Make Room In Your Heart For Jesus - Part 2

COMMON SUBSTITUTES FOR THE HEART

Are you expecting Jesus in this season? Is there room in your heart for Him? You may think you’ve made a place for Him there, but take a second look—just to be sure. Sometimes, without even knowing it, we offer Jesus everything but our hearts. Let me suggest three common substitutes.

BEAUTIFUL CHURCH BUILDINGS. Throughout history, men have tried building a stately material temple in place of the inner sanctuary God seeks in us. But, no matter how much we spend, or how beautiful it is, that temple of stone cannot satisfy God.

RITUALS. We also build rituals in which to house our Lord. We spend countless hours designing reverent and dignified ceremonies for the Lord to inhabit. The more glitter the better, especially when it comes to worship. But, once again, God is not interested in how well we “mouth the truth”, but in how we live the truth. Jesus defined religious hypocrites as those who “say things and do not do them” (Matthew 23:3). “They tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger” (Matthew 23:4). Rituals go beyond outward forms of religious ceremony, however. They can also masquerade as “holy safeguards” or boundaries. Jesus was born in a manger so He could identify with man’s suffering. But so often, we refuse to involve ourselves in the lives of others who are hurting. It takes too much time and effort. It’s too costly emotionally. It’s much easier to set limits on what we’re willing to do for Jesus.

CREEDS. Some people build houses for God out of creeds. They’re massive and rock-solid! Every beam and brick is well defined and firmly in place. The entire structure is held in place with a mortar of passion, zeal and devotion. From inside this house of doctrine, passers-by can hear its occupants shouting, “This is what I have built for you, O Lord. I am jealous for the honor of this house. Here is a home fit for a king.” God’s response? “No thanks.”

FOR WHAT KIND OF HOME IS GOD LOOKING?

If impressive church buildings, rituals and creeds aren’t suitable for divine occupation, what is? The answer lies in Isaiah 66:1-2. “Where then is a house you could build for Me?” Jesus asks. “And where is a place that I may rest?...But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at my word.”

Do you tremble at God’s Word? Do you willingly seek to obey God regardless of the cost?

Obedience is one of the most painful lessons we must learn as Christians. Obedience is the mark of genuine faith. It demonstrates the depth of your love for God. It speaks of your humility before Him. But, humility is costly and often painful. So to make obedience more comfortable, we water down God’s commands, and reinterpret His Word. Or, alternatively, we obey while it’s painless and convenient, and ignore God’s commands thereafter.

·      I know of businessmen who are honest until their integrity costs them sales or profits.

·      I know of husbands and wives who appear committed to their marriages until working through their problems demands too much time and energy.

·      I know of Christians who are patient and kind until someone rubs them the wrong way.

It’s easy to obey when it doesn’t cost you anything—or you’re rewarded for good behavior! But that’s not the way of the manger. The Lord of Glory seeks the warm inn of an obedient heart, but the world only offers Him a manger of stone. What are you offering Jesus?

HOW CAN I MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS?

Making room for Jesus is not something you can do just once—like moving a wall to enlarge a room. It’s an ongoing project that involves the cleansing and renewal of your mind, heart and spirit as a prelude to obedience. As you clean house spiritually, focus on four essentials:

1. Let the Word of God flood your mind. Compare your behavior to God’s standards. Are you living up to those standards? Are you forgiving your offenders unconditionally? Are you fleeing from temptation? Do you speak the truth at all times? What about your spiritual mindset? Are you an easy target for satan’s lies? When God doesn’t solve your problems as quickly and painlessly as you’d like, who do you believe, God or satan? By what basic assumptions about God and His character do you live? If you aren’t grounded in truth, you can’t trust and obey.

2. Set a fire in your heart against sin. Ask God to expose every evil thing in your heart that might shut Jesus out or mask His awesome holiness. God may reveal your sin as you pray or read the Word. But you may have to go through painful trials and suffering first.

Undoubtedly, the Civil War changed Colonel Cowan’s perceptions of Abraham Lincoln. Three months before Lincoln’s assassination, Cowan saw him again. But this time, he deemed it an honor to shake the President’s hand and look into his kind eyes.

3. Yield all your rights to God. Take a hard look at your expectations. Do you expect a certain level of comfort, good health or prosperity, for example? Do you expect people to treat you in a certain way? Typically, our expectations turn into demands, which we then justify as “rights”. Fighting for these so-called rights leads to sin. When some person or circumstance infringes on your rights, you’re apt to react in anger. And when anger fills your heart, Jesus cannot.

