Part of my traditional New England upbringing was to learn to maintain boundaries between private issues, family matters, and public information. When I asked my parents what they were talking about, at times I heard, “Well, it doesn’t concern you.” Nothing gruff, like “it’s none of your business,” no “you wouldn’t understand.” Just, “if you needed to know, we’d tell you.” It’s the polar opposite to the tell-all autobiography, the Kardashian, Povichian, let-me-show-you-where-my-appendix-scar-is-itchin’ culture in which we daily bathe. That probably explains my reticence about sharing the details of my private devotional life, which I’m as eager to declare publically as I would be to tell you what I whisper to the missus.
Nevertheless, I’ve been learning that to teach others to pray is one must provide an example. Much of what I know about prayer has been by listening to older believers as they approach God (this teaching method is sometimes called mimesis). So, if I blog or teach, I’m not just to communicate “doctrine” but also demonstrate prayer.
Let me share some principles that guide me, and then the personal details:
- I go to devotions repeating to myself, “There is nothing remotely more pressing on my agenda than what I’m about to do.” Not preaching, not teaching, not writing.
- I spend a lot of my day preparing classes, teaching, preaching or writing. I mean sometimes 10 hours in the Word. It’s not enough. Sometimes I run into preachers who tell me that preparing their sermon or praying at meetings gives them all the spiritual nutrition they need. I remain doubtful, but I guess it’s between them and their Maker; I for one don’t see how it could work. My own Bible study is “just for me.”
- I have a “Devotions in Progress” sign for my door; I’m talking with the King of the Universe, for goodness’ sake.
- Whenever one opens the Bible, it is with the Spirit working through the heart and the mind, at the same time: There is no such thing as “devotional” Bible study that neglects careful reading in context. There is no true Bible study that doesn’t include meditating on its meaning for life.
- I usually put all of my reading time into the Bible rather than devotional books. Occasionally I’ll add on Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening, but other books (Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship, for example) are not for devotional time per se but for later.
- Sometimes my Bible reading includes a psalm or a New Testament reading in the original languages, but only if it doesn’t become a distraction.
- Meditation is meditation on God’s truth. Good meditation also requires a quieted mind, but not an emptied one. Nor is yoga Biblical meditation.
- Prayer must include at the least praise, confession of sin and repentance, petition for God to intervene in specific ways, and grateful thanks for what he has done.
- Reading and praying aloud is more suitable than doing it all in one’s head: that’s a long-standing tradition, and educational specialists are now beginning to confirm that what we say aloud “sticks” better.
- I have no firm opinion on this, but with regard to technology: having devotions on my laptop is a distraction; having them with my iPad is a completely positive experience. A principle might be: If you have devotions with computer, smart phone or iPod, will you say “excuse me” to God and answer some random text or Tweet? Then I suggest you find another way to have devotions. Some Christians turn off all technology.
- If I miss a day? I tell God I’m sorry; I salvage what can be salvaged for today; and get myself ready for our next time together.
- And finally: although I regard a solid daily devotional time as a crucial for my ministry – the most important thing I can do for my students –, I would like to think that I would do the same if I were not in Christian work. I’m at a stage of my life where we don’t have small children to draw our attention; nevertheless, this is similar to plans I’ve followed in other years.
And now for the details. My devotional life gets a refit usually every New Year, so 2012 resembles not at all what I did in 2011 or 1995:
Morning. I spend between 30-60 minutes (usually around 45) in prayer and Bible reading. Bible study: Because I hadn’t done it for a while, this year I’m following a “Bible in One Year” program that I really like; it involves 3-4 chapters a day. I try to slow down and if it’s possible read aloud in order to keep myself paced. Prayer: I maintain a prayer log on an iPad app (see below), where I write down the names of all my students, my co-workers, family members, unsaved people, ministries that Karen and I are involved in, specific requests for ESEPA, issues of my own spiritual walk, etc. I keep a running list of specific requests about my own heart, mind and soul. I keep another diary where I write down what I’ve read, commented on my prayers and write down other lessons of the day. Besides requests which I’ve put in a calendar, I pray for other things which the Spirit brings to mind. My written list is the minimum, not the total, of what I’ll pray for.
