Welcome to Week 4 of A 2020 Prayer Life!
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Don't short-circuit the process by reading ahead. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Don't short-circuit the process by reading ahead. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
January 22
For several days earlier this month, we considered the phenomenon of salutations. What we call another person is significant in at least three ways. First, it reveals something about that other person's identity. Second, it reveals something about our relationship to that other person. And, third, it may also impact and influence our relationship to that other person.
And so we want now to begin to give focused attention to some of the things we call -- or may call -- God. The list in Scripture is long, and there are any number of places where we could justifiably start. Our choice is to start chronologically. We want to consider the title that reflects our starting place in our relationship with God: Maker.
The Psalmist says, "Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." (Psalm 95:6 NASB)
In your prayer time just now, make that your title for God. Call Him "Maker." Make that part of how you address Him during your prayer time this week. And as you do, talk with Him about these questions.
(1) What does "Maker" reveal about You?
(2) What does "Maker" reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How could my calling you "Maker" impact and influence my relationship with You?
And so we want now to begin to give focused attention to some of the things we call -- or may call -- God. The list in Scripture is long, and there are any number of places where we could justifiably start. Our choice is to start chronologically. We want to consider the title that reflects our starting place in our relationship with God: Maker.
The Psalmist says, "Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." (Psalm 95:6 NASB)
In your prayer time just now, make that your title for God. Call Him "Maker." Make that part of how you address Him during your prayer time this week. And as you do, talk with Him about these questions.
(1) What does "Maker" reveal about You?
(2) What does "Maker" reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How could my calling you "Maker" impact and influence my relationship with You?
January 23
While God is the original Maker and the ultimate Maker, He is not the only maker. Other creatures make things -- dams and nests, for example. And human beings make an incredible variety of things. And so we have some sense, even apart from God, of what it is to be a "maker."
Borrowing from our human understanding of what it is to be a "maker," then, list some differences between a good maker and a bad maker. (Don't hurry through this, for you will shortchange the insight available. Take two full minutes to contemplate and list the differences.)
When you have finished the previous list, now make a list of attributes that would characterize a good maker. (Again, don't be hasty. Stop to invest a few minutes in thinking about and listing the attributes.)
Now with those lists before you in prayer, tell the Lord what you have learned about Him as a Maker. Thank Him for what He has made. Praise Him for the kind of Maker He is. Call Him "Maker" in prayer, and talk to Him about what that means for your relationship with Him.
Borrowing from our human understanding of what it is to be a "maker," then, list some differences between a good maker and a bad maker. (Don't hurry through this, for you will shortchange the insight available. Take two full minutes to contemplate and list the differences.)
When you have finished the previous list, now make a list of attributes that would characterize a good maker. (Again, don't be hasty. Stop to invest a few minutes in thinking about and listing the attributes.)
Now with those lists before you in prayer, tell the Lord what you have learned about Him as a Maker. Thank Him for what He has made. Praise Him for the kind of Maker He is. Call Him "Maker" in prayer, and talk to Him about what that means for your relationship with Him.
January 24
A part of the beauty of the titles that Scripture uses for God is that they are almost all relational. By "relational" we mean that they are not stand-alone terms, but imply a relationship with someone else. And so, when we use any of these titles for God, we automatically imply some counterpart title for ourselves.
If I call Him "Shepherd," for example, then I am calling myself "sheep." If I call Him "my Father," then I am calling myself "His child."
With that principle in mind, identify what counterpart titles might be appropriate for you when you call God "Maker." If He is "Maker," what are you? Make a short list of the possible counterpart titles.
In your prayer time just now, make those titles how you identify yourself as you call God "Maker." And as you do, talk with Him about these questions.
(1) What do those counterpart titles reveal about me?
(2) What do those counterpart titles reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How might those counterpart titles impact and influence my relationship with You?
If I call Him "Shepherd," for example, then I am calling myself "sheep." If I call Him "my Father," then I am calling myself "His child."
With that principle in mind, identify what counterpart titles might be appropriate for you when you call God "Maker." If He is "Maker," what are you? Make a short list of the possible counterpart titles.
In your prayer time just now, make those titles how you identify yourself as you call God "Maker." And as you do, talk with Him about these questions.
(1) What do those counterpart titles reveal about me?
(2) What do those counterpart titles reveal about my relationship with You?
(3) How might those counterpart titles impact and influence my relationship with You?
