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“The Lord Jesus lives in our hearts in His resurrected and glorious mode of being.” John Main
Sometimes you read a title and make assumptions only to find that the book or chapter is not what you think. That was the case with the chapter “Climate of Prayer” in John Main’s book, Awakening, that we are looking at this week. I assumed it would pertain to group prayer. However, the chapter is about following Jesus.
“Prayer–our encounter in the Lord, our discovery of His power, and His love at work in our heart–must be the first priority of our life,” Main states in his book. Often we think of prayer as a list of wants. However, prayer means communicating with the Divine, the Master of the Universe. Sometimes it is just sitting quietly in God’s presence and paying attention to our breathing to anchor our thoughts. When we do so with the awareness that God gives us our breath, it becomes prayer.
Everywhere we go, the presence of the triune God (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit) goes with us. Jesus came down and lived as a human being. He became one of us so we could be one with Him. God is not distant but right here with us in the muck and mess of life. As a survivor, I can turn to God anytime and anywhere. That is comforting and wonderfully healing for my heart, mind, and soul.
Denying ourselves so we can heal
Main quotes a passage in Mark 8:34-361, which is about denying one’s self. Self-denial is a cornerstone of Christian discipleship. We can’t follow Jesus without it, and self-denial doesn’t mean a lack of self-care or self-love. It means letting go of our preconceived ideas of how our life should be and embracing God’s will for our lives. There is a passage2 in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church that mentions Jesus emptying Himself. The emptying He did was of His will as a human being and of His divine privileges but not His divinity.
As a survivor of child sexual abuse, it is not always easy to practice self-denial. It is easier to grab something sweet and eat it when I feel dysregulated. It doesn’t regulate me in any way but temporarily numbs me. I am at the point where I am tired of numbing myself. I want my nervous system and brain to become regulated. Yesterday, I became very anxious about a situation. I chose to practice tapping while praying. As I tapped, I first told God about how the situation affected me. I then asked for God’s intervention. I ended by declaring that it would work out. The anxiety stopped.
We can choose to empty ourselves of the unhealthy ways we have coped with the effects of trauma. Two days ago, I chose to enroll in a program called Yes Health, which pairs you with nutritionists and health coaches. The goal is to be healthier. And I certainly need to get my triglycerides and cholesterol levels down. You receive a scale digitally connected to the program. You receive feedback on your meals, fitness activity, and wellness practices, such as meditation and journaling.
I confess that I was reluctant to try the program when I realized it would involve a scale. I have a disordered eating past littered with anorexia and bulimia. I prayed about it and realized that I have not binged and made myself throw up in over seven years. I have not starved myself in a very long time. Both practices are behind me. I can do the program, and I can leave my preconceived notions. I can empty myself to become healthier. I cite this example to show you that prayer is also active. It is asking for wisdom and guidance and putting them into action.
“The most important thing for all of us is that we really do learn to be with Jesus; that we really do learn that Jesus is with us and everything else in our life must take second place to this primary relationship.” John Main
How can you practice self-denial?
Resources
Awakening by John Main
Image by Benjamin Balazs from Pixabay
“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:34-36 (ESV)
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)
Even though you know how I feel about any sort of organized religion and especially Jesus Christ I fully support your thoughts and opinions and BTW I love the picture you chose for this email