First, Go To Your Brother

 First, Go To Your Brother

A Lesson on Resolving Conflict in the Church.

Christians are humans and as such we still sin. We are saved but we often turn back to the flesh and our old ways instead of listening to the Holy Spirit and letting God change us. We are supposed to confess these things and by the constant confession we draw closer to God as he works on us.

Because of this, conflict often occurs in churches. Places where people should be loved, respected, treated as equal, and feel safe and welcome can become hostile places where we feel none of this. We can often have conflict with other believers or groups of believers in churches believe it or not.

Jesus in the book of Matthew sets down how conflicts of this sort are to be resolved. He says “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglects to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”---Matthew 18:15-17

It doesn’t say, “Run and snitch to your pastor.” I have looked everywhere, and I cannot find it at all. What amazes me is that pastors allow it; and even go confront the “offending” brother for the other person. A pastor or person in authority should refuse, and immediately ask the tattle tale “Did you go to the person alone already?” This simple question would take so much pressure off a pastor or leader, and solve many problems in the body.

The first thing that refusing to follow the words of Christ does is make the pastor or leader look bad. They are violating the words of Christ in order to confront someone for allegedly violating the words of Christ. How ridiculous is that? They are wrong from the get go. Then, it creates a barrier between the authority and the alleged offender. The pastor or leader should be someone that every member can go to and feel safe talking to or gain spiritual advice from. But now, here’s this thing that has popped up between them causing embarrassment or anger or resentment. It is from Satan and is part of his effort to divide the flock, so he can isolate members and destroy them. If you can't talk with your pastor because he has joined with people trying to destroy or hurt you, that is a bad place.     

Jesus knows our frame. He knows we have a corrupted nature and that we will sin. He set down rules for a particular reason, and to be followed in a particular way. Think about it. He knows we are often petty. He knows we get bitter, and irritated or frustrated, and that we think only of self. So, he commands that if we have something against a brother or sister we should go to them alone.        

The purpose of this is to cause the person to consider whether it’s really worth confronting someone over, or not. Does it need to lead to a confrontation that could destroy friendships and drive people away?  But, if you can just go complain to someone else and get them to attack the person, there’s no soul searching needed.
    
You are supposed to carefully consider yourself first. What is my real motive in this confrontation? Do I have a valid reason or is it just my pet peeve or OCD acting up again? Do I have a real relationship with this brother or sister, to be able to go to them in love? What will be the possible outcome? What’s the worst case scenario? Is it really sin? Could God be using this to grow me; and reveal flaws in me that I need to look at and confess to Him, so He can get that stuff out of me? What is really going on with this brother or sister?
    
Do you see the self reflection that should come from this situation? Next, it should lead a person to search the scriptures, and pray to the Lord for the Holy Spirit to show them what the Word says on the subject. A believer must go to a person in love, but also realize that they are going to them in the authority of the Lord. If not, then don’t go to them. Just leave it alone instead. Pray for them, and forgive them within yourself.
    
Believers are supposed to be focused on their own walk with God, not worrying about what others are doing. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  God never answered this question, but there are other places in scripture that shows we are to be concerned with the lives of others as well. However, the scriptures also show that there are ways to do this.
    
First, focus on your own walk. Mind your own business. You are as much a sinner as anyone else, remember that. What if God decided to be as picky toward you as you are to others? What if He decided to strike you every time you sin? Consider this. Then show grace, like God does. He is teaching you grace. Second, there are times when someone does something to you that needs to be dealt with. Pray about it, and then go to the person alone, in love with scriptures to support you if needed. Do not let it become an argument. Say your piece, then listen to their reply, then answer again, and listen to their reply, then start to work your way out of the situation.
    
Also, sometimes the Lord will bring someone else’s sin to your attention. There are many reasons for this. First, maybe he is using someone else’s sin to teach you something about yourself.  Second, He wants you to pray for the person caught in sin. That is always the case. Third, if God continues to burden you with the sin, then you must prepare yourself with prayer and self reflection, and scripture. Then, if the burden remains and you know you are being called by God to go to the person, then go in love. Hopefully you already have a relationship with the person.  This is important.
    
