1. Pray regularly. Plan times to pray on a regular basis. If you pray only when it comes to mind you may find yourself rarely praying. Plan a regular time to pray. Of course, you should pray at other times, spontaneously, too as you have opportunity.

2. Have a plan for your prayer time. Planning is part of discipline. The Apostle Paul told Timothy, "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." - 1 Timothy 4.7b

3. Pray when you are awake and alert. Ask God to help you stay awake. If you have a hard time staying awake when you pray, do some exercise before hand. Maybe you should pray after you take a shower, or maybe you need to plan your main prayer time for a certain time during the day when you find it easier to stay alert. Maybe you should pray at a desk or in a chair as opposed to praying in bed or when lying down.

4. Make sure your prayers are balanced. Pray for both yourself and others. Confess your sin and praise God for His blessings. Praise God for Who He is and what He has done.

5. Look for answers to prayer.   If we pray earnestly, it only makes sense that we would look for God’s answer. In other words, we should pray expectantly. It is nearly impossible to do this without keeping a list of requests that you bring before God. The list helps you to remember to pray, and it helps you to see when God has answered your request. "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit." - James 5.16b-18

6. Pray specifically.  Mention people’s names, specific circumstances, thoughts that you have had, events, and blessings. There are many reasons to be specific about these things: (1) It helps you to love other people when you pray specifically for them (because you are practicing love by doing this for them). (2) It helps you to encourage other people as you tell them that you have prayed for them specifically. (3) It helps you to look for answers to prayer. (4) It helps you to be diligent in your prayer life, not lazy. (5) It helps you to apply biblical principles to specific areas of your life. For example, as you pray that God will help you respond rightly to your friend Suzy that is gossiping about you, you are forced to ask the question, “How does God want me to respond to what Suzy is saying about me?” (6) It helps you to take action when you should. If you want to overcome your fear of what people will think as you give the gospel to your neighbor, pray that God will help you overcome it. Praying about it will help you be motivated and give you power to follow through with your plans. (7) It helps you to carefully notice how God is blessing your life. Sometimes we forget the blessings of God even though we say in our prayers, “Thank you, God, for all your many blessings.” Instead, we should thank Him for each thing. (8) Since God blesses you with specific things, you should thank Him for specific things. Since you need God’s help with specific things, you should ask God’s help for specific things. Since you sin in specific ways, you should ask God’s forgiveness for specific things.

7. Pray carefully. It is awesome to know that we can be honest with God when we pray. We know that He won't misunderstand like other people sometimes do. We know that even if we cannot adequately explain something to God, God understands. What a wonderful privilege it is to pray!   However, we should not seek to take advantage of these great assurances. Some Christians have mistakenly assumed that because God is gracious and loving that He will "undersand it" if we pray things that are selfish and sinful.  But, understand this: we are not allowed to say sinful things to God in prayer. God is holy! He does not say it is okay to say whatever we want when we pray. Some Christians think that it is okay to get angry with God. Some think it is okay to blame Him for some problem in their lives. These Christians may say something to the effect of, “He is a big God; He can handle it.” Of course, if we do sin when we pray, we certainly can ask God to forgive us because He promises to forgive us if we are sincere (see 1 John 1:9). But, that does not mean that we are permitted by God to say whatever we want (Romans 6:1-2)!

“When we become too glib in prayer we are most surely talking to ourselves.” -A.W. Tozer from Born After Midnight (p. 87)

We should pray carefully because prayer is an expression of our trust in God. We pray because we know that we need help. We cannot make life work by ourselves. We need God. Our trust in God is expressed in brokenness and neediness, as we admit that we are nothing and He is everything! When we confess our sins in prayer, we are admitting that He is our Master, that we have disobeyed Him, that we have broken His commandments, and that we are at His mercy. When we praise God, we are acknowledging that He does everything right. We are acknowledging that He is our only hope. When we make requests for ourselves and for others, we are admitting that He alone has the power to answer. We are admitting that we can’t make it on our own.

