Healing the heart: Better than before

Today will be my final post in this short series on Healing the Heart. The previous posts in this series are below if you need to catch up, review, or if you are just joining in:

(1st)  Healing the heart: The wounds fill up
(2nd)  Healing the heart: Intended evil, meant for good
(3rd)  Healing the heart: Letting go of 'Why?'
(4th)  Healing the heart: Wound care (1)
(5th)  Healing the heart: Wound care (2)
(6th)  Healing the heart: Wound care (3)
(7th)  Healing the heart: Wound care (4)


No matter the cause of your wounded or broken heart God, who is the healer of the broken heart, is able and willing to heal you (Isa. 53:5; Isa. 61:1; Psa. 34:18). There are no short cuts in this process. God could take pain away in an instant, but most often He will lead you in a process of healing so that you come to know Him more as He really is. The way in which your own healing process unfolds, and the time it will take, is necessarily an individual matter, but I can tell you that healing is guaranteed if your process is defined by a pursuit of God and drawing near to Him. As you look to the Lord, trust Him, and obey Him, you will come out of your process more than 'repaired' - you will be better than before.

In growing to know God more, we find ourselves becoming people increasingly 'alive': our character is refined, and we become more than ever before able to declare the might, love, and sufficiency of God. We will be able to comfort others with the comfort which we have received from God (2 Cor. 1:3-4); we will also have sound wisdom and insight to share, and we will be able to point others to the Savior who is also the Healer and Deliverer.

Pain is an unavoidable part of life in this fallen age. It is the wisdom of God to use it as a tool for our refinement and maturity into Christlikeness - a process carefully overseen by God who will not allow us to be tried beyond our ability to bear up under it (1 Cor. 10:13). We should be careful not to be the cause of pain and suffering brought on by our own choices to disobey. But God is merciful and with repentance even these failures God can work together so that the final outcome of our life is a good one. Indeed this is the beauty of one of His most amazing promises that bring comfort to a wounded heart:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

God will cause things to work together for good for His people. We will often struggle with why something happened and many times there will be no answer to that question, but knowing that it will not be wasted should bring some solace to a wounded heart. Because the event that has caused us pain will work together with other events, we may have to wait quite some time before we can look back and be able to view a bigger and beautiful picture. However, if we respond correctly, the fragrance of Christ will emanate in ever-increasing degrees all throughout the process and bring glory to God.

When your heart is truly mended there will be no more pain, no more hurt feelings with your memories, no wincing on the inside when you recount painful events or talk about them. You may still cry, but the reason will be different. Your tears will be of gratitude towards God; or perhaps you will still be emotionally overwhelmed by His love, with the remembrance of how much He has done to bring you to where you are. The scars of a wounded-and-healed heart are valuable. They are scars of knowledge gained through experience, and godly wisdom. The scars of a truly healed heart are signposts of compassion for other hurting people who will come into contact with you.

God has given us His Word and this is what we must cling to in every season of life, whether we are encountering sunny skies or a tempest. Becoming intimately acquainted with His promises, learning His ways and seeing Him more and more as He really is by His recorded words and acts; believing His word and doing what He says; and praying in agreement with His revealed will - this is how we build our house upon the rock so that no wind, wave, or flood can overthrow it (Matt. 7:24-27).  Even after your heart has been healed from one event, you need to be aware that other assaults will come. Stay close to God. Hold on to what He has taught you about Himself, His sufficiency in all your weakness, and His faithfulness which is forever.

I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
Psalm 116: 1-8

Those words of Scripture above will also become your words of testimony if you will let God heal your heart His way, doing a deeper work than any temporary cover-up or worldly quick-fix could ever hope to imitate. You can be healed so wonderfully that your prayer to God becomes just what Point of Grace asks, "Heal the wound, but leave the scar" [see lyrics & music video below]:

Lyrics:
I used to wish that I could rewrite history
I used to dream that each mistake could be erased
Then I could just pretend
I never knew the me back then

I used to pray that You would take this shame away
Hide all the evidence of who I've been
But it's the memory of
The place you brought me from
That keeps me on my knees
And even though I'm free

Chorus:
Heal the wound but leave the scar
A reminder of how merciful You are
I am broken, torn apart
Take the pieces of this heart
And heal the wound but leave the scar

I have not lived a life that boasts of anything
And I don't take pride in what I bring
But I'll build an altar with
The rubble that you found me in
And every stone will sing
Of what You can redeem

Chorus

Don't let me forget
Everything You've done for me
Don't let me forget
The beauty in the suffering

Chorus 2x

Lyrics:

This is the first post in a series called Healing the Heart. You can find a link to all the posts in the sidebar under labels, or just click here. If using this link be sure to read from the bottom up because they were posted in a specific order to be most useful to you!

Ingredients of Effective Prayer (5)

This is the ninth post in a series on Praying Effectively. We talked about what effective prayers are and in the most recent post we learned that effective prayer is always directed by the will of God . If you are just joining me, please see the end for a special note before continuing!


(5). Faith in God is an essential ingredient of effective prayer

• Confidence in the ability of God is critical.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jeremiah 32:17
‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Matthew 21:22
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us

• It is the recognition and committal of ourselves and all matters to the faithfulness and ability of God.

Romans 4:20, 21
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

1 John 5:15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

• There can be no wavering.

James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

• We are to have faith in God, not faith in faith.