If the person refuses to hear you, then you take it before 2 or 3 others. This is when you would go to the pastor or other leader, as well as mutual friends. Now, “refuses to hear you” does not mean that they refuse to obey your wishes or views. They might have valid reasons, and even scripture for why they are doing what they have done. That’s what talking alone will resolve.
    
Next, if the person won’t listen, then take it to the church, and then treat them as a publican or sinner; which basically means that you love them and pray for them but reduce fellowship with them. This is done to protect the church from falling prey to the same sin the person has committed, or to protect the offender from getting hurt as well in some other way. The hope is that eventually God, will bring all parties to their senses, and the relationship will be healed.
    
Churches are a gathering of believers. They are a body, which has a purpose. That purpose is to reach others for Christ, and to strengthen each other, to make us more effective soldiers in this war. We need to follow the Spirit, and learn how to conduct ourselves in ways that won’t drive others away from Christ, or from the Body.  I’m not saying that we must conform to the standards the world sets on us; I’m saying that there are simple methods in the Bible, laid down by the Lord Himself that can help us prevent trouble before it starts; if we only will do it.
   
How people are treated within a church body is important for keeping believers on a spiritual path and drawing closer to the Lord and others in the body. Not driving them away into the world where the Enemy seeks to devour them. Great resentment exists in the hearts of many who turned to the Lord, and God’s children at a church drove them away.

Stop doing it. 

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called “The Future is Coming” and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

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Photo by the Author. A bridge over swampy waters on a trail in Southern Illinois.

Churchianity vs. Christianity

 Churchianity vs. Christianity

Truth By Chris Bunton

Churchianity- Invites people to church.
Christianity- Invites people to know Christ.

Churchianity– Demands people attend services.
Christianity– Encourages people to spend time with God.

Churchianity– Gathers children for Christmas programs.
Christianity– Gathers children to go feed the homeless, visit the sick, and write letters to prisoners.

Churchianity– Destroys itself over choices of music, and colors of carpet.
Christianity– Destroys itself so others may succeed and live.

Churchianity– Sits on a mountain of cash, and only gives to those they deem worthy.
Christianity– Sits on a mountain of faith and gives to any who ask, as the Lord commanded.

Churchianity– Builds mansions to worship God in, while having members living in poverty.
Christianity– Builds simple places to gather, while helping those in need.

Churchianity– Follows the world’s business practices, worshiping Mammon.
Christianity– Follows Christ’s business practices, worshiping Him only.

Churchianity– Seeks the best people.
Christianity– Seeks anyone called by God.

Churchianity– Uses people and throws them away when they fail, and for petty reasons.
Christianity– Empowers broken people and forgives them.

Churchianity– Strives to appear to be holy.
Christianity– Is Holy by His namesake, regardless of appearances.

 Churchianity– Supports the world’s masters, and rulers.
Christianity– Supports the broken.

Churchianity– Refuses to admit wrong doing, and refuses to make amends.
Christianity– Admits faults, seeks change, reconciliation and searches for those it lost.

Churchianity– Is Pastor led.
Christianity– Is Spirit led.

In case you wondered.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry Ebook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery Ebook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“

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Real Repentance

 Real Repentance

A lesson on Salvation and Repentance

Humans are called by God to repent. But, what does that mean? Many will tell you that “repent” means “to turn from sin”; and this phrase sets the tone for everything they believe. It sets up a lifetime of being focused on sin and trying to “turn from” or stop sinning. It sets up a life of failure, and an eventual rejection of God.

Repentance according to Strong’s Concordance, means “to turn” in Hebrew and Greek. That’s it, and nothing else. It means to turn. It doesn’t say to turn away from; it just means “to turn”. Consider this for a moment. Because I’m sure you have been told something else before. I have been as well, and it caused me to feel like a constant failure, because I could never succeed. I was beat down and turned from God. I’m sure others have as well. God does not ask us to fight the fight alone. We are to turn to Him and give it to Him.

