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To Pray or Not to Pray?

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

As we consider the condition of the world today, how can we not pray? That should be the question for God’s people.

Bible Verses about Prayer

When we consider just even the following six verses on prayer, we should find ourselves making prayer our first response. We will turn to the Lord first before complaining or giving in to fear or despair. And, we will continue in prayer regardless of the circumstances.

Order the Prayer Bits: Small Bits But Big Truths on Prayer Devotional Guide which uses these six verses. Each of the 30 devotions contains a small bit about prayer based on one of the verses but conveys big truths that make a difference.

As you reflect on the verses, you’ll find some helpful tips about praying.

Be devoted to prayer. When devoted to prayer, things happen. Pray and then watch for what God will do. And, be sure to thank and praise Him for it.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Col. 4:2)
Be willing to sacrifice in order to pray. The psalmist likens prayer to a spiritual sacrifice when he refers to it as incense. As such it rises up to heaven and fills the throne room of God.

“May my prayer be set before you like incense.” (Ps. 141:2a)
Fully trust God as you pray. If you feel safe and secure with Him, such confidence will take you beyond the rote or token prayers to spilling out your guts to God.

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. Selah.” (Ps. 62:8)
Be in a constant attitude of prayer, praying for fellow believers everywhere. To have such a perseverance and passion in praying, you need help. Look to the Spirit of God who lives within you.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18)
Go on the offence as a prayer warrior. You cannot be pulled in so many directions that you fail to pray. Instead, purposefully plan to pray. Prioritize it into your busy schedule.

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so you can pray.” (1 Pet. 4:7)
Don’t get discouraged if you can’t see results. Notice the small but encouraging word “is” in the following verse. Your prayer “is” effective — present tense. It doesn’t say might be or will be but “is,” right now, powerful and effective.

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16b)

In Light of These Scripture Verses, How Can We Not Pray?

As the truths in the above verse take root in our hearts and we put them into practice, we will begin to notice the following differences in our lives:

1) how we pray

We will no longer ask ourselves the question, “To pray or not to pray?” as we will see no other option. We will pray when happy or when sad, when confident or fearful, when full of faith or feeling uncertain. We will pray when faced with challenges or going through the routines of life.

2) how we process life

Even if the world around us doesn’t change as we wish it would, we’ll still be able to cope and find peace. We will gain a renewed purpose as we work in cooperation with a Sovereign and Almighty God through prayer.

Christ-like Communication

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 1 Comment ↓

Jesus valued relationships with people and hence communication since it is such a vital element to healthy relationships. Christ-like communication makes such a difference in all we do. It only stands to reason that we follow His example if we want effective ministry.

The Christ-like Communication Guide for Church Leaders encourages leaders to see such Christ-likeness as imperative, going beyond mastery of a skill-set to something that flows from the core of our being “for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Lk. 6:45). The guide includes implications of aspects of Christ-like communication that follow below.

The Way Jesus Communicated and the Content of His Communication Flowed from the Essence of Who He Was

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (Jn. 1:4)

Being called “the Word” lets us know that Jesus came to earth to communicate what God the Father wanted people to know. He came full of BOTH grace and truth. He spoke out of the essence of who He was.

Other Specific Aspects of Christ-like Communication

Read through the Gospels and you should be able to pinpoint various aspects of Christ-like communication. Click on the following links to learn how Jesus communicated in these ways.

authoritative
aware
available
approachable
attentive
authentic
adaptable
applicational

Be sure to check out the Christ-like Communication Guide for Church Leaders.

Biblical Spirituality Reflects the Spirit’s Work in Lives

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

Biblical Spirituality Reflects the Spirit's Work
While biblical spirituality ties into who we are in Christ, it’s the Holy Spirit who makes Christ known to us (Jn. 15:26). Consequently, we need the Spirit’s work, with a capital S, in and through us, to be spiritual.

How the Holy Spirit’s Work is Reflected in Us

First, we must acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is the one who makes spiritual realities known (1 Cor. 2:12-16).

