June 4 - 1 Kings 13:3

“This is the sign that

the Lord has spoken …”

1 Kings 13:3

At the beginning of week 2 in David Chotka’s 50 Days of Prayer, a story is told about an unnamed prophet.

• He listens to God …
• and confronts an evil king …
• and remarkable things happen.

Then the story takes a twist.

1. The prophet quits listening to God.
2. He listens instead to the words of a liar.
3. He falls into dire straits. 

Now, I could tell that story in much more detail – indeed, both the Bible and Pastor Chotka do – but I want to make the point as simple as that:

• When a person of God listens to God … and remarkable things happen.
• When a person of God listens to the lies of the world … and the results are dire. 

Have you ever reaped those results – in both positive and negative ways? I sure have! (Ouch.)

• Learning to listen is called discernment.
• Choosing to not listen is called rebellion.
• And again, I’ve done both of these too … and sometimes I’ve done both within the very same hour!

Why are we so fragile, foolish, and forgetful?

Today we begin week two of 50 Days of Prayer. What we’ve learned so far – and we discussed it yesterday – is that 1) God is active, 2) sometimes we see him show up in our lives and sometimes we don’t (at least right away), but 3) if we pray with others, their prayer successes can become our prayer successes.  Who are you praying – and listening – with?!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who is thankful

for prayer partners

June 3 - Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice,

and weep with those who weep

Romans 12:15

On Sunday mornings – and throughout the week – many of us are studying David Chotka’s 50 Days of Prayer.

Those who are joining with us on Sundays have been challenged: Pick one big thing you’d like to pray about for the next seven weeks, and let’s see how God shows up. In other words, we’re learning to pray big, and then we’re regrouping each Sunday to reflect on what we’ve seen, heard, and learned.

I’m praying with a group of men. The prayer needs we had from Week One were big. So this past Sunday, we reported on progress.

• Some of us saw progress!!! Some of us witnessed God show up!!!
• Some of us didn’t.

Hmmm. Is that good or bad?

David Chotka’s answer is: It depends on what country and culture you live in!

• He said essentially, “Imagine that you and I pray together … and imagine that one week, your prayers for healing are answered … but mine are not.” How should that be interpreted?
• He says, “If we were in Africa, both of us would celebrate.” Why? “Because God showed up among us.”
• “But if we’re in Canada or America,” he said, “the one who didn’t get healed would say, ‘God’s not fair. Where’s my answer to my prayer?!’” 

Do you see the difference? It’s huge! God showed up powerfully this week in our little circle of six. And we’re learning to celebrate as a group! We’re learning to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

Indeed, rather than being whining individuals who cry, ‘Where’s mine?’” we’re learning that we need people to pray with. Their successes in prayer are my successes too. Why? Because God is alive … and active … and showing up!

Indeed, God’s activity in your life, is proof that he is active in my life too … whether I can see it yet or not!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants a more

African communal faith

than American and individualistic

“what’s in it for me?”

Wk 1 Day 6 - Fifty Days of Prayer - John 15:5

Jesus said,

I am the vine, you are the branches.

Those who abide in me

and I in them bear much fruit,

because apart from me

you can do nothing.

John 15:5

David Chotka likes to quote verses like John 5:30.

Jesus shed his divinity to come to earth in human form. Therefore, Jesus says, “I can do nothing of my own initiative. … Therefore, I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”

The key for our life – our prayer life and our daily life – is to substitute our name for Jesus’, saying, “Ed can effectively do nothing his own. Therefore, I’m a million times better off seeking not my will but God’s will to be done.”

Wait! Can I really do nothing on my own?

Think of it as a matter of scales.

• With a word, God can create moons and stars and a million distant galaxies.
• With a lot of effort, maybe I could build a small house (but it’d probably have leaky pipes and flickering lights).

• With clay and his breath, God create eyes and hearts and lungs and brains and cells and … and … life!
• With clay and my own two hands, I can create a lopsided pot that someone else has to bake in a kiln. 

• With easy, God makes the sun rise every morning.
• With difficult, I get out of bed most mornings.

