One Tip For Creating Space To Hear From God

Posted on May 15, 2015May 14, 2015 by Matthew Laker

One tip for creating space to hear from God.

The week after writing about the post,“If we do not build an altar to meet with God, he cannot honour us with his fire,” I was struck by the reality that so many of us struggle with, the rhythm of creating space. If Jesus is the source of water in my life, then why do I not drink from that pool?

I cannot remember where I read this comment:The disciplines we have during the good moments will help us during the valleys of life. Forget for a moment what that would look like. What if you just pulled out your schedule, and for the next six weeks, one time a week, you scheduled 30 minutes to build the altar?

In my journey challenges have come from a number of areas. For example, responsibility from work, from family, the need for sleep, bad habits and or bad rhythms already established in my life. And, then there are the excuses we come up with.

In my life when I have not scheduled the time, I have failed to be restored. It has hurt my journey in life. When I do schedule the time, not only do I become grounded in Jesus, I am better husband, father, friend, pastor and person. It is as if God has designed our life in such a way to leak, and this forces us to come to him to be filled. In turn this reminds us of our need for God.

What if over the next six weeks you heard from God? What if you gained a greater or deeper understanding of who God is and what he has done? This is why we schedule our time, to draw from an eternal well and hear from Jesus.

I am just not a calendar person you may say. Maybe, but you seem to find a way to eat food every day.

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water” (John 4:13-15).

Pull out the calendar and plan time to meet with Jesus. Try it just for six weeks and let me know what happens?

Any suggestion on how to use that time? If you are looking for help send me an email: matthew@matthewlaker.com

Go ahead over the next six weeks, plan 30 min. each week to build space to hear from God.

Build an Altar and wait for God’s glory

Posted on May 6, 2015May 6, 2015 by Matthew Laker

If we do not build an altar to meet with God, he cannot honour us with his fire.

For many followers of Jesus, we desire to have a relationship with him. We desire to know the power and experience the presences of God in our life. 22943_Set_a_Fire

As we follow Jesus we need to create a set time in our rhythm of life, where we sit sat at the altar to meet with God.

But why?

The simple reason is this:

We are nothing without the presence of God, and nothing is more important than experiencing the glory of God.

If we do not build the altar to meet with God, he cannot honour us with his fire (presence).

We want God to lead and speak in our life, but are we creating space to hear from him? Are we using the lens of scripture to view life circumstances? The building of the altar is a metaphor for creating space to worship and hear from God.

For so many today, we have surrendered to the idol of busyness or exhaustion. There is no margin (for God) in many people’s lives here in Canada and the western world. Many followers of Jesus desire to experience renewal, and the presences or power of God in their lives. However, they fail to build alters to meet with him to receive it.

The idea of, and image of an altar has been helpful in my journey with Jesus. I understand some may struggle with this image, but it is a place, a moment to meet with God. Yes, God is with me wherever I go. Yes, I can speak with him throughout the rhythms of life and we need to. We need to live out the teaching of Romans 12 with our life being laid out on the altar before Jesus.

However, I still believe in the need of altars. But, not in the sense of sin sacrifice for atonement – that is finished in Jesus Christ. What I am speaking of are moments of pause so that we intake the gospel. It is like in an engine piston. As it goes up it takes in oxygen and gas. Then it compress it. The altar moment is a time where we are taking the gospel in and letting the spirit compress it, then in the Spirits’ timing, he ignites us and power comes. From there we go and engage the world.

Jesus would often get up early or pull away from the disciples and crowds to seek God the Father. He reveals to us a pattern, a rhythm to follow in life.

We need to be careful of the idol of religion and not become legalistic. That is to say if I do this, then God has to burn the altar. To think that way makes this moment to be about you and not God. This is not about putting your quarter in, and God comes out.

This is about creating space to worship God, to be reminded about who he is and who I am. Remembering that nothing is of any use without the presence of God, and nothing is more important than experiencing the glory of God.

But if we do not build the altar to meet with God, he cannot honour us with his fire (presence).

If we want to see the power of God, we are going to need to build the altar, so he can honour us with his presence.

Beginner’s Guide to Lent : Finishing Lent well

Posted on April 10, 2015April 7, 2022 by Matthew Laker

How do I end Lent well? You have been fasting, praying, and practicing alms giving over the Lent season. In a way, Lent is like a race, and as one goes into Holy Week, the last lap on the track is entered.

How do we end Lent well?

1. Utilize Holy Week

What is Holy Week?

Palm Sunday is the start of the last loop of the Lent race. It begins with what Jesus followers call Holy Week. On Palm Sunday we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Matthew 21). Then later in the week, we remember the Eucharist (Lk. 22:17-23; 1 Cor. 11:17-34). This is also known as the Lord’s Supper or Communion. Through these activities, we remember the suffering, death, and finally crossing the finish line of Lent in the resurrection.