4. Love God above all else. Do you love the traditions and rituals associated with Christmas more than you love Christ Himself? Was finishing your Christmas shopping more important that spending time with the Lord? Look closely at how you order your priorities during this season. Don’t take your eyes off Jesus. Honor Him in everything you do. If you do, you will begin the New Year refreshed and invigorated, full of joy and expectation, and more in love with Jesus than ever before.

THERE WAS NO ROOM AT THE INN

Cherish these words. Remember their significance. Jesus emptied Himself of all that was due Him in glory and honor by being born in a stable. Later, He emptied Himself and “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8). Do you see the pattern? The manger was just the premier episode of a long journey to the cross, along the path of humility and obedience.

Let’s follow and worship this Jesus. Not the Jesus of glitter and grandeur, but the Jesus who humbled Himself to save us from ourselves, so that we might follow Him and give glory to Him alone.

Originally published in “Come Up Higher”, Volume 2, Number 12

Make Room In Your Heart For Jesus - Part 1

How will you feel when this holiday season comes to an end? When your Christmas tree lies naked on the curb outside your house, waiting for the trash men? When your credit card bill arrives and you don’t have the money to pay it? When the party is over, how will you feel? Disappointed? Empty? Exhausted? Even angry? I hope not. But, all too often, that’s the case in spite of the gift-giving and merry-making that highlight our holiday traditions.

For many people Christmas is a sad reminder of all that’s wrong or missing in their lives. It’s a time of mourning for the happy family life they’ve never known. A time for replaying painful memories. No matter what’s to blame for taking the joy out of your holiday season, you can put it back. This new year can be different—and that’s my prayer for you. But you’ll have to do one thing—you’ll have to make room in your heart for Jesus. To find out how, keep reading!

At an army camp outside Washington, D.C. on a blazing hot day in June of 1861, a 20-year-old soldier named Andrew Cowan met President Abraham Lincoln for the first time.

“I ran to the colonel’s quarters to feast my eyes on a president,” he recalled in a speech he gave nearly 50 years later. “There was Abraham Lincoln surrounded by nearly a thousand men of our regiment, and as I gazed upon him, my heart sank. He was shaking hands right and left while the sweat streamed down his strong, homely face. On his head was a ‘plug’ hat, weather-beaten and faded. He wore a faded linen duster coat…I TURNED AWAY WITHOUT SHAKING HIS HAND.”

Reflecting back on this day, Colonel Cowan explained why. “I was nothing but a boy,” he confessed, “my young eyes could not see through the homely husk, the whitest soul a nation knew.”

A young officer then, Cowan was on his way up. He was proud of his accomplishments and filled with dreams of future glory. But, out of pride and ignorance, he foolishly judged a man by his appearance. And, when Lincoln didn’t meet his expectations of a powerful and stately leader, he turned away in disappointment.

When I read this speech, I thought of One much greater than Lincoln who experiences such rejection from the proud and the haughty on a daily basis. His name is Jesus, and since His birth nearly two thousand years ago, many have turned away from Him as well.

Perhaps He too, was “homely” when he walked on the earth. Even now, Jesus falls short of the world’s definition of royalty. “He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.” Isaiah 53:2.

Unlike a traditional king, Jesus did nothing to promote his regal appearance. To the contrary, He modeled humility by choosing to renounce the rights and privileges He deserved as the King of all kings. He came into this world with little fanfare or recognition. God never sounded a trumpet to herald the coming King. And the people to whom He came were preoccupied with their own problems and affairs. Remember? The Roman government had ordered a census. By the thousands, the Jews were traveling to their hometowns to register and pay taxes.

Who would have guessed that God would choose such a time and place for the birth of His Son? No one expected Him. NO ONE MADE ROOM FOR HIM.

So the King of the universe was born to a poor, unwed mother. “And she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). Only Mary and Joseph knew the true identity of the infant they beheld, and even they didn’t fully understand the nature of His mission.

Surely God Almighty could have intervened to provide better accommodations for the birth of His divine Son. But He didn’t. In fact, He ordered events so that Joseph and Mary would not come to the inn until it was full. By His command, only a crude stable was available for lodging. He chose a bed of straw for the regal birthplace of our King. Why did God do it this way? Why did Jesus, even at His birth, refuse to live up to our expectations of an earthly king?

WHY WAS THERE NO ROOM AT THE INN?

TO FULFILL PROPHECY. The One who orders all things in heaven and on earth ordered the birth of Christ to take place in Bethlehem—the city of King David—because Jesus was the King, of the lineage of David, who was to fulfill the prophetic voices of the Old Testament.

TO DEMONSTRATE HIS MAJESTY. Unlike human kings, Jesus doesn’t need majestic surroundings to be majestic. The gold and glitter of a royal palace pales next to the vibrancy of His Presence.

So when God selected a birthplace for His Son, He chose an ordinary stable to demonstrate, by contrast, the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Only the majesty of Jesus could transform that crude shelter into a place of astonishment and glory.

TO ARM JESUS WITH THE WEAPON OF HUMILITY. Jesus had come, the angel told Joseph, to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). But the root of sin is nothing more or less than man’s pride. Pride dethroned God from man’s heart and enthroned self. The multiple forms of sin are but the fruits of an enthroned self-life. If man is to be saved, it must be from himself—and his lust for self-importance and self-sufficiency.

So Jesus came to put an end to the reign of pride that causes men to reject and ignore God. He came to bruise the head of that old serpent, the devil, who is bent on destroying people and using sin to accomplish his purposes. But to do so, He needed a special weapon—the only weapon that brings victory over sin. Jesus’ humble birth placed the weapon of humility in His hands. THE MANGER IN BETHLEHEM IS GOD’S AX LAID AT THE ROOTS OF MAN’S PRIDE. Had it been possible to step into human history under circumstances more humble than a manger in a stable, Jesus surely would have done so.

TO DEMONSTRATE BY EXAMPLE THE ESSENCE OF SALVATION. The way of the manger reveals the means by which we embrace salvation—by humbling ourselves before God. Salvation takes place as you allow God to transform the rejected, lonely, despised and sinful places of your heart into a holy throne room for God. He did the very same thing at Christ’s birth when He transformed a lowly stable into a glorious sanctuary.

The Christian way of salvation—the way of the manger—lacks the luster that appeals to man’s fleshly, worldly appetite. But the cost of humility is minimal compared to the hidden treasures His life brings into yours.

·      Unlike Christmas gifts under your tree, peace cannot be purchased with dollars; it comes only in Jesus.

·      Deliverance from years of bondage is found only in Him.

·      Joy beyond measure comes only in knowing Jesus and inviting Him to live in you.

·      And security is possible only in trusting the One who holds the future in His hands.

Count on this: Jesus will never take anything away from you unless He offers you something much better in its place. He will never ask you to make changes or sacrifices, or endure hardship of any kind, unless He’s prepared to reward your humility.

That’s why there was no room for Jesus at the inn. By choosing to be born in a stable—when He deserved the very best accommodations known to man—Jesus showed us the way of humility, the path to salvation and all the treasures in Christ. That’s the true meaning of Christmas.

TO WARN US ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL DANGERS ON PLANET EARTH. Do you see the irony? There was no room at the inn; and yet there is room in this world for every conceivable form of sin.

·      In our universities, there is room for the pride of man’s theories, however far-fetched they may be.

·      In the halls of government, there is room for greedy programs and self-aggrandizement.

·      In financial markets, there is ample room for conniving, and the lustful pursuit of wealth.

·      In the great temples of religion, there is abundant room for hollow, ceremonial display.

·      And, in most people’s lives, there is always room for self-gratification.

But, when the Son of God appears to save men and women from themselves—when He comes with the plan of heaven for their lives—there is never any room.

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:10-11).

Have you made room in your heart for Jesus? Read Part 2 from Pastor Bob’s timeless series next week. And, if you haven’t already, subscribe to get future posts sent directly to your inbox.

Whose Sword Are You Holding? - Part 5

God had not abandoned David.

David was the one to depart from the power of the Holy Spirit who had brought victory over Goliath. And he is left with nothing but Goliath’s sword. He is also hungry, so he asks Ahimelech, “Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found” (1 Samuel 21:3b). He explains that the matter of King Saul is so urgent that he was forced to leave in a hurry with no time to secure provisions or weapons for protection. So the priest gave him Goliath’s sword and the consecrated bread. And David fled to the Philistine town of Gath.

