Primary Prayer

I have a good friend that was ‘exploring’ Christianity. She previously had been involved in Eastern mysticism, had explored reincarnation but was now embracing Jesus and was interested in this faith we call Christianity.  When she told me she was gong to a weekend Christian retreat I was excited for her.  

However, when she returned the people at the retreat had messed with her mind, as she no longer knew how to pray. They were so emphatic in what she could do, what she couldn’t do, how she was to pray in faith, how she was to pray in Jesus name, how she was to pray and not doubt….that it took months for the rest of us to get her back to the child-like faith that she had demonstrated before the retreat.  While these were all good individual teachings, God is bigger than these limitations. 

I mention this because it is with some caution that I offer the suggestion that we should be praying ‘Primary’ prayers.  By primary prayers, I’m not referring to elementary or childish prayers but instead a primary prayer is a prayer that aligns the petitioner with the will of God the Father

Why is this important?

It’s critical that we pray according to the will of the Father. While this is sometimes difficult to discern it is taught in the Bible: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:5)

How then can we pray according to the Father's will?  How do we do this?

1) Entrust yourself to God’s loving authority

Jesus believed this and taught this: "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38, NIV)   Knowing that God is sovereign in our lives and that He knows what is best for us, provides us with the opportunity to pray in a manner that it is ‘not my will but yours’ Lord.

2) Focus on God’s Priorities

Jesus said we were not to worry, not to be anxious about life “but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33).  So much of our prayers are based on worry and fear,  but we are not to be anxious. Therefore our prayer life needs to be focused on God’s promises for us, His plan for our lives and the lives of those that we care for and pray for as well.

3) Follow the pattern of Jesus

With all that in mind, how can we avoid the frustration that commonly accompanies our prayers? I believe the answer lies in understanding the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven, 

Hallowed be thy name. 

Thy kingdom come, 

Thy will be done, 

On earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, 

As we also have forgiven our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

But deliver us from evil.

The Lord’s Prayer is a ‘Primary Prayer.’   It identifies that it is God that provides, it is He who gives purpose in our lives.   In our primary prayers, it is we that need to change; we should not be trying to change God.  We pray in a manner that aligns us, and reminds us, with what we know is God’s will for our lives.

Perhaps an example is needed.  A primary prayer is about God's plan and provision, a secondary prayer is about an immediate outcome we want from God.  We are often asked to pray for people that are in need of a job. Rather than praying that John, or Jane, or Rebecca gets the job at ABC company, thank God for his provision (our daily bread); pray that your friends will have clarity of thought, that they will be guided into the position that is right for them. Pray that they will be able to provide for their family, that their children will be blessed by the provision and even the abundance that is provided by God.  Call to mind the scripture that says, “ I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).

In Romans 12:2, Paul says, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  A primary prayer for ourselves and friends would be the same; that we would be transformed by the renewing of our minds...that we would know the perfect will of God.

Unwanted Job Transition

Being in transition of any kind can be unsettling.   A job transition can be even more frustrating as it will not only impact the family finances but also gets into the actual persona, the identify of the person.

Men continue to identify themselves more often with their job than women.  Studies have shown that men identify closely with their trade, profession and even the company that employs them.    I can relate as I had over twenty years with Ford Motor Company and it took years for me to understand I was more than what it said on my business card.

The common practice of saying someone is in ‘transition’ rather than ‘temporarily out of work’ is an indication how weird this transition can feel. 

Here are some lessons I’ve learned from not only personal experience but also in years of observation and hopefully some times of encouragement as I’ve met with so many people that are in some type of job transition.

1. Take the opportunity to take stock of skills, education and training.   All too often people rush to immediately find a new job when a little introspection and self-examination can reveal opportunities that wouldn’t have been considered without the transition, no matter how unfair or unexpected.

2. Think ‘network’ rather than ‘application’ as one of the most important and critical elements in finding a new job.   Ask people if they know of jobs that may be available rather than asking for the job itself.  It’s an easier ask and if you are qualified and they have something available, they will tell you.

3. Have faith, which creates a positive persona and attitude rather than fear, that creates anxiety and according to physicians, memory loss. Memory issues are not a good thing when interviewing for a new job.

4. Have patience.  Having patience is difficult when there are bills to pay and money is short.  Having cash savings equal to three-months of regular income is really required these days.  Forbes magazine says that the average job stay is about four and a half years.  If only half of those are unwanted vs. opportunistic job hopping, most employees will find themselves in a transition on average once every ten years.   Patience allows the person to make wise decisions, create opportunities for themselves and their families and perhaps even make lemonade from a serving of lemons.

Five New Year's Resolutions for Leaders

1. Remember that people, not product or service is what matters. I’ve seen too many mission statements in large and small companies that talk about the importance of their customers and employees.  Posting it on the wall is a good idea; embracing it as a value is even better.

