What does someone who holds the position of police officer mean when he says, “Stop in the name of the law”? Does he think that he is the law? Does he think that a person should “stop” because he said so? No, of course not. What the officer means is that he represents the law, speaks for the law, and is operating in the authority of the law. He has been duly sworn in as someone who is trusted with acting on behalf of and consistent with the law of the land. When the officer commands someone to stop, he is engaged in the rightful use of an authority that has been granted to him. The officer is the voice of the law.What do we mean when we end our prayer by saying “In the name of Jesus, Amen”? Does adding that phrase to the end of our prayer make it more powerful? Is a prayer that ends with those words more likely to be heard and answered? When I looked for an example of a prayer that ended that way from the New Testament, I couldn’t find one. However, I think we should pray in Jesus’ name.
The question is: What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?I think praying in the name of Jesus is a lot like the police officer acting in the name of the law. It’s not about the words themselves. It’s about my position in Christ. It’s not that we have been asked to end all of our prayers with that phrase. Rather, we are to pray as one who has been given authority to do so. Our prayer is to be consistent with His will, His desires and His character. Maybe, instead of ending the prayer with, “In the name of Jesus, Amen,” a better idea could be to start off by saying “Father, I come before you, not in my own power, not in my own righteousness, not in my own capability. I come before you in the authority of Jesus, your Son, who gave me access by faith into this grace in which I now stand because of His blood. I come on the merits of Jesus, not on my own merits.”I think this point is especially significant and thought provoking as I read through the New Testament and see all of the occasions when we are taught to do or act “in Jesus’ name.” You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:14)
In Scripture, when God is silent, it is often punitive. In other words, God's silence is often a response to the rebellious and disobedient nature of His people.
But not always. As I read Scripture it occurrs to me that there are also times that God is silent as He brings His people through the trials of life. I've seen this most often in the Psalms.
Why do you think, when it seems like we need Him the most, God is silent? I think the answer to this question can also be found in the Psalms. As I read the Psalms, I notice that the authors tend to use God's silence as a time for personal reflection, petition, crying out and seeking Him. I also noticed the sheer determination on the part of the author to recognize God for who He is, praise Him for what He does, and remember Him for what He has done.
It often seems that when we need God most, even in His silence, that is the time He is not only helping us, but even carrying us.
The "Footprints In The Sand" story illustrates this. Of course the story is fictional, but I believe it describes a spiritual truth. In fact, I wonder if this fictional character sensed a certain silence on the part of God during his times of trial. I know I have. Here is the story. I added two Bible verses at the end that I think connect.
Footprints in the sand
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: One belonging to him and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it.
"LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed you most, you would leave me."
The LORD replied,
"My precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
"The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."
Deuteronomy 1:30-31
"Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron."
Psalm 77:19-20
Our motives for wanting to hear directly from God may offer a clue as to why we have difficulty hearing Him. Do we want a direct word because we are unwilling to stop and read the Scriptures for guidance? Sadly, this is often true. Will we not seek wise counsel from others? Would hearing directly from God make us feel important or spiritual?According to James 4:3, motives are important when making requests of God.Here’s a good question: Are we obeying what we have already heard from God? Imagine your son or spouse asking you, "What do you want me to do today?" You reply, "Mow the lawn." They walk away, thrilled that you answered them, but they do not mow the lawn. This scenario repeats day in and day out. Would you bother giving them additional directions to plant a flowerbed when the lawn is knee-deep and still growing? Bible study is a great place to begin listening for God's voice. During your Bible study time, pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth as you read. Don’t be afraid to mull over a passage of Scripture over and over. Don’t be in a hurry to move on. This may sound weird but I think we sometimes forget that we need to use our eyes to listen to God. Much of what God wants to say to us He has said. It's in the pages of Scripture.Regular reading of the Bible enables us to better understand how God operates and what He expects of us. This familiarity with Him and His principles will increase our ability to "hear" Him and to discern if something is "of Him". Always compare what you believe may be a word from God with Scripture, for God will not contradict Himself.Hearing God requires that we go about our days actively listening for His voice. Too often we send up a prayer requesting God to speak to us about a given situation and when He does, we don’t even notice. We were too busy, going too fast, listening to and thinking about too many other things.We want God's voice to break through our busy, high speed, high tech lives but God's voice is often still and small.Slow down, breathe a little, clear your mind. Find a place where you can be still and know that He is God.
The U.S. Military asked Harvard a question: “How can we maximize the learning outcome for our people when they are sent to seminars and classes?”Harvard took up the challenge and launched a study to try to answer that question. They found that there are three things that, when combined into one learning experience, maximize the learning outcome for participants. Here they are:1. Set high expectations.- The study found that when participants went into the class expecting that they would get something out of it, they learned more. The attitude of the individual plays a major role.
2. Take good notes.- Not just any note taking. Good note taking. The study found that when the participants focused on the content and intentionally made the effort to take good notes, the note taking enhanced the participant’s ability to understand and remember what was being taught.
3. Discuss what was learned.- Someone once said, “The proof is in the pudding.” What happens when the participant has high expectations of the event, intentionally takes good notes and then has an opportunity to discuss what was learned? The discussion itself is the “proof” that the learning outcome was maximized. The participant was able to recall from memory and notes what the points of the teaching were, and was also able to re-communicate those points. The discussion also helped to reinforce the participant’s understanding and correct any misunderstandings there might have been.
