The Lord's Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13

Why do so many sincere believers repeat over and over again prayers that have been prepared for them to recite?

Undoubtedly the greatest number of all make it a practice to recite The Lord’s Prayer. I think they must have overlooked that He said, "Pray then like this." (Matt 6:9), not "recite this prayer."

The reason for this seems obvious; there is no one prayer that fits every occasion.

Not only that, The Lord’s Prayer fit perfectly into the circumstances then, but imperfectly fits ours today. One example of this is at the close of His earthly ministry our Lord gave His disciples further instruction about prayer.

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf" (Jn 16:24-26).

After the Lord’s ascension into heaven the disciples were to make their requests to the Father in Christ's name. This in itself would have excluded their (and our) reciting The Lord's Prayer. 

Another example of how circumstances have changed from the time of the Lord's Prayer to now can be clearly seen in verses 12, 14 and 15 of Matthew 6:

and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matt 6:12).

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt 6:14-15).

But look at what Paul says about forgiveness AFTER Christ's death and resurrection:

Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive (Col 3:13).

Why the difference?  Because when Jesus Christ walked the earth, people were still under the Law.  In fact, our Lord ramped up the Law, as my Pastor so well explains.  While the Law said "You shall not murder" Jesus said "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire" (Matt 5:21-22).   

Of course we now know that the Law was given to show us our need for a Savior:  

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin (Rom 3:18-20).

We also know that we are not under the Law today:  

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith (Rom 3:21-25; cf Rom 7:4-6; Eph 2:14-16).

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Rom 6:14).

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian (Gal 3:24-25).

Yet both Protestants and Catholics still make much of repeating The Lord's Prayer, saying it in unison in sickness and death, in drought and storm, in peace and war, etc... with almost no regard to its contents.

What a difference there is between praying and "saying prayers."

Divine Communication - feelings and impressions

Not long ago while researching the subject of prayer I came across a paper that directed me to a November 2003 article in Christianity Today entitled "Mr. Jabez Goes to Africa." In it Bruce Wilkinson, author of "The Prayer of Jabez", relates how he came to minister in Africa. Wilkinson says he had a sort of 'burning bush' experience at a Wendy’s restaurant. He confesses he was stunned when he realized that he may have just had a conversation with God, explaining that after he asked, "God, tell me what do you want me to do," he sensed God’s reply: "I want you to keep the Great Commission." But did he really have a dialogue with God?

I’ve been thinking about this subject quite a bit lately. The puzzling thing about Bruce Wilkinson is that his conservative evangelical approach to the Bible scarcely puts him in the charismatic camp, so where did this come from? He's far from being the only one, though. I hear similar things said all the time, from pulpits and lay people alike. And certainly the amount of information and themes about God speaking to individuals today — both directly and indirectly — in Christian books and literature increases with each passing year. I imagine Christians everywhere must be asking themselves: "Could this kind of thing happen to me?" "Or does this only happen to ‘superstar’ Christians?" "And why didn’t God respond to me when I asked that question?" "Wasn’t I listening?" "Don't I have enough faith?" "Am I unworthy?"

I think Dave Swavely in his book “Decisions, Decisions” makes an excellent point when he says, "Christians...are not content to make their choices based on the principles in the revealed Word, but want God to give them some more specific information, direction, or guidance." But why do we want this? And is God giving new revelation today — even though the canon has been completed? Does He communicate with us through feelings and impressions?

The truth is, these 'experiences' cannot be supported with Scripture. The Bible never instructs or encourages us to look for, listen to, or follow inner promptings or impressions. And there are adequate examples of satanic influence in Scripture to cause us to view any we might have with suspicion. Sure we all have inner promptings and impressions. We're human after all. Good and bad desires come and go. But I don't believe they should be interpreted as signs from God — not even the good ones. Certainly an example to us would be Paul’s desire to take the gospel to Asia (Acts 16:7), and to visit the saints at Thessalonica (1 Thes 2:17-18) and Rome (Rom 1:13). That was obviously a good desire. But it didn't work out because of circumstances. Good desires are just that — good desires. The Bible, wisdom, common sense, and wise counsel, must always be the primary guides for our decisions and actions.