God says in several places in the Bible that He repents or that it repents Him that something occurred. If repent means “To turn from sin” then it implies that God Himself sins, or commits some sort of act that is wrong or He’s mistaken in some way. God does not sin, or make mistakes. So, again “repent” simply means “To turn”.

We are called by God to turn to Him. That is all we need to do. Repentance means to turn to God. He calls us; we hear His call and we turn to Him, away from the world, and He takes care of our sin. When Adam fell, all humans became corrupted in nature, abiding in a state of death. God cursed the Earth, to make life hard, so that we would turn to Him. Everything in this world will either make you turn to God or turn away from Him; that’s your choice. He calls us to turn to Him.

Humans cannot do anything about our sin. We are totally depraved. We are totally corrupted. (Romans 1:18-32, Romans 3:9-31) We have a corrupted nature within us that leads us to commit the sins we commit, and we are totally in the hands of an enemy who makes us his slaves. Even if we could stop sinning, we would still be stained from our past, and we would still be enslaved to an enemy called Satan.      
When a person says “turn from sin” they are suggesting that humans can solve our sin problem without Jesus Christ. This is untrue; we cannot. Now, it is true that humans can behave in a very just manner. Many educated people from all over the world and folks in every religion behave in good ways. But, they still sin in thought and deed or omission. They are not right with God unless they have turned to Him and been born again, confessing Jesus as their Lord, and being washed in His Blood. (Romans 10:9-10, Rev. 1:4-6, Matt.4:17)
    
Being good people is a physical and mental discipline, but it does not touch our spiritual condition. It does not bring us from death into life. It does not please God. The only thing that pleases God is when we turn to Him, and let Him save us, and work on us, and through us. Without faith it is impossible to please God. That means putting our faith in Him. Putting our faith in Jesus Christ. letting our faith grow through relationship we have with Him. (Heb. 11:6)
    
This is done by having a relationship with Him, and that relationship comes by a constant turning to Him in Jesus Christ. He shows us our wretchedness through His Word or through things in our life, or in our spirit; and we turn to Him and confess it to Him, then He cleanses us of all unrighteousness. He cleans us up, and starts working in our lives to remove these sins and demons. Repent means to turn; repentance, means to live in a state of abiding. The relationship we have with Him. (1 John 1:5-10)

Some things take time for Him to work out of us. But, if we keep turning to Him and confessing it to Him, it will work out. Some sins have such a hold on our lives that we must be broken of it. That causes a lot of pain. During these times the enemy will tempt us to turn away from God. Don’t do it. Always run to God, in Jesus name. Always turn to Him, seeking His face. Trust Him. Humans are not saved because we are perfectly behaved. We are saved because God Himself came to Earth in the form Jesus Christ and died for us. And if we turn to Him as He calls us, and confess that He, Jesus Christ is the Lord, and ask Him to save us, and believe in Him. We are saved; nothing else. Just throw yourself upon the Rock of God.
    
He saves us because we ask Him to. He promises that whatsoever we ask in Jesus name He will do. Then, He works to mold us into soldiers for Him, so we can fight the enemy and save others. Keep turning to Him daily and let Him save you and get it all out of you. He will work.  Trust Him.

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 Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called “The Future is Coming” and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Read His Spiritual Writings on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

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Our Dirty Feet

 Our Dirty Feet.

 A lesson on confessing our sins

As followers of Christ, we live and walk in this filthy world. We see things, we feel things, we think things, and we do things that are sinful. It’s a fact. It says in 1 John 1:10 ”  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” So, if you cannot admit that you sin, then you do not know Christ.

Jesus is the Word. “The Word is not in you.” if you cannot admit your sinfulness.

We still sin as saved people but we are not viewed by God as sinners. He sees Christ, not us. Our sins are never brought back up. That’s what “we do not sin” means. Our sins are not imputed on us. We are righteous. (1 John 3:9)

In the Gospel of John, when Jesus began to wash the disciples feet. Peter was appalled. He could not let the God of the universe. The Holy One of Israel, do this for him. We often feel that way. We cannot bring ourselves to let God take care of us. It's a pride issue. We think we can do it ourselves. This leads to false religions and false teachings of works based doctrines. Pride comes before a fall. (John 13)

Jesus said “if I do not wash you. Then you can have no part with me.” (John 13: 8-9)

Jesus is referring to the washing away of sin. He is talking about being washed in His blood and getting saved. When we are saved; our sins, past, present and future are gone. If we are not washed, we are not with Him.