David’s choice of Goliath’s sword led him to the most embarrassing display of cowardice and humiliation in his entire life (1 Samuel 21:13-14). He literally acted as an insane madman to protect himself from the king of Gath. Oh, the depths of degradation men fall into when they trust Goliath’s sword of self-dependency rather than the Sword of the Spirit.

Now David is in great disobedience. This once heroic champion for God is not trusting, but running from his new foe, King Saul. It is not enough to receive the anointing of God’s presence for victory once. It must abide in us.

God always gives opportunity to rejoin the battle

Perhaps David relied too absolutely on what he previously received from God and neglected the daily renewal of the heavenly empowering God desires for each of us (see 1 John 3:24). But mercifully, God gave David another chance. He reminds David—do you remember where I brought you from? Do you remember how faithfully My Presence surrounded and strengthened you when the bear and the lion attacked? (1 Samuel 17:36). Do you remember how you defeated Goliath?

Is God trying to get your attention today? Have you stopped fighting and started running from something God wants you to face? Is there a victory you once enjoyed over the flesh, a place where you saw a mighty Goliath fall in your life, but now you are running in fear, having given up the good fight of faith?

God is saying to you as he said to David, “I haven’t left you, but you have left Me. You’re not in My Presence as you once were, and you’re not enjoying the victory you had in your life. Victory is found before My face as you fight to remain dependent upon Me and in My Presence.”

Are you fighting the good fight of faith? Do you look upon your adversaries as things to crush you, or do you accept their challenge and yield to God to make you a mighty, conquering champion for His glory?

Victory awaits the weakest person who trusts only in God’s provision

It is believed that Psalm 27 is associated with this period in David’s life. Listen to the lessons he learned:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?...

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;

Though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

(Psalm 27:1, 3)

These are the words of a man who learned to seek the face of God. He pleads for God’s mercy on these grounds. “When You said, ‘Seek My face’, my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek’” (Psalm 27:8).

Friend, are you in difficulty right now? Do you need guidance on which way to turn? Have areas of the flesh once under control of the Holy Spirit emerged to defeat you? Are you battling a giant in your life? Get before God’s face, trust Him to be there for you even if you don’t feel or sense Him. He knows your heart and your battle, and He desires to make you a conqueror.

Goliath’s sword may appeal to the human mind as the premier weapon of choice, but as David discovered, humiliation awaits those who select it. What’s more, running away from your problems won’t help you either. No means of escape—no matter how swift or adroit—provide deliverance. Having learned this lesson the hard way, David declares, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

When you have nothing to boast about except the living God within, you will wear the victor’s crown. When the giants in your life are brought to their knees and fall, you will rise up and stand firm (Psalm 20:8).

Originally published in the April 1998 issue of Reaching Higher

Whose Sword Are You Holding? - Part 4

You’re on your own when you stop flowing in God’s strength

What was the first sign that David’s faith was beginning to falter? It happened before he arrived at Nob. He made a telling remark to Jonathan when he said, “But truly as the Lord lives, there is hardly a step between me and death” (1 Samuel 20:3). His previous confidence in God is now but a memory as his new enemy, King Saul, pursues him. When he faced Goliath, he had looked beyond that formidable foe through the clear eyes of faith—and his God was bigger than his adversary. Now he only sees through the cloudy mist of circumstances, and he stands on the brink of disaster.

God hides his bread and sword if you face your giants, trusting in your own resources

The little village of Nob, situated among the hills five miles south of Gibeah, was a peaceful, secluded spot where 86 priests lived. No highways of commerce or wars invaded the tranquility of that place. Therefore no weapons could be found expect one—Goliath’s sword. Somehow the slain giant’s immense blade had found a resting place there. Also, the food supply was short, so no bread to spare could be located except the “shewbread” or the “bread of Presence”, representing God’s faithful provision for any need among his people.

Now picture this scene: When David arrives at Nob, Ahimelech asks, “Why are you alone and no one with you?” (1 Samuel 21:1) In other words, why are you traveling like an ordinary pilgrim? Kings’ messengers, especially of David’s status, traveled with a kingly entourage, but David is alone. This is just too unusual to Ahimelech. David’s hasty explanation about being on a secret mission attempts to cover his double-mindedness. Where he once knew victory when he depended upon God, he has now turned to self-sufficiency.

