In this politically correct world certain words have been phased out, too ignorant and harsh for this generation to hear. One of these banished words is pig-headed, meaning stubborn. Unfortunately, I tend to bang my head against the door hoping for a different outcome like a starving pig, doing whatever it takes to pick up the last scrap of food. Perhaps, I need to take a new approach, shifting my focus toward prayer with the hope that an angel is awaiting on a prayer to act.
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, Acts 5:19.
Throughout the Bible, angels magically appear after someone prayers. Whenever an apostle was arrested or imprisoned, the local church began to pray. While not every prayer resulted in a miracle, angels rescued Peter from jail twice. Though a scientist may dispute this theory, unable to directly link angels to prayer, its not that far fetched to consider that angels are waiting for specific instructions in the form of prayers.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways, Psalm 91:11.
According to author of Psalm 91, God created angels to guard and protect individuals. This invisible force isn’t something people should experience once in a life time. Rather, the Psalmist suggests angels are meant to guide you in all your ways on earth. Therefore, the more believers in the supernatural begin to offer up requests, angels waiting for a prayer can respond immediately like the accounts in the Bible. If you’re like me, disappointed by your current state in life, then maybe you’re a prayer away from ushering angels into action.
As the print media tries to survive in an age of instant information, journalists are encouraged to write provocative pieces. Such is the case of this week’s headline in the New York Daily News, “God isn’t fixing this.” The premise of this article is based upon two opposing worldviews, Theism verse Secularism Humanism. After several conservative politicians offered thoughts and prayers in response to the San Bernardino shooting, liberals are demanding actions, not words. Thus, the title suggests God isn’t the solution.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! – Isaiah 1:15
According to Webster’s Dictionary, humanism is any system of thought or action concerned with the interests or ideals of people characterized by an emphasis on human interests rather than religion. In the mind of those who think government is the answer or solution to life’s problem, God isn’t fixing America’s problems. Thus, Communists, Progressives and Socialists believe gun control is the ticket, the cure to eliminating crime. The main flaw is if officials get their way, only the criminals will gain access to guns, leaving law abiding citizens defenseless, without anything to protect their families.
However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you, Deuteronomy 28:15.
On the other side of the worldview spectrum is Christian theism, holding to Judeo-Christian values. Instead of trusting in science or self, this ideology leans on God’s understanding, rather than trusting in man. This blind faith baffles those who deny God’s existence. Thus, the debate commences on whether or not prayers can fix America’s current situation. Beyond the realm of prayer, you must consider blessings and curses. If America continues to reject God, move away from their with alliance Israel and disobey the Bible’s commands, then words of the Daily News will become a self-fulfilled prophecy.
Some individuals have a tendency to think out loud. Meanwhile, when alone others are in the habit of talking to themselves. Unfortunately, a stereotype has conceived labeling any who talks to God or hears his voice to be crazy. Thus, to enter a state of prayer requires a certain mindset, crossing over the threshold from the physical into the supernatural.
While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time, Jeremiah 33:1.
The power of prayer is like a restaurant which gradually grows as good news spreads through word of mouth. If prayer doesn’t live up to your expectations, you won’t return, disappointed by your overall experience. On the flip side, when you cross the threshold into prayer, a desire is conceived to return as soon as you have a chance.
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know, Jeremiah 33:3.
In the days of the divided kingdom, Judah began to follow in the footsteps of Israel, gradually turning away from God. Saddened by this choice, the prophet Jeremiah receives a message from the Lord. Essentially, God promises those who cry out to the Lord in prayer, crossing over into the supernatural, will receive answers to the mysteries of this life. Therefore, don’t let time or what others think hold you back from entering prayer. While answers may not come immediately, those who cross this threshold will receive blessings, encouragement and guidance throughout life on earth.
There was a time in my life when I possessed musical talents. For three years I played the alto saxophone, improving each year. When I visited my grandmother for the holidays, I quickly picked up the piano, able to play Christmas carols. Unfortunately, some where along the way, my interests waned, forgetting the notes, rhythm and ability to play an instrument.
Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen, Amos 5:23.
C.S. Lewis adds a piano analogy within Mere Christianity. In one of his introductory chapters, Lewis takes three key components: tune, notes and music sheet. For performers to correctly play an instrument, it must be tuned properly to produce a quality sound. Next, individuals must have the knowledge to play the appropriate key or note. Finally, unless you understand how to read a music sheet, a song doesn’t flow or make sense.
And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him, 1 Samuel 16:23.
