Who's your Daddy? It can change your prayer life!

“Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other’s hearts in prayer.”  Charles G. Finney

  Recently, I finished reading The Comeback by Louie Giglio. One chapter is about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It’s a favorite of Jesus’ parables for many Christians. I know that it’s one of mine. Most focus on the son’s sin and the father’s love and forgiveness. Louie Giglio suggested something that I’d never thought about – What was the son thinking when he saw his father running down the path toward him?

  When the son started to get close to home, his Dad didn’t miss it. His father was eagerly waiting and just needed to see the top of his son’s head coming over the horizon. He pulls up his robe and this noble father sprints down the road, past the servants, past the gate, past the whole village, down the lane toward his son.

  The son must have thought the worst. First it was, Who’s the old man running down the road? Then it was, Oh no, that’s Dad. He’s so irate that he doesn’t want to wait for me to get to the house to crush me; he wants to crush me in full view of the whole town. But that’s not how it went down. In fact, it’s the only time in Scripture where God is portrayed as being in a hurry, because God is always in a hurry to forgive.

  As I thought about the son’s fears, it resonated with me. If I’d blown it and finally came home, and I’d seen my Dad running to meet me, I’d have expected the worst. There wasn’t much grace or forgiveness with my Dad.

  Here’s the problem – our view of God is colored by our view of our Dad. It took me years to realize that God wasn’t going to slap me silly or chew me out because I’d blown it again. God’s Word has been such a healing medicine for me over the years to help me realize who my heavenly Father truly is. Passages like Romans 8:1 have been healing balm for my wounded soul, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Or, Psalms 103:13-14, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”  

  The reason that I’m sharing this is that my unbiblical view of God greatly contaminated my prayer life for many years. I kept waiting for the hammer to fall. Sadly, I know that I am not alone. A distorted view of who God truly is hinders many of His children from praying.

  Some years ago sociologists from Baylor did a study about our view of God. I’m not sure how many believers were surveyed, but they discovered that 31.4% of Americans envision the Almighty as The Authoritarian God. They see him as deeply involved in the world, but angry at what He sees. God wants us to do right, but harsh judgments are pending for those who don’t. Another 24% visualize God as The Distant Deity, seeing Him as uninvolved, detached. Another 16% see God as  The Critical God, judgmental, censorious and highly critical.

  While scholars and sociologists dissect the data, the key to a correct and comprehensive view of God is not found in polls, surveys, studies or even experience. It’s found in the Bible. It’s found in God’s Word.

  Our view of God though greatly effects our prayer life. If you see God as some angry tyrant, like Pharaoh or the Wizard of Oz, you’re not going to be motivated to pray. Or, if you think that you have to beg and twist God’s arm to get Him to even listen, you’re not going to want to pray.

  There are many other reasons that we don’t pray either individually or corporately. For many, our past has contaminated our present relationship with God. It’s truly “fake news.” That’s not our heavenly Father. It’s why we can encourage you to pray both alone and together. We need to be a church who trusts our Father and consistently prays together.

  The Lord blessed me with wonderful and godly adopted parents, Dad and Mom Cummins. They helped me begin to learn who my Heavenly Father truly is. They modeled godly parental love. Please understand, they held me accountable and let me know when I crossed a line. It was always done though with love, forgiveness and hope. It sowed seeds in my soul that blossomed into a growing faith that I can come to my Father with anything at any time.

  One specific incident probably sealed this in my heart more than any other. In my early twenties, I’d finished my junior year at Bible college and I began to doubt everything; Was the Bible true? Was there really a God? Did He love me? It was my own, what one writer called, “A Dark Night of the Soul.” In the midst of this spiritual muddle, I had a meeting with a former Bible college professor and pastor who ended up treating me horribly. He said things to me that were some of the most cruel and harshest I’d ever heard…and none of it was true (It came out later that he was covering up his own sin of adultery). But I was so hurt, so ambushed, so broken and so angry all at once. It was everything that I could do to not hop in my car and leave everything…forever. But I calmed down enough to call Dad Cummins. I was so hurt, I was screaming into the phone and he gently urged me to come home, and I did.

  Though it was a Saturday night and Dad had to preach the next day, I drove through the night and arrived home about 2 am. And Dad Cummins was waiting up for me! I fell into his huge arms weeping and he wept too. And I think for the very first time in my life, I finally knew a bit what my Heavenly Father was like.

  This year we’re focusing on prayer as a church family. Maybe you’ve dodged prayer because you’ve had a distorted view of who your Heavenly Father is. If you’re his child, He’s the Dad you’ve always dreamed of having but He’s innumerable times greater. You can come to Him anytime, anywhere, about anything. He loves you and longs for you to come to Him. 

  Please though don’t come alone, come with your regenerate brothers and sisters. Let’s come to our Abba Father together and see the windows of heaven opened. During 2019 and more, let’s move forward on our knees!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

When helping isn't...

