A Word About Prayer
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name . . .” Matthew 6:7-9 NIV
Have you ever been in a church service or in the presence of someone who is praying and hear them use a bunch of words to address God, before they even get to anything substantive? Maybe they start calling out the various names of God in their prayers: “Lord God Jehovah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Ruler of Nations, Lord of All . . .” On and on and on. All of this before they even get to the very thing they are praying about. I wonder if they know that it’s not necessary?
Jesus tells his disciples not to pray like this. In that day, the “pagans” as the bible calls them, used to heap all kinds of titles and praise words on their god in order to win their affection so that they could get what they wanted. They would introduce their prayers with things to “butter up” their God, hoping to get their god’s attention. But those who walked with Jesus were instructed not to pray this way. Jesus told his disciples to pray from a position of intimacy with their God. Not from a position of begging for “stuff”.
He tells his disciples to address God as “Father”. That describes a relationship. You don’t go to someone you are in relationship with heaping on a bunch of names before you ask for something from them. If you do, they usually know something is up. You want something from them that they will probably say no to. So you feel the need to butter them up first before you ask. Jesus says that God already knows what you are going to ask for, so there is no need for all of the babbling beforehand.
When I call my Dad, I don’t hit him with all of his titles before I get to the gist of what I’m calling for. If I called and said, “Father of Shayna, Erica and Rick; Husband of Donna; Son of Jannette and Herbert; Teacher of students; Resident of Mt. Airy; Owner of a White Car; Former Changer of My Diaper . . .” he would think I’d lost my mind. That’s not how you address someone with whom you have a relationship with. I just leave it at “Hey Dad”. And then proceed with the conversation.
For those who are in relationship with God as our Heavenly Father, there is no need to go on and on and on before you come before Him in prayer. Jesus has already made it possible for you to simply say, “Hey Dad”. There is nothing wrong with praising God for who He is, but it is not necessary for talking to Him on the regular. Don’t think that you are out of order for simply talking to your father. Those who feel disconnected may think they need to start off their prayer with the babbling, but know that it is not necessary. As a matter of fact, I think God would like it very much if you just say, “Hey Dad”. Especially if you have not spoken to God in a while. That doesn’t change the fact that you are still His child. You don’t have to work your way back up to get in good with God again. He already knows what you want to talk about. He just wants you to know that you can talk to Him. No mater how far away you feel you are. Don’t pray like someone who has no relationship with God. You already do. Just say, “Hey Dad”. I am sure He will answer.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Jehova Jireh? My Provider
Jehova Jireh? My Provider.
“I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:18-19 NIV
One of the hardest parts of living by faith in your finances is getting used to the reshaping of your mindset. If you are, like me, used to living in a condition of surplus, then living according to your needs being met is a real challenge. It’s not even that I had a whole bunch of money before, but it was certainly more than I have now. I don’t even think I recognized how much surplus I had until I didn’t have it anymore. I was used to working on a budget, putting some money away for savings and investing, giving, traveling, going out with friends, giving gifts, all with my paycheck. But now, I have no regular paycheck. I get money at random times for various clients that come through at the times when I need it. And usually it has nothing to do with me doing any advertising for them. They just come. Now, if I didn’t know where I was spiritually at this point in my life, I would probably quit school, focus exclusively on my business and get back to the place where I was more comfortable. And believe me, it’s tempting. But God does show me where He has me at this moment, so I continuously fight the temptation. And I also know that this is just a season.
Paul was speaking to the Philippian church about his own financial condition in the above passage. He was living off of the money he made from making tents and whatever else he needed from the support for the churches he started in various towns or cities. He never really put the burden of supporting him on the people, but the Philippians gave out of their hearts for taking care of Paul and his needs. Paul said in the previous verses that he had learned to get along with means and also to get along without them, and one thing he had come to realize is that he can do all things through Christ who strengthened him. That’s what that scripture means. Whether Paul had a lot or a little, he could survive and be content with where he was at the moment. God was his true source, and God touched the hearts of people to help Paul when he needed it. And for that, Paul prayed that God would give them all they needed. Their concern for him was genuine and even though they were not the richest church that Paul helped to start, their kindness and generosity was unmatched. And the people who gave touched Paul’s heart.
