The power in a name

Colossians 3:12-13 (New American Standard Bible)
12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

So I mentioned the Bible study that will be starting soon here at work. I've started working on the study itself since I'm sorta supposed to know what it's about in advance. I work on it until I get too frustrated with the "You'll never be able to do this" monologue in my head...hmmm, wonder where that comes from? Never thought about it until now. Anyway, I haven't made it far, but I am thrown off a little by the writing. Kay Arthur is the author and I'm not familiar with her. What throws me...calling me "beloved" and "precious one" in writing. That seems a little icky to me. In one of the first lessons, Kay asks you to take a look at the names of God. This is another study I'd really like to do someday. The list below is one I found on the internets. I was searching for biblical names for Christians...hoping to find "precious one" pretty prominent on the list. No such luck. I couldn't find a list. I think that's interesting. We know about the different parts of God because of his names. How do we know what he thinks of us? By what he calls us? I think I'm going to have to do a little more searching on that...

Adonai-Jehovah -- The Lord our Sovereign
El-Elyon -- The Lord Most High
El-Olam -- The Everlasting God
El-Shaddai -- The God Who is Sufficient for the Needs of His People
Jehovah-Elohim -- The Eternal Creator
Jehovah-Jireh -- The Lord our Provider
Jehovah-Nissi -- The Lord our Banner
Jehovah-Ropheka -- The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom -- The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Tsidkenu -- The Lord our Righteousness
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem -- The Lord our Sanctifier
Jehovah-Sabaoth -- The Lord of Hosts
Jehovah-Shammah -- The Lord is Present
Jehovah-Rohi -- The Lord our Shepherd
Jehovah-Hoseenu -- The Lord our Maker
Jehovah-Eloheenu -- The Lord our God

A National Day of Prayer

1 Timothy 2
Instructions on Worship
1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Today is the National Day of Prayer, an organized day to pray for the country's leadership. There are lots of activities planned. If you're like me and can't get to an activity, take a minute to pray anyway. We could all use some wise leaders. And while I pretty much distrust big to-dos like this, I can't deny the need for prayer in this country. This is a good reminder that we've been told to pray for our leaders. Prayer every day matters.

If you'd like to find out more about the organization and mission of the leadership of the National Day of Prayer, you can go to www.ndptf.org.

How it goes

When I think about how different I am on the inside compared to what I show the world, I start to wonder. I had this conversation with a friend yesterday about how the people in my Sunday school class don't really know me. Some of them have seen glimpses of me but they don't really know me. Because I don't let them. There are people around me who know more about the real me than others...and it isn't always who you'd think. It seems that it's harder to let church people know that I'm not all together than others who freely let me know that they are not all together. I'm not sure why I'm thinking about that today. I meant to post about prayer, this verse specifically.

Matthew 6
Prayer

5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

I'm preparing to start a work Bible study. And the conversation in my head is always the same...
I can do that. I should be doing that. I did it before and it was fine. I can do this.
Then count it down to "go time" and the conversation changes....
What was I thinking? I can't do this. I don't want to do this. I'm not smart enough to do this. Prayer? I'm the worst pray-er that I know. How can I teach anyone what I don't know? How do I get out of this? I can't get out of this. God, help!

Father, you made me as I am and you know what I need before I ask you. What a gift that is. Please help me prepare, guide the right people to the study, and give me the words. I'm afraid to mess up here, but I know that you can accomplish great things in spite of me. Jesus taught us how to pray. Help us all understand what that means.

Significance

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (New International Version)
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, [a] saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

I think that many Christians feel like prayer has to be impressive to be significant. How many times have I listened to an eloquent prayer in church and thought , "I could never pray like that." I read Bruce Wilkinson's book on the Prayer of Jabez last night...a short, easy read...about a prayer than can change lives. And really, who are we trying to impress? God knows our hearts. How much simpler it would be to pray "Bless me, enlarge my territory, be with me, protect me from harm." It worked for Jabez. In a long list of names, Jabez stands out as more honorable...not a bad goal.

So, does it really work?

Genesis 24
10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor. 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.

12 Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

I've mentioned that I've been working on my own independent study of prayer. This is a prayer of one of Abraham's servants. And God answered it by sending Rebekah, and she did as he prayed and she was the one for Isaac. More than once I've wished God would just send the sign, the burning bush, the cloud of smoke leading the way. And I have prayed a prayer like this when I was scared to death that God was calling me to make a mission trip. And he answered each prayer in a way that was without question an affirmative: Yes. Go. God is full of mercy and he knew that nothing less would get me moving. But I've also wondered whether this reflects a lack of faith. Is this a way to test God or is this a way to search God's will and know?