Mark 11:22
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

[This is the ninth post in a series on the subject of prayer. Last week we discussed how an effective prayer always has the objective of yielding to and asking that God's will be done, in any matter.  These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. If you are just now joining in I recommend that you read the first post where I shared my reason for doing this series. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]

Healing the heart: Wound care (4)

As I begin to wrap up this series on Healing the Heart, here's a summary of what we've discussed so far if you need to catch up or review the points I am going to build upon today:

(1st)  Healing the heart: The wounds fill up
(2nd)  Healing the heart: Intended evil, meant for good
(3rd)  Healing the heart: Letting go of 'Why?'
(4th)  Healing the heart: Wound care (1)
(5th)  Healing the heart: Wound care (2)
(6th)  Healing the heart: Wound care (3)

The purpose of this series has been to encourage you to commit yourself to letting God heal your heart in such a way that you will survive beyond functionality and moments of happiness, but rather go on to come out better than before, with nothing of your experience wasted. Today's post will combine some additional Do's (such as we have been discussing until now) with some Don'ts that can make all the difference during that process.


DOs

Cry
Tears are a natural human expression and reaction to pain or sadness. I haven't researched this recently but in the past I've heard it reported that the composition of our tears of sadness is different from tears of joy. Our body knows the difference and it's good to cry those hurting tears out. I would encourage you to pour them out alongside your prayers to God for healing and His help.

Journaling
Honest journaling is another way to pour your heart out and it gives you the opportunity to chart your progress or view your strengths and weaknesses so that you can adjust your behaviors and methods of dealing with things. This can take many forms depending on what kind of person you are and what you need. You may want to record your daily thoughts and feelings with no specific emphasis. You may want to record what you hear from God and what stands out to you in a special way from your times of Bible reading, prayer, listening to teaching/sermons etc. You may want to record only what you're learning from your situation, or answered prayers with thanksgiving.

Thought Management
Whatever the reason for your wounded heart, you are going to have lots of thoughts about it, whether you are dealing with memories or an ongoing situation that's still unfolding. Virtually everything else you see, hear, think, say will either improve your condition or worsen it - and that includes your interactions with people and things. Make a conscientious effort to seek out the things that will build you up (we talked about most of the significant ones in previous posts), and pull yourself back to these things when you find yourself drifting. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8).
This takes me right to a list of Don'ts....


DON'TS

Don't ever entertain negative emotions and thoughts
These include self pity, bitterness, malice, self-deprecating thoughts etc. (Note: 'Sadness' is not included in this list of negative emotions, but rather thoughts and feelings that are contrary to God's truth and which drag you down into feelings of further self-inflicted pain and hopelessness; or which tempt you to doubt God's word, His goodness, His care and His love for you). Be intentional and wise about choosing the movies you watch, the music you listen to, the books you read. All of these can easily arouse negative emotions and painful memories, and many will give or imply the wrong 'solutions'.

Don't try worldly 'quick fixes'
These 'fixes' include alcohol, drugs, revelry, occult involvement (and any other behavior that is based on casting away self-control and biblical morality) as well as attempts to inflict pain on yourself to relieve the pain of your wounds. There are no quick fixes when it comes to healing a wounded heart, but the solutions which the world offers are temporary, deceptive, and destructive to your heart and your soul for eternity - they invite you to partake of the temporary pleasures of sin or to seek solace in idols. A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls (Proverbs 25:28). Many of these behaviors will give place to demonic involvement in your life and create worse problems, ensnaring you in a destructive lifestyle. Avoid these snares, run from them, turn around now if necessary. As Lynn Martin Cowell says, "Forgiveness is free, healing isn't." With God everything is possible and He is able and willing to set you free and make you whole, but it's usually going to mean a more difficult and costly road to recovery (for you - not God) from these compounded problems.

Don't have intimate associations or conversations with anyone where spiritual, emotional or sexual compromise or reproach may arise out of these interactions. 
You may have lots that you want to pour out, but when your emotions are not the healthiest and your heart is wounded you already have a breached 'wall' to repair and you are more vulnerable than ever to old and new temptations. Your enemy, the devil, will seek to use this opportune time to overtake you. Moreover, depending on what you are going through, your mind and emotions will be clamoring for comfort or affirmation. For example, many rebound relationships and sexually immoral affairs are built on unhealthy attractions, and the thrill of sinful pleasures (another worldly quick fix) which people choose during this period of increased vulnerability. Make the choice not to tempt yourself or put yourself in the way of temptations even if you've never felt yourself to be particularly susceptible to any one of these. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).


My next post will also be the final post in this series. Please stay with me as I hope to encourage you to give God the opportunity to heal you way down deep. So deep that He not only brings you out whole, but 'improved' and able to help others by sharing with them with the wisdom, faith, and comfort He has worked in your own life.

This is the first post in a series called Healing the Heart. You can find a link to all the posts in the sidebar under labels, or just click here. If using this link be sure to read from the bottom up because they were posted in a specific order to be most useful to you!

Free Indeed

This is the video testimony of David Upton. David is a sort-of-new convert (about one and a half years in Christ) and this is his recent recording of his life journey and how Christ set him free from a destructive lifestyle that included drugs, alcohol, and homosexuality that had him deceived and bound for 27 years - all the while believing he was a Christian. I loved listening to this because of David's unpolished and candid approach - he is not several years removed from his past lifestyle and accustomed to giving a well-worn testimony. When I look at David and listen to him telling his story, I see a man so grateful that he is boldly willing to tell the world of all that Christ has done. I see a man set free by Christ, and free indeed. This is all about Christ and the power of the gospel. The Holy Spirit's work of conviction, and the necessity of repentance are major themes in his telling of what God has done for him.

The following video is a little longer than I'd usually dare to post on the blog, coming in at about 33 minutes. Please don't let that turn you off, because if you have high speed internet access it's well worth it - even if you have to do it in parts for time's sake!

Maybe you know someone who needs to hear this. Please share this video. And please pray that David Upton will grow in the knowledge of God, be strengthened in faith, and that he would continue bringing glory to God.

Healing the heart: Wound care (3)

In the previous post on Healing the Heart, we saw that the healing process is dependent upon specific one-on-One time with the Lord, who is the Healer of the broken heart. Many times however, God will use other people as His instruments at some point of our healing process. Read on as I share some more guidelines that can help us during times when our heart is bruised or wounded.