But certainly we should be led by the Spirit, right? Actually, there are only two references that talk about this regarding the life of the believer — Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:18. It's because of these two verses that we use the phrase ‘led by the Spirit’ as rationale for proceeding with a course of action. And once we say "The Spirit led me" or "God led me", it automatically becomes the uncontested ‘will of God.’ I mean really, who can argue with that?

The problem with using the phrase "led by the Spirit" like this is that in context, Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:18 have nothing to do with guidance or making decisions. When we look at these passages as a whole, we see that they are contrasting the lifestyle of the old nature with that of the new nature. Choosing to live in our new nature is the same as being led by the Spirit. Maybe if we understood spirituality as godliness, we would not so readily confuse it with mysticism.

Sadly, however, we rarely use doctrine to govern and interpret experience anymore. Rather, we use application and experience to control interpretation. In other words, we assign meanings to Scripture instead of allowing the writer to do so. We also give multiple meanings to a single passage, the key interpretive question being "What does it mean to me?" rather than "What did the author intend his readers to know or do?"

Don't get me wrong, I’m sure few of us have any intention of putting subjective mysticism on the same level with the written Word of God. It's just that it's so easy for even the best-intentioned Christian to get caught up in an emotional experience due to exposure to non-biblical philosophy. In fact, our evangelical culture has become so ingrained with such spiritual language as: "I have peace about it," "I was praying and sensed God speaking to me," "I feel like this is what God would have me do," and "I sense that the Holy Spirit is leading me," that it is difficult to break away from this way of thinking. Along these same lines, I don't think circumstances and so-called open or closed doors should be our guiding factors either. For example, Jonah found a boat going to Tarsus, but that was hardly divine guidance (Jonah 1). The major concern with all of this will always be the lack of objectivity. And because of its subjectivity, it can easily lead us into false doctrine and sinful actions.

This is why I have concluded that impressions, promptings and feelings should not be considered the voice of God or a source of truth. I know this is contrary to majority evangelical opinion today, but to me, viewing them as divine communication is a kind of counterfeit spirituality that has the potential to side-track us from letting all Scripture thoroughly equip us for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17).

Supernatural Activity

"It's a God-thing."  You hear it everywhere.  Anytime something works out particularly well for us, it's "a God thing." Why must everything be about us and our comfort?  And what if things aren't going particularly well for us, does this mean God has abandoned us?

Recently I came across this passage by Harriet A Harris, Lecturer in Theological Studied, University of Exeter, in her book, Fundamentalism and Evangelicals.  She presents a rather interesting perspective on God's supernatural activity:

"Charismatics challenge traditional fundamentalist thinking about God’s supernatural activity. Traditionally fundamentalists confine miracles to the Bible and regard them as violent divine interventions (Barr 1984: 86). In John Wimber's words: 'Christians unconsciously consign the supernatural to an impenetrable upper tier (except for the resurrection, early church miracles, and transcendent moral standards), excluding God’s power from their theology and practice' (1985: 88). However, increasingly in fundamentalist circles God is regarded as ever-present and active, providing such mundane services as finding parking spaces in the centre of town on a Saturday morning. As Nancy Ammerman (1987: 48-9) found, having spent a year studying a fundamentalist church in New England,

"'Almost anything good or bad can be explained as God's doing. God keeps the dishes from breaking, locates things that are lost. He supplies friends and offspring. He makes sure cars get fixed at affordable prices. He arranges convenient overtime work schedules and makes hiring and firing more pleasant. He provides clothes and food when they are needed, as well as less essential items like tickets for a rodeo or a pet dog for the children.'"

Does God really work like this today? Some may say yes. But when we look in the Bible, we see that when miracles were performed, they were proclaimed (Matt 4:24; Mark 3:9, 10; 6:56) — they were not performed by stealth. There was no guessing or wondering if they were miracles or not (e.g., did God really provide that parking space, etc... or was it just a coincidence?).  They were always straight-forward. And regarding the healing miracles, there were no doctors, drugs and gradually being healed. Miracles were instantaneous — the dead immediately got up and walked, blind men from birth suddenly could see, the sick were instantly healed, etc...