Beyond music, these elements are essential if you want to stay in tune with God. The conscience in connection with the Holy Spirit enables individuals to discern God’s still small voice. Convictions, gut feelings and minds swayed by prayer serve as notes, clues as to where to go and what to do. Finally, as people begin to read and study the Bible, principles for life are revealed like notes on a music sheet. While C.S Lewis’ words are more than a half of a century old, these timeless truths provide a guide to stay in tune with God.
In recent years, government officials have attempted to shed light on people who have been forgotten or omitted from history. Thus, February has been coined Black History month with March dedicated to women in America history. Unfortunately, timing is everything so unless you lived in a densely populated area, acts, contributions and inventions often gone unnoticed. With this in mind, I felt compelled to convey Tabitha’s testimony.
About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room, Acts 9:37.
Beside Jesus’ resurrection, the healing of Lazarus has gained most of the spot light in the Bible. Dead for four days, Jesus cancels the funeral, raising his corpse from the dead. Within the book of Acts, a similar healing takes place. According to Acts 9, Tabitha had been dead for some time, likely a couple of hours before Peter arrives. Following one of the principles of Jesus, Peter removed everyone who doubted God’s power from the room. Shortly after kneeing in prayer, Tabitha arose from the dead.
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up, Acts 9:40.
Prior to this illness, Tabitha developed a reputation for helping the poor and doing good within her town. Although its unclear if funeral plans had been made, this miracle inspired many residents of Joppa to believe in the Lord. According to Acts 9:36, Tabitha was a female disciple, one of the first woman to receive this title. While March is a long way away, I felt it necessary to recall Tabitha’s life so that other women may be inspired to follow in her footsteps.
Several years ago I ran into one of my old high school teammates at a restaurant. Following a banner cross country career, my classmate went into the military, serving a tour of duty in Iraq. During our conversation he shared about being injured, forced to live on disability the rest of his life. Although my friend came back alive, he’s lost a great deal of this life due to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, Philippians 4:6.
Unfortunately, you don’t have to experience war to encounter this illness. Rather, if you are involved in a car accident, witness someone die or lose a member of your family to cancer, nightmares can haunt you for years. In addition, anyone who is severely bullied, treated poorly within a relationship or forced to endure a tough life can and likely do suffer from soul-spirit hurts, often leading to a broken heart.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit, Psalm 34:18.
In the end, everyone on earth endures intrusive memories, events from the past that you want to forget, but traces pop up from time to time, causing you to relive this pain. Escaping these patterns are like trying to avoid Freddie Kruger in Nightmare on Elm Street. Unfortunately, demons and spirits can stir up or trigger panic attacks as you sleep. Therefore, its essential to arm yourself with the armor of God to shield you. Although I can’t guarantee immediate healing, in His time the Lord will make everything beauty once again.
While channel surfing last weekend, I stumbled upon Destination America’s new show called the Demon Files. This reality series features Ralph Sarchie, a former NYPD sergeant who has become a renown demonologist with his team who visit people experiencing paranormal activity. In the episode I saw, Ralph was challenging the demon or spirit inside a haunted house. Although I don’t know much about this realm, I do know you should be careful who or what you challenge.
And he said to them, “This kind of spirit cannot be driven out by anything but prayer,” Mark 9:29.
Several years ago I attended a Bible Study when a guest pastor visited for a couple of weeks. Fascinated by his testimony, I began to ask this man questions about the spiritual realm, trying to collect insight into this arena. To my surprise, he shared about an elder who attempted to challenge a demonic presence in New England. Without enough prayer support or others to intervene, this man ended up in an insane asylum. Following his release from the hospital, this elder left the church, struggling to grasp what happened to him.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, 1 Peter 5:8.
Perhaps this may explain why most seminaries avoid spiritual warfare, focusing mainly on theology. Beside demons confronted and cast out by Jesus, there isn’t much information in the Bible about challenging demons. The apostle Paul emphasizes the armor of God, fighting evil with spiritual weapons as well as making sure you don’t give the devil a foothold. Nonetheless, Paul’s best advice is to test everything, avoid evil and cling to the truth. When you encounter powers of darkness in the future, make sure you surround yourself with prayer and others believers before you confront or challenge demons.
The term tapped out refers to reaching a point of emptiness, unable to go any farther. A mother breast feeding her child may hit a wall, unable to produce any more milk. Despite an infant’s cries, mom is done. A keg on a college campus is bound to dry up, tapped out from over use. However, one of the most common examples today relates to a parent or student, burning the candle at both ends until they crash and burn from sheer exhaustion.
