Normally, when we think of praying, we link it to a praying mother or grandmother. It’s an attitude commonly associated to women of the faith. What if men took prayer seriously? What if we committed to it like we commit to football or our golf swing? Although our Christian society has attributed prayer to great women of our faith, the Bible gives us countless examples of men of prayer. Daniel was a man that prayed diligently. Even against the King’s wishes, he set time apart to pray to the Lord. David, although a warrior in battle, was also one in prayer, and in a sense, journaled these prayers for us to read them in the Psalms. In James 5:17, Elijah is described as “a man with a nature like us” that prayed earnestly, and the Lord heard him.

My brothers in the faith, our Father in heaven wants to hear from us! When men pray, things happen, and the Lord can move on our behalf. Don’t be confused; prayer does not turn God into your magic genie. We don’t pray to ‘position’ the Lord where we want Him to be. We pray in order to position or reposition ourselves in order to receive what the Lord has for us. Scripture is replete, brothers, with examples of how prayer works. James, again, tells that the “Effective prayer of the righteous man can accomplish much.” Our prayer can accomplish and help bring things to pass in our lives.

What would happen if we as husbands and fathers began to pray over and with our wives and children? Earnestly seeking the Lord on their behalf and standing before God on their behalf the way that Christ stands for us.

I think this is one of the biggest areas of improvement for me as a husband. Scripture tells me to love my wife as Christ loves the church. Christ is constantly interceding on our behalf. He’s the ultimate advocate. And while He was on the earth, we see how He prayed for us. (John 17).

So, my dear brothers I challenge you to make prayer a priority! Single men, make time to pray in your day. Meet with other brothers to pray and cover each other. Husbands and fathers, let’s take initiative to pray, not just for ourselves, but for our wives and / or children. Trust me brother, your wife and / or children would be thrilled to hear you pray before the Lord on their behalf. They may be secretly yearning for you to do that.                                                                                                       (TRAVIS WILLIAMS)

We Christians all know that parable Jesus told about the Good Samaritan. We also know we should join with that unnamed  good-deed-doer
and be good Samaritans too. Some of us even like to think we are good Samaritans and would never pass by on the other side.

I hope so, but there are times I wonder. I wonder how far I would go to help a stranger. I wonder if I would be as good a Samaritan as is Michelle LaPlante.

Here’s the story: Jill Fink, a mother of two-year-old twins, took off her engagement ring so she could put sunscreen on her daughter. She put the toddler in a swing and dropped her ring into the child’s stroller. She forgot to put her ring back on. She forgot for two days. When she finally remembered she did a lot of crying. Yes, she retraced her steps, but she knew the ring was gone.

Meanwhile, the ring was found by attorney Michelle LaPlante. She said, “If that had been my ring, I would have gone out of my head.” So LaPlante put up a note at the park where the ring had been lost; then she put up flyers in the neighborhood; then she took out online ads; then she listed the ring on Craigslist (a classified advertisements website); then she took the ring to the police department. A receptionist at Fink’s office spotted the Craigslist ad and, in a short time, the ring, the ring’s loser, and the ring’s finder were united.

So, let me ask, “How good a Good Samaritan are you?”

We all know a person would be a lousy Good Samaritan if he were to keep the lost ring. But how far would you have gone to return that diamond to its rightful owner?

Would you have taken it to the police? Probably. Would you have written up and posted flyers? Maybe. Would you have taken out ads? How far would you go to be a Good Samaritan?

I do know how far Jesus went to help the bruised and battered sinners of this world. He went all the way. Every moment of His life was dedicated to the single purpose of reuniting lost sinners with their Creator. Jesus didn’t rest; He didn’t take a vacation; He didn’t take a coffee break from the cause, which would lead to His death and the salvation of our souls.

He was the ultimate Good Samaritan. He is our Savior. He is the One who says, “… do as I have done to you” (John 13:15b).
(PASTOR KEN KLAUS)

Here are three lessons in trust you can take from the story
of Gideon:

1.  God sees the big picture:  Our vision is limited, sometimes only seeing the potential roadblocks in the way. But as with Gideon, God is sending you into a new adventure.  He has gone before you and already knows what will happen. The road may not always be easy, but He is always there to protect you and guide you, if you look to Him. Yes, we might be like Gideon and test God by asking for signs. And I believe God delights in showing us His power. In Psalm 86:17, even David calls out in his prayer for mercy: Give me a sign of Your goodness, for You Lord have helped me and comforted me. But also etch this truth from Deuteronomy 31:8 on your heart as you face seemingly impossible challenges: Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