In an article for Christianity Today, Dr. Paul Brand, a well recognized authority on orthopedic surgery for leprosy patients and a well respected Christian, said:

"From my own experience as a physician I must truthfully admit that, among the thousands of patients I have treated, I have never observed an unequivocal instance of intervention in the physical realm. Many were prayed for, many found healing, but not in ways that counteracted the laws governing anatomy. No case have I treated personally would meet the rigorous criteria for a supernatural miracle."

Yet many Christians today point to John 14:11-14 and claim if enough people pray in faith, God will give them what they request. But can every word addressed to the apostles be intended to apply to all believers at all times? For instance, go to John 14:12. Is every believer to be endowed with miraculous powers equal to or greater than those performed by Jesus Christ Himself? Most are quick to say, “Of course not.” So should we then suppose that the verses that immediately follow are for universal application?

“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (John 14:11-14)."

Also, when looking at progressive revelation, who can fail to notice the difference between the earlier and later chapters of the book of Acts? In the beginning of Acts, we see the apostles performing extraordinary miracles in His name, and no one who is preaching Christ dies. But as Israel's opposition increases, Stephen is killed (Acts 7:54-59), and a little later James dies by the sword of Herod (Acts 12:1-2).  Notice, too, that in Acts 5 all of the sick who were brought from various cities to Jerusalem were healed by the apostles. But twenty-five years later we find Paul himself denied healing (2 Cor 12:7-9).  And near the end, we see him advising Timothy to take a little wine for his frequent ailments (1 Tim 5:23).  Still later we learn that Paul has left another worker sick at Miletum (2 Tim 4:20). So although in the early chapters of Acts Jerusalem, the seat of Israel's government, is filled with miracles, after the stoning of Stephen there is never again any record of a public miracle in that city called the city of the great King (Matt 5:34-35).

Moreover, "to the Jew first" is stamped on every page of the book of Acts. The twelve apostles went to the Jews. And when Paul comes on the scene half way through the book, it was by divine appointment that he too went first to "the chief of the Jews" in every place he visited. It is because of this that I believe the purpose of miracles in the NT was to accredit the Messiah to Israel (or the messenger bringing a message), and not, as generally supposed, to accredit Christianity to the world (Luke 19:36-38; Jn. 2:11; 10:25, 32, 38; 14:11; 15:24; 2 Cor. 12:12). That people were relieved of their infirmities was a loving byproduct, not the main purpose, of these miracles.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:22-24).

Though no one may dare limit what God will do for the believer, I believe we need to realize that during this age of grace, we live by faith, not by sight; and that ours is a higher privilege as those "who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29)." If "signs and wonders" were given to us, as in times past, faith would sink to a lower level, and the whole standard and character of the Christian walk would be altered. Paul's sufferings toward the end of his life show a higher faith than the miracles of his earlier ministry.

In fact, Paul's letters contain many accounts of unanswered prayers. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to fix his "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7-8). But did the Lord say to him, "Whatever you ask you’ll receive, if you have faith?" Not at all. The Lord told him that His grace would be enough for him (His grace meaning His power working in Paul's life). And, "…My strength is made perfect in weakness..." (2 Cor. 12:9) We always want the Lord to fix our problems, but He wants to show us the sufficiency of His grace and power working in our lives.

It appears that Paul’s whole attitude about suffering changed as a result of this prayer experience because He says that he learned to "take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Cor. 9:10)."

And in Philippians 4:11-13 he says, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Here is a glimpse of the life Paul led:

"Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Cor. 11:24-27)."

And what was his response? Instead of grumbling at his infirmities, he boasted in them. Not vainly or morbidly, but "for Christ’s sake he had suffered the loss of all things." In fact, he described them as "light affliction which is for the moment, working for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory," and continues, "while we look, not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:17, 18)." And, "…I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18)."

So then, should we expect miracles when we pray today?

