Alongsider DiscipleshipOver the past couple of weeks we’ve been working our way through a book titled The Ways of The Alongsider: Growing Disciples Life2Life by Bill Mowry. Bill is a friend of mine whose passion is to see people grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus and to live out his way of life everyday. The idea of an Alongsider might be an uncommon thought to some of us, but he does a great job detailing at the outset of the book. Then as we moved deeper into our understanding of what an Alongsider was we hit two topics of great importance to discipleship: A Way of Life and Intentionality.

This week our focus turns to the spiritual discipline of prayer. A disciple is one who spends regular time in conversation with God – he or she prays. But this prayer life isn’t what you might be thinking. One of Bill’s exercises is to hang new pictures in the gallery of our minds. We often have a specific way of doing things that overshadows our thinking. Take prayer for instance. Many of you probably automatically thought of one of the children’s prayers you said growing up. Others likely thought something like, I can’t do that I just don’t know what to say. But all too often we sell God short in our prayer life. We pray for thinks he never promised to give and then get upset when he doesn’t answer the way we
wanted him to answer.PrayerPgBanner2

But discipleship is about praying for other people. When we truly care about people, we pray for them. Jesus spent many times on his own in prayer. Whether in the  or at the  Jesus prayed. He prayed when life was rough and sought the Father in prayer when his energy was tapped. Prayer was critical to Jesus, and it should be for us as well.

Before Jesus faced his own death , intently seeking God’s direction. Even asking God to change the course for him if at all possible.

The point is simply that Jesus knew the importance of prayer in his own life. He told his disciples on many occasions to follow me or do as I do. If a disciple is a lover of the things of God and one who seeks to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, then prayer is a critical element to the life of a disciple. Not praying for our own needs but also for the needs of others. Praying that God would help, guide, direct, and open our brothers and sisters to receive the redemption that is theirs in Christ.

Here’s a little tool I use for prayer in my personal life. It started when a friend and I were talking out a fastfood drive-thru. The idea is simple actually. You order your meal at the little speaker box and then expect it to be there when you drive up to the window. What about living a life of expectant prayer? We so often pray and then water down our prayers as if we didn’t really believe God were in the prayer answering business. Try this exercise this week. Pray this prayer and fill in the blank: Lord today I need _______. 

The only rule is the blank cannot contain anything tangible. So pray for things like peace, focus, productivity, etc. When we pray the things that God promises to bless, they will be visible in pretty short order. But when we pray for things that God never promises to bless, we get frustrated when we don’t seem them happen the way we want. So it’s pretty easy. Lord today I need _____. Then walk away expecting it to be answered. When you go to be think back to the prayer from earlier in the day. Remember when and how it was answered. When prayer becomes a key part of our day, we’ll start to see the power of prayer changing things where we live, work and play.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35ESV
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. Matthew 14:23ESV
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” Matthew 26:36-46ESV