When Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room. Daniel 6:10 NLT
“Clyde, don’t slouch down in your desk.”
I was in the third grade when I first became familiar with the definition of posture. Though my teacher, Mrs. Early, didn’t use the actual word, she associated it with the word slouch. So if I didn’t slouch, I had good posture. Good posture, evidently, meant sitting up straight.
Clyde had a habit of slouching. Why it was important for Clyde to sit up straight Mrs. Early didn’t explain. That part of good posture I would learn later in life. For now, it was enough to know I needed to sit up straight. Posture was important.
Posture is also crucial in prayer. The Pharisee who prayed in the temple stood while praying, and God said he went home no better off than when he arrived. The tax collector stood a different way and went home with a prayer accepted by God. Daniel knelt while he prayed and found himself in the lion’s den. However, God closed the mouths of the lions.
Lying face down, standing, sitting, and kneeling are all different prayer postures illustrated in the Bible. Not all people can do some of them due to health problems—or even missing limbs. But the posture of the body isn’t nearly as important as the posture of the heart.
Daniel’s outward posture matched the posture of his heart; the Pharisee’s didn’t. Daniel knelt in his heart and in his posture. The Pharisee stood before God with his posture but paraded before God in his heart.
Regardless of my outward posture when approaching God’s throne in prayer, my inward posture should be one of humility. I, a mere human, am approaching the Creator, Controller, and Savior of the universe. The One who has power to give and take life with a breath from His lips. The One who loved enough to sacrifice His Son for the salvation of mankind. The One who loves unconditionally and persistently.
With humility, I come to offer ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Before my list, I adore Him. Before my list, I confess my sins and shortcomings. And before my list, I thank Him for His goodness that is beyond my imagination. When I’m through with those things, my list of wants is normally much shorter.
In what posture are you coming before God?
Prayer: Father, in our hearts, we fall before You, the deliverer of all good things and the sustainer of our souls.
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I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations. Exodus 34:7 NLT
Sin’s fallout effects are never pleasant.
My wife and I pass a particular church’s parking lot on the way to our church. We were once affiliated with this church when the parking lot was full and so were most of the seats inside. The music was awesome, and the preaching charismatic. New members joined regularly, and excitement filled the air.
Now, things are different. The auditorium is only half filled and there is an air of despondency. Not because of anything any of the current members have done, but because of sin’s fallout effect. A leader—and a few members—chose to delve into sin, and now the entire church is feeling the effect.
I once thought this verse was confusing…even unfair. Why should children and their children suffer for something they didn’t do? Then I discovered a better interpretation. God isn’t saying they are responsible for their relatives’ sins but that they will feel the fallout from them.
Though I’m responsible to God for my personal sins, they are rarely private in that they affect only me. Thousands of children suffer physical and emotional ailments because their moms chose to use dangerous substances while they were pregnant or because parents chose to berate them with emotionally damaging messages. Numerous spouses have irreparably ruined credit records due to poor decisions by an ex-spouse. And many reputations suffer when the person themselves had no control over a bad situation.
Since I’m involved with others in some fashion, my closest associates will feel the effects of my decisions. Choosing to sin is never just about me. Not only will my sinful choices take me where I really don’t want to go—even though I think I might—I’ll carry others with me who unwillingly don’t want to go but who are carried along by association. I’ll then keep them—and myself, longer than any of us really want to stay, and the cost will be astronomical.
While confessing sin is crucial, rarely does it remove the consequences of my decisions. Consequences are God’s reminders. Better yet is my making a commitment to live a pure life and to walk in the power of the new nature God has given me. When I do this, I’ll experience less of sin’s fallout effect—and so will others who are close to me.
What can you do to prevent sin’s fallout effect in your life?
Prayer: Father, remind us our bodies are temples of Your Spirit and that we are to present them as a pure and holy sacrifice to You.
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Each winter it was evident our old house lacked what would help keep us cozy.
For five years, my wife and I lived in a home nearing one hundred years old…a home built before air conditioning…a home constructed to remain cool in a sultry atmosphere but not warm in a frigid one. Fireplaces and stacks of quilts would suffice for that infrequency, and homebuilders left out what is now common in energy efficient homes-insulation.