• With delight, God hears a billion pray-requests an hour.
• With difficulty, I struggle to find time, some days, to adequately pray.

• Because of his wisdom, God leads billions of people daily.
• Because of my stupidity, I find myself needing to apologize to a dozen people daily.

Yes, I can technically accomplish a little “more than nothing.” But what are my efforts really worth? They’re a drop of water in the ocean. Two generations from now, even my own great-grandchildren won’t know anything about me.

And yet, God gives me a lever! He gives me a way to accomplish more than I ever could on my own. He gives me a way to make an eternal difference in the world. Do you know what that is?

I can join him!

Me alone = 1. Me plus God = infinity.

It costs us something, though.

It costs our pride, our will, our plans, and our initiative. Jesus says – John 5:30 – “I will lay aside my own will and initiative, and I will seek to do only what God wills and initiates.”  

In our lesson for today, Jesus advises us to do surgery. We are call to amputate our pride, will, plans, and selfish initiative. And we are called to surgically attach ourselves to Jesus – the vine. When we do that, his life flows through us. Indeed, when we do that, we can be more than conquerors through him who loves us (see Romans 8).

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to be called

“Mr. Branch”

Wk 1 Day 5 - 50 Days of Prayer - Luke 22:42

"Father, if you are willing,

remove this cup from me;

yet, not my will but yours be done."

Luke 22:42

The theme for today is, “When God speaks, it will impact. Share a time when God spoke to you – and its effect.”

For a long time at the beginning of my ministry, I toiled in anonymity in a little town in the mountains of New Mexico. I’d felt largely forgotten. And then I got a call – out of the blue – to consider being the pastor of one of the largest Lutheran churches in the southeast.

Pride took over. “Yes!” I thought, “No more anonymity. I would have (literally) a twelve foot tall platform.” (In this old historic church, the pulpit required its own stairway!)

Personal desire took over too. “1) This is in one of the most awesome places to live in America. 2) The location is back within a few hours of family. 3) My future would be secure.”

Everything was going swimmingly with the interview, until God spoke.  He pulled back the veil. It was over lunch one afternoon …

• First, they took me to an old southern country club for lunch. It was like something out of Jim Crow 1930s, with the black waiters in their tuxedos, saying almost, “Yes, sir, master.” Mary Louise and I were appalled.

• Second, something was said that made the existing staff of the church think that they didn’t have to “impress me” anymore, that they could just be themselves. Therefore, they spent the whole lunch gossiping and laughing about the quirky people in their congregation.

After lunch, they dropped us off at our hotel, confident that they had their new pastor. Mary Louise and I climbed out of the car, and as they sped off, we looked at each other. As husband and wife we both smiled and said simultaneously, “We’re not coming here are we?”

God broke through my pride. God broke through our desire to be closer to “home.” God broke through our will and allowed his will to be done.

Thank God!

Our decision would have been simpler if we would have followed Pastor David Chotka’s second Biblical step to hearing God’s voice – surrendering our will and desires. Nevertheless, we did do something right. We were consciously seeking God’s will throughout that trip.

God is always speaking. Two things help us hear him. 1) Consciously seeking his will. 2) Putting aside our own desires.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s glad he’s

with a church family

with a spirit of joy

instead of a spirit of gossip

Wk 1 Day 4 - 2 Samuel 12:1-3a

So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet

to tell David this story:

"There were two men in a certain town.

One was rich, and one was poor.

The rich man owned many sheep ...

The poor man owned nothing but

a little lamb he had worked hard to buy.

2 Samuel 12:1-3a

Question three in 50 Days of Prayer (pg 9) ponders how Nathan knew that he was to go to David with the story about the rich man and the poor man’s sheep. David Chotka’s conclusion: We don’t know.

“Wait!” I can hear you say, “I thought this story was about finding out how God speaks. If we don’t know how God spoke to the prophet, then how will we know how God speaks to us?”

Here’s what you need to know …

This is not a story about Nathan, the prophet. This is the story about David, a human being who allowed himself to descend into a dark place.

