Putting Power & Passion in Your Prayer Life

"You need to call home!" That was a comment I heard from time to time while I was in college. Honestly, my schedule would get so busy with classes, social service clubs, work, study and sports that I often forgot to call, talk with and thank the ones who were supporting my college experience - my parents.

Well, it didn't take me long to notice that the same is true with post-college life. It's so easy to become consumed with daily demands that carving out a few extra minutes to pray can feel like another task on the to-do-list. But since prayer is essential to every aspect of our lives, we must create a daily sabbatical to unplug from life, 'call home,' talk with and thank the One who is making this life-experience possible - your Heavenly Father.

So how do you step directly out of a daily grind and into a sincere and productive time of prayer? For me, I use a prayer-plan so that my mind can focus while my spirit connects, keeping my prayer-time from feeling plastic, empty and unproductive. Here is the "prayer-plan" I personally use and teach at Free Life Chapel:

P - Praise
     Start-off your prayer with a party! Call God every Name in the book (Provider, Way-
     Maker, Friend, Strength, etc.), and then tell Him how He has been that to you. Reflect 
     on His blessings, favor and goodness in your life, family, finances and health. And 
     please smile while you praise Him... that's right, smile! You will be amazed at how 
     praising God with every natural gesture of joy you can humanly express will make your 
     prayer-time a more real experience instead of just a spiritual exercise. Clap your hands 
     for His faithfulness! Lift your hands in surrender! Bow in honor of His glory! Make your 
     praise real - to God and yourself.

          Psalms 22:3 (WBT)

               "But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel."

R - Request
     Now that the atmosphere if filled with your declaration of His greatness, use God's
     divine resumé as a weapon against every issue in your life. Invite His power and glory to 
     invade your challenges and situations. ASK BIG! Until you ask God to handle the things 
     that are 'impossible' for you to deal with, then you haven't even properly accessed His 
     power in your life. Your request for God's involvement is proof that you believe that He 
     is the Answer to every need in your life. God is awaiting your request to make you and 
     He a team in overcoming life while building His Kingdom! Ask big... I dare you!

          John 14:14 (NIV)
               "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

A - Anticipate
     Many times our prayed 'requests' seem like a forgotten grocery list that we dropped-off for 
     God to fulfill. But when we add 'anticipation' to our requests, something amazing happens... 
     we develop vision for our lives. We suddenly start expecting God to show-up and show-off! 
     What does the act of anticipation look like in prayer? This happens when I change the 
     direction of my prayer from earth to heaven (requesting), and start praying from heaven to 
     earth - celebrating heaven's reply! Start seeing, declaring and celebrating your life through
     the view of answered prayer and what it will be like once God meets the need. This is where
     you build confidence in the hope that God has heard and is responding to your prayer.

          Mark 11:24 (NIV)
               "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, 
               and it will be yours."

Y - Yearn
     Although, God's response to our request is a wonderful reality, the greater purpose and 
     benefit of prayer is our opportunity to know God. The thought of having a true 
     relationship with Almighty-God is staggering, but this is exactly His heart's desire. Tell 
     Him you want to know Him. Express to Him your hunger to change. Admit to Him the 
     void in your life without His Presence. As you do, your own awareness of Who He really 
     is and how much you desperately need Him will increase. Beyond His blessings and 
     favor, you and I must keep in mind that His Presence is the true Source of our lives and 
     must be the ultimate yearning and desire of our hearts. Prayer makes this possible.

          Psalms 16:11 (ESV)

               "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of 

               joy; a your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Reschedule your life to make prayer a celebrated priority. It is the gateway to everything you need in life, because God assures us that He hears us when we pray (1 John 5:14). I guess M.C. Hammer said it best in his 1990 hit... "you've got to pray just to make it today!"

Faith & Fun... in Church?

I recently became very aware of something about myself. I discovered that the people I most enjoy spending time with are those who smile, laugh and enjoy life. No big surprise, right? Truth is, their smiles lift my atmosphere and their laughs soon become mine. Laughter, humor and fun are some of the most wonderful, infectious and contagious 'medicines' in the world.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."  Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)

It's sad to say, but "joy and laughter" are not a standout aspect of the Church's reputation in today's society. Think about it. If you asked a non-churched or de-churched person to describe their impression of "church," my guess is "exciting, energetic and fun" wouldn't make their 'Top 10' list. Naturally, I don't believe Church should be reduced to a comedy club where we preach nothing more than a good-humor message; humor doesn't convict a person's heart, only the love and power of Jesus can do that. However, I am convinced that our message of truth doesn't have to be delivered in a stiff, dry and somber package either. 

Here's my point... "faith and fun" are a powerful combination in the Church, because humor is not the enemy of sincerity. The Gospel is a serious matter and is not to be taken lightly, but this message of Jesus is also Good News, hope and life - a message quite fitting for a few smiles.

Here are a few reasons why I believe the Church must stop treating humor, joy and fun as an accessory, and start embracing it as an ingredient for life-changing ministry.

