The Web Site and Blog of Pastor Chris Brauns
Jeremy Carr quotes John Piper:
You will not know what prayer is for until you know that life is war. One of the great obstacles to praying is that life is just too routinely smooth for many of us. The battlefront is way out there, but here in my tiny bubble of peace and contentment all is well. O may God open our eyes to see and feel the needs around us and great potential of prayer.
The rest here.
Collin Hansen:
This week, we watched together as a real-life rescue drama unfolded before our eyes thanks to the wonder of cable television. One by one, 33 men trapped about half a mile below ground for more than two months emerged from the copper and gold mine they once feared would become their tomb. It wasn’t just the family and friends of the rescued miners who shed tears of joy when their loved ones emerged from the rescue capsules. Viewers, too, rejoiced over this modern miracle.
The rescue of trapped miners in Chile answered many prayers and re-united families.
The successful recovery surely answered a host of fervent prayers. One of the miners, a evangelical, buoyed the spirits of the other men by leading a Bible study. He corresponded with a Baptist pastor above ground who encouraged the men with a note. The pastor, Marcelo Leiva, told Baptist Presswhat he said to José Henríquez:
I encouraged him for remaining days of confinement. That he would remember the promises of the Lord, to have hope and confidence, and that he would also convey to the other 32 miners the message that the same God who has guarded them is the One who is going to guide them in the rescue. And so the anxiety can be dissipated with prayer and confidence in God.
According to Henríquez, the trapped miner, two men professed new faith in Jesus Christ during their confinement. When one of the miners’ wives learned her husband had become a Christian, she, too, found faith in Jesus.
The rest here.
This is a radio spot reposted from earlier. But, I am planning on putting this into practice all around Western Europe, including Neuschwantstein Castle.
Of course, I’m not sure those secret prayers will count given that I’ve posted about them on my blog.
Matthew chapter 6 begins with a principle. Jesus told the disciples to avoid doing good things for the sake of human approval. He said, “Don’t do acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them.” Instead, we should do our acts of righteousness “secretly,” before God alone.
One of my favorite ways to live out this principle is through what I call “secret prayers.” For me, a secret prayer is when I pray for someone I don’t know, will likely never see again, and who has no idea that I prayed for him or her.
My prayers go something like this. “God, I don’t know why this guy having his oil changed looks so tired. I have no idea what is going on in his world. Maybe he has a lot of stress at work. But, I pray that you might bless him today.”
How about this? Instead of getting angry at an aggressive driver, why not pray for him or her. “Lord, I don’t know why this person is being such a jerk, but I pray that you will keep him safe and that you will bless him in some special way.”
God is pleased when we care for people we don’t even know. And, God answers prayer. My secret prayers are just between God and me on behalf of someone else.
I have a theory that someday when I get to Heaven I’ll be able to check out DVD’s that document how a few of my secret prayers made a difference.
What would happen if every believer in Rockford started praying 5 secret prayers a day. The results might amaze us.
If you wish to humble a person (starting with yourself?) follow the advice of Dean C.J. Vaughn:
If I wished to humble anyone, I should question him about his prayers. I know nothing to compare with this topic for its sorrowful self-confessions. Dean C.J. Vaughn
. . . Strange paradox, most of us are plagued with a subtle aversion to praying. We do not naturally delight in drawing near to God. We pay lip service to the delight and potency and value of prayer. We assert that it is an indispensable adjunct of mature spiritual life. We know that it is constantly enjoined and exemplified in the Scriptures. But in spite of all, too often we fail to pray. J. Oswald Sanders
Brian McLaughlin continues his series on prayer by listing some reasons that Calvin gives to pray:
Calvin then addresses those who claim that prayer is useless with six reasons why it is important:
- “First, that our hearts may be fired with a zealous and burning desire ever to seek, love, and serve him, while we become accustomed in every need to flee to him as to a sacred anchor.”
- “Secondly, that there may enter our hearts no desire and no wish at all of which we should be ashamed to make him a witness, while we learn to set all our wishes before his eyes, and even to pour out our whole hearts.”
- “Thirdly, that we be prepared to receive his benefits with true gratitude of heart and thanksgiving, benefits that our prayer reminds us come from his hand.”
- “Fourthly, moreover, that, having obtained what we were seeking, and being convinced that he has answered our prayers, we should be led to meditate upon his kindness more ardently.”
