Much Prayer, Much Productivity

In the last few weeks, I have been challenged over and over again on the importance of prayer. It seems every outlet I am plugged into for spiritual and personal growth is telling me that more than leadership skills and creative ideas; more than Bible study and ministry books; more than time management and time off, I need to invest time in prayer. Essentially the mantra is "much prayer, much power."

This is often a difficult principle to understand. After all life and ministry demand so much of my time. Family needs fun, and concern, and laughter and conversation, and activities, and down time together; events need planning, sermons need writing, students need discipling, worship list must be made, and meetings had. The schedule seems to indicate that the budget for prayer is minimal.

Recently I heard a former Johnson and Johnson executive say that most people do not reach even 80% of their potential capacity for accomplishment. When I consider that statistic, I am reminded of a story I once heard. When John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church was asked how he was able to accomplish so much with all his preaching and writing. His response was, "I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it."

Perhaps we have missed the secret to accomplishing great things in faith, ministry, even life. Much prayer, much productivity. Prayer is not the cursory conversation we check off our list in the morning. It is more than the source by which we accomplish great things. As Oswald Chambers said, "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work." No significant spiritual victory is realized until it is first won in prayer. Prayer without ceasing is the secret to realizing God-given potential.

Let this ideal be in our hearts and minds as we look at our full calendars and packed schedules: Much prayer, much productivity. Remember the words of Jesus, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." John 15:5

Wisdom Hides in Plain Site

Wisdom often hides in plain sight. So often in my life I look for wisdom in the writing of great teachers, preachers, philosophers, and thinkers. I expect their words to be the most profound, to have the most impact, even to effect the greatest change in my thinking or living. However, I recently had an experience which reminded that wisdom does not have to be mined from texts but gleaned from conversations.

Though it may seem contradictory to my last thought, I quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Every man is my superior in some way, and in that, I learn from him." Recently I had the opportunity to take a road trip with a relatively new friend to watch a baseball game. From 4:30pm to 2am I had the undivided honesty of my new friends perspective on so many facets of life. As he spoke on finances, marriage, ministry, baseball; told stories from his childhood and young adult life; I could feel myself growing in some way. The mixture of street smarts, life lessons, and faith proved to be a well spring of knowledge for me. As someone who loves to talk, I thoroughly enjoyed listening. I offered thoughts, he offered perspective; I offered questions, he offered practical truths. There was nothing formal about the conversation — just two friends enjoying a road trip.

Even more than what my friend said, I was excited by what he evoked. From our conversation arose thoughts and insights — wisdom, if you will allow me to use the term — from my own heart and mind. Things I never knew I understood, phrases I have never uttered, vantage points I had never seen began to take shape.

I have ruminated over the conversation many times in the last few days and have concluded that wisdom hides in plain sight. It has potential to arise in the most casual of conversations. It can even be provoked to arise within our own hearts. The question then is not, how do we gain wisdom, but are we noticing it? And if we do, are we careful to follow it?

Everything I know about worship I learned from an Irish Rockstar

As I sit stirring the sugar into my coffee this morning I am reflecting on a teaching a I once heard from a worship leader in one of America's largest churches. The teaching was titled, "Everything I Know About Worship, I Learned From an Irish Rockstar.".

Of course, the title is a reference to Bono, the lead singer of U2. This worship leader was in no way saying worship should be a concert or that worship leaders are the rock icons of their churches. In fact, if you attended this worship leaders more than 10,000 member church, you wouldn't find loud music, theatrical lighting, or any hint of a perfomance atmosphere.

What this worship leader was referring to is the experience of worship. In his opinion Bono is gifted at drawing his audience in and making them part of the show. The parallel is that we as worship leaders are lead people not in an act of worship but in an experience of worship. We endeavour to bring people to a place where we on earth have an audience with heaven. We experience our God through worship and we are engaged by our creator. So, as I prepare to play guitar for my church my hope is that I can lead the people of my church experience God.