People as God's Vessels

• Comfort, prayer, confession, and counsel

God uses His people who have themselves learned to depend on Him for comfort, to comfort others. Maybe you will have God's Spirit stir up concern for you in the heart of someone else. That person may be given the ability to perceive your need for someone to talk to, or a special desire to pray for you.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Maybe God will move your heart to approach another believer and make your need known. As you pray, He will direct your steps so that you confide in the right person, whether this be a friend, a leader or lay minister in your Church community, or a professional Christian counselor. There are people who will understand what you are going through because they have walked hard roads with God and know His faithfulness. They can help you understand what you're going through and how to deal with it in a healthy way.

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.
Proverbs 20:5

As described in an earlier post in this series, our healing may require confession and repentance for the healing process to begin. God has made it so that confession and transparency towards others will break the power of various strongholds in our life, and because He has made it so, we can be assured that He does have trustworthy people we can bring these matters to.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:16

Godly persons equipped by God for your help, can give wise counsel for your situation and bring fresh, faith-filled perspective. They can testify to you of God's love and power. They can encourage you to hold on to your faith in God and His word. They can remind you of His promises. Their effective prayers can move mountains on your behalf.

• Practical acts of kindness

In addition to encouraging you to look to the Lord for your healing and nurturing you in overtly spiritual ways, a trustworthy, believing friend at this time can be a great practical help to a wounded heart. There are whirlwinds that can assault your life so vehemently that you feel physically incapacitated. For example, a grieving heart may not even have the desire to cook or buy a meal and a friend can step in and provide those practical needs as expressions of God's love and care.

• Fellowship

At other times, you will need godly fellowship and conversation - apart from discussing your trials or brokenness. A friend's companionship at an event, time spent together in any clean, fun activity that you will enjoy, can be medicinal to your heart. It will help you to remember the goodness of God and inspire you with hope that in time full healing will come, and there will be more good things to look forward to.

• Comfort, pray for, and serve others in need

The more quickly you learn to pour into the lives of others what God has been pouring into you, the sweeter the healing process becomes. It is an acceptable sacrifice and act of worship towards God when in sincere love and compassion, you try to reach out or encourage someone else to hope in Him. The person with a wounded heart may not be able to do this right away, but as healing begins to become evident, this compassion for others has an opportunity to bloom to the glory of God, and for the good of that other person and your own good. You become as much an instrument of the Lord in their lives as they will be to yours. This is a beautiful thing, when the fragrance of Christ begins to emanate from your own life to bless the lives of others.


People are often instruments of God in answer to our prayers for help, but we must remember that God has never asked us to place our trust in people. In fact, His word continually tells us to put all our trust in Him, and warns us that the help of man is useless. While we should embrace His help when it comes through others, even then we need to keep our eyes on the Lord. He alone is the Healer; He alone is the Source of all joy, comfort and hope.

In my next post, I will begin to wind down this series by sharing a few more practical and general suggestions for caring for the wounded heart with an emphasis on caution about what not to do.

This is the first post in a series called Healing the Heart. You can find a link to all the posts in the sidebar under labels, or just click here. If using this link be sure to read from the bottom up because they were posted in a specific order to be most useful to you!

Ingredients of Effective Prayer (4)

This is the eighth post in a series on Praying Effectively. We talked about what effective prayers are and have more recently been taking a close up look at what factors make a prayer effective. If you are just joining me, please see the end for a special note before continuing!



(4.) Prayer is always to be directed by the will of God. It is governed by, and focused on, accomplishing His will.

It is worth repeating that, in prayer, we partner with God to bring about His will and purpose in our lives, the lives of others, and on the earth - as it is heaven.

Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Matthew 6:10
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

Luke 22:42
Saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

1 John 5:14-15
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

• The motives for prayer must be pure. The purpose of our asking must be pure and aligned to God’s will. Impure, self-indulgent motives invalidate the prayer effort .

James 4:3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Amiss - kakōs (Greek)
kak-oce'
Adverb from Strong's number G2556; badly (physically or morally): - amiss, diseased, evil, grievously, miserably, sick, sore.


• Avoid all hypocrisy and vanity. Prayer must be intimate and focused, not an effort of the flesh. It must be void of all self-righteousness, pride and desire for public recognition.

Matthew 6:5-8
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."

• Effective prayer requires right attitude and right understanding. This goes beyond the actual words uttered. It is the product of right thoughts and understanding - about God’s will, His ability and His faithfulness - operating inside of the person praying.

Daniel 10:12
Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

[This is the eighth post in a series on the subject of prayer. Last week we looked at the necessity of praying in the name of Jesus and talked about what that means. These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. If you are just now joining in I recommend that you read the first post where I shared my reason for doing this series. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]

Healing the Heart: Wound care (2)

In the previous post, I shared from Scripture that God is interested in healing wounded hearts, and that He is the Healer. I talked about how a heart wound also needs to be 'cleaned' and shared with you that Forgiveness and Repentance play the biggest part in cleaning a wound so that healing can even begin. We are seeking a total healing in which we are not merely restored to functionality and a feeling of happiness, but we want to be made better for the experience and have our wounds fill up with the fragrance of Christ. Christ is therefore central to all the healing measures we must take and we must have this understanding if nothing is to be wasted in our experience.

Healing is usually a process that unfolds over time. Scripture says that Christ was sent to bind up the brokenhearted (Isa. 61:1) and that the Lord is near to the one who has a broken heart (Psa. 34:18). He walks with us through a healing process in which we are required to lean on Him, trust in Him, wait on Him and hold fast to Him. Most of us would choose an instantaneous healing if it were offered us but in that way we would forfeit the opportunity to know God in a deeper and closer way than ever before. It is as we lean on Him for strength and peace in our brokenness that we really can come to know more of the depth of His love, the power of His peace, the wisdom of His plans, and the sufficiency of His grace.  Today I am going to start discussing other practical things that should be done to 'dress' the wound while you seek to draw close to the Healer for the mending process.


