Pray for Eyes to See

Matthew 9:36

To be like Jesus is to see differently. Paul said that those who belong to Christ "no longer see people from a worldly point of view." (2 Cor. 5:16) I've been thinking, if we saw the world with Jesus' eyes what attitude would we have and what would we do?

In Matthew 9 it tells us that, "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news...[and] when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (vs 35-36). If we see with Jesus' eyes we will be known for compassion. Our focus will be outward; aiming on meeting needs like soul care and the basics of life. But, how shall we know where to apply this compassion? We don't have God's ability to see into the soul of those we've never met, or to lay our hands on the eyes of the blind and heal. But, through prayer for others God opens our eyes to see from his perspective.

Nate Saint*, the great missionary martyr (pictured right) had a powerful set of eyes. He longed that more of us could see better. He said, "When we weigh the future and seek the will of God, may we be as moved with compassion as our Lord."

Lord, please give me your eyes to see! I want to see the crowds like Jesus did. I want to see their faces and the souls behind their eyes. I want to "desire mercy, not sacrifice," like you do (Mt. 9:13). I want to be an agent of compassion (vs 38).


*Note: the book "Jungle Pilot" is a very worthwhile read from the WBC library. It tells Nate's story.

The World have I hid in my Heart?

Balance. One of the most difficult challenges facing Christians is how to be in the world, but not of the world.  We are called to be ambassadors (2 Cor. 5), and salt and light (Mt. 5), but how do we do that without becoming "of the world"?

I see that some people realize how hard the balance is and decide to err on the side of caution--much caution. Church statisticians tell us that most believers have no meaningful relationships with nonbelievers after five years in the Church. It is quite possible for Christians these days to spend the rest of their lives in a subculture of Christian everything--from t-shirts to rap music. How do they justify this in light of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19ff)? Perhaps we think our checks to missionaries and a "Jesus loves you" bumper sticker is all our part need be. Jesus wouldn't have used the metaphor of salt if that was all  he meant. Salt has to make contact with food to serve its intended purpose. It is no accident that the gospel is best communicated through relationships.

On the other extreme, there are those who think we need to blend in like chameleons. I used to go to church with a lady who was trying to have a ministry to inner city kids. She felt the need to "help" me understand youth ministry one day by explaining how she went about her mission. She would go downtown and attract these kids by talking their talk. Indeed, she said they listened to her because she swore worse than they did. Can any of us picture Jesus doing this?

Jesus knew how hard it would be for his followers and prayed that the Father would "protect them from the evil one" (Jn. 17:15). He didn't want them removed from the world, but he didn't want them becoming like the world either. Fascinating to me is what he prayed for after he made this request. He asked that He "set them apart by the truth." What is the truth? "Your word is truth," he clarified. (vs. 17).

We ought to take from this interaction a profound commitment to the Bible. What sets us apart is the truth and claiming to know the truth is not popular today. The truth for all mankind is in the Word of God. Only when we are set apart through washing and renewing and saturating our minds can we be in the world and not of the world. Remember that powerful verse from Psalm 119 "Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you."

Let us not hide the world in our hearts. Let us hide the Word in our hearts. Let us shine the light, pray for each other and encourage each other as we interact with those outside the subculture.

Andrew Murray on Intercession

James 5:16 

Pray for each other.

To intercede in prayer for someone is of profound importance. It is arguably the highest act of love in any relationship. Yet, do we know how to go to God on behalf of others? I believe we really need to get better at this. For example, if I told you in the hall of the church to please pray for so and so, what would your reaction be? My guess is that if I asked ten people to pray for the same individual nine of them would ask, "Why, what's wrong with them?" What they really mean when they say this is, "What physical ailment do they have?" I fear we need to learn much about the practice of intercession.