Winters were challenging. We watched our dangling curtains rustle when the wind blew. Doors and windows freed drafts to snake through the cracks. We saw our heat leap from the floor vents and sprint to the ceiling. And our electricity bill reflected what was missing. Read more...
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My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls. Psalm 22:12 NLT
Tradition says the running of the bulls began in northeastern Spain during the 14th century.
Why anyone would want to run down a crowded street with angry bulls chasing them is beyond me. The thought of being trampled or gored isn’t appealing. Even though it happens, people still do it. I’ve also watched wolves, wild dogs, and coyotes attack their prey. With teeth bared and mouths salivating, they circle, blind side, and eventually pounce on their victims.
Whether he actually was or not, the psalmist felt surrounded by enemies. His words were prophetic of how Jesus would later feel when His enemies eventually called for His death.
In many countries—even America, Christians are under attack. The attack may involve jail time, beatings, or even death. Or it may be more subtle: prayer being taken out of schools, the Ten Commandments being removed from public places, the media ridiculing those who take a faith stand, or immoral ways of living being promoted as the norm.
When under attack for my faith, it is common for me to overreact. I can spew hateful words against those who attack me or promote ungodly lifestyles. I can act as if I’m better than them and walk around with my religious nose in the air. Or I can withdraw like a hermit and refuse to associate with anyone but my own kind. But there are better responses.
Praying for strength to endure is crucial. God never promises to take persecution away. In fact, He tells believers they will be persecuted. After all, Jesus was. He will, however, give strength to endure.
Searching for God’s will in how to react to the attacks is also important. However I choose to react, it should be with love.
I can have confidence when I’m under attack. I’ve read the end of the Book. Good wins over evil. Believers triumph. Knowing that is not an excuse for a haughty attitude, but knowing it does help me respond to faith attacks with a different outlook.
Being attacked for my faith also gives me a reason to praise God. Faith attacks are a witness for Him. If I’m not being attacked in some manner, perhaps I’m not as verbal about my faith as I should be.
How do you respond when under attack for your faith?
Prayer: Father, give us the strength to stand when we come under attack for our faith.
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My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me? Psalm 22:1 NLT
Feeling forsaken can make it appear that life’s caving in.
I’ve always thought that of all people who should stand shoulder to shoulder in tough times, it should be family. Recently, a particular family member had the means to help my wife and me through a difficult financial period but chose not to. I felt forsaken…actually angry.
Examples of feeling forsaken are rife. Thousands of children feel forsaken by parents who have abandoned them. Perhaps they couldn’t afford to raise them; perhaps they didn’t want to. Forsaken spouses join their multitude. Spouses have walked out on them for someone else, because they don’t love them anymore, or just because they are tired of being married. Even friends sometimes forsake friends. And there’s just something about tragedies that leaves us feeling forsaken too.
The psalmist doesn’t give the reason he’s feeling forsaken. Perhaps he was just writing Hebrew poetry he knew people could identify with for thousands of years to come. I have a feeling though that someone had actually forsaken him or some difficulty had assaulted him and because of it he imagined God had also.
When hard times strike, it’s easy to think God has abandoned us. When others forsake us, it’s easy to transfer our feelings of abandonment to God as well.
Staking our faith on what the Bible teaches is essential when we feel forsaken, and the Bible says God will never leave us. Others might, but He won’t. Regardless of how I might treat Him, He’ll never leave. He’s the only friend I can find who I can say that about with confidence.
When I’m feeling forsaken, I remember how easy it is to confuse feelings with reality. Feelings change often within the same day and even the same minute. How I feel may or may not reflect reality. If I feel forsaken by God, my feelings are never mimicking reality. God is forever by my side to comfort, guide, and instruct me. When others walk out, He stands nearby.
In those times when I feel forsaken by others—and particularly God, I must depend on my faith, not my feelings. My relationship with God is built on truths…realities, not feelings. Walking by faith helps me experience His presence even when I don’t feel it.
When you’re feeling forsaken, remember God will never abandon you.
Prayer: Father, we thank You that we can always depend on You to remain by our side in the good and the bad times.