Sir Robert Anderson in "The Silence of God" puts it this way:

"…it is plain matter of fact that before this, the great characteristic truth of Christianity, was revealed there was immediate Divine intervention upon earth: in a word, there were miracles; whereas, after this truth was revealed, they ceased. The era of the reign of grace is precisely the era of the silence of God. To grace, therefore, we look to explain the silence. Christianity is the supreme and final revelation of the Divine 'kindness and love-toward-man.' Therefore when God again declares Himself it can only be in wrath, and wrath must await 'the day of wrath (Rom 2:5).'"

"…From the throne of the Divine Majesty there has gone forth the proclamation of pardon and peace, and this without condition or reserve. And now a silent Heaven gives continuing proof that this great amnesty is still in force, and that the guiltiest of men may turn to God and find forgiveness of sins and eternal life."

God has said all He needs to say (the canon is now complete) and done everything that needs to be done — through His Son’s death on the cross on our behalf. In Christ, we are complete and have been blessed with all spiritual blessings. What greater gifts could He possibly give? Now He is lovingly drawing all who will come to Him in faith, patiently waiting with outstretched arms.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself (Jn. 12:32)."

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18-20)."

“For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Col. 1:19-20)."

May we, like Paul, look past the events and circumstances of this life, see our home beyond, and rejoice in the glory to which He calls us.

All things for good?

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he PREDESTINED he also CALLED, and those whom he called he also JUSTIFIED, and those whom he justified he also GLORIFIED (Rom 8:26-30).

What exactly does it mean that "all things work together for good?" Can we expect our circumstances to turn to from bad to good? Can we count on our circumstances to at least eventually improve, maybe not in quite the way we picture them improving but improve nonetheless?

It’s interesting that God inspired the Apostle Paul to write Romans 8:28 because it was Paul who said:

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Cor. 11:24-27).

It was also Paul who plead three times with our Lord to fix his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7-8). But God didn't say to him, “Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Instead, He told him “My grace is sufficient for you” and “…My strength is made perfect in weakness...” (2 Cor. 12:9).

It seems to me that Paul’s whole attitude about suffering changed as a result of this prayer experience because He says that he learned to “take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Cor. 12:10).”

Instead of grumbling at his infirmities, he boasted in them. Not vainly or morbidly, but “for Christ’s sake he had suffered the loss of all things.” In fact, he described them as “light affliction which is for the moment, working for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory,” and continues, “while we look, not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:17, 18)." And, "...I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us”(Rom. 8:18).

Then in Philippians 4:11-13 he says, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

So looking at Paul's life, the "for good" in Romans 8:28 does not necessarily mean our circumstances will improve, because they may well not. What does it mean, then?

The context tells us that the "for good" is according to God's will, and that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with His will — because we don't even know how to pray. Well that's certainly true. We pray for healing when it is far better to be at home with the Lord; we pray for needed jobs and think God has abandoned us when we don't receive them; we pray for deliverance from all sorts of problems and when they're not removed, wonder if God even cares. Not that we shouldn't pray for these things, of course, because we're told to pray about anything and everything (Phil 4:6-8). But the fact is, we always want God to fix our problems, when what He wants to show us is the sufficiency of His grace, and His power working within us, conforming us more and more into the likeness of His Son (Gal 5:22-23).

"All things for good", then, doesn't mean that all things will be good in this life — or that our circumstances in this life will improve — but that God is working through all things to our benefit.

Predestined, called, justified, glorified — may we too, like Paul, learn to look beyond our circumstances to Christ and our home beyond, and rejoice in the glory to which He calls us.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Eph 3:20-21).

Agree to pray believing... (cont)

Though no one may dare limit what God will do for the believer today, we need to realize that in this age of grace, we live by faith not by sight, and that ours is a higher privilege as those “who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).” If everything we asked for was given to us, faith would sink to a lower level, and the whole standard and character of the believer's walk would be altered. In fact, when we look at Paul’s life, we see that the sufferings toward the end of his life show a higher faith than the miracles of his earlier ministry.**

Would receiving everything we ask for even be good for us in “this present evil age? (Gal 1:4)” Just think of all the trouble we’d get ourselves into! But the wonderful fact is that we have far more than this now.

