Emergency Prayer; June 3, 2021

Posted on June 6, 2021 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 2:4-5 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.

This is a perfect example of what has been called a “telegram prayer.” However, with current technology it might better be called a “prayer tweet.” The idea is the same in either case: a brief, emergency prayer, basically along the lines of, “Help!” The thing is, God hears those prayers too. However if that’s the only kind we pray, we don’t have much of a relationship with the One to whom we are praying. Nehemiah was obviously a very devout believer, very familiar with as much of the Bible as he had. We tend to forget that the people recorded in the Bible didn’t have the Bible to read themselves! We have the luxury of the full Bible, giving us a wealth of instruction and inspiration and admonition, teaching us the heart and ways of God. Taking it lightly is the greatest foolishness. Nehemiah was in a unique position to teach him about prayer, because he was a close, and obviously trusted, servant of a very powerful monarch. He knew what King Artaxerxes could do, even on a whim, and he knew that the God of heaven was even more powerful. He related wisely to Artaxerxes, but but his true allegiance and dependence were on God. We too deal with all sorts of people, some of them very powerful in this world’s sight. (The really powerful ones we generally relate to only at a great distance, and/or by proxy.) We must never think that any human individual, or, for that matter, any government or nation, is more powerful that our Creator, who loves us enough that He sent His Son to die in our place so that we might have life in Him. When we have a right relationship with our Creator, nothing can shake us because we are “seated with Him in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 2:6) From that position, every prayer, short or long, is heard instantly.

This is something I know but I’m still learning. This morning a song by a friend who was one of my daughters’ teachers, Tim Johnson, has been running through my mind: “Believe in the dark what you know to be true in the light.” There’s a lot of truth in my head that is still “on the way” when it comes to being in my heart. I am continuing to grow in my relationship with my Lord, but I’m no more “there yet” than Paul was. (Philippians 3:12-14) I too need regular reminders, which is why this habit of morning devotions is so vital to me. Prayer comes easily and naturally to me, but I must never take it for granted, much less downplay its importance. The purpose of my existence is wrapped up in the God who created me, so without question the wisest course for me is to be in a close, obedient relationship with Him.

Father, thank You not only for this reminder, but also for making it clear what I’m to share this coming Sunday. I ask for clear guidance and anointing as I prepare those notes, so that everyone who hears, both in person and electronically, may be drawn into a closer relationship with You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Biblical Prayer; June 2, 2021

Posted on June 5, 2021 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 1:8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses.”

This whole prayer could hardly be more Biblical. It is entirely focused on God and what He has said, rather than on some sort of wish list. It also definitively answers a doubt I will confess to having had even as a boy. I first read through the Bible by the time I was 10, and pretty early on it struck me that what Moses said about the Israelites going into exile and repenting was remarkably specific and accurate as to the historical facts as we know them, and I thought they might have been added by a later editor after those things came to pass. However, here we have Nehemiah quoting that very passage, (Deu­teronomy 30:4) asking God to fulfill what He had promised. The Bible is remarkably consistent, confirming itself in various ways, even though it was written, and yes, edited, by many different people over many centuries. God has kept watch over His Word, and that’s all the more reason to receive and believe it. Those who love to quibble and split hairs do so because at heart, they don’t want to obey it. It is far wiser and more fruitful to do what Nehemiah did, taking it to heart even when it calls for repentance – or especially then – so that we may also enjoy the gracious promises of blessing. It may seem like the Bible isn’t very specific to us today, but that is hardly the case. Human beings haven’t really changed! We need to realize that it is talking about us and to us, and that there are many prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled. Many people today feel we are at some stage of the events described in the Revelation to John, but that’s far from the whole picture. We need to take the Bible in as God’s Word to us right now, and even pray it back to Him as Nehemiah did, so that we may participate in His plans for us, for our great blessing and His glory.