Today I want to step aside and let one of the classic authors tell it better than I can. Andrew Murray wrote some of the most clearly practical works on prayer that we have in the English language. Indeed, he wrote more than 240 books as a South African pastor and missionary in the 19th century. Here is his understanding of intercession:

"There is value in intercession. It is an indispensable part of prayer. It strengthens our love and faith in what God can do, and it brings blessing and salvation to others. Prayer should be mainly for others, not for ourselves alone. Begin by praying for those near and dear to us, those with whom we live, that we may be of help to them and not a hindrance.

Pray for your friends and all with whom you come into contact. Pray for all Christians, especially for ministers and those in responsible positions.

Pray for those who do not yet know the Lord as their Savior. Make a list of the names of those God has laid upon your heart and pray for their conversion...Pray, too, for all poor and neglected ones. Pray for mission work. Use a mission calendar with daily subjects of prayer. 

Do you think this will take too much time? Just think what an inconceivable blessing it is to help others through your prayers. Look to the Holy Spirit for further guidance. If morning is not the best time for you, schedule another time later in the day. Cultivate the attitude: 'I am saved to serve.'"

Prayers and Doubt

James 1:6-8
Do you ever spend time trying to convince yourself that you believe? You alternate between doubt and faith, doubt and faith, back and forth ad nauseum and getting nowhere. If faith is a boat in a sea of doubt I've had my share of motion sickness.  Thankfully there have been men like C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, Ravi Zacharias and Tim Keller who have helped me find the intellectual justification for my faith. However, there are often times when I cannot seem to feel what my mind accepts as true. 


Asking questions is good. In fact, those that live by the principle "ignorance is bliss" must be very careful to walk around with their eyes closed, humming with their fingers in their ears. This ultimately spells faith disaster in my experience.  However, for those on the outside of Christianity looking in things are different. Questioning seems to be the religion of a large segment of society. For these people claiming to know something is a form of snobbery that ought not be tolerated. Funny, they know you can't know. There's some thick irony there!

But, in my day to day existence, I pray. And, I must come to grips with the balance between faith and doubt because doubt is a prayer killer. James says,

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." 

Are there not people who reject the notion of a loving God because he has not "answered" their prayers? To make belief contingent upon a positive answer will never work. Why? because faith must precede the positive answer.For those are waiting to believe until God answers their request, whatever it may be, they will eventually give up. The problem is not God. The problem is with their understanding of prayer.

Do you believe when you pray?

Did God not Hear?

James 4:2b-3

Once there was a boy who lived on the same street as a kind and generous man. The boy, whose name was Timmy, loved to ride his bicycle up and down the street under the shade of leafy maples in summer. Timmy had an unusual ability for his age-he could focus his attention on a goal he had for the future. He aspired to be number one in his class upon graduation and he bent all his thoughts toward this goal which, in fact, was really just a means to a greater end--a career in politics!

Timmy knew that if he wanted to catch the eye of the scholarship writers he had to not only have a robust academic record, he would also have to show a long list of charitable deeds done for the betterment of his community and the world. It was about this time that word came across the sea of an orphanage in need, and Timmy, having his radar up for all such news, formulated his plan to raise money for these destitute children.

The first person Timmy thought to approach was the kind and generous man that lived down the street. He peddled down the bumpy sidewalk and practiced his speech till he arrived. Mr. Lewis was home and Timmy was invited in. Timmy sat down opposite his neighbor and poured out his plea for the orphanage. Mr. Lewis was moved enough to make a $1000 donation to Timmy's cause, but knowing the boy and his plans, he provided one condition: Timmy was not to write down his involvement with the orphanage on any application.

The boy was offended. "How dare Mr. Lewis judge my motives!" he said. "This is a worthy cause. Why does it matter why I want to do it? He has the money and the children need it. It is his duty to give to projects such as this. Mr. Lewis must not be the generous, loving and kind man that I took him for. Either that or he really is poor and powerless to answer the way he aught. And what of my career? Is it not a noble one? Yes, I want to be noticed. Yes, I want my name in the papers. But, if  I'm accomplishing good in the process everyone wins, don't they?"

Timmy left in a huff without the money and told all his acquaintances that Mr. Lewis was really a crotchety old man who didn't really care about less fortunate people.

"You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."