Romans 8:26 tells us:

...we do not know what to pray for as we ought...

Paul goes on to explain that the Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God, adding:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).

We know that "the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Rom 8:22-23) but few of us appreciate the fact that the Holy Spirit groans with us in our present state. He sympathizes deeply and "intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" (Rom 8:26). In this way, God, by His Spirit, comes alongside us to help.

It's true we don't receive whatever we ask for in the darkness of this age, but...

...God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work (2 Cor 9:8).

...by His grace we have so much more than this, that Paul proclaims:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Eph 3:20-21)

The highest expression of faith today can be found in Philippians 4:6-8:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Phil 4:6).

"And" what? And "Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith"? 

NO!

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7).

Here's plenty of proof that God has not closed His ears to our cries today. He has not abandoned us. Rather, He urges us to pour out our hearts to Him, to tell Him everything, and not to worry about anything, because He will work all things together for good.

So don't be anxious. Instead, pray about everything — and then think about good things!

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Phil 4:8).



**Who can fail to notice the difference between the earlier and later chapters of the book of Acts? In the beginning of Acts, we see the apostles performing extraordinary miracles in Christ’s name, and “to the Jew first” is stamped on every page. When Paul comes on the scene in the middle of Acts, he too performs many miracles, and it was by divine appointment that he went first to “the chief of the Jews” in every place he visited. I believe that the purpose of miracles in the NT was to accredit the Messiah to Israel (or the messenger bringing a message), and not, as generally supposed, to accredit Christianity to the world (Lk19:36-38; Jn 2:11; 10:25, 32, 38; 14:11; 15:24; 2 Cor 12:12). That men were relieved of their sufferings was a loving byproduct, not the main purpose for these miracles. Therefore, as the Jews continued to reject their Messiah and the gospel went out to the Gentiles, miracles greatly decreased and soon entirely ceased.

Agree to pray believing...

I often hear (and read) that we must agree to pray believing we are going to receive or it's no good, that we won't get what we ask for. But is this true? Are we really not getting what we request because we're not agreeing and/or praying with enough faith?  No, I don't believe this is the case at all.

What about such plain passages as these, then:

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mk 11:24).

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith (Matt 21:22).

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven (Matt 18:19).

Amazing promises, aren’t they. "WHATEVER—you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith"! "If two of you agree on earth about ANYTHING THEY ASK, it will be done for them..."!

Many sincere believers have been encouraged by these verses to expect physical healing, a much needed job, and solutions to all sorts of problems in answer to their prayers. Yet who can deny that many godly people, claiming these promises in simple faith, have been deeply disappointed to find their requests ungranted? Such experiences can, and do, leave deep scars. In fact, one of my close friends from church, who is currently going through a very difficult time, tells me she feels that God has abandoned her.

So how can we explain this seeming failure on God’s part to keep His word?

The answer is largely one of progressive revelation. God has not abandoned my good friend. The promises quoted above weren't made to us in the first place, and we have no right to claim them.  They were made to Israel.

The fact is, the "whatever" promises are found in only one small portion of the Bible and deal with our Lord's earthly ministry (though they are alluded to in the Hebrew epistles). Never in the Old Testament, or in Paul's epistles do we find that "whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." 

Why is this? Simply because these promises had to do with the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth. They were being proclaimed as part of “the gospel of the kingdom.”  In other words, these will be the conditions during our Lord's reign on earth.  And in the gospels (and first part of Acts), the kingdom was being preached “at hand” (Matt 4:17). 

Prayer has undergone several important changes since then. For example, the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ affected it significantly. It was in view of His ascension that He said:

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full (Jn 16:24).

Even though this statement was also made with the kingdom in view, it was from this time on that they were to begin praying to the Father in Christ's name. Today prayer is to be offered to the Father, in the name of the Son and "in the Holy Spirit" (Jn 16:24; Eph 3:14; 6:18).

Also, prayer in Israel was based upon a covenant relationship with God, while prayer in the Body of Christ is based solely upon God's grace through the cross-work of Christ.

