Unapologetic About Prayer

Exodus is a Christian faith based organization.  We do believe in a Living God who has His own opinions and will for our lives.  We do believe that being in communication with Him is essential.  It is essential to not only find and experience freedom in one area of life … our Communion with God is essential for all aspects of life.  Engaging in dialog with a living God is why we call him Lord, Savior and Abba (our Father.)

Here is our doctrinal statement (emphasis mine for the purpose of this post):

Doctrinal Statement
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the inspired Word Of God, the final authority for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction for right living. We believe in one God, existing eternally in three Persons:Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God, only begotten Son of the Father. he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and lived a sinless life. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, buried and rose physically from the dead. He ascended to the right hand of the Father and will come again in power and glory.

We believe that faith alone in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord frees us from the mastery of sin, and its consequences of death and eternal damnation. He assumed the penalty of death Himself, and enables us to live out of His resurrected life unto eternity. We believe the Holy Spirit carries out this work of renewal in our lives, empowering us to grow in loving union with our Heavenly Father and to walk in obedience to His will. We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is formed of all those who know Him as their Savior and Lord, regardless of denominational beliefs.

We pray for renewal of our lives, empowerment to grow in loving union with our Heavenly Father and to walk in obedience.  I think that is a lot broader, more meaningful and a lot more complicated than the simplistic caricatures some try to paint of our Christian post-gay journey.

I have honestly never tried to, as some derisively describe, “pray away the gay.” However, without prayer I would probably still identify as gay and with liberal gay culture.  Prayer breathes life into my entire state of being and I make no apologies for relying on it to do so. Prayer created the safe space for me to ask God difficult questions … and to hear His answers. These answers have transformed and are transforming my character and life.  This transformation is comprehensive and not just over one issue.

Homosexuality is a relational issue and more often than not has an accompanying worldview steeped in modern gay ideology.   So a lot of the “overcoming” can only be done through ongoing Biblically based friendships and other relationships (i.e. mentoring, serving others, as a single in service to the church, with our neighbors/co-workers/friends and of course in marriage if married.)  Much of the “overcoming” for me was seeing how gay ideology had become a filter for my intellect, heart, relationships and soul.  Then I started replacing those beliefs with what I believe God intends for my life.  We can pray and find answers but those answers must be implemented in relationships and that takes time, intentionality, consistency and sacrifice.

God doesn’t zap people out of homosexuality because identity and relational paradigms are the core of who we are and complicated.  God hasn’t and won’t ever short-circuit identity and relational development.  From the get-go, identity contextualizes how we approach the world and authentic relationships take more than ourselves to accomplish.  To be fully human means that we have to have not only a personal context within which to identify but a healthy interdependence on other human beings.

It’s how we are created in the Image of God … to know and be known.

While identity and relational paradigms can change without the power of prayer (here’s an example.) I am not looking for simply behavioral and worldview change.  I want to be in Communion with God. I want to know Him as I am known by Him and am glad to spend eternity in that pursuit.  My attractions have significantly changed but the goal is Communion and dependence on the Holy Spirit, healthy and mature relationships, content in Christ regardless of circumstance and obedience … not to exchange same sex lust for opposite sex lust.

I used to look to other men to be my soulmate(s).  Now my soul actually rests, and finds genuine contentment, in the One who created me.  If some want to laugh and mock at this notion, I can certainly understand. I used to do the same. Regardless, I know better now and I am unapologetic about the importance of prayer in my life.