Keep Praying

 

One way to understand prayer is the man who loved hearing a symphony orchestra on the radio so much that he bought a violin to play along with it. His first attempts were dismal, yet he kept going. Eventually, his notes matched the music of the masters. In the same way, my prayers are off compared to the wonder of what God is doing, yet as I continue to pray, I find myself more in tune with what God shows me of His will and His activities.

Yet there remains this mystery of Him choosing some for faith and eternal life, but not everyone. If His choice was based on His knowledge that they would believe, or not chosen until they had faith, this would reverse what the Bible says that God elects people and people do not elect God. People are not chosen because they believe, but they believe because they are chosen. There is no way to lay His action of election on anything but the absolute sovereignty of God.

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. (Romans 9:15–16)

The secrets of his counsels are too deep for my feeble mind. If I try to know the reason of why He picks some and not others, I fall into a bottomless pit. Yet at the same time, I cast myself down at His feet, with a full and willing submission to His sovereign choices. In other words, I not only listen to the music but desire that my prayers and thoughts are aligned with it. 

The NT tells me how to play my violin. I must listen and agree with what He is doing. He tells me to work at what I want (to be in harmony with Him) yet “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) My understanding of the notes determine how my life sounds, but it is God who does the work — for His good pleasure!

Another way to understand His “music” is to understand it as His “covenant of grace” which is music of joyful and precious hope. Charnock says it refers to the free decision and oath of God to employ all His omnipotence, wisdom, and love to rescue His people from sin and misery. It is wholly initiated and carried through by God. It cannot fail. 

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. (Jeremiah 32:40)

This is God's music and was sealed in His heart before I even existed:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4–10)
(He) saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. (2 Timothy 1:9)

PRAY: Oh Lord, what a foundation for eternal security! You do it all and You never fail in Your purposes and will. I miss my notes and yet Your delightful music plays on without error or ceasing, carrying me with it to my promised destiny. I do not understand why me, but I do love  to listen to all the notes that You sound out and often allow me to hear and enjoy.

Why Pray?

One person describes prayer as a learning experience. He loved listening to an orchestra on the radio so he bought a violin with the intention of playing along with it. At first his ‘music’ was screechy and off key. However, with practice he was able to play in harmony with the music. He said prayer is like that; it is the way we learn the will of God. 

That said, some might argue why bother praying then, for the music will continue whether I pray for it or not. To me, this is missing the point. Prayer is conversation with the Lord and if I don’t pray, eventually I don’t hear the music. In other words, I do not sense what God is doing and may even not recognize that He is taking care of me. I become oblivious to His goodness.

A small example. In our new house there is a stairway with a midway landing. The wall on one side of it is high, but was a perfect place to hang a painting we own. No way could we put a ladder on the stair steps to do it and I did not pray for a solution. But God knew what to do. A window treatment sales person heard me wonder about that problem and said, “I am a fireman. I can do ladders and hang it for you.” And he did.

No doubt in my mind that was a God-thing. Just because I didn’t ask does not mean He ceased His music. However, because I do ask for many things, I know what He sounds like, at least for some things.

Piper thinks differently. He gives this example: Jesus promised with absolute certainty, that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). In other words, the great commission will be completed. There is no doubt. Yet Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) and to “pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers” (Matthew 9:38).

Piper says this means is that God appoints prayer as the means of finishing a mission that he has promised will certainly be finished. Therefore we pray, not because the outcome is uncertain, but because God has promised and cannot fail. Our prayers are the means God has appointed to do what he most certainly will do—finish the great commission and establish his kingdom. Then he says “Those who pray for the kingdom to come will receive the kingdom, but those who don’t love the kingdom and the appearing of the Lord probably will not bother themselves with this prayer. 

Piper goes on to Paul’s ominous words in 2 Timothy 4:8: ‘In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.’ And he says to love the appearing of the Lord (that is, not to pray passionately, ‘Thy kingdom come’) means that some will not receive the crown of righteousness.”