1. Acknowledge your condition – Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray, James 5:13a.
In the prime of my life, I worked 90 hours a week as a youth pastor. On my only day off, I led a Bible Study at McDonald’s in the morning, drove to Cincinnati to meet a friend (a 90 minute drive one way) and came back by dinner time to attend an adult Bible Study which required extensive reading. Sure, this sounds like a lot, but I was young. After my wealthy church rejected a plea for a homeless guy, I let him stay on my couch at my apartment for six months. To justify my raise after one year, my responsibilities tripled to include Confirmation, Coaching High School Basketball and Helping out with Young Life.
2. Find someone to confide in – If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up, Ecclesiastes 4:10.
Sometime after the first six months, I became comfortably numb, running on fumes. Since I didn’t have anyone to intervene, I reached an emotional breaking point, unable to give anymore. Thus, 14 months after starting my dream job, what I was born to do, I was forced to take a step back. So… what do you do when you’re all tapped out? Well, I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail with a mentor from high school, a former coach and Fellowship of Christian’s Athletes director. Looking back now, most of this weekend was a blur, yet I needed to retreat before I could go any further.
3. Find a quiet place to meet with God – Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed, Mark 1:35.
Before he became king of Israel, David had his own issues. The king, who just happened to be his best friend’s dad was trying to kill him, jealous of his fame from defeating Goliath. A man without a country, David fled for a cave, encouraged by 400 men, soldiers who had became friends. Despite being anointed as king by Samuel, David had to wait and wait and wait some more. Just as the mountains served as a retreat for me, this cave was like an oasis, able to shoot the breeze, wondering where to go and what to do next. Fellowship in these close quarters likely developed friendships for a lifetime.
4. Publicly confess your sins – Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed, James 5:16a.
To provide a woman’s perspective, I can’t help but mention the woman described in Matthew 9. If you think you’ve had a tough life, just listen to her sob story. Suffering from a bleeding disorder, she saw every specialist possible until she ran out of money. Broke and still unhealed, she was probably forced to beg like the homeless. Yet, fearful of contracting what she had, this woman was forced beyond the cities gates to live among the outcasts in society. Financially tapped, healing appeared unattainable until a man named Jesus worked the earth.
5. Find rest for your soul – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest, ” Matthew 11:28.
Built into the DNA of children is a natural inclination to seek comfort from mothers. Whether its an accident, fall or scrape, there is something soothing about receiving a hug, kiss or touch from mom. When I lived in New Jersey, my mother was an EMT. Perhaps, it was a premonition that I was an accident waiting to happen. Anyway, when I broke my leg in two places jumping off an above ground pool, did a face plant into the asphalt while riding my bike and nearly lost my finger after it was slammed into a car door I cried out, “faster faster won’t you make it better now?”
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths, Proverbs 3:5-6.
From a spiritual perspective, adults and child alike apply this same concept to prayer. However, instead of crying out to moms’, individuals are seeking immediate help from their heavenly Father. In cases of death, illness or sudden trauma, God is the last resort, a life line hoping to turn around a dire situation. While answers from the Lord vary, desperate times push souls to a sense of urgency. Depending upon the age, dilemma or energy within each prayer lifted up, everyone is searching for a quick resolution with a happy ending.
And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him,” Joshua 24:24.
In the song Faster Faster on Esterlyn Lamps debut album, the lyrics appear to be geared toward a counselor or friend. In the chorus, an individual who has made poor choices in life cries out at the tops of their lungs, “faster faster won’t you make it better?” Whether this plea applies to a pastor, teacher or youth pastor, anyone who makes foolish decisions wants to escape the consequences. Unfortunately, reality paints another picture, often with grime results. Therefore, don’t wait until something bad happens to get right with God. Rather, like Joshua in the Old Testament, make your decision today to serve and follow the Lord.
If you have ever witnessed an accident, there are several things which must take place before you can leave. The police must be contacted, vehicles must be moved off to the side and witnesses need to give their account of what happened. The authorities are trying to create a 360 degree picture of the scene. When all of the accounts are written down, an accurate perspective is usually derived.
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him, Acts 5:32.
When it comes to testifying about that which is unseen, accumulating information is much more difficult. Perhaps a prayer spoken up to heaven is answered in a relatively quick time. Or a financial need is met in a supernatural manner. Some may even see a miracle unfold which defies logic. If you have encountered any of these scenarios, maybe you have been a witness of the Holy Spirit.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 1 Corinthians 6:19.
The apostle Paul puts a different spin on this topic. Relying on Jesus’ words to his disciples in John 16, Paul suggests this counselor can actually enter your body. This Holy Ghost transformed his brethren from scaredy cats to bold evangelists. This display of faith likely inspired a generation of believers. Although the presence of the Holy Spirit may be rare in these days and times, don’t be surprised if you become a witness to the Holy Spirit.
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