Pray

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
James 5:13

In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
Psalm 18:6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Cor. 1:3-4

God wants us to pour out our hearts before Him. He loves authenticity. He loves our dependence on Him. He is called the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3), the God of peace (Philip. 4:7), and the God of hope (Rom. 15:13). In the place of pain we will find that His Holy Spirit will minister to us while we cry out to Him in prayer - with as many tears as we have bottled up in our heart. Hold nothing back. He is a safe place, and a healing place.

I did not learn to pray with any evident effectiveness until I was going through heartbreak and hardship. There was nothing else and no one else who could help me and it was in these seasons that I learned to draw close to God. I remember making a remarkable discovery during one such season: God was better than all the answers I had been seeking (with regard to the circumstances I was going through). I began by often running off to my bedroom to spend time with Him when pangs of heartache and emotional distress would hit me. As time passed I was eager to spend time with Him because the peace of His presence was so awesome. Nothing compared. I remember eagerly leaving movies unfinished, and removing myself hurriedly from conversations with others, just so that I could get back to my room. Back to a growing relationship with God that exceeded everything I had every experienced.


Worship

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11

In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.
Psalm 94:19

Worship takes our eyes off our hurting heart and places them on the beauty and holiness of God. As we turn our eyes to Him, pain loses its voice and we find consolation. We will find hope begin to fill us and faith will rise as our view of who He is, is magnified.

Now, we probably all know that true worship is altogether offered in the way we live our lives before God, but for this point I am referring to specific times spent worshipping God: meditating on His character, listening to and singing songs that exalt His name, and using your heart, your words, your voice to speak out loud of His glorious qualities. The peace that comes with His presence will guard our heart and mind from the perturbations of whatever we are going through. We will find that these times are a healing balm to our own soul and spirit.

At times when I would need to keep my heart and thoughts focused on God, loading a mp3 player with weighty worship music and listening throughout the day has been a great aid to lift my spirits and to keep my emotions in check, guarding me from fear, hopelessness, depression, anxiety or self-pity.


Read the Bible

My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word...
My soul melts from heaviness;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
Psalm 119:25, 28

He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Psalm 107:20

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
Prov. 4:20-23

God's word is a medicine for the whole man, including the heart. And that's just one facet of its amazing power. Because the Bible contains God's word, it will also provide something stable and trustworthy for us to hope in, and stand on, when our heart and life is shaken by circumstances. We will be encouraged by God's recorded work in the lives of the ancient saints who trusted in Him in their own trials. We will learn wisdom about what to do and how to act in the particulars of our own situation. Faith will rise in our hearts as our view of God enlarges and as we learn His promises. We will come to know God more.

I have been through seasons where I have needed to write out specific verses that ministered comfort, peace, and strength to me on little 3"x 5" index cards and keep them in my pocket or bag, just so that I could pull them out to read and memorize. This helped me to get through my day without being emotionally overwhelmed and crushed. Today, with the rise of all sorts of smart phones and gadgets, keeping the Scriptures close at hand has become even easier for those who are willing to put their hope in the life-giving Word of God.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:25, 26

From today's discussion we saw how dependent the healing process is upon specific one on One time with the Lord, who is the Healer of the broken heart. In upcoming related posts, I will share how God will often use other people as instruments in our healing; in addition to other helpful suggestions, and finally, some caution about what not to do.

This is the first post in a series called Healing the Heart. You can find a link to all the posts in the sidebar under labels, or just click here. If using this link be sure to read from the bottom up because they were posted in a specific order to be most useful to you!

Healing the Heart: Wound care (1)

If you are just joining me, you may find it useful to read the previous posts in this Healing the Heart series:
The wounds fill up
Intended evil, meant for good
Letting go of 'Why?'


Today and in upcoming posts I will be discussing the practical care that the healing process entails. A heart wound in one instance may just be equivalent to a surface scratch that bleeds a bit, but in another case it may be a deep gash. You may even find yourself with a chronic condition because of something that has been not properly treated for a long time till now. I will share principles that will help although each case will necessarily be unique. Each particular experience of wounding will require specific emphasis on certain areas more than the others. In every case however, I want to highlight that Christ is the Healer and healing is altogether a process of drawing near to Him, while taking wise practical steps, guarding our heart, and being obedient to God.


God wants to heal wounded hearts
Some persons may have a higher threshold for pain than others who are very easily crushed, because of differing individual levels of spiritual, mental, and emotional health and maturity, at any given point in time. However, there is nothing that is too petty for God to be concerned about when it's causing pain, damage, or dangerous infection to our hearts. The Lord is interested in our broken hearts and wounded souls.

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:18

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;
Isaiah 61:1

And speaking of Christ Himself, God wants us to know that Jesus understands the frailty and trials of the human condition and that this is why He was sent...

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:3-5

Cleaning the wound
Just like with a physical injury, a heart wound needs to be cleaned before it can be dressed and cared for in such a way that healing will not be hindered. Cleaning prepares the affected area for receiving any further medicinal treatment, and it is important so that the area does not become infected, nor further infected and made worse. Forgiveness and Repentance are the two most crucial elements of 'cleaning' a heart wound.