1. Reputation
     It's sad when "Angry Birds" can double as a nickname for many Christians! The truth is, 
     smiles and laughter quickly begin disarming the reputation of "angry Christians". Since a 
     smile is one of the most powerful non-verbal expressions you own, use it regularly to 
     give Christianity a facelift... one smile at a time.

2. Learn
     Educators have known for years that humor creates a comfortable atmosphere that 
     makes it easier to learn, change and retain information. Wouldn't it be great if the 
     congregation still remembered the pastor's Sunday message on Wednesday? A little 
     humor makes a big difference!

3. Attraction
     The same way laughter warms and attracts the hearts of a man and woman in a dating 
     relationship, we have discovered that laughter in the church also begins destroying 
     'anti-church' attitudes and warms the heart of the unchurched visitor. When this 
     happens, walls come down and the heart begins to open-up - making the visitor more 
     receptive to the church's message. Yes, Holy Spirit is the One that 'draws' a man's heart, 
     but we don't need to make his job any harder! Amen?

4. Connection
     One of the quickest ways to make individuals feel part of the congregation is to include 
     them (involuntarily) through smiles and laughter. As people participate together in the
     service, through something as simple as smiles and laughter, there is a feeling of 
     connection and belonging that touches their hearts.

5. Energy

     One major element that laughter and smiles deliver to every worship service is energy. 

     I am convinced that Church should be the most invigorating, energizing atmosphere a 

     person has experienced all week! Put a smile on their face and you'll deliver energy to 

     their heart.

6. Authenticity  
     When the pastor owns the confidence and ability to laugh at self and life, that joy-
     filled approach has a curious way of communicating "authenticity" (genuine, real, true 
     legitimate, valid) with the audience. Earning the listener's trust is critical to making 
     maximum, lasting impact in their lives. 

7. Sincerity 
     Authenticity is about the messenger; sincerity is about the message. Authenticity 
     relates to the messenger's believability, but sincerity (free from pretense, deceit or 
     hypocrisy) describes the message's purity. When a trustworthy speaker delivers a pure 
     and uncompromised message, life-change is irrefutable.

I'm sure there are many other benefits to a joy-filled, laughter-frirendly worship experience, but these are the stand-out benefits we have experience at Free Life Chapel that keeps 'faith & fun' a dynamic-duo for ministry. (Here's a link to "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" - a fun music video we filmed at Free Life Chapel to end a teaching series, "Dropping the F*Bomb"! The feedback from the un-churched viewers was overwhelming - "Cool to see a church that actually knows how to have fun!")

Many years ago, Mary Poppins (the storybook character) taught us a wonderful ministry truth when she said, "a spoonful of sugar, helps the medicine go down". The sugar (humor, laughter) was never meant to replace the medicine (Gospel), but it is given to accompany it, so the sick (humanity) will receive the medicine... and be made whole!

5 Traits of a Rock Star Leader

Have you ever experienced the 'joy' of ordering a five piece chicken finger meal at the drive-thru, only to discover (after driving all the way home) that the 'teen-aged professional chicken-packer' forgot how to count to five while fixing your order? I hate when the package arrives incomplete.

The issue of "completeness" is important on many levels - but especially when related to leadership, staff and teams. I have both served-on, as well as built, church staffs and ministry teams for twenty years, and have discovered that a complete-package leader is both rare and glorious! From the moment they step inside the door, they elevate the overall atmosphere, energy and impact of the entire team. These individuals are nothing short of "rock-stars" to any organization.

From my experience, the following list identifies the 'complete package' each of these rock star leaders possess. 

1. Attitude 
     Attitude creates the atmosphere, health and heartbeat of every team - good and bad. 
     For strong teams, this power-house leader's attitude fills the organization with a 
     contagious air of forward thinking, solution-driven, humility-guided, can-do mindset. 
     Their standard is excellence. Their path is team-work. Their goal is success. 

2. Adaptation
     Nothing is static, unless it is dead. Therefore, another key trait of dynamic leadership is 
     the ability to adapt, adjust and flex on the fly. Organizations, like organisms, are always 
     changing. Rock star leaders are able to absorb and advance despite the unexpected-
     shifts, while helping the team process and proceed - stabilizing and protecting the
     organization's boundaries.

3. Action
     Leaders take action to get the job done. These tenacious men and women see 'goals' as 
     giants that have to fall and mountains that must be moved... and they find a way to 
     make it happen. They envision dirty hands as 'sweat-equity' and dented-armor as 
     trophies. Unaffected by the size and scope of the task, these aggressive, passionate, 
     self-fueled, servant-leaders find greater fulfillment in leading a team-win over 
     individual achievement. Yep... they're rock stars!

4. Authenticity
     The core character-trait that every quality leader possesses is authenticity; a lifestyle,
     presentation and conduct that is consistently up-front and genuine. These leaders know 
     that their private life determines the potential in their public life; therefore, the first 
     person they are authentic to is themselves. Their character of integrity establishes a 
     standard of trust, honesty, loyalty and safety among the team that strengthening the 
     organization's over-all success.