If he means those who are saved will be praying, then I agree. That is, if a person never talks to God, then they are not in a saving relationship with Him. If he means our salvation depends on passionate prayer, then I disagree. I cannot earn it or keep it by my efforts. The NT descriptions of how Christians should live should not be used as threats. God saves me apart from works, and God works in me to do His will.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

PRAY: Jesus, knowing You care about even the little details of life convinces me that the bigger ones are also under Your care. Your promises cover almost everything I pray about, often specifically and sometimes as a surprise for a need that I didn’t pray about. Your mercy and grace show me that even when I fail to pray, You are at work. My actions or inactions cannot nullify or limit Your will, nor are You a puppet and I hold the strings. That would be terrible. As Psalm 16:2 says, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” Whether I am striking a triangle or playing a tuba, You are still the orchestra leader. 

God hears my heart…

 

At times I’ve said that God is the only one who can hug me and give me a good kick at the same time. Today’s devotional reading does that. First the hug part:

True prayer, like all other graces and acts of worship, is a heart work. You may memorize little religious sayings and call them prayers. You may read and recite prayer books and think you are praying. You may repeat the earnest prayers of other people and suppose that you have prayed. But true prayed cannot be taught or learned by men any more than breathing can be. It is not an art or skill. Prayer is the breath of the renewed soul. Prayer is born in the heart by the grace of God. It is the power and grace of the Spirit in a man’s heart that teaches him to pray.
When I pray with others, we often talk about spiritual matters and things on our hearts. We agree that in the mind of God, we are praying in those conversations. The above paragraph hints that this is true because God is listening to our hearts as we breathe out what is truly the needs and desires made aware to us by His Spirit.

At the same time, there are warnings of what not to do concerning prayer, and examples of how God’s people should pray. Jesus said: “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:5)

I cannot say I’ve prayed with that motivation, but must admit thinking that I need to ‘pray properly’ or some such notion. Because God knows my heart, I can sense the admonition and know that praying to impress others does not belong at all.

The example of David also hugs and convicts. His prayer was filled with worship, and I’ve learned the importance of praying to honor Him. Not only is this right, it also puts my focus on Him and being more concerned that His will is done. It is easy to pray for my will to be done, but praying that way and honoring God cannot co-exist. David prayed:

Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God… Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears… And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God… Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.” (2 Samuel 7:18–29, shortened for space, but this prayer is filled with praise)

From this Word today, I better understand what it means to “pray without ceasing.” It includes continual admission of sin, always seeking God’s will, and always trusting His love and goodness. Prayer is my source of strength and consolation to my faith. But I must not forget that my prayer life reveals my heart attitude, both toward God and myself. I’m thinking how my mind wanders, easily distracted, even forgetting the One I’m talking to — and that is far from the sense of being hugged.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, when I talk with You, I need to confess my sinfulness and weakness in the flesh, but not dwell on it in any sort of self-pity. Keep my heart more focused on You, Your goodness and care, and with a strong, undistracted heart fixed on who You are and what You want in my life and in all the people and things that You put in my heart. Thank You for showing me where Your focus is when I pray, not on my words so much as on my heart and on Your heart.

Impatient with God?

When I want an instant answer to prayer, I ask God to show me my sinfulness. Last night I started to read again “The Prayer Life” by Andrew Murphy. His first chapter is about the sin of prayerlessness. He says that being in the flesh rather than in the Spirit is the cause. So I asked God to show me what was keeping me from praying as I ought.

This morning, Charnock’s reading for today hit me with a short discussion on the patient wisdom of God. It says:

The most impotent persons are the most impatient when unforeseen emergencies arise; or at events expected by them when their feeble prudence was not a sufficient match to contest or prevent them. But the wiser anyone is, the more he bears with those things which seem to cross his intentions, because he knows he grasps the whole affair and is sure of attaining the end he proposes . . . yet, as a finite wisdom can have but a finite patience, so an infinite wisdom possesses an infinite patience.

Bingo. While I rely on God for patience with the important issues, I can get impatient over little things. While this does not seem connected to prayer, from reading this and thinking about it, I can see how my fleshy desire for instant results can keep me from talking to God. Without a quick answer, I tend to stop asking.

Today’s devotional reading was like putting salve on a sore spot. Here the focus is not on how foolish I am but on the wonder of what God has done about it. The author writes that to make me acceptable to God, my sin must be punished and His justice must be satisfied. Even the sin of not praying about everything deserves separation from Him forever. Yet the Gospel tells the good news: the only way God could both punish me for sin and save me from sin was by the “infinitely meritorious, voluntary and efficacious death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, my Substitute.” Jesus became sin for me, willingly assuming all responsibility for my neglect.