During the day. I try to pray at random times, and in particular before doing new tasks and also at mid-day.
Evening. This additional devotion time happens maybe 5 times a week, when I spend another period of time in prayer and the reading of Psalms, perhaps for 30 minutes. In the evening I read less Scripture, but read it deeply and repeatedly: first, going through it to gain its general meaning in context; then meditating on its meaning for me, asking the Spirit to guide me as I read slowly; then using the text as the basis for prayer. Some people use the term Lectio Divina, while others argue (wrongly, I believe) that LD is per se a “New Age practice.” What I do isn’t New Age by any stretch, so let’s call it “meditative Bible reading.” If my Bible reading is faster-paced in the morning, it’s quieter and more reflective in the evening. I believe both methods are valid.
What else can I tell you? Probably the most interesting point is that, despite a Baptist background that doesn’t use much liturgy, I have used the Book of Common Prayer for the last decade (sometimes the version by the Reformed Episcopal Church). I also use the wonderful collection of Puritan prayers called The Valley of Vision – that might help my Reformed comrades to accept the usefulness of written prayers. Many believe that prayer which is spontaneous and unplanned is more authentic or more likely to be Spirit-led. This has certainly not been my experience, nor am I convinced by Scripture that if we pray with no agenda the Spirit will infallibly guide us to pray right. By following a guideline, I’m pushed more deeply in prayer. For example, when a person confesses sin, it tends to run, “Now, what did I do wrong today?” The BCP disciplines me to remember before God, “We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves.” That puts “sin” on a whole other level of nuance, in the category of “things we have left undone.” It’s relatively easy to say “I have no known sins on my conscience”; it is impossible to say: “Today I have loved God as I should.” The BCP also reminds me to pray for missions, people in government, the unemployed, the people in prison, for addicts, for world peace, you name it.
That is a general description. I hardly regard it as the Gold Standard for devotions; I have friends who spend far more time in prayer than I do. But it is what we’ve put together for 2012, and I’m highly blessed by what I receive, the biblical instruction and the intimacy it helps create with God.
RESOURCES:
Tools are only tools, and I have never found a bag of tricks to guarantee a good time of devotions. I like the following, maybe you will too:
Read through the Bible: some years I read a short passage every day, some years I read through the whole Bible. This is the cleverest Bible in a Year Program I’ve ever encountered: “Bible Reading Program for Slackers & Shirkers.” It assumes you will occasionally miss a day, so it has a built-in safeguard against getting discouraged. I’ve tweaked it a little for myself (See http://ransomfellowship.org/articledetail.asp?AID=378&B=Margie%20Haack&TID=7).
Book of Common Prayer: for many years I have used Mission St. Clare’s program. This is a Protestant website. You click on the day in the calendar, and it provides prayers, Bible readings, hymns complete with words and music. Go to http://www.missionstclare.com/english/, click on Rite II and Calendar on the left-hand side.
A collection of prayers by Puritans: The Valley of Vision, ed. Arthur G. Bennett (http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Vision-collection-Puritan-Devotions/dp/0851512283/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329943055&sr=8-1). Also available from Amazon in leather-bound for a good price. There is a companion website that I thought was helpful, called Walking through the Valley of Vision (http://www.joethorn.net/valley/). By the way, I would not recommend the similarly-themed book A Treasury of Prayers by Fortosis.
Prayer Journal. Pocket Prayer Pro HD is a fantastic app, with plenty of flexibility. You can add pictures, arrange a prayer calendar, mark down when prayers are answered. It takes just a couple of minutes to learn it. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-prayer-pro-lite-prayer/id359866395?mt=8
Journal. I use the nice and simple My Daily Journal app to write down when I had devotions, what I read, how I prayed, what I learned.
