Colin S. Smith's Blog

Grow in Contentment Through Worship

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty or hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Paul had experienced the best and the worst of life in this world.

He knew what it was to be “brought low” and he knew what it was to “abound.” He knew what it was to have “plenty” and he knew what it was to be in “need.” Paul had experienced life at the top and life at the bottom. He knew the full range of human experience and he says, “In every circumstance, I have learned to be content.”

The implication of the word “learned” is that it was not always like this for Paul. He grew in contentment over time. It did not come quickly and it did not come easily, but there was growth and there was progress for him, and the same can be true for us today.

Bring to Mind the Blessings of God

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

God has given you the ability to choose where you focus your attention. What are the good things about your family? What are the good things about your church, your work, your neighborhood? Bring these to mind, especially when you are inclined to complain, and as you do, you will learn to be content.

Make more of your joys than you do of your sorrows. Make more of your gains than you do of your losses. Do this in your thinking, in your speaking, and even in your praying, and you will grow in contentment. I’ve included praying here because of what Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

If you do this, “the peace of God…will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7). So bring your requests to God. But if your prayers are only a long list of requests, your praying will not bring you peace. All you are doing is filling your mind with problems in the presence of God.

Don’t let your prayers become an exercise in worrying on your knees! Bring to mind the blessings of God in your life. Give thanks for all Christ has done for you and for all that you are in him. Bring your requests to God, with thanksgiving, and the peace of God will guard your heart and mind.

Make More of Blessings Than Sorrows

Martin Luther has a wonderful comment about “the rhetoric of the Spirit.” Rhetoric relates to speaking, and so “the rhetoric of the Spirit” is Luther’s way of describing how the Holy Spirit speaks:

If a cross comes, to make the cross but little, but if there is a mercy, to make the mercy great. 

The Devil has a different way of speaking:

If there is a cross, the Devil makes it greater than it is, and so brings discontent. And if there is a mercy, it is the rhetoric of the devil to make the mercy less. “Aye, indeed,” [the Devil] says, “The thing is a good thing, but what is it? It is no big deal.” 

When you are listening to music, you have some choices as to how it will sound. You can turn up the treble, or you can turn up the bass. The music is the same, but it will sound quite different depending on the settings that you choose.

Turn up the “mercies” in the music of your life. The rhetoric of the Spirit magnifies your mercies! A person who is filled with the Holy Spirit makes more of their blessings than they make of their sorrows.

Savor the Blessings of Christ

This does not mean pretending that your sorrows do not exist. But when you have suffering and pain in one area of your life, you can put it alongside another area where you have been especially blessed. So for example, you may say, “I have a really difficult job, but thank God, I also have a really wonderful church!” or “I am struggling with this pain in my body, but thank God, he has given me a healthy mind!”

The pastor Jeremiah Burroughs applies this particularly to the anxiety of parents over a rebellious son or daughter: “It may be that God has afflicted you in one child, but he has been merciful to you in another child: Set one against the other.” 

David knew great sorrow over one of his sons, Absalom. Absalom led a rebellion against his father David, and it ended in Absalom’s untimely and tragic death. The Bible records David’s pain and anguish over his rebel son: “O my son Absalom, my son…Would I have died instead of you” (2 Samuel 18:33).

But God gave David another son, Solomon, who was a blessing and joy to his father’s heart.

Burroughs makes the point that it would have helped David in his sorrow, if when he had said, “O my son Absalom, my son…” he had also said, “O my son Solomon, my son…”

Regular participation in worship fosters contentment, because in worship we call to mind the mercies of God and gratefully savor the blessings of Christ.

Cited in Jeremiah Burroughs, “The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment,” p. 155, Banner of Truth, 1964.  Ibid., p. 156.  Ibid., p. 175.

Grow in Contentment through Worship

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty or hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Paul had experienced the best and the worst of life in this world.

He knew what it was to be “brought low” and he knew what it was to “abound.” He knew what it was to have “plenty” and he knew what it was to be in “need.” Paul had experienced life at the top and life at the bottom. He knew the full range of human experience and he says, “In every circumstance, I have learned to be content.”

The implication of the word “learned” is that it was not always like this for Paul. He grew in contentment over time. It did not come quickly and it did not come easily, but there was growth and there was progress for him, and the same can be true for us today.

Bring to Mind the Blessings of God

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

God has given you the ability to choose where you focus your attention. What are the good things about your family? What are the good things about your church, your work, your neighborhood? Bring these to mind, especially when you are inclined to complain, and as you do, you will learn to be content.