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:14)

Second, we must walk in the Spirit in order to become who we can be in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the One who bears spiritual fruit in us, those Christ-like traits that enable us to not only “do” what we should do but “be” who we should be (Gal. 5:16-26).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)

Third, we must serve in accordance with the spiritual gifts distributed by and empowered by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11).

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. … All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Cor. 12:4, 11)

Biblical Spirituality Results in the Spirit Working Through Us

If you want to assess your spirituality, ask how loving, joyful, peaceful, and good you are but also how patient, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled you are (Gal. 5:22-23). Biblical spirituality affects how we relate with others, not only if we’re engaging in spiritual practices. Remember that who we are also affects how we serve.

The Holy Spirit teaches us and produces Christ-like qualities in us but also empowers us to impact other people’s lives.

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor. 3:3-6)

… our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. (1 Thess. 1:5)

And, the Holy Spirit can bring a diverse group of people together, building us up into a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5) so we can “stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27).

If we don’t see these results, we have undoubtedly not attained to biblical spirituality. We cannot “grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30) or quench His work in our lives (1 Thess. 5:19) and call ourselves spiritual from a biblical standpoint.

Biblical Spirituality Tied into Who We are in Christ

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

Biblical Spirituality Tied into who we are in Christ Jesus Biblical spirituality is about living in the reality of who we are in Christ who is …

our spiritual rock upon which we stand, our firm foundation (1 Cor. 10:3-4)
our spiritual drink who alone, as Living Water, can quench the thirst within us for something more, something better (1 Cor. 10:3-4; Jn. 4:13-14)
our spiritual food who alone, as the Bread of Life, can nurture and sustain us (1 Cor. 10:3-4; Jn. 6:32)

Who We Are in Christ Grows Out of What We Have in Christ

In Christ Jesus we have been given EVERY spiritual blessing.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)

Those blessings include but undoubtedly not limited to what we find as we read on in Ephesians 1:3-14.

chosen in Him … our relationship with Him is not an accident
adoption … we belong to His family
acceptance … reconciled to Him we are no longer considered unworthy
redemption … don’t have to strive for acceptance as He made it possible
forgiveness … sin not held against us
riches of His grace … freely given all we need to live in Him
knowledge of the mystery of His will … able to come to a better understanding of who we are and what we have in Him
inheritance … a future which gives us perspective now and hope for more to come
sealing of the Spirit … security

The more we grasp who we are and what we have in Christ, the more our spiritual fervor will increase (Rom. 12:11) and the more willingly we’ll make spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet. 2:5; Ps. 51:16-17; Rom. 12:1).

Attaining Biblical Spirituality

Biblical spirituality isn’t some mystical experience but rather grows out of our knowledge of the Lord. Simply put, to attain Biblical spirituality, we start by getting to know the One who makes it possible. Start with spiritual milk, the basic, elementary truths of God’s Word and life in Christ (1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:12) and then move on to the more solid food of His Word. Not sure where to begin? Check out: New to Bible Reading Discipleship Tool

In addition to reading and studying God’s Word, there are a number of other ways to continue learning and growing. Check out: Getting Spiritually Fit – Engaging in Spiritual Disciplines

Then, who we are in Christ will affect us from the inside out so that all we do with our time and resources reflects our spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

All Things Spiritual, Biblical Spirituality That Is

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

We may claim to be a spiritual person. Is it, however, biblical spirituality?

How the Bible Defines Spirituality

Biblical spirituality is more than a bent toward God or being a good, moral person. We find a distinction between the natural and spiritual in 1 Corinthians 15:46-49 as that which comes from earthly origins versus heavenly. Hence, biblical spirituality takes us out of the natural and into the supernatural requiring God’s power to be at work in and through us. We cannot be spiritual, biblically speaking, without pulling on His divine power. — “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Pet. 1:3)

Two elements integral to biblical spirituality:

1) Biblical spirituality ties into who we are in Christ.

2) Biblical spirituality reflects the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.