Online Hymns. There are several sites; the one I like is The Cyber Hymnal at http://www.hymntime.com/tch/ It gives lyrics and plays the music.
“How I have Devotions,” by Gary Shogren, Professor of New Testament, Seminario ESEPA, San Jose, Costa Rica
How I have devotions
“So I once knew a guy who…” Part I of Are preachers allowed to stretch the truth?
A famous visiting preacher, the Rev. Johnson, is wrapping up his message on sacrificial love. He concludes with a story:
In the church where I used to be the pastor, there was a boy named Jimmy, 10 years old. He was good-hearted and liked by everyone in the neighborhood. One day Jimmy saw the little girl next door run out into the street after a lost ball, just when a truck came barreling towards her. Jimmy didn’t have to think twice – he dove into the street and pushed the girl out of the way, but not quickly enough so he could escape; the truck knocked Jimmy flat. The driver jumped down and held Jimmy while he was dying. Later, choking back the tears, he told the boy’s parents: “The last thing he said was, ‘Mister, tell my folks it’s okay; I just did what Jesus would have done.’”
The preacher’s voice catches as he tells the story; he concludes his message, and there is not a dry eye in the house.
You are so taken with this story that you try to track down more information. To your disappointment, you find out that the newspaper in that town had never run any such story about anyone even resembling “Jimmy.” What’s more, the local police have no record of such an accident. So, Jimmy never said those words; he never saved that little girl; in fact, Jimmy never existed. It was all made-up; a gripping story, but untrue. [1] (For our purposes, we will use the word “untruth” rather than “lie”, since untruth is a broader category).
Given that the story had its desired effect – people left the building, dedicated to be more loving – was the preacher justified in inventing the story, even giving a name and composing the lad’s final words? Does the end justify the means? I will argue that he does not. Even further, can Rev. Johnson fall back on the defense, “Wellll now, it was just an illustration to make a point”? A news reporter would be fired for taking that same liberty.
Whether in sermons, political speeches or motivational talks I have sometimes sensed that a “true story” that “really happened” sounded just a little too perfect. I’ve wondered how come some preachers seem to have experiences that lend themselves neatly to sermon illustrations, while the events of my life don’t come out so tidy. I suspect I might be hearing a fiction or, as Hollywood assures us, a tale “based on a real story”.
To have your book recommended by Oprah’s Book Club is virtually a guarantee that sales will skyrocket. That’s what happened in 2005, when she announced that James Frey’s autobiography, A Million Little Pieces, was a must-read. The publisher advertised it as a “brutally honest” report. Frey wrote how he had been an outlaw, wanted in three states, in prison multiple times, on drugs, in a train accident, that is, he was living proof of what goes wrong when young people go astray. He sold millions of copies; but then much to Oprah’s chagrin, it turned out that the publisher had not properly verified the facts. Many of the key events were simply made-up: his only jail time was a few hours he spent in the local lockup while a friend arranged bail. [2] (more…)
The just shall live BY FATE?
I occasionally visit an English-language church in San José, attended by African-Caribbean believers. For me, their English is harder to understand than most Spanish.
A few months ago, a lady behind me was leading us in prayer, and for a heart-stopping 15 seconds I thought she said that we Christians “live according to Fate.” What in the world…? Then I realized that with her accent the “th” sound comes out as “t” – ah, that’s better, she said that we live according to faith. Phew. One the truth, the other not, and just one letter separating them.
Two philosophies vie for our attention. One is Fatalism, the belief in Fate: qué será, será, whatever will be, will be.
