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5 Reasons To Pray

Prayer is probably one of the more challenging of the spiritual disciplines for me. As I have been practicing Lent and traveled on a mission trip the last several days, I have discovered 5 really great reasons I have discovered that I need to pray more often.

Prayer is my connection to my Creator

We were all made for connection with God. Being that I am not in a state of being where we can tangibly see each other or relate to each other as such, prayer provides this connection my soul longs for. Psalm 46:10 gives me a command to simply stop and know He is God, which is accomplished through prayer.

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know I am God.

Prayer is my way to wisdom

If I feel unsure, pray. If I need understanding, pray. If I am about to make a decision, pray. Prayer is the way God leads me and it is in the silence of prayer that I often hear God speak words of wisdom as I meditate on His word and reflect.

James 1:5 If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…

Prayer is my weapon in the spiritual war

Because I am a spiritual being, I cannot engage spiritual things in any other way than through prayer. I cannot take a physical punch or stab spiritual entities. Prayer is the weapon I have to not only engage the spiritual realm but overcome.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, Ephesians 6:17-19

“And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.””‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:40‬ ‭

“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.” Hebrews‬ ‭13:18‬ ‭

Prayer is a habit for a healthy spiritual life.

Just as I exercise physically to stay healthy, I must exercise spiritually to maintain a growing healthy spiritual life. Integrating a routine of prayer is a great way to continue spiritual growth and see God at work around me.

But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. Luke 5:16

And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. Mark 6:46

“I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. Proverbs 8:7

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

10When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Daniel 6:10

Prayer is my path to powerful living.

As Jesus, Paul and others exhibited daily habits of prayer, they also exhibited awesome power resulting from their prayer.

Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. John 6:11

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. Psalm 145:18-19

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. Lamentations 3:25

Do you have any other great reasons for prayer? Comment and share.

New Year Help

Happy New Year! I don’t know about you but I take New Year’s Eve and transitioning to a new year very seriously. It’s a natural time of the year to consider life as a whole and to evaluate goals and progress. I didn’t do my normal questions from past year, which have been posted in previous blogs. Instead, I looked at a few areas of life and worked through them to help focus some of my goals and plans for 2016. I basically broke things down into these categories: Preparation, Places, People, and Practices.

Preparation

This area has to do with personal growth. Things that I might want to do in order to become the best representation of Christ and the best version of myself that I can be. This included things like Bible reading, scripture memorization, prayer, exercise, reading other books, etc. We all must look at growing as a lifestyle choice. No one knows it all and everyone hates those who think they do. Schedule time to learn, grow, and prepare for the future. The payoff will be worth it in 364 days.

Places

As I was moving into the new year over the last week, I’ve been considering what life is really about for me and what I feel is essential in making a difference. I came back to Matthew 28:19-20 and was challenged once again about making disciples, not just at “home” but around the world. Whether it’s El Salvador, or India, the point is that I had to look at areas of influence. We all have them. God has given us specific areas where our influence is greater and more powerful. I have the opportunity to travel but just because someone may not doesn’t limit their reach. Take some time and consider how you can reach new and different places in 2016. This could be through social media or your job. Just notice the places you already go and make that a “place” that you want to make a difference in 2016.

People

Certainly this is one of the most important decisions/areas to look at in 2016. We all have people that we connect with; some on a greater, deeper level than others. As Jesus is our prime example here, He took time and prayed about the people He would spend 3 years of His life discipling. I feel like it’s crucial each year to prayerfully consider the people God has placed in our life and ask how to better serve and influence them in the coming year. There is literally nothing more important than investing in people and developing meaningful relationships. BUT make sure those relationships are healthy and growing and moving in the same direction. Even Jesus had a Judas who misunderstood the relationship completely.

Practices

This final area is about taking time for certain things like sabbath, or vacation, family time or traditions. There have to be certain practices in our lives that we won’t compromise. We all need these times in our lives. These include core values and essentials to who we become as people. Determining what your practices will be in 2016 will vastly help in making 2016 successful. How much margin do you have? How much will you set aside for silence and solitude? How much will you give to technology or away from it?

P.S.

A couple other things to consider as you move into 2016. Choosing a theme or word. Take a few moments and consider what things seem to be happening in your life. Maybe there is a recurring theme or ideal? Maybe there is something the Lord has been reminding you of or about? Here are a few things that may help you. My word for this season…maybe year is “awaken”. With Star Wars The Force Awakens to just feeling like I need an “awakening” in my own life, this is where I am focused right now. Other people have chosen words or themes like these: freedom, peace, joy, liberty, fearlessness, etc. What is God speaking to you about?

Another thought is to make a journal of things that you give thanks for each day. Maybe also take a pic-a-day challenge to record your life in images. Recording your life and daily activities is great in helping stay the course. And even though making a difference is a huge deal, there’s no reason it can’t be fun. So snap away! Write it down. Talk about it. Blog it out. Share your life with those around you and those who are far away. Make 2016 great. Start today!