I've been thinking about this for the past week because I feel like I'm facing a big decision. I know how I feel in my heart, but my head tries to be logical, to make the proper decision regardless of how I "feel" right now...the best decision for my future. And, as logic really isn't my strong point, especially in personal decision making, it's a struggle. So today I was driving on the way to my next hurdle, the normal feeling of dread riding shotgun, and I was just basically talking to God...and I said, "You know, if I don't see results tonight or if this person calls me to tell me she can't make it again, I'm going to know the right decision to make" never really believing that it would ever be that simple. I arrive. I'm bustling to be prepared. And she calls to say she won't be able to make it. So...now what? Is that answered prayer? After the first epic battle over the Peru trip, I've never believed in coincidence. If I put on my ill-fitting logic hat again, here's what I know:
1. God answers prayer every day. Maybe not always in ways that I hear, but I believe they're answered.
2. God answers through His word and His people. Both seem to be at work here.
3. I've been asking, seeking, knocking for some time. God promised to answer.
4. When I think of making this decision, I feel peace. I worry over tomorrow, but today I will feel happy, unburdened, at peace. Since God has promised to take care of tomorrow, maybe today is what matters.

I think I have an answer.
Quick, somebody with better logic...point out the flaws in my reasoning!

Get the Drift

This Sunday we studied a little more on Jacob's life. Jacob is another one of those characters that really gives a regular person hope. Jacob was so imperfect. His name says it all: Deceiver. He tricked his brother out of his blessing as first born, ran away in fear for his life, and even though God came to him personally, he continued to try to weasel out of conflict instead of automatically doing the right thing. Sounds like someone I might know. And still, God would use him to save the world. The last king descended from Jacob/Israel: Jesus. I guess if God waited on one of us to always do the right thing...well, it would be a really long wait. This time around, we looked at what Jacob did after his sons destroyed Shechem. When his life and his entire family are in danger because of his inaction and lack of leadership, then Jacob takes action...bury the idols, let's go back to where we should be. Until that point, it looks like they followed the normal path...following God perfectly is just a little too hard, let's try something a little easier. And before you know it, you have idols that you worship instead of the God of Israel, the God who called Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who spoke to them personally and through them made it possible for me to belong.

It's a good thing Jacob was a part of the legacy. God made a promise to Abraham and he kept it to Jacob, protecting him from the consequences of his actions. In this one time, Jacob's entire family/tribe could have been destroyed. Instead God reminded him of where he started, sending him back to Bethel where he met God in the first place. Some returns are easier than others, aren't they? Sometimes it's a correction, and then sometimes it's a turn back to where you should be. I guess it all depends on where you are in the drift. I think I'm a little off course.

Thank you, God, for the reminder that you don't move, that I can always return to you, and that you will keep your promises even when I forget.

Persistence

Matthew 7
7Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.
8For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.
9Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?
11If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and [h]advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and [i]advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!

So instead of doing what I felt like I had to do on Wednesday, I put all that aside and pulled out my Bible. I've never done an unguided study. Usually I rely on published writers to help guide me through a study. I like books. I especially like to write IN books so it works for me. In my confusion, I just decided to start someplace, anyplace.

I pulled out my Comparative Study Bible (4 versions for the price of one...really big one) that has King James, Amplified, New Amercian Standard, and my fave New International versions. And I had a concordance. Remember the verse from Wednesday? I think that it's interesting that the first revelation came to me at the beginning of the next chapter. The first verse I looked up was in Matthew 7. I'm familiar with the Ask, Seek, and Knock version. The "Keep ON" part was lost on me. Until I read it on Wednesday. I'm sure I'm all alone in the world, but I think I've always understood that as "Ask". To me, that's one time. Maybe it's a sign of an easy life that I think one request is all that's needed. And some things just aren't that easy, right? Ask, but it's really keep on asking, knocking, until you get the answer. Like the man who goes to his friend late at night to ask for bread. The first answer is "No, I'm already in bed." But if he keeps asking, the man gives the friend what he wants. Persistence pays off. And of course, my natural bent is to make the leap...if I keep asking, eventually God will be annoyed enough that I'll get what I want. Works with Mom, right? Well, not MY mom, but I think it must work somewhere.

I don't think we can leap that far, but now that the light bulb's gone off, I do understand why asking once is not the idea. Now I bump up against the problem that God already knows what I need...why do I have to ask? I'll tackle that one next. Maybe.