“It is futile to beg God to act contrary to His revealed purposes. To pray with confidence, the petitioner must be certain that his request falls within the broad will of God for His people.” -A.W. Tozer from Man: The Dwelling Place of God (p.86)

We should not think that we could - at the same time - trust God (expressed through praying) and sin against Him (by carelessly saying whatever we want in prayer). When we sin against God, we are declaring by our wrong actions (or thoughts, words, etc.) that we think we can do whatever we want. When we sin, we are breaking His commandments. When we sin, we are making ourselves the King – we do as we please. Praying and sinning are opposites. True prayer is true humility before God. Sinning is a demonstration of pride. It should be obvious then, that God does not allow us to pray any way we want (we cannot say sinful things).

8. Pray Scripturally.  If we want to make sure that our prayers are pleasing to God, we should pray according to Scripture. We should pray the way that Christ prayed. We should pray the way that the Apostle Paul prayed. If you do not know how they prayed or desire to grow in your understanding of how to pray, it would be good for you to do a study in your time with God of those scriptural passages that provide actual prayers.

Try to have a time of prayer after you have spent some time reading and studying the Word. This will help you to pray Scripturally because the Word will be on your mind.

9. Pray for important things. Pray for those things that are truly important - important by God’s standards. We are to pray that God’s will is done, not just that our will is done. So, we need to ask ourselves these questions: “What does God want done?” “What does God want me to do today?” “What might God be trying to teach me in this difficulty?” “How does God want me to change and grow?’ “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” - Luke 22.42 Do not just pray for the things that are important to you. Pray about what God says is important. For example, don’t only pray for someone to be healed or to find a job. Pray for that person’s heart too. Pray that the person will please God in his specific trial or circumstance. When you do this, you will learn what is important. You will teach yourself to have a desire for those things that God says are important.

10. Pray Intimately. Remember that you have a relationship with God. You aren’t putting in an order at McDonald’s. Pray that God will help you to get to know Him more. Thank Him for already revealing Himself to you. Remember that He communicates with you through the Word, and you communicate to Him through prayer. Enjoy your time with God!

I want to share some encouragement from Scripture to help you grow in your suffering and love God through it.

A few weeks ago I read Ligon Duncan's book, Does Grace Grow Best in Winter?  Chapter 2 is titled, "What is God Up To?"  Duncan suggests 4 things that God intends to accomplish in your suffering.

First, in your suffering God intends to teach you godliness.  Romans 5:3-5 says "we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Christian, in your suffering, the Holy Spirit is at work in you to give you endurance, character, and hope!  That's why God plans for things to go "wrong" in your life.  So, it's your appreciation for endurance, character, and hope that causes you to rejoice in your suffering (see also James 1:2-4).  

• In your suffering, ask:"In what ways do I need to grow?" and "What is God trying to teach me?"
• In your suffering, give thanks to God for giving you what you desperately need: godliness!
• In your suffering, pray that you would learn what God wants to teach you.

Second, in your suffering God intends to give you surpassing joy in Christ.  The Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians teaches us this truth.  Paul writes from prison and talks about others who wish to cause him, yet he rejoices (some have even called "joy" the theme of the letter).  He rejoices because he prizes Christ more than this world.  He says, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."  Suffering helps us properly estimate the value of things in this life.  They are temporary.  They are passing away.  The happiness they offer is also temporary.  In this way, suffering reminds us of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ.

• In your suffering, consider how you have inappropriately looked for joy and satisfaction in things that are passing away.
• In your suffering, rejoice in recognition of the truth that you have Christ!  Rejoice that He will never leave you!  Rejoice that He is fully satisfying.