Make more of your joys than you do of your sorrows. Make more of your gains than you do of your losses. Do this in your thinking, in your speaking, and even in your praying, and you will grow in contentment. I’ve included praying here because of what Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

If you do this, “the peace of God…will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7). So bring your requests to God. But if your prayers are only a long list of requests, your praying will not bring you peace. All you are doing is filling your mind with problems in the presence of God.

Don’t let your prayers become an exercise in worrying on your knees! Bring to mind the blessings of God in your life. Give thanks for all Christ has done for you and for all that you are in him. Bring your requests to God, with thanksgiving, and the peace of God will guard your heart and mind.

Make More of Blessings Than Sorrows

Martin Luther has a wonderful comment about “the rhetoric of the Spirit.” Rhetoric relates to speaking, and so “the rhetoric of the Spirit” is Luther’s way of describing how the Holy Spirit speaks:

If a cross comes, to make the cross but little, but if there is a mercy, to make the mercy great. 

The Devil has a different way of speaking:

If there is a cross, the Devil makes it greater than it is, and so brings discontent. And if there is a mercy, it is the rhetoric of the devil to make the mercy less. “Aye, indeed,” [the Devil] says, “The thing is a good thing, but what is it? It is no big deal.” 

When you are listening to music, you have some choices as to how it will sound. You can turn up the treble, or you can turn up the bass. The music is the same, but it will sound quite different depending on the settings that you choose.

Turn up the “mercies” in the music of your life. The rhetoric of the Spirit magnifies your mercies! A person who is filled with the Holy Spirit makes more of their blessings than they make of their sorrows.

Savor the Blessings of Christ

This does not mean pretending that your sorrows do not exist. But when you have suffering and pain in one area of your life, you can put it alongside another area where you have been especially blessed. So for example, you may say, “I have a really difficult job, but thank God, I also have a really wonderful church!” or “I am struggling with this pain in my body, but thank God, he has given me a healthy mind!”

The pastor Jeremiah Burroughs applies this particularly to the anxiety of parents over a rebellious son or daughter: “It may be that God has afflicted you in one child, but he has been merciful to you in another child: Set one against the other.” 

David knew great sorrow over one of his sons, Absalom. Absalom led a rebellion against his father David, and it ended in Absalom’s untimely and tragic death. The Bible records David’s pain and anguish over his rebel son: “O my son Absalom, my son…Would I have died instead of you” (2 Samuel 18:33).

But God gave David another son, Solomon, who was a blessing and joy to his father’s heart.

Burroughs makes the point that it would have helped David in his sorrow, if when he had said, “O my son Absalom, my son…” he had also said, “O my son Solomon, my son…”

Regular participation in worship fosters contentment, because in worship we call to mind the mercies of God and gratefully savor the blessings of Christ.

Cited in Jeremiah Burroughs, “The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment,” p. 155, Banner of Truth, 1964.  Ibid., p. 156.  Ibid., p. 175.

How Christ Changes the Way We See Others

What does it mean to regard someone according to the flesh? 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 says:

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The Bible says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). It is natural for us to form impressions from the most obvious things about other people.

Here are ten factors that distinguish us “according to the flesh.” We need to grasp these in order to understand the radical transformation that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. All of them are sensitive. Most of our problems, and most of our conflicts, arise from what we are “in the flesh.”
Ten Factors that Distinguish Us According to the Flesh
1. Appearance
This is often the first way we identify people in ordinary conversation. According to the flesh you are a certain height and a certain weight. You have your own style and your own level of fitness. All of us have thoughts about our own appearance, what we like or don’t like about it, and how it compares with the appearance of others.
2. Ability
Here I am thinking about the gifts, talents, and abilities that each of us has. We are gifted in different ways and to different degrees – in sports, in the arts, and in music, etc. Our abilities in different areas are part of what we are according to the flesh.
3. Age
Paul says to Timothy, “Let no one despise… your youth” (1 Tim. 4:12). Age is something that distinguishes us according to the flesh. Some people, seeing that Timothy was young, would not take him seriously. They would need to be won over by his godly example. Similarly, many older people feel pushed to the margins in a culture that chases after the young.
4. Friends
When you are at school this can be a big factor in your life. Who are your friends? Which group are you in? It remains true throughout life. We often talk about our “social circles.”
5. Race
It’s very striking how often you have reference in the Bible to Jews and Gentiles, the distinctions between them and how these sometimes bitter divisions might be overcome. You can’t understand the history of America or the tensions in our country that continue today apart from this issue, and the many injustices that have gone with it.
6. Gender
God has made us male and female, and this distinguishes us according to the flesh. As we think about race and gender, it strikes me that the great cultural debates of our time all focus around what we are according to the flesh. How do we deal with these great things that make us different according to the flesh?
7. Work
What is your work? Manual labor? Business? Education? Health? The Arts? Science? Or is your work with the home and family? I am always interested to ask people “What is your work?” because knowing what a person’s work is gives you some insight into their experience of life according to the flesh.
8. Home
A person’s lifestyle involves the home they live in, the car they drive, the vacations they enjoy, the restaurants they frequent, and the entertainments that they choose. All of this is driven by the means (or lack of it) that are available to them. Communities are sometimes divided between a more prosperous area on one side of a railway line and a less prosperous area on the other side.
9. Family
This can include family of origin, family by adoption, and family by marriage. Gifts, talents, and physical features were all passed to you from your parents. And along with them, the battles, desires, and struggles that were in your father and mother may also now be in you.
10. Experience
Who we are according to the flesh is shaped both by nature and by nurture, not only by genes but also by environment. Our early experiences of love or of neglect have a huge influence on the shape of our lives. The opportunities that come as we develop – open doors and closed doors, make a big difference.

