Just Do It

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

I have found myself frustrated over the years thinking and verbalizing this: “why is prayer such hard work?” Why have I been so frustrated in my prayer life?

I have collected and read dozens of books on prayer. I’ve looked for the right model, the right formula, the right method so that I can pray effectively. The bottom line is that I can have the largest collection of books on how to pray – but in the words of Nike – I need to JUST DO IT!

Rather than get so hung up on the right and wrong way to pray, figuring out the right position and posture for prayer, and trying to make sure I say the right things and not say the wrong things – God wants me to come to Him in childlike faith and just pray.

It’s really not as complicated as I make it. It isn’t about saying a prayer that will impress the Lord. Who am I kidding? He knows the real me. He knows when I am using “vain repetitions” or praying things I don’t really mean.

I am new on this journey – but I have made a commitment to myself – to move from reading and learning about prayer – to become a man who prays. I will make mistakes, I’m sure. But at the end of the day, it matters more to Him that I love Him enough that I want to spend time with Him at the throne of grace.

Lord, help me to keep it simple – JUST DO IT! Pray! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

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GPS – God’s Positioning System: Matthew 17; Psalm 103; Proverbs 20

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:23; Level 2: John 14:12-21

During the early years of ministry at First Baptist, several retired pastors/preachers made FBC their home.  At times it was pretty intimidating, but each of those men became a good friend and encourager.

One of them, Dr. Roy Watson, would comment on a message simply by saying, “Good word this morning.”  That was about as good as it got.  He wasn’t prone to gushy compliments.  I heard Roy say that so often, that I find myself saying it when I think someone has preached well or said something worthwhile.

I tell you the story to remind us all of the “really good Word,” God’s Word.  From the earliest days of the Christian church, reading the Scriptures became a core practice of those who follow Jesus.  The early church leaders knew the power of the Scriptures.  They knew the transforming capabilities of God’s Word, and they encouraged those new believers to grasp its importance in their lives.

Richard Foster, who wrote Celebration of Discipline, in another of his books, speaks of the “streams of Christianity.”  He describes the various traditions within the Christian faith.  In his thinking, evangelicalism is a “word-centered” tradition, and I affirm that thinking.  Part of the richness of the evangelical tradition is its commitment to Scripture and the teaching of God’s Word.

Consider the words of Paul, the Apostle.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

The benefits of Scripture are listed for us in two short verses.  Those benefits help us become “competent, equipped for every good work.”  They teach us.  They reprove us.  They provide correction.  They train us in righteousness.

So . . . how do we get this practice rooted in our lives?  Bible-reading plans abound.  You can read from a Bible in your hand or on your computer or on your phone.  You can read from one familiar translation, or you can discover fresh insights by reading from a less familiar translation.  Perhaps the line from the old Nike ad campaign is the best advice: Just Do It!

Every traveler needs food for his journey.  God’s Word is that food for the Jesus-follower.  Let it become a practice that stays with you for as long as the journey continues.

Let’s “Do It!” – Pastor John Strain is Senior Pastor at First Baptist Toms River and is a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter

GPS – God’s Positioning System: 2 Samuel 10; Psalm 109; Proverbs 30

Compass Pointers: Mark 14:36 He said,“Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” Gethsemane is where He died; the cross is only the evidence.

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 17:28; Level 2: Proverbs 17:1-6

Anchored to the Rock: To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us … real prayer is life creating and life changing! Richard Foster