Do you remember black-and-white televisions? If not, do you remember the world before high definition televisions? The viewing experience in color is so much better than black-and-white. The same can be said of HDTV versus regular TV.
If you feel like your life is drained of its color or lacking in definition, you might want to invest in refreshing your soul – reclaiming the vibrancy and color of your spiritual life.
If you feel like you are in a spiritual rut, refresh your soul through spiritual practices like prayer, fasting, and celebration.
Perhaps your heart is moved by the great hymns and songs of the faith like How Great Thou Art. Refresh your soul by understanding those songs on a much deeper level.
If you are feeling weighed down by your burdens, refresh your soul by finally letting go of the mental, emotional, and spiritual burdens you’ve been secretly carrying around.
Perhaps your mind feels starved by living in a shallow world. Refresh your soul by asking the deep questions that you don’t even want to admit you’re asking. Does God really exist? Do miracles still happen? Exploring these deep questions can refresh your soul.
One final way to refresh your soul is by living the incredible life God has in mind for you.
Perhaps it’s time for you to come up for air by refreshing your soul.
**NEW** Second Edition published on 10/1/2019
Added going deeper questions for personal devotions or small groups
Zoom, swoosh, and BLAST OFF into space! This rhyming children’s book shows and tells rocket lovers everywhere how the great machines work. Follow the US Space Shuttle from construction through BLAST OFF and landing!
How do you respond to life’s challenges? How does God want you respond? Join Rev. Cody Sandahl on a journey through the book of Ephesians. Get a bird’s-eye view of the whole story of Scripture through a book that has something for everyone – the big picture, the day-to-day, exaltation in Christ, and opposition by the devil! Whether you have five minutes a day or five hours a week, this study is designed to help you grow closer to Christ and recognize God’s Plan.
Each chapter has a short devotional followed by in-depth analysis of the words, phrases, and ideas found in each section. “Going Deeper” questions help apply the Bible study to your life. These questions can be used personally or within a small group or class format.
Those who love to know the historical setting will enjoy the background section that unpacks Ephesus the city, Ephesus the church, and the original context when the letter was written.
When I was in high school and college, it would have been mighty pleasant to be able to peek at the questions before the exam. I used to wish that my teacher or professor would line out the future exam questions along with the syllabus I received on the first day of class. I actually had a class in college that had take-home exams, and my initial glee was quickly subsumed under a self-imposed pressure. I would have gladly taken a 92 on the test, but since I had the time and ability and even invitation from the professor to check my answers before turning it in I felt I had to get a 100 on it. I might be a perfectionist at heart. When that professor gave us an option on the final – take-home or normal in-class exam – I actually chose the in-class exam so I wouldn’t stress out as much about every single question.
Ephesians, with its birds-eye-view of God’s story unfolding in Jesus’ birth, life, teachings, crucifixion, resurrection, and promised return, is like having a take-home exam. Almost all of the essentials of the faith are found in this short book. Almost all of the ways we are to respond to our faith with our daily lives are found in this short book. If the hefty size of the Bible causes your mouth to suddenly dry up like the sands of the Mojave Desert, Ephesians is for you! It’s like the Cliff’s Notes version of the Bible.
But it is also a challenging book. As you read it, you may feel the same pressure I did in my college course – the pressure to be perfect. The pressure to get everything right in your life. The pressure to figure everything out. Ephesians has you covered, there, too. We are reminded that we are not saved by being perfect (thankfully):
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
In addition to its marvelously succinct approach to the sweeping arc of God’s story, Ephesians also walks us through very earthly conversations as well. How should men and women interact with each other? How should children and parents interact with each other?
For those who like a good fight, there are controversies galore. If you want to take your life into your own hands, try quoting Ephesians 5:22 to my feminist mom: “wives be subject to your husbands…” (NIV). I have $20 on my mom if it comes to fisticuffs.
For those who are interested in social justice, Ephesians dives into slavery and power imbalances. We will explore the ups and downs of how Christians throughout the ages have attacked, defended, or accepted the practice of slavery.
For those who enter into spiritual battle through prayer, Ephesians contains some of the most strident depictions of evil and the devil. We are assumed to be under attack at all times, but the author also shows us the way out.
The book of Ephesians has something for everyone. From the big picture to the day-to-day. From exaltation in Christ to opposition by the devil. From encouragement to challenge. My prayers go with you as you grow closer to Christ through the letter to the church in Ephesus.