Which of the two am I more like? If you’re like me, prophecy is not your primary spiritual gift. Therefore, I’m more like David. I’m the guy who occasionally descends into dark places.

Since I’m not a prophet, I need to spend my time pondering today how God spoke to David – rather than to the Prophet Nathan.

The way in which God spoke to David was through his encounter with a godly person.

Am I surrounding myself with Godly people? Am I surrounding myself with people who are willing to speak the truth to me in love (Eph 4:15). Indeed, do I have a “prophet” in my life, instead of a dozen “yes-men.”

Am I humble enough to listen to their godly guidance, rather than proudly defending my actions.

One of the ways that God speaks to us is through the godly counsel of godly friends. Maybe it’s time to upgrade the quality and character of your friends.

And I say this advisedly. We all need to look like a sheep from the front and a shepherd from behind.

• The sheep-part-of-us needs a strong Christian mentor to follow. Those are the only people we should ever seek advice from. Therefore, who are your Christian mentors?
• The shepherd-part-of-us needs to be leading other sheep, including outcasts and sinners. We don’t seek advice from sheep, though! Rather, our time with shepherds helps us put on the armor, so we can help sheep in the valley of wolves.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who is hard-headed …

I tend to defend myself first

whenever a shepherd or prophet speaks

… but I’m eventually humble enough

to let true truth sink in

(I just wish I weren’t so proud and hard initially)

Wk 1 Day 3 - 50 Days of Prayer - 2 Samuel 11:13

Then David invited [Uriah]

to dinner and got him drunk.

2 Samuel 11:13

I heard it said again just recently, “In Washington, the cover-up is always worse than the crime.”

Today in 50 Days of Prayer, David Chotka asks us to consider what would happen if our modern press uncovered a scandal like King David’s affair with Monica Lewinsky (oops … er … I mean … Bathsheba).

I think we can answer that with two quick words: “Scandal sells.”

(And by the way, we’re all voyeurs to one degree or another. We all to one degree or another slow down to see the car wreck that caused the traffic jam, and we all are fascinated by the train wrecks in people’s lives. Yes, scandal sells.)

That’s not what I want to focus on, however, in this story. It’s the cover-up.

A pretty high percentage of us haven’t had an affair, and yet most of us – at one time or another … and for one reason or another … and for one issue or another – have had a divided heart.

The question is … What have you covered up? … Wait … here’s a better question: What are you covering up right now?

If the axiom in Washington is, the cover-up is worse than the crime, how is this true right now for you?

In general, a crime is a dark act. A cover-up buries the crime in further darkness. It heaps darkness upon darkness until the light is snuffed out gradually, but thoroughly and completely.

Sin you’ve heard me say, is like a vampire. It thrives in the darkness. But what happens when you bring a vampire into the light? It loses its power (sometimes even its very life).

Confession – rather than cover-up – brings the darkness into the light.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you out and tell your wife about every little darkness that’s ever lingered in any corner of your heart. But I am suggesting is that you …

• Find one very trusted person to share your struggles with (perhaps a pastor).
• Bring God into it. (Don’t just talk about, share your struggles with someone who will pray with you. You want spiritual healing.)
• Resolve to live from this time forward in the light (I said, you may not need to tell your wife about every past transgression, but what if you shared with her a general weakness, and told her that you wanted to grow closer with her by fighting any future struggles together? No you have an additional accountability partner, and this vulnerability might just bless your marriage and bring you closer.) 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who is writing this

on a hot afternoon porch

and can’t imagine wanting to

cover anything up …

especially with a blanket

Wk 1 Day 2 - 50 Days of Prayer - 2 Samuel 11:1-2

The following spring,

the time of year when kings go to war,

David sent Joab and the Israelite army

to destroy the Ammonites. …

But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

Late one afternoon David got out of bed …

and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace.

As he looked out over the city,

he noticed a woman of unusual beauty

taking a bath.

2 Samuel 11:1-2

For Day Two of the study, we have been invited to read 2 Samuel 11. It is the story of how King David quit discerning and how the prophet Nathan had to step in and speak a word of truth to the king.

