ask for justice and peace.  Jesus continues to pray for us. Why?  Because we need it!  Human hopes are exhausted in our overly indulged, overly committed lifestyles.  This prayer points us to God’s never ending abundance.  “Continue to teach us to pray.:”  This prayer affirms that it is a process of learning how.  All those frustrating little life experiences are God’s teaching ground.

Holy Spirit, we again give you this church and this community

Please bless our fellowship

Deepen our commitment to being Jesus’ body, bringing his love to bear on our relationships here and where we live and where we work

Inspire our worship so that seekers will sense your power and your love working in us and working through us

Lord we pray for our country and our world and continue to ask for justice and peace

We ask that you would make us generous people so that our abundance can bring your hope where human hopes have been exhausted

Father, lead us as your children to be more and more like Jesus

Lead us to deeper and deeper in our walks with you

And continue to teach us to pray, even as Jesus taught his disciples to pray.

Amen

Prayer for the People, Menlo Park Church Service 12 February 2000

View Part 1 of Prayers for the Parched: Once Again – Part 1

“Now there was a widow that kept asking a judge for justice…”
Photo: www.friarmusings.wordpress.com

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  Psalm 100:5

“We again give you…”  Have you ever been on a weekend retreat where there’s a spiritual catharsis on Saturday night at the communion service?  These Magic Moments are where we commit something in our life to God.  It could be a dream, a hope a decision, or a disappointment.  Or, perhaps we give him the request/burden that we’ve been carrying for years.  They’re wonderful times.  So how is it that the peace can sometimes disappear in 24 hours?  I think it’s because we crossed our fingers while we prayed.  Or we picked up that burden again on our way out of the chapel. Some trials need to be laid at his feet again and again and again.  Keep at it.  With supernatural help, there is victory ahead.

Lord, Jesus,

We have come here to praise you and to sing your glory

We pause before you to praise you and stand in your glory and to know you better

Lord, in giving you our worship we ask that you would transform us

We ask that you would assure us and remind us of your faithfulness to us

Because there is a seemingly endless list of situations and people that leave us worried and overwhelmed

Lord, please renew our confidence in you and in your love

Lord, we give to you our best selves and ask that you inspire us to be your servants wherever we find ourselves

Lord, we also give to you our hidden selves and ask that you shine your light on the parts of us that long for healing and for deliverance

Lord, we give you thanks for never shying away from us or being shocked at any secrets we harbor and for always responding to us with grace and mercy

Continued in Once Again – Part 2

Asking God a question is an invitation to have Him enter our heart and change what we want

“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?  My hope is in You.  Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.”  Psalm 39:7-8

In Psalm 39:7, David asks

the Lord, “What do I wait for?”  By asking this as a question it becomes an invitation to have God enter your heart and change what you want.  It can also change what we wait for.  We wait for God to enlarge our thoughts.  We wait for God to give us his vision for solutions according to the riches of his glory.  We wait for God to introduce new passions into our hearts.

Deliver me from my temper

Let the fruit of patience develop in me

Deliver me from pride

Change my self-image to a healthy balance of courage and confidence

Deliver me from self-will

Let me remember that you are designed us for community

Deliver me from my transgressions

Thank you for the continual cleansing of Jesus’ blood

These circumstances intended to discourage and pull down will be the same ones you use to transform for your purposes of good and glory

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

Do we really have to take this verse seriously?  Yes.

What if I’m not grateful?  Then Praise God

We may not feel thankful for bad things that happen. Yet, this verse tells us to be thankful in everything, not for everything.

When we can’t see our way through difficult circumstances, then we consciously choose to Praise God.  He is able to work in our circumstances.  He often lets people make poor decisions which can impact us.  Through praise we can invite Him into the middle of the muddles.  He can turn things around.  This isn’t a guarantee that He will turn things around.  He acknowledges that He can.

His love guarantees our triumph over the test.  He may simply walk though the difficult spot with us.  He may send someone to walk alongside us.  He may change things miraculously.  He may not. He may have other purposes at work that have nothing to do with us.  In praising God we are agreeing with God about His goals, even if He hasn’t outlined them to us.  Some things we simply don’t understand or don’t like.  God doesn’t like it when people choose bad behavior.  Their bad choices have impact at several levels.  Praise in God reminds us that He can redeem things in His way and in His time.  It’s not like the incidents never happened.  He just uses it for His purposes and not the enemy.

Praising God is agreeing with Joseph’s conclusion, “You intended it to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”  Genesis 50:20.

Heavenly Father, I choose to be thankful for all my circumstances today and every day.  Show me how you can make things work together for good even when I can’t see it.  I choose to Praise You.  You are bigger than the mountain of difficulty in front of me.  Thank you for offering to walk alongside me and never leave me.  Again, I am choosing to praise you and be thankful in everything.