By grace we, the members of Christ's Body, have a closer relationship to God than Israel of old had. While Israel was called to make God's name great in the earth, our position is in the heavenlies at the right hand of God (Eph 1:3; 2:4-6; Phil 3:20). And even though Satan tries to keep us from occupying that position experientially (Eph 6:10-17), we have a right to occupy it and are told to do so (Col 3:1-2). So, positionally we are seated in the heavenlies, while experientially we have "access by faith into this grace in which we stand" (Rom 5:2; cf Eph 2:18).


(to be continued)

God's faithfulness

Corporate prayer is a funny thing.  Someone stands up in front of all those gathered and leads them in prayer, confessing their sins for them, pleading for healing for some and for His wisdom and courage for others, and thanking Him for bringing in the money previously requested.  Once in a while I think to myself, "I would never say something like that; please just let me speak to my heavenly Father myself."  For example, last week someone prayed this for me: "And thank you, Lord, that when we are faithful to You, You remain faithful to us."   What a tremendous burden to put on us all, but is it true?  Is God's faithfulness to us based on how faithful we are to Him?  And what did he mean, exactly?  I'm sure he knows that God is always faithful, no matter what man does, and that this was as true in the OT and NT as it is today.  So because it is a very common belief today, I think he must have meant, if we are obedient and faithful to Him, He will be faithful and bless us.

Then yesterday I read this Bible verse on somebody's status on facebook:  "Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Mal 3:7 #Truth42day"  It has the same gist as the prayer I heard, doesn't it?  If man does this, then God will do that.  Many such verses can be found in the OT (e.g., Deut 7:9, 30:1-33, 32:20; 1 Sam 7:3; 2 Chron 10:11, 30:9; Prov 28:20; Jer 3:12-25, 15:19; Hos 6:1; Zech 1:3).

But let's back up a bit and look at the context of Mal 3:7.  To whom was this promise given?  It was given to the nation Israel — not to an individual.  Of course individuals made up the nation Israel, but the nation as a whole had to return to the Lord.  Many apply this verse to the nations in which we live today, but we must remember this promise was given to the nation Israel, not to the United States, the UK, Canada, etc...    So direct application to ourselves starts to break down already.

Looking further at the context of Mal 3:7, what were the circumstances regarding this promise?  First of all, keep in mind that Israel was under the law and God had promised to bless them when they obeyed it and punish them when they didn't (Deut 11:26-28).  By the time the book of Malachi was written, about 100 years had passed since Israel had returned to Palestine.  The city of Jerusalem and the second Temple had been built, but initial enthusiasm had worn off.  Although the people and priests had backslidden and become lax in their worship (1:7) and mechanical in their observance of the law, they couldn't understand why God was displeased with them, so God sent Malachi to rebuke them for their neglect of true worship of the Lord and to call them to repentance (1:6; 3:7).

We, however, are not under the law, nor has God promised to punish us for disobedience or bless us when we obey.  But the law did (and continues to do) its job.  It clearly shows us we were incapable of remaining faithful to God and need a savior.  So, Christ took our punishment upon Himself (Is 53:5; 2 Cor 5:21) and blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3).  What unfathomable love!  I think Charles Ryrie in his book, The Grace of God, explains what this means rather well: 

"One could say that he will live for the Lord in order to be blessed, but since we have already been blessed with all spiritual blessings, no amount of good works can add to that fact."

Under the law, however, mans' unfaithfulness could cause God to turn away for a time.  But now, because of Christ's death and resurrection, God sees Christ's righteousness when He looks at us (Acts 13:38-39; Rom 3:24, 5:8-9, 8:33-34; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:24), we are already seated in the heavenlies in Him (Eph 1:3, 2:6; Col 3:1-2), and our blameless position depends on God's faithfulness, not on our own (1 Cor 1:9; 1 Thes 5:24; 2 Tim 2:13).  

It makes me sad to think that many believers listening to that prayer last week thought, "Yes, I must get right with God again so that He will be faithful to me and bless me."  I remember having similar thoughts and feelings of tremendous pressure at such times, before someone helped me understand that Christ did it all because I was incapable of doing any of it. 