2. God is patient as we grow in faith:  Gideon had many doubts as God called him to lead the Israelites into battle. God continually encouraged Gideon, telling him that He will go ahead of him – even going as far as promising that Gideon won’t die. But Gideon struggled to see the big picture. He was probably sucking in his gut and flexing his non-existent muscles in the mirror, not feeling real encouraged at the reflection staring back at him. But with each sign Gideon asked for, God kindly answered.  The Lord had patience with Gideon, matching kind reassurance to each doubt, building Gideon into a fully convinced servant. It’s the same with us. God calls us. But be certain the enemy will tell us that we don’t measure up to the task at hand. But here is a truth that was spoken at a conference I recently attended: God calls us for the person we will become, not necessarily the person we are right now. (Lisa Bevere) He called Gideon “mighty warrior.” What is God calling you?

3. Success is through God’s power, not our own: As the story progresses, Gideon grows to be a confident warrior, gathering thousands of the Israelites to face the Midianites. But God felt like that would be too easy. At least too easy for the Israelites to take all the credit for a victory. God wanted them to give Him the glory. So He put Gideon through two tests of his faith – which ultimately left only 300 men to fight Midian’s 135 thousand warriors! That’s 450 Midian guys for every one Israelite. What? And in what is known as one of the most unbelievable battle strategies in history, the 300 Israelites marched out with trumpets, torches, and jars to meet the marauding Midianites. What happened then? God sent confusion into the ranks of the Midianites and they started turning on each other! When it was all said and done, 120 thousand Midianites had killed one another and the other 15 thousand ran away.

God had answered Israel’s prayers, using a regular, every day guy like Gideon.  As it says in Luke 18:27:  What is impossible with men is possible with God. When you feel God is calling you to do something that might seem too big – or even impossible – think of mild-mannered Gideon who grew to fully trust God and changed the course of history.
What is God calling you to do?  What steps of trust can you take? (LORI CLAPPER)

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home
church in Michigan:

“While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I travelled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord Jesus Christ. I then travelled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.

Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, ‘Two weeks ago, some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.’

At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone out in that jungle campsite The young man pressed the point, however, and said, ‘No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'”

At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day that this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

“On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?”

The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn’t concerned with who they were–he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.

This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. As the story clearly illustrates, “with God all things are possible.” More importantly, God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful!

Extravagant Generosity is about generously giving of our very selves. Let’s see if the acronym HELP can help us understand and appreciate fully this.

Heed the compassion command. When Jesus was asked, “How should I live?” He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind [and] love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.” (Luke 10:27). Meister Eckhart once said, “You may call God love, you may call God goodness. But the best name for God is compassion.” We are never more like God than when we give.

Empty yourself so that you might be filled. Empty yourself of whatever it is that stands between you and being the loving person God is calling you to be. Jesus is our example. In Philippians 2, Paul reminds us of how Jesus emptied Himself. He made room for each of us in the kingdom of God through His offering of Himself to us and showed us how we are to live and how we are to die. When we live like that, we become more thoughtful, more caring, more compassionate, more loving people. That’s the consequence of emptying yourself so that the Holy Spirit may begin to fill you and make you more like Jesus.

Lift the burden of others. When we lift the burdens of others—whether they be health issues, the loss of loved ones, turmoil in the lives of members of the family, or emotional strain or others—a miracle occurs and our burdens are lifted as well. It means getting involved with someone else. It means making a sacrifice so that someone else can feel as though the love of Jesus Christ is extended to him or her. That’s the spirit we are called to have—to be like Jesus. He’s the One who is providing the strength for the burdens of life.

Pay the price. The world says to us: Earn all you can, and give out of your abundance. That’s not biblical. The Bible teaches us to give in order to enjoy the abundant life. “If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” (Matthew 16:25,) The life that overflows with joy is the life that gives itself away. God is calling us to be people who don’t hang on for all we’re worth out of fear but who give and give and give freely. And this giving flows as the love of God to other people.

When we hang on out of fear, we are operating out of a theology of scarcity: Will I have enough? We all have enough. It’s the people in all the impoverished places around the world who don’t have enough. It’s all a matter of where we look and what’s relative to us. Where do we stand in relation to other people, and how much is God asking us to give so that we might lift the burden of others by paying just a very small price?