Friend, are you secretly running from God and trying to face your enemies in your own strength? Think about it. When you leave the battle, God hides the bread and the weapons, and you, like David, are cast upon your own feeble resources.

(This series will conclude next week. Subscribe to get future posts in your inbox.)

Originally published in the April 1998 issue of Reaching Higher

Whose Sword Are You Holding? - Part 3

Don’t be afraid to risk for God

You, like David, may be ridiculed by those who refuse to confront the giants in their lives (1 Samuel 17:28), or by those who say you can’t (1 Samuel 17:33). But David dared to trust God instead of listening to the despairing voices around him. To be a Christian is to be a warrior against all opposition, and running from battle is not an option.

God wants you to enjoy a complete victory, in which all the adversary’s power over you is broken. However, to experience this, you must:

·      Look away from your own inabilities

·      Cast yourself wholly upon the One “who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you” (Deuteronomy 20:4)

·      Charge ahead into battle against the enemy.

When you retreat from the battle, you’re only pretending to be on a mission from God

By now Goliath is defeated. The crisis is behind. How does David handle the next difficulty? David enters the little village of Nob. He looks exactly the same as before. Ahimelech, the priest, recognizes him instantly (1 Samuel 21:1). David’s voice sounds as it always did, and nobody questions him when he explains that he is on a mission for King Saul (1 Samuel 21:2).

What they don’t know is that this man who once needed only God to fight is battles is now depending upon his own strength. He is not on the King’s errand as he says. He’s actually fleeing from him and living in fear and living a lie. David is in precarious straits, but he doesn’t know it yet.

Once we get in the flesh, we only pretend to be on the King’s mission. In our hearts, we’re not fighting against sin any longer, but outwardly we still appear to be the same as always.

A divine law that applied to David still operates today. Whenever you trust in yourself and your own sufficiency, you are doomed to failure. Your first step in that direction takes place with God—allowing something to interfere with your prayer life.

You can count on it, my friend—there is no shortcut to a life of faith. Consistent periods of secluded meditation and fellowship with God are essential. Remember, David’s great victory over Goliath followed his solitary life as a shepherd on the lonely hills of Galilee.

(This series will continue next week. Subscribe to get future posts in your inbox.)

Originally published in the April 1998 issue of Reaching Higher

Whose Sword Are You Holding? - Part 2

Confront your giants directly

David wasn’t afraid to respond fearlessly to Goliath’s threats. No matter that Goliath was twice David’s size, carried weapons to match his giant stature, and possessed an arrogant spirit to exceed both. Without flinching, David bravely shouted, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26b)

Though only a youth, David possessed a triumphant faith—and a willingness to depend on God, and God alone. The Lord of hosts was such a reality to him that he could say, “You come to me with a sword, a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you…that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” (I Samuel 17:45-47)

Think of the audacity of this mere child in the eyes of seasoned warriors. Who did he think he was? Even his oldest brother, burning with anger, demanded of him, “Why have you come down?...I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart…” (1 Samuel 17:28b)

But the strategy of Israel at that point would appear strange to any observer. When they saw this giant, “they fled from him and were greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:24). Goliath emerged day by day shouting insults, and Israel promptly ran and hid.

But trouble doesn’t disappear like that. You can’t run and hide. Unless you face your problems directly and in conflict, they become worse and gain ground on you. If you conceal even a small offense such as anger, lust, greed, pride, fear or unbelief, it will not stay small. You must attack it and defeat it in the power of God. And the easiest time to do this is before the thing grows into a giant and threatens to swallow you.

(This series will continue next week. Subscribe to get future posts in your inbox.)

Originally published in the April 1998 issue of Reaching Higher

Whose Sword Are You Holding? - Part 1

Imagine facing Goliath, the giant. At about 9’7”, he was two feet taller than the tallest basketball player in the NBA today. Clothed with scale-armor and wearing a heavy bronze helmet, Goliath probably weighed nearly 450 pounds, more than any lineman in professional football.

In his huge hands, he carried a spear four to six inches in diameter and 12 to 15 feet in length. Its iron head alone weighed 30 pounds. It’s hard to picture a soldier throwing such a weapon accurately, but Goliath could. He so terrified the entire Israeli army that they fled in panic. And yet a young boy named David dared to oppose this incredible hulk.