It’s interesting to realize that even with my background I have “put asterisks on” some places in the Bible. I am not to be legalistic, but I am certainly not to place myself above the words of Scripture. We indeed live in “interesting times,” as the saying goes, and it could well be the culmination of all things. That’s all the more reason to be faithful to God and what He has already said. He does speak to us daily in many ways, but a deep familiarity with what He has already said is one of the best defenses against the various lying spirits that are certainly infesting society. I am never to think I know the Bible well enough! As Paul said, I need to let it dwell in me richly (Colossians 3:16) so that it may accomplish in and through me that for which God sent it out, (Isaiah 55:10-11) for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for this powerful reminder. Help me indeed let Your Word operate in and through me more and more, by Your Spirit and not by my intellect, so that Your rule and reign may be established and Your will be done, as perfectly here as it is in heaven, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Conceit; June 1, 2021

Posted on June 5, 2021 by jgarrott

Ezra 9:2 “And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

Just last night I was discussing a passage in Hosea with a pastor friend of mine, and it included this line: “I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.” (Hosea 12:8) It is interesting, and often disgusting, how often people feel their status exempts them from the rules. That status can come from any of a number of things – birth, wealth, fame, what have you – but it sadly fosters the feeling of, “I’m above such petty things.” We see it in such things as a multi-tiered justice system, where the same crime can get some people hard time and other people a slap on the wrist. In various places in the Bible it states that God hates such things. This particular situation was in the matter of intermarrying with actively idolatrous cultures, but the principle applies to every area of life. The devil loves to encourage us to think we are better than the next guy, because in the kingdom of God, the way up is down! That is, humility before God is essential for reaching the heights God intends for us. (James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6) This is not to say that we are to deny the gifts God has given us, either in ability or resources or in any other way. Such things are to be recognized and submitted to God in gratitude, but with the awareness that they don’t make us of greater value than anyone else, just more useful in a specific situation. We have all seen Church leaders who let their positions go to their heads, and they disgraced the name of Christ in various ways. That is certainly tragic. And every day the news is filled with politicians who think their positions excuse them and their families from laws of all sorts. Several years ago the Christian singing group The Imperials put out a song that included the line, “Tired of the men who make the laws, and break them any time they please.” We’ve all seen that play out! We are to hold one another accountable, recognizing that any differences at all among people are on the line of acorns comparing height, as the Japanese proverb goes.

This is close to home, because conceit has always been a trap for me. As a child, I learned to exploit my status as a Caucasian in Japan, and the child of a high-status person at that, to get away with all sorts of things I could not have done otherwise. Most of that was not mean-spirited, or even intentional, but it happened nonetheless. I have had to learn that my differences from those around me (and I am sometimes very different, wherever I am) don’t confer special value to me, nor do they make me less valuable. We are all equal in the sight of God, and the better I live that out, the better off I and those around me will be.

Father, thank You for this lesson You’ve taught me over the years. Help me be effective in communicating to people their value in Your eyes, quite apart from the world’s evaluation, so that they may repent of their sins and believe You for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fasting; May 31, 2021

Posted on June 1, 2021 by jgarrott

Ezra 8:21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

We don’t often think today about how dangerous travel was back then. Historically speaking, we live today in remarkable luxury on more levels than we imagine. Not only were these people going to have to walk hundreds of kilometers, they had no protection from the weather other than what they physically carried with them. Hotels hadn’t even been thought of! On top of that, they were carrying a LOT of silver and gold, as specified in verses 26-27. We complain about police today, but the gangs of Chicago are nothing compared to the bandits back then. Under those circumstances, such a shipment of material treasure as this would normally have had a secure military escort, but as Ezra explains in the next verse, he had bragged on God’s protection for those who serve Him, and so was embarrassed to ask for an escort. With all of that put together, fasting and praying for God’s protection was by far the most logical course of action. It’s not that fasting forces God to do anything He wouldn’t do otherwise, but it focuses our attention on God, as our flesh complains about being deprived. There are many kinds of fasting, from one meal a day, or even specific foods such as sweets or meat, to total abstention from any oral intake. (Going without water can be very dangerous, and should never be entered into lightly.) We don’t know how long this particular fast was, but it was most probably abstaining from solid food. The people needed to be united in their sense of purpose and in their commitment to the Lord, and this joint exercise was very helpful for that as well. It is well recognized that shared suffering is an excellent tool for generating unity. All in all, Ezra was acting in wisdom from God, and God responded fully.

