When you struggle in prayer, it does not mean God is far from you. That is the time the Spirit intercedes for you. That’s what Paul, our brother and apostle, said. Do you know what that means? The Spirit is alive in you. He is not an inert substance, but a living presence that shares the will of the Father and the mind of Christ. And, in the sharing, none of them are lessened or diminished. Each of them, the presence, the mind of Christ, the will of God, is fully alive in you. This is what is meant by the love of God: you are not alone, never alone. That is the “always.” It never changes. Though you dwell in the depth of the sea, walk in the valley of shadows, or struggle through jungles of despair, He is there.
When you are discouraged, it doesn’t mean that Father is far from you. It means He is very near. The discouraged feeling is not God’s absence or presence, it is your focus on the things that are less important than His purposes. If you can turn toward His kingdom and righteousness, you can move forward despite feeling discouraged.
So, when prayer is a struggle, remember the Presence. When you feel the absence, let that be a reminder of His “always.”
[Romans 8; Psalm 139; Matthew 28].
I’ve been reluctant to admit it too publicly, but I’ve been exploring a personality typing system called the Enneagram. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It divides people into nine basic types and identifies the tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses of each one.
feelings both subtle and not so subtle that can churn at our insides and pollute our relationships.
Occasionally, I am amazed at the perseverance of some of the Biblical characters. Elijah and the drought, for example. The prophet prays for rain, asks his assistant if he sees anything—nothing—and so Elijah goes on praying. I would have looked at the sky a couple of times and figure God wasn’t going to come through for me. Then I would have gone home.
weeks — dare I say, months? Ugghhh. What a slacker. What a slug! Ah, me!
If community is that which is created by shared experiences, communities of faith are built from the sound up. Sharing the same mission, eating the same food, and singing the same melodies result in the experience of community.
Last time, I suggested that in John 8:2-11 there is a pattern for dealing with people whose practices don’t square with God’s design. In brief: