Talking with Jesus, Like the Original Disciples Did
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
- James 5:16
The original apostles (Peter, James, John, Matthew et al) are raised up as incredible examples to us as Jesus’ disciples even two thousand years later. Bigger than life. Bible heroes. Pioneers of our faith. In reality, no disrespect intended in any way, they were not bigger than life. They were the same kind of flawed, mixed-up humans as you and I. There are obvious differences, of course, around time and culture. However, we see them as bigger than us because — at the risk of sounding like the Wizard of Oz — they had something you might not have once upon a time.
A heart. No, no. What they had was a direct connection with Jesus, himself. A direct, physical connection with the One who spoke us and our universe into existence. Read that sentence again to comprehend its magnitude. The One who spoke us, and the universe, into existence. James, John and crew walked with him, asked him questions, broke bread with Jesus.
Did they have an advantage over the rest of us because of this? With the obvious exception that, yes, Jesus physically spoke his answers to their questions and they could physically touch the hem of his robe… the answer is no. They had no spiritual advantage over you or I because even now we can speak and learn to hear back from the same One who spoke us into existence. We can hang out, ask questions, and receive answers.
Before Jesus left the physical realm to sit at the right hand of the Father, he gave an example of how his followers could speak to God directly (see Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:1-4, along with many times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to the Father for all to hear). Prayer is first and foremost a conversation. Imagine yourself walking alongside Jesus. There is respect, a deep sense of awe and even fear. But there is also a deep love coming from him, towards you, which signals clearly he is overjoyed to talk with you. There are no bad questions. Your connection to your heavenly Father is the most important thing to him. Given that, prayer as conversation could sound like:
Thank you for the chance to talk. It’s such a nice day. That was you who made it, wasn’t it? Thanks for that. Sorry I haven’t told you about this thing that is troubling me earlier. I mean, it’s ridiculous compared to what you’re dealing with every day.
In that moment, his hand pulls you closer to him and he tells you in no uncertain terms that it is not ridiculous, that everything you have to say to him, every concern you share, reminds him how much he is in love with you.
Well, OK, I need to trust you when you say that, right?
Yes, He says. Yes, you do.
And you talk. About everything.
Recently twenty-plus men from our church came home from a conference on fire for Jesus, committing to each other and our families to lean more in — and take more responsibility for — our families and faith. The highs of the mountaintop have led to some struggles, as “real life” tries to rekindle old habits and behaviors. These men have done something powerful to fight back. A few days before this writing, during a specific time of day and from wherever we happened to be, we prayed for an hour, falling to our knees to ask for strength to keep hold of the promises made during the highs of worship the weekend before, and carry them through the moments of stress and sameness that daily life always brings.
We prayed the same things for each other. Over the weekend some very personal things were shared. Too often the enemy wants to keep our secrets hidden in the dark. Surrendering to Jesus requires everything to be brought out into the light eventually. He knows what we do in shadows, but for our sins (which can be simplified as anything that comes between you and a healthy relationship with Him) should be confessed to each other in order for them to no have no power over us.
James tells us in todays verse, “…confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
If you look at how this translation is phrased, James says two things about prayer: we should pray for each other, and doing this heals us as well.
The best way to stay in the dark, to keep our own hearts as far from Jesus (even if we have surrendered and given our life to him) is to keep our gaze always on ourselves and our troubles. Some inward reflection is healthy; too much makes our own issues and problems seem insurmountable. When we pray for other people, it lifts something from our shoulders, gives us a perspective that we are not the only ones in the world struggling. Most of all draws our hearts closer to Jesus, which always is healing.
Pray for your brothers and sisters in church, at home, in our Connect groups. Think of it as walking and talking with Jesus just as the original followers had done. Because, with the Holy Spirit’s help, it is. Just remember that the conversation can shifted from ourselves, a topic very important to him, to include those around us. Those we love, a stranger, or someone who has hurt us. All of these concerns weave around you and Jesus to become a rich tapestry of conversation and connection, drawing you closer to your Savior, and closer to the people you are talking about.
The best part of the recent men’s conference were not the messages from stage, but conversations with each other. The connections. We’re not perfect. None of us. But prayer is a conversation with Jesus, the One who is perfect and created not only us, but the universe itself. It’s what the original disciples had. It’s what you and I have today.