When Isaiah 53 says “He was despised and rejected” yet “pierced for our transgressions . . . crushed for our iniquities” — that includes all those times that I turn to my own way. Every iniquity was laid upon Him, not just the gross sins easily put at the top of the list but the things I do apart from His way without even noticing it, which seems worse than noticing it. He was oppressed, afflicted, yet patiently led like a lamb to slaughter and stricken for even the least of my transgressions. (Isaiah 53:1–8)

Impatience with little things does not seem so little as He shows me that I am actually impatient with Him. Even if I don’t move ahead and try to answer my own prayers, this shows up in not praying if the results take too long. And Hebrews 9 tells me that salvation is about “eagerly waiting for Him” not being impatient about it. (Hebrews 9:24–28)

PRAY: Jesus, I can see the connection between impatient with my impotence to do something about life’s challenges, and this foolish impatience with You when I bring those challenges to You. Who am I to think You should quickly do anything for me? And yet You have done all things that I need and are entirely patient with me. Forgive my attitude and actions and fill me with Your Spirit so I will always be eager to talk to You, even if in Your wisdom You decide this is not the best time for answers.

Pray as Jesus prayed

 

The Lord has brought so much to my attention concerning prayer that I’ve been emotional as well as uncertain when I talk to Him. At times, just knowing His presence seems enough. He is sovereignly working out His purposes in this world, even using the evil for good (How can that be?) And hearing every thought, not just those spoken. He has shown me that He reaches people according to each one’s situation and nature, that He knows their hearts and where they are on their spiritual journey. I’m ignorant of all that, unless He reveals it to me. How then do I pray for others?

This morning, God directs me to how Jesus prayed. His prayer is longer, but these verses tell me more about communication with Him:

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:14–23)

His Word alone is filled with prayer instruction, not only the outline given in what we call “The Lord’s prayer” but the cry of His people is recorded from Genesis to Revelation. My prayer life is not always following those examples or using what the saints of old said to help me with what to say.

Because the world hates Christians, that also is instruction for prayer, not to ask that unsaved people love me, but ask that my life is so filled with the Spirit of God that I fall into that category. I must not let the ideas of the world stop me from prayer or influence the way I pray either.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

 Fleshy desires could include prayers asking for personal comfort, for a new car, for that dress in the store window, for recognition, all sorts of ego boosters. With Jesus in my heart and oneness with Him, I recognize selfish I-wants when they pop up. Godly praying confesses such desires rather than asking God for them.

Sanctified by truth means reading it and praying it. Praying that I be set apart to serve Jesus and tell others about Him is also part of what Jesus asked for me. If I am one with Him, then my priorities in prayer need to fit with His priorities. He wanted the world to believe that God the Father sent God the Son to love them and to die for them. That is a high priority on His prayer list and should be on mine.

He prayed about giving me the glory that God gave Him — so people would know the truth. Praying that I live out that glory and not hide it out of fear because those who see it hate it. I don’t want them to hate me also but it can happen. So I need to pray for boldness and a deep desire to glorify Jesus and not myself.

PRAY: This prayer You prayed is filled with instruction on how to pray. I am not You, but am one with You and what better way to show it than praying for myself and for others as You prayed for us… so I will. Amen.

More than a conqueror…

The enemy hit yesterday and with force to the point that I took a Covid test. This was an attack against my health, not fully realized until I prayed, until there was only one red line on the test, until the feelings of dying went away. This happens after acts of obedience and makes me feel like a gazelle being chased by a big cat.

Today’s devotional was a familiar topic: “you must die to self” but the reading from “Born for Battle” was more helpful. It talked about winning the battles, not because I am able but because of what Christ has done to enable me. It refers to instructions for war that begin with:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:10–13)

Yet this is not the beginning of this battle plan. The entire book of Ephesians speaks to what Christ has already done. As yesterday’s devotions pointed out, I am already seated in heavenly places with Christ. This book on spiritual warfare says, “The true order of faith is not that we have to live an earthly life with a view to heaven, but that we are called to a heavenly life with a view to earth… So we go into battle not from the perspective of our circumstances here on earth, but from our position above in Christ.”