As I reflected on these issues, I found myself wondering, “Why are all these issues so sensitive?” The answer is that for the vast majority of people what we are “according to the flesh” is all that there is. And if it’s all that there is, we are going to be constantly uptight about who we are according to the flesh, and we will be quick to judge others in the same way.
Christ Changes How You See Others

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. (2 Corinthians 5:16)

Here is something that is unique and wonderful in the body of Christ. The things that make us different according to the flesh are overwhelmed by the new life of Jesus that we share in the body of Christ.

In the flesh, we lived for ourselves, and our death would mean passing into condemnation. But Jesus died to change all that. Who we are according to the flesh died with Him, through His atoning death on the cross. Who we are in Christ is born from Him, through His resurrection life.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek,

there is neither slave nor free,

there is no male and female,

for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:27-28)

What makes us different according to the flesh falls away in the light of the new creation in Jesus Christ. This new creation includes men and women of every race, people of all kinds of appearance and age, people of every background and experience, people from every trade and profession and every level of ability, all brought into peace with God through the same Savior, all submitting our very different lives to the same Lord.

A change in how you see Jesus brings a change in how you see others. That means we do not see each other through the lens of what we are by nature and the ten things that make us different, but of who we are by grace and the redeeming work of Christ that makes us one.
How Christ Sees You
If you judge yourself according to the flesh, either you will always be looking down on others because you see yourself as having more going for you than they do, or you will always be losing heart, because others have more gifts and talents and advantages and opportunities than you. Here’s the good news: Christ does not regard you according to the flesh.

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one” (John 8:15). We know from other Scriptures that Jesus will be the judge of every person, “The Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). Jesus is not denying that.

Jesus is saying, “You judge people according to the flesh. But I don’t do that!” Jesus does not form an opinion about you according to the flesh. He does not base a judgment about you on your appearance, ability, age, friends, race, gender, work, home, family, or experience.

Jesus offers himself to every person, of every race, with every ability, and from every background. He offers himself, without partiality, as the living Savior and the reigning Lord. And whatever you are according to the flesh, He is able to make you a new creation.

When Jesus Christ is your sovereign Lord, what He thinks of you is the first (and ultimately the only) thing that really matters. A change in how you see Jesus will lead to a change in how you see others and a change in how you see yourself, so that you will not lose heart!

10 Factors that Distinguish Us According to the Flesh

What does it mean to regard someone according to the flesh? 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 says:

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The Bible says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). It is natural for us to form impressions from the most obvious things about other people.