Third, in your suffering God intends to build up the church.  When you become a Chrsitian, you become a part of His body, the body of Christ. From God's perspective, "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (1 Corinthians 12:26).  God does not intend for you to suffer by yourself, nor does He intend for you to suffer for yourself.  Through your suffering God intends to teach other members of body to see the surpassing value of joy in Christ.  He wants to teach others godliness.  So, accept your suffering and be thankful for it for the benefit it will bring to your church family.

• In your suffering, remember to ask other members of the body to pray for you.  Don't try to "go it alone."
• In your suffering, consider how you can comfort others with the comfort you have received from God (see 2 Corinthians 1:4).

Fourth, in your suffering God intends to prepare you for glory.  "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Corinthians 4:17).  Duncan says, "You couldn't bear the glory that God has in store for you, unless you had been held up by God in your affliction in this life."  John Piper says about this passage, "There is a real causal connection between how we endure hardship now and how much we will be able to enjoy the glory of God in the ages to come."

I'm still chewing on that one.  I invite you to reflect on it with me.

The first person who reads this blog post and talks to me on Sunday morning about it, will receive a free copy of Lig Duncan's book, Does Grace Grow Best in Winter?

How to have stability in our faith
In verse 5 Paul tells the Colossians how much he wants them to be stable in their faith in Christ.  "Therefore" in verse 6 indicates that what he says in verse 6 is instruction on how a Christian can remain stable in their faith in Christ and avoid being sucked in by the "persuasive argument" of false teachers.

How did we receive Christ?
The word, "receive," is significant.  It helps us to understand a few things.

When a person is saved, he comes before God empty handed.  He does not “give.”  He has nothing to give.  He comes to God to “receive.”  Humility is required.  Brokenness is required.  All self-confidence is ruled out.  Confidence in God is required.

We can't give; we must receive
Eternal life is not gained by “giving it your all.”  Many people think this way.  They say, "I’ll just do my best and hope that it's good enough."  No.  Eternal life is not gained by “giving.”  It is gained by “receiving.”

Man is not naturally good that he has something to give.  He is not overflowing with goodness that he is able to give something to God.  On the contrary, man is an empty vessel.  He needs Someone to come in and fill him.  He cannot trust in himself.  He must trust in something outside himself. 

To be sure “receiving” requires more than merely seeing yourself as an empty vessel, a needy person, and a helpless person.  It requires also that you see value in that which you receive.  You must see some reason to receive that which is offered to you.  To receive Christ is to receive something of value.  If you do not see Christ as “valuable” you have not received Him.  You are still helpless.

We must take action to receive
We must be clear on one more thing.  To receive Christ means more than understanding Who He is.  It requires more than understanding facts about Christ.  You must act on that understanding.  You must see that He is valuable, and receive Him.  You must take Him as your own.

It does no good for me to recognize that Christ is a Savior, unless I receive Him, confessing Him as “my Savior.”  I may know of His blood which was shed on a cross, but I must receive Him so that His blood cleanses me of my sin.  I still have a list of offenses against God on my account unless I have received Christ and have His righteousness credited to my account.  His righteousness must be my righteousness if it is going to secure for me eternal life – true salvation.

Have you received Christ?  That is the question.  Perhaps you have received “a Christ” but not “the Christ” of the Bible.  To have eternal life you must receive the Christ of the Bible.

The Colossians received Christ Jesus the Lord.  They received the man named Jesus who was sent from God to the world.  This man is the Messiah – God’s anointed One.  He was sent to earth to be a servant of men, to fulfill all of God’s righteous law, and to die on the cross bearing the iniquity – the sin – of men.  God the Father was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief.  As God’s Annointed One He was raised from the dead, justifying the many (Isa. 53.11), and now has been exalted as the King of Kings.  The Colossians knew about this Christ.  They received Him.  They embraced Him as their appointed Savior.  They embraced Him as the Lord of all.  They knew His power and exalted position over all, and they accepted the truth about Him.  They submitted to Him and gave Him grateful adoration.

