Temptation

Here is something (some things…) I have learned more about this semester:

First, temptations.
If after overcoming a temptation you are no closer to Christ than before, then you may as well have succumbed. In fact, you may not have defeated the temptation at all, but simply accepted it as a usual thing that will return, something that you can please at a later date. When we attempt to become sinless by our own power alone we completely lose sight of the nature of sin. When we think we have overcome a sin pattern in our lives because (recently) we were not as sorely tempted as we have been before, we forget that there is a spiritual war over our souls each day, and that hell is wily enough to feign retreat.

Neither Satan nor Jesus have forgotten us. While Satan prepares the next assault, let us build a fortress. Let's not rejoice solely in temporal victory but in God's eternal victory. Let us always be brought back to the eternal, heavenly knowledge of what our earthly lives really are.

Sometimes we think of sin as an absence of good instead of an evil that is seeking our destruction. We think of sin as a neutral that is wrong when we seek it. We do not understand that sin lusts for us, longs for us, desires to be one with us, desires to become part of our lives in the most intimate way.
(Side note I may expound on later: Compare Genesis 3:16 with 4:7 and with SoS 7:10 -- those are the three times that word "desire" is used in the Bible)

We need to stop leading sin on. We need our Daddy to come out on the porch with a shotgun and put the fear into our sin. We need our relationship with our Father to be intimate enough that we have opened up and He can teach us, that He can rescue us, because He will when we ask.

"Just" Praying

One thing I have noticed recently is how often Christians pray "just" prayers when they bring needs to God. I don't mean "just" as in "guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness" I mean "just" as in "only or merely; exactly or precisely; actually." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/just)
I have been experiencing much more prayer in my life recently (Crossroads prayer groups, D-Group, accountability, etc.), and am amazed by what prayer can be and what prayer can do. However, even those who have tasted so much more of the wonder of speaking singly and in community to our Creator, Redeemer, and Guide, even when I am most right with God and am coming before Him with a realization of His Majesty, I fall into the "just" hole.
What do we mean by asking God to "just" do something, to "just" be in our midst, to "just" touch the heart of a brother, a friend, an acquaintance, an enemy?
Well, let's look at the word.

1)
Do we want God to only or merely do something? Do we think it righteous to ask less of God? Are we afraid that pouring out our desires is "testing" God? (Deuteronomy 6:16)

Or… Do we need to trust that God can do not only this thing (whatever it may be), but also do "far more abundantly than all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20)?

2)
Do we think we know exactly or precisely what God should do? Do we believe that in prayer we are informing God and communicating the best solution as if we were spies and God was some isolated monarch? Has our view of God shrunk so much that we have to give Him a game plan and just hope that He listened and understood His small role this time?

Or… Do we really need to hear that "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD;" and be struck by these words "How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?"
(Isaiah 55:8, Romans 11:33-34)

3)
Are we praying, believing in an omnipotent, omniscient, merciful and compassionate God, and at the same time asking Him to "actually" do something? Do we think that we can convince God by putting a little more emphasis, praying a little stronger, that by asking God to "actually" do it instead of … well… just "please do it" we will be any dearer to God's heart?

Or… Do we need at this moment to instead pray "I believe; help my unbelief!"? (Mark 9:24)


I find it interesting that praying "just" feels more spiritual. It feels like I am pleading with God: a real prayer warrior! I feel can put so much more desire into that extra word, so much more "emotional convincing"… when I'm praying to a God who never falls prey to "appeals to emotion." (Appeal to Emotion?)

On the flip side, what do I use that four-letter-word to request? "God, just let me have more quiet times!" "I just need Your touch in my studies." "I just need a word from You."
Apart from "I just need You" ("or they just need You"), which has tons of Biblical backing, I don't know of another request to God where that little word can find a place.

(Side note my next post will probably expound on: We also don't want to "just" do things. When we "just" overcome temptation or "just" do what is right, our desires betray our actions and we really aren't following our created purpose: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5))

In summary, all I mean to say is that we, as Christians, want our prayers to sound spiritual, we want to pray rightly, powerfully, but sometimes those desires turn from seeking God in doing so into wanting to pray something that sounds good to others (or something that fits some frame we've heard). We need to learn to pray like Jesus taught us: Come before the Father, recognize Him for who He is, remember our Kingdom purpose, present our requests for life, forgiveness, and strength.
We are not convincing God to do what is good for us. We are not bringing God's attention to things that He is unaware of. We are coming before our Father and presenting our desires, our struggles, our praise, and our thanksgiving.

Prayer is communing with the King of the Universe! There's no "just" about that! (well… except Him… He's Just…)