Here are ten factors that distinguish us “according to the flesh.” We need to grasp these in order to understand the radical transformation that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. All of them are sensitive. Most of our problems, and most of our conflicts, arise from what we are “in the flesh.”
Ten Factors that Distinguish Us "According to the Flesh"
1. Appearance
This is often the first way we identify people in ordinary conversation. According to the flesh you are a certain height and a certain weight. You have your own style and your own level of fitness. All of us have thoughts about our own appearance, what we like or don’t like about it, and how it compares with the appearance of others.
2. Ability
Here I am thinking about the gifts, talents, and abilities that each of us has. We are gifted in different ways and to different degrees – in sports, in the arts, and in music, etc. Our abilities in different areas are part of what we are according to the flesh.
3. Age
Paul says to Timothy, “Let no one despise…your youth” (1 Tim. 4:12). Age is something that distinguishes us according to the flesh. Some people, seeing that Timothy was young, would not take him seriously. They would need to be won over by his godly example. Similarly, many older people feel pushed to the margins in a culture that chases after the young.
4. Friends
When you are at school this can be a big factor in your life. Who are your friends? Which group are you in? It remains true throughout life. We often talk about our “social circles.”
5. Race
It’s very striking how often you have reference in the Bible to Jews and Gentiles, the distinctions between them and how these sometimes bitter divisions might be overcome. You can’t understand the history of America or the tensions in our country that continue today apart from this issue, and the many injustices that have gone with it.
6. Gender
God has made us male and female, and this distinguishes us according to the flesh. As we think about race and gender, it strikes me that the great cultural debates of our time all focus around what we are according to the flesh. How do we deal with these great things that make us different according to the flesh?
7. Work
What is your work? Manual labor? Business? Education? Health? The Arts? Science? Or is your work with the home and family? I am always interested to ask people “What is your work?” because knowing what a person’s work is gives you some insight into their experience of life according to the flesh.
8. Home
A person’s lifestyle involves the home they live in, the car they drive, the vacations they enjoy, the restaurants they frequent, and the entertainments that they choose. And all of this is driven by the means (or lack of it) that are available to them. Communities are sometimes divided between a more prosperous area on one side of a railway line and a less prosperous area on the other side.
9. Family
This can include family of origin, family by adoption, and family by marriage. Gifts, talents, and physical features were all passed to you from your parents. And along with them, the battles, desires, and struggles that were in your father and mother may also now be in you.
10. Experience
Who we are according to the flesh is shaped both by nature and by nurture, not only by genes but also by environment. Our early experiences of love or of neglect have a huge influence on the shape of our lives. The opportunities that come as we develop – open doors and closed doors, make a big difference.

As I reflected on these issues, I found myself wondering, “Why are all these issues so sensitive?” The answer is that for the vast majority of people what we are “according to the flesh” is all that there is. And if it’s all that there is, we are going to be constantly uptight about who we are according to the flesh, and we will be quick to judge others in the same way. But…
Christ Changes How You See Others

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. (2 Corinthians 5:16)

Here is something that is unique and wonderful in the body of Christ. The things that make us different according to the flesh are overwhelmed by the new life of Jesus that we share in the body of Christ.

In the flesh, we lived for ourselves, and our death would mean passing into condemnation. But Jesus died to change all that. Who we are according to the flesh died with Him, through His atoning death on the cross. Who we are in Christ is born from Him, through His resurrection life.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek,

there is neither slave nor free,

there is no male and female,

for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:27-28)

What makes us different according to the flesh falls away in the light of the new creation in Jesus Christ. This new creation includes men and women of every race, people of all kinds of appearance and age, people of every background and experience, people from every trade and profession and every level of ability, all brought into peace with God through the same Savior, all submitting our very different lives to the same Lord.

A change in how you see Jesus brings a change in how you see others. That means we do not see each other through the lens of what we are by nature and the ten things that make us different, but of who we are by grace and the redeeming work of Christ that makes us one.
How Christ Sees You
If you judge yourself according to the flesh, either you will always be looking down on others because you see yourself as having more going for you than they do, or you will always be losing heart, because others have more gifts and talents and advantages and opportunities than you. Here’s the good news: Christ does not regard you according to the flesh.

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one” (John 8:15). We know from other Scriptures that Jesus will be the judge of every person, “The Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). Jesus is not denying that.

Jesus is saying, “You judge people according to the flesh. But I don’t do that!” Jesus does not form an opinion about you according to the flesh. He does not base a judgment about you on your appearance, ability, age, friends, race, gender, work, home, family, or experience.

Jesus offers himself to every person, of every race, with every ability, and from every background. He offers himself, without partiality, as the living Savior and the reigning Lord. And whatever you are according to the flesh, He is able to make you a new creation.

When Jesus Christ is your sovereign Lord, what He thinks of you is the first (and ultimately the only) thing that really matters. A change in how you see Jesus will lead to a change in how you see others and a change in how you see yourself, so that you will not lose heart!