The 3 Fates from Greek myth
And so, for example, a girl asks, Will this boy like me? and her friend answers, “Well, I believe that if it’s meant to be, then it’ll happen.” Into this category of Fate we can also throw other odds and ends: astrology, Mayan Calendars, Nostradamus. But some Christians view the world that way: “If it’s God’s will, it’ll happen, if it’s not, it won’t, so relax, what will be, will be.” Listen, I believe in the Sovereign God, but we sometimes act as if “God’s Will” is binding on God himself. “God cannot act contrary to his will,” to be sure; but that doesn’t mean that his will is a straitjacket.[1] Part of this error is the idea that prayer does not change things, but only changes the attitude of the pray-er to accept what would have happened anyway. More about prayer later (more…)
Can stay-at-home Dads be “real men”?
I guess I came in late for this controversy: from 2008 there’s a YouTube clip of a famous preacher and his wife, responding to the question: “What are your thoughts on stay at home dads if the woman really wants to work?”[1]
“Too many guys take too little responsibility” was part of the answer, one with which I fully resonate. We have a culture where men play at being boys well into their adult years. At a time when their fathers and grandfathers had buckled down to marriage and a job or were off fighting Nazis, some guys focus on playing the field or playing paintball until they’re, well, practically my age. The women are complaining and they oughta be. These guys need to hear a Word about their behavior.
But let’s put them to one side, since the gist of their response was something else: If men are not the primary bread-winners in the family, they are not doing “what the Word says.” Parenting must be done principally by the mother, not just “anyone,” not even the father. The idea of a father staying at home to focus on raising children is a perverted idea, taken from our modern culture, not the Bible. These men are “conformed to this world.” Such behavior would even by “a case for church discipline.”
Okay, let’s see “what the Word says.” (more…)
Is there healing in the atonement?
A friend writes asks about 1 Pet 2:24-25, where Peter alludes to Isa 53:4-6 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” He states: I have always taken this to mean that by His stripes we are “forgiven”, not “physically” healed of some infirmity, though certainly, by being forgiven of something, especially of our sins, there can certainly be a physical healing as well. I have always bounced this verse off the verse in Isaiah 53:5 where it says that “by his wounds we are healed”. I’ve been hearing a lot of teaching where our physical healing comes through His stripes that He bore for us….
Thanks for the question! I know of three perspectives on this question of “healing in the atonement.” I agree with one, partially affirm the second, and wholly reject the third. (more…)
“Dear Paul: We are sorry, but you are unqualified to be our apostle…” [Studies in 1 Corinthians]
Paul had a precise idea of how to serve God. He worked day and night with his own hands; he risked his life and his health; he “served” the churches and did not exploit them. As a teacher he acted with patience and consideration: when people wanted answers he gave them careful, detailed explanations. He communicated the gospel in a way that anyone could understand (1 Cor 9:20-22).
From what we can glean in 1 and 2 Corinthians, that church wanted a different breed of apostle:
Church at Corinth, Achaia
Wanted: an apostle with style
The church in Corinth is seeking applicants for the position of apostle. We wish to avoid leaders who do not measure up to the highest standards of Christian ministry. Hence we insist that all candidates fulfill the following conditions:
Professional demeanor
- We want a man who holds his head high, not one with a slavish attitude of “service.” We want to show the appeal of the gospel for people with ambition.
- He should own a vehicle; travel by foot gives the impression that one is a loser. (more…)
Where is MY special someone?? [Studies in 1 Corinthians]
The New Testament gives no formula for choosing a husband or wife. Yes, in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul speaks a widow who wishes to marry ‘is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord,’ that is, only if the new husband is a Christian. Apart from the instruction that Paul gives in that chapter is directed to very specific questions about singleness and marriage. He does not offer a full set of rules. In short, the apostles are concerned that we marry a Christian and that we live righteously within marriage; they say nothing about how to figure out which Christian to marry. In the first century and in many cultures, it is not the young people who decide on a mate, but rather parents or other members of the family or tribe. In many Latino cultures up to the 20th century the Catholic church used to require for example signed permission from both fathers.
The Western church of today adds to the apostolic teaching and at times sets it aside. Christians have adopted a romantic view of marriage that has more to do with 19th century philosophy and Hollywood movies than the New Testament. What comes out is the assumption that there is a special someone for everybody, that you have to find just the right person, that marriage vows are not as important as following your heart.