I have received so much from people during this time in my life. And it always comes when I need it. Whether it is a service I provided through financial planning or just a person choosing to give me a gift, I am truly grateful. And I have learned how to get along with means and how to get along without. And I, too, know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I pray a special blessing over those who have helped me in any way during this time. Those who have chosen to bless me as I bless others, and those who God has laid on my heart to bless, even when I think I am so broke. I have still been able to give to others. I have not missed a thing. As a matter of fact, I have done even more now then I did when I had a paycheck. So hopefully this encourages others to truly learn to trust God in their financial situation, whatever it may be. If you have means, don’t put your life in it, but learn to share freely. If you don’t have means, learn to see the provision of God in this place, and you will be able to handle it even if He chooses to take you out of that place into a season of abundance. But Christ gives you the strength to do it all. And if you don’t have it then maybe you don’t actually need it the way you think you do. That is something else I’m learning. Just because I want to take care of it financially right now doesn’t mean that I need to. God is still in charge.
“I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:18-19 NIV
One of the hardest parts of living by faith in your finances is getting used to the reshaping of your mindset. If you are, like me, used to living in a condition of surplus, then living according to your needs being met is a real challenge. It’s not even that I had a whole bunch of money before, but it was certainly more than I have now. I don’t even think I recognized how much surplus I had until I didn’t have it anymore. I was used to working on a budget, putting some money away for savings and investing, giving, traveling, going out with friends, giving gifts, all with my paycheck. But now, I have no regular paycheck. I get money at random times for various clients that come through at the times when I need it. And usually it has nothing to do with me doing any advertising for them. They just come. Now, if I didn’t know where I was spiritually at this point in my life, I would probably quit school, focus exclusively on my business and get back to the place where I was more comfortable. And believe me, it’s tempting. But God does show me where He has me at this moment, so I continuously fight the temptation. And I also know that this is just a season.
Paul was speaking to the Philippian church about his own financial condition in the above passage. He was living off of the money he made from making tents and whatever else he needed from the support for the churches he started in various towns or cities. He never really put the burden of supporting him on the people, but the Philippians gave out of their hearts for taking care of Paul and his needs. Paul said in the previous verses that he had learned to get along with means and also to get along without them, and one thing he had come to realize is that he can do all things through Christ who strengthened him. That’s what that scripture means. Whether Paul had a lot or a little, he could survive and be content with where he was at the moment. God was his true source, and God touched the hearts of people to help Paul when he needed it. And for that, Paul prayed that God would give them all they needed. Their concern for him was genuine and even though they were not the richest church that Paul helped to start, their kindness and generosity was unmatched. And the people who gave touched Paul’s heart.
I have received so much from people during this time in my life. And it always comes when I need it. Whether it is a service I provided through financial planning or just a person choosing to give me a gift, I am truly grateful. And I have learned how to get along with means and how to get along without. And I, too, know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I pray a special blessing over those who have helped me in any way during this time. Those who have chosen to bless me as I bless others, and those who God has laid on my heart to bless, even when I think I am so broke. I have still been able to give to others. I have not missed a thing. As a matter of fact, I have done even more now then I did when I had a paycheck. So hopefully this encourages others to truly learn to trust God in their financial situation, whatever it may be. If you have means, don’t put your life in it, but learn to share freely. If you don’t have means, learn to see the provision of God in this place, and you will be able to handle it even if He chooses to take you out of that place into a season of abundance. But Christ gives you the strength to do it all. And if you don’t have it then maybe you don’t actually need it the way you think you do. That is something else I’m learning. Just because I want to take care of it financially right now doesn’t mean that I need to. God is still in charge.
Monday, September 12, 2011
You Have a Song
You Have a Song
“Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:1 NIV
Last winter, when we had our crazy blizzard conditions, I was outside shoveling the snow. I had my iPod on and was listening to a great song I love by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir called, “Wonderful to Me”. The song is just a simple song of adoration and worship to God, but it is extremely soothing. You can feel the love that the singer has towards God. It invites you into their intimacy and calls you to embrace your own intimacy with God. A good worship song is supposed to do that for you. To take you into a deeper place with God. A place where all is well.
But as I continued to listen to the song, I started thinking about my own words and what I actually want to say to God when I’m in that place with Him. I started thinking about my own song. I have an intimate relationship with God. I have things that I can sing about. (Not necessarily sing them well, but it is heartfelt). It’s nice to listen to the words of other people and their relationship with God, but we have our own words. You have a song that you can sing to God that reflects who He is to you. And it’s a song that no one else can sing like you.