David wore no armor, only a flimsy shepherd’s garment. And he carried no sword. But against all odds, David prevailed. With a single stone from his sling, he struck the Philistine on his forehead, so he fell on his face to the ground. Then David drew Goliath’s sword from his sheath and cut off the giant’s head.

Are there giants in your life?

Probably you, like I, face giants of varying sorts. Not long ago I found myself facing a Goliath I couldn’t even name. I just felt a heaviness settling over me. It didn’t feel like depression, but it was so enormous that I felt weak and hopeless. Nothing I could do made it go away. Absorbing myself in the promises of the Word, praying, plunging into the work of the ministry-all proved futile.

Feeling utterly overwhelmed while alone in a hotel room one day, I began to pray. I’d done this many times without success, but this time was different. Because I was hurting so deeply, I cried out to God in utter abandonment. Before long I caught myself humming a little tune I hadn’t sung in years:

Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God…”

Suddenly I felt something move through me. A new courage began to rise up, and I started to worship God all over that room. I sang, I cried, I laughed until finally the dark cloud was gone. The words, believe in God, do not be afraid, coursed through my mind. Then I remembered John 14:1—“Believe in God, believe also in Me.” And I knew I didn’t have to let this Goliath shout at me and wound me every day. Morning and evening he had taunted me, threatened me. But now the living God was in control.

I think I know how the Israelites felt as Goliath shouted at them, “If you don’t overcome me, I’ll force you to serve me the rest of your life.” That’s what it feels like when we face our Goliaths, doesn’t it? And there we stand confronting a mammoth hulk with a huge sword who demands, “What weapon do you have?”

“Only God,” we meekly reply. But God is enough!

(This series will continue next week. Subscribe to get the post in your inbox.)

Originally published in the April 1998 issue of Reaching Higher

Behind Closed Doors: Opening the Secrets of Persistent Prayer - Part 4

How’s your prayer life today? Are you persistent? Are you bold? Are you getting through to God? If not, ask yourself these key questions.

Am I Making Enough Time For Prayer?

We lead busy lives here in America today. And to reward ourselves for working hard and carrying such heavy loads, we earmark our free time for amusement and recreation—which leaves little time for prolonged, persistent prayer.

Ironically, given our busyness, we need “listening times” with God more than ever. It’s not enough to spend a few minutes here and there crying out to God with our wish lists of needs and wants.

But rather, we need to set apart time for lingering in the presence of God, for only there will we experience the radical change God desires for us.

The saints of the Bible and the early church fathers knew that prolonged communion with God in the “secret place” produces spiritual depth—something that’s sadly lacking in today’s shallow Christianity.

Do you know how to linger in that secret place?

Am I Shutting Out All Distractions?

God has something to say to us and something to do in us, but in the whirl of earthly ambitions, we cannot hear Him.

Sometimes God “tries us in the night.” Sometimes He “gives us songs in the night.” And other times the Lord gives us “visions in the night.” But we will miss all these messages from Him if we don’t persist and persevere in our time alone with Him.

Getting alone with God is not always easy, however. Worldly cares and frivolous thoughts begin to assault your mind the minute you bend your knee in prayer. And just as a wind-tossed lake cannot provide a clear reflection of the world around it, a troubled mind cannot capture the image of God.

But in the secret place of his presence, God makes the noises of the outer world cease so He might speak to the soul.

How do we enter that secret place? Turn to John 20:19 for the answer. When therefore it was evening…and when the doors were shut where the disciples were…Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’

The doors were shut. Did you catch that? To keep the distractions of the world out, start by shutting the door to your prayer closet. And then, most importantly, shut the door to your heart.

Shut the door to your heart and keep unbelief out, Jesus is saying to you. Time spent in His presence will melt unbelief like fire melts a candle.

Shut the door to your heart and keep formality out. Mechanical devotion does no good. If you’re praying to satisfy your conscience, you’re only deceiving yourself.

Shut the door to your heart so you may linger in the secret place with God, for that is where sin is exposed, confessed, and slain by His great love for you.

Shut the door and keep self-will out long enough to allow God to blend your desires with His. Don’t come to prayer so you can dictate your wishes to Him, but come to enjoy His presence.

Originally published in “Come Up Higher” newsletter volume 3,  #6 June 1997

Behind Closed Doors: Opening the Secrets of Persistent Prayer - Part 3

How’s your prayer life today? Are you persistent? Are you bold? Are you getting through to God? If not, ask yourself these key questions.