I’ve had various experiences of fasting, but the only times I’ve gone without water have been for medical reasons pre-surgery. I have fasted as long as a week, but most often it’s been just a day or two. I have found that my physical response to the fast can be a good indicator of whether I’m fasting in obedience to God or just doing something on my own, perhaps trying to manipulate God. That never goes well! When I am fasting in obedience, I don’t find it terribly difficult. I drink water frequently, and usually don’t feel all that hungry, especially when I am properly focused on prayer. Fasting without prayer is a major waste of effort! There are “health gurus” who recommend various kinds of fasting for health reasons. That may well be effective, but I don’t see any spiritual benefit unless there is the conscious choice to dedicate the time normally spent eating (at least) to prayer. I haven’t fasted for a while, and writing about it inclines me to do so, but I am not to do it on my own, but only in obedience to God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I don’t think about fasting all that often. Help me be properly focused on You to hear and obey whatever You are saying, whether my flesh is happy about it or not! Thank You. Praise God!

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Praying for Others; May 30, 2021

Posted on June 1, 2021 by jgarrott

Ezra 6:10 “… so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.”

King Darius didn’t personally know the Lord, but he had heard enough about Him to feel he’d rather have Him on his side. He certainly had plenty of money, so this was no skin off of his nose. He probably considered this a pretty good investment! The story as a whole is a rather delicious one of payback to antisemites. Those who were against the Jews intended to use the machinery of government to block them, but their efforts backfired spectacularly. This verse gives us Darius’ immediate motivation: he wanted prayer to go up for him to the God of heaven. Just about everyone recognizes their need for prayer. That’s why praying for people can be a very powerful tool for evangelism. A head full of theology does very little good in expanding the family of God, but His love expressed through us can do wonders! As has been said, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, and praying for people in their presence can be a very powerful expression of that. After all, we have the promise of the Holy Spirit’s help in our prayers, (Romans 8:26-27) so it should go without saying that His words through us would be effective in overcoming the devil’s lies. Darius, and for that matter, most of the people around us, had/have no concept of that, but the vast majority of them still welcome prayer.

As I have commented many times before, prayer is as natural to me as breathing, and I have seen my prayers bless people countless times. I open every school class by praying for my students, and I have had many express appreciation. I had the excellent example of one of my seminary professors, Dr. Cal Guy, in that. In a seminary environment people often ask for prayer of various sorts. Dr. Guy would pray immediately, whether in the classroom, walking across campus, or even in a chance encounter in a grocery store. He gained opposition among legalists, but he was powerfully used by God. I too want my prayers to be useful to the One to whom I express them, in blessing those for whom I pray and otherwise accomplishing God’s perfect will.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You prompted me to pray, for individuals and for churches, as I drove around this morning to bless Your flock in Omura. Keep me active in prayer at all times, maintaining my communication with You, so that I may be fully responsive for whatever You want me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Redemption; May 29, 2021

Posted on May 31, 2021 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 33:12-13 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

The story of Manasseh is a remarkable one. It is a story of extreme sin, repentance, and redemption. His sins were perhaps not unique, but they were certainly severe, putting an idol actually in the temple Solomon had built. Thinking about it, that’s even hard to imagine. Then he paid the price, being led off to exile in shackles with a hook in his nose. (verse 11) Thoughtless cruelty has been a characteristic of mankind throughout history! What’s really remarkable to me is that his repentance was so real and so genuine, God answered in an unprecedented way. I frankly have no idea how, or even why, politically speaking, he was returned to his kingship after that, and I know of no other comparable examples in history. That his repentance was genuine is proved by all that he did after that, actively countering idolatry throughout Judah. It is sad that he wasn’t able to remove the idolatry from the heart of his son Amon, (verses 21-25) but his grandson Josiah was one of the best of the kings of Judah. I feel that too was a result of Manasseh’s repentance. I comment from time to time that the Bible is remarkable for not covering up the faults of those it records, even the “stars,” but it is also a unique record of redemption. The story of Manasseh should give us hope, even for America in the present hour.

I’m grateful never to have gone as far afield as Manasseh did, but I have certainly had my moments of spitting in God’s face in one way or another. The thing is, I have had absolutely no excuse. God in His grace has shown me my sin and drawn me back to Himself, far more gently than I deserved. I’ve never had a hook put through my nose! At times I have doubted my own repentance, when I have stumbled in the same way repeatedly, but as Paul quoted to Timothy, “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13) In reflection, I am frequently amazed at God’s patience with me. The least I can do is seek to respond, and pray that my descendants, both physical and spiritual, will be like Josiah.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that the Bible is indeed a book of redemption, on so many levels. I ask You to use me to show people their need of redemption, and to communicate to them that it is indeed available. May the trials You allow us to experience draw us to true repentance, as they did Manasseh, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Legalism; May 28, 2021

