The Bear Facts

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV).

Prayer is the privilege of believers to communicate with God. However, for many of us, we often fail to take advantage of this privilege. Communicating with God through prayer is a central spiritual discipline (or exercise) for all those who follow Christ. Richard Foster states, “To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue that God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives.”[1]

While Don Whitney, an expert in spiritual disciplines, argues that Bible intake is the most important spiritual discipline,[2] Foster proclaims that prayer is the most central spiritual discipline.[3] From my perspective, they are both correct. For believers to experience growth in their spiritual formation, they must be reading, studying, meditating, memorizing, and applying the Scriptures. However, it is equally important to grow in intimacy with God through prayer. In the Bible, prayer moves from magic to the heights of spiritual communion where the will of God is revealed and God’s activity is divulged.[4]Neither prayer nor Bible intake is to be done in isolation. They work in tandem to expose God’s character, priorities, and pursuits.

Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, who is God, modeled a life prayer for his disciples. The Bible records that Jesus had intensive times of prayer in the wilderness following his baptism and his encounter with the devil. He prayed earnestly before choosing the Twelve, at his transfiguration, and at Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion. Further, prayer was a primary topic in his teaching. Prayer should not be a public religious production, but rather sincere time of seeking and following the will of the Father. Prayer is offered in faith with a forgiving spirit. One of my mentor’s, Buddy Freeman, presents a strong case that unforgiveness may be the greatest obstacle to genuine prayer. Prayer ushers in perpetual communion with God. William Carey professed, “Prayer—secret, fervent, believing prayer—lies at the root of all personal godliness.”[5]

A Suggested Prayer Plan

1. Read a passage of Scripture listening for the voice of God as he speaks to you. Psalm 139: 23-24 could be a good place to begin, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous [wicked] way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!^” (ESV).
2. Praise God for who he is and thank him for what he has done. He is our creator, savior, redeemer, helper, healer, and so much more. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He never leaves or forsakes us. He is always present with us.
3. Confess and repent. We know our struggles very well. John 1:8-9 states, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (ESV). Turn away from your sin willingly by God’s grace.
4. Pray for your family by name. Consider the challenges that each family member is facing. Ask God to intervene in their lives, drawing them close to his side, and directing their steps as they move forward.
5. Pray for your pastor and your church. These are difficult and challenging days for those who serve in leadership. Pray for your pastor’s family. Ask God to give him grace and boldness as he prepares to preach Sunday.
6. Pray for NGU. Pray for our students. Through academic discipleship across the curriculum, students are challenged to become transformational leaders for church and society. Pray for your colleagues and friends who serve at NGU. Pray for Dr. Fant and our leaders. May we be the faithful institution that God has called us to be in these arduous times. 
7. Pray for the lost. Life is short and eternity is long. Pray for the people you know who are far from God. May the Holy Spirit use you and others to draw them to salvation and discipleship.
8. Pray for the nations. Pray that the Lord will raise up laborers and strategies to reach people from every tribe, nation, and tongue for the glory of God and the advancement of the gospel. The Joshua Project is a helpful resource (https://joshuaproject.net/). They list unreached people groups daily.[6]
9. Pray for all those who are hurting and the divisions in our world. We have been reconciled to God through Christ’s finished work on the cross. May we be ministers of reconciliation for God’s glory in our world (2 Cor 5:17-21).

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[1]Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, rev. ed. (San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1988), 33.

[2]Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, rev. ed. (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2014), 22.  

[3]Foster, 33.

[4]C. W. F. Smith, “Prayer,” in The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 3 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1962), 857.

[5]Quoted in E. M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer (Chicago: Moody, n.d.), 23.

[6]Unreached people groups are defined as those who have less than 2% evangelical Christians among them. 

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV).

The wonder of the incarnation, the Word becoming flesh, brings depth, mystery, grace, and truth to the celebration of Christmas. The Word, the Lord Jesus, was in the beginning. He was with God and he is God, the second person of the Trinity. He was the active agent in creation, crafting the universe with care and beauty. He is eternal. There was never a time when he was not, nor will there be a time when he is not present.

He is the creator and sustainer of life. The life that he offers guides our way, even in the dark times. During 2020, we have dealt with much darkness—the heaviness of the pandemic, fears, divisions, concerns, isolation, heartaches, and even death. However, the darkness will never be able to extinguish the light. Even though those who have not received Jesus are unable to comprehend him, the light of the Word shines in the darkness. The good news of the gospel is the light of Christ that shines in the darkness, illuminating and guiding all who will follow him through repentance and faith.

The eternal, living Word of God became flesh. He was a child born in poverty with a feeding trough for his crib. He was conceived not by the will of humans, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. The point of the virgin birth of Christ is that God initiated salvation for all who believe. He did something for us that we could never do for ourselves. We are saved by grace through faith and that is the gift of God. We cannot earn it and we certainly do not deserve it.