2. Find something to stop doing before you add any more tasks.  This is just as important in your private life as it is in your public life.   There are limits, don’t exceed them.

3. Continually add value to your customers and they will keep coming back. Most of us intuitively know that the cost of acquiring new customers is much greater than the cost of retaining them.  Add value and the ‘be-backs’ will be back!

4. Work on your communication skills.  Continuous improvement is the key to leaning how to communicate.  That includes not only the way we speak and share information but also the tools we use.   Keep email short, learn how to use social media properly, listen more and speak less.

5. Be thankful.  While there is typically something we can complain about, our problems are minuscule compared to the blessings that we have received.  Your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers will all respond positively to a thankful attitude.  It’s good for your health too!

These are just five resolutions and they may not be the right five for you, but they have worked for me.  I find that I need to continually renew the resolutions from the past years, as some are just too important to forget.   

If you need to lose weight, stop drinking, spend more time with your family, read the Bible more often or get out of debt, feel free to create that list as well. Then, make sure you don’t need to renew those resolutions in 2016.

Paid Holidays

It’s interesting how busy we can get around the holidays. I’ve observed that where you work or if you work doesn’t really matter when it comes to keeping busy.  Some people work retail (where you have to work during the holidays) while some get paid holidays.  They both stay busy as does the fortunate few that don’t have to work but still find the holidays as busy times with gift buying, travel and entertainment.

Being really busy may be great for the companies, the stores and the people that want you to buy the products or use their services.   There are sales on everything from computers to cars, from tablets to toys.  Restaurants, hotels and the highways are full with people eating, drinking, dining, vacationing and driving….hopefully not all at the same time.

Not the way they were supposed to be.....

Holidays weren't supposed to be like that.   There was a time when most people worked a minimum of six and often seven days a week.   As much of the economy was based on agriculture, there was always a field that needed attending or an animal that needed to be brought in or taken out. Holidays and Feasts were designed to change that routine, to rest, if just for a few days. 

Many of the holidays in ancient Israel for example were tied to the seasons and associated with different harvests.   The Passover is celebrated at the time of the ancient celebration of Pesach.  Pesach was the early spring harvest of barley.   The Succoth, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, was a late summer celebration of the wheat harvest.   These were times to pause and remember the blessings of the Lord.  While there was always some busyness associated with these holidays, they were to be different than the busyness of everyday.

Our holidays in the United States (i.e. Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Christmas, President’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, etc.) all started with the honor and purpose of the remembrance but also a pause…..a time off from work and the routines of life.  

Three-day weekends

Interestingly, the government has tried to move these holidays when possible to Monday to embrace a three-day weekend.  Unfortunately, the effort to create more ‘free time’ has actually created even more busyness as we now have the opportunity to think bigger, travel further and experience even more.

I’m old enough to remember that stores were typically closed on Sunday and most businesses were closed both Saturday and Sunday.    There was a time when looking to the future meant even more leisure time for working people and families.  I’m afraid the present trend is even more busyness. 

In your time of busyness, pause for just a moment to remember what we are celebrating and be sure to thank God as well for the many blessings we all enjoy.

Unity of the Body; Diversity of Traditions

It’s the Christmas season and I always enjoy hearing about the diverse ways people celebrate the holidays.  Take gift giving, for example, do you open your presents on Christmas Even or Christmas Day?  In Spain, children received presents on the Feast of the Three Kings.  Los Santos Reyes is the popular Latin American celebration of the Epiphany.  It is often the three wise men and not Santa Claus who bring gifts for children.  However, the American influence of Christmas has been increasingly more popular each year, particularly with the children.

To this day, many children in Germany still place their shoes on their doorsteps or balconies and fill them with something like straw, hay or grain for the three kings’ horses.  The wise men reward the children with cookies, or small gifts next to their shoes.

While our traditions are different, at the heart of our celebrations is the birth of Jesus.   The birth of Jesus is celebrated because he was the long awaited Messiah.  He was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, visited by the wise men, lived a life that culminated in his earthly ministry, his crucifixion followed three days later by his resurrection.

When we celebrate Jesus birth, we embrace all of the above. This is the foundation of our faith and through these diverse traditions, we can illustrate the unity of our common faith.

Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul spoke often of unity.   Jesus prayed, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:21-23) 

It is not our traditions that ultimately have attracted people to the faith but the way that we act out or exemplify our love of God and the people (the Great Commandment).   Through the years, Christians regardless of their traditions, denominations, culture, nationality, gender or race have been the ones that have been known for both the random acts of mercy as well as their organized charities and missions.   Collectively, we care for the hungry and the homeless, the blind and the lame, the widow and the orphan.

At this time of the year, remember that it is Christ, born in a manager, that we celebrate.  We embrace our various traditions as the means of illustrating our beliefs and at the same time, the unity of our faith.