Selfish Prayers

James 4:3 diagnoses one of the most insidious problems which always undermines, and often devastates our prayer lives. The problem we’re told, is a kind of selfish praying that eventually reshapes our prayer lists, turning our communication with God into little more than a personal “wish list” aimed at a less painful and a more enjoyable existence. As James boldly warns, it is that kind of praying which God will purposefully choose to ignore. Such requests are a reflection of a kind of immature Christianity, which wrongly sees life’s goal as happiness and not holiness, amusement and not ministry. God loves to answer our prayers, but he takes no pleasure in selfishness and greed. That is why God was so complimentary of Solomon, who, when told to ask for whatever he wanted, passed on asking for riches or fame, but instead chose to ask for wisdom so that he might effectively serve God’s people (1 Kings 3:1-15). God quickly responded, giving him not only what he asked for, but pouring out an abundance of blessings that would also bring Solomon happiness and joy. So guard your prayer list from being overrun by selfish desires. Be sure to ask him for those things which will bring God glory and will make your life more useful for his cause.

Opportunities

Followers of Christ always need to be on the look out for opportunities to stand up for Christ and to speak up for his cause. And the more sinful the culture, the more critical it is that God’s people exploit those opportunities. Paul wrote, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17). Any generation could use a reminder to give more careful thought to the occasions in which they could advance the kingdom of God, but in a day like ours, the command couldn’t be any more urgent. Christians need to be strategic, thoughtful, deliberate and shrewd. We need to think through our schedules and our appointments and ask ourselves, “How can I make a difference for Christ and the gospel today?” The Bible warns that because non-Christian culture will go from “bad to worse” it is imperative that Christ’s disciples redouble their premeditated efforts to banner God’s truth, restrain evil and stand up for what is right (2 Timothy 3:13-17). Our efforts won’t be without opposition, but they will certainly have the strong support and enablement of our God (1 Peter 3:13-18). So make plans today to shine brightly in our dark world.

Responding to Trials

Modern Christians tend to misplace a good portion of their compassion. Often when they learn of someone who is struggling or hurting, regardless of the reason, they are quick to offer their blessings, support and encouragement. This kind of indiscriminate sympathy is far from what we see in the pages of the New Testament. The apostles maintained a careful distinction between “suffering for doing good” and “suffering for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:13-17). The former is commended and Christians are called to offer their prayers and their reassuring help (1 Peter 2:19-20). The latter calls for correction and usually prompted a godly rebuke (1 Peter 4:14-17). When we fail to make this distinction we risk being supportive of the unrepentant, thus encouraging insensitive consciences and hardened hearts toward God (Hebrews 12:5-6). Or it could be that our aimless affirmations will unwittingly contribute to “mocking God” by glossing over the important relationship between “sowing and reaping” (Galatians 6:7). So when the connection between suffering and sin is obvious, we should pray and exhort the repentant sufferer to affirm God’s holiness, and with David sing: “I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75). We all have much to learn from our self-inflicted trials. May we be quick to repent and learn our lessons so that we can make a full recovery and move on to walking even more closely with Christ.

Spiritual Famine

God spoke to a spiritually declining nation through the prophet Amos, predicting a terrible disaster which was fast approaching the borders of Israel. It was not an earthquake, flood or storm, but rather it was the worst kind of calamity that could ever befall a people. His forecast called for a famine. But, God said it was “not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). Amos, the farmer turned prophet, knew how devastating it could be when a nation’s farmlands were deprived their needed rain. So God chose him to prophesy about the even more profound devastation that occurs when God’s people are deprived of God’s word. It was true then, and it is true now – vibrant spiritual lives and biblically generous pulpits go hand-in-hand. But when people harden their hearts to the study and preaching of his word, God brings a famine. Yes, healthy pulpits can produce healthy Christians, but we must realize that negligent and disobedient Christians indirectly cause a scarcity of healthy pulpits. With that concern in mind and to avoid all such famines, may we be sure to maintain an appetite for meaty biblical exposition. And between our gatherings may we often find ourselves voraciously reading, studying and memorizing God’s life-giving words.