Mind, Heart, and Body
In addition to the chapter-by-chapter analysis of Ephesians, I have also included a Personal Devotional at the start of each chapter. We are encouraged to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2 NIV), but we are also reminded that God “will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26a NIV). Our spiritual growth involves our minds and our hearts. The personal devotionals are designed to reach the heart since the Bible study reaches the mind.
If you are walking through Ephesians with a small group or Bible study, the devotionals are also there for you if you are running out of time this week and just have five minutes before the group gathers. Don’t worry – I won’t tell anyone. This study is flexible enough to be anywhere from six to fourteen weeks long. You can find a week-by-week guide listing the suggested reading plans near the end of this book.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you are a history buff or a church history wonk or a Bible trivia collector, first let me greet you as a brother or sister. We have so much in common! If you also like Star Wars we should meet – we’ll be fast friends. At the end of this book (in the Background section) you will find information about the city of Ephesus, the church in Ephesus, and how Ephesus plays a major role in the unfolding of God’s story after Jesus’ ascension to heaven. If you want to know how archeology, prostitution, and the Word of God interact with each other in Ephesus, check out the Background section.
Hopefully this book will help you grow closer to Christ whether you have five minutes or five hours this week to contemplate the book of Ephesians.
Devotional: Ephesians 1
As I read Paul’s opening to his letter to the church in Ephesus, I am struck by how often he mentions blessings and reasons to give thanks to God. He starts off with the blessings and thanksgivings that apply to every Christian. God “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (v3). He highlights the “good pleasure of his will” (v5) and gives “praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us” (v6). Paul celebrates “the riches of his grace that he lavished on us” (v7-8). We have an “inheritance” in Christ (v11, 14) and so we have “hope” (v12).
Then he moves on to the special ways God has blessed and worked through the church in Ephesus. They are famous for their “faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints” (v15). Paul is praying for them constantly (v16). God has the power to work in them and through them (v19-20). And lest anyone think their problem is too big for God, Paul reminds them that God “has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church” (v22).
I don’t know about you, but I often find it all too easy to focus on my reasons to complain rather than my litany of blessings. As I write this, I am staring out a window as a light rain transforms into a heavy rain/snow mix. Gotta love mountain weather. I’m going to leave and get into my car in a few minutes. Oh, and I also forgot my coat. My first thought was somewhat less than thankful toward the provision of this precipitation. But as a neighbor recently reminded me, “at least we won’t have to worry about water this year.” One person’s annoying rain or snow is another person’s gift of life-giving water. The difference is our perspective.
GOING DEEPER
What are the blessings and thanksgivings you can think of that every human or every Christian or even every American should remember?
What are the special blessings and thanksgivings God has placed in your life?
Is there some part of your life that could use a switch to a thankful perspective?
Paul was continually praying for others – even people he had never personally met. Where might God be calling you to expand your prayer this week to include new people or situations?
I was re-reading my notes from attending the Hawaii Leadership Practicum back in 2012, and I stumbled upon a powerful reminder for leaders. The leader of the practicum, Wayne Cordeiro, told us
A mind can reach a mind, but only a heart can reach a heart – Wayne Cordeiro
Another way to say this is that people matter.
Back to the Source
This concept can be seen in action in 1 Corinthians 8. Paul is writing to the Corinthians about eating food sacrificed to idols (a big no-no for Jews). But Jesus’ life and death and resurrection changed the purpose and direction of many of the Jewish laws, especially those related to food. Here’s where it gets interesting. Let me list v1 and then skip to v7:
1Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 7 It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 “Food will not bring us close to God.” We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? 11 So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. 12 But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.
To quickly summarize, Paul is arguing that the person who knows that the food laws have a new meaning as a result of Jesus has a higher responsibility than the one who does not know. Indeed it is the one with knowledge (the one who is “right”) who is supposed to choose the course of action that is most beneficial to the one without knowledge (the one who is “wrong”). The person and their faith walk are more important than being “right.”
An Awkard Meeting
I was anticipating an upcoming one-on-one meeting with a certain bit of apprehension. I was going to tell a leader that his ministry was causing harm rather than benefit. Moreover, I knew this leader would attack me for saying it.