- “And fifthly, that at the same time we embrace with greater delight those things which we acknowledge have been obtained by prayers.”
- “Finally, that use and experience may, according to the measure of our feebleness, confirm his providence, while we understand not only that he promises never to fail us, and of his own will opens the way to call upon him at the very point of necessity, but also that he ever extends his hand to help his own, not wet-nursing them with words but defending them with present help.”
Brian McLaughlin has recently posted a thoughtful series on prayer, including this post which speaks to the question, “Why pray?”
Prayer is essential. Prayer is difficult. These two things all Christians accept. But why pray anyway? What’s the big deal?
I think one of the reasons that prayer is so difficult for so many people is that we don’t truly understand what it is or what it is intended to accomplish. It is not uncommon to hear someone say that prayer is important “because Jesus commanded it.” Yes, the Bible does encourage us to pray, but that doesn’t represent an understanding of why. Furthermore, it often has the effect that my wife has when she keeps “reminding” me to take out the trash; it simply isn’t very motivating.
So let’s spend a little time thinking about some basics of prayer beginning with, what is prayer?
So often I find that theologian Wayne Grudem provides some nice, succinct definitions. He defines prayer as “personal communication with God” [this resembles Dallas Willard's definition of prayer as being an "ongoing conversation with God"]. Grudem continues to explain that this includes “prayers of request for ourselves or for others (sometimes called prayers of petition or intercession), confession of sin, adoration, praise and thanksgiving, and also God communicating to us indications of his response.”
Would you pray for the preaching of the Word in your church tomorrow?
The efficacious empowerment of the Spirit of God is indispensable to the ministry of proclamation. Arturo Azurdia
If you are a Brick, would you come by my study for prayer at 8:30 tomorrow?
I often plead with people in our church to come pray with me before the morning services. The reason is that in my own strength I might as well seek to part the Red Sea or raise the dead as preach successfully. Unless the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word when I preach, then it is nothing more than a human production.
Arturo Azurdia summarizes:
People are brought to faith in Jesus Christ not because a preacher happens to be exceptionally dynamic one Sunday morning, or because he finishes his sermon with a spell-binding story. Rather, in a mysterious work that is both sovereign in expression and divine in origin the power of God unites with the proclamation of the word of God and produces effects that are in keeping with the purposes of God. It is the effectual teaching ministry of the Spirit of truth, without which the Bible will never be anything more than a book in a drawer in a room at a hotel.
Pray for me, whenever I open my mouth to preach, that words would be given to me that I might, “boldly proclaim they mystery of the gospel.” Ephesians 6:19-20.
Pastor Jeremy Carr reflects on our Lord’s example in prayer.
Early in Jesus’ ministry, he is experiencing great success. His fame is spreading through Galilee as he casts out demons and heals many sick people. After one particularly busy day of healing, Mark’s Gospel tells us this:
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." Mark 1 :35-38 (ESV)
Three observations from this account of Jesus’ ministry.
- Jesus prioritized prayer as the way to effectively minister to people. He didn’t use busyness or success with people as an excuse for neglecting prayer and solitude with God the Father. He realized that in order to meet people’s needs he needed time alone with God. If we neglect prayer for the sake of ministering to people a breakdown will eventually come. We will get burnt out, or become proud of our "successes," or lack the strength to continue on, or lack the true power of transformation that God provides. Somewhere a breakdown will happen when we neglect prayer and solitude.
A good quote for pastors to consider on Sunday and every other day of the week.
A preacher whose chief power is not in studious prayer is, to that extent, a man who does not know his business. A stringent ethic would say he is in danger of becoming a quack.
Read endorsements for Unpacking Forgiveness here.
Click here to order Unpacking Forgiveness.
“. . . Chris Brauns has done a magnificent job in helping us understand the true nature of biblical forgiveness. Every Christian will profit from reading and applying this book.” Jerry Bridges.
“ . . . Unpacking Forgiveness is an engaging, convicting but emphatically encouraging treatment of this hugely important (and sometimes mindbogglingly challenging) part of life. Dr. Brauns writes from the standpoint of a faithful, wise, experienced and caring pastor . . .” Ligon Duncan, First Pres, Jackson, MS
A Brick in the Valley
