Quiet Time with Starsky and Hutch

I went to a youth worker conference called Shift at Willowcreek Community Church this last spring. The most impactful teaching for me was the simple stuff. How about this one: How can you feed the poor without eating first? Keynote speaker, Shane Claiborne didn’t use those exact words, but as he shared stories about his homeless ministry in Philadelphia, I remember thinking it. How can we expect to keep passing out food to the masses if we don’t eat first? (Math Problem: If Suzy eats dinner before she serves it, can she serve more or less people before she needs to eat again?) How many of us settle for starvation in our spiritual lives?

About six years ago I would have thought the author of this blog was crazy. I was reading the bible every chance I got, sharing my faith just because it bubbled out of me, and journalizing prayers that still blow my mind. God was way “rad” in my life. He became such a real priority to me that I decided to give up dreams of being a crazy rich business man, to serve him in full-time ministry. I still am. Being a youth pastor at a declining denominational church was so cutting edge because I knew I needed to be there. Then something happened I never would have predicted in a million years; my vibrant relationship with Christ turned into meeting expectations and doing stuff for God… aka, doing Christianity.

If I stopped and interviewed the first 5 people I ran into about loosing weight, I’m sure all of them would come up with some version of eating less and exercising more. My point is this: We know what we need to do; sometimes we just need to DO IT (hense the Starsky & Hutch video clip)!

As you read the last excerpt from the article entitled, “Prayer: How Real Is It?” think about the simple truths you need to hear. Since it’s almost a New Year -and each New Year is a clean slate- I challenge you to make this commitment before you read on: Set your mind to practice at least one of Hollie’s suggestions this next year.

For the record… my choice is, “Make a schedule (to pray) and stick to it.” (I’ll let you know how it goes!)

Prayer with others is powerful, but sometimes more intimate interactions with God allow us to focus our attention on what He wants. Hollie Carney of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Mo., offers the following suggestions for facilitating time with the Lord:

• Make a schedule and stick to it.

• Read, study and meditate on the Word of God.

• Vary your style (e.g., a chapter a day, organized Bible studies,
“chewing” on a verse for long periods of time).

• Journal—this allows you to focus and avoid distractions.

Keep Pressing On

As with anything, stagnancy can set in if we don’t change things up. Routine is the breeding ground for stale spirituality. Greig explains, “I’m always having to find new ways of praying in order to keep moving on and growing in this new way of communicating myself, my spirit, my thoughts, my feelings and also to learn the biggest lesson, which is enabling myself to be still enough to listen to God and to hear His voice.”

It is important to know that intimacy takes on different forms for different people and should not be controlled by the opinions of others. It’s up to you, through your own passions and creativity, to embrace God in ways that are uniquely yours. For some, God speaks through visions. For others, He speaks through thoughts, dreams or impressions. When we do not limit God, we open the door for Him to enter.

“Prayer isn’t a job; it’s a lifestyle,” Smith says. The way we experience God should never be routine. We must be creative. We must step out and challenge ourselves, because comfort only brings complacency.

---