Have you received Jesus Christ the Lord?  If not, Paul’s further instruction is useless to you.  There are no safeguards against error and no "stability of faith."  To reject this Jesus, the Savior of men, and Lord of all is to reject the truth.  The only thing left is error.  God offers you salvation right now.  He offers you freedom from your sin – He offers you Jesus Christ, the only One Who can save you from the penalty of your sin and the power of your sin.  You must see your helplessness.  You must acknowledge your need of Him.  You must acknowledge that He is your Master.  Receive Him today.  Call on His name begging Him for His mercy, asking Him for His grace, turning from your sin, entrusting your life to Him, and determining to follow Him no matter the cost.  He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Walking in Christ
If you have received Christ, then you must continue to walk in Him.  You must live the Christian life the same way you got it.

Are you walking?
You were saved in order to walk.  You are not to stand or sit.  You are to take action. 

You were saved to continually walk.  Paul communicates this truth in the tense of the verb he uses.  You are not to walk for a little, but then stop to pet the animals.  Walk. Continually.  That is your responsibility. 

Your continual "walk" is your life.  It is your conduct. 

How do we walk IN CHRIST?
Here are some practical ways to walk in Him: 

• When you come to God, come in Christ.  When you pray, pray in Christ.

When you received Christ, you received Him as the only acceptable way to God.  Come boldly before God knowing that you come through Christ.

• When you do good works, don’t try to merit God’s favor.  Enjoy the grace that is found in Christ.  To be in Christ is to have all the grace we need to stand before a completely holy God.  We need not add our own good deeds to impress God so that He will love us.

You will wear yourself out trying to impress God with your good works.  He isn’t impressed anyway.  He demands perfection.  But don’t worry – He has provided Christ as your perfection.  He sees you as perfect because you are hidden in Christ.  Let your whole life be a huge sigh of relief.  He loves you without reservation because you are perfect in Christ.

• Seek joy in Him.  True joy is found only in Christ.  Don’t assume He is not able to satisfy you and then go elsewhere searching for joy. 

When you received Christ, you received Him as your all in all.  Remember when you first saw Christ?  Everything else paled in comparison.  Just as the “stars are hidden by the light of the sun”[1] so all that the world had to offer lost its brilliance.

• Seek wisdom in Him.  Wisdom is found only in Him. 

Realize that true insight which allows you to enjoy your relationship with God and others can be found only in Christ.  Look to the Word of Christ.  Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you.  Don’t try to make life work apart from Christ.

• Find your hope in Christ. 

Have you been feeling hopeless lately?  Are you hopeful that you can make changes in your life?  Are you hopeful that you can handle a difficult responsibility in your life?  True hope is found in Christ.  Hope in Him.

Don’t count on your own strength.  What strength do you have apart from Christ?  Don’t hope in your own wisdom.  What wisdom do you have apart from Christ? 

Is Christ strong enough to help you?  Yes.  He is Lord of all.  Does He love you enough?  Yes.  We saw that you are loved without reservation.  Is He wise enough to help you?  Yes.  He is wisdom!  All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Him.

A safeguard against error
Walk in Christ continually. Walking in Christ is a safeguard against error.  How is it a safeguard against error?

There are some people that skip meals in order to lose weight.  I have tried that, but it usually backfires.  I have on occasions tried to go without breakfast or go light on a particular meal in order to lose weight.  The obvious problem is that I get really hungry.  Then, when I am offered a Snickers bar at work by Brian (my wonderful co-laborer), I can hardly say, “no.”  So, I need to eat good meals so that I have no room for junk food.

You may find error appealing if you feel a void in your life.  Voids should be filled by Christ.  He is sufficient to meet your every need.  Feed on Him, so that you have no room for anything else.  If you don’t feed on Christ, a Snickers bar (error) may deceive you. 

Paul gives us this command as a safeguard against error.  He tells us to walk in Christ.