I am already at the top of this mountain, placed there in Christ that His will might be done here. I do not have to fight for victory, because He says I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me. From this exalted position secured in Christ, and by being clothed with the armor of God, the powers of evil must back off as I resist the enemy. I will not win if I try this from a human perspective as in getting in a panic when trials come and not looking at them from God’s perspective. This puts me below the powers of darkness instead of abiding above them in Christ.

While this may sound more philosophical than reality, the events of yesterday and what happened before this attack came is my evidence. God asked me to do something, and when I did, I invaded enemy territory and brought to it the love of Christ. The enemy was not happy with that. However, God gave me words to say and the attack on my body stopped. No other explanation.

Born for Battle points out that concentration on the first part of Ephesians is vital to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. It is filled with powerful descriptions of what Christ has done. I must think about those truths rather than falling into fear or having a ‘poor me’ attitude. While Christians get messages about prayer, too often they are “fix my problem” messages rather than “yield to God and resist the devil” messages. No wonder he does not flee when our concerns are for personal comfort rather than Spirit-filled resistance based on the fact that he is already a loser.

PRAY: Jesus, You have done it all. Fear of death is conquered, as are Satan’s schemes to take Your people out of Your hands and into His. We are seated in heavenly places and this enemy can never undo what You have done. I am Your child — now and forever, and as I pray Your will, You give me confidence that You not only hear but will answer. The enemy cannot stop You; You have totally defeated him.
 

Why prayers are not answered…

After USA election results came in, some will rejoice and others will wonder why God did not answer their prayers. Today’s devotional reading offers a simple reason: lack of faith. But this is not the only reason that God does not respond to requests. Several sources group the reasons, such as this example:

• Spiritual sins - doubt, hypocrisy, pride, flippancy etc.
• Poor relationships - rudeness, unforgiveness, malice, anger, wrath, divisiveness.
• Major sin - things categorized as doing evil indicating no faith or walking in the flesh
• Praying amiss - lack of persistence, not fasting, not using Jesus' name etc.

Unconfessed sin is a major reason. When I fall short but fail to agree with God and neglect 1 John 1:9, I cannot assume God will answer me: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm 66:18) The psalms are filled with verses about God hearing those whose life is righteous.

Lack of faith is also a problem. Hebrews 11 says that people must believe in God and that he rewards those who seek him. If this is my issue, my lack of faith must also be confessed. Since faith comes by hearing the Word, then I need to be diligent in reading it! The lack of Scriptural knowledge has done more damage to prayer than anything in the church. As Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Poor relationships cover a wide spectrum, mostly obvious. One is plainly stated but often ignored:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

I’m not a husband, but as the “likewise” in this passage points out, I have a responsibility to be respectful with a gentle and quiet spirit, paying attention to my hubby’s leadership. While this is not a popular teaching, doing what God says in my marriage makes a huge difference in my prayer life too.

Of course God isn’t hearing prayers if major sin is present. His priority is my obedient faithfulness to walk in the Spirit and demonstrate the life of Christ to those around me. If not, my prayers are not at the top of His list. He is going to deal with my sin first, either by exposure, trials, or conviction. I better listen if I want Him to listen. My behavior is God’s priority.

I can pray wrongly too. One obvious example is not praying at all. James 4:2 says, "You don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it.” This passage goes on to add another: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.” God isn’t interested in granting me my selfish I-wants or prayers that come from the wrong side of being double-minded.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5–8)

If faith is right, and my life is right, and I’m keeping short accounts, then delays are not necessarily a denial of the request. God's timetable may be different from mine. I know He is more invested in the outcomes than I am. An example from Jesus: If an unjust judge would answer the request of an unconnected widow, how much more will a loving, righteous, generous God hear the prayers of His chosen ones. God is my heavenly Father. I are not coming before a tyrant; I are coming before a friend who is also my heavenly Father. 

Jesus also said, "Ask, and it will be given. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened." He reminds me that a good father knows how to give good gifts to their children. How much more does God love to bestow the Holy Spirit on those who ask? Being filled with the Spirit in my praying is vital. It begins with confession and is followed by obedience:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)

This is the passion that comes from loving the Lord, my God, with all my heart, mind, and soul —  and praying with fervent trust in what God will do.

PRAY: Jesus, as I go to prayer today, may I speak to You in demonstration of complete faith and total trust — and in the power and zeal of the Holy Spirit. May You grant me the words to say and eagerness to look forward to Your responses, even exceedingly above all I can ask or imagine.  

