The term, "Prayer Warrior", is an often used but seldom thought about. "Prayer" & "Warrior" in the same phrase--what is that about?
When you picture the "prayer warriors" of the church we often times we think of very old, gray haired ladies draped in Victorian lace as the ones who pray. They have time to pray since they have little else to do in life. That doesn't seem very warlike or muscular as one might envision with the term, "Prayer Warrior".
Yet prayer is powerful work. Some of the first prayer warriors are found in Exodus 17:8-13.
Their's was "manly work"! (I am not being sexist--it is just that women seem to have a natural propensity to prayer where men often dismiss it because there is not much sweat or work involved or we men or just too busy. But I beg to differ.)
The first prayer warriors were men--important men--leaders--men of power and influence. They were gathered around THE LEADER, Moses, as Moses' assistant led the Israelite army against the cruel Amalekites.
As long as Moses held up the staff of God Israel would win. When his arms grew tired and he would lower the staff to rest, the Amalekites would prevail. Oh to have that staff on Iron Bowl Weekend!
The solution to this problem was to roll a stone under Moses so that he was now sitting. Then his brother and nephew would take turns holding up his arm that held the staff. At this point, the staff never dropped and Israel won the day.
That is how prayer works as well--holding the staff of God over a loved one or situation. We often grow weary from holding it up by ourselves. But others came and joined Moses in the intercession. They got smart about prayer and it worked!
Those were the first prayer warriors. The actual, bloody, sweaty warriors below could not have won if the warriors above had not prevailed. The same is true today. Others you love and pray for cannot prevail unless you war for them in the heavenlies.
There is someting powerful and muscular about prayer. It is not just for sweet, elderly Victorian women....it is for the 12 Apostles--it is for Paul and Barnabas. It is for you and me.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The Rear View Mirror
During Men's Group several weeks ago , we were praying for each other. As the group prayed for me, one of the men saw a picture of the side mirror on my car. The mirror, however, was blackened out. You could not see what was behind and it was a "good" picture.
A picture is worth a thousand words. In one brief snap shot, the Lord made clear that "yesterday" was not important. He did not want me looking backwards--what was past. Instead, the present was where He is. As He said to Moses from the Burning Bush, "Tell them, I AM sent you."
I have taken great comfort in that picture. Don't look back. When I blow it on any given day, I often take the guilt or the shame of that mistake into the next day and start off trying to work out the problem before moving on. The guilt and the shame are viewed from "the rear view mirror". Instead, we are faithfully given a new start each day.
Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. KJV"
Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The Israelites in the Wilderness stumbled when they looked back to the how wonderful Egypt and slavery were! Satan will try to deceive us by having us gaze into the mirror of the past when Jesus is saying, "I AM!" No looking back. I have made the present for you. "Today is the day of salvation!" As that great old evangelistic song says, "No turning back....no turning back." Let us be forward looking men and women of God.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
A picture is worth a thousand words. In one brief snap shot, the Lord made clear that "yesterday" was not important. He did not want me looking backwards--what was past. Instead, the present was where He is. As He said to Moses from the Burning Bush, "Tell them, I AM sent you."
I have taken great comfort in that picture. Don't look back. When I blow it on any given day, I often take the guilt or the shame of that mistake into the next day and start off trying to work out the problem before moving on. The guilt and the shame are viewed from "the rear view mirror". Instead, we are faithfully given a new start each day.
Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. KJV"
Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The Israelites in the Wilderness stumbled when they looked back to the how wonderful Egypt and slavery were! Satan will try to deceive us by having us gaze into the mirror of the past when Jesus is saying, "I AM!" No looking back. I have made the present for you. "Today is the day of salvation!" As that great old evangelistic song says, "No turning back....no turning back." Let us be forward looking men and women of God.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
Monday, June 9, 2008
What I Learned From My Cats, Part 2
Last week I introduced you to one of our cats named Cookie. Cookie is not the smartest cat in the world nor the bravest. Cookie gives new meaning to the term, "Fraidy Cat". She is as fearful as she is dumb and dumb as she is ugly (I am not being mean, just factual!)
The Mud Room in our house is a small room with the washer and dryer on one wall and the computer and book cases opposite them. The remaining two walls have doors in them. It is a pass through room from the den to the garage. Cookie sleeps in the garage.
One day I was working at the computer. I realized that Cookie was standing by the door that leads to the garage. She wanted out. As I got up to open the door for her the chair made a small noise, and she immediately bolted back to the den. I sat back down at the computer and continued to work.
Again, Cookie was at the garage door and again I got up, quieter this time, to let her out and again she bolted back to the den. This back and forth up and down, interruption and bolting went on three or four more times. I was getting tired of it. Cookie wanted into the garage, but something would always spook her and cause her to bolt.
Finally, I decided to "trap" her. As she stood by the garage door I reached over and quickly shut the den door. The Little Fat Cookie was trapped. At that point, she seemed to calm down. I then got up and opened the garage door and let her out. She was happy. I was happy, and all's well that ends well.
This is how it is with God and us. We know where we want to be. He is happy to bless us and help us get there but we grow scared. Our fear causes us to bolt and run back to where we have been even though it is not where we want to go.
There are times after we have played that game with God that He, in His love, shuts a door behind us so that we can only go forward. We do not always understand His plan just like Cookie doesn't always understand what I am doing, but I am doing it for her ultimate good. I want her to have what she wants. I want to bless her. How much more does God want the same for us.
