Enter… into his courts with praise (Psalm 100:4)
There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. “A” stands for “adoration”; “C” stands for “confession”; “T” stands for “thanksgiving,” and “S” stands for “supplication.”
One always approaches a king with adoration. Adoration is praising God, raving about His character, qualities, His mighty works of creation and redemption. Effective devotional prayer starts with praise. In adoration the believer realizes the presence of God. Some would crassly say “it is to usher in the presence of God.” In some sense that is true, if we mean it ushers the presence of God in to our mind; that is, it brings us into a greater awareness of His presence. One verse that helps our understanding of the function of adoration in prayer says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3) This means when God’s adoration is in one’s mouth and mind, God’s presence is in our mind and heart.
I was talking to a fellow who was boasting about the “King in You”, which are the words and sentiments of a popular song today. The idea is because we are “royalty” of a sort we should have high self-esteem. It’s good for selling records, but hardly conveys any biblical truth. I went on to tell the young man, I’m not concerned about the king in me (if in fact there is any such thing at all), but about living in the presence of THE KING. That is what adoration is all about; we come into his presence through an awareness of Him fostered by praise. It is impossible to be in the conscious, realized presence of God and think highly of one’s self. Peter, who at first was filled with self, after having fished unsuccessfully, expressed to Jesus his objection the command to cast his net again. Yet Peter heeding Jesus’ instruction and drawing in a tremendous catch, realized he was in the presence of God thus “He fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8). One can only think highly of self, because the king is not present.
We know that God is omnipresent as it were and we constantly dwell in His domain; however, in adoration God comes to dwell in your domain (i.e. your mind and heart). It is like living in a kingdom and having the king himself to come to your house. Adoring God is the first and most prime aspect of prayer, for it engages the mind and heart of the believer and brings about an awareness of who God is and who you are, His perfections and your short-comings, His power and your own weaknesses, his divine sufficiency and our human dependency. This is where prayer must start. Prayer is a place of great humility; after all, we are in the presence of our King and humility starts with adoration. One elder of my youth use to say in the opening of his prayer, “Father we come as an empty pitcher before a full fountain.” I often say to my congregation, the most important part of praying is to realize He is God and you are not! That happens in adoration.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN - Part 1: Her Virtue
Proverb 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
In a time where women are taking their queue from the world and that in stark opposition to God’s word, Christians need to proclaim His truths clearer, louder, and more frequently. A true woman is what God’s says she is and nothing more or less. She is the helper to her husband, a compliment to his life, and his most valuable possession. This has less to do with who her husband is, than it has to do with what God made her to be. This kind of woman is no accident; somebody has prepared her for a husband.
This passage has been aptly deemed by classical Christianity, “The Virtuous Woman” or “A Good Woman.” It is a proverb written by a mother to her son, describing a woman like herself as the kind of woman he should marry. Today, many women are told the opposite of what the bible affirms as true, good, and right before God. They are told that they should not have to live up to their husband’s mother’s standards; they are told that they are not their husband’s possession; they are told that they have a right to their own life, vision, and goals; they are told they have as much say-so in the direction of the family unit as does their husband. Yet how wrong and anti-biblical is such talk.
This passage, though speaking much about a type of woman is centered on a man. It is warning to a man. It is instruction to a man. It adorns a woman in beautiful character for a man. It describes a woman at optimal function that is valuable to a man. It describes a woman as having endured vigorous preparation for a man. Paul affirms this in the New Testament, "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man (1 Corinthian 11:8-9). The goodness of this woman is a product of understanding, accepting, and remaining in her God-ordained purpose. In verses 10-15 she is found having 5 traits in the eyes of her husband: 1) supremely valuable – she is his most treasured possession, 2) absolutely trustworthy – she acts in the context of his intention and pleasure, 3) extremely helpful – she makes him a better man directly and indirectly, 4) capable and skillful – she is able to produce things of value good for her family and others, 5) Resourceful and thrifty – she is frugal, not at all wasteful or destructive, and 6) Nurturing – she works to optimize the family in all areas.
In short, the virtuous woman has been prepared to be a wife to her husband, a mother to her children, and a model woman for other women.
In a time where women are taking their queue from the world and that in stark opposition to God’s word, Christians need to proclaim His truths clearer, louder, and more frequently. A true woman is what God’s says she is and nothing more or less. She is the helper to her husband, a compliment to his life, and his most valuable possession. This has less to do with who her husband is, than it has to do with what God made her to be. This kind of woman is no accident; somebody has prepared her for a husband.
This passage has been aptly deemed by classical Christianity, “The Virtuous Woman” or “A Good Woman.” It is a proverb written by a mother to her son, describing a woman like herself as the kind of woman he should marry. Today, many women are told the opposite of what the bible affirms as true, good, and right before God. They are told that they should not have to live up to their husband’s mother’s standards; they are told that they are not their husband’s possession; they are told that they have a right to their own life, vision, and goals; they are told they have as much say-so in the direction of the family unit as does their husband. Yet how wrong and anti-biblical is such talk.
This passage, though speaking much about a type of woman is centered on a man. It is warning to a man. It is instruction to a man. It adorns a woman in beautiful character for a man. It describes a woman at optimal function that is valuable to a man. It describes a woman as having endured vigorous preparation for a man. Paul affirms this in the New Testament, "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man (1 Corinthian 11:8-9). The goodness of this woman is a product of understanding, accepting, and remaining in her God-ordained purpose. In verses 10-15 she is found having 5 traits in the eyes of her husband: 1) supremely valuable – she is his most treasured possession, 2) absolutely trustworthy – she acts in the context of his intention and pleasure, 3) extremely helpful – she makes him a better man directly and indirectly, 4) capable and skillful – she is able to produce things of value good for her family and others, 5) Resourceful and thrifty – she is frugal, not at all wasteful or destructive, and 6) Nurturing – she works to optimize the family in all areas.
In short, the virtuous woman has been prepared to be a wife to her husband, a mother to her children, and a model woman for other women.
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