"Going Postal" Series on Prayer

Next Sunday begins a five-part message series on prayer, telling the stories of the prayers of the kings in 2 Chronicles and conveying through them the teachings of Jesus on prayer (something he taught about quite specifically, and modelled in his own practice).

This may be one of the most important series we've had at Vine to date, not only because of the importance of prayer in the spiritual life of a Jesus follower - and it is of the utmost importance to be sure - but also because how most Christians today are struggling to understand the ancient practice of prayer as they live in the Twitter age, where communications are reduced to 140 characters or less.

John Calvin, Presbyterians' "first thinker," wrote a great deal about prayer. Here are three highlights...

1. Prayer is the chief exercise of faith - Calvin wrote in his commentary on Ephesians that because of the union the Jesus Follower has with God in Christ, we are able to approach God in spite of our sinfulness with full confidence and make our requests know. And God incorporates our prayers into the working of his sovereign will in the church and in the world. This is truly a miracle! And it is one of the most valuable gifts we are given by God to use in life and living.

2. The true test of the measure of our faith lies in our prayer - Calvin wrote these words in another commentary, this one on Matthew 21. Denying ourselves of the practice of prayer as Jesus taught is one of the most telling evidences of a stunted, ungrowing faith.

3. God is praying, too! - In his commentary on Jeremiah, Calvin reminds us that prayer is a two way street...God is praying as much as we are, in fact more so because it is God who initiates and supplies our praying: "We cannot call upon God rightly and sincerely except by the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit; for he it is who not only dictates our words but also creates groaning in our hearts...we do not pray through the imulse of our own flesh, but when the Holy Spirit...in a manner prays in us."

What have been some of your experiences in prayer or praying to God?

What accounts for your greatest struggles or hesitations when it comes to prayer?

What is your view of God's role in prayer?

Yesterday's message was about how God builds bridges between parents and children. The message was based on Ephesians 6:1-4:

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[a] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Some main points from Pastor Craig's message were...

• God's power is not thwarted or blocked by broken or dysfunctional families. Our sufficiency and satisfaction is in God alone, because God alone is faithful. So our family relationships are not to be idols, made to be more important than they are; neither should they so dominate our lives that they keep us in chains.


• Families are ordained as places where the faithfulness and graciousness of God is learned and experienced, passed on from generation to generation.


• Children build the bridge by honoring their parents. This isn't because parents deserve honor in their behavior, but because God is glorified, and rewards us, when we show we trust him in the first relationship of life.


• Parents build the bridge by fulfilling their role to train and instruct children about the graciousness and power of God. This is accomplished not just by providing a safe childhood, loving presence and imparting wisdom; but also by modeling forgiveness and humility when they fall short of the ideal.


• Trusting in Jesus' grace and forgiveness, restoring our relationship with God, flows into our relationships with one another.

What do you think? What questions came to your mind as you heard the message yesterday, or read the summary today? What experiences could you share?

This Sunday's message, by Dr. Paul Suich, was about building a bridge in marriages.

The passage in Ephesians on this is in chap. 5:

22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30because we are members of his body. 31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

What things in culture are "blowing up the bridges" in most marriages? Money? Pornography? Materialism? Absence of role models? Prevalence of Divorce?

Who is more responsible for the health of the marriage? The husband or the wife? Why?

The institution of marriage seems to get a lot of attention in the Christian movement in America - whether it be promoting the preservation and health of marriages on the right, or advocating for expanding marriage to include same-sex partnerships on the left. Why is marriage so important in Christianity? After all, Jesus wasn't married, and neither were most of the first disciples.

Submit your comments!!

Authentic Community

What did you think of Kenny's message at Vine yesterday? He said that Ephesians 4 calls Vine to put off superficiality and unwholesome talk and put on authenticity, take our anger to God, and build one another up with encouragement.

"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the su go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil." -Ephesians 4:25-27

"The greatest challenge the church faces today is to be authentic disciples of Jesus.”
-Dallas Willard

Got a comment? A question? A thought? Post it below.