“Enabling is a way of helping a person that feeds the dysfunction. Helping is being there in a way that does not support the dysfunction.”  Dr. Noelle Nelson

  

  Sometimes being kind, just isn’t…You may have heard the recent news story of some visitors at Yellowstone National Park. On May 9^th, these well-meaning visitors encountered a bison calf. According to witnesses, they thought the calf was “cold,” so they put it in the back of their SUV, and then drove it to a nearby park facility.

  According to the park service, regulations require visitors to maintain a distance of least 25 yards from all wildlife, including bison, elk and deer, and at least 100 yards from bears and wolves. The National Park Service stated, too, moving the calf was “a dangerous activity.” Adult animals are very protective of their young and act aggressively to defend them. They also noted interference can cause the mother bison to reject her offspring.

  When rangers tried to reunite the calf with its mother, it was ostracized by its herd. Later, because the calf was found wandering among visitors’ cars, making it a danger to itself and others, the park service decided to euthanize it after its own herd refused to accept it back. A statement posted on the park service website stated: “Approaching wild animals can drastically affect their well-being and, in this case, their survival…The safety of these animals, as well as human safety, depends on everyone using good judgment.”

  As believers, it can be difficult for us to watch someone, particularly those we love, suffer…so we interfere. Yet, we forget God is sovereign. Suffering, trials, or pain are not accidental. A loving God is in control of the fire with His sovereign hand on the gauge controlling the temperature.  

  On May 29^th, it will be 46 years since the Lord took my Mom Home. One of her best friends, along with her husband, prayed about taking me into their home to rescue me from my prescription drug addicted father (they’d previously taken in many missionary kids over the years). But God did not give them peace to proceed. I am so thankful they didn’t. Yes, it would have made my life much easier but God would have not been able to prune, mold and shape me as He has, if my formative years had been less difficult.
  As the youngest of five children and with my father’s issues, my Mom was sheltering me and spoiling me. She was very well intentioned, yet, I believe if it had continued, I might have had great difficulty ever coming into a healthy adulthood. Yes, it has brought some burdens in my life which I’ve had to work through, including Who God really is and what my relationship with Him is. But, I would not trade my past for anything. I live in the reality of my Mom’s life verse, “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). My life verse from the book of Job echoes a similar truth, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15).

  Please do not conclude I have my life all together or think in any way that I do. I don’t. I struggle on this spiritual journey just like everyone else. My greatest obstacle is often trusting God. I sometimes wonder if I doubt more than I trust. Yet, I do not believe I would be as far along as I am in my walk with the Lord, if I had not first gone through some fiery trials.  

  Some years back Jane and I had a very serious discussion about the future of our children. If you know Jane, you probably know one of her greatest gifts is kindness. If Jane struggles with anything, it’s being too kind. As a result, I felt she was helping our three children too much. I asked her, “What if something happened to us? Would they be ready for life…for a healthy adulthood?” I firmly believe, after a godly inheritance, the best gifts we can give our children are roots and wings.

  But it’s very difficult for a parent to watch their child “suffer.” Yet, in suffering, character and maturity are developed. For example, a parent should never talk to their child’s employer. If they’re old enough to hold a job, they’re old enough to problem-solve for themselves. It’s best when children move into the teen years, to not intervene on their behalf with teachers or coaches. Sure, they’re going to be bruised and battered a bit, yet that’s how you grow and mature.

  Tragically, I know of parents who when their child gets in legal trouble, they bail them out, often over and over again. The same happens with finances. You may know an adult in their forties or fifties who’s still financially dependent on their parents. Wow! Talk about being kept an emotional and fiscal invalid. Obviously, each case is different. The normal pattern though is for those in adulthood to take on adult responsibilities. The transition to that begins in those interim years of adolescence.

  This lack of facing consequences and responsibility is a major source of the perpetual immaturity in our society. It’s morally wrong and foolish for our government to rescue those who refuse to take responsibility for themselves. Sadly, the Great Society has resulted in generational dependency and perpetual adolescence. Scripture commands tough love. Check it out for yourself. “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

  “Scott, are you saying we should let people go hungry?” No, the Bible says that, not me. Please understand there is also a world of difference between working poor and idle poor. We must always be gracious and generous to the disenfranchised, i.e. children, the disabled, widows, etc. Yet, we are being cruel when we enable people who could take care of themselves in the name of “kindness.” It’s unkind and we’re sentencing them to dependence and perpetual adolescence.

  One of my favorite quotes is from an old Southern Baptist evangelist, Vance Havner, “If they had a social gospel in the days of the prodigal son, somebody would have given him a bed and a sandwich and he never would have gone home.” He was right.

  Sadly, we have become a culture of emotional adolescents, screaming for our rights. We give others control over us when we fail to take personal responsibility for our own well-being. The clear biblical pattern is responsibility precedes rights. Oftentimes saying, “No” and not rescuing someone is the kindest act you can do for them and it’s supremely biblical. 

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