The faith connection to prayer…

Yesterday included brief visits at our church brunch and a longer talk afterward while my hubby led the cleanup crew. These conversations involved prayer requests. Some were stated as such and others came to me as I listened to what friends were saying.

Today’s reading is about prayer and that Jesus tells us that when we “pray according to our faith it will be done to us” (Matthew 9:29) It has taken me many years to grasp the importance of what He is saying.

Faith is about believing what God says. So if I am praying according to my faith, that prayer must be based on what He says. Knowing the Word of God and praying accordingly, becomes the foundation and motivation for prayer, and includes one vital factor — I must believe what He says.

This isn’t about salvation faith, the belief in the gospel that gives me forgiveness and eternal life, but the faith that God is powerful and has a redemption plan for this world. This faith is general in that I believe God can make things happen, but specific in that I can pray specifically as long as my requests fit with what He reveals in His Word to me.

My first example is humorous, at least now. Many years ago our family was camping in a tent and a bear came to our campsite. It was night and the bear was bold. He kept running to our tent door. My hubby could smell its breath. My prayer? All I could think of was the words to an old song, “Lord, You saved Daniel from the lion’s den. For goodness sake do something about that bear.”

He did. Some very inebriated campers came and chased it away. Odd angels but when the shadow of the bear appeared on the side of our tent a few hours later, we were not afraid. God was with us… and I now realize my prayer had scriptural precedence — the story of Daniel.

Last month on the day our family reunion was going to begin, I was driving to the venue, pleased that God had cleared the smoky sky and lowered the temperature from very hot to normal. Much prayer for that as we had wildfires and a long heatwave that threatened our enjoyment of this event. But the wind was about 50 km and grass almost flat in the ditch. Jesus could command the wind, so I asked Him to do it and within a few minutes, it stopped. The weather that weekend was perfect.

I’m beginning to see the connection between faith and answered prayer. It isn’t just faith that God can do it, but faith based on His character and actions as revealed in the Bible. Applying this today, I can pray for the requests from yesterday. One involves a young person straying from her faith and letting weeds grow in her life, weeds that are choking her from being fruitful. Jesus talks about such an environment in the parable of the sower.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)

Jesus exposes her problem. She is being choked or inhibited by worldly cares. The idea of being rich has also captivated her heart, is easy to see in conversations with her. She needs prayer that recognizes and resists these weeds. Jesus likens the heart’s need to be cleared from anything that prevents weeds from growing. Faith in His words helps me know how to pray.

Another request involved family rifts. I also know from the stories of Jacob vs. Esau and Joseph vs. his brothers that God wants family reconciliations, particularly between brothers. Also, the story of the prodigal tells how one came home to a brother who was not happy to see him. This was not God’s will. He wanted both brothers to be more like their father who patiently waited for both to live in love and truth, not in resentment and greed. From the Word of God, my faith tells me how to pray.

PRAY: And Jesus, I go now to pray for these people and for the other things You have put on my heart and on my prayer list. I know Your heart for lost souls and need to pray according to Your heart, not my “I wants” but faith that You will answer according to Your wants and Your plan. Grant me both faith and wisdom as I pray.

God works in me…

When I read a verse like, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5) I have to remember passages like this one:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

If I don’t, then all efforts to add virtue to faith, etc. might be without and fruitless. Jesus is the example. He spoke often of doing the works God sent Him to do. He also said, “Not my will but thine be done” as He prayed.

One author says we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits.

I disagree. Apart from Him working in me to “will and to work for His good pleasure” I know that I would not want to add to my faith or doing anything other than what I felt like doing. It is this battle against self and my selfishness that He won for me at the cross and works continually in my life that I will be transformed into His likeness.

At the same time, when He speaks, I must obey, yet not I but motivated by the Spirit that lives in me. Another writer says: “My only resource is to cast myself upon Jesus in the most ignorant sort of way, defining nothing, and almost as it were believing nothing, but simply trusting Him to accomplish the whole work from beginning to end in His own way and time.”

She tells of a woman who thought she had to speak English in her prayers, but only knew two words, so she prayed those two words. These words were meaningless but God heard her heart and answered her prayers.

Others who pray seem to value thee’s and thou’s as if King James had the secret of prayer. Still others pressure God with “but You promised” and claim the right to have whatever they ask for.