Am I Giving Up Too Easily?

Given the choice, most people would rather run the 50-yard dash than a grueling 26-mile marathon. Likewise, when we take our needs to God in prayer, we would rather see God react quickly and solve our problems overnight than to wait upon Him and keep praying for months, if not years.

Short-sighted and impatient, we give up on God before sufficient depth has developed in our communication with Him.

If you’re tempted to give up on God, remember that He specializes in training long-distance runners. His training programs are designed to teach us endurance, patience and persistence in prayer. And He promises to regard those who develop these qualities.

In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus told the parable of the unrighteous judge who granted legal protection to a widow only because she kept asking for it. Earlier, in Luke 11:5-10, He described the sleepy neighbor who got up out of bed to give food to a friend who wouldn’t stop knocking on his door.

What was Jesus saying? Both parables make the same point. When prayer seems useless and ineffective, keep praying. Don’t look for something more spectacular, persist in prayer.

God is responsive, more than we know, more than we ask, and even more than we think. If a bad judge responds to a poor woman’s needs for the wrong reasons, how much more will God respond to your needs when you keep asking?

Am I Doubting God?

A timid attitude toward prayer grieves God. Throughout the gospels, Jesus was appalled at the lack of faith among the disciples.

Do you remember how they reacted when a storm arose suddenly on the sea and the waves were crashing over their boat as Jesus slept?

“Save us Lord; we are perishing!” They cried. And Jesus woke up and said to them, “Why are you timid, you men of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26)

Our unbelief is unfounded in light of our Lord’s bold promise in John 15:7: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.

Our Savior’s words challenge us to think big—to be bold for Him. Yet too often, we don’t really believe His promises. And sometimes, when our prayers are answered, we don’t give God the credit. “What a coincidence!” we say. Or, “There must be a logical explanation for this.”

If your prayers are sprinkled with doubt, I want you to remember three things:

• God hears your prayers

• God cares enough to answer

• Nothing is impossible with God.

Look at Mark 11:22-24. There Jesus seems to make some impossibly wild, almost irresponsible claims about the power of prayer to move mountains. Then he says, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted up.” (v 24)

That’s quite a promise. But notice this prerequisite: “Have faith in God.” (v 22)

Faith in God precedes faith in His promises. It’s impossible to have unwavering faith that something you’re praying for will come to pass unless you know the Lord well enough to trust Him and know what He desires. The more intimately you know Jesus, the greater your confidence in Him will be—and the more clearly you will see and hear Him.

 Originally published in “Come Up Higher” newsletter volume 3,  #6 June 1997

This series on persistent prayer will conclude next week. To ensure you don't miss it, follow the link below to have these blog posts delivered directly to your inbox.

Behind Closed Doors: Opening the Secrets of Persistent Prayer - Part 2

Millions of Americans are praying every day. And yet, not all are really communicating with God. And fewer still are praying with the boldness and persistence Jesus mandates.

If millions were, we’d see greater results, because persistent prayer changes circumstances and attitudes. It removes obstacles and fears. It even moves mountains.

“If you have faith as a mustard seed,” Jesus said, “you shall say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

According to this scripture, prayer helps you do more than climb mountains – it helps you move them. And that kind of strength and power comes from one thing only – a robust, virile, and exuberant prayer life.

How’s your prayer life today? Are you persistent? Are you bold? Are you getting through to God? If not, ask yourself these key questions.

Am I Praying with the Wrong Motives?

Ask yourself: What is my agenda when I pray? Am I asking God to make my circumstances more comfortable? Am I looking for an esoteric experience, for power, or for spiritual gifts that might elevate me above other Christians? If so, my motives for prayer may be self-seeking, not God-seeking.

An exuberant prayer life flows from a passion to commune with God no matter what the cost. First and foremost, desire Jesus Himself and the power to serve Him—then all else will follow. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

God-seeking prayers contain no hidden agendas. With the right motives, your prayers may sound like this, “Please, Lord, help me to think clearly…cleanse my heart of all that’s not pleasing to you…purify my desires, God…give me the compassion and love I need to forgive my offenders…”

Originally published in “Come Up Higher” newsletter volume 3, number 6 June 1997

This series on persistent prayer will continue weekly for the next several weeks. To ensure you don't miss out, follow the link below to subscribe and these blog posts will come directly to your inbox.

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