The Faith Connection

Have you ever watched someone fumble with their phone, desperately trying to connect to Wi-Fi during an important moment? They tap furiously at the settings, restart the device, move around the room seeking that elusive signal — all while missing what's happening right in front of them. I have to admit I’ve done that exact thing at times, where I’ve been so focused on getting connected that I was disconnected from everything else.

This past Sunday, we unpacked a fascinating story from Mark 9 where Jesus and three disciples came down from the glorious mountaintop experience of the Transfiguration, only to walk straight into chaos. The other disciples were surrounded by a crowd, arguing with religious leaders, and failing to help a desperate father whose son was tormented by an evil spirit.

When the disciples later asked Jesus why they couldn't cast out the spirit, His answer was profoundly simple: "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." It was a reminder to us that prayer is the work! It's the vital connection point to God's power.

But how do we make this connection practical in our everyday lives? How do we maintain that power link when moving between spiritual mountaintops and everyday valleys? Let me share two ideas that might help you this week.

Create Connection Triggers

Our physical environment is filled with "triggers" that prompt responses. The buzz of a text message makes us reach for our phone. The smell of coffee brewing draws us to the kitchen. What if we intentionally placed connection triggers throughout our day?

This week, try choosing three everyday objects or recurring activities as prayer prompts. For example:

• Your car keys might remind you to pray before starting your journey
• The office coffee maker could be a cue to silently connect with God about your work
• The school pickup line might become your regular time to pray for your children

The beauty of connection triggers is they work with your existing routine rather than demanding you create an entirely new one. They transform mundane moments into spiritual connections.

I've started using my morning shower as a connection point. Instead of mentally rehearsing my to-do list while shampooing, I've trained myself to use this time to "wash" my mind with prayer. It's become such a powerful habit that sometimes I find myself praying more deeply while covered in soap bubbles than I do in more formal settings!

Practice Spirit-Led Pauses

In our frantically-paced world, we rarely pause unless forced to. We wait impatiently at red lights, scroll through social media during "down time," and fill every silence with sound or busyness. Yet these pauses are precisely where we might connect most powerfully with God.

This week, experiment with taking three intentional 60-second Spirit-led pauses each day. During these brief moments:

1. Stop whatever you're doing completely
2. Take a deep breath
3. Say silently, "I believe; help my unbelief"
4. Listen for 30 seconds without thinking of what to say next
5. Thank God for His presence, even if you don't "feel" anything

These micro-moments of connection can dramatically shift our spiritual awareness. They're like hitting the reset button on our soul's Wi-Fi, reconnecting us to the source of power.

As I said in the sermon on Sunday, prayer is communication with God — both talking and listening. These pauses create space for the listening part that we so often neglect.

The disciples' problem wasn't that they lacked information or techniques. They had disconnected from the source of their power. Their branch had temporarily lost contact with the vine. Haven't we all been there?

As you move through your week, remember that maintaining connection isn't about perfect faith, but persistent faith. Like the father in our story, we can honestly admit both our belief and unbelief. Jesus responds not to perfection, but to genuineness.

May your connection triggers and Spirit-led pauses help you bring mountain power into your everyday valleys this week. After all, prayer isn't just something we do… it's the work that makes everything else possible.

What connection triggers might work in your life? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Pastor Charlie