In this Christmas season, reflect on John 1:1-14. We have beheld the glory of the only begotten son of the Father. Jesus is full of grace and truth. Grace without truth is permissiveness; truth without grace is cold, impersonal, and empty. The Lord merged grace and truth in Jesus’ virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, victorious resurrection, triumphant ascension, and his promise to return as King. This is the good news of the gospel and why we celebrate Christmas as Christ followers.

Action Steps

1. Praise God for the birth of the Savior. Reflect on the wonder of the incarnation. The coming of the Christ child may seem like a strange way to save the world, but God’s field of vision through his infinite wisdom is so much greater than ours. Trust God.
2. Enjoy the life that God gives. You were created with a divine purpose. The Father knows you thoroughly and is aware of all of your needs and desires. He has ordained a plan for your life. The best life is discovered as you respond in obedience to the Lord, living out his purposes for your life.
3. Worship the Savior. During the pandemic with its fears and restrictions, it has been challenging to join with other believers in worship. Find a way to worship during this Christmas season. If you are unable or uncomfortable to gather with the church in person, use virtual means to stay connected to the body of Christ. Worship together as a family. Praise the Lord in the good times and in the challenges. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord (Ps 150:6).
4. Live your life in holiness. Ask the Lord to search your heart. If the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, repent and return to the Lord.
5. Read the written Word about the living Word. Read and reflect on the narratives of Christ’s birth in Mathew 1-2 and Luke 1-2.
6. Share the hope of Christmas with others. Find creative ways to connect with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to encourage one another.
7. Pray for missionaries. Many are separated from their families in the places where they serve. Pray that the Lord will encourage them and open doors of opportunity to share the hope of the gospel. Also, pray for missionaries who are unable to be in the places where God has called them because of the pandemic. Ask the Lord to comfort their uncertainties and to strengthen them as they await the opportunity to connect or reconnect with their places of service.

“He [Yahweh] has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness [mercy], and to walk humbly with your God?”

(Micah 6:8, ESV)

The year 2020, will be long remembered for several reasons. We have experienced flood conditions on two occasions in our area. The Reedy River was 15 feet above normal at one time. Tornados are rare in South Carolina, but recently we had a series of tornados bringing destruction and the loss of lives. The worldwide corona virus pandemic continues to cause anxiety, illness, and death. The Middle East, South Asia, and parts of eastern Africa have witnessed an uptick in swarming groups of locusts who are devouring crops and threatening famine. Now our nation has witnessed the horrific and needless death of George Floyd, an African American man in Minneapolis, at the hands of a white police officer. Rogue Police Officers must be held accountable. However, most police officers do not fall into that category. Emotions and tensions are running high. There have been nonviolent protests drawing attention to Floyd’s death and the need for social justice. Sadly and tragically, in contrast to peaceful protests, there have been acts of violence including the destruction of personal property, looting, theft, arson, beatings, anarchy, and even murder. Several police officers lost their lives in the line of duty trying to protect people they serve and their property. We mourn these all of these deaths. There is a lot of appropriate emotional involvement, even as there have been some responses that are disruptive and destructive. Systemic racism has been rightly condemned. Bold, compassionate leadership is needed and is being called for, but far too often it is absent.

How should followers of Christ respond?

The prophet Micah delivered a scathing accusation of the injustice and wickedness to the heads of Jacob and the rulers of Israel in his day. In Micah 6:8, the prophet tells the people what God requires. The Lord calls people to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. To do justice requires much more than simply talking about it, praying about it, or getting other people to practice it. Rather it means that all followers of the Lord must do justice themselves. It begins with each of us as individuals empowered by the Holy Spirit participating in biblical justice. Furthermore, we are called to love mercy, demonstrating the faithful covenant love that God has graciously and freely given us. Third, we are called to live in humility walking carefully, exactly like God wants us to live.^[1]

How can we work toward reconciliation as the people of God in the midst of anger, hurt, confusion, misunderstanding, and opposing points of view?