I can't say this emphatically enough, fellow Christian: Because of Christ, we are right with God now!  No longer is it — "If man does this, then God will do that."  Everything's been completely flipped around; now it's — "Because Christ has done it all at the cross, I serve Him out of deep gratitude and love" (Eph 4:32). 

It's so easy to get confused, and to confuse those around us, when we carelessly drag OT promises into the present that were never intended for us.  So please, please be careful and "diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15).

Promises

Can every promise given in Scripture be directly applied to us today? For example, Israel was told:

But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you (Deut 9:3).

Has God promised us the same thing regarding our enemies? Has He even promised us a land?

Or how about this promise made to King Zedekiah?

'Yet hear the promise of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; you will die peacefully (Jer 34:4-5).

Can we claim this promise for ourselves? Most would say, “Of course not! All these verses were given to a specific person or people under specific circumstances; and besides, they were plucked out of the middle of the OT.”

Well then let’s look in the NT. What about this promise?

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you (Lk 10:19).

Or this one?

And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained” (Jn 20:22-23).

Have we been given the power to tread on serpents unharmed or to discern and declare whose sins are forgiven?

There’s an old saying about being careful when reading other people’s mail. If a father writes a letter to his son promising him his pocket-watch when he dies, his daughter can’t read that same letter and claim the promise of the pocket-watch for herself. She can learn things about her father by reading the letter, and even apply general family-related things to herself, but she can’t directly apply things that were meant exclusively for her brother. In the same way, we must be careful to interpret Scripture within its context and ask ourselves: To whom was it written? What were the circumstances? What specific things can I directly apply to myself? What general principles can I apply? And, have things changed since then? (Watch for the progression of Scripture!)

Keeping all this in mind, what about the following promises regarding prayer? How are we to view these verses? Are we to claim them as direct promises to us today?

If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven (Matt 18:19).

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses (Mk 11:23-26).
I will do whatever you ask in my name…You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (Jn 14:13-14).

The Father will give you whatever you ask in my name (Jn 15:16).

I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name (Jn 16:23).

Notice that all these verses are from the gospels, which tells us several things right off the bat. First of all, Christ had not yet died and rose again throughout most of what takes place in them; second, people then were still under the law; third, miracles were being performed by Jesus Christ, but also by his disciples (Mk 6:7-13).

Additionally, these accounts all speak of the same promise. And to whom was this promise given? In every case it was given to the 12 apostles (see Matt 18:20 post here). But can every word addressed to the apostles be intended to apply to all believers at all times? For example, look at John 14:12. Is every believer to be endowed with miraculous powers equal to or greater than those performed by Jesus Christ Himself? We are quick to say, “Of course not.” So should we then suppose that the verses that immediately follow are for universal application?

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (John 14:11-14).

It seems obvious that in all these verses Jesus was giving special powers to the 12 apostles to perform miracles at that time. And in fact we do see the apostles performing extraordinary miracles in His name, especially in the beginning of Acts after Christ's ascension.

Though no one may dare limit what God will do for the believer today, we need to realize that in this time of grace we live by faith, not by sight, and that ours is a higher privilege as those “who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).” If everything we asked for in His name was given to us, faith would sink to a lower level, and the whole standard and character of the believer's walk would be altered. In fact, when we look at Paul’s life, we see that the sufferings toward the end of his life show a higher faith than the miracles of his earlier ministry.

Moreover, many of Paul’s letters contain accounts of unanswered prayers. One time he pleaded three times with the Lord to fix his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7-8), but did God say to him, “I will do whatever you ask in my name?” Not at all. The Lord told him that His grace would be enough for him. And, “…My strength is made perfect in weakness...” (2 Cor. 12:9). We always want God to fix our problems, but He wants to show us the sufficiency of His grace and His power working in our lives.

But wait, what about James 5:14-15?

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.

Because James is a rather difficult book (in fact, Luther referred to it as an "epistle of straw") and because this blog post is already quite long, I think I will tackle James 5:14-15 separately sometime in the future.