Despite the single story of Rebecca in Genesis 24:10-21, God never promises in his Word to give us a special revelation to show whom we should marry. (more…)
Does God have “his man” to pastor a church?
A friend writes in to ask whether a church should have a pastor or multiple leaders. I respond:
As I read it, the NT teaches that the apostolic churches were led by a group of elder/overseers. (more…)
What comes before the Day of the Lord: the final “apostasy” or the “departure” of the church?
According to 2 Thessalonians, Timothy brought Paul a question from a panicky church: Has the Day of the Lord come? Paul ties together language of the return of Christ from his own oral teaching, the Matthean tradition, Daniel and 1 Thessalonians. No indeed! he says, and I can prove it. Has the Man of Lawlessness appeared? Then no, the Day of the Lord has not come (2 Thess 2:3).
The other marker is more controversial: an “apostasy” or “falling away” (apostasia, ἀποστασία). The word might denote a political rebellion. Nevertheless, “falling away” in Judeo-Christian contexts usually refers to a spiritual apostasy. In the Apocrypha, many Jews apostatized from Yahweh in 1 Macc 2:15 (NRSV) – “The king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them offer sacrifice” to Greek gods. Paul himself was accused of teaching Diaspora Jews “apostasy from Moses” (Acts 21:21). The verb form also appears in a warning against apostasy in Heb 3:12 and in the Lukan version of the Parable of the Sower to speak of those who fall away because of persecution (Luke 8:13). Paul uses the verb (aphistemi, ἀφίστημι) of the end-time falling away once in 1 Tim 4:1; he uses the noun form (apostasia, ἀποστασία) only here in 2 Thess 2:3.[2] Most Bible versions render the term correctly: “falling away” (ASV, KJV, NKJV); rebel, rebellion (CEV, ESV, GNB, NIV, NLT, NRSV, RSV), revolt (GW, NJB), apostasy (HCSB, NASB).
But wait! A few Bible students have suggested that 2 Thess 2:3 should be translated not as the “apostasy” but as a “removal” or “departure.” That is, the church is taken away from the earth, with the rest of the population “left behind” for the tribulation.[3]
Can this interpretation hold up? (more…)
1 Thess 4:17 – “meet the Lord in the air” in the original Greek
Since the Rapture has made headlines lately, here are some observations.
The New Testament was written in Greek. Some argue that it was originally done in Hebrew, but they cannot provide ancient Hebrew (or Aramaic or Syriac) manuscripts to back that up. All of Paul’s churches used Greek as their principal language. Paul himself had grown up speaking a dialect of Greek known as koine. It is for this reason that many serious students of the Scriptures decide to study that language, just as many others study Hebrew.
Unfortunately, much of what we hear about Greek in books or from the pulpit is false or misleading. For example, some preach that the word agape means “divine love,” whereas phile means “human love or affection.” This is simply not the case, and the words are often interchangeable in the New Testament. I shudder every time I hear the words “I know that it says thus-and-such in your Bibles, but the Greek really says, etc.” Listen: English Bible versions – with a few exceptions – were carried out by leading experts in the field of the original languages, who have gone to great lengths to express the meaning of the original in English. You can trust your English Bible.
Yet, every once in a while there is a gem in the original Greek that is difficult to communicate in English. For example, the NIV of 1 Thess 4:17 has, “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The other versions are similar and equally reliable. In my forthcoming commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians (Zondervan) I opted to translate verse 17 as: “we who still live and remain will be taken up together with [those who were dead] in the clouds to welcome the Lord in the air.” “To meet,” a verb in most versions, represents a Greek preposition and noun, “for a meeting” (eis apantesin). Nevertheless, a verb in English captures the original Greek equally well.
But one might ask, what happens after the Christians meet the Lord in the air? Where do they go? (more…)