How to Mourn Over Your Sins

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

Spiritual mourning is laden with blessing, and we are to go after it and get as much of it in our lives as we possibly can. The more you know of this mourning, the more joy you will experience in your life.
Six Ways to Mourn Over Your Sins
How does one receive the comfort that comes from spiritual mourning? Here are six ways to mourn in a blessed way:
1. Spiritual mourning names particular sins.
True spiritual mourning begins by naming one or more sins, stating them clearly without excuse and without evasion. Declare them immediately, and admit they are an offense against God. Get used to identifying particular sins when you read the Bible. You will begin to see what God sees, and you will get to know what grieves and offends him. Once you have named the sin as being really in you, you are ready to enter into spiritual mourning.
2. Spiritual mourning involves heartfelt sorrow.
Take a long, hard look at the cost of this sin, and you will enter more deeply into spiritual mourning. First think about other sins into which the sin you are mourning has led you: sins of deception and pretense. Then consider what this sin of yours has cost others. Finally, think about how costly the sin you are mourning was for Jesus, as he bore your transgressions on the cross.
3. Spiritual mourning arises from humility.
To develop heartfelt sorrow toward some attitude or action that has held (and may still hold) a powerful attraction, you must become poor in spirit, recalling your own inadequacy and recalling your sins as the motive for Christ’s sacrifice. Seeing our sins as costly to Jesus takes us back to the first two rings; naming our sins and feeling sorrow for our actions humbles us and gives us momentum to come before our God to confess and to depend on him.
4. Spiritual mourning is infused with hope.
When you mourn your sins, seeing them for what they are, it can be easy for you to despair. Instead remember that when God shines the light on your sins, his great purpose is to lead you to Jesus, the friend of sinners. In him you will find hope. Hope is a signature mark of spiritual mourning, and it arises from faith in Christ and all that he has accomplished through the cross.
5. Spiritual mourning happens at the cross.
True spiritual mourning always leads you to the cross. That is where you forsake these sins and break a pattern of habitual sin. Naming and confessing your sins will lead you into spiritual mourning, but knowing the love of Christ will take you further. And the love of Christ is always found at the foot of the cross.
6. Spiritual mourning will lead you to forsake sins.
Spiritual mourning is the key to breaking sin’s compulsive power. This is why we can speak of spiritual mourning as being a blessing. Do this work of spiritual mourning thoroughly, and you will have strength to overcome the sin that has defeated you, and to forsake it at the cross.
The Power of Spiritual Mourning
When a sin has become habitual or when its repeated pattern has become engrained as an addiction, spiritual mourning will be your key to breaking its compulsive power, and it is for this reason that we can speak of the blessing of spiritual mourning. Do this work of spiritual mourning thoroughly and you will have strength to overcome the sin that has defeated you, and to forsake it at the cross.

For more on the Beatitudes, read the book Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings through the Beatitudes or listen to this sermon series on the Beatitudes.

How to Discern Promptings from the Holy Spirit

Question: I will sometimes wake up prompted to pray for someone. Last month I was prompted to pray something very confusing for someone I know. What exactly does this mean, and how can I best discern promptings from the Holy Spirit?

Answer: Promptings or leadings are a common experience for the Christian believer:

Simeon was “moved by the Spirit” to go into the temple where Joseph and Mary were dedicating Jesus to God (Luke 2:27).
Jesus was “led by the Spirit” into the desert to be tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1).
Paul was “compelled by the Spirit” to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22).

But, it is equally important to remember that there are other kinds of promptings that we can experience besides the leadings of the Holy Spirit. Some can be good promptings, while others can be bad:

Your heart can “prompt” you to give (Exodus 25:3).
But your sin can also “prompt” you to speak (Job 15:5).
And your troubled thoughts can “prompt” you to answer (Job 20:2).
The devil even “prompted” Judas to go out and betray Jesus (John 13:2).

Becoming a Christian does not ensure that all your promptings are now from God. As a matter of fact, the apostle John says:

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. (1 John 4:1)

Looking back over the examples I gave of promptings from the Bible,

Some were from the Spirit of God,
Others came from ourselves (our hearts, our sin, or our troubled thoughts), and
Some even came from the devil himself.

So, it’s important to distinguish which “promptings” are really from us (or from evil spirits), and which ones are truly from God. When we look at Scripture to discern promptings of any kind, we should look at Scripture in its context. Remember, Satan is a master at twisting the Scriptures to mean something God never intended (see Luke 4).

Regarding prompts to pray, I think we can and should pray for the prompt, unless it clearly goes against Scripture. Often when the Holy Spirit prompts us to pray, it is to guard someone against sin, keep them safe physically or when under a spiritual attack. None of these go against Scripture, and praying for these things can do great good (or even prove life saving) for the one you're praying for. It's worth considering that the enemy of our souls doesn’t like God’s people praying and is unlikely to prompt us to pray, and even if we do pray for something that isn’t of God, God will know what to do with our request—He will probably disregard it since it is not according to His will (1 John 5:14).

As you continue to grow in holiness, you will also find yourself growing in your ability to discern God’s will:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Warmly in Christ,
Pastor Tim

How to Plan Your Daily Prayer Routine

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)

Prayer is an offer of a lifetime. The God of the universe invites us into His presence to worship Him, confess our sins, present our requests before Him, and intercede for our broken world.

It's like having a direct line to the president, except infinitely better. We never go to God's voicemail. God's will can't be blocked by congress. God's power isn't confined by term limits. And what president can say, "If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14) like Jesus did?