Four major days of Holy week.

a. Holy Thursday

This day comes before Good Friday and commemorates communion, foot washing, and Jesus praying in the garden.

b. Good Friday – commemorates the death of Jesus. Many churches hold a gathering on this day filled with song, scripture reading, prayer and teaching.

c. Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil) – A day for rest, a time of waiting and short weeping.

d. Resurrection Sunday. – Celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. This is a time to celebrate. .

I would encourage you to utilize Holy Week. Many churches will hold extra prayer or gathering times. Consider entering into those times. I would also suggest that you read through the gospels, and the last days of Jesus’ death and resurrection. You could even pick up a devotional to guide you through scripture this week.

A Second tip for finishing Lent well is:

2. Hold a Jesus meal.

A Jesus meal is a time for believers to gather over a meal and intentionally share spiritual stories. They share about their walk with God and how they are growing. They share where they are seeing God at work. They share how they came to faith. Then, the night ends by praying for one another. There are many elements one could incorporate, but for a guide, check out this post:

A Jesus Meal

A Third tip for finishing Lent well is:

3. Personal reflection again.

Answer this question – What will you take away from your lent journey? Journaling through the season can help in this area of reflection.

A fourth tip for finishing Lent well is

4. Celebrate.

Often in my life this is another meal. Consider inviting more than just your family. Perhaps you can gather a bunch of people and each take care for part of the meal. Be creative.

Be sure to gather with the church this day for a time of worship, scripture reading and prayer.

Celebrate the life you have in Jesus. Yes, have a party.

Finally to finish Lent well:

5. Keep running the race marked out for you.

This is just one chapter, one season in your life. We have climbed the mountain and have hopefully met with Jesus. But, he wants us to go back down the mountain, and engage life for his glory. Live for Jesus. To not do so will waste your Lent journey.

If you want to finish Lent well, live for Jesus after the season has come to an end.

Beginners guide to the season of lent

Posted on April 10, 2015March 20, 2022 by Matthew Laker

Are you new to Lent? Looking for help as you journey through the Lent season? Do you want to get the most out of the season of Lent? Are you looking for a place to begin in your journey through the Lent season?

This is why I have created these posts.

Through this “Beginners guide to the season of Lent,” I hope to help with the following:

Increasing your knowledge of who God is.
Help you understand the role of Lent, and give you practical application for deepening your spiritual roots.

It was not until later in my journey with Jesus that I began to practice this season with the Church.

Lent is a set period of time to strengthen deeper roots in Christ. I have found it to be a helpful season to assist me in discipling others, as well as helping me to realign in Christ and deal with my own idols. My prayer is that the season of Lent will help you to know Jesus more and to walk in holiness.

A Beginners Guide to Lent:

1. What is Lent?

2. Lent and Prayer.

3. Why give something up at Lent?

4. Alms giving.

5. Lent and fasting.

6. Self-examination.

7. Celebration of Easter – ending Lent well.

Any suggestion on how to make Lent better?

Lent and Prayer : Time to Refresh your Prayer Life

Posted on March 5, 2015March 20, 2022 by Matthew Laker

Prayer is a normal part of the Christian life. If you are following Jesus, hopefully you are already practicing prayer.

The season of Lent provides an opportunity to rededicate time for prayer. Let’s face it, many struggle with the busyness of life, and this means that our spiritual disciplines suffer. We know it is good and we should do it, but we don’t. Let the Lent season be a time to refresh your prayer life.

How to refresh your prayer life:

a. Set aside time

Just as we would set a time up to meet with a friend, we need to do this with Jesus. It’s like a wife and husband setting a date night. It will not happen unless you set the time. Keep this simple and start small. The beauty of this choice is it may be a practice you keep up after the season ends. Instead of giving up, you take up.

During the Lent season I would encourage the setting aside of a longer time for prayer. For example, some churches will have extra weekly prayer gatherings. For instance, one Church I know has the church open for a prayer vigil, from the Thursday just before Easter to their Good Friday service. . They work to get people to sign up for one hour. Individual and corporate times are equally important.

b. Consider walking and praying

In colder areas this can be a challenge, but it is a practical way to get physically active and spiritual at same time. You can even use the things you see to guide how you pray.

c. Use Examen Prayers

It is a prayer of remembering where God has met us and helped us. It is a prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to understand him and his direction for us.

Over at http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ you will find a resource called Lunch time examen. It is a series of six online guided prayer sessions – Click here to go there.

d. Lectio Divina with the Bible.

This is a series of reflection steps on scripture that you can use to guide your prayer time.

Checkout this blog post for how to do Lectio Divina

e. Journal

This is a great tool. You can write out your own prayers. You can copy scripture into it. You can write down what is happening in your life. It is a place to help untangle the thoughts of one’s mind. It is a place to look back, and see where you are coming from and where God is taking you.

Here are some good thoughts from www.holyexperience.com on Journaling as a Spiritual discipline: An Act of Prayer. Click here

The Lent season can be used as a time to refresh your prayer life. What is one step you will take today to begin the journey?