[S] I went to visit members in the hospital on Thursday when I ran into one of older members strolling the hall with his walker and his physical therapist. So, I joined the journey. We walked up and the down hall together and then entered a series of short hallways that wrapped around the elevator shaft. Each time we went around that square corridor he got a little confused as to which way his room was. But once the therapist pointed it out he was just fine.
Last week I started a series titled Forging The Future which is designed to point out where the room is. I shared revealed a set of three goals that I and the Church Council believe is the direction God wants us to travel for the time being. The three goals are: 1) to become a prayer centered and prayer driven Church, 2) to help everyone associated with Asbury to belong to a small group of people who will love them and help them grow in their love of God and love for others. And third, is the goal to enable everyone associated with Asbury to find their place to serve Christ. These three goals are summarized in three words: Pray, Belong, and Serve. Today and the next two Sundays I’m going to define and describe each of these goals in more detail.
The scripture that drives the goal of becoming a prayer centered and prayer driven church is found in Isaiah and Mark.
[S] “And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. The Sovereign LORD declares-he who gathers the exiles of Israel; I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.” (Isaiah 56.6-8, NIV)
[S] “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Mark 11.15-19, NIV)
[S] A prayer centered and prayer driven church is a community that reflects the image Jesus had of the Temple ministry as a house of prayer. The Temple ministry was to be a place where everyone, Jew and Gentile, could draw near to God. As such, praying was the dominant activity of everything that transpired. Praying was the thread that held all the rites and activities together. Whenever a person went to the Temple they would see and hear people and priests praying. And that’s because praying wasn’t just private and quiet, it was also public and corporate.
We can tell from Jesus’ reaction that praying had become compromised. People’s ability to draw near to God not what it should be. And so in a very memorable display of passion Jesus tells the people that praying will be re-established as the dominant and driving principle in God’s house. And God wants the same for us. Our model or example for this is nothing less than the prayer directed life of Jesus. Why? Because we’re his disciples and disciples desire to be just like their Rabbi.
[S] As a first century Jewish Rabbi Jesus’ life was immersed with the practice of praying.
That means his day revolved around certain hours of prayer. Several times a day he would stop, drop and bow. He would pause from his labor, drop to his knees, and bow as he prayed facing the Temple.
Much of Jesus’ praying would have been liturgical. That is there were certain prayers to be recited at certain times of the day or for certain occasions. For example Jesus would have recited the Shema (Shma) every morning upon waking and every evening before going to sleep. The Shema is the reciting of Deuteronomy 6.4-9 which begins with the words, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is God, the Lord alone.” Why not do the same thing Jesus did?
Jesus would have prayed the Amidah at least once a day but most likely as a Rabbi three times a day, morning, noon and evening. “Amidah” means standing and is a series of eighteen benedictions that are traced back to the days of Nehemiah which were recited while standing up. It’s likely that when we read about Jesus going out to pray in the morning or in the evening that this was one of the prayers he literally prayed. Consider setting an alarm to remind you to pray at different times of the day, morning, noon and night.
A few weeks ago I mentioned the Jewish prayer practice of blessing God throughout the day and that there are hundreds of single statement blessings to be given to God when the time is right. For example, the blessing one would give when they wake up, “Blessed is He who allowed my spirit to return for another day.” Jesus would have prayed like this throughout the day. Bless God throughout the day.
He would have prayed these prayers by himself and he would have gathered with others in a minyan (which means ten) for corporate praying.
Jesus wouldn’t have only prayed fixed prayers at fixed times he had spontaneous prayer as well. However, he would have given greater emphasis to the liturgical and corporate praying than to the private and spontaneous.
Not only was prayer central to his life but his life was driven and directed by prayer as well.
[S] “Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. (John 5.19-20, NIV) This is the same thing as saying, “I do what the Father tells me to do.”
[S] A case in point takes place when Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsamene in the early morning hours before his death. Jesus is alone in the Garden praying the Amidah and seeking God’s will and direction in what is to be. Jesus prays, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26.39) A little later he prayers, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26.42) And in John 17 Jesus says, “I have completed the work you gave me to do.” (John 17.4) Jesus prayed for direction from the Father, heard or saw what the Father wanted him to do, and then acted upon that direction.
[S] To help disciple the church to be more like Jesus when it comes to praying, the prayer task force has prayed together and felt led to start several prayer initiatives. We will offer a unique prayer experience called Seek and Soak. Seek and Soak is a time to seek God through prayer, scripture reading and singing. Come and experience it. The next one is scheduled for January 26 and every 4-6 weeks afterwards. And what’s wonderful about this it that it was not initiated by a staff person as a program. It was born from Michael and Stephanie Simants and they lead it.
Patti Wilkerson, another lay person is going to be discipling beginners in prayer on Wednesday nights with a course called “The Workbook of Living Prayer.”
In March the Prayer Initiative Task Force is also offering an overnight prayer retreat with an out of town teacher who is going to equip those who participate to become better pray-ers.
To help us become that prayer centered and prayer driven church the Task Force is pulling together a plan for a season of prayer to coincide with the season of Lent beginning in March. And there will be more coming from this committed group led by Gail Web.
A prayer centered and prayer driven church doesn’t wait for prayer to be planned before they pray. I want to see people praying at the prayer altars or around the main altar on Sunday mornings prior to the worship service lifting up our church and ministry. I want to see people arriving early for a meeting to spend it praying in the chapel or sanctuary for God to shape the agenda and focus our minds. A prayer driven church is one where in a meeting or a small group someone says, “Let’s stop what we’re doing and pray for this person or this decision or for that issue before going any further.” It’s a church where people stop and pray right where they’re at when someone makes a prayer request instead of saying, “I’ll keep you in my prayers” and walks off.
[S] Dr J. Edwin Orr, one of the greatest authorities on revival in the church took some students on a brief visit to England in 1940. One of the stops was Epworth Rectory where John Wesley lived at one time. Next to John Wesley’s bed are two worn impressions in the carpet where it is said John knelt and prayed for England's social and spiritual renewal. As the students were getting back on the bus Dr. Orr noticed one was missing. Going back upstairs he found one student kneeling in the carpet kneeholes praying with his face on the bed: "O Lord, do it again! Do it again!.” Orr placed a hand on the student's shoulder and whispered, "Come on Billy, we must be going." And rising Billy Graham rejoined the bus.
Interestingly enough, the other day I was listening to an interview with Billy Graham. Now, near the end of his life he was asked, “You have been successful by every stretch of the imagination. Is there anything you would do differently? He said, “I’d travel less and pray more.”
[S] Becoming a praying church won’t happen overnight. And it won’t happen if God’s people don’t pray for it to happen. So I’m asking you to pray for it to happen. I’m asking you to pray at least once a day that Asbury would become a prayer centered and prayer driven community of Christ followers. And I’m asking you to start that now. Anguel is going to be playing some music while you pray. And I’ve told him to pray for several minutes as we start to stretch out our time for praying. During that time you can come to altar or prayer railing and pray, or if you’d like a pastor to pray with you I ask you to cup your hands. And don’t feel like you have to pray silently. I often find that I pray better when I pray out loud. Feel free to do that, or even to whisper if you’d like.
Jesus removed the sellers and other obstacles that got in the way of the people’s ability to pray. What’s the first thing that needs to be removed in your life in order for you to become a prayer centered and prayer driven Christ follower? How can I plan my daily schedule to give more time for prayer? Take time to pray for that right now along with praying for the Holy Spirit to transform us into a house of prayer.