One ordinary, yet powerful, way to build your life upon the glorious gift of prayer is to think intentionally through a daily prayer routine. Intentionality shows God that you take His gracious offer to hear our prayers seriously, and will help you invest more of the short time you have on earth in His kingdom priorities.
A Suggested Method
You may feel overwhelmed with the list of potential to-dos ahead of you. Don't be. If you take five minutes today to think through goals for prayer and a simple plan, you'll be surprised at how productive and fruitful your prayers can be.

1. Pray for prayer.

God can help you create or improve a prayer routine. Ask Him for faith to believe He hears you, help in thinking through basic elements of a prayer routine, creativity in implementation, wisdom for overcoming internal weaknesses and external obstacles to prayer, and a desire to persevere.

2. Plan time.

The adage "fail to plan and you will plan to fail" is often true for our prayer lives because of busyness and distraction.

I recommend scheduling regular time for extended prayer into your daily, weekly, and monthly routines. Your best time for prayer is often when you have mental energy and available time. And if no such time comes to mind, consider what to remove in your life so you will be more available to seek the Lord.

In addition to these regular extended times of prayer, what other ways can you build prayer into your life? Can you say a short prayer at the start of a workday? Before a meal? When you sit in your car? You may only have thirty seconds to commune with your heavenly Father, but that's thirty seconds well-invested.

3. Engage Scripture.

The more we incorporate Scripture into our prayers, the more powerful our prayers will be and the more they will focus on God's priorities. As you read Scripture, note verses and passages you'd like to incorporate into your prayers. I use a journaling Bible and will often write key ideas and prayers in the margin.

Here are some of my favorites passages to turn to prayer:

Matthew 6:9–13 (The Lord's Prayer)
Matthew 6:33
Ephesians 1:15–23
Romans 12:1–2
Proverbs 3:5–6
John 15:1–10
James 1:5
Psalm 2
Psalm 23

Many Scripture passages adapt easily for prayer, but you will find special value in praying the prayers of the Bible.

4. Design Structure.

Giving yourself structure in prayer provides a path for your mind to follow so that if (and when) you get off track, you can hop back on. This step is like the skeleton of your prayer routine.

A good structure will bring you through different types of prayer and remind you to intercede for a variety of people, events, and kingdom priorities. You might combine several of the ideas below or create your own structure. The key idea is to know the basic shape of your prayer time.

Suggested structures for prayer:

The A-C-T-S Pattern (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication)
The six petitions of the Lord's Prayer
Responding to daily Bible reading in prayer
A prayer worksheet divided by days of the week (like in the example below)
An app like PrayerMate
Prayer cards
A prayer journal




[caption id="attachment_143988" align="aligncenter" width="586"] Download a free worksheet to organize your prayer life. (No signup needed.)[/caption]



5. Organize priorities.

This step puts meat on the bones of the structure you designed. The general organizational principle rings true: if you have something you'd like to pray for, it needs to have a logical place in your prayer plan. (Although not everything will have a logical category, so you might make a "Random" category like I did.)

I recommend gathering Scriptures you'd like to pray, a list for intercession (for family, your church, the world), and any other priorities you have. Then think through your structure and fill it in with specifics. You will find a journal, worksheet, prayer app, or digital notepad helpful for putting the meat on the bones of your prayer life.

6. Tweak as you go.

The exercise of planning your prayer time never really ends, and that's good. Prayer priorities change. As more Scriptures or requests come to mind that you'd like to bring before the throne of grace, add them to your plan. As certain requests expire or become less important, cycle them off your routine prayer. Maintaining a fresh prayer list only takes minutes each month.
How This Looks in Practice
Here's a glimpse of my daily prayer routine: I start first thing in the morning by reading Scripture. My reading time is mixed with meditation on Scripture (which some call a natural bridge to prayer) and praying in response to Scripture. This usually takes 25 minutes. Then I transition to my prayer worksheet (or digital prayer cards in the free PrayerMate app) that has the following structure:

Scripture to Pray
Personal Requests
Family & Friends
Church & Ministry
Community & World
Random & Big Prayers

As time allows, I spend about fifteen minutes praying through my requests in the previous six categories. My young daughter often interrupts my prayer time, but knowing my prayer to-dos for that day make it easy to get back on track after interruptions. My daily prayer time varies after this morning routine, but generally I try to scatter shorter moments of prayer throughout my day.

Yes, on the surface, your prayer life may look ordinary like mine. But our God can and does use the ordinary to do extraordinary things (Ephesians 3:20)!
Bear Long-Term Fruit in Prayer
The conviction behind this article is that if our prayer priorities and requests are organized and we have a plan to pray through them, we will pray more faithfully and fruitfully over the long run.

You'll face obstacles, battle laziness and sometimes the desire to pray, but God is worth seeking with all our hearts. Getting a prayer plan together and implemented will help you take advantage of the glorious gift He has given us in prayer.