Do you remember the story?

• King David saw a woman taking a bath.
• He wanted her.
• He “had her.”
• She got pregnant.
• Since both the king and the bathing beauty were already married to other people, he tried to cover it up.
• And when the woman’s husband turned out to be more honorable than the supposedly honorable king, David had him killed.
• David thought he got away with it, that the cover-up worked.
• That was until God – through Nathan – confronted David (using, indeed, a clever story that resonated with the former shepherd’s heart – a rich man stole a poor man’s sheep.)
• And Psalm 51 (“create in me a clean heart, O God”) is David’s passionate confession after his façade cracks and he finally comprehends his sin.

Months could be devoted to studying this rich story. But I want to make just one quick point …

Look at our verse for today.

• What time of year was it? Spring.
• Where were kings supposed to be? Out in the field, defending the country.
• Where was David? At home being lazy – indeed, sleeping all afternoon. 

When we’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, we’re vulnerable. AA has a warning to its members. HALT means: “Never let yourself get …”

• H – Too Hungry (too needy for some physical sensation)
• A – Too Angry (too ruled by any negative emotion)
• L – Too Lonely (too isolated, and without the encouragement and accountability to trustworthy friends)
• T – Too Tired (too exhausted, yes, but also too lazy, which is exhaustion’s overwhelmed overcompensation. When we can’t do everything, we sometimes do nothing at all).

Those letters spell King David’s downfall …

• L – Kings are normally lonely and isolated. They have no peers or equals. No one around them that doesn’t want something from them. No one, generally, who will tell them the truth anymore.
• T – David had also spent years building a kingdom. Which meant he was also very tired. 
• H – This king didn’t necessarily go looking for trouble, but he nevertheless encountered a sight that stirred a physical sensation stirred within him (lust).  We can’t help occasionally encountering some sights. Indeed, the first accidental glance is generally not a sin. It was the second glance – it was entertaining that sight – that began to destroy David.
• A – That physical reaction, kept stirring in David until it produce a negative emotion and destructive desire. It was action and reaction without regard to consequences. 

Yesterday was a call for less busyness and less noise. What do you need to HALT? Indeed, mentally fill in these blanks regarding your own life. Asking where you might be in danger of settling for worldly desires instead of spiritual blessings:

• H – In what ways are you Too Hungry? Too needy for some physical sensation? _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
• A – In what ways are you Too Angry … or really, too ruled by any negative emotion? _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
• L – In what ways are Too Lonely? In fact, what behaviors tend to keep you too isolated, and without the encouragement and accountability to trustworthy friends?  _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
• T – In what ways are you Too Tired? Too exhausted, yes, but also too lazy, which is exhaustion’s overwhelmed overcompensation. When we can’t do everything, we sometimes do nothing at all). _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

In Christ’s Love,

A guy who’s grandually learned

to generally spell my life

without too big of an H or A or L

… but the T kills me all the time

Wk 1, Day 1 - 50 Days of Prayer - John 5:30

Jesus said,

I can do nothing of my own initiative. …

Therefore, I do not seek my own will,

but the will of him who sent me.

John 5:30

Welcome to 50 Days of Prayer. For the next several weeks, my devotions will be based on the next step recommended to Spirit of Joy by our friend, Pastor David Chotka. You can find the resource by clicking here. Today we’re reading pages 4-9. The rest of the week we’ll reflect daily on one of the questions.

There is one thing more to do before getting started – Pick one thing to pray about! 50 Days of Prayer is a prayer resource written to a denomination that a year ago was choosing a new president. Therefore, when you see, “Pray for God to reveal our new president,” replace it with “God, open a door for a new job” or “Father, protect my wayward child” or “Lord, heal my marriage.” You probably have ten things on your prayer list. But pick just one! Why? We’re learning to focus, because focus can bring clarity.

Most of us would like to learn how to “hear God’s voice” – or “discern God’s voice,” which is Pastor David’s preferred term.