So let's no be afraid of doors that close behind us. Sometimes, that is the only way that God can open the door that is in front of us.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
The Mud Room in our house is a small room with the washer and dryer on one wall and the computer and book cases opposite them. The remaining two walls have doors in them. It is a pass through room from the den to the garage. Cookie sleeps in the garage.
One day I was working at the computer. I realized that Cookie was standing by the door that leads to the garage. She wanted out. As I got up to open the door for her the chair made a small noise, and she immediately bolted back to the den. I sat back down at the computer and continued to work.
Again, Cookie was at the garage door and again I got up, quieter this time, to let her out and again she bolted back to the den. This back and forth up and down, interruption and bolting went on three or four more times. I was getting tired of it. Cookie wanted into the garage, but something would always spook her and cause her to bolt.
Finally, I decided to "trap" her. As she stood by the garage door I reached over and quickly shut the den door. The Little Fat Cookie was trapped. At that point, she seemed to calm down. I then got up and opened the garage door and let her out. She was happy. I was happy, and all's well that ends well.
This is how it is with God and us. We know where we want to be. He is happy to bless us and help us get there but we grow scared. Our fear causes us to bolt and run back to where we have been even though it is not where we want to go.
There are times after we have played that game with God that He, in His love, shuts a door behind us so that we can only go forward. We do not always understand His plan just like Cookie doesn't always understand what I am doing, but I am doing it for her ultimate good. I want her to have what she wants. I want to bless her. How much more does God want the same for us.
So let's no be afraid of doors that close behind us. Sometimes, that is the only way that God can open the door that is in front of us.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
What I Learned From My Cats
We have a number of cats, but one that is especially dear to me is named "Cookie". She belongs to my daughter and is over 12 years old. Cookie is not the sharpest tool in the tool shed, nor is Cookie pretty. How can I tactfully say that age has only helped not hurt Cookie's looks! She looks like a batch of blonde brownies that went wrong.
One day is was raining hard outside. You could see it. You could hear it. Yet Cookie stood by the front door and did that obnoxious meowing that only cats can do over and over again. We have three small windows that begin about waist high next to the front door. I could see out and knew that Cookie would not be happy on the front porch once I let her out. I explained this to Cookie in great detail knowing that sheer logic might somehow cause her to change her mind and distract her from her plan.
The problem was that Cookie did not have a human brain. She had a cat brain (and a small one at that!) Cookie did not have my perspective. I am much taller than she and could see out. All she could see was a door that was blocking her from her goal which was to go outside. The meowing persisted.
Finally, much like in the story Jesus told about prayer, where the Judge was being continuously nagged by the widow, I gave in to my furry little widow, opened the door, and released her to heart's desire. The winds blew. The rains came, and out she raced.
Cookie could not see me but I could see her through those three small windows. She looked around, took in her environment and turned back to the door and began to meow again. This time to be let back in. She had her heart's desire yet it was not to her liking.
I left her outside for a bit in hopes that she might learn something from this experience (which of course she didn't) and then let her back in.
I realized that this is the way we are with our Heavenly Father. We do not have His perspective. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts not our thoughts. All we have is the desire for what we want. We stand at the various doors in life and howl for what we want. The Lord, from a higher perspective knows that we will not be happy with what we are begging Him for. We get angry with God for not quickly giving us our heart's desire. This goes on and on until at times, God finally gives us what we clammer for only to watch us immediately turn back, wishing we had never gone out that door.
May we trust the one who is closer to us than a brother. May we not fall into temptation of blaming God for some of our closed doors, but instead realize that He is being so kind as to protect us from those things that would ultimately make us miserable.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
One day is was raining hard outside. You could see it. You could hear it. Yet Cookie stood by the front door and did that obnoxious meowing that only cats can do over and over again. We have three small windows that begin about waist high next to the front door. I could see out and knew that Cookie would not be happy on the front porch once I let her out. I explained this to Cookie in great detail knowing that sheer logic might somehow cause her to change her mind and distract her from her plan.
The problem was that Cookie did not have a human brain. She had a cat brain (and a small one at that!) Cookie did not have my perspective. I am much taller than she and could see out. All she could see was a door that was blocking her from her goal which was to go outside. The meowing persisted.
Finally, much like in the story Jesus told about prayer, where the Judge was being continuously nagged by the widow, I gave in to my furry little widow, opened the door, and released her to heart's desire. The winds blew. The rains came, and out she raced.
Cookie could not see me but I could see her through those three small windows. She looked around, took in her environment and turned back to the door and began to meow again. This time to be let back in. She had her heart's desire yet it was not to her liking.
I left her outside for a bit in hopes that she might learn something from this experience (which of course she didn't) and then let her back in.
I realized that this is the way we are with our Heavenly Father. We do not have His perspective. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts not our thoughts. All we have is the desire for what we want. We stand at the various doors in life and howl for what we want. The Lord, from a higher perspective knows that we will not be happy with what we are begging Him for. We get angry with God for not quickly giving us our heart's desire. This goes on and on until at times, God finally gives us what we clammer for only to watch us immediately turn back, wishing we had never gone out that door.
May we trust the one who is closer to us than a brother. May we not fall into temptation of blaming God for some of our closed doors, but instead realize that He is being so kind as to protect us from those things that would ultimately make us miserable.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
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