Journaling: 4 Reasons Why You Should Start.

Ever since 12th grade I’ve been journaling. Poems, notes, a few drawings with a multitude of thoughts and prayers have filled about 20 journals over the last 28 years. Why am I such a big proponent of journaling? Here is a short list of why I think everyone should practice this discipline.

It’s easy.

For even the least creative, artistic individual, journaling has never been easier. With apps that can voice record or phones that can video, saving your ingenious concepts to silly moments has never been simpler. For many, the thought of journaling is synonymous with handwriting or long form records of the day, but it doesn’t have to be. What if you looked at journaling as saving your to-do list and simply giving commentary? Or taking pics posted to Instagram and cataloging them? Or even using an online journal/blog to keep a record by easily dragging and dropping pics or status updates you or friends have posted? Because there are so many ideas, thoughts and to-do’s throughout the day, journaling them is an easy way to ensure you follow through or follow-up! Most of the time we have our phones or tablets with us, so why not employ them to save a few thoughts along the way? It’s as easy as pushing a button!

It’s creative.

Nowadays there is no reason for any person to use the cop out: “I’m not that creative”. Journaling doesn’t have to be creative per se, meaning that you don’t have to be extremely elaborate in decorating your pages etc. Simply using a different font or color, (colored pens or markers for handwritten) adds creativity. Stretching yourself to use a journal does allow you to be creative. Your creative juices will flow more and more as you use journaling and you will see that what was once a drudgery is now a delight! Journaling allows the creativity within each of us to be uniquely expressed. It forces us to slow down, reflect and evaluate, which effectively inspires creativity.

It’s historic.

Keeping a journal allows you to chronicle your life story. From mountaintops to valleys, my journals include joys and sorrows, praises and prayers. I have poems of all sorts, Bible study notes, pictures, and important records saved in journals. When I get nostalgic I read through my journals and reflect. When I need some encouragement as to God working in my life or answering prayers, I can search through handwritten journals or search tags in my electronic journals. Keeping records of my life events is not something I have ever regretted doing because in many ways it is my autobiography. I have a record or not only the events but my feelings, and inner most thoughts. In some cases I have my own voice or pics which makes it very accurate on all levels as I can instantly recall what I meant or thought or felt.

It’s something you won’t regret.

There are moments in life we will never forget. Record them. And there are tons of things that we will never remember…unless you have a record! Journaling increases your memories vastly and gives you a flashback guide. Sometimes I spend a few minutes writing/ journaling, while other times may be more like an hour. But at this point, I don’t regret any amount of time I used creating these wonderful words penned/typed by my own hand as a testament of who I am and what I’ve done with my life. I don’t think you’ll regret your investment of a few moments each day either. Start your journal today!

If you are looking for resources on journaling or tips, let me know. I can send some samples. Otherwise, here are a few apps I would recommend if you are serious about getting into this discipline for life using your smart device or tablet.

Apps:

Evernote

Day 1

Everyday.me

George Lockhart is a missionary with Vision 2 Hear and serves as the creative arts and missions pastor at New Vision Church in Fayetteville, GA

4 Ways God Connects With Us

What would it be like if you knew a celebrity had called your phone but you missed it? Would you be sick to your stomach? Would you try to call back as soon as you realized you missed the call? I would dare to say that many of us would really hate to miss a call from someone of such stature. Yet, when we hear that God wants to connect with us, it seldom if at all excites our hearts. The crazy thing about a celebrity is that they may or may not try to connect with you ever again but God consistently seeks to convey His love and care about you. In fact He has given us 4 very clear ways that He is using to connect.

1) God connects with us through Creation.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1

Psalm 19:1 makes it clear that even for the non-believer God is speaking a language everyone can understand. From the blue sky cradling the clouds to the night stars pinpointing God’s glory, all of creation is shouting there is a God seeking to connect with us. All that we see in the world around us is pointing us to a Creator; that’s the job of creation. This Creator wants to connect.

2) God connects with us through His Word.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
    and I will keep it to the end.
³⁴Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
    and observe it with my whole heart.
³⁵Lead me in the path of your commandments,
    for I delight in it. Psalm 119:33-35

No book in the history of mankind has the credentials of the Bible. With more than 6 billion copies printed, in close to 2000 languages worldwide, the Bible has been ridiculed and ostracized yet endured. God has made sure that His Word remained so that we would know Him and see how He is seeking to connect with us. God’s word conveys His thoughts, His commands, His will, His pleasure and His purpose. When we read God’s Word, God connects with us and teaches us about Himself.

3) God connects with us through Prayer.

³‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3

Prayer is not unique to our religion. People from all walks of life express prayers in some fashion whether it is called “self-talk” or meditation. The difference for the Christian is that we have a God who actually connects with us through prayer answering very specifically to requests and desires. God invites us to call out to Him and to know His ways. Through prayer not only do we connect with God but He connects powerfully with us!

4) God connects with us through Christ.

1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, ²in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. Hebrews 1:1-2

Jesus Christ is God’s ultimate attempt at connecting with us. Hebrews 1:1-2 directs our thoughts to God’s intention from the beginning. God uses various things to show us and connect but His grandest connection is made through the person of Jesus Christ. For the pre-believer to the old Saint, there is no other name under heaven whereby we can connect with God. Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, or any other religious leader cannot make the connection to God for us aside from the Lord Jesus Christ. God is using Creation, The Bible, and Prayer to connect with us but none of it matters apart from Jesus Christ.

God may not have “celebrity” status but He is truly the only famous one; and He is seeking to connect with you.

Leadership Questions For Life

Leaders can be defined in many ways depending on what area of life or organization we talk about. But what makes a good leader and how can one work toward great leadership? What are the deeper roots for leaders? Here are a few questions to consider that will help regardless of what kind of leadership role you serve.

Do I feel called to lead?

What I mean is do you find yourself leading? Stepping out and taking charge? Or living with a “must” act or do “something” passion? This is what I would consider the “call” to lead. We are all leaders to some degree as parents or friends. There are people we influence and affect as we speak wisdom and knowledge into other’s lives. Sometimes we just end up in leadership while other times we step up into leadership. Either way, is there a deep unquenchable desire to make something happen? If so, you may have the call to lead.

Am I qualified to lead?

This could be from an educational, experiential aspect or perhaps through consistent mentoring and training within a company. There are definitive qualities that organizations will set forth as they look for the leader to helm the ship. On a deeper level, there are certain core values that leaders must possess and maintain as foundations for their leadership to be effective. What are your values and character like? Are you qualified? Can you become qualified?

What is the vision for the future?

Leaders are meant to burn and to blaze. Leaders should be trailblazers leading the organization into the wild unknown. As Proverbs 29:18 says “where is no vision, the people perish”, thus underlining the importance for the leader to cast vision. Do you have a vision of what could be? Would your vision be capable without you stepping up?

What is my passion?

Passion is the fuel that not only ignites but burns within the leader, motivating the leader as well as the team. Feeding the fire and being the one who fans the flame are both required for those who want to succeed in leading an effective team. If you don’t know what you are passionate about, don’t take a position on the team. The leader must know and be able to articulate with emotion what the passion of his heart is.

How do I really feel about people?

Some people simply want to be a leader because of the power and the prestige. Before taking on the role of leadership, be aware of how you really feel about people. Do you sincerely care about their futures? Their dreams? Their hearts? Or are you more concerned about yourself? The leader’s ultimate assignment is to care for people. Do you equip and empower people? Or do you feel like people just get in your way? How do you really feel?

Do I spend time with people?

It’s really hard to lead people when you are not around people. Leadership is not about sitting in an office, setting protocol and making money. Leadership as most people define it would be relational influence. The more time you spend with people, the more meaningful the relationship. If you don’t spend time investing in people in some tangible way, it will be very difficult to amass a following of committed people. The people who will carry you into the future are the people who feel like you are sincerely committed to them.

Am I growing personally?

Oftentimes the business world is most concerned with the bottomline. Leaders who do not grow the business, coaches who do not win championships, usually find themselves out of a job pretty quickly. One of the things that makes leaders effective over the long haul is to be personally growing and developing. With culture changing nearly every year, leaders must adapt and adopt new practices, technologies and evaluate everything that’s “old”. Someone once said: “Leaders are readers” and reading is essential to growing. Leaders can also use podcasts, audibooks, or group roundtables to enhance their growth. In this time in history, there is no real reason for a leader not to be growing.

Who am I leading with?

The days of the Lone Ranger leader are gone. Transparency, accountability, and integrity and on the short list of qualities people look for in bonafide leaders. Having a “posse” who rides along with you through life, keeping you on the right path and “getting your back” when the heat comes is highly valuable as a leader. The question is, are there people who want to lead and do life together with you? Find those few people and do all you can to keep them close.

Do you know your weaknesses?

Ignoring weaknesses is something leaders may be tempted to do but rest assured Satan knows where and when to attack. Not only knowing but preventing and strengthening weaker areas is something effective leaders must focus time and energy diligently. Pretending there aren’t weaknesses in leadership or within the organization is a recipe for disaster. Do you know where you are weakest? Are you doing something about it?

These are just a few questions that I find helpful. How about you? Share your thoughts in the comment area.

George Lockhart is the mission and creative arts pastor at New Vision Church in Fayetteville, GA and a missionary with Vision 2 Hear ministries.