January 25
Two days ago, you considered what might be the differences between a good maker and a bad one. You also generated a list of attributes that might characterize a good maker.
Yesterday, you identified your own counterpart titles. If God is "Maker," then what are you?
Now choose one of those counterpart titles for yourself and go through the same exercise as you did two days ago. Insert your title in the blank, and then spend two minutes making a list of the differences between a good _____ and a bad _____. Then list the attributes of a good _____.
Once you have given those lists the time and thought that they deserve, have them before you in prayer, and tell the Lord what you have learned about yourself. Confess what you need to confess. Call Him "Maker" in prayer, call yourself by your counterpart title, and talk to Him about your becoming a good one.
Yesterday, you identified your own counterpart titles. If God is "Maker," then what are you?
Now choose one of those counterpart titles for yourself and go through the same exercise as you did two days ago. Insert your title in the blank, and then spend two minutes making a list of the differences between a good _____ and a bad _____. Then list the attributes of a good _____.
Once you have given those lists the time and thought that they deserve, have them before you in prayer, and tell the Lord what you have learned about yourself. Confess what you need to confess. Call Him "Maker" in prayer, call yourself by your counterpart title, and talk to Him about your becoming a good one.
January 26
Today we want to build upon what we have learned and prayed during the past several days. Today's exercise may not come naturally to us, and so we need to apply ourselves.
We have noted that "Maker" is a relational term. If He is Maker, then you are some counterpart to that in relation to Him. And any relationship comes with certain implicit or explicit expectations. In a marriage, for example, we make the expectations of love, faithfulness, and commitment explicit in the wedding vows. And we go through each day of married life with implicit expectations of things like attention, concern, communication, and such.
Of course, relational expectations depend heavily upon the quality of the other person involved. We reasonably have higher expectations of a good boss than we do of a bad one, of a good friend than we do of a poor one. And earlier this week, we meditated on the attributes of a good maker.
With all of that before you, then, ponder this question: What can I reasonably expect from a good Maker in my relationship with Him? Jot down what comes to mind.
Now, in prayer, call Him "Good Maker," and talk to Him about what you have learned. Talk to Him about your understanding of your reasonable expectations. Thank and praise Him for these. And talk to Him about your experience in relation to Him as your good Maker.
We have noted that "Maker" is a relational term. If He is Maker, then you are some counterpart to that in relation to Him. And any relationship comes with certain implicit or explicit expectations. In a marriage, for example, we make the expectations of love, faithfulness, and commitment explicit in the wedding vows. And we go through each day of married life with implicit expectations of things like attention, concern, communication, and such.
Of course, relational expectations depend heavily upon the quality of the other person involved. We reasonably have higher expectations of a good boss than we do of a bad one, of a good friend than we do of a poor one. And earlier this week, we meditated on the attributes of a good maker.
With all of that before you, then, ponder this question: What can I reasonably expect from a good Maker in my relationship with Him? Jot down what comes to mind.
Now, in prayer, call Him "Good Maker," and talk to Him about what you have learned. Talk to Him about your understanding of your reasonable expectations. Thank and praise Him for these. And talk to Him about your experience in relation to Him as your good Maker.
January 27
The Book of Proverbs reminds us that the Lord is not our Maker only. He made the other folks with whom we have contact, as well. We know that subconsciously, of course, but today we want to be deliberate and conscious about it.
Consider these insights from Proverbs:
"He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him." (Proverbs 14:31 NASB)
"He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished." (Proverbs 17:5 NASB)
"Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all." (Proverbs 22:2 NIV)
In your prayer time now, talk to the Lord about these questions:
1) What difference should it make in how I treat people to know that You are their Maker?
2) Whom have I treated as less important than that? Whom have I handled with less care than that?
3) What would it look like today for me to honor You by how I treat other people?
Consider these insights from Proverbs:
"He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him." (Proverbs 14:31 NASB)
"He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished." (Proverbs 17:5 NASB)
"Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all." (Proverbs 22:2 NIV)
In your prayer time now, talk to the Lord about these questions:
1) What difference should it make in how I treat people to know that You are their Maker?
2) Whom have I treated as less important than that? Whom have I handled with less care than that?
3) What would it look like today for me to honor You by how I treat other people?
January 28
As we come to the conclusion of Week 4, talk to God about each of the three points made below by the popular 20th-century New Testament scholar, William Barclay:
When we pray, remember:
When we pray, remember:
- The love of God that wants the best for us.
- The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.
- The power of God that can accomplish it.