Can we say to God, “God, whatever you gave me is yours in the first place. I came with nothing, and I’m leaving with nothing; and in between, whatever I have is yours. You’re just letting me use it”?

You see, it’s not about our money; it’s about what is in our hearts. For out of the abundance of the heart our lives speak (Matthew 12:34b). And out of our overwhelming sense of thankfulness comes our response to what God is calling us to do as the people of God. Try giving yourself away and see what miracles begin to happen!                                                                 (STEVE VREDENBURGH)

Instead of being regretful, we need to be grateful. Instead of complaining, we need to remember that everything is a gift from God.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 4:7-8, “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need” (MSG).

Envy always asks, “Why them?” “Why does he have better health?” “Why does she have a job and a husband, and I have neither?”

Gratitude says, “Why me?” “Why do I get to drink clean water when so much of the world doesn’t?” “Why am I not under persecution? Why am I not thrown into prison for my faith?”

Envy is based on the myth that you must have more in order to be happier. It’s just not true. Happiness is a choice. If you’re not happy now, you’re not going to be happy with more. I could give many testimonies of people who have a lot more than you, and it doesn’t make them happier. You are as happy as you choose to be.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 says, “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else” (GNT). This is called contentment. All of us need to learn contentment.

Why? Because by nature you are not a contented person. None of us are! It is not natural to be contented. It is mature to be contented. Babies are discontented. Unless everything is going their way, they’re not satisfied. Maturity is learning to be content when things are not going your way. It’s better to be satisfied with what you have than to always want something more.

Let me clarify: Envy is not desire. Desire is good. Envy is not ambition. Ambition is good. You ought to be ambitious and work for good things in your life. Envy is not a dream. You ought to have a dream in your life. Envy is not setting goals. Dreams, ambitions, goals, and desires are all things that God puts in you.

Envy is resenting other people who have something already and thinking that you can’t be happy until you get it, too. Both of those are lies. Instead, learn to be grateful for who you are and what you have. Everything you have is a gift from God!

For Your Reflection

    What is something you can do today to practice gratitude?

    When you’re tempted to resent someone because of what that person has or is, how can you turn it into gratitude? What should you say to that person?

    Why do you think God makes happiness a choice?                (RICK WARREN)

The Clear, Accurate Teaching of the Bible:  The teaching of the Bible is the first priority of a church. People want church to be relevant, but it will only be relevant if the heart of the ministry is the exposition (explanation and application) of the Bible. The timeless message of the Bible can change lives and meet every genuine need. God looks for a church that is serious about Christian education and keeps the teaching of the Bible as the centerpiece of every service.

A God-Centered Focus in Worship: People determine the value of a worship service by how it makes them feel. Hence, churches often structure worship for entertainment value. True worship, however, is God-centered rather than man-centered. As we leave a worship service, our first question should not be, Was I pleased? It should be, Was God pleased? Worship that pleases God begins with the communication of truth about His greatness and His goodness as revealed in the Bible. This understanding of truth about God elicits adoration and obedience in the heart of the worshiper. God looks for a church that is not designed to entertain you but is intent on making Him known and pleasing Him in every way.

An Authentic Sense of Community:   Christians in the New Testament Church loved one another, encouraged one another, counseled one another, prayed for one another, showed hospitality to one another, held one another accountable, etc. How different that is from what we see in churches today. They often resemble spectator events more than real communities where people live and work together. God looks for a church where the members show their love for one another through their involvement in the lives of one another.

Ministry Shared by Each Member:   In Godʼs plan, every member is a minister, sharing some aspect of the work. Not everyone can teach or oversee the work of the church, but God has prepared every believer to make a significant contribution to the work of the church. God looks for a church that not only encourages its members to get involved in the work of the ministry, but also expects them to do so.

A Passion to Share the Good News of Christ:   The mission of the church is to take the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world because He deserves the praise and worship of all people. Therefore, the life mission of every Christian is to share this marvelous message. God looks for a church that eagerly proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Ministry Structure Shaped by Truth:   A church must have a philosophy of ministry that truly reflects the ministry structure taught in the New Testament. God looks for a church that can explain how its philosophy of ministry is derived from the Bible and show how everything they do is designed to be consistent with that philosophy.

Remember that the Church belongs to God. It is Godʼs household— the hurch of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. The six characteristics that God looks for in His church are not optional. They are essential because His church must promote His purposes and exalt His glory. God is passionate about His own glory because He is the One and only being in the all the universe that is truly worthy of our praise.                                             (HURON BAPTIST CHURCH)