1. Listen to people. Hear their hurts, anxieties, fears, and pain in humility, without feeling like you have to offer an immediate response. The best pastoral offered to Job by his friends was when they sat with him in silence (Job 2:11-13).
2. Seek to understand. As much as possible, empathize with those who are hurting as if you were walking in their shoes. You can express love and sympathy for those who are hurting even if you don’t understand.
3. Pray for them. A lament is a form of prayer often used in the Scriptures, especially the Psalms. It is a cry for God to help in overcoming present circumstances.^[2] A lament is the response of God’s people to the reality of suffering. Laments call on God to intervene when people are in pain and trouble.[3] People of African descent have suffered a long history of oppression in our nation. As the people of God, we are called to make intercession for others, especially in their time of need. We need to lament the brokenness in our culture, calling on God to intervene in the midst of pain and suffering to bring the reconciliation that can only be experienced through the gospel of Christ.
4. Pray with them. It is always an encouragement to hear the prayers of people as they lift us up before the Lord.
5. Point them to Christ, the reconciler. God has reconciled all believers to himself, overcoming our sin, guilt, rebellion, and shame, justifying and redeeming us. Since we have been reconciled to God, he has called us to a ministry of reconciliation as we lead people to receive Christ and find reconciliation in their relationships with others.
6. Discuss justice issues with your family, friends, and church fellowship. These discussions raise social consciousness and lead to doing biblical justice.
7. Be a peacemaker. In my quiet time today, I read Proverbs 15. The first verse states, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (ESV). Treat people with kindness and godly love. In the heat of passion, use soft answers to turn away wrath.
8. Engage. Pray and vote your conscience. Build relationships with community leaders. Get involved in your community. Walk alongside a family in need, expressing the love of Christ. Local schools need volunteers to read to children. Tutor in an afterschool program. Serve at a local soup kitchen. Work as a Big Brother/Big Sister. Consider working with foster children. Help out at a correctional institution. Just an hour a week or once a month can make a huge difference in the lives of others. Find a way to engage that fits who you are. Be Christ’s hands and feet in your world.

God cares about all that is going on in our country; so should we. Pray for a spiritual awakening to sweep across America, healing hurts and uniting people to follow Christ at all costs. The only lasting reconciliation comes through the cross of Christ.

Cecil Frances Alexander grew up in Ireland and married Rev. William Alexander, an Anglican Bishop. She practiced justice by helping disadvantaged people, traveling many miles to visit the sick and the poor, providing food, warm clothes, and medical supplies. She also founded a school for the deaf with her sister. She wrote the song “Jesus Call Us O’er the Tumult.”

“Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea; Day by day his sweet voice soundeth, saying, “Christian, follow me.”

Cecil Frances Alexander

^[1]K. L. Barker, K. L. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah. The New American Commentary, vol 20 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 114-15.

^[2]A. C. Myers, A. C., “Lament” in The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 638.

[3]Soong-Chan Rah, Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015), 64-65. Also see, Daniel Hill, White Awake (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2017), 105-109.

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV).

Thursday, May 7, is the National Day of Prayer. NGU is offering a Drive-In Prayer Vigil at the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer at noon. If you are able, join us for this time of prayer for our nation, our churches, and NGU. You will be able to hear the service through your vehicle radio at FM 107.1. WLFJ morning show personalities Rob Dempsey and Lizz Ryals will be joining us. I hope to see you Thursday.

The context of the passage above is the dedication of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Yahweh is well aware of our sin nature. He knows the depths of our depravity. All of time is in the present tense for God. He is the great I Am. He completely knows the past, present, and future. He knew that the Israelites would rebel against the Lord as had been their pattern prior to the construction of the temple. We, too, are prone to wander from God. As Isaiah 53:6a states, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way^” (ESV). However, the Lord loves his people too much to leave us in our sin. He promised his people that when they sin and rebel against the Lord God if his people, those who are called by his name, humble themselves, and pray and seek his face, then God would hear their prayers of repentance, forgive their sin and heal their land.

The Call to Prayer

1. “If my people who are called by my name”—emphasizes that believers bear the mark of God’s ownership. The problems in our world begin at the church house, not the White House. God’s people have rebelled because they have not called on the name of the Lord. Prayer is a privilege that is so often neglected by those who know God. If we want to see a spiritual awakening in our land, it will begin with God’s people praying. We are image bearers of Yahweh. We are called to honor and obey the Lord.
2. “Humble themselves and pray”—humility is a requirement for effective prayer. We must recognize our lack of self-sufficiency. We do not control our destiny. Our lives are in the hands of the Creator. Humility recognizes our desperation. We need God, not as a crutch, but as the sustainer of life. Even so, humility is not enough. We must also pray in an effort to know and in obedience follow the purposes of God.
3. “And seek my face”—Do you long to be in the presence of the Lord (Psalm 27:4)? Just to enjoy being with him? Our quiet times provide opportunities to slow us down and to enjoy the Lord. There is refuge, peace, comfort, and guidance in the presence of the Lord. Seek his face.
4. “And turn from their wicked ways”—Repentance is not a popular topic for many self-reliant believers. We tend to live our lives our way rather than God’s way. However, repentance is necessary for one to come to Christ. It is imperative for all who seek to walk with Christ every day. Read Psalm 139:23-24. Ask the Lord to search your heart and to reveal your sin. In our humanness, like Adam and Eve, we prefer to hide our sin rather than deal with it. In order to experience God’s forgiveness and healing, we must repent.

As we practice these biblical guidelines for prayer, we can be confident that the Lord hears our prayers and forgives our sins. We also need to pray for our nation and our world in the midst of this pandemic. May many turn to Lord and find comfort and help in their time of need (Psalm 46:1; Heb 4:16).