I took a course at the International Institute for Restorative Practices, and they gave me a helpful tool called the Compass of Shame (link to summary). This tool helped me realize that the attacks would be automatic rather than rational. In other words, my character was going to be attacked and the reasons wouldn’t make sense. But this tool also helped me realize that eventually the automatic response would subside and we could then have a fruitful discussion.
And so, even though I was “right” in my mind, I absorbed the character attacks without defending myself. When he was calmed down enough, though, we had a real conversation. In a “happily ever after” moment we actually managed to find a role where he would be very helpful and he is still doing great work there. My mind couldn’t reach his mind at first, but my heart could reach his heart. People matter.
Conclusion
Contrary to popular belief, Paul was not denigrating learning in 1 Corinthians 8:1. Instead, he is placing the burden of acting in a loving way on the one who has greater knowledge. If you are “right” but you behave in a way that belittles or attacks or ignores others, your knowledge is puffing up rather than love building up.
Discussion Starters
What conflict are you trying to engage (or avoid) right now?
What knowledge is needed?
How can your heart outshine your mind in engaging the conflict?
When have you experienced conflict in a way that built up rather than puffed up?
I have a two-year-old boy. Following directions is not high on his list of life goals at the moment. I’m sure just about every parent can relate.
So my ears figuratively perked up when I read this NPR article (link to article) titled, To Get Help From A Little Kid, Ask The Right Way. From the article:
If you say something like, “Please help me,” the kids are more likely to keep playing with their Legos. But ask them, “Please be a helper,” and they’ll be more responsive, researchers report Wednesday in the journal Child Development.
They found that using a label (ex: “please be a helper” or “you don’t want to be a cheater”) was 20% more likely to get the desired response than using a verb (ex: “please help me” or “don’t cheat”). Interestingly, this same approach worked on adults (ex: “how important is it to be a voter” vs “don’t forget to vote”), too.
But of course there’s a downside. There’s always a downside. Kids who were told they were good drawers were far more negative about their drawings than kids who were told they put a lot of effort into it. For behaviors that arise from a skill (ex: drawing, playing a sport, etc), labeling a child can create expectations and a fear of failure.
How God Labels Us
God does a lot of labeling in Scripture. Here are some of my favorites:
Jeremiah 1:4-10 (NIV) – The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Matthew 19:14 – Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Mark 3:35 – Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
Genesis 1:31 – God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning–the sixth day.
John 15:15 – I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
God calls you his creation, so you are very good. Jesus calls you family. God formed you in your mother’s womb. God is with you. Jesus says his kingdom belongs to children of God like you. God has a purpose for you. Jesus calls you friend.
Labeling and Parenting
I have the privilege of interacting with a lot of families. I have noticed that labels tend to persist. If someone has a well-behaved baby, people assume that child turns into a well-behaved toddler. If someone has a colicky baby, that problem child is going to be trouble. If someone has a big kid, they’re big in people’s minds even when they’re not anymore. The same goes for a sick kid.
I suppose my challenge from reading this article is to be cautious how I think and speak about children (mine and others’).
Labels are powerful things. I am reminded of James 3:5 – “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Fire can create fertile ground for growth. But it can also burn down the forest. And as a wise bear once said, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.”
Discussion Starter
How have you been labeled in your life?
If you have children, how do you (purposefully or not) label them when speaking to them? How do you label them when speaking with your spouse or friends?
How do God’s labels for you inspire you or challenge you?
How can you impart God’s labels upon your children?
I was recently invited to the ATX Hackerspace in Austin, TX for an event, and I happened to be in town for it. If you consider “geek” a term of endearment, head to your local hackerspace or makerspace posthaste! You will feel warm and fuzzy inside.
While I was touring the space and meeting the locals, I found myself in a wonderful discussion on the theology of invention with a fellow Christian geek and maker. He raised the question, “Is invention idolatry?”
What Is Idolatry?
Here are two Biblical texts that give you the highlights of idolatry.
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:2-3 (NIV)
“But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves. Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words…” – Jeremiah 25:7-8 (NIV)
To give you the quick summary, these verses suggest that we can anger God when we take matters into our own hands. We can cross the line when we believe our own solutions and our own inventions are better than God’s Creation. We can get into hot water when we take the place of the Creator.
That’s a bit scary for me, because I know that when trouble comes I often look for a way I can solve it and only later ask for God’s guidance. That sounds eerily similar to trusting “what your hands have made” rather than “listening to [God’s] words.”
