C
OULD YOU NOT watch
with Me one hour?”
The Lord Jesus asked His
closest friends this simple
question (Matthew 26:40).
And their answer was the same mine has
been for the past 32 years.
They went back to sleep.
I don’t know why it took me so long
to discover that prayer—the kind I longed
for—is a discipline-driven exercise. And
then I discovered a biblical principle.
Praying Morning and Night
The psalmist wrote, “In the morning,
O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morn-
ing I lay my requests before you and wait
in expectation” (5:3, NIV). And again, “It
is good to praise the Lord and make
music to your name, O Most High, to
proclaim your love in the morning and
your faithfulness at night” (92:1-2, NIV).
The apostles adhered to established times
for worship (Acts 3:1).
Should we expect our prayers to
require any less discipline? Let me share
with you how I and other Christians
spend our time with Christ. Our patterns
may help you discover your own.
I developed a ritual I call “Worship-
Word-CROSS” to help me remain focused
on Christ during my hour.
First I listen to worship music. I select
lyrics that address the Lord in the second
person (You) instead of the third person
(He). For example, “You are wonderful
and glorified” instead of “He is wonderful
and glorified” makes it easier for me to
silently mouth the lyrics as prayers. After
worship, I read Scripture and keep a jour-
nal handy to jot down insights the Holy
Spirit might give me. Because the New me? How did my sins cause His agony Father?” At the phrase “hallowed [sacred]
Testament is shorter than the Old, two and death?” be thy name,” I ask, “Have I forgotten the
chapters each morning and two at night R esurrection. How does the empty holiness of God and the sacredness of His
gets me through the New Testament tomb validate Christ’s message? What name? Do I live in such a way that my
three times each year and the Old Testa- promise does His resurrection hold for me life could give unbelievers reason to sneer
ment once. during life and after death? How does His at His name?”
resurrection free me from sin’s dominion? S upplication. I pray for family,
Meditating on the Cross
O “Our Father” (Matthew 6). I pause friends, neighbors, coworkers, politicians,
I spend the last 20 to 30 minutes in at each verse of the Lord’s Prayer, some- and others whom the Holy Spirit places
prayer and meditation, using my CROSS times each word or sentence, and medi- on my mind.
acrostic: tate on questions like “What does it S acrifice. I offer Christ my memory,
C rucifixion. I meditate on questions mean that I am a child of God? What freedom, will, understanding, health,
like “What did the Cross accomplish for does the word Our mean in context with wealth, talents—everything I have and
18 EVANGEL • FEB 2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32