On Sunday evenings we meet for what is called The Foundation, and it is during this time that myself and students are able dialouge about God and the Christian journey. For the next 10 weeks we are allowing Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love: Overhelmed By A Relentless God, to guide our conversation.
Also, I am going to lean some on Chan to help guide my messages for our Wednesday night Xperience worship gathering.
Each week I will be writing to recap each chapter and also the reaction of our students.
Chapter 1: Stop Praying.
Wow. You would think that a book that is trying to move students into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ would have a little better advice than, "stop praying." On the surface it seems odd, but the point Chan is trying make is that for most of us our prayer life has become some what redundant or just an "act" that we feel like we have to fullfill in order to keep our "God card" activated. Chan spent the first part of chapter 1 trying to create an image of God as creator in our minds because when we really stop and think about the greatness of God it may cause us to stop and reflect on who we are about to approach when we go to God in prayer.
Think about this:
- A caterpillar has 228 seperate and distinct musles in its head.
- The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it.
- There are approximately 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle.
- Think about the different sounds of your friends' laughs - wheezes, snorts, silent, loud, obnoxious.
- A spider creates 60 feet of silk in one hour when building webs, while simultanously producing special oil on their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web.
These are all examples of the mighty and creative God that we serve. Want another example? Check this out... http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=91EM9CNU
I believe when we really stop and think about God who put our planet, our galaxy and all the other galaxies together, I would hope that this would cause us to pause and re-examine our prayer life. If understanding creation does not help you take a step back and re-examine your prayer life then perhaps understanding who we are actually praying to will help.
In Revelation 4:1-8, John is given the opportunity to see into heaven and to get an image of the very throne room of God.
The prophet Isaiah also got a glimpse of the throne room of God.
Also, I am going to lean some on Chan to help guide my messages for our Wednesday night Xperience worship gathering.
Each week I will be writing to recap each chapter and also the reaction of our students.
Chapter 1: Stop Praying.
Wow. You would think that a book that is trying to move students into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ would have a little better advice than, "stop praying." On the surface it seems odd, but the point Chan is trying make is that for most of us our prayer life has become some what redundant or just an "act" that we feel like we have to fullfill in order to keep our "God card" activated. Chan spent the first part of chapter 1 trying to create an image of God as creator in our minds because when we really stop and think about the greatness of God it may cause us to stop and reflect on who we are about to approach when we go to God in prayer.
Think about this:
- A caterpillar has 228 seperate and distinct musles in its head.
- The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it.
- There are approximately 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle.
- Think about the different sounds of your friends' laughs - wheezes, snorts, silent, loud, obnoxious.
- A spider creates 60 feet of silk in one hour when building webs, while simultanously producing special oil on their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web.
These are all examples of the mighty and creative God that we serve. Want another example? Check this out... http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=91EM9CNU
I believe when we really stop and think about God who put our planet, our galaxy and all the other galaxies together, I would hope that this would cause us to pause and re-examine our prayer life. If understanding creation does not help you take a step back and re-examine your prayer life then perhaps understanding who we are actually praying to will help.
In Revelation 4:1-8, John is given the opportunity to see into heaven and to get an image of the very throne room of God.
1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’[b]
who was, and is, and is to come.”
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’[b]
who was, and is, and is to come.”
The prophet Isaiah also got a glimpse of the throne room of God.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Wow. Since I have been reminded of these descriptions given to use by Isaiah and John my prayer life will never be the same. Now when I pray, I get this mental image of coming into a great throne room and coming before God who is holy and good; and I come before God not in haste and insincerity, but with a genuine heart that is open and willing to conform to the very character of God. But like I told our students last night, please don't get this image of God being this unaproachable being. While God is magnificant, holy and good; remember it is through Jesus Christ that we are instructed to come boldly before the throne of God. (Hebrews 4:16 and Ephesians 3:12)
We serve a great God who desires to have a relationship with his creation and a part of having a relationship with God is an authentic prayer life. I hope that we all pause and think about what we are about to do the next time when come before God in prayer. Don't stop out of fear or intimidation, but out of sheere awe and amazement of a holy God who loves us on a very personal level.
