Looking at Christ

Leading a congregation of God’s people to the throne of grace is a great privilege but not an easy thing. Here are a few key resources and then a few more practical suggestions. Tim Keller on Kingdom-centred prayer Matt Fuller on 4 reasons every church needs a time of confession and How to keep it fresh iServe Africa on How to lead a prayer meeting 8 guides for leading corporate prayer from the front:  Pray prayers – This is perhaps the most important point. Don’t just say prayers, pray them. Engage your heart and mind and talk to your Father. Speak as one speaking to the living God. Boldly with trembling. Sorrowful and rejoicing. Don't make statements about God - it's not a sermon; don't tell us what you "hope" will happen - that isn't prayer; and don't spend time telling us what you are going to pray, just go for it and pray to the Lord our God. Keep it all first person plural to second person singular: "We ask You to...."  Written – This mi...

“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at his disposition, and listening to his voice in the depth of our hearts.” (attributed to Mother Teresa) There at least two big problems with the Mother Teresa definition. This is not the biblical definition of prayer. This is not even the biblical definition of guidance. On the second one, see this resource on guidance (iServe Africa 2017) or the What's Next series on this blog. On prayer, the Mother Teresa definition (if it really was hers) flies completely in the face of the biblical evidence which points overwhelmingly towards prayer as an activity of asking God . Look at all of the apostle Paul’s prayers. Look at the illustrations of prayer that Jesus gives in Luke 11:5-13. Asking for bread… Whoever asks receives… If your son asks for a fish… Give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. For a fuller argument look at the first chapter of Jensen and Payne’s Prayer and the Voice of God . It is true that prayer...

LORD God, our God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, our Father, as your children in the northern hemisphere enter this season of the academic year, please give us fresh grace to walk, stand and sit aright. May those of us who enjoy running and walking in your creation give thanks to you for that privilege but not be as concerned about the daily step count on our trackers as in taking practical steps this summer in kindness, in compassion, in forgiveness, in building others up, in pleasing the Lord - steps of progress in gracious, sacrificial, Christ-like loving (Ephesians 4-5).  May those of us who look forward to getting out of the city give thanks to you for the privilege of travel but not ultimately be as concerned about the physical location in which we stand (whether "beneath the boughs" or on a hot and sweaty tube train) as about our location "in Christ" - the address of every spiritual blessing, complete forgiveness, intimate sonship, total security (Ephesians ...