Peter sort of understood, and told Jesus to wash ALL of him. Peter wanted to make sure he was with Christ. He wanted to show that he was all in.

But Jesus knew that Peter was already washed. He knew Peter was already saved. 

Peter had been called, and accepted the call. Peter believed, and had already confessed Jesus as God, and his Lord. He had turned to God. Salvation was not the issue. ( Matt. 16: 13-19)

Next Jesus says, “all you need is for me to wash your feet.” (Verse 10)

 As we walk in this world we get dirty, and we need to be washed. Not for salvation if we are already saved, but as a means of removing the filth of this world, so we don’t spread it every where. So, we don’t carry it with us. So, it doesn’t begin to impact our lives. So, we can feel better. Often talking about something with God or another person can help us.

So, how does this happen?

In 1st John it says to confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. We pray and confess our sins to God, and He forgives. As we do this, we find that He works to help us overcome, more and more. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like He hears us. But, we must believe that He does. Sometimes, prayers of confession can be a struggle. (1 John 1:9)

This is not just a spiritual activity. When we pray to the Lord, and ask Him to forgive us our sins, we need to try to be specific. When we do, we can see Him moving to not only cleanse us in the spirit but to remove things that are against us in our lives as well. He cleanses us of ALL unrighteousness. Not just some spiritual thing.

When we are saved, the Holy Spirit works in our lives. We often struggle with things. The Holy Spirit teaches us and brings us into ALL truth. So, lets say that we confess to the Lord that we lied. He forgives us. But, He also starts working to help us over come that thing in our lives. He might show us that we lie quite a bit. So, we start confessing that specific sin more often. Then He shows that we lie at certain times or toward certain people. So, we start being more aware, and seeing our sin more, and confessing more. He might reveal that we lie because of fear. So, it's actually a lack of trust in God that is the problem. So, He starts working on that. And on and on. This is the renewing of our mind. This is how deep change occurs. (Romans 12:1-3)

It could be any sinful behavior in our lives. Confess it and watch God forgive you and work in you and around you.

It all starts with confessing it to Him. When we confess to Him in prayer we are showing that we need Him. We are seeking the relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit shows us what to confess, but we must do it. We destroy our pride and submit to the Lord. Every thought of our being is filled with sin, we are totally depraved. The fall of Adam corrupted us so entirely that we do not even see how bad we are. When we refuse to submit to God and let Him do it, we are in a very bad place. That is why pride is the worst sin.

When we submit and turn to God, confessing to Him. He saves us, forgives us and starts working to change us. This depravity is why our minds must be renewed. Renewed to what God originally created, and desired.

In James, it says to confess our sins one to another, and pray for each other. This can be very difficult when you have no one you can trust or you fear repercussions. This is why it’s fine to simply confess to the Lord. There are some churches where gossip will destroy you. The purpose of confessing, is to heal and get cleansed. It is not to allow humans the chance to destroy your life. (James 5:16)

Find people you trust, and who understand the truth of confessing. Churches are full of all kinds of people. Many of the folks there are not saved. They have never really accepted the Lord, or have a relationship with Him. Just because they are a pastor doesn't mean they are saved or love you.

But, you must do as the Holy Spirit leads you. If you feel that you need to publicly confess, or confess to others, then do it. But, you must weigh the amount of damage you might cause, and do it in a way that does not hurt others. We are called to Love. Learn to be led by the Spirit and he will guide you.

When we hear of someone struggling we must pray for them. Do it immediately, either silently or with them. If you wait, Satan will make sure you forget. Do it now. Don't gossip about it. Don't use it to destroy someone. We all have sins. We all have pasts. Pray for them and follow the Lord. Let God do the chastening. Follow the Spirit. (Proverbs 3:11-12)

This is Foot Washing, as it pertains to spiritual matters. Of course, there’s the act of washing others feet in reality. This is a very humbling experience, the Lord can use it to grow us.