Posted on May 30, 2021 by jgarrott

2 Chron 30:18-20 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God–the Lord, the God of his fathers–even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

Here we have a clear Old Testament example of overcoming legalism. God’s rules are always for our benefit, so we ignore them to our loss and even our peril. However, God is always most interested in our hearts, and Hezekiah was quite right to recognize the attitude of the people’s hearts. Particularly those who had come to Jerusalem from the northern 10 tribes, from the remnant that Assyria had left behind, hadn’t been in a proper religious environment for generations, actually. For that matter, even the priest and Levites in Jerusalem had been slack prior to this. God had moved through King Hezekiah and brought a beautiful revival that inspires people to this day. Hezekiah asked for and received a special exemption from the Lord for the people, and He granted it. We are surrounded with so much lawlessness that sometimes we are tempted to legalism, but that is forgetting that God is a God of grace. As John Newton discovered when his slave ship was sinking, God’s grace is indeed amazing. Everyone who truly “sets his heart on seeking God” receives the response that God spoke through Jeremiah some years after the events of this story: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) We get all tied up in rules and regulations and traditions and techniques, when God is simply after our whole heart.

I have had a very recent exercise in this truth. On the 23rd – Pentecost Sunday – we had Communion, as we do every 4th Sunday. I usually make it very clear that the elements are for those who have declared their commitment to Christ by following Him in baptism, but I felt moved to make an exception, and I opened the invitation to those who had made the commitment and would follow Christ in baptism. We had two people present who had “sat out” the elements many times in the past, but they both came forward to receive, proclaiming that Jesus was their Lord. Needless to say, I was very grateful for the Lord’s guidance! Each of the two has specific circumstances that impact the timing of their baptism, but their commitment was open and unforced. I know that rules are for our benefit, but I also know that legalism can enslave and be downright deadly.

Father, thank You for the many ways You are moving in, among, around, and through us. Help us recognize You, particularly when You are outside of the patterns we are used to, so that we may follow You fully and participate in what You are doing, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Believing Prayer; May 27, 2021

Posted on May 30, 2021 by jgarrott

1 Chronicles 5:20 He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.

Too often, people pray as a last option. We tend to pray when nothing else works out! When I started reading this morning I wondered why I had chosen this section in this series on prayer, but then I got to this sentence, and it became clear. The Japanese expresses it as, “They depended on Him, so God listened to their request.” We are so prone to pray with no real faith involved. Even when we pray first as a matter of form, we draw up all sorts of contingency plans in case He doesn’t come through. That’s not to say that we are to presume on Him, thinking that He is in some way obligated to fulfill our wish list, but it is to say that He should be our rock, our foundation, and we should not depend on our own abilities or, for that matter, anything human. Prayer is not to be an excuse for inaction. If you pray for something, you need to offer yourself to God as a tool for the fulfillment of that prayer. However, we must not get the cart before the horse, as the old saying goes, drawing up our own plans and then tacking on a prayer for God to bless them. That’s not depending on God, whatever we say!

I’ve been guilty of all I’ve just described more times that I like to remember. When God’s lessons are so consistent, it’s amazing that I’m so slow to learn them! Thankfully, He’s much more patient with me than I would be if the roles were reversed. I’ve learned that prayer ahead of time is by far the best course, and that I’m to be both humble and trusting as I pray. Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is an excellent example. His flesh protested with every cell of His body against what He faced, but He still prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) I too need to pray in both trust and submission. Whe­ther I face a physical challenge, an emotional challenge, or a spiritual challenge, I need to remember that God is more than up to that challenge, and whether I am or not is beside the point. After all, His grace is all I need. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I need to have absolute confidence that He is more than able to deal with anything I face, and so commit myself to Him.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. The sudden death of our neighbor’s wife really brings this home. Thank You that she won’t have to go into a nursing home while her husband enters the hospital for cancer surgery, which is something she had been adamant against. This actually simplifies things greatly for the whole family. I do pray for the husband and their sons, because grief is real regardless of the circumstances. I particularly pray that, once the ceremonies are over and the husband does enter the hospital, that he will read my father’s biography that I just gave him and be moved to cry out to Christ himself, for his salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Miracles; May 26, 2021

