A Note Between Trips

Hello, My Fellow Travellers:

I am home for a day, after several days on the road. I have a question for you, as we continue the journey. I hope that you will comment, or send me an email to let me know.

Is the course helping you? Are you beginning to work toward effective prayer? If you are a course participant, you may do well to look at the group discussion thread on the Bible Study Message Board: There is a lesson, and an assignment for you there. We begin to take our study from the external considerations to the internal considerations.

I was wondering, as I was wandering this past week: How do you know that your prayer is effective? What does it look, feel, smell like? Do you know? Or, from the other side, do you know how it feels when your prayers are ineffective? Do you have a measuring stick to use, or a guide that will help you lean more to what works? Or is it just a habit you do?

In this week's lesson, I mentioned some Biblical heroes that had effective prayer lives. But, in each case, prayer was not the issue--relationship was. Jabez knew that, and prayed for a relationship with God that would be pleasing to God. But, as the lesson indicates, God's relationship with us is conditional. If we, then He. So, what is the part we must play?

Effective prayer is an imperative first step to that relationship. Once you understand that the relationship you are attempting to effect is with the God of Israel, and Him alone, then you must learn how to effectively communicate with him. How do you do that?

Well, I will give you some benchmarks that you may find helpful.

1. First of all, we must know who it is that God is.

The first weeks have really focused heavily on that truth. We must understand that it is the Creator of the Universe that we are seeking relationship with. And we must understand the rules of the game.

Have you ever in your life longed so strongly for a moment of God's time that it hurt?
I have. And, it was really painful. And, it lasted a very long time. I had to go through so many layers of who I was before I got to the point of needing to know who God is that I began to suffer from a fear that I would not live long enough to peel away all the layers to get to the point of being the me He created. Because, you see, that is who God desires relationship with. It is not the amazing "Me" that I have created that holds any interest for God. And, I didn't know even then just who that "Me" that God created was. I just knew that everything that wasn't got peeled away. It took some time, and it wasn't as much fun as a root canal. This is one reason why so many people just very simply do not do it. It hurts, a lot.

Your assignment this week is to begin that very process. You won't complete it. But you have to begin the process if you ever have any true desire to have an effective prayer life, much less a true relationship with God. It does get easier, but not first.

What I really want to tell you in this entry is something that I do truly hope will give you the will, the courage, and the commitment to begin this process of rompin' around "T'ween Town".

Answer this question honestly:

Do you truly desire an effective prayer life with God? Why?

Here is a platinum guaranteed secret to a successfully effective prayer life. You ready? You sure?

Grab your Bible, and take a look at some verses: Take a gander at who initiates, and who doesn't initiate the relationship with God:

Genesis 3:20-21
Genesis 16:1-13
1 Kings 3:5-13
Mark 6:7-13
Acts 12:1-17
Revelations 1:1;1:9-20

If you can come down to only one answer to the question above, and if that answer is "I don't know!", here you have some amazing truths offered to you:

1. Believe it or not, you do not initiate this desire-God does.
2. His desire is to have personal, practical, and real with you.
3. If you have this desire in your heart, be of good cheer! God is calling you into having a real, personal, practical relationship with Him.

God came to Adam and Eve. God came to Hagar. God came to Solomon. God came to the Disciples through Christ Jesus. God came to John on the Island of Patmos. Was God real, personal, and practical to them? Noah? Moses? Isaiah?

To you? Does God still come to his children today?

Yes! Yes! Yes! Does God love you? Yes! What love is not real, personal or practical? How much does God love you, today? He has initiated a desire for relationship with you--in you! But the idea of this relationship requires two real beings. Prayer that is truly effective will result in you not only having a desire that God would reveal Himself to you, but that He would reveal the real nature of your relationship with Him, as well. But, that is for another lesson.

I hope you will at least begin the assignment for this week. And, stay tuned to http://kybudman.blogspot.com for audioblog posts from the road.

Please pray for me as I, once again, travel the highways and biways of America with Dad. Who knows, maybe we will be near your town! Believe me, Dad knows and He doesn't tell me much in advance. So it could be a wonderful surprise for us both. I'd love to meet you, spend some quality time, and maybe even a prayer with you.

In the meantime, remember that Jabez has much to show us, and teach us. Keep your heart open, your mind clear, and your relationship fresh!

In His Grip,

Bud Fields