Turn to God. He is with us.

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 Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called “The Future is Coming” and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Read His Spiritual Writings on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

Buy a cup of Coffee

Support the work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public

The Thief on the Cross

 The Thief on the Cross

The Truth About Our Salvation By Chris Bunton

 

 

 

 

   The thief on the cross, spoken of in the Gospels of our Lord Jesus, stands as an extreme view of salvation in the eyes of some.  The man who did what appears to be absolutely nothing, yet Jesus himself saved him declaring, “Today you shall be with me in paradise”.  But,it is my belief that the thief is not an extreme example, but that he is the norm.  We are all thieves on the cross; we just refuse to see it as such. (Luke  23:26-43)

     
     Every one of us stands condemned before God.  We know this in our hearts.  Whether we understand it or not, we know that something is wrong and that we need help.  We desire to know the one who made us, yet we cannot.  It is because we are filled with the plague of Sin from birth, which causes us to live lives apart from God.  It causes us to do the things we do, that we know are wrong.  Like a plague, it works in us to bring about symptoms of evil.  It causes us to knowingly rebel against God, and to reject the helping hand He offers us. 
     
     Therefore, we stand condemned, whether we think it is fair or understand it or not.  We have been nailed to a cross to die like condemned criminals, dangling above the fiery pit of eternity. We are like the thief on the cross.   ( The Book Of Romans)                        
    
      When Jesus was crucified, he was executed along with two thieves; one on each side of  Him.  This event was prophesied hundreds of years before when Isaiah said “…because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered among the transgressors” (Isa.53:12b)
    
      So, how does this apply to us? We are all thieves on the cross.  God Almighty came to Earth in the form of Jesus Christ and was crucified with us in our sin and wretchedness.  He took it all upon His shoulders, and paid the price for us; so that we would not be eternally condemned.  We are to suffer death in this life, but not eternal damnation.
     
     We see our salvation experience in the crucifixion. Jesus Christ was made sin for us. (2 Cor.5: 19-21) This is symbolized when the soldiers put a scarlet (red) robe upon him and a crown of thorns upon His head. Both are symbols for Sin. (Matt. 27: 27-38) This shows that Sin itself was crucified. Sin was judged, while sinners were set free.
     
     He was crucified between two thieves; One on the right and one on the left. Both of the thieves mocked Him, at first. This is how all humans are. We reject God.  We reject His love and His Lordship of our lives. We choose Sin and the World system. We choose Satan, whether we know it or not. We make Lucifer our Lord, and reject the salvation that God freely offers.
      
     But, one of the thieves comes to the realization of who Jesus really is. The Holy Spirit spoke truth to his heart and he believed the Word given to him. The thief was mocking, but suddenly a change occurs. He saw the truth. He believed. That is faith. God called Him by His grace, and through faith the thief believed and was made righteous, at that instant. That is the same with us. We live our lives, and something happens that wakes us up. God comes to us and calls us and speaks to our hearts and we believe. We are saved at that instant.(Eph. 2:8-10)
       
     Next, we see the awakened thief witnessing to the unsaved thief.  He tells him that Jesus is not worthy of death but the thieves are. Just like when we witness of Jesus Christ we tell people that Jesus came to die for us, the innocent for the guilty. Jesus said “If you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father” ( Matt. 10:31-33 ) This thief was confessing Jesus before men.
       
     Next we see the thief speak to Jesus and he says “Lord”.  He confesses Jesus is The Lord. As it says in Romans 10:9-10.  “ that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”  He believed that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah and confessed Him as Lord. This is what each of us is called to do. (Acts 8:26-40)
      
     The thief said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  The thief believed upon Jesus, and put his future hope in Him, for a better day. A hope for something greater beyond this life, and wicked world. This hope is the same hope the prophets, the great men of old, believed in. It is the same hope we have. (Heb. 11:8-16, 11:32-40)
     
     Jesus Himself, said “Verily I say unto you, that today, you shall be with me in paradise.” Many take this to mean that since they died that day, they went to paradise together. This is certainly true. But, it also means that on this day, in this instant, you are saved. You will be with me in paradise, or heaven, forever. This is the same with us. We are saved forever, the second we first believe, and confess Him as Lord.
      