Seven Blessings for Empty-Handed Believers

Empty-handedness is where the blessing of God begins.

People who feel they have something to offer God come to him with their hands full, but as long as our hands are full, we are not in a position to receive. As Thomas Watson says, “If the hand is full of pebbles, it cannot receive gold.” [1]

People who are poor in spirit drop the pebbles because they want the gold, and they know that it can only be received by empty-handed believers. When you know that you have nothing to offer God, you are in a position to receive all that he offers to you. When you accept that you cannot claim his blessing as a right, you are in a position to receive it as a gift.
Seven Blessings for Empty-Handed Believers
1. Empty-handedness releases you from the idea that God owes you.
The person who is poor in spirit says: “I owe God everything, and I can give him nothing. God owes me nothing, and he has given me everything.” When we list demands, we are moving toward bitterness, disappointment, and resentment. The blessing of God belongs to those who humble themselves before him.
2. Empty-handedness positions you to ask and receive in prayer.
When we come to God in humility to ask his help, we are recognizing we are needy. Jesus says that the person who comes to him recognizing his or her need for divine help will be blessed and forgiven, just as the tax collector was (cf. Luke 18:13–14).
3. Empty-handedness helps you to bear affliction.
God opposes proud people, but to the humble he gives grace to endure. That truth may not seem logical if you read stories of proud conquerors or are told, “When times get tough, the tough keep going.” Yet Scripture says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). It follows that humility will help you to endure every affliction, whether poverty, poor health, or other trials.
4. Empty-handedness nourishes your love for others.
Pride is like a bucket of water poured on the fires of love in any relationship. Seeking to exalt yourself or place someone in an inferior relationship has damaged many family relationships, whether a wife to her husband or a father to his son. But humility can fan the dying embers of love into a flame. Love gets choked by the weeds of pride, but it grows and thrives in the soil of a humble heart.
5. Empty-handedness strengthens you to overcome temptation.
If pride leads to falling, as the Bible says (Proverbs 16:8; 1 Corinthians 10:12), it follows that humility helps you to stand. By pursuing humility, you will strike a blow at the master sin of pride, and in this way you will subdue the temptation of many other sins.
6. Empty-handedness releases you from the tyranny of self.
The victorious Christian neither exalts nor downgrades himself. His interests have shifted from self to Christ. What he is or is not no longer concerns him. He believes that he has been crucified with Christ. With this focus on Christ, we will neither elevate nor deprecate ourselves.
7. Empty-handedness leads you to worship Jesus.
The more you see in yourself, the less you will see in Christ, and the more you see in Christ, the less you will see in yourself. Once you and I see the poverty of our own position before God, we can recognize the glorious gift of Jesus Christ. And seeing that all your good has its source in him will lead you to worship the Savior.
Empty-Handedness Leads to Blessing
To be poor in spirit is the first mark of a person who walks with God. You may be a multi-talented sports star or a high flyer in business. You may be a mega-mother, a brilliant musician, a technical guru, or a political genius, but if you have truly met with God, you will know that you do not have what he requires of you.

Charles Spurgeon says, “Christ is never precious till we are poor in spirit. We must see our own wants before we can perceive his wealth; pride blinds the eyes, and sincere humility must open them, or the beauties of Jesus will be forever hidden from us.” [2]

Humble yourself. Come to Jesus Christ today, and tell him that you do not have what it takes to live a holy life. Tell him that you do not have the power to change. Ask him to give to you what you do not have, and then trust him, look to him, believing his promise that he will come to you, live with you, and bless you.

Christians know their own poverty. They look to Jesus for what they do not have, and find in him all that they need.

 



This article is adapted from Pastor Colin's book, Momentum: Pursuing God's Blessings through the Beatitudes (Moody Publishers, 2016).

Listen to Colin Smith's sermon series on the Beatitudes.
[1] Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes (1660; repr., Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1971), 43. [2] C. H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons on the Sermon on the Mount (1873; repr., Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1956), 15.

Let the Lord’s Prayer Change You

Pastor Colin Smith preached the sermon "How the Lord's Prayer Can Change You" at The Gospel Coalition's Chicago Conference in late 2022. You can enjoy that message below. (Listen to Pastor Colin's full sermon series on the Lord's Prayer on our site or on YouTube.)



As part of the same conference, Pastor Colin led a panel discussion titled "How to Strengthen Your Prayer Life" with Kevin DeYoung, H.B. Charles Jr., and Juan Sanchez.

Five Blessings of Marking Up Your Bible

I love the feel of a new Bible: turning those crisp pages, enjoying the feel of something so new and precious in my hands, even sticking my nose in a book and admiring the scent of the fresh-off-the-presses pages.