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Some chuckled while others appeared confused. “Stinking thinking leads to nasty actions.” I said it in a ninth grade Bible class when the subject came up while studying the believer’s armor-particularly the helmet of salvation. And it does.
Helmets are important. For race car drivers, equestrian riders, motorcycle racers, football players, baseball batters, hockey enthusiasts, and even bull wranglers. They protect one of the most important parts of our body…the brain. While the heart is of utmost importance…the ceasing of which essentially ends our bodily existence, brain damage affects body movement, decision making and even the ability to personally function. More importantly…though we might not know the exact connection, it affects the mind as well. Read more...
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But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Matthew 6:6 NLT
“The Sound of Silence” was written by Paul Simon of the duo Simon and Garfunkle over a period of several months between 1963 and 1964. In 1966, the song—which tells of a man who failed to communicate, hit number one on the Billboard 100.
Though silence can have damaging effects, it can also be golden. After teaching 50 plus middle school students each day, I’m ready for silence when I get home. Following an end of first-semester party for our middle schoolers at the local bowling alley—one my wife attended with me, my wife now understands why I want silence when I come home from work.
Jesus thought a great deal of silence also. He was constantly mobbed by people who wanted to hear Him teach, see Him perform miracles, or do something for them personally. Along with those who wanted something were the religious hound dogs who were constantly looking for some reason to arrest and even kill Him. Getting away by Himself or with His disciples was essential for maintaining His and their sanity. It is for mine also.
A little white noise is good. My wife and I sleep with fans blowing. When there is complete silence, we can’t sleep. But the other types of noises that often characterize a day—loud voices, machines, vehicles, horns, train whistles, screaming kids, shouting customers, television shows, and internet voices—can drown out the most important voice I need to hear.
While God can speak in the midst of noise, I’m more apt not to hear Him when noise abounds. Jesus says I need to get in my prayer closet—whether I take that literally or not.
Silence helps me focus. Not only do I want to hear God’s voice, but I also want to focus on what He’s saying. I need to hear Him clearly so I can think soberly. Silence is necessary for accomplishing this task.
When I can hear God unmistakably and focus on what He’s saying, it makes obedience much easier. And when I obey, peace follows. Peace in life is reached when I submit to God’s will and follow it completely and consistently. Anything less will produce noise in my life.
Find a place and time where you can be daily silent before God.
Prayer: Father, we long for silence so we can hear Your Spirit speak clearly to our spirits.
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All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
I don’t remember whether Mom and Dad explained the importance of what I was watching on the television or not, but I remember watching with great interest.
Just shy of nine years of age, I sat in the den of a church parsonage and stared at a small black and white television set. The date was July 1960, and American Neil Armstrong was about to be the first man to set foot on the moon.
Though I didn’t know it at the time, I discovered later that a number of Americans didn’t really believe anyone was on the moon. I suppose they still thought it was impossible for a space machine to be launched from earth and land on the moon—much less that someone could walk on the moon. In spite of evidence to the contrary, some simply wouldn’t believe.
In giving instructions to a young minister, Paul reminded Timothy about the nature of God’s Word. He, too, would encounter some who would simply not believe its message in spite of evidence to the contrary.
Almost 2,000 years of history hasn’t changed anything. Opinions about the Bible vary. Some believe every word in it is truth while others believe nothing in it is true. Many are in the middle. They believe it records truth where faith and some historical matters are addressed but have no confidence in it when it speaks of scientific things and many historical events. For them, it’s mostly a collection of myths, legends, and fairy tales.
I have only two choices when it comes to God’s Word: it’s either truth completely or not truth at all. If I can’t trust what it says about scientific and historical matters, then how can I be sure it speaks truth when it addresses matters of faith?
Accepting God’s Word is an act of faith just like my belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I must believe God breathed the words, and that those words show me the way He wants me to live, think, and speak.
Measuring my actions and attitudes by the Bible’s teachings shows me where I need to make changes. Believing its teachings and promises and watching them fulfilled in my life reinforces its validity. What I believe about God’s Word will show up in my lifestyle.
What do you believe about the Bible?
Prayer: Father, give us courage to take the step of faith by believing the Bible is Your true Word to us.
