Tag: Woke

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Praying with a woke mind and grateful heart.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.” Colossians‬ ‭4:2-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If I don’t like the things happening all around me, I should PRAY. Paul’s admonition to the churches (and us) – PRAY! I’ve been practicing this evening and morning routine of giving everything to God just before I sleep and right after opening my eyes in the morning. No checking late night texts or early emails. And, to have an alert mind and thankful heart.

Paul uses this Greek word only used here in the New Testament, grēgoreúō – to be vigilantly woke. No kidding! Believers need to be woke in prayer. That coupled with a “eucharistos” heart – a well favored, grace-filled heart is a powerful way to approach any situation on any given day. Paul then not only encourages this prayer posture in tough times, he asks for MORE opportunities himself – while in prison! It’s as if Paul is wanting more woke gratitude to leverage it to even more effectiveness in his witness.

He asks for more ways to speak these mysteries, these secret, hidden without a Spirit initiated revelation moments with people. Paul, this giant of evangelism in the first century wants and prays to be even more clear about the gospel, speaking to the hearts of humans that God has already been working on.

With the Holy Spirit at work there is no such thing as a “cold call” when talking to someone! God has already been wooing and working on every possible way to reach them with His love, grace and forgiveness. These perceived serendipitous moments are divine appointments. Paul understood this and asked the churches to pray with him for more of those moments.

Do I pray that way? Mostly I am OVER concerned with my own agendas, frustrations and fears. My prayers have no room, even with woke gratefulness, to ask for more opportunities to share about Christ. I need to hear Paul’s humble admonishment and leave a little room for these supernatural moments of opportunity!

Prayer

Dad,
Wow, when reading Paul’s words, inspired of the Holy Spirit, I feel the embarrassment and challenge to not be so protectively selfish in my prayers. Of course, I am only thinking of what presses in on my mind. But I can leave a little bit, just the edges of my brain-field for these mysterious moments Paul wrote about. Help me not be completely consumed by my own agenda that I forget your BIG agenda for all of us who follow Jesus.

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The day he quit his job to work for God!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.” Luke‬ ‭5:8-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a legacy Peter had as he would tell his family, his children and friends when they would later get together telling stories as the church gathered around the love feast (communion).

From the very beginning to the bitter end, then to a miraculous sendoff of Jesus. Jesus just doesn’t do normal! I mean, who recruits followers like this? In fact, who recruits leaders of future apostles and church fathers like this? It’s been said so many times, but Jesus found common, middle class, hard working guys and converted them to super miracle workers, church planters, authors and martyrs. Yeah maybe Matthew had some money, but he was such a social outcast being a money guy working for the Roman government.

And talk about worldly guys! Peter and his crew were both sailors and fishermen. You’ve heard the sailor stories and seen Deadliest Catch. These guys were tough, hardened, calloused
-hands kind of people. However, it’s interesting to note that Jesus was NOT intimidated by rough dudes, maybe hard hands do not mean hard hearts?

Luke tells us Jesus steps out onto Peter’s boat like a lost tourist. He then casually asks Peter to push away from shore a little. Then, like a totally noob, tells him to push out further and let down his nets again. Notice, Luke had already told us Jesus found the guys CLEANING those nets – they were DONE.

Peter respectfully protests, being the expert in his own trade, “Jesus, it’s been a hard days night, and I’ve been working like a dog!” Yet, he did as Jesus asked. Peter and the whole bunch must have been trying to figure out what kind of Rabbi behaves like this guy. He’s not normal!

I think they were tired, and in shock trying to understand what was going on. What was this guy’s angle? What was he selling? What did he want? What kind of religion does this guy represent?

Maybe Jesus caught them on that one really bad day that everyone has, when they say, “what are we doing?” Or, “What is life all about?” Or, “Why are we killing ourselves over fish?” Maybe it was one of those mornings where the whole gang was thinking, “what if we quit and did something else?”

Then “coincidentally” this strange Rabbi walks up and speaks and acts in such a way that the fishermen become WOKE – super woke to life and purpose. Woke to what life could be, what it should be. Jesus words and the miracle of their “retirement” catch of fish was just enough for the guys to make a decision to quit their jobs and work for God! Luke writes, “As soon as they landed… they left EVERYTHING and followed Jesus.”

PRAYER:

Dad,
I was nowhere as far as the first followers in my pursuit of life or career. I hadn’t even graduated High School. However, when I said “Yes” to following you, it only took a couple of years to begin to reformat my entire future to do whatever you asked of me. Sure, I didn’t feel qualified – I wasn’t qualified. Sure, I felt conscientious about any kind of “religious” calling or preparation. My “people” didn’t come from any spiritual stock. I had no godly folk in my family going back several generations. I was the first of my kind to even think about going into “ministry.” Most of my family thought that I would go into some kind of priest training and a monastery life. They didn’t know and neither did I. They also thought I got caught up in some kind of religious cult or maybe I was going through some kind of “youthful” season of finding myself. I know it surprised all of them that it stuck and it was real. Now some 45 years later, I’m still following you in a calling and purpose that I never grew out of. Instead I just continue to grow into it. So, thank you for “randomly” showing up in my life and simply saying, “come on… follow me.”