What Is Invention?
But this fellow maker also raised an interesting point about the nature of invention. The word “invent” comes from a Latin root that actually means “to discover.” When we talk about inventing, we usually mean creating something from scratch. But so many of our “creations” are actually discovering what God has already done.
Did we create calculus, or did we discover an aspect of mathematics created by God? Did we create the Bessemer process for making steel, or did we discover a characteristic of iron that God baked into Creation already? Are we “creators” or “discoverers?”
Partnering With God (Not Replacing God)
We landed our discussion by considering that we are discovering the echoes of what God has already done. When we see ourselves partnering with God rather than replacing God with the works of our hands, we are probably in good standing with the Creator.
Similarly, when trouble comes and I want to manufacture a way through or around it, I can switch my mindset and try to discover the echoes of God’s already-laid plan.
What echoes of God’s plans are reverberating in your soul right now? Whatever you’re hearing, if it’s from God it’s better than the works of your hands.
Discussion Starter
When have you “trusted the works of your hands” rather than “listened to [God’s] words?”
When have you trusted God’s words despite the temptation to act on your own?
I recently heard an NPR interview (link to article) about the economics of streaming music services like Pandora and Spotify. These services have been screaming from the roof tops that they aren’t making money, so they need to pay lower royalties. The trouble is, they actually pay about the same percent of their income in royalties as Walmart pays for its inventory. In other words, the cost of the music isn’t the problem.
In fact, economist Jeff Eisenach points out:
companies like Pandora and Spotify are making a lot of money — they’re just using it to target new audiences rather than putting it in the bank and calling it a profit
Non-Profit World
Now let’s add in this nice little infographic (link to original) from ChurchMag. This is a summary of a TED talk by Dan Pallotta, and it points out that for-profit companies often have more flexibility to invest in their future, build for growth, and even lose money for longer periods of time than a non-profit. So the non-profit world can suffer from the lemonade stand syndrome. A lemonade stand has almost no overhead, but also has very little reach or earning potential. The requirement for razor-thin overhead can limit the reach, effectiveness, and scale of non-profit services and fundraising.
But let’s be honest: non-profits do have their advantages. They have tax advantages. They have perception advantages (have you ever donated money to a for-profit business because it made you feel good?). The key point, though, is that “overhead” can be both good and bad for a non-profit. If an administrator is getting overpaid to do very little work, it’s bad. If the organization is expanding to serve new people groups in new locations in new ways, that’s good and it’s going to take money. If the organization is serving in a corrupt part of the world, it’s going to take money to hire trustworthy staff to oversee the project.
A Third Way: Profit to Serve
I am a huge fan of Kiva.org (link to website). For the uninitiated, Kiva partners with micro lending organizations around the world to help small businesses, co-ops, and individuals get ahead. People like me lend money online through Kiva and through their partner lenders, and then the loan gets repaid. For example, I recently lent $25 to a man in Lebanon to expand his furniture business. I also lent $25 to a group of women in Peru to help them expand their various businesses. Here’s a link to my Kiva portfolio. Here’s the kicker: because the loans have a very high repayment rate, I have spent $110 to loan out $400. And that’s even with donating 10% to Kiva to help them cover their costs (which is optional).
Kiva isn’t perfect. The micro lenders they partner with charge high interest rates because of the risk. But since it’s a non-profit (Kiva) working with for-profit partners (micro lenders), my donation dollars have stretched almost four times further than a straight-up gift.
There are other ways of using for-profit businesses to do good in the world. Some companies like Tom’s Shoes (link to website) and One Laptop Per Child (link to website) donate one of their products to a place in need for every one they sell in the developed world. LSTN Headphones (link to website) helps restore one person’s hearing for every pair of headphones they sell. Or how about Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles (link to website), which helps current gang members become former gang members? They believe that “Nothing stops a bullet like a job.”
Expand Your Possibilities
If you are thinking about using your workday to serve someone in the name of Christ, expand your possibilities. You can be a non-profit, with all the benefits and obligations that entails. But you can also be a profit-to-serve company, with all the benefits and obligations that entails. Neither approach will work in every circumstance.
If you are already in the non-profit world, can you have the audacity to propose expanding your reach even if it increases overhead? You’ll face an uphill climb, but tell the story and see what happens.