It sometimes pains me to "ruin" the pristine-ness of a new Bible by letting the stroke of a pen or the tip of a highlighter tarnish the perfection of a new Bible—but I’m entirely convinced it’s worth it.

Early on in my Christian life, I would avoid marking up my Bible for the reason mentioned above, but now, I can’t read it without a pencil and highlighter in hand. I’m convinced there is just so much to gain by faithfully marking up a Bible during daily Bible study, that not doing it would be like mourning the loss of a close friend.
Five Blessings of Marking Up Your Bible
1. Marking up my Bible helps engage me in more careful study.
Reading my Bible with highlighter in hand encourages me to interact with Scripture as I read and lessens the temptation to read passively, just to get it done. It also helps me see things that are evident in the text that a less-careful reading would miss.

Take my recent study of Ephesians 1:3-14 for example. By simply highlighting repetitions of “in Christ”/”in Him," “to the praise of his glory,” and mentions of God’s “will”/”purpose,” major themes from the passage leap off the page and deepen my understanding of the glories of God’s eternal purposes in Christ.
2. Marking up my Bible helps with future reading of the Bible.
The next time I dig into the book of Ephesians, my notes and highlights will greatly aid me in reading and getting to the heart of what God communicates to me through the biblical author. Why start from scratch each time reading the Bible? Why not build upon knowledge and understanding God has already revealed to you?

I write down helpful illustrations, useful cross references, or notes about how certain verses/passages fit into the flow of the entire book. This practice has proved immensely helpful as I follow Christ and even as I participate in one of most effective, yet most overlooked, discipleship techniques: reading the Bible one-to-one with a friend.
3. Marking up my Bible helps remember past experiences.
Flipping through the pages of my marked-up Bible take me back in time much like reading old journal entries do. I often think of the blessings and hardships of past seasons and remember how portions of God’s Word were especially precious to me. The tear-marks on certain passages remind me of how God proved faithful and turned trials into seasons of growth and reason for praise. This practice of remembering God’s faithfulness and what He has done will keep us from pride and stagnancy (see Deuteronomy 8).
4. Marking up my Bible helps me to encourage other saints who see my marked-up pages.
I’m convinced that one elderly woman in our Bible study has highlighted every word in her Bible. It looks like she dipped her entire Bible in a bowl of yellow die—and it is a beautiful thing. While I may disagree with her highlighting method (highlighting everything really is highlighting nothing!), I am greatly encouraged as I see the faith of a veteran Christian and her love for God’s Word.

This should not be the primary reason to mark up your Bible, but it is a residual benefit. Your highlighted Bible, along with the godly life that should flow from it, is a bold testimony to those who see it in church and abroad, and proclaims that you are building your life upon the transforming power of God’s Word.
5. Marking up my Bible is visible evidence that I treasure God’s revealed Word.
If you found out that there was $5 million worth of buried gold on property you owned, you would probably go grab a shovel and start digging. Psalm 19:10 describes God’s Word as much more desirable than gold.

When we diligently study God’s Word, seeking to understand and apply it to our lives, it glorifies God by showing Him we believe His Word contains greater riches than Fort Knox’s legendary gold vault. And when we mark up our Bible as we study it, it is visible evidence that we treasure God’s Word.

Charles Spurgeon famously said that, “A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

Let me add my own: “A Bible that’s marked up usually belongs to someone profoundly marked by God’s grace.”

May Thomas Cranmer‘s prayer be our own:

Blessed Lord, who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ.

What to Mark in Your Bible
A few suggestions of what to mark:

Repetitions of word or idea. This often leads readers to what God is trying to emphasize in a passage or book.
Surprises. Surprises in the text often lead to a main point in a passage. An example of a surprise is when a man is lowered through a roof by his friends while Jesus is teaching in a house (Mark 2:1-12). Wouldn’t you expect Jesus to instantly heal the man? Instead, Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5) to demonstrate to the man and those watching that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10).
Connecting words/phrases. Words/phrases like “for,” “therefore,” and “because” (among others) help us connect ideas in the text and follow the flow of thought or argument the author is making.
The structure of a book of the Bible or individual passages. This advanced tip challenges readers to see how the parts of a passage/book fit together in the message of the whole.
Summary verses that shed light on whole passages or books. John 20:31 shares the reason why the Gospel of John was written, “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” The next time you read John's Gospel, read with belief in Christ and life in Christ in the back of your mind.
In the Old Testament, note when the text points to Christ. This can be prophecies, illusions, types, or reasons why we need a Savior.
Specific applications or prayer requests that flow from your reading.
Helpful cross-references.




[Post Credit: Anchored in Christ]