Journey to The Journey

For the next 5 weeks at The Journey we're going to be dissecting each line of this prayer to get at the root of what prayer is to be. I believe that understanding this prayer can revamp and re-energize your prayer life because it's so rich in meaning. Prayer has a purpose and when you latch onto it you'll be different. Failure to understand prayers role in your faith will deprive you of one of the most necessary components of faith itself.

The great American poet and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou, once said, "I have great respect for the past. If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going." There is great wisdom in those words. So often in today's culture of short attention spans and instant gratification, our churches seek to cater to the culture rather than being a transformative influence on it. We spend so much time and energy trying to develop new and novel ways to draw people in. Rather than simply teaching the truth of God's word and trusting in its power to work in people's lives, we too often trust in our own ability to do ministry well.

The truth is, despite the sales pitch many churches and pastors are peddling these days, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that we should expect the Christian life to be more of a bumpy ride than a pleasure cruise. Our gracious election into salvation isn't a one way ticket to a life of comfort and luxury, rather it is a call to sacrificial living, humility, serving others; and, often times, trials, suffering, and persecution...all for the sake of the gospel. So, even if we persevere through all of that, Christ get's the glory, not us! With such a gloomy forecast, why even bother taking the ride in the first place?