When we think of intimate relationships, we know that those relationships are precious. People that we are intimate with know things about us that no one else knows. We share things with them in a way that is special. We might have private jokes, or sayings that only the other person understands. We might have nick-names for each other that no one else quite gets and you don’t want everybody calling you that name. It’s reserved for those special people in your life with whom you share intimate details of yourself. It’s the beauty of having intimacy. To know that there is another person on this earth that is so close to you that they know a lot of what you know about you, and sometimes more. And this is the relationship we have with God, if we go there.
Maybe some of us don’t want to go there with God because we feel unworthy to be invited into that type of intimacy. Maybe we have done things that we are ashamed of and don’t want to be exposed. But the beauty of having that relationship with God is that none of it matters. He already forgave you, before you even knew you needed to be forgiven. He forgave you so that you could be intimate with Him. Anybody you are intimate with probably has had to forgive you or you forgive them at some point. It’s one of the prices of intimacy. You know too much. You can be your full self, the good, bad and ugly. But this intimacy is energizing. And it can make you want to sing!
When I finished my shoveling that day, I wrote a song to God. I’m not going to write it out here. It was just for Him, unless He tells me to share it with others. It’s not the first time I’ve written a song or a poem to God. But it was a reminder that I can get all enamored with someone else’s song, but I do have one of my own as well. I wrote another one about a month ago and actually put that one to music. Maybe I’ll share that one day or give it to a musician to turn into something, but I was happy just to have my own song. And I’m sure you do too. I’m sure you can think of something to praise God for today. You have a song. Just the fact that He calls someone like you to be in intimate relationship with Him is worthy of something! You don’t have to be a songwriter to do this. You just have to be in relationship. If you have ever been in love before, you probably did something that seemed stupid to express it; a poem, a song, a rap. We have all probably come out of ourselves for love at some point. The same is true in our relationship with God. How about you show God just how you feel about Him today. Even if it starts out with anger or hurt or frustration. At least it’s honest. And it’s how you feel. Not someone else. And that is what God wants. An honest relationship. Can you write God a song today?
“Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:1 NIV
Last winter, when we had our crazy blizzard conditions, I was outside shoveling the snow. I had my iPod on and was listening to a great song I love by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir called, “Wonderful to Me”. The song is just a simple song of adoration and worship to God, but it is extremely soothing. You can feel the love that the singer has towards God. It invites you into their intimacy and calls you to embrace your own intimacy with God. A good worship song is supposed to do that for you. To take you into a deeper place with God. A place where all is well.
But as I continued to listen to the song, I started thinking about my own words and what I actually want to say to God when I’m in that place with Him. I started thinking about my own song. I have an intimate relationship with God. I have things that I can sing about. (Not necessarily sing them well, but it is heartfelt). It’s nice to listen to the words of other people and their relationship with God, but we have our own words. You have a song that you can sing to God that reflects who He is to you. And it’s a song that no one else can sing like you.
When we think of intimate relationships, we know that those relationships are precious. People that we are intimate with know things about us that no one else knows. We share things with them in a way that is special. We might have private jokes, or sayings that only the other person understands. We might have nick-names for each other that no one else quite gets and you don’t want everybody calling you that name. It’s reserved for those special people in your life with whom you share intimate details of yourself. It’s the beauty of having intimacy. To know that there is another person on this earth that is so close to you that they know a lot of what you know about you, and sometimes more. And this is the relationship we have with God, if we go there.
Maybe some of us don’t want to go there with God because we feel unworthy to be invited into that type of intimacy. Maybe we have done things that we are ashamed of and don’t want to be exposed. But the beauty of having that relationship with God is that none of it matters. He already forgave you, before you even knew you needed to be forgiven. He forgave you so that you could be intimate with Him. Anybody you are intimate with probably has had to forgive you or you forgive them at some point. It’s one of the prices of intimacy. You know too much. You can be your full self, the good, bad and ugly. But this intimacy is energizing. And it can make you want to sing!