These weeks, God is showing me that the secret of prayer is not any sort of manipulation or ‘trick’ or formula. It is helplessness. When I feel like the woman who knew no English, God hears my heart. When I feel physically faint or spiritually bankrupt, I am learning to rest in Him. As a third writer says, when I am feeling unable, His message is not, “Be strong and of good courage” because my strength and courage has abandoned me. Instead, He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

This is what God asks of me — never “Try harder” but always “Trust Me” and “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

PRAY: Jesus, in waiting for You yesterday, three phone calls became answers to the cries of my heart. I was trying to verbalize one of those cries, but the other two were also ‘heard’ and answered, needed but not expressed. You hear me, even when I don’t speak. You work in me even when I feel useless. May I be as faithful to hear You, not so I can jump into action but so You can direct me to act or think whatever You desire from me. I want to be motivated by You, not my I wants, or what is happening around me. Guide even my heart as well as my prayers. Oh, God, what a wonder You are!

Worship in prayer

Over the last few weeks, the desire to pray has often eluded me. Not that the needs have vanished but that there are so many that I hardly know where to start. Christians have prayer helpers, such as CAST and ACTS that basically stand for confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and supplication. Using them can become mechanical. So can prayer lists. No one brings a list of topics to another expecting a good conversation so I find lists can easily make prayer a ritual rather than what it ought to be.

Oswald Chambers’ devotional for this day says something in the middle that gives me pause:

“Beware of outstripping God by your very longing to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, consequently we get so burdened with persons and with difficulties that we do not worship God, we do not intercede. If once the burden and the pressure come upon us and we are not in the worshiping attitude, it will produce not only hardness toward God but despair in our own souls.”

I’ve noticed this in groups that meet to pray. Burdens and requests are shared, then people jump right into intercession without any of the other components that are vital parts of prayer. No confession can mean that God sees something in me that needs forgiveness and cleansing. How can I expect Him to ‘fix’ the needs I present to Him if I neglect to deal with my own sins?

No thanksgiving? From Roman 1 and experience, I realize that without this, my heart is not fully satisfied with life — or that His will is being done, for which I should be thankful. I could even be blaming God for some lack in my life. My attitude is basically saying that God does not know what is best for me. With that attitude, how can I expect Him to answer prayer?

Chambers’ focus is on worship. Without it, my focus is on me, my needs, the mess in the world and the needs all around me, on the difficulties of life and not on the power of God to not just ‘fix’ them but that He has reasons for allowing them to happen. When I first worship, I remember things about God that affect the way I intercede. For instance:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

Those experiencing trials just might be in those trials because God is at work to mature them and is not interested in any pleas for comfort. Like Job said, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” (Job 23:10)

This tells me to worship the One who uses trouble for good — just like He took the greatest evil, the crucifixion of His Son, and used it for the greatest good. Worship changes the ways I intercede for the sick and suffering.

Worship also remembers that God has made promises. When interceding for others who suffer, I know He can use their suffering to bring them to faith in Christ. While the main news does not report it, thousands of people in the Middle East are turning to Jesus even as their lives are bombarded with bombs — and unfortunately that is all we see or hear rather than knowing God’s grace is at work in the wars. Worship helps me focus on His power, rather than become overburdened by the chaos.

PRAY: Lord, singing worship songs before reading the Bible helps me hear what You say to me. Worship in prayer does the same. Too often I let the clock rush me into asking without focusing on You, the One I am talking to. Forgive my haste. I know You hear and answer prayer despite my failings, but that is only because You are merciful and gracious. I need to begin praying far more often with words that honor and glorify You.

Walk in the Spirit… not the flesh

 
A book called “Blame it on the Brain” explains the difference between the old self and the new creation and how doing anything in my own strength, no matter how good it looks, is sin. He explains the need to watch out for ‘self’ being my source and motivation. This OT prophet uses a vivid word picture to say the same thing:

Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment. (Isaiah 50:11)

This is a solemn warning to those who walk in darkness and yet who try to help themselves out into the light. It is also a warning to those who believe in Christ yet when in trouble, we try to find a way without relying on the Lord. If I try to find answers through other means or the advice of my friends, or any other sources that is a ‘fire of my own kindling’ then God might let me walk in the light of those sparks, but the end will be sorrow and torment.