Remember the story of the Israelites after leaving Egypt. They were about to build the Tabernacle to house the Arc of the Covenant, and so they needed skilled tradesmen. They needed people who had been successful in their trade. And so…
He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. (Exodus 35:35 – NIV)
Profit isn’t always evil. God can put profit to use. Overhead isn’t always evil. God can put overhead (especially investment in growth) to use. God has filled you with skill to do all kinds of work. Wield it well.
Discussion Starter
If you could solve one problem in the world, what would it be and why?
When have you seen profit be used for God’s purposes? Against God’s purposes?
When have you seen a non-profit’s overhead expenses be used for God’s purposes? Against God’s purposes?
If you were going to start an organization, would it be for-profit, non-profit, or profit-to-serve?
In my role as discipleship pastor, I am tasked with overseeing, guiding, and evaluating the performance of other ministry workers. I have also performed this role as a computer programmer overseeing other computer programmers. This gets a little interesting around evaluation time.
I once read a great book titled First Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently. In this book, the authors claim that employees don’t generally leave companies. They leave managers. Have you ever had a great manager who inspired you and went to bat for you? Have you ever had a terrible manager who disrespected you or undermined you? Where does your current manager fall on the scale?
And so, when it comes time for evaluations, the biggest question of all is this: “who do you work for?” Who determines whether or not you did a good job? Who determines what your goals are over the next year? Who determines whether you get a raise or a thank you note?
The Bigger Answer
But the answer to this question is often bigger than it seems. For instance, who wins when work and family demand the same segment of time from you? What wins when you have doubts about what your company is doing? Is there a bigger answer to the question?
This reminds me of the scene from the movie Miracle that depicts the 1980 US men’s hockey team’s unlikely march to the gold medal. The coach, Herb Brooks, wants the players to get a new boss. He doesn’t want them to play for their school. He doesn’t want them to play for him. He wants them to play for The United States of America.
Herb Brooks knows that, unless they see the bigger picture, his team is toast.
So, getting beyond your direct manager, who do you work for? At the end of your day, at the end of your week, at the end of your year, at the end of your life…who will be on the other end of your evaluation meeting?
Working For God
Here are four scriptures that outline what it means to work for God:
Colossians 3:23 – Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (NLT)
Ephesians 6:7 – Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (NLT)
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. (NLT)
Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (NIV)
Basically, this is asking you to see God as your manager…as your boss. We will work differently for a manager we like or respect than for a manager we dislike or disrespect. In the same way, can you work differently for God since he has shown you what pleases him in the Bible?
How can you honor God with your work? What would it look like to have good marks on your annual evaluation meeting with God? What kinds of things would God place on your annual objectives?
Discussion Starter
How might God evaluate your work?
How might you honor God in your work?
What would God like to see from your work over the next year?
Those who work with me have undoubtedly heard me say that prayer is one of my lowest spiritual gifts. I am 100% sure about this, but I regularly get surprised reactions from people when I tell them.
What Is A Spiritual Gift?
To me, a spiritual gift is something you do that brings you and other people closer to God without requiring much discipline from you. The amount of conscious effort you expend distinguishes between a gifting and a discipline.
In other words, you have the gift of helps if you just naturally notice opportunities to serve other people and regularly choose to do so. If you are constantly having to remind yourself to look out for ways to help people, or if you struggle inside every time you are faced with the choice of stopping and helping or going on your merry way, you’re using discipline instead of gifting.
Personal Example: Leadership vs Prayer
Leadership is one of my spiritual gifts. If we need to get from A to B, I will naturally start organizing people, casting the vision, and generally trying to get us there. I have to remind myself to NOT lead sometimes. That’s a gifting.
Prayer, on the other hand, is always a choice for me. I don’t pine away in my office for the next chance to pray. When I’m running meetings, I almost always start lining out our objectives before remembering to “open” in prayer. I have to CHOOSE to pray. That’s a discipline.
Do you know your spiritual giftings?
Do I Have to Pray?
The short answer is “yes.” But I’ll let Jesus do the talking on this one:
Matthew 6:6 (NIV) – But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Mark 11:24-25 (NIV) – Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Luke 5:16 (NIV) – But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Long story short: Jesus assumes we will pray, just as he often prayed. Just because I’m not “gifted” in prayer doesn’t get me off the hook. Some people revel in prayer and others (like me) choose to pray. We might pray differently, and we might pray for different amounts of time, but we are expected to pray.
