The Power of Words

Have you considered the power of words? Language is a remarkable thing. The ability to communicate, both in the spoken and written word is pretty amazing. I sit here with my laptop striking keys in an order that will produce words and you sit where ever you might be and read them. With some measure of cognitive ability, assuming I write in a coherent fashion, you will grasp what I intended to communicate. With our growing technology this is something that can happen almost instantly around the globe. Even with the multiple kinds of language we still find ways to communicate. It is a gift from God that we should not take lightly. We are warned of the power of words by James. Words may do great good or be the source of profound evil. We will touch on that truth and then make just a little comparison with the word's of power that God spoke. Something I am sure we all know, however, it is good to be reminded now and then just what the Scriptures have to tell us about those words.

James is concerned with how believers treat one another. He is not alone. Our Lord and Messiah came to the Father with the simple request that we might be one as He and the Father were one. See John 17 for the context and details. Words can either help that prayer become a reality or greatly damage its possibility. James writes, "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell" (James 3:5-6). With the same mouth we bless God and curse men who are made in His likeness. James says these things ought not to be.Undisciplined words disqualify leaders, damage reputations and divide fellowships. However, they also bring healing and encouragement. Solomon writes, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver"(Proverbs 25:11). Actually, Proverbs offer much counsel on the use of words. There are few of us who have escaped occasional words that fillet the soul and rend the heart. Rather, we are to be those who bring a healing balm to the lives of the wounded and broken hearted.

As remarkable and powerful as our words might be, they are not much compared to the words spoken by God. I have spent a bit of time in Genesis chapter one and it occurred to me that Isaiah was more than right when he said, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). It is a powerful statement, however if you want to add some real strength to it look out your window. God spoke and everything you see came into being. Our words do not come close to that kind of creative power. John 1:1 elaborates and lets us know it was Messiah, God's Son who was the creative agent. Colossians 1:16-17 agrees and goes on to say Messiah holds it all together, " all things were created by him, and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Hebrews explains that it is by His word that this is so, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3). God spoke and everything came into being and continues by His powerful word.

There was a time when my "prosperity" brothers tried to claim that we as believers have the same power, the power to speak health, wealth, and prosperity into our own personal existence. They found a remarkable difference between the Greek word, logos, and another Greek word, rhēma, logos is the far more common word and is most know in John 1 where the Word is a reference to Messiah, God's Son. rhema is said to be the relational word and the spoken word while logos was the written word, sort of. The problem is that the New Testament writers used them interchangeably as does other Greek literature. They are synonyms. My point is not to discuss the merits of these theological positions but to point out that no one has ever spoken a giant redwood into assistance or even and a dandelion for that matter. God's spoken words are beyond comparison just as the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us has no comparison either.

The next time you feel a bit out of control and overwhelmed take a look around yourself and remember all that is, even the dirt you stand on, came into being by God simply speaking and it was so. He also is holding it all together. As the old song goes, "He's got the whole world in His hands." Then it might help to get the focus off of yourself and go deliver some encouraging and uplifting words to someone else. I would not be surprised if it did you both.

The Lord's Prayer Is Not For You

As the New  Year begins we may have determined that we need to enhance or begin a stronger prayer life. A few months ago we took time to look at the "Lord's Prayer" recorded for us in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. We considered the prayer phrase by phrase and, hopefully, gained a few insights as how to come to the Lord and how we might offer prayer to the God Who longs for us to come to Him. Having given this a little more thought there are a couple of additional things to consider that we have overlooked. In our Western culture we may well see the prayer as one given to us as a model or type of prayer to copy as individual believers. That this is a prayer just for me and about how I can address the needs in my life. It is certainly true that there is personal application and direction for my prayers here, but was that really the intent of the disciple's question or the Lord's response?

Luke 11:1 records the introduction to the prayer given, "Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” The request was one that would give them a prayer uniquely from their Rabbi, just as other Rabbis had given their disciples prayers to recite. Part of the tradition of rabbinical instruction was that of prayers to recite. John the Baptist had his disciples and he had taught them prayers to recite as a group. The request was not, "Teach me to pray", but "Teach us to pray." Shared prayers of the Hebrew community was common. The reciting of morning prayers and evening prayers among the Jews continues to this day. The Lord gave Moses a specific prayer of blessing for Aaron and his sons after him to recite over God's people.  “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26). It is a blessing still proclaimed today. It is a prayer of blessing for the whole community not just an individual. The prayer the Lord gave His disciples reflects that. "Give us this day", "deliver us", "forgive us", (emphasis added). It is not about me, it is about us.

If we take this to heart it could bring some changes to our prayer life in the year to come. If you have not, take a little time to memorize the prayer. Many assemblies already recite the prayer regularly and repetition is a good way to memorize. If this is the case you have a bit of a head start. Consider keeping this prayer in mind as you pray for those around you. That they all would recognize the intimacy of the Father with you. That they all would see God's daily provision and live in anticipation of His coming Kingdom. That they would be bold enough to offer a plea to be rescued daily from evil and testing that can damage our confidence in the LORD. As we integrate this community prayer into our prayer for the community we will become less focused on ourselves and more on those around us. That blessing for Aaron and his sons is another prayer to add to your memory and draw from as you come to the Lord in prayer. The disciples were not looking for an individual prayer but for a prayer to share. A prayer to recite together and to draw from as they prayed for one another.

One final thought. Many of us in the evangelical community shy away from reciting prayers as a congregation. The fear is that they might become routine and lose their meaning. That somehow "liturgy" is a bad thing. It is just repetitive words that lack individual passion. Yet, God's people have been reciting prayers for generations and generations. The "Shema" is certainly a positive passage that pretty much all Jews know. It comes from the first word "hear" in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength." Not a bad reminder. Add verses 6 through 9 and we have a purpose for life and direction to pass onto generations to come. There are other doxologies God has given us from Romans 11:33-36, Philippians 4:20, 1 Timothy 1:17, and Jude 1:24-25 to name a few. Perhaps we would do well to fill our hearts and minds with the prayers and praises of Scripture to recite as a community or to use as we pray for the community. In so doing we may discover that our prayer lives become a bit less egocentric and bit more about those around us and those we come to call brothers and sisters in Christ. Why not wake up in the morning and proclaim God's blessing upon your community or quietly remember that He is able to keep us all from stumbling. Remember that prayer the Lord gave His disciples, was not just for you, so don't keep it to yourself.