5. Aptitude
     Every organization's rock star possesses ginormous aptitude. Although a wall display of 
     diplomas and certificates doesn't guarantee someone's ability to lead, there is 
     something powerful to be said for owning an education. Stand-out leaders understand 
     this and they pay the price to pursue and own an academic skill-set that will serve and 
     maximize their inherent talents and potential. Bottom line... academic-pursuit 
     significantly impacts personal performance, as well as team respect and influence. 

So here is my challenge... don't be so consumed with discovering a 'complete package' leader in your organization that you stop striving to become one yourself. I believe that stronger leaders attract better players and produce greater teams. So, develop yourself while discovering others... and you will begin to see the stars shinning all around you - Rock Stars!

Getting Back Up After Life Knocks You Down

Life knocks everyone down.

My dad and I have enjoyed watching boxing together for years. Maybe its something about the 'cave-man' in us that loves watching two men slug it out until only one man remained standing - or in some cases, leaning.

There is one thing I have discovered over the years... every fighter eventually finds himself looking up from the mat wondering "what just hit me?". And amazingly, it's in that dazed, disoriented and damaged condition that the fighter has to make one of the gutsiest decisions of his career - do I quit and stay down or do I regather and fight my way back up? But... not only must he decide to "get up," he has to start moving quickly because the referee only gives him until the count of '10' to make it happen. If he doesn't beat the count - he's defeated and the fight is over. 

Like most people, I have experienced several 'gut-checks' in life - scenarios that have sucked the wind and strength right out of me. For my wife and I, the punches that dropped us to the floor were when two of our children were still-born. Maybe you've experienced a phone call, conversation or report you never saw coming... but it dropped you hard and the 10-count has already started. The truth is, life floors everyone... but we can get back up.

MAKING a COMEBACK
    1. Decide to get up!

        Refuse to even think about giving-up. I know you are disoriented, but refuse to 

        give-in. There is always hope for a comeback - but you have to get-up to see it 

        happen. If you quit believing - you'll quit fighting; if you quit fighting - you'll quit 

        living. Getting back up... is the decision that every future champion has to make!

    2. Decide to get up quickly! 
        The longer you stay-down, the more focused you become on your pain; and, the 
        longer you spend thinking about the punch, the closer you are to being counted-out. 
        Be careful! When weak, tired and hurting, we typically reach for 'comfort' instead of 
        'growth'. Don't allow your emotions to throw in the towel - immediately begin the 
        journey back to your feet. You can do this, but you have to start now!

HOW to GET BACK UP
The bible tells us about a man named Nehemiah who's world got rocked with bad news. He learned that the city of Jerusalem had been attacked and destroyed and only a few Jews survived. Amazingly, the bible goes on to give us a play-by-play view of how Nehemiah dealt with this 'knock-out' punch.

     Nehemiah 1:4-5 (NIV) 
           "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and 
           fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said..."

     Step 1: "Sit Down" 
         When heavy news hits your life, make a quality, disciplined decision to sit down, 
         breathe deep and gather your thoughts. Don't react or make emotional decisions that 
         may worsen the situation.
     Step 2: "Cry"
         Express your pain. Don't bottle it up only to have it explode later. Give yourself a 
         license to be human and express your emotion. Of course, boundaries are still 
         important, but find that safe and proper way of allowing your heart and soul to 
         respond emotionally. 
     Step 3: "Fast and Pray"
         This made the difference between staying down as a victim or getting up as a champ! 
         When Nehemiah began fasting and praying he turned the corner, took control and 
         began fighting his way back up. Fasting and prayer isn't an idle activity in the time of 
         mourning. It is your faith 'fighting back' by looking to God's goodness, power and 
         ability to help in the tragedy you are facing. For Nehemiah, it was that 
         acknowledgment of God's presence that strengthened and settled his hope, faith and 
         heart enough to get his mind and spirit standing tall again.
     Step 4: "Get Up"
         Now you've got to change your position. 'Sitting down' was Nehemiah's first step, but 
         now he knew it was time to get back up again. Why? When Nehemiah stood up, he 
         literally raised and changed his physical perspective on life. Proper vision is critical 
         for your come-back and for your future. Once your faith is strong, then you can get 
         back on your feet and start seeing things again from a higher perspective. It's time to 
         see beyond the immediate difficulty of today, and start seeing, hoping and believing 
         in a place called tomorrow.
     Step 5: "Move Forward"
         Now, get active and start living again. Reconnect with your routine and those healthy 
         relationships in your life. Laugh. Exercise. Plan. Smile. Talk forward. Think forward. 
         Reach forward. Believe forward. Get your eyes and heart focused back on your 
         future, because that is where you are headed. 

Nehemiah's response to his devastating hit obviously worked well... because the bible says, where others had failed at rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem for 100 years, Nehemiah was able to finish in just 52 days!

Nehemiah got back up... and you can, too!