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[1] The Autobiography of Charles H. Spurgeon, p.109

In this review, I'll provide a short summary and what I think are strengths and weaknesses of the book.

Summary
Chapter one. As he explains the necessity of Christ's atonement, Sproul says, "The prevailing notion of justification in Western culture today is justification by death. It's assumed that all one has to do to be received into the everlasting arms of God is to die." Most people don't think the atonement is necessary, but it is. Why?

Chapter two. Because God is just. "Though God pardons sinners and makes great provision for expressing His mercy, He will never negotiate His justice." Sproul explains the justice of God through the account of God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah.

God couldn't find ten righteous people among the inhabitants of the these cities. As a result, God's judgment fell. It fell not because God was cruel, harsh, or lacking in love. It happened because God is just and righteous...Not only were there not ten righteous in Sodom, there are not ten in all the world.

The Judge of all the earth must do right. Therefore, He must punish sinners - or provide a way to atone for their sin.

Chapter three. The atonement is necessary also because "We are cosmic traitors." We are sinners, or "debtors, enemies, and criminals," and so we need Christ to be our Surety, Mediator, and Substitute.

Chapter four. The atonement is necessary, and so Christ gave His live as a ransom for many.

When the Bible speaks of ransom, it speaks of that ransom being paid not to a criminal but to the One Who is owed the price for redemption, the One Who is the offended party in the whole complex of sin - the Father.

Chapter five. Christ ransomed us by becoming our Substitute. Christ took away our guilt through the payment of our penalty (expiation), and He appeased the wrath of God (propitiation) so that God's anger is turned away from us.

Chapter six. To be our Substitute, Christ had to be "made like His brethren." As the God-man, Jesus both died for us and lived for us. Our sins were transferred to Him, but that's not all. "If all that happened was the single transfer of our sins to Jesus, we would not be justified." Sproul explains, "We must see that the righteousness of Christ that is transferred to us is the righteousness He achieved by living under the Law for thirty-three years without sinning."

Chapter seven. In taking our sin upon Himself, Christ fulfilled all the OT prophecies of the Suffering Servant. "On the cross, God's wrath was poured out on Christ. God did strike Him, smite Him, and afflict Him - but not for any evil in Christ."

Chapter eight. On the cross, Christ became a curse for us.

...thousands of people have died on crosses, and others have had even more painful, excruciating deaths than that. But only One received the full measure of the curse of God while on the cross. Because of that, I wonder whether Jesus was even aware of the nails and the thorns.

Chapter nine. God sent Christ to die for the elect. "It was never God's intention to save everybody."

...the atonement Christ made on the cross was real and effectual. It wasn't just a hypothetical atonement. It was an actual atonement. He didn't offer a hypothetical expiation for the sins of His people; their sins were expiated. He didn't give a hypothetical propitiation for our sins; He actually placated God's wrath toward us.

Chapter ten. Sproul answers frequently asked questions like, "What is the significance of the shedding of blood in the atonement?" and "Is it accurate to say that God died on the cross?"

Strengths
This is a wonderful presentation of the gospel. It is helpful for both unbelievers and believers. Even those who have been saved for quite some time will undoubtedly have their understanding of the gospel expanded. Sproul's illustrations are interesting and effective. He makes full use of the the OT and NT. He anticipates objections and provides adequate answers.

Weaknesses
Though I agree with Sproul's chapter on Limited Atonement (or, Particular Redemption), I am not fully satisfied with the presentation of it. It seems like it needs to be tied in with the rest of the book more. Also, I wish he had provided more scriptural support. The chapter seems to indicate it is not much more than a logical deduction from the other four points of Calvinism.

I wish Sproul didn't use as much Latin. He explains all the Latin terms, but I don't see the value in bringing up the Latin in the first place.

Conclusion
I like the book. There are a lot of books on the atonement. This one makes a valuable contribution, I think. If you can get it for $9 or less, buy it and read it.

Posted by Craig Johnson