When I finished my shoveling that day, I wrote a song to God. I’m not going to write it out here. It was just for Him, unless He tells me to share it with others. It’s not the first time I’ve written a song or a poem to God. But it was a reminder that I can get all enamored with someone else’s song, but I do have one of my own as well. I wrote another one about a month ago and actually put that one to music. Maybe I’ll share that one day or give it to a musician to turn into something, but I was happy just to have my own song. And I’m sure you do too. I’m sure you can think of something to praise God for today. You have a song. Just the fact that He calls someone like you to be in intimate relationship with Him is worthy of something! You don’t have to be a songwriter to do this. You just have to be in relationship. If you have ever been in love before, you probably did something that seemed stupid to express it; a poem, a song, a rap. We have all probably come out of ourselves for love at some point. The same is true in our relationship with God. How about you show God just how you feel about Him today. Even if it starts out with anger or hurt or frustration. At least it’s honest. And it’s how you feel. Not someone else. And that is what God wants. An honest relationship. Can you write God a song today?
Friday, September 2, 2011
For the Love of Money
For The Love of Money
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” - Matthew 6:24 NIV
Today, I went back to school since being off for the summer. It’s been quite an eventful year for me. I went to Rome for a month, Canada for a weekend, New York for dinner, went to an Eagles game out of state, ate out at some pretty nice restaurants, started a real estate business, finished my final edits on my book and all of this happening while I am in the worst financial condition of my adult life. It is the most ironic thing in the world to me. I have never felt so rich and so poor at the same time. I love it and I hate it. I love it when I see God do something for me that only He could do. And I hate it when I want to do something that I don’t have the money for and have no real prospects of getting it.
I would have never advised a client to do the things that I am doing financially right now. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that the choices that I am making would be a good idea. Ever. I still wouldn’t advise anybody to do what I’ve done: Leave a well-paying, lucrative career in a top financial firm to go back to school to study how to help empower urban neighborhoods economically and spiritually; all after buying a house that was twice the size and expense of your perfectly good house; starting a business that helps anybody with their finances regardless of asset level or income; conduct workshops for people who can’t pay you; Write a book that will hopefully sell enough copies for you to make a few dollars. . . I could go on. I feel like an idiot most days when I actually think about it. And today, after talking to a company I owe money to about when they might get the money they are owed, I went from being in a really good place to being in a really down place. Just in a matter of two minutes.
I got some really great news about my book, better news about my real estate business opportunities and had a really good day in class discussing strategies to help empower the urban poor. And in one conversation, I was brought low. And it was driving home after that conversation that I got a revelation about the place that I am in right now financially and why it is necessary. I am breaking up with money. And breaking up is hard to do.
I’m a capitalist. My favorite game as a kid was Monopoly. I had my first business at 10 years old. I work for commission because I hate working for a salary. I loved money. I loved what it could do. I loved the feeling of having it. I loved the thrill of making it. I love the security I thought it provided me. I loved the joy it gave me when I had it. I loved helping other people make it. I loved giving it. I loved investing it. I loved saving it. I loved using it. I loved money. And if God is going to use me to build His kingdom, I can’t love money. I have to love Him more.
When you love money, even with good intentions, you can hurt people. And since God is in the people business, he won’t let you love money but for so long and keep hurting people. Eventually you are going to have to choose. And if money is winning in your life, then he might just let you go along until money shows itself to be what it truly is: A selfish lover. Money doesn’t love you. Money only loves itself. And since in intimate relationships, you become one with your lover, you too, will become selfish. Eventually you take on the character of money and it controls you and everything you do. It becomes the filter for everything you desire. It can overpower your will and make you it’s slave. Just like an abusive lover. It will use you for its own pleasure and then drop you when you can’t give it what it needs to thrive: power. As long as money has power over you and your life, you will always be it’s slave. As long as you consult your money before you consult your God, you will know who your master really is.
I have been breaking up with money for a while. We both knew that the relationship was going bad, but I didn’t have the courage to do anything about it. I knew that I had given money far too much power in my life and it was ruining my relationship with God. So God stepped in and gave me the courage to walk away. But every now and then I am reminded that I still have feelings for money. Like an old lover who calls you out of the blue. You moved on with your life, started to live again without them. Thought you were over them, until they called you. And that phone call sent you into an emotional spin that you didn’t even know was possible. You still have feelings for them. And you are not as strong as you thought. So you can’t just say that you are over them. You are still in process.