Another way to look at this is to ask, “Why did Jesus pray?” If anyone in the history of humanity had a reason to NOT pray, it was Jesus. He’s basically praying to himself (nuances of the Trinity notwithstanding). But he prayed often.
A Different Definition of Prayer
While I have to choose to have a dialogue with God in the classic head-bowed kind of prayer, Wayne Cordeiro taught me a different definition of prayer that is useful for me:
Prayer is thinking about something God has asked you to do in the presence of the Lord.
I might not sit down and pray, but I routinely check in with God about things he has asked me to do. That’s a form of prayer, and I don’t have to make myself do that one.
Maybe I have a mustard seed’s worth of gifting in prayer after all.
Summary
A spiritual gift is something you do that brings you and other people closer to God without requiring much discipline from you (you naturally do it)
Prayer is thinking about something God has asked you to do in the presence of the Lord
Even if you’re not “gifted” in prayer, Jesus expects us to pray (just as he often prayed)
Discussion Starter
What are your strong spiritual gifts? What are your weak ones?
What spiritual disciplines do you choose, and how have they impacted you?
Describe your prayer life.
Does Wayne Cordeiro’s definition of prayer change how you would define your prayer life?
I was meeting with a dear friend recently, and I end our times together by asking what I should pray for him over the next few months. He told me the first thing that came to mind, I gave him a look he knows all too well, and he replied, “Yeah, that’s not specific enough, is it?”
Like Pavlov’s dogs, I have apparently trained him to think about very specific prayers when he’s around me. I almost always ask, “Can we make that more specific?” Or, “What are you really hoping for out of that?” Or, “How will you know when God is blessing you in this or showing you a different path?” Now that I think about it, that might be a little annoying…
Praying With Specificity
I was chatting with my brother (Chris) recently, and he was getting ready for his gig as a humorous speaker at a Christian men’s conference (shameless cross-promotion by linking to his site). So I asked him how I could pray for his upcoming speaking engagement:
Chris: Any prayer that has the phrase “hit it out of the park” will be fine.
Cody: Ah, but how will you know if you hit it out of the park or not?
Chris: Hmm…I guess if tons of people come up to me the next day and tell me something they got out of my talk.
Cody: What’s “tons of people?”
Chris: If I’m being honest, I’d take one.
Cody: All right! I will pray for at least one guy to come up to you the next day and tell you something they got out of your talk.
Chris: Can I add in a request that they get their church to book me for speaking gig, too?!?!
Did you notice how digging deeper honed his prayer request and also revealed one of his values: that people find his talk useful, not just funny? Would your prayer requests benefit from getting more specific?
SMART Prayers
I like to run the SMART test on my prayers just as I do with all my goals. A prayer is SMART (link to article) if it is…
Specific – What do I truly want to happen?
Measurable – How will I know if/when God answers?
Attainable – Has God shown in Scripture that he might say “yes” to a prayer like mine?
Relevant – Does this matter to me and to God?
Time-Bounded – Am I giving God time to work on his own schedule? Am I committing a tangible amount of my own time to this prayer?
What Does Scripture Say?
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. – 1 John 5:14-15 (NLT)
If you read this passage carefully, you’ll notice that it makes a distinction between asking for what pleases God and what doesn’t. That’s Relevant. It also acknowledges that God always hears our requests and often answers them – God is listening so it might be Attainable.
The best SMART prayer in all the Bible, however, is found in Joshua 10:12-14:
On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel! (NIV)
Notice he didn’t pray just for God to make them victorious. He wanted victory that day, he needed light to do it, so he just made a small request for the Lord of the Universe to pause the sun. Unfortunately, it looks like God was only willing to do that once and Joshua already called dibs.
Summary
Specific prayers help you see what you truly want to happen
Measurable prayers help you see God’s response
Attainable prayers are similar to requests God has granted elsewhere in Scripture
Relevant prayers are in line with God’s heart and your own (so God wants to say “yes”)
Time-Bounded prayers give God time to work on his (probably slower than you want) schedule while also committing yourself to the task
Discussion Starter
What are some specific prayers you have prayed?
How can you take a generic prayer and make it SMARTer?
Will you be bold enough to ask people to be more specific when they ask you to pray for them?
