Taking Jesus seriously
The aim of encounterprayer is to open the door for people to connect with God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It aims to help us to experience something of the presence of God in a real and meaningful way. As with any touch of God, however, the key issue is not so much what we might sense, but what we do with it.
It is easy to get so hung up on our actual experience of God, analysing it and comparing it with others, that we are in danger of regarding the experience itself as more important than our reaction to it.
It is easy to get so hung up on our actual experience of God, analysing it and comparing it with others, that we are in danger of regarding the experience itself as more important than our reaction to it.
I am fascinated (and deeply challenged) by the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:20-21:
“Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
It’s very interesting that we don’t have any record of Jesus making repentance a condition for miracles to take place, though what this passage does suggest is that he did have an expectation that his ministry would prompt a response from those who were touched by it. He expected repentance.
What exactly did he mean by this? Each of us may have our own view of what the term ‘repentance’ means, but at the heart of the word that Jesus used is the idea of changing one’s mind, or thinking differently. It’s not just about expressing sorrow over wrong-doing, but about choosing to see and do things differently because of Jesus.
Where this fits in with encounterprayer is the question of what we do with what Jesus reveals to us. As you know, at the heart of this approach to prayer is our opportunity to speak to Jesus with the expectation that he will communicate back. So what do we do with whatever he reveals to us?
“Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
It’s very interesting that we don’t have any record of Jesus making repentance a condition for miracles to take place, though what this passage does suggest is that he did have an expectation that his ministry would prompt a response from those who were touched by it. He expected repentance.
What exactly did he mean by this? Each of us may have our own view of what the term ‘repentance’ means, but at the heart of the word that Jesus used is the idea of changing one’s mind, or thinking differently. It’s not just about expressing sorrow over wrong-doing, but about choosing to see and do things differently because of Jesus.
Where this fits in with encounterprayer is the question of what we do with what Jesus reveals to us. As you know, at the heart of this approach to prayer is our opportunity to speak to Jesus with the expectation that he will communicate back. So what do we do with whatever he reveals to us?
I tend to write down what I feel Jesus is sharing with me, and encourage others to do the same, as it stops me from simply thinking, “That was nice” - and moving on. If I make a note of it I am more likely to reflect on it at the time, revisit it later and ponder more deeply what Jesus wants to communicate to me.
At the end of the day, I don’t want to be someone who hears from God and does nothing about it. Why not take a few moments to consider your own encounters with God? Below are some questions that may help you do this:
John Ryeland
At the end of the day, I don’t want to be someone who hears from God and does nothing about it. Why not take a few moments to consider your own encounters with God? Below are some questions that may help you do this:
- What were the last three things Jesus spoke to you when you met with him in encounterprayer?
- Did you record them in some way?
- What have you done with them?
- Have they changed your thinking in some way?
- What more could you have done?
John Ryeland
