A River of Prayer

Prayerwalking along the river is a favorite spot of mine. 

As I walk along I pray against my sin. I pray for my family, my friends, and my church. But, as I walked and talked with God today the image of the river became an image of my prayer life.

Like my prayers, this river changes. Some days it's choppy and churning, while other days leave it as smooth as glass. My prayers are like that too. Sometimes, I feel like a spiritual mess with more in my heart than I could ever let out through my lips. There are also the days I feel a great peace in the wake of a big answer from the Lord, or merely because I've learned to wait more patiently for the answer.

My prayers have changed alongside these waters. Certain prayers for my children have turned to praises, while others grow in persistence. Church emergencies are now water under the bridge, part of the testimony of God's work in our church. As I pray, I find God deepens the shallow expectations of many of my prayers.

The river also warns me against forgetfulness towards God's work. How many prayers have I sailed down this river? Water that was right next to me a few weeks ago has traveled hundreds of miles since. In the same way, so have many of my prayers. I've seen God answer, whether "yes" or "no", and I see that He continues working on my behalf. The river reminds me against merely throwing out new needs, but to thank Him for the requests that have since been handled by a loving, powerful God.

So whether your prayer life is choppy or calm, prayer still matters. Keep talking to God. Keep sailing those prayers down that river to the God who has created us and loves to hear from us. 

Who Really Wrote the Bible?

Did God dictate every word of Scripture, or simply inspire the men who wrote the words?

I've pondered and talked over this question with people for years. A recent reading through 1 Corinthians 7 led me to go ahead and write my thoughts on the subject.

"I, Not the Lord"
Paul's chapter on marriage reiterates God's command against divorce (1 Cor 7:10), but then he goes a step further. Paul writes that believers should remain married to their unbelieving spouses, if that spouse isn't overtly hostile to Christianity (1 Cor 7:12). But look at how he says it:

"To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her."

Paul seems certain that verse 12 isn't in conflict with God's standards, but he doesn't have a clear statement from scripture or Jesus to reference. So he qualifies that his words here didn't generate from any place he could definitively point to. These parentheses cause great hesitation in some people.

The written words of God
I actually see this parenthetical statement of Paul to be very encouraging to the idea of divine authorship. Paul understood he was writing more than just temporary letters. He reveals this by instructing the Colossians to pass their letter along for the church at Laodicea, and to read the (now lost) letter Paul had written to them as well (Colossians 4:6). These letters continue to be "passed along" in our churches today.

But if scripture is God's Word, why didn't God just write it down Himself? Simply put, God likes using us! It's incredible how involved God allows us to be in the process of Kingdom-building. The writers of the biblical books were tools in the hand of God. However, I don't believe they were mindlessly dictating, but utilized by the Lord as individuals. 

All Scripture is God-Breathed
2 Timothy 3:16 is clear that all scripture is "God-breathed". That means, God was intimately involved in the process. Some interpret this as God telling each writer every single word to write down. That just isn't the God I've gotten to know in my walk with Christ, and my reading of the Bible.

God was the inspiration, but the individual writers' fingerprints are evident as you read their books. Matthew was passionate about reaching the Jewish people with the Gospel, and so under the inspiration of God, he wrote a gospel that references the Old Testament and speaks to that audience.

Meanwhile, Luke partnered with Paul in reaching non-Jews for Jesus. Luke certainly could have written a gospel like Matthew's, but God inspired him to write based on his experience and concern for Gentiles. So while the two books contain similar details of Jesus' life, you can see the way God allowed the gospel passions of the individual to come through their writing.

This is why two pastors or bible teachers can cover the same passage with lessons that are absolutely biblical, but not identical. God has inspired the individual. Whether God dictated each word, or inspired the writers as they worked, God still has a touch on every letter of His Word. 

The Bible is God's Word
I have no doubts that the Bible is God's inspired Word. I've studied original manuscripts. I've attempted to live my life by it's words for decades, and encouraged others to do the same. Watching the impact of these words in my life and others, has only served to increase my confidence. I pray three things for you in reading this post:

1. That you will trust God's Word.
2. As a result of that trust, you will read and apply the Bible daily.
3. Remember God made you as an individual to serve Him in a unique way. Don't try to be like someone else!