Posted on May 28, 2021 by jgarrott

2 Kings 20:11 Then the prophet Isaiah called upon the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

There are many places in the Bible where miracles of one sort or another are mentioned. However, this one, and the one in Joshua 10:13 where it says the sun stood still, are the most incredible, because they deal with the rotation of the earth itself. However, geologists have discovered various things that indicate things like the magnetic poles of the earth swapping places. For that matter, right now the north pole is making its way from northern Canada over to Siberia. We forget that God really is the Creator, and He has every right and ability to “tinker with” His creation. Over the centuries we have discovered various “laws” of physics and we consider them immutable, but that is putting God into a box. I have come to the conclusion that science is a description of how God usually acts. He doesn’t violate Newton very often in our experience, but the whole field of Quantum Mechanics deals with how the universe isn’t always as Newton described it. When even human intellect can discover that, why should we be surprised when God does things that seem to set Newton, and for that matter, Quantum Mechanics, completely aside? Speaking of asides, I find it very interesting that Isaac Newton is considered the father of Physics, but John Newton wrote the lyrics to Amazing Grace, which is no less a great discovery on the eternal scale. The whole point is, we aren’t to run around expecting God to suspend physical laws for our convenience, but we do need to remember that the physical isn’t ultimately of the greatest importance. God is God, and that automatically transcends anything and everything human.

I grew up in a very academic/intellectual family, and have numbers of scientists and academics among my relatives. A major part of my education came from National Geographic Magazine, of which we had back issues all the way to the 1930s. At the same time, my household was very much one of faith. I don’t think my parents doubted the Bible, even if they didn’t have much expectation of the miraculous in their daily lives. I never felt any tension between the spiritual and the scientific, and frankly, I still don’t. Even today I’m a huge space buff, and I follow news of various scientific advances fairly closely. However, I am saddened by those who think, and even proclaim, that science has supplanted God, that we “no longer need superstitions.” That is nothing less than setting themselves up as the final arbiter of what is true, and there can be no greater hubris. I feel that miracles of various sorts are a necessary reminder that God is still, and will always be, God, and He can do anything He likes. My job is to stay lined up with Him, to the greatest degree He makes possible, because nothing is impossible for Him. (Luke 1:37)

Father, thank You for this reminder. I don’t think about this sort of thing consciously very often, but thank You that it is at the foundation of my awareness. Thank You for the many miracles, physical and spiritual, that You have worked in my life. Help me consistently do Your will, whether it seems miraculous to others or not, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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God-Centered Prayer; May 25, 2021

Posted on May 27, 2021 by jgarrott

2 Kings 19:19 “Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Hezekiah’s prayer was spot-on. He acknowledged the track record of his opponent, but his focus was on God demonstrating that He alone was truly God, the Creator of the universe. Our prayers are so often totally self-centered, but here Hezekiah contrasts the living God with the idols of the nations. As I brought out in speaking on the Lord’s Prayer on Sunday, we need to have a firm focus on just Whom we are talking to when we pray. Sometimes prayer comes across as a wish list for whoever’s listening! Sennacherib of Assyria was a fearsome foe in human terms, but Hezekiah was focused on the King of kings, the Lord of lords. We too would doubtless be scared if we were in his shoes, but he rightly reminded himself of Who he followed, and prayed on those terms.

I think I’ve prayed my share of self-centered prayers, but I don’t think I’ve ever been confused as to the nature of the One to whom I was praying. I have presumed on grace at times, and that is certainly risky. Since I minister in Japan, the vast majority of the people around me don’t have the same concept of God that I do, and their prayers often demonstrate that. In Shinto, it’s a matter of throwing coins into an offering box and then ringing a bell to get the god’s attention, and then expressing your wish. In Japanese Buddhism, it’s a matter of putting food (that you will later eat) in front of the family altar and then asking your dead ancestors to do stuff for you. It’s no wonder that Japanese Christians have trouble grasping that the Creator of the universe is also their heavenly Father, just waiting to talk with them! I am not to presume knowledge but teach from the ground up, modeling real prayer at every opportunity. I think the believers here are indeed growing in prayer, and that is encouraging. I too need to remember that it doesn’t depend on me, but on my Lord who loves us all, individually and equally. I need to allow the Holy Spirit to teach us all to pray better and more effectively.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the truly good anniversary You gave Cathy and me yesterday. Thank You for what we got done here yesterday afternoon, and that we were here to provide some degree of support for the tragedy that unfolded next door. I do pray for Your presence to be manifested to that family, and that they would cry out to You and not to false gods and superstitions. Thank You. Praise God!

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