Forgiveness
If you have been the innocent party hurt by someone else, then this is where you must start. If you attempt to move past this first step to any other, you will be wasting time. Healing will never truly begin until forgiveness is given. Apart from the body-mind-emotions connection and the slow but sure consequences of negative emotions, the most foremost reason why healing is impossible without forgiveness is that God is the One who heals, and unforgiveness will separate you from Him. Forgiveness is commanded by God. Unforgiveness is disobedience and sin. Unforgiveness will separate you from the Healer.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matt. 6:14-15

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Col. 3:13

Many reading and needing healing will wrestle with this truth. I have. And I lost. The feeling of separation from God that engulfed me and grew as days and weeks passed in unforgiveness was unbearable. But it was the sharp and direct rebuke of someone who reminded me that unforgiveness could land me in hell, and remembering all that God had done in my life and spoken to me (would I forfeit it all to hold on to my sense of 'justified' unforgiveness?) that scared me enough to surrender to God. This person's tough medicine made me angry first. But then it scared me. After wrestling some more I finally told the Lord that I chose to forgive and I asked Him to help me. When I did that it was like darkness lifted and suddenly I knew that God was with me again. The gap had been closed. I could draw near. That day was also the beginning of healing after many months of just being wounded and praying prayers for restoration - prayers that could not even begin to be answered because I had not yet forgiven.

Forgiveness is about releasing someone else from a debt that they cannot pay you back and not seeking retribution, because God has done the same for you. Ideally, forgiveness is most beautiful when is it asked and granted, but many times the persons who have hurt you will not accept or admit responsibility nor ask you to forgive. Release them anyway because of what God, in Christ, has done for you.

[Please note that forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation should take place, nor an offending party protected from consequences, such as in the case of abusers who may be unrepentant, and continue to pose a threat to themselves and others. For serious and complicated cases, it is important to be prayerful, and to seek godly counsel from knowledgeable authorities either in your local church or the wider Christian community.]


Repentance
Sometimes our heartaches and wounds are squarely or partially the result of sinful choices and impulses. In these cases, healing will not begin until confession and repentance is made. Confession is about agreeing that you have sinned against God's standards and saying so. Repentance is not just a feeling of regret; it is about taking specific steps to stop/not repeat the behavior, and to do what is right or replace that behavior with the God-approved response (e.g. see Eph. 4:25-29; Lk. 3:8-14).

If sin is involved, then repentance towards God must be the first step to healing.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

In the case where someone else has been wounded directly by our actions, confession and restitution (where appropriate) may also be necessary, with a sincere request for forgiveness from the other person. The response of that person does not have to hinder you even if it's not what is hoped for. The main thing is to be obedient and to trust God who will freely forgive you and not hold your sins over your head.

[Again, in serious and complicated cases, godly and knowledgeable counsel is highly advised. Confession to another party hurt by your own sin, particularly in an established relationship, needs to be wise, considerate, and honest. Repentance might entail establishing relationships for accountability and support.]


As you can see from our brief look at Forgiveness and Repentance, both of these processes begin with an encounter with God, which then determines our actions and attitudes towards others. In upcoming posts I will be saying more on caring for the wound, 'dressing' it and watching God work as you follow Him.

This is the first post in a series called Healing the Heart. You can find a link to all the posts in the sidebar under labels, or just click here. If using this link be sure to read from the bottom up because they were posted in a specific order to be most useful to you!

Preaching to others...as a lost man

This is short but important.
Do you know that there are not just unsaved people in the church pews, but also preaching and teaching from the pulpit?
Below is the short testimony of one such former pastor and preacher, Don Currin. He'll also mention a little self-examination you can do....I wish I had a transcript.
Oh well, this video is just about 6 minutes long. Please view it and share with someone else. It just might be used by God to bring life-giving conviction towards true repentance.

Ingredients of Effective Prayer (3)

If you are just joining me, this is the seventh installment in a series on Praying Effectively. Please see the end for a special note before continuing!


(3)  Prayer is offered in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is, the prayer must accord with His character, and must be presented in the same spirit of dependence and submission and faith that He has towards His Father. [We cannot pray ‘any old thing’, tack Jesus’ name to the end of it, and think that it means that we have prayed “in Jesus’ name”. There are some cults and false religions that actually use the expression "in Jesus' name" in their prayers.]

John 14:13
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Luke 22:42
...Saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Matthew 11:25, 26
At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

Praying in the Name of Jesus also reminds us that we approach God the Father with confidence on the sole basis of what Jesus has done, His shed blood, and our unity with Him - as He and His Father are one. It reminds us that we are saved by grace though faith, and walk by faith in Jesus Christ. It proclaims that we believe God will hear and answer us on this basis only and not because of any good work intended to be a substitute for righteousness before Him.

Because praying in Jesus' name is more than just saying those three words, I believe that we can technically be praying in Jesus' name without necessarily using the phrase. However, we must also consider that there is a special spiritual power attached to a declaration, or confession made from the mouth when there is already faith in the heart (e.g. Rom. 10:9; Acts 3:6, Acts 5:40). Furthermore, the sound of Jesus' name is authoritative, mighty, and terrifying in the spiritual (unseen) realm from a person who is in right standing with God, through Christ Jesus (see Matt 28:18; Acts 16:18). For these reasons I personally believe that as long as we have the voice to do it, we should pray in Jesus' name and say so!


[This is the seventh post in a series on the subject of prayer. Last week we looked at the privilege and power of addressing prayers to God the Father, drawing from examples in Scripture as well as what Jesus taught and spoke to His disciples. These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. If you are just now joining in I recommend that you read the first post where I shared my reason for doing this series. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]

Sincere friendship is a gift from God

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.

Proverbs 27:9, NLT

This past week my 'Healing the heart' series has been unfolding here at my blog. In it I mentioned having very ugly experiences of rejection and betrayal from various significant people I met along the way. Most people believe that friendship is a gift, but people who have had experiences like I did maybe appreciate friendship much more.

I did go through the phase of wanting no friends, not believing that I needed any friends or anyone at all, apart from Jesus. This was something that God Himself had to correct me about and it was a difficult lesson for me, but I did see clearly that God did not design us to function optimally in isolation. After a few more experiences - in which God chose to use divinely appointed individuals at key points in my life, in answer to my prayers for counsel, help, and prayerful support - I will now be the first to tell you that as Christians we need one another. I found the following quote which expresses part of the reason why very succinctly.