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Philosopher Edmund Burke said; “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
Of all the parental and church instructions I hurled out my youth window, it might seem strange that a rebellious teenager would cling to the “abstaining from sex before marriage” one. But I did.
I suppose it was an anomaly to my girlfriends--who were normally sexually active or wanted to be, and to my male friends who enjoyed bragging about their conquests. And after all, if I was committing all the other sin habits, why not this one too? I can’t explain the inconsistency; I can only admit it was a firm conviction. Read more...
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Then Moses said, “If you don’t go with us personally, don’t let us move a step from this place.” Exodus 33:15 NLT
She longed for their presence. Her son and husband.
Both had been called to fight a Middle Eastern war. She worried night and day. Never totally focused on anything she did. What if both were killed? Or suppose they were critically injured? How would that change the life she had known?
Another time and place. Another person. She and her husband longed for the presence of their son. He had made some unwise decisions that landed him in jail. Six years had passed with only temporary visits. They longed for him to be released, so he could move back home where they could talk and visit regularly.
Moses too longed for God’s presence. He had agreed to God’s assignment and led God’s people out of slavery. No sooner had they left Egypt than the rebels rebelled. While Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments on a mountain, they were below wondering what had happened to him and fashioning a golden calf to take his place.
God considered annihilating them and starting over with Moses. Moses, however, interceded for the people and begged God to go with them on their journey to the Promised Land. He didn’t want to move one step if God wasn’t by his side.
My longing for God’s presence can be triggered by emotions. Emotions are easily aroused by a soul-stirring musical concert or fiery sermon. I can be stirred, feel God’s presence, and be ready to take on the world for Christ. The danger of longing for God’s presence only when my emotions are stirred is that the feeling is typically short-lived. Though important and necessary, emotions mimic a roller coaster’s up and down movement.
A longing for God’s presence that results from an inner conviction that I actually need and want His presence is more permanent. Faith and a firm commitment will carry me farther than an emotional experience.
When I long for God’s presence as Moses did, I’ll strive to please Him with my actions, words, and attitudes; I’ll live a holy lifestyle—recognizing my body is a temple of His presence; I’ll move closer to Him daily; I’ll long to grasp the opportunities He sends; and I’ll share Him with others.
Are you longing for God’s presence?
Prayer: Father, we believe You are with us always. Help us long to feel Your presence with us continuously.
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Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighted him down. Isaiah 53:4 NLT
For the first 18 years of my life, my parents assisted me with burdens. From teaching me responsibility to getting me jobs to tending to my basic needs, they helped me carry the burdens that come with growing up.
Since then, there have been other occasions when they helped me bear unwanted burdens: when I lost a job, when a relationship failed, when a child rebelled, when my only car broke down.
Others have also helped me carry burdens. Church members who’ve come to my side when death took a loved one, grandparents who helped me purchase tires for a vehicle, a child who forked over hard-earned money to help me pay a bill, total strangers who helped me free my truck from a snow drift, and a spouse who helps me bear every burden that surfaces.
The ancient prophet told of how the coming Messiah would help bear burdens. He would not blow in on a white horse and conquer Israel’s enemies. Rather, He would bear burdens the first time and conquer at His Second Coming.
The greatest burden Jesus Christ helps us carry is sin. Since I’m born with a sinful nature, I need a burden bearer. On the cross, Jesus bore the sins of humanity. Though paid for in full, the results of what He accomplished are only effective when I ask for what He did to be applied to my personal life. Forgiveness doesn’t automatically happen.
When I ask Jesus to carry my sin burden, it is not only carried but removed and thrown as far as the East is from the West as well as shoved into the uttermost depths of the ocean. In other words, He eliminates the penalty for this burden: eternity apart from Him.
Unfortunately, life also has other burdens that result not from my personal sin but from living in a world tainted by sin. These burdens I need help bearing also. While others help me shoulder these burdens, only God can do it consistently and permanently. Others will disappoint me—not necessarily intentionally but simply because they are human.
Though the help of others is wonderful and needed, the help of an all-powerful and all-knowing God is crucial. He is the burden bearer who will never leave or forsake us.
Are you letting Christ bear your burdens?
Prayer: Father, thank You that there is no burden so great that You can’t bear for us.
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