R.I.P (Rest In Prayer)

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And now, here's James. Well, how fun today on Encouraging Prayer. We're going to rate our IP, but that does not mean rest in peace, although in a way you still get to do that, right, James?

Because it's, it stands for what? It's rest in prayer. And I'm really looking forward to talking about this because, you know, often when people talk about prayer, they say, oh, prayer is work.

And yes, yes, there are times where it is, but prayer is also resting in God. And if we learn that, there's a sweetness about that, that, oh man, we don't want to miss. I mean, the first image that comes to mind, and this may show my age, but years ago there was a commercial for a product called Nest Tea, an iced tea, and people would take the Nest Tea lunch. And do you remember those commercials, what that looked like? Yeah, that wasn't all that long ago, James. It shows my age. Wait a minute, that was, instant tea was something they didn't have when I was a kid.

But that's funny. Yeah, I remember. We need to take that plunge. Well, yeah, I mean that, so the picture, in case you're not a geyser like me and never saw the vat, it's this guy standing at the side of a swimming pool, and he has this cool, refreshing glass of Nest Tea that he drinks from, and as he drinks from it, he leans back, throws his arms out, and falls into the pool.

And they call that the Nest Tea plunge. And you know, what I want to encourage our listeners to do today is the R.I.P. plunge, you know, to learn how to rest in prayer, because man, you know, gosh, it's the source of so much good in our lives with God. Oh, isn't it?

And, you know, it seems like so many times I find myself, you know, not resting in prayer and wondering, you know, why am I so anxious, right? Yeah. Yeah, as a matter of fact, do you know what the number one best-selling Christian book is right now?

I do not. The number one best-selling Christian book is called The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Wow. And, yeah, yeah. That shows you a lot of people are there. I thought it was Prayers for Prodigals.

I was sure that it was. Well, I'm glad it's not Prayers for Prodigals, because, you know, the fewer prodigals we have, the better. Well, there you go.

Yeah, yeah. But, you know, it's an interesting look at, you know, how, for example, Jesus was never in a hurry. And we really don't see that. You know, we do see Jesus saying, come away by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest, you know.

He says that to the disciples. But, you know, it points out that the hurry affects everything that we do. I mean, it affects our relationships, you know.

If we're in a hurry, then we can't have quality relationships. And if you think about it, I mean, just, I mean, probably the best metaphor to point to is our cell phones. You know, how many times do you go out to eat, and you see that family sitting around the table, and they're all on their cell phones, you know? Well, you know, the more condemning thing for me is, as you mentioned that, I went, you know, how many times, when I have a free moment, do I immediately pick up my phone to see if I have any text calls or emails? Yeah, yeah.

Where, how much more productive would it be if my first call was, I mean, my first, wait a minute, I got a moment. Lord, are you still with me? You know, it is like, oh my goodness, you know, I was just convicted by what you just said. Like, oh no, you know, it's like a check engine light that flashes on like, you know, there's something wrong with this picture.

Yeah, that's exactly right. You know, we can so easily just become so involved in our world, so to speak, not realizing that the real world, the Kingdom of God, is on the way, and it could come at any moment, and we need to be ready for it. So, you know, the first question I think is, how do I rest in God? And that really starts with recognizing our deep need for Him in everything.

You know, think about what Jesus said about Himself, that He could do nothing apart from the Father. So, you know, this isn't just about taking quiet moments, as important as they are, it goes deeper than that. You know, this is about a posture of our heart, not just a position we go to now and then, but this posture of our heart that is continually leaning back, taking that plunge, if you will, back into God's mercy for us every day. And so it's a heart that I think, you know, Scripture uses the phrase of inclining your hearts toward Him.

It's a heart that is leaning into Him, that is just there. And this is so important for us, not only when we're taking a break, but also when we're working. You know, the beautiful thing about this is that we can actually rest and work at the same time, because it has to do with abiding in Him. And again, that goes right back to what Jesus said, right?

I'm the vine, you're the branches. And if we're connected to Him, resting in Him, then the work that we do is going to be that much more on point, because, you know, we're in step with the source. Darrell Bock Well, you know, I firmly believe that God is even better at puns than you are, James.

I don't know if you knew that. Well, one of the great puns in the Bible to me, you know, because He loves the double entendre, is the word comfort, like when you look in Isaiah 40, where it says, comfort ye, comfort ye, my people. And that word could be translated as comfort, but it's also translated as repent, which doesn't mean necessarily what a lot of people take in that context. But it's actually, if you will go back to the Father's arms, get in communion with Him, it's comfort.

James Yeah, it really is. And actually, there is a great comfort in repenting, you know, there's a joy in it. And this is one of the things that, I mean, we, really, the question at the root of all this is, who's in control of our lives? You know, I say that I've, you know, I've given my life to Jesus, I've dedicated my life to Him, but am I leaning into Him? Am I depending on Him? How much do I pray? And this isn't just a keeping score kind of thing, you know, this isn't like, oh, I'm praying a lot. It's a matter of, am I just in communication with Him? It's about more than just words.

Darrell Bock And you know what? We, based on the fact that we're out of time, we better take the nasty plunge, James. James Let's do it. Father, help us in this.

We can't do it unless you help us. But we do ask where the good way is. Show us, Lord, day by day, how to just live close to you in prayer and to love you. Lord, thank you for your love that is so faithful that never ends. We worship you this moment and lean into you. In Jesus name. Amen. Darrell Bock Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray. This is the Truth Network.