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Do You Read The Bible or Does The Bible Read You?

John Sott reminds me how tempting it is for me to read only passages that encourage and comfort me and not the ones that challenge and disturb me.  In that sense I find myself merely reading the Bible instead of letting the Bible read me – reading what I want to read and saying what I want Scripture to say, when in reality I need to place myself under the whole counsel of God’s Word. 

We come to our reading of the Bible with our own agenda, bias, questions, preoccupations, concerns and convictions, and, unless we are extremely careful, we impose these on the biblical text.  We may sincerely pray before we read, ‘Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law’ (Ps. 119:18), but still the same non-communication may persist.  For even that introductory prayer, though to be sure it is taken from the Psalter, is suspect because it lays down the kind of message we want to hear.   ‘Please, Lord, I want to see some “wonderful thing” in your word.’   But he may reply, ‘What makes you think I have only “wonderful things” to show you?  As a matter of fact, I have some rather “disturbing things” to show you today.  Are you prepared to receive them?’   ‘Oh no, Lord, please not’, we stammer in reply.  ‘I come to Scripture only to be comforted; I really do not want to be challenged or disturbed.’ –From “The Contemporary Christian” (London and Downers Grove: IVP, 1992), p. 190.

One way that I am helped in this is preaching through entire books of the Bible (rather than select passages), so that I must deal with the text as it is and as it follows what comes before and precedes what comes after.  May God be gracious to me as he disturbs me and confronts my gospel negligence through his living and active Word.

God exults in monotony, why don’t I?

One of the books that has been instrumental in our parenting of Jackson and Anna Sloan is Dan Allender’s book, How Children Raise Parents.  If you are a parent of children and you haven’t read this book, you owe it to yourself to read it.  It’s amazing to reflect on all the things my kids have taught me not only about being a parent but also about being a child of God.  One of the things that my kids have taught me that is reflected in God’s nature is the pure joy He has and takes in the simplest things of creation.  It makes me think of what G. K. Chesterton said in his book Orthodoxy.

“A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life.  Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged.  They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead.  For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony.  But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony.  It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon.  It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.  It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”  (G. K. Chesteron, Orthodoxy)


May we have the courage and the wherewithal to glory in the simplest things in our day knowing that our heavenly Father does.

God exults in monotony, why don’t I

One of the books that has been instrumental in our parenting of Jackson and Anna Sloan is Dan Allender’s book, How Children Raise Parents.  If you are a parent of children and you haven’t read this book, you owe it to yourself to read it.  It’s amazing to reflect on all the things my kids have taught me not only about being a parent but also about being a child of God.  One of the things that my kids have taught me that is reflected in God’s nature is the pure joy He has and takes in the simplest things of creation.  It makes me think of what G. K. Chesterton said in his book Orthodoxy.

“A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life.  Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged.  They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead.  For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony.  But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony.  It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon.  It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.  It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”  (G. K. Chesteron, Orthodoxy)


May we have the courage and the wherewithal to glory in the simplest things in our day knowing that our heavenly Father does.

What Makes Our Prayers Effectual?

James says that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effectual.  The obvious question is why? What makes the prayers of the righteous particularly effective.  I love B. M. Palmer’s answer, which is quoted in Douglas Kelly’s excellent book, If God Already Knows, Why Pray?  He writes:

“It is the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man [that] prevails.  But what renders prayer “effectual”?  Not its length, nor its vehemence, nor its eloquence, nor its passion, but simply the living sympathy which is established between the soul pleading in the closet, and the Savior interceding in the heavens.”  

What Makes Our Prayers Effectual?

James says that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effectual.  The obvious question is why? What makes the prayers of the righteous particularly effective.  I love B. M. Palmer’s answer, which is quoted in Douglas Kelly’s excellent book, If God Already Knows, Why Pray?  He writes:

“It is the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man [that] prevails. 