Not only that, God uses trials to teach me lessons I need, so premature deliverance will block His work of grace in my life. I need to cease meddling with His plans lest I mar His work and know that it is better to walk in the dark with Him than walk alone in the tiny light I create.

Another way to describe my meddling with His plans: I can move the hands of a clock but the time does not change. I can try to mess with God’s will but cannot change it. I can open the bud of a flower, but my impatience only ruins the flower. I need to take my concerns to God and leave all to Him.

For example, I’ve struggled with prayer. The OT describes times of evil when God looked for prayer, but no one was praying:

Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. (Isaiah 59:15–16)

I’ve also felt great need as the news of the world and the situations closer to home pressed on my heart, but I had trouble going to prayer about them. For a long time, I tried to ‘kindle my own fire’ with prayer lists. They made me pray out of a sense of duty and my heart felt dry, thus prayer became spotty and often absent.

Then God showed me that worship and intercession go together. The one is impossible without the other. I was trying to pray rightly for the messes around me without first worshipping the One to whom I wanted to work out solutions. Praise reminded me that I am talking to Almighty God. He knows what to do, when to do it, and how to give peace and even joyful expectation to my heart and mind. It also helped me get to the mind of the Lord. Instead of telling him what I wanted or what I thought He should do, I began to pray things that surprised me as the words seemed to come from His heart instead of my head.
 
A reading this morning describes this progression of what happens when the focus is on Christ and my heart is living or abiding there. It goes like this: 1. “He that abides in Him sins not” 2. He that abides in Him, “the same brings forth much fruit.” 3. He that abides in Him “shall ask what he will and it shall be done unto him.”

PRAY: Oh Jesus, how true. When I quit trying to do anything apart from You, even praying, then life takes a drastic change. The fruit of the Spirit begins to appear, yet in abiding that is not my focus; it is always You, not what I am doing. And the answers to prayer are astonishing and surprisingly unpredictable. Life becomes an adventure. Instead of trying to make myself worthy, or do things ‘properly’ I am seeing You at work and filled with wonder at You.

God is glorified when He takes care of needs

 

As today’s devotional says, praying for daily bread in my situation is not as necessary as praying for self-control so I don’t overeat. Yet I agree that when Jesus says to ask: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) He is not talking about food only. This prayer acknowledges that God provides all daily necessities. My husband sets a good example by thanking God for another day, air to breathe and many things easily taken for granted.

Some people treat God as a genie in a bottle, a power to meet their needs without thinking that the purpose of prayer is to glorify God. Jesus says:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13–14)

Jesus did speak of daily necessities as well. In the time and place He lived, this was a common concern, just as it is in various parts of the world today. He said,

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31–33)

For those who are not anxious about food and clothes, the promises of answered prayer still hold. Right after this one about necessities, Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)

This strikes home. This morning I’ve the following anxieties: a quilt for some special people but the design has me stumped. How can I fix it so it looks good and is the right size? Income tax time is looming and I cannot find the receipt for church donations; it seems to have vanished? An organization I belong to recently changed their policies and all their officials have no job descriptions — I have been given the responsibility to see that this happens. Then there are dozens of prayer requests plus the ones listed in a couple of prayer apps on my phone, plus the stuff from this morning’s newspaper. Future plans aside; today’s troubles are already enough!

Yet this morning’s time of worship included that song, “Count your blessings” so I did a short version and realize that this thankful part of prayer glorifies God; He has answered prayer in so many ways. In the past few weeks, we have not had any wants for anything, and to ice that cake, we’ve also seen growth in our church (it is bursting at the seams), healing for a man who was dying, baptisms, new believers, prodigals return to their faith in God, and a host of smaller things, like Him using mistakes for good and remarkable ‘coincidences’ that bring praise to our hearts and lips.

Lord Jesus, may trusting You for everything never become a selfish demand that You to do what I want, or me treating You as a “celestial vending machine” rather than Almighty God to whom I also pray, “Thy will be done.” As our son’s wife recently said, “God knows best” and Your decisions are not only wise, but loving. You take care of us so well. May I always pray in faith like the wise person who said:

Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8–9)

You tell me that You will take care of me, but You also say not to lay up treasure on earth or pray for things that glorify myself and not You. Forgive all sinful selfishness in my prayers and enable me to instead pray so that You are glorified!

CHECK OUT: Matthew 6:19–34 and James 4:3.