     The thief was not baptized. He did not go to church. He did not give money to charity or churches. He did not behave himself perfectly for 80 years of his life. He did absolutely nothing, but believe in Him, Confess Him as His Lord, and witness to the lost. That’s it. That’s all that is needed for salvation.      After our salvation we seek to know God’s will for our lives by studying His Word. We are baptized, take communion, and gather with other believers. We give, and show love to others, as God works in our lives. We learn of the gifts He has given us, and we use them to build His kingdom. We struggle with our old nature, letting the new man come forth as God works. We deny the world system of Satan, and build God’s kingdom.
    
     We are all thieves on the cross. We are wretched sinners, just one step from death and destruction. The only thing saving us is Jesus Christ. Believe it, and Tell others.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry Ebook called "Against The Man" and an Addiction Recovery Ebook called "Made Free: Overcoming Addiction"

Photo by the writer.  A memorial to Pere Marquette, along the highway in Pere Marquette State Park, Illinois.

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All Churches Are The Same

 All Churches Are The Same

 

I've been involved with Churches my whole life. And what I have found is that every church has about 5 to 10 people who think they own the church. They think it's their job to control and police the church. They use their power, money, influence and knowledge to bully people into doing what they want.

Now, when I said this I'm sure that a church person popped into your mind. If you attend church you probably know one of them. If you don't attend, then they are probably the reason you were driven away.

When I talk to church people about this they all say the same thing. "All churches are like that. You'll never find a perfect church" 

They say this like it's so profound and a solution to the problem. They seem to think we should just suck it up and let these people rule.

But, the scriptures speak of these people plainly.

It's these children of Satan who worked to kill Jesus.

It's these tares among the wheat who tried to destroy Paul's work, every where he went.

They are wolves in sheep's clothing who drive away people seeking God.

They are false brethren who do everything they can to distract from God's work.

They are a brood of vipers who seek followers, then make them 10 times the sons of hell.

They are scribes. Pharisees, and hypocrites, whose end is to be burned.

They are Lot's Wife. They are the Elder Brother.

They are the foolish virgins, shut out and driven into the apostate church, to beat the menservants and maidservants.

We know who these people are. Why do we let them rule? We are guilty for allowing it. We are guilty for letting them drive people from Christ.

The Lord will cleanse His temple in these latter days, and drive out the money changers and those who buy and sell, instead of knowing and serving  Christ.

They need to be saved. They do great damage to the cause. Satan uses them in these last days to disrupt the work of the believer.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois

Photo by the writer.

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Spirit-Led Prayer

 Spirit-Led Prayer

A lesson on Spirit-Led Prayer and Spiritual Warfare by Chris Bunton

 

