Is it okay to read a prayer, like a script, instead of it all coming from your heart at the moment you pray?

Eloquently,
Memorized

Dear Memorized,

Every prayer should come from your heart - but not necessarily off the top of your head.  We have all sorts of examples of prayers in the Bible.  Nehemiah prayed silently in his head as he stood before the king (Neh 2:4).  On the other hand, David wrote many, many prayers down in the Psalms.  Some prayers are spontaneous; some prayers are meticulously written down.  In either case, if it is sincere, it is valid (Eph 6:24).  If you write it down beforehand, it still came from your mind just as much as if you'd thought it up on the spot.

      I have the Holy Spirit within me.  A voice in my head tells me I am not worthy to have the Holy Spirit within me.  Is that Satan trying to beguile me as he did Adam and Eve?  I sense the spiritual presence of God in my mind.

How can I have His Holy Spirit and Satan at the same time?

Sincerely,
Of Two Minds

Dear Of Two Minds,

Christians do have the Holy Spirit dwell in them (Rom 8:9) – but not literally, so there is no way to “sense” the presence of God in our minds. The Holy Spirit dwells in Christians in the same metaphorical way that Christ dwells in Christians (Rom 8:10). The Holy Spirit and Jesus do not physically dwell inside Christians miraculously. They dwell within Christians in a figurative way because a Christian’s life follows the path the Holy Spirit and Christ set for them.

The Holy Spirit dwells in those that follow the Bible and put to death their previous sinful lifestyles (Rom 8:12-14). The Holy Spirit gave us the Bible, and when we follow it, we are led by the Spirit (read “What The Holy Spirit Does” for further details). Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God, and the Spirit dwells in them (Rom 8:14-16).

If you would like more information on this topic, we have an entire series of sermons on the Holy Spirit that can be downloaded or viewed by clicking here.

Why did Jesus go into the desert for 40 days where He had to be thirsty, hungry, and face the elements of heat, cold, and discomfort - maybe even come close to dying of dehydration and starvation - JUST so he could prepare to die a horrible death.  Could He have prepared for death in a less uncomfortable way?

Sincerely, Seriously Sympathetic

Dear Seriously Sympathetic,

Those 40 days were Jesus’ first major test.  Jesus had to do more than just go to the cross; He had to live a life free of sin as well (1 Pet 1:19).  Christ had to live a perfect, sinless life while still enduring all the temptations that every other human experiences (Heb 2:17-18).

After Jesus was baptized and before He started preaching, He was led into the wilderness for forty days.  The purpose of those forty days was for the devil to tempt Christ (Matt 4:2), plain and simple.  In a weakened physical, emotional, and mental state (Lk 4:2), the devil threw his best and cleverest arguments at the Son of God.  Jesus repelled them all (Matt 4:10).  After that initial temptation, Jesus was left alone by the devil for a period of time (Lk 4:13).  Jesus’ character is shown not only in how He died… but in how He lived like no other man.

What does the Bible mean when it mentions the saints judging angels?

Sincerely, Ruling The Skies

Dear Ruling The Skies,

Yes, Christians will judge angels – the same way the Queen of the South judges spiritually lazy people. The verse in question is 1 Cor 6:3. We have to keep in mind that there are many ways to bring judgment on others. In our case, we will bring judgment on others through our example. God uses people’s examples to condemn others in similar circumstances.

1. The Queen of the South condemns those who won’t seek the truth (Matt 12:42).
2. The citizens of Nineveh will condemn those who won’t repent of their sins after hearing the gospel (Matt 12:42).
3. Christians will condemn those who have excuses for why they didn’t serve God (1 Cor 6:2).

Angels that denied God and went to serve Satan (Rev 12:9) will have no excuse for not having served God. All Christians will stand as a living example and condemnation against the angels that chose to deny God and turn to evil.If we, having not seen God (Ex 33:20), can still serve Him… the angels who are ever before Him (Matt 18:10) are without excuse.

I have been to many different congregations, and they all do things a little differently when they take up the collection. Some congregations sing a song while passing the plate, others pray and give thanks before the collection, and many do both those things. What elements are important?

Sincerely, Collecting My Thoughts

Dear Collecting My Thoughts,

The New Testament teaches that a collection should be taken on the first day of the week when the church gathers together (1 Cor 16:2). The only requirement for the congregation is that a collection be taken at that time. Technically, a congregation could put out a basket on Sunday, inform the congregation of its purpose, and leave it at that.

Having said that, most congregations try and use that time to count their blessings and remind each other of how God has blessed them. Using songs and prayers are ways to do that. It is up to the discretion of every individual congregation to best assess how to take up a collection from among the saints.