john piper

If I could type out all the excerpts within 'A Godward Life' I would... there is so much insight into who we are as Christians, and what the Christian life is really all about.. the practical things... the things that we are instructed to do through His word. We are told to THINK. to Think about the scriptures... why? because through the pondering of His word, the Lord imparts understanding. if we do not bother to even chew on the words, to take the same amount of effort we put into memorizing our school work and study the Bible... then how will we understand? How will God speak to us? "He is the ground of all thought!" He is the one who imparts the understanding and inspiration when we do our devotions, when we meditate on the word! not us. it's not our cleverness or academic ability that allows us to understand. it is God who gives us the ability to know what's going on. The mind is such a precious thing.

and prayer? hmm... lemme share the following...

I love this excerpt - emphasis mine:

"praying for what cannot fail

unbiblical cynics say, "if it is sure, why pray for it? Biblical saints say, "pray for it with joy, because God has promised and cannot fail." For example, it is absolutely certain that God's kingdom is going to come. The apostle John sees it as virtually done: "The kingdom of the world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever" (rev. 11:15). Yet we are told to pray, "Thy kingdom come" (Matt 6:10)

Or consider another example: Jesus promised with absolute certainty, that "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come" (matt 24:14). In other words, the great commission will be completed. There is no doubt. Yet Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19) and to "pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers" (Matt 9:38)

What this means is that God appoints prayer as the means of finishing a mission that he has promised will certainly be finished. Therefore we pray, not because the outcome is uncertain, but because God has promised and cannot fail. Our prayers are the means God has appointed to do what he most certainly will do - finish the great commission and establish his kingdom.

Those who pray for the kingdom to come will receive the kingdom, but those who don't love the kingdom and the appearing of the Lord probably will not bother themselves with this prayer. Paul's words in 2 Timothy 4:8 are ominous: "In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." Not to love the appearing of the Lord (that is, not to pray passionately, "Thy kingdom come") means that some will not receive the crown of righteousness.

One of the few Aramaic words that the Greek-speaking early church preserved from the very words of Jesus (who probably spoke Aramaic during most of his ministry) was Marantha. It probably means "Our Lord, come!" There was no doubt the he would come. He promised that he would ("I will come again" [John 14:3]. The timing of his coming was fixed by the Father in heaven: "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son but the Father alone" (mark 13:32). Nevertheless the early church prayed, "Marantha!" This is the way one who loves Jesus prays: "If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. Maranatha" (1 Corinthians 16:22).

Let us then pray the way the apostle taught us to pray for what cannot fail. Let us not stand by and watch as skeptics or fatalists. Let us pray with all our hearts, as Paul says, "That the word of the Lord may run and be glorified" (2 Thessalonians 3:1), author's translation). The promise is there that the word does not come back void but accomplishes what God appoints for it (Isaish 55:11). Therefore (not "nevertheless"), let us pray that this mighty word will run and triumph.

Anyone who says, "It is meaningless to pray, because the promise is certain," will be left out. Such soldiers will not share in the spoils of victory, for they have not shared in the battle. Let us pray and triumph with him to the battle that cannot fail!"