That’s where I am with my relationship with money. God is helping me to put Him in the place where money used to rule my heart. And I don’t know if that battle will ever fully be won in this lifetime, but I can do my part to make sure that I stay out of positions to give money that power over me again. When I look at what God has done for me without money, I am amazed that what I thought money would do, God did. He is showing me how to put money in it’s place as my servant, not my master. I am learning how to tell money what to do for me and not be ruled by what it wants me to do for it. And as long as I don’t forget that my God loves me and my money doesn’t, I will be in good shape. It’s remembering that in times of need that is the hard part. Y’all pray for me. . . As a matter of fact let’s pray together. I think we might all need help in this area.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” - Matthew 6:24 NIV
Today, I went back to school since being off for the summer. It’s been quite an eventful year for me. I went to Rome for a month, Canada for a weekend, New York for dinner, went to an Eagles game out of state, ate out at some pretty nice restaurants, started a real estate business, finished my final edits on my book and all of this happening while I am in the worst financial condition of my adult life. It is the most ironic thing in the world to me. I have never felt so rich and so poor at the same time. I love it and I hate it. I love it when I see God do something for me that only He could do. And I hate it when I want to do something that I don’t have the money for and have no real prospects of getting it.
I would have never advised a client to do the things that I am doing financially right now. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that the choices that I am making would be a good idea. Ever. I still wouldn’t advise anybody to do what I’ve done: Leave a well-paying, lucrative career in a top financial firm to go back to school to study how to help empower urban neighborhoods economically and spiritually; all after buying a house that was twice the size and expense of your perfectly good house; starting a business that helps anybody with their finances regardless of asset level or income; conduct workshops for people who can’t pay you; Write a book that will hopefully sell enough copies for you to make a few dollars. . . I could go on. I feel like an idiot most days when I actually think about it. And today, after talking to a company I owe money to about when they might get the money they are owed, I went from being in a really good place to being in a really down place. Just in a matter of two minutes.
I got some really great news about my book, better news about my real estate business opportunities and had a really good day in class discussing strategies to help empower the urban poor. And in one conversation, I was brought low. And it was driving home after that conversation that I got a revelation about the place that I am in right now financially and why it is necessary. I am breaking up with money. And breaking up is hard to do.
I’m a capitalist. My favorite game as a kid was Monopoly. I had my first business at 10 years old. I work for commission because I hate working for a salary. I loved money. I loved what it could do. I loved the feeling of having it. I loved the thrill of making it. I love the security I thought it provided me. I loved the joy it gave me when I had it. I loved helping other people make it. I loved giving it. I loved investing it. I loved saving it. I loved using it. I loved money. And if God is going to use me to build His kingdom, I can’t love money. I have to love Him more.
When you love money, even with good intentions, you can hurt people. And since God is in the people business, he won’t let you love money but for so long and keep hurting people. Eventually you are going to have to choose. And if money is winning in your life, then he might just let you go along until money shows itself to be what it truly is: A selfish lover. Money doesn’t love you. Money only loves itself. And since in intimate relationships, you become one with your lover, you too, will become selfish. Eventually you take on the character of money and it controls you and everything you do. It becomes the filter for everything you desire. It can overpower your will and make you it’s slave. Just like an abusive lover. It will use you for its own pleasure and then drop you when you can’t give it what it needs to thrive: power. As long as money has power over you and your life, you will always be it’s slave. As long as you consult your money before you consult your God, you will know who your master really is.
I have been breaking up with money for a while. We both knew that the relationship was going bad, but I didn’t have the courage to do anything about it. I knew that I had given money far too much power in my life and it was ruining my relationship with God. So God stepped in and gave me the courage to walk away. But every now and then I am reminded that I still have feelings for money. Like an old lover who calls you out of the blue. You moved on with your life, started to live again without them. Thought you were over them, until they called you. And that phone call sent you into an emotional spin that you didn’t even know was possible. You still have feelings for them. And you are not as strong as you thought. So you can’t just say that you are over them. You are still in process.
That’s where I am with my relationship with money. God is helping me to put Him in the place where money used to rule my heart. And I don’t know if that battle will ever fully be won in this lifetime, but I can do my part to make sure that I stay out of positions to give money that power over me again. When I look at what God has done for me without money, I am amazed that what I thought money would do, God did. He is showing me how to put money in it’s place as my servant, not my master. I am learning how to tell money what to do for me and not be ruled by what it wants me to do for it. And as long as I don’t forget that my God loves me and my money doesn’t, I will be in good shape. It’s remembering that in times of need that is the hard part. Y’all pray for me. . . As a matter of fact let’s pray together. I think we might all need help in this area.
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