"When we consider the blessings of God—the gifts that add beauty and joy to our lives, that enable us to keep going through stretches of boredom and even suffering — friendship is very near the top."
Donald W. McCullough

Now, not every sincere believer we encounter and share interests with is going to become a tight friend that we keep in touch with and share our hearts with. Some of these kinds of God-connections are transparently one-sided where you are either the receiver or giver for God's working and with genuine Christian love - and that's perfectly okay. But when God does send someone your way with whom you can share the sweetness of trust and loyalty, and mutuality in a godly friendship that grows over time, it is one of the most priceless gifts there are on earth. And I don't mean to leave anyone jaded or suspicious, but I personally believe that this is more rare than we think.

I live just about seven minutes away from my best friend but we do not get together often, even less so now that she is back to work after a hiatus. Her life is different from mine between handling a job, marriage, and ministry. I had met her briefly almost 6 years ago under very interesting circumstances, which now seem significant and even divinely set up, but back then I never imagined back that she and I would become close friends. We didn't get a friendship going until almost 3 years ago and I remember that I was very curious about how well we got along but I was also very wary of being too open. I was very stand-offish for a while and was careful not to make any personal phone calls in return when she would call me at home. I know, that's awful right? But at that time she was a member of a bible study class that I taught and I preferred to keep all our interaction within the walls of the church so that no misunderstanding about 'friendship' would develop. I cannot pinpoint the incident, conversation, or moment when I realized that she was a God-send to me, but I sure do now, and I am oh-so-grateful!

She recently took a day off work and suggested we go out. From start till finish, it was an amazing day where I could almost tangibly feel the blessing of God upon our time together. We ate, we walked, we talked, we talked, we talked. I had a surreal moment too while we fellowshipped. We were seated on a park bench shortly before heading home and while she was talking, I was overwhelmed on the inside and had to just immediately thank God and marvel at the richness of the moment. Because we can share the most personal things, mess ups, mistakes, disappointments and hopes, life-lessons and more. We can pray for each other and with each other on the spot at merely a request or even without. And always filling all our conversation, no matter if it's a just matter of shopping or whether it's ministry related, 'God' is always very naturally and effortlessly wrapped up in our conversation; we always come back to things of the Spirit, things of the Kingdom of God and things of eternity. It is sweet as perfume and incense (Prov. 27:9) to share these moments.

I am almost at the end of reading Perry Stone's new book, Secrets from Beyond the Grave (which I would heartily recommend to you). While reading the chapters in which he discussed Heaven, the near-death and after-life experiences, visions, and dreams of various persons, I was most impressed by the looming fact that our godly relationships will be the only thing we still have when we arrive there. Moreover, all the works that God will reward us for will be valuable only on account of our obedience and love towards God, and our love for others!

If you already have a friendship that is a vessel of grace, godly wisdom, comfort and counsel, guard it well and nurture it with the attention it deserves. The Bible has a lot to say on how we are to conduct ourselves and treat one another as members of the Body of Christ. These are equally life-giving commands for personal friendships. If you do not yet know someone that you can share the Christ-life with in a mutual, specific, and close friendship, I would encourage you to ask God to prepare and send one of His disciples your way for this purpose - someone you can recognize by the fruit of the Spirit and an upright life, and a passion for knowing God that closely compares to your own. In the meantime, keep your focus on loving and serving others with God's love as an overflow of a continual pursuit of God Himself.

An open rebuke is better than hidden love! 

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

Proverbs 27:5-6, NLT

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24, NLT

Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Proverbs 20:6, NLT

Healing the heart: Letting go of Why

In my previous post I discussed that God can and will both heal and use the wounding experience for great good as we cling to Him. I discussed one biblical and historical character, Joseph son of Jacob, because his life is an incredible example. There are several others in the Scriptures...which is easy to understand since many of these great men and women of God earned their commendation from God because of their obedience and faith in Him through trials.

Today I intended to write about some specific blessings that can come from the experience of healing a broken heart, but I realize that this topic brings up an important question for all of us that should at least be touched upon before going any further: Is God responsible for our heartaches and suffering? This is actually related to the age old question of 'If God is good why does He allow suffering?'

Lengthy theological debates have been engaged and books written on the subject of suffering, and especially about why the innocent or godly suffer. At the risk of being overly simple but so as to not take up an issue which is not the intent of these series of posts, I will only say that eternity will unravel and disclose all. Many life shattering events are simply the result of living in a fallen world, with fallen people and evil spirits at work, as well as the poor choices and rebellion of ourselves and others. God is clearly powerful enough to stop, prevent or change any painful situation, but we also exercise choice and are subject to the choices of others. We do not understand God's ways or thoughts which are higher than ours (Isa. 55:9) but we do know that He has promised to work all things together for good to those who are His.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

This promise has been proven in the lives of saints of God who have gone on before us, even those such as Job who was more severely tested than any of us will ever be in such a short space of time and who was made an example of God's power and mercy and unsearchable wisdom (Job 42; James 5:11).

Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
James 5:11

Pain comes to everyone. It is virtually promised for a believer and is a tool for our refinement (2 Tim. 3:12; Rom. 5:3-4). We are never to go looking for it, and we should certainly never be the cause of it on account of deliberate sin (1 Pet. 4:15-16; 1 Pet. 3:13-17). The pain we endure and are refined by will always be used to bring glory to God, and often fits us to be faithful and effective instruments of the gospel of Christ to bring salvation, deliverance and healing into the lives of others. Again, examples in the lives of past and present day saints abound, but we need look no further than Jesus Christ. God did not spare His own Son, but give Him up for us all (Rom 8:32).