Many Terms Used to Describe All Things Spiritual

Living within who we are in Christ and the Spirit at work in and through us involves so much it’s difficult to find one term that describes it all. The following list includes some terms or concepts found in the Bible. We don’t find the word “spiritual” in front of every one of these terms in Scripture but it’s implied if you look in the context showing that these are realities that take us beyond the natural.

spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3)

what we have been given as a result of our life in Christ

spiritual disciplines (1 Tim. 4:6-8)

activities that will help us live within the framework of who we are in Christ

spiritual drink (1 Cor. 10:3-4; Jn. 4:10-14)

the living water that quenches our deepest needs freely given to us in Christ Jesus

spiritual fervor (Rom. 12:11)

the passion or zeal we possess when living in and for Christ

spiritual food (1 Cor. 10:3-4; Jn. 6:32)

the Bread of Life, who is Christ Jesus, that nurtures and sustains us

spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)

Christ-like qualities developed in us by the Holy Spirit

spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:4-8; Eph. 4:11-13; 1 Cor. 12)

divine empowerments to serve given by the Holy Spirit

spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5)

the building up of all who are in Christ Jesus together as a spiritual family

spiritual milk (1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:12)

the basic, elementary truths of God’s Word and life in Christ

spiritual realities (1 Cor. 2:13)

the truths about life in Christ only known by His Spirit

spiritual rock (1 Cor. 10:3-4; 1 Pet. 2:4-6)

Jesus Christ who is the rock upon which we stand, a firm foundation

spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet. 2:5; Ps. 51:16-17; Rom. 12:1)

our own will laid down in order to live a life in worship of Him

Struggles in Our Quest to be Spiritual as in Biblical Spirituality

While Jesus came to give us abundant life, the devil comes like a thief “to steal and kill and destroy” (Jn. 10:10). While the Spirit leads us into truth, Satan seeks to lead our minds astray from “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3) with lies (Jn. 8:44; Col. 2:8) and accusations (Rev. 12:10). Some of the lies Satan perpetrates includes confusion about what truly defines spirituality. If we redefine it in accordance with the world or what might be politically correct, being swayed by the spiritual forces of evil, we will fail to live that godly and full life only found in Christ produced within us through His Spirit.

But, in Christ we also have spiritual weaponry that enables us to stand firm against the devils schemes (Eph. 6:10-18).

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4-5)

God equips us and empowers us to rise above and view life from our position with Him “in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). This is no pie in the sky type of spirituality. Rather, it is something that makes a difference here and now.

Acquiring Wisdom

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

No one can dispute the need for wisdom in today’s world. Who doesn’t need it? Needing wisdom, however, isn’t new to our generation or to the times in which we now live. God provided an entire book of the Bible, Proverbs, written for the purpose of “gaining wisdom and understanding” which begins with a process for acquiring the wisdom we so desperately need.

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young – let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance … (Prov. 1:1-5)

Process for Acquiring the Wisdom Needed

Take a closer look at Proverbs 1:1-5 and you’ll find a process for acquiring wisdom that we would do well to follow.

1) Instruction: to know

We will not know how to walk in wisdom without instruction.

2) Insight: to discern

We must get to the root of issues, looking beyond the obvious.

3) Implication: to be prudent

We must go beyond mental discernment, however, to seeing the practical use of truth in our daily life situations and relations.

4) Implementation: to be disciplined

We must actually plan how to realistically apply this good judgment to situations with which we must deal in life.

5) Intake: to add to your learning

We must realize that we will never stop learning, that there is always something new to take in.

Knowing what to do is usually the easy part. Figuring out how to apply it to specific situations and then doing it is where wisdom really comes in.

Starting Point in Our Acquisition of Wisdom

The wisdom we need must begin with God. Otherwise we’ll simply have human wisdom which so often fails us.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prov. 1:7)

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Prov. 2:6)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

If we don’t start on the right foundation, we might build a structure that seems to make sense but won’t be able to withstand the strong winds of adversity (Matt. 7:24-27).

The Walk the Walk in Wisdom Devotional Study Guide pulls on verses from the book of Proverbs, using the first four “I’s of Wisdom” as a pattern in each of the 30 devotions. It comes with the prayer that you will then continue to add to your learning (the fifth “I”, intake) to keep growing in your walk as a result.