We are to be Spirit led in our lives. Our will is to be surrendered to Jesus. We confess Him as our Lord, and the Holy Spirit resides in us, to teach us, guide us and work through us.Many times I have heard Christians talking about being distracted in prayer. That all kinds of random thoughts run through their minds. The same thing would happen to me; I was constantly being distracted or led away into other thoughts.
      I prayed to the Lord about this and it came to me one day that perhaps I was not distracted, and that the random thoughts were not so random. Maybe the thoughts were from the Holy Spirit, and I was to pray about and pray over these things. So, that is what I did. I set aside my prayer list. I set aside my will and my desires, and I just spent time with the Lord.
      I immediately started to see changes in my prayer life, and in the prayers being answered because I no longer prayed my will, but God’s will. I did this, not only in my prayer time, but also during the day or night, or anytime I felt a call to pray.
      Now do not get me wrong. I still pray for things that are on the prayer list. Often, while I’m praying there will be time to add these things in, God knows we need them. But, as we draw closer to the Lord, our personal list gets smaller. We trust His will.
      When discussing this with people I have often been told, “Well my thoughts sometimes are about what to feed the cat, or what to have for lunch.”  I believe that every thought is to be taken captive to Christ, and that we can look at these thoughts, and even pray for or about them. Perhaps pray that God will help you to lose weight, or find a proper diet for health, or to help you not to be a glutton, or help you to stay focused on Him, or maybe pray for your cat’s health. Ask Him. “Lord are you showing me something in these random thoughts that I need to pray for? If not, please help me to control them more.”
      Sometimes we might have thoughts that we know are demonic or sinful. Maybe we are under attack in our prayer life. For example, let us say you are fearful for some reason and you cannot shake it. Pray about it as the Spirit leads and then cast the Demon out in Jesus name.  Say “Spirit of Fear, Be gone in Jesus name.”  Then, believe it occurs. Believe in such things. This can be done with any sort of spirit. Spirits of lust, death, infirmity, pain, doubt, laziness, confusion, are all common.
      I have heard teachings on prayer where it is said that we must continue in prayer for things and keep praying. The example used is the parable of the unjust judge. ( Luke 18:1-8 ) Where the woman goes to the judge for justice for her son, and gets none. So, she keeps going back and going back until the judge finally relents.
      However, Jesus plainly states at the end of the parable that God is not like this judge. He will answer speedily. It is our job to have faith that He is answering. The perfect explanation of this occurs in the book of Daniel. Daniel is praying and has prayed for days with no response. But, when the angel arrives, he explains to Daniel that he started coming to answer the prayer the second Daniel began to pray, but was delayed by demonic forces. So, God hears our prayers and moves to answer the second we ask Him. We do not need to continue to badger Him about it.  Have faith.
      Now, that being said, if we are talking about being Spirit led, then there are no rules. There are no formulas. We are led in our prayers by God. I have prayed for things one time and seen an answer quickly, I have prayed for things a few times, and seen nothing. I have prayed for things for years, and again seen nothing, but at other times I have seen great answers.
      However, to be Spirit led is to give it to Him, and let Him do it. The when and how, should not matter. But, of course, it matters greatly to us. This shows us our level of growth. Do we really trust Him? I am not talking about salvation. You are not in trouble if you discover that you don’t trust Him as much as you would like to. Just pray that He will help you.

      To be Spirit led in prayer means that we trust Him. It means that we give it to Him. It also means that we do not follow rules that say “Pray Until Something Happens” or any other formula. We are given a burden by God. A burden is something we feel led to do or pray for. We should pray for it, every time God brings it to us, until He lifts the burden. It is not a matter of praying one time and having faith, or praying hundreds of times for something until it happens. It is about listening to God as He directs you in prayer. God has led me to pray for things one time and trust Him in it. While at the same time God has led me to pray for certain things daily. No rules. It’s just a relationship.

      I have heard teachings that speak of what positions you should take when praying. They try to make rules about it, using Daniel as an example. Daniel prayed 3 times a day, on his knees with his window open, facing Jerusalem. Or they will quote verses where someone prayed with their arms out stretched, or laying on their belly. These teachers will imply that we need to do the same.
      The fact is that if you go from Adam, all the way to the end of the Bible, you will find all kinds of ways that people prayed. Adam walked with God in the coolness of the day, David wrote his prayers down, Daniel knelt, Nehemiah prayed short prayers, Jesus rose up early, Peter was prostrate. The examples are many, and all of them are true. They tell us that there are no rules. You cannot follow all these methods of prayer every time you pray. You cannot. We are to be Spirit led. Trust me; God can put you on your knees anytime He chooses. Let Him guide you in what you should do.
      Think about rules for a second. Rules are religion. Now, let’s say you believe you should always pray, prostrate with your eyes closed. Are you going to do that at a restaurant? Some of you, who like to put on a show…I mean… be a good witness, might do it, but others won’t. You cannot close your eyes and fold your hands to pray, while driving. Driving in your car alone is a wonderful time to pray. Do not lose opportunities, to spend time with the Lord, because your rules won’t let you. Let God guide you.
      The same goes for locations of prayer. Does God only hear your prayers if you face Jerusalem? Does God not listen if you pray somewhere other than your prayer closet?
      He is everywhere. What about the altar at your church? Is that a special place of power? Does God live there? Do you need to go in front to pray, and be seen by men? Now, understand I’m not talking about going forward to pray to receive Christ. That is done, because Jesus said that “If you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father” So, your confession that Jesus is your Lord, must be public.  Again, all of this is to be submitted to the Lord, and led by the Spirit. If the Lord calls you to go to the woods and pray you must do it. I do. But, it is not a rule. If He calls you to pray at the altar, then do it. But, it is not a law for everyone, every time.
      Another thing about Spirit-led prayer is when you encounter a prayer need, or someone asks you to pray for them. You must realize that God had you there at that exact time, so you could hear this prayer need. There is nothing more Spirit-Led than that. Pray immediately.