All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all...
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin...
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:6,10,12

Many of us want to be used of God, but few anticipate the wounding that may be used to fit us for that service. Many of us sincerely want to grow in godliness, but few expect or admit that suffering is the best tool to do a deep and lasting work in our character. We may have already met someone who has not seemed to learn from the experience of suffering and instead becomes bitter, hard, and void of compassion for others. It's a curious but sad thing how two people can undergo comparable tragedy and one be more brilliant after it, and the other become angry and harsh. One person will hold on to the clear records of the past faithfulness and goodness of God in a trying time, while the other person will act, think and speak as if God had been nothing but an evil task master all their life on account of one series of trials. On the one hand we have Job, Joseph, David, Ruth. On the other hand we have Cain, Saul, Absalom, and Judas. One group humbled by suffering and correction. The other refusing to lay themselves low before God and His authority.  

There is a reward for the righteous. But there are things we will experience which we may never even see the usefulness or purpose of, while on this side of eternity. It will always come back to walking by faith and trusting God. Do you believe that God is all-wise, that He is all-powerful, that He has a bigger purpose and perspective, that He loves you? He tells us all this and more in His word and it is up to us to choose to believe Him. In my experience, and I believe many of you will bear witness, healing the heart often begins with laying down our Why questions (especially "Why me?"), and letting go the need for an answer. In other cases, where we believe we know the answer or lay the blame squarely on our own shoulders for our choices, we still need to begin by acknowledging the reasons (with repentance if necessary) and then, let go of it to God, trusting Him to work it together for good. We will begin to heal when we let go and instead invest our broken heart into knowing God more and trusting Him more fully. In upcoming related posts I will share how the fragrance of Christ seemed to begin to pour into and flow out from my life when I did just that.

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

Job 13:15a

This is the first post in a series called Healing the Heart. You can find a link to all the posts in the sidebar under labels, or just click here. If using this link be sure to read from the bottom up because they were posted in a specific order to be most useful to you!

Healing the heart: Intended evil, meant for good

Joseph Sold Into Egypt by his Brothers, painting by Ted Henninger

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, 

in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Genesis 50:20

In a recent post, Healing the heart: The wounds fill up, I shared, from my personal experience, that wounds of the heart can be used by God to create spiritual depth in our life. Finding true and lasting healing is essentially a process of drawing near to God and it leads to increasing fruitfulness. Today I will continue to share from what I've learned so far about the dynamics of letting the wounds fill up with Christ, so that His fragrance is what future pressing brings out.

I started with a Scripture which contains the words of Joseph, son of Jacob. You have most likely read this Biblical biography or watched a close copy of the bare details of Joseph's life in the movie, The Prince of Egypt (DreamWorks Animation, 1998). Joseph's life story is the main subject thread of the last fourteen chapters of the book of Genesis. It has been to me as troubling as it has been encouraging.

Joseph did not have an easy childhood, nor adulthood, for many years. His mother died sometime during his childhood while giving birth to his brother. He was loved by his father, but was also left to contend with a likely still-jealous stepmother and half-brothers who hated him. The Scriptures say that Joseph was 'hated', that his brothers 'could not speak peaceably to him', that they 'envied' him, and that when he began to share dreams which God had given him, they 'hated him even more'(Genesis 37). At about the age of seventeen years old, his murder was plotted by his brothers. By God's working through a brother, Reuben, his life was spared and he was thrown into a pit in the wilderness. He was eventually sold to slave traders and taken to Egypt. In Egypt, while God's favor caused him to prosper as a household slave and his integrity was spotless, his obedience to God caused him to be accused as a would-be rapist by the adulterous wife of his master. We are told that he gained favor even while imprisoned for this crime which he did not commit, but there was a period of time in which he did endure great trial and suffering. According to Psalm 105:18-19, "They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him." His good deeds always seem to go unrewarded time after time. And another hope seemed dashed when the Pharaoh's butler for whom he had interpreted a dream, forgot about him for two whole years and did not bring up his case before the Pharaoh.

Joseph endured hatred from family, separation from the two people he loved most in life, wrongful accusation, slandered character, slavery, loneliness, and continually being rewarded evil for his good for many, many years. Joseph was a man with a broken heart. But somewhere along his path, by his steadfast cleaving to God and his prayers which are not recorded in Scripture, his heart was not only healed so perfectly that he freely offered forgiveness and reconciliation to his brothers, but it was refined and made steadfast in integrity and faithfulness both with God and man. God raised up Joseph in an instant at His appointed time, to make him one of the greatest rulers of ancient Egypt and to fulfill not only a good plan for his personal life, but for the nation of Israel. God's plan for Joseph's life was not thwarted, but fulfilled by the wounds that he endured. And so Joseph declared in hindsight, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).

Many teach that Joseph became puffed up by pride over his dreams, yet the Scripture in no way indicates this. What we see is a normal and expected curiosity, wonder, and excitement in sharing a strange but vivid dream. Doubtless, he was not a perfect man, but all that we know of him speaks of integrity and godliness. I have had far less goodness and godly character than Joseph in the way I've lived my life. And so many people are filled with bitterness and resentment against God and others, many long years after far lesser incidents than those which Joseph endured. I suggest that one reason is that we have yet to trust God implicitly, in the way Joseph and other attested overcomers did.

In my previous post on this subject, I mentioned that growing intimacy with God and godliness in my character was spearheaded in a dramatic way by my personal experiences of betrayal and rejection time and time again. I see clearly in hindsight that although I was the innocent party in these experiences, some of these incidents in my adulthood were exacerbated by my choices and responses. Another main factor here was that I was predisposed to this type of trauma because of my own upbringing.