But what renders prayer “effectual”?  Not its length, nor its vehemence, nor its eloquence, nor its passion, but simply the living sympathy which is established between the soul pleading in the closet, and the Savior interceding in the heavens.”  

A New Years Perspective on Prayer

Pastedgraphic

I am preaching on Mark 1:35-45 and the first part of this passage features Jesus withdrawing in the early morning to a desolate place in the wilderness for needed communion with the Father and Spirit. It is needed because of the incessant demands on his time (as evidenced by the disciple’s later statement – “Everybody is looking for you.”). I’ve had a hard time getting past the statement, “Everybody is looking for you.” It’s almost as if they’re saying, “C’mon Jesus, enough of this praying, you’ve got important work to do.” I have known that mindset for quite some time so it’s no wonder that prayer doesn’t always seem important. In my mind, it doesn’t seem to be advancing the kingdom in other people’s lives. What escapes me, is that prayer is advancing the kingdom in my own life. It makes me think of Oswald Chamber’s statement on prayer that “prayer doesn’t prepare you for a great work, it is the great work.”

What I hear in their statement is an appeal to identity and significance. “Jesus, your identity and significance is to be found in what you are doing, namely as a preacher and a healer, and we’re burning daylight.” I often feel that way and “hear voices” telling me the same thing. They convince me that I don’t have time for prayer as there is too much to do. What I do becomes who I am.

But the gospel frees me (and you) from this kind of thinking. It reorients our thinking so that we see that our identity is an adopted and cherished son of God (Rom. 8:14-17, Gal. 4:5-7) and our ministry role is that of pastor, missionary, Sunday School teacher, elder, etc.

If I am living in light of who I am in Christ and my identity is found in him and not my ministry role, then my prayer life, in principle, will be relaxed, unhurried and vibrant. But if I am living as though my true identity and significance is found in my ministry role, then my prayer life, in principle, will be harried, hurried and stale. I will feel like I don’t have time to pray because I’ve got to do the things that give me worth and identity.

So here’s to relaxed, unhurried and vibrant times of prayer where I am reminded of who I am in Christ and am strengthened for the roles he has called me to.

Happy New Year!

A New Years Perspective on Prayer

I am preaching on Mark 1:35-45 and the first part of this passage features Jesus withdrawing in the early morning to a desolate place in the wilderness for needed communion with the Father and Spirit. It is needed because of the incessant demands on his time (as evidenced by the disciple’s later statement – “Everybody is looking for you.”). I’ve had a hard time getting past the statement, “Everybody is looking for you.” It’s almost as if they’re saying, “C’mon Jesus, enough of this praying, you’ve got important work to do.” I have known that mindset for quite some time so it’s no wonder that prayer doesn’t always seem important. In my mind, it doesn’t seem to be advancing the kingdom in other people’s lives. What escapes me, is that prayer is advancing the kingdom in my own life. It makes me think of Oswald Chamber’s statement on prayer that “prayer doesn’t prepare you for a great work, it is the great work.”

What I hear in their statement is an appeal to identity and significance. “Jesus, your identity and significance is to be found in what you are doing, namely as a preacher and a healer, and we’re burning daylight.” I often feel that way and “hear voices” telling me the same thing. They convince me that I don’t have time for prayer as there is too much to do. What I do becomes who I am.

But the gospel frees me (and you) from this kind of thinking. It reorients our thinking so that we see that our identity is an adopted and cherished son of God (Rom. 8:14-17, Gal. 4:5-7) and our ministry role is that of pastor, missionary, Sunday School teacher, elder, etc.

If I am living in light of who I am in Christ and my identity is found in him and not my ministry role, then my prayer life, in principle, will be relaxed, unhurried and vibrant. But if I am living as though my true identity and significance is found in my ministry role, then my prayer life, in principle, will be harried, hurried and stale. I will feel like I don’t have time to pray because I’ve got to do the things that give me worth and identity.

So here’s to relaxed, unhurried and vibrant times of prayer where I am reminded of who I am in Christ and am strengthened for the roles he has called me to.

Happy New Year!