     Why must we pray immediately? Because oftentimes we will say “I’ll pray for you”. Then, we walk away and forget about it. If we pray immediately, every time we encounter a need, the enemy cannot snatch it out of our minds and make us forget or get distracted.

      Now, when I say pray immediately, I do not mean that you must drop to your knees and make a show of it. What I am saying is that you can do like Nehemiah, and say a simple short prayer under your breath to the Lord. No one will see. No one will know. But, God and the enemy will know, and that’s all that matters.
      Now, if the Spirit leads you to lay hands on the person and to bow heads with them and pray, then do so. But, sometimes when you see people, it is in public, or you both are on the run. Again, be Spirit led. Some people are not able to handle having two or three smiling Christians laying hands on them and singing hymns over them in the checkout line at the store. So, the good thing you sought to do, actually hurt the person. Be Spirit-led.
      Many people are not as bold as others, and when we set down rules, that God never intended, we place our brothers and sisters in a position to fail God, fail themselves, and fail their families.
      For example, when I go to a restaurant, and pray for my meal. I simply say “Lord, thank you for this food, and thank you for everything you’ve done. For it’s in Jesus name I pray amen.” There is not a soul in the restaurant who knows I prayed. I did not bow my head, fold my hands or close my eyes. I don’t need to. God hears. I do not force my table mates to pray. I do not require them to cross themselves or hold hands for twenty minutes while I thank God for the weather and the Presidents health.
      I just pray as the Spirit leads. Jesus said to not pray to be seen by men. Christians will tell me. “I don’t pray at restaurants to be seen by men. I do it because it is a good witness” So, in other words, you do it to be witnessed. This means you do it to be seen by men. Here’s the fact. Jesus was speaking against the Pharisees of His day. The Pharisees were a group of Jewish believers who rose up, and obeyed the law publicly, and as best as they could privately. The whole purpose of this was to “Be a good witness”. They wanted to show the Jewish people that they could obey God’s Laws. By doing this, the Pharisees hoped that it would cause more Jews to obey God’s Laws as well. The Pharisees motivation was good. But, Jesus condemned it anyway. Often times, by doing public displays of holiness it led to earthly rewards, and those rewards became the whole motivation for many of the Pharisees. You might say, but that’s not my motivation. Okay, but what about the people watching? What do they think? What about the weaker brother? The one whose motivations are not as strong? Be Spirit led. No rules. Men do not follow rules well. By setting rules, you simply cause people to stumble, because they will find the rule hard and stop praying altogether. That is a bad thing.
      The Bible says we are to be praying always. That we are to pray unceasingly. ( 1 Thess. 5:17 ) This can only be done by being Spirit-led. Trying to follow rules and your own desires, will make things hard, and you will quit praying. You cannot pull your car over, just so you can kneel facing Jerusalem every time you feel led to pray. Remember, it says to pray unceasingly. When will you work? You cannot unroll your prayer rug, and anoint yourself with oil, while at your desk or the construction site. Be Spirit Led.

      Prayer is to be Spirit-led, and free. No rules. No restraints. Just talk to God, and let your requests be made known unto Him, with thanksgiving, and you will be kept in peace, in Jesus name

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois.

Photo by the writer, Bald Knob Cross. Alto Pass, Illinois.

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