Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Luke 18:13

undistracted — September 4, 2024

undistracted

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I was a pastor and regarded by some as a paragon of prayer.  Truth is, I am easily distracted, especially when I pray.  I suspect that I have Attention Deficit Disorder but when I was a kid it wasn’t a thing. 

But I do remember that each year in school, my new teacher would seat me at the head of the row nearest to her desk.  Gee and I thought it was because I was so likeable.

I am bothered that my prayers are distracted.  I feel like I am missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime.  I think of Jesus words in John 14:13, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  I bet that set their heads to spinning.    “Whatever – as in anything?”  They could hardly believe it, which is why Jesus immediately repeated Himself in verse 14, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

These privileges are extended to us as His disciples.  But alas, the other day I was praying, but then I thought about how often I get distracted when I pray – and it occurred to me that right then I was distracted from prayer by thoughts on distraction from prayer.  Hopeless!

Sometimes, I imagine my prayers going something like this, “Lord?” “Yes my child!”  “My car won’t start.  Would You help me with….hey was that a Tesla?” “What?”  “Oh, I’m sorry, as I was saying, my car is in the shop – shop – You better shop around.”  “What?”  Oh right – well my car needs help.”  “That’s not all that needs help.” 

Over the years, however, I have learned a couple of things to help me manage my distractions.  Jesus taught me to…

– Pray aloud.   

That is what He did.  John 17 contains Jesus concluding prayer at the last supper.  It is an entire chapter long – nearly 700 words and every word was recorded by John because John heard Jesus pray aloud. 

Jesus prayed aloud at the cross (Luke 23:24); at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39); and at the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:41) and when He multiplied the fishes and loaves (John 11:41-42).

         And it appears that it was the custom for all back then.  In Luke 18:13 we read, “The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’”  It was audible and recorded for us.  There are other instances of verbalized prayer found at Acts 8:15, 16:25, and 20:36.

         OK so why out loud?  When our intangible thoughts are silently slithering through our minds, its takes almost nothing to disrupt them, but when speaking our prayers out loud, we hear what our hearts breathe, and we focus.  Because we hear them, God gets to hear them too. 

But didn’t Jesus warn us against being publicly pious?  He did!  According to the King James we are to go into the closet when we pray (Matthew 6:6).  

OK my closet smells so I may skip that.  But His point was to seek a private place and pray there.  Which brings me to a second Jesus lesson…

– Pray alone

Mark 1:35 says, “Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there He spent time in prayer.”

Jesus chose a place without people – “a deserted place” – a place where it was exclusively Him and His Father. He chose a time of day when He would be the least distracted – in the morning before rush hour. He also chose to do it while it was still, “very dark.”  Darkness hides the visual things that distract us.

It seems that even Jesus worked to eliminate distractions from His prayer. So do what you must do, to be done with distractions – and pray!

Speaking of prayer, this is mine.  “Lord, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  Help me.” 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible.com

the tollbooth — April 14, 2021

the tollbooth

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I loved to hear my mother laugh.  And there was one story that would always cause her to giggle.

She and dad had been visiting in Georgia.  He was impatient and wanted to drive back to their home in Florida even though it was pouring rain. 

So, they departed that stormy night.  Soon after, he lost his way and was a little flustered.  Ahh, but the entrance to the tollway was just ahead.   Dad pulled up to the booth and handed a dollar to the uniformed man.  But the guy responded by saying, “Uh sir – this is an army base!” 

___________

Dad attempted to enter a place where he was not welcome and which required more than a dollar.  Some of us may have a similar experience one day – but it won’t be as funny. 

As someone who ministers to the dying, I have often found that they are usually confident that heaven awaits them, regardless of how they have lived or whether they are religious or not. 

According to Jesus, this may be a fatal presumption.

He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many powerful deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me…” – Matt 7:21-23

Shocking words and yet spoken by the Prince of love – because of His love for us.  He wants to awaken us from the blind presumption that heaven is a universal entitlement. 

The problem is that we want to hand the sentry a dollar to get by when something else is needed.  

Paul tells us what.  “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

Heaven comes to us as a gift from God.  It is not a privilege that we earn, but rather receive.  It was purchased for us by Christ who bore the penalty for our sin.   We are given a pass to heaven the moment we look to God through Christ, in faith and say, “God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!”  – Luke 18:13

But how can we know that our faith is genuine?   After all, the Scripture says, “Even the demons believe…and tremble with fear.” – James 2:19 

The fruit of saving faith is the proof of saving faith. 

Jesus said, “a tree is known by its fruit.” – Matthew 12:33. John the Baptist said, “Produce fruit that proves your repentance.”  – Matthew 3:8

In other words, the way we live, the values we embrace, the faith we practice, the Lord we serve tend to trace the validity of our faith.

We are saved by our faith in Jesus, but there should be evidence to follow.  Saul’s heart and behavior were radically changed after his Damascus Road experience, whereas, the thief on the cross experienced not much more than a changed heart.   But, both were produced out of a saving faith.

Now if this blog causes you concern, then it is likely because your heart already belongs to Jesus.  Why would you even worry about this issue if it didn’t?   Unless – you have never trusted the Lord, then your concern is drawing you to Jesus.   If that’s the case you probably need to whisper that prayer, “God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!”

When you and I stand at the toll booth in the sky, may we offer not a dollar, but evidence of a faith in Christ that has changed us!

PS: Social media is for sharing.  So share this. 

A PRAYER: Lord thank You for truth that will keep me from tragedy at the gates of heaven.

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®