He starts today’s reading with the story of attending a prayer conference. A prayer partner, enthusiastic about discerning the voice of God, came up to him and said “prophetically,” “You’re a draftsman. You’re unemployed. And you’re depressed.” He said, “I’m a pastor. I have a job. And I’m joyfully content.” He says, “I think I ruined her day.”

The Bible talks about clarity, however, in discerning God’s voice. Jesus, in fact, should be our model. Though Jesus was God, Philippians 2:5-11 tells us that Jesus emptied himself of his divine nature – including his divine “knowing” – when he came to earth in human form.

And yet, HE DID KNOW! How?

In John 5:30 Jesus says, “I can do nothing of my own initiative. … Therefore, I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”

How does Jesus hear and how does Jesus know? He aligns himself totally with God. How? One, he is grounded thoroughly in God’s word (look back, for example, to how he responded to the Devil’s temptations in the wilderness.) Second, he grounds himself through prayer. To Jesus, prayer is essential. And he listens and listens and listens … and then listens some more.

I’m glad it’s summer.

For many of us, the routines change. For right now, that’s a positive and powerful opportunity! Covenant with yourself and with God to craft a new routine for the next fifty days (and throughout summer).

There are three things more than any other that keep us from better and more listening prayer:

1. BUSYNESS: As your summer routine takes shape, say “no” to a few good (and worldly) things, and say yes to more in quietness before God.
2. NOISE: Most of us in this modern world can’t hear because it’s never quiet. Turn something off.
3. COMMITMENT: It takes a couple of weeks to make a habit. Be purposeful and passionate in claiming time with God.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who is covenanting

in a new and purposeful way

to turn off the noise

(we’ve already cut cable TV), and

and do less of the good so I can

focus more on God

May 24 - John 4:29

"Come and see a man

who told me everything

I have ever done!

He cannot be the Messiah,

can he?"

John 4:29

Traveling through Samaria, Jesus was tired and sat down by a well.

Then he did two things that good Jewish men never did – 1) he talked to a Samarian, 2) he talked to a women who was a stranger. (Aren’t you glad we have a Savior who cares more about people than cultural barriers.)

Jesus and the woman talked first about water – wet, physical, H2O. Then they talked about something deeper – living water.

Then after Jesus prophesied – sharing with her some secrets in her life – the woman rushed away from the encounter brimming with wonderment. She told everyone she could find: "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?"

Last week, at the 8:30 service, Pastor David Chotka taught us this principle: “You can’t grow, til you say what you know.”

Who have you told about your faith, your prayers, your hope, your peace … or even this week’s conference?

Jesus filled this woman at the well with living water. But what happens when water sits stagnant? Pond scum! But this was living water. And it couldn’t help but spill out!

So here’s the question … if you can’t grow, till you say what you know … then who have you been telling!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who want to grow

as tall as a redwood

May 23 - Luke 19:46

"It is written,

"My house shall be a house of prayer’;

but you have made it a den of robbers."

Luke 19:46

We just had a week of prayer.

Wow! (Thanks, David Chotka.)

If you had a chance to pray – especially Tuesday night – it was a gift from God.

We don’t want that gift to end!

Here is the link for 50 Days of Prayer (http://www.alliancepray.ca/pdf/50DaysofPrayerBooklet.pdf). Pastor David recommended this as a next step for the church. I’m recommending this as a next step for the church. Indeed, I’m recommending this as the next step for you … and me too! I want to grow in prayer.

Here’s how we’ll do it … We’ll gather on Sundays at the Sunday School hour. We’ll work through some of the material on Sunday.

Why only “some”? Because …

• Because Sundays between services aren’t time enough to do it all.
• Because we don’t want just head knowledge. If we’re going learn to pray, we need to spend time praying.
• And because I can use these devotionals to cover the rest of the material … and hold it in front of us on a daily basis.

Now let’s get specific … “50 Days of Prayer” was a guide for praying for Pastor David’s denomination – Christian and Missionary Alliance (of Canada) – to choose a new denominational president. Thus, a few questions reference that.

