[Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our Church Planting Resident, is teaching our current School of Discipleship course, “Good News People: Speaking About Jesus While Becoming Like Him.” This class explores what it looks like to speak about Jesus naturally, while admitting that the most compelling aspect of Christian evangelism is when Jesus’ followers are becoming more and more like him.]
When it comes to speaking about Jesus, we are talking about a spiritual matter. The same is true for becoming like Jesus. Making room for change, putting things off and beginning new habits, are very hard things to do. This is why it is essential to pray. If we are going to speak about Jesus, then we need to pray like Jesus did. If we are going to become like Jesus, then we need to pray. These are spiritual matters.
Prayer is hard though. We swim in a culture of cynicism, skeptical of promises and doubting that they can be carried out. We expect let downs. In other words, we are a people of little faith. One of the things that feeds this attitude of prayer is a false expectation of what prayer is. Prayer is not taking a to-do list to God; it’s something altogether different, that’s remarkably life-giving.
Consider Jesus’ own model of prayer.
“Our Father, who is in heaven. Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us 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. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Amen” (Matthew 6:9-13).
Jesus told his disciples to pray like this, and it is a beautiful picture of an intimate relationship with God. Jesus calls God his Father, and while Jesus had a truly unique relationship within the Trinity, he tells us that God is our Father too! When we know God through Jesus, we become his children; we are part of his family, heirs alongside Jesus. Prayer truly should be a picture of this incredible relationship, where we talk to God. Prayer is how we talk to God. Life is hard. Impossible for us to handle. So we are to pray to God in all things, completely depending on him to provide for us. Our food, our shelter, our clothing and more all comes from God’s hand.
Jesus is in the business of “making all things new” (Revelation 21:5), this is why we must pray to God to bring about his kingdom in Wilmington and Kennett Square and elsewhere as it is in heaven. We depend upon him to bring this about, so let’s pray.
Consider your own relationships with your friends, workplace, and neighborhood. Whom is Jesus bringing into your life to have spiritual conversations with? Whom can you tangibly love and bless? List these people on a 3x5 card. Tape it to your bathroom mirror, or put it beside the kitchen sink, or use it as your bookmark for your own daily bible reading.
Praying for your neighbor is a powerful, subtle way you can love your neighbor.