I am the product a family that sin and satan had a 'field day' with for many years. It was a stringently religious but love-less and completely affection-less household. Even extended family was just as disconnected from us as we were from them. We were sharing related genes without sharing a 'family' life. There were family secrets, and unknown to outsiders at that time, my household was everything but a 'Christian' family (everyone thought so based on the respect my father had in the church he attended, the strict rules that tried to keep us in check, and the number of Christian books and bibles that littered my home). Personally-speaking, I was an unplanned child, and not appreciated by my father who put a premium on male children. I was constantly treated and disciplined differently and harshly in comparison to my younger brother. At six years old I believed that 'no one loves me.' Even though Christ became very real to me at eight years old, the seeds were planted and events would seem to prove these negative conclusions to be true as time passed. I was socially inept because of my family's lack of healthy communication, affection, and the pervading sense of isolation, but this set up a cycle. I stayed away from events many times because of the sense of social awkwardness, and when I did go out I had to learn from watching others and felt like a bumbling learner. I gave my trust cautiously but I was fiercely loyal.

That brief childhood synopsis illustrates very clearly why I was so predisposed to being wounded in the particular ways I have experienced. I have no doubt that while God carefully put boundaries around me and oversaw the things I would go through, He did in fact allow satan to use people to do some of the wounding that would refine me. God saw what was intended for evil against me, but in His unsearchable wisdom He meant these things for my good. He has healed my heart and life and in that process I came to see how those incidents were converted into bearers of blessings in my life. Just some of the benefits to me included:

• learning to forgive; to pray for enemies and bless those who curse
• learning to love God's way
• growing in discernment
• growing in compassion for others
• learning my weaknesses and vulnerabilities
• learning to let God vindicate me
• learning to pray 'deeply'
• learning to feed on the word of God
• learning to choose the will of God
• learning to trust in and rely on God wholeheartedly
• experiencing and receiving the deep knowledge of God's faithful love

Every one will have their heart broken in this life, and broken more than once, to varying degrees. Sometimes we bear some responsibility for where we find ourselves, sometimes we are totally innocent. For those in Christ, the main thing is to overcome, to let no pain be wasted, and to let no pain defile the contents of our hearts.

This is the first post in a series called Healing the Heart. You can find a link to all the posts in the sidebar under labels, or just click here. If using this link be sure to read from the bottom up because they were posted in a specific order to be most useful to you!

Ingredients of Effective Prayer (2)

Last week we looked at an attitude of humble submission as the first ingredient to effective prayer - with an important note that there is more for each person to discover face to face with God than I can ever know or share because I am also in this ongoing process! Nevertheless, today I will move on to another fundamental for your consideration:

(2) Prayer is properly and confidently addressed to God the Father, through Christ Jesus.

I do not believe that it is wrong to talk to Jesus or to pray to Him in a real sense. This is not to become a point for religious legalism and condemnation to enter your prayer life! But in terms of heavenly protocol, prayers are properly addressed to the Father. It is a privilege to pray to God the Father for this is why Jesus came - to reconcile us back to the Father.

One of the most amazing verses that were ever opened up to me by God is found in John 20:17,'Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”' and 2 Cor. 5:19 makes it clear that 'God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.'

I find that in getting to know the word of God better and in knowing (by the Scriptures) what roles Jesus now fills in terms of His present heavenly ministry of Great High Priest, King, Saviour etc. I can better know what matters to address to Him. In intercession for example, I have asked Jesus for help, knowing that His word says that He ever lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25).

I have heard prayers, made by well-meaning Christians who love God, which sound very confused. They go back and forth simply substituting 'Jesus', 'Lord', 'Father', 'God', 'Holy Spirit' and various other combinations within even the same sentence. Now while this should never be made a point of condemnation or a religious straight jacket for anyone, we ought to have it clear in our own minds that while God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are the One and the same God, they are not one Person. In fact, God Himself refers to these three Persons of the Godhead as “Us” such as in Genesis 1:26, and Isaiah 6:8. The Father is in heaven (Matt 6:9), the Son is at His right hand (Rom 8:34), and the Holy Spirit is in and with believers (John 14:16,17).

In the popular prayers of Paul in his letters to the Ephesians, Colossians and other verses in Thessalonians, Timothy etc., as well as in the prayers of Jesus, we know that prayer was addressed to God the Father. Most importantly however, this is how Jesus taught the disciples to pray, referring to their relationship with God through Himself:

Matt. 6:6
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matt. 6:9
In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name

John 16:23-28
“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

For me personally, there is great clarity and confidence in knowing that God has reconciled me to Himself through His Son and I can now come boldly before Him, the Father, in Jesus’ name. I come knowing that I am loved and accepted by the Father because I love and accept His Son - just as Jesus assured His disciples in John 16: 26-27.

Notes
1: While we know that there is communication between the Holy Spirit and God’s people (He guides us into all truth, He comforts us, He teaches us (John 15:26, John 16:13); He partners with us in God’s work and directs and instructs (Acts 8:29, Acts 11:12), we have no examples in Scripture of prayers being addressed to Him in the way that they are to God the Father.

2: In NT Scripture the word 'Lord' is used to address Jesus the Christ and sometimes it speaks of God the Father. This is evident in Acts 4:26, 'The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ.’ The word 'Lord' simply means 'Supreme Ruler', 'Master'; see also Rev. 11:15

3: There is a similar relationship between the Three Persons of the Godhead in answering our prayers as revealed in the process of creating the heavens and the earth. In various scripture verses we read “God created the heavens and the earth”, “God said Let there be…and there was…”, yet “without Him (Jesus) was nothing made that was made (John 1:3)” (See also Colossians 1:14-20) and the “Spirit of God hovered over the waters”, “You send forth your Spirit and they are created (Ps 104:30)”.

Jesus said we were to pray to the Father in His own name, and that whatever we ask the Father in His name, the Father would grant/give and He Himself as Son would do (John 14:13,14).

[This is the sixth post in a series on the subject of prayer. Last week we looked at an attitude of humble submission as the first ingredient to effective prayer - with an important note that there is more for each person to discover face to face with God than I can ever share since I am also in this process! These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. If you are just now joining in I recommend that you read the first post where I shared my reason for doing this series. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]