Dale Cresap's blog

Do you like the promise that you can have whatever you ask for in prayer? Have you found this to work as you expected every time? What should I do if you ask for something that would lead to your alienation, isolation, and destruction? Your desires carry a lot of weight with me and you can see this illustrated with the way you want to give your own children what they want. They may be influenced by advertising to want some toy that you know will shortly disappoint them, and get it for them anyway. In love you try to protect them from anything really destructive, and I do the same for you. 

Have you discovered that the road I lead you on has more bumps than the one you would choose for yourself? Do you see the bumps and rough spots in the road as impediments to progress? I see them as a way to obtain the type of progress I am looking for. These experiences lead you to grow in empathy and endurance. They force you to deal with the knowledge of your flaws. Without them you develop false expectations, but with them you learn to see clearly, from a point of view less attached to your personal perspective, and develop true expectations. What you see as hindrances keep you from being spoiled and facilitate your real transformation. 

You know better than to look for transcendent meaning in material things. This is idolatry and will leave you frustrated and unfulfilled. Do you also know better than to look for transcendent meaning in another person? This can be a temptation even for those who know better than to find their identity in stuff. Relationships are more spiritual than material things, but you will only find ultimate reality in your relationship with me. If you look for this in another person you will place impossible expectations on them and be disappointed. Don’t expect others to give you what you can only find in me.

You refer to nearly everyone by their name. Yet people of great honor are commonly referred to by their titles, such as ‘Mr. President’. Another exception is in the case of a relationship that is so close that a title is more appropriate. You refer to your mother as mom rather than Kathy or Carol or whatever her name may be. How should you refer to me? In the beginning of redemptive history my first followers asked for my name and I told them that “I am”, so I did not give them a name in the usual sense. You are right to think that you should address me with a title of honor, and I have given you one that reflects the close relationship between us, Abba, Father. 

Have you ever been challenged about your source of spiritual authority by those you minister or present the gospel to? This happened to me even after I healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed the multitudes. If this isn’t enough validation, then what is? You may recall this exchange from scripture, and at the conclusion I declined to answer. I have commissioned you to even greater works than I did, and you have the advantage in that you can refer your audience to me. Don’t you find that those who move in true authority don’t have to present their credentials to establish it? You don’t need to do so either. 

My word teaches you that the weapons of your warfare are not carnal. The weapons that you commonly think of are made of metal and explosives. Yet if you consider weapons in a broader sense they include words and gestures in addition to the spiritual weapons suggested by the verse. You know enough to treat weapons with caution and according to safety rules because of their inherent danger. Do you know enough to show the same respect for the words you speak?  You are familiar with the concept of a verbal attack. This is no mere figure of speech. Understand the power of words and use them to give life, to bless rather than curse. 

Do you divide the world into the saved and the unsaved? This is an important distinction, but it is not yours to make. Say not, even in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven, and who shall descend into hell. Do you think that my work in your life begins and ends with a salvation experience? I prepare the ground to receive the seed, and tend it after it sprouts. It is more useful for you to see your life as a spiritual journey, and to see everyone else the same way whether they see themselves as sojourners or not. This is a more useful way to view yourself and others. You are a spiritual being even before you are saved, and still have much room for growth after. 

You consider the Bible to be a sacred text and you are right. Is there any other sacred information? If someone approaches you for ministry or as a friend and confides in you their darkest secrets in confidence you should treat this as sacred information. Not in the same sense as scripture, but it would be a violation to share it freely. Even if you hold it in confidence it is possible to handle it badly. It is also a violation to treat it casually or with judgment or contempt. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. You can be an agent of healing and restoration if you treat people’s secrets with love, respect, and empathy

You live in a world in which much can be accomplished by the push of a button or the flip of a switch. Modern gadgets are designed for ease of use. Yet there is much going on behind the scenes when you use a cell phone or a computer even if you are not aware of it, and it all has to work to function properly. You live in a material world, but also in a spiritual one. You can’t see the spiritual world but there is also much going on behind the scenes there that has a direct influence on your life. Your phone works whether you understand the operating principles or not, but you benefit from seeking discernment of the spiritual world you live in.

What are you discovering in your experiment of praying for people you encounter? Is it difficult to establish this as a new habit? Are you concerned that you don’t know the needs of the people you meet? I know what they need, and this is a case in which you can do no harm. Even if your prayer is off the mark it won’t hurt. Have you seen any results in the people you pray for? If you engage in this activity it will increase your awareness of those around you, and your awareness of me and how I am always present to intervene and pour out blessings on those who need them. Perhaps the first result you see will be in yourself.