Surge Trips 1&2

I leave about 6pm tomorrow night for Managua, Nicaragua. I will meet the rest of the team of 23 at the airport about 3pm. With so many we have to arrive very early of course. I am joining the team from Tennessee, lead by Terry Davis, a friend and member of Vision 2 Hear, who is also the pastor of The Movement.

This trip makes my 8th time ( I think) to Padre Ramos, working alongside our dear friends at the Youth Ranch. I am looking forward to seeing our friends and the kids again who make up the wonderful community there. We expect to work with various projects like passing out Bibles in nearby villages, along with helping feed some people in the more impoverished areas. In the past, we have done many things like this before, even delivering sinks and ovens.

Delivering a sink for a family in the community. They weigh about 300 pounds.

In the evenings we will have Bible studies and several of us will perform music and share testimonies and preach. We are expecting an awesome week.

On June 6, Trevor and I will take a bus and make our way to meet up with a team from New Vision Church in Siguatepeque, Honduras. While in Honduras we will work building a playground for a church and then hosting VBS for kids for a few days toward the end of the week.

I’ve been to Honduras a few times also but that has always been to San Pedro Sulu. This time we will be in Siguatepeque. Other times we did much work with orphanages and churches, mostly performing and preaching. This will be a little different but still very excited to be able to help build something that they will use to reach more people for Christ.

The missionary there recently launched a skateboarding ministry and I hope to be able to talk with him about how we can be a bigger part of that. V2H has had a skateboarding ministry before called Elevate and we’ve done work in El Salvador with it before, helping build ramps and host an large outreach event.

So anyway, I’ve got to get back to packing and cleaning. Thanks for your prayers and remembering us over the next two weeks. I’ll be limited to internet access while away but will post as I can. Adios!

Observations Of A Prodigal #5

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. Luke 15:20

Sin’s A Domino!

Sin affects in many ways. We sin against God and man at the same time. Even if we don’t directly sin against man, our sin still affects our relationships with man and certainly every sin affects our relationship with God. Sin is the domino that sets off a ton of other dominos. This young boy learned that principle. His sin was not limited to a single relationship but multiple ones. I’m sure any of us can look back with great heartache and see the ways our sin has affected the way others respond to or treat us. It can leave a huge hole to climb out of!

Possessing Or Possession?

The boy’s perspective changed drastically. It’s amazing how some time, distance, hardship and heartache can do that! Initially, he thought he was somebody because of what he had instead of who he was. However, it’s who has us, not what we have that counts. For a while the possessions possessed him and now that they were gone, so was his self-esteem. His self- worth was in the dumps. But then again, how many us are right there with him? We somehow have forgotten that our worth is not based upon our choices but upon our birthrights! Once a son, always a son. This young man was worthy because he was a son not because of what he had or had not done. We must remember this. Our worth as a child of God goes beyond any goof-up, mistake or sin. We must make every effort to remember that it’s not so much about self-esteem as it is esteeming God highly. When we do that properly, we will understand how much we mean to Him too.

Far-Sighted?

I’m near-sighted, which means I can only see things close to me. I use glasses for this problem. I believe that this father was far-sighted because he could see the son a long way off, recognize him and respond to him! He also didn’t care about the stuff that was near, like the stench, the mud, or the dirt. So here’s a father running rather undignified, to his son with no concern for himself, his attire, or his protocol. It’s his son! And nothing is going to get in the way. Nothing! He’s been watching, waiting, and praying for this day and now it’s here!I love the fact that the son seems to be walking but the father is running. I love the fact that the father throws his arms around him and kisses him. These are all initiated by the father. The son simply receives all the father wants to give him. How much more the incredible picture of God running to us, taking the first steps in embracing and kissing us.

Full, Not Half.

The father was filled with compassion. He could have been angry, upset, bitter or any number of other justifiable emotions. Yet, he is full, not partly or half but full of compassion. The word “compassion” means “with suffering”. Ever heard: “this is gonna hurt me more than you”? That’s the case here. Every time we turn from God and go our own way, God’s heart breaks.

It Is Over!

The father was filled to overflowing with compassion. In his mind, the whole ordeal was over the moment he saw the boy again. The same is true with us and God. It’s over when he says it’s over. Some times we can’t get over it and there are definitely others that can’t get beyond it but God always does. It’s over before you even know it!

Think back on a time when there was a domino affect because of some sin you committed.

Is there something that has happened where others have not been able to let you live down or forgive you for? Have to been able to forgive them for not forgiving you?

Where do you find your self-esteem? How is your level of esteem? Where does your self-image find it’s roots?

How do you look at yourself? Does your image line up with what God says about you?

How does your self-worth issues affect your decision-making? Your response to others and to God?

What are you expecting from God? How do you think He’s going to treat you? Do you trust His heart?

What needs to be over in your life? Why not confess it and let it be so?

How’s your compassion for others?