Here’s what I want you to do instead! Pick one issue you want to pray through in your life. And every time you hear “choose a new president” replace it with something like “choose whether to take the new job” or “choose whether to buy a new car” or “choose which activities are God-honoring as my family sets our schedule for next fall.” On Sundays, I will also give you congregational issues for us as a group to pray through. Indeed, let’s be purposeful.

If you’d like for us to print you a copy, let me know. You can have it for free, of course (but if you’ve got five extra bucks in your pocket, let’s not blow the copier budget!).

I look forward to fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah (56:7) and Jesus (Lk 19:46). May Spirit of Joy – more and more and more – be called a House of Prayer!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy signing up

for 50 days

Last Night! How to Hear! -- plus, Recap

So far Pastor David Chotka has covered

the first two steps to “Hearing God’s Voice.”

People, even from other churches,

are coming to him to pray!

Recap …

Day 1: The first step to knowing and hearing God is the Word of Christ. And Pastor David called all of us to repent of our lack of passion for God’s Word. It is a clear speaking and teaching, available every day.

Last Night, Day 2:

When most of us say “we want to hear God,” we mean that we want audible, discernible words to be spoken to us. So Pastor David’s first key point was to remind us that words are a secondary form of communication in every mind. Words are merely expressions of a deeper language – pictures, feelings, and impressions.

To prove this he said, “Try not to think of an elephant.”

Did anyone immediately call to mind the letters E-L-E-P-H-A-N-T? No. We all saw a picture of a big gray animal in our mind. That’s our primary communication language!

Then he said something like, “Try not to think of an elephant in love with cactus.” Immediately we saw pictures in our head AND we could FEEL as little bit of the poor elephant’s unrequited and rather prickly love. Every culture may use different words, but we ALL have a common picture in our head for elephants and common feelings in our heart for love. That’s our primary language.

So if our primary language is pictures, feelings, and impressions, then how does God – our creator – generally speak?! (Ahhh! We’ve been listening for the wrong thing!)

With that, Pastor David began focusing then on how God speaks through the Witness of Spirit.

His key verse was Colossians 3:15 -- let the peace of Christ be the “referee” within your hearts. When we are faced with a decision, we should “weigh our options,” by taking it to the Lord in prayer. As we contemplate these options, one should begin to bring us peace, while with the other options we should feel the peace begin to diminish. That’s the Holy Spirit! The peace is refereeing! It is showing us God’s will.

It’s as simple as that!

But here’s the complication … We’re sinful. We want what we want. We often “hear” what we want to hear. We can easily lie to ourselves.

That’s where Day 1 and tonight’s Day 3 come in.

• The first check, discussed on the first night, is whether our peace is in line with the Word of God? (Indeed, the more we saturate our lives with the Word of Life, we’re less likely to find peace in ungodly options anyway! 

• Tonight we will cover some of the finally checks, including accountability through faithful friends who are Christians. Pastor David says, “Who should you check your feelings with? Faithful followers with a sweet, sweet spirit!” 

These are practical suggestions – saturated in scripture and told through lots of real life examples. 

May 21 - Psalm 34:18

The Lord is near to the

broken-hearted and saves

the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

I’m writing this a few days in advance of our Deeper Life Conference. But remembering last year’s conference, I’m anticipating God drawing near to broken-hearted.

I’m anticipating … a measure of healing … an assurance of forgiveness … an outpouring of hope … a lifting of the weights that crush our spirits.

And this is supposed to be normal. As our verse today assures us, this is who God is. This is how God acts. This is how God wants our daily relationship to be.

Part of the Deeper Life Conference is bringing someone inspirational in to remind us of this fact.  

But it doesn’t take a big conference or motivational preacher to have the Lord draw “near.” What it takes is …

• getting rid of some of the noise
• cutting out some of the busyness and distraction
• submitting our will to his will to be done
• confessing, honestly confessing, our sins
• wanting a change
• forgiving the other people who are causing us stress
• disciplining yourself to read scripture
• taking time to pray and pray and listen and pray

Wait, none of those are easy. And yet it’s the way that life was designed to be lived.

What’s causing you to be crushed? What’s the lever you need to use to lift that weight?

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who sees it mostly

but knows the last few levers