Dale Cresap's blog

My word tells you to pray without ceasing. It also says to be still and know that I am God. Do you see these principles as being in conflict? You might see it this way if your prayers consist of you doing all the talking, but there is a larger perspective from which to view prayer. Do you think it can consist of silence in my presence, yet with full attentiveness, awareness, and engagement? This may not conform to your usual understanding of an activity, but it does mine, and it pleases me for you to sit at my feet and be with me. if you are willing to walk this path you may find it more transformative than other approaches to prayer, and be changed from one degree of glory to another.

My disciples argued among themselves as to which of them was the greatest. They were embarrassed when I asked what they talked about, and I used the occasion to teach them that my followers were not to be as the gentiles who loved to exercise authority, but rather to become servants of all. But even the gentiles do not argue among themselves about who is the most spiritual, because they don’t care about that, but Christians do care. Have you ever been in a group of believers arguing about this? It has to be done with subtlety because of the passage of scripture above, but you can excuse yourself, acknowledging the spirituality of others without suggesting yours is superior.

Are your prayers specific or general? Are your prayers specific enough that you would know when they are answered? Would you expect vague or ambiguous answers to vague or ambiguous prayers? Yet do highly specific prayers leave enough room for me to act according to my own will? Prayer should not be an abstraction, and at the same time it should not be like placing an order for merchandise on-line. I’m prepared to extend extreme grace to your prayers but if you want them to be fervent and effectual and avail much there is no substitute for walking with me and being conformed and aligned with me to know my will.

Pilate asked, what truth was, but this appeared to be a rhetorical question, since the truth stood before him and he couldn’t see it. Do you see the truth clearly? Would you know if you had internal biases and preconceived ideas that influenced you? Have you heard your fellow believers ask the question, what would Jesus do? This is a good approach in that it is an effort to step outside of your own perspective and consider one that is higher. Have you ever wondered what I would do and been uncertain even though I have revealed myself in my word? Go ahead and ask me. I’m right here.

Do you believe when you pray? Do you believe after you pray? Have you ever been surprised when I answered your prayers? Do you think that prayer is like dialing a combination lock and you must have it exactly right to get results? The exact words do not matter as much as you may think, but what you say afterward may matter more than you think. For what you say afterward is an expression of whether you take your own prayer seriously and expect something to happen as a result. Let your prayers be words of life, faith and hope. Then continue to speak words of life, faith and hope with expectation. Could this be prayer without ceasing?

What do you owe your fellow man? This is a central question of humanity, starting with, am I my brother’s keeper? The same subject surfaces later in my word as: who is my neighbor? You have heard people complain about the indifference of others who would not give them the time of day. Do you think your only duty is to me? What is the greatest commandment after loving me with all your heart? Isn’t it to love your neighbor as yourself? You can claim that you do not owe anything to those with whom you have no prior dealings, but my stories commend those who help strangers and your shared humanity makes it expected.

Do you prefer to live in a Christian country? Most people throughout history have not had that luxury, and that would include me. It is arguable that there were none around in my time since this term was not applied to my followers until later. My first followers were Jewish, as I was, and you can argue the distinction between covenant and non-covenant people, but I lived in a time of plurality and diversity of belief. How did I conduct myself and interact with them? I did not concur with their beliefs that were not in agreement with the truth, but I did not hesitate to commend their acts of kindness or expressions of faith, and you can follow me in this regard.

Have you ever had a job performance evaluation? Most workers have one of these at least once a year. Who do you expect to perform this? Is it ever done by anyone other than your boss or manager? Following this logic, who would perform a job performance evaluation for me? Yet how many times have you heard people suggest that I am not doing my job well and cite evidence of war, genocide, or suffering children as evidence to support their point? Their concerns are understandable but their criticisms are misdirected. Theologians have spent centuries trying to answer this question and the skeptics remain unconvinced, but who is qualified to give me a job performance evaluation?

How do you respond to injustices and other wrongs that you see in the world around you? Do they fill you with a sense of outrage? What other response do you make? Your rage does not benefit you or solve the problem, and it doesn’t improve the situation to refer to your rage as righteous indignation. Your time is always ready to act. You can take a positive step, no matter how small, to resolve the situation. Do this and you may find  that a constructive response diminishes your felt need for outrage. You can give to a cause, clean up a mess, or write a letter with peace in your heart.

Are you familiar with the ‘fight or flight’ response? It is instinctive when you feel threatened to stand your ground or run, yet these responses don’t always work for you. Do you value spiritual growth? How do you go about it? Do you have a plan and a schedule, and work your plan according to your schedule? Have you seen others fail with this approach? How successful has it been for you? I have a plan for your spiritual growth too. Would you like to follow mine rather than yours? Yet how can you find it? It is easier than you think. If you quit fighting me or running away I will find you.