Repetition of prayers

I wonder why so many sincere believers repeat over and over again prayers that have been prepared for them to recite? Undoubtedly the greatest number of all make it a practice to recite The Lord’s Prayer. I think they must have overlooked that He said, "Pray, then, in this way:" (Matt 6:9). But not only that, the verses right before this prayer specifically say: And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him (Matt 6:7-8).

The reason for this seems obvious; there is no one prayer that fits every occasion.

Moreover, The Lord’s Prayer did fit perfectly into the circumstances then, but imperfectly fits ours today. One of the reasons is, at the close of His earthly ministry our Lord gave His disciples further instruction about prayer.

Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf (Jn 16:24-26).

After the Lord’s ascension into heaven the disciples were to make their requests to the Father in Christ's name. This in itself would have excluded their (and our) reciting The Lord's Prayer. Yet both Protestants and Catholics still make much of repeating it, saying it in unison in sickness and death, in drought and storm, in peace and war, etc... with almost no regard to its contents.

What a difference there is between praying and "saying prayers."

Why pray for others?

If it is ultimately up to the person for whom we pray to allow God to lead them, then what good does it do to pray for them?

We are instructed to "let [our] your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6) and to "…pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18).

We are not only to pray for ourselves on all occasions but for others as well. And, be on the alert for what? For Satan’s attacks: because we are all his targets, and they are “fellow-soldiers” who are fighting alongside of us. We are to build up and encourage one another to remain strong in the Lord. I know that I am certainly encouraged when I know that other believers are supporting and praying for me.

For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another (Rom. 14:18-19).

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing (I Thes. 5:11).

Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).

Prayer also changes us; our attitudes, our hearts. And when we pray for those around us, we open ourselves up to His leading whereby we may ask ourselves; in what way can I be of help in this situation? Can I bring a meal? Watch their children while they’re at the hospital? Visit them because they're lonely? Or encourage them with a note, card, email, or phone call?

Divine Communications - indulging our wills

Does God communicate with us today through visions or by directly speaking to us as He did in the Bible?

Certainly God worked through visions with people of the OT. Ezekiel, for example, had the vision of the dry bones in the valley. Old Testament visions were given to prophesy things to come down through the ages. It’s the same with the New Testament prophets like Peter, Paul, John, and the Lord Jesus himself. This was done so God’s children and the world would be made aware of the future, and of the power of God to precisely foretell. Always, it was to give God glory, and to call people to repentance.

And sometimes when God wanted to get His messages across, He did so Himself by speaking audibly. For example; when God wanted Samuel to be His prophet, He simply spoke to Samuel out loud (1 Sam 3). No, it wasn’t what Samuel ate that night—it was really God. And when God wanted Peter, James, and John to know that Jesus was truly God’s Son and that they should listen to Him, He simply told them in an audible voice (Lk 9:35).

But some Christians today seem to think God still communicates in this way and pray in order to indulge their wills. They earnestly ask God to lead them, yet all the while determined that He will lead them according to their own desires, even if contrary to His revealed will in Scripture. And then, when faced with the Word, they say: “But I have prayed a lot about it.” Some even challenge God, asking Him if this isn’t His will, to hinder it somehow. Such prayers are worse than superstition.

Unfortunately, there is a lot superstition among believers regarding prayer. How readily many “feel led,” look for “inner promptings” or listen for the “still small voice” in answer to their prayers. They say, “The Lord told me” this or that, or “The Spirit whispered to me” or “I could just hear Him saying.” And it can be regarding anything and everything, from 'what color to paint their house’ to ‘should they go on a trip or not.’ When asked, these people invariably say that no voice was actually heard at all, but that they merely took some feeling or impression to be, in some mystical way, a direction from the Lord.

God does speak to us through the Holy Spirit through the Word. But with the Word completed, He no longer speaks to us by visions or even by still small voices. Therefore, we need to be careful not to depend upon 'inner promptings,' knowing that by nature “the heart is deceitful above all things" (Jer 17:9).

Freewill

Christians pray for many different things: a happy marriage, for success, and so on. Yet it turns out those very people can have bad marriages and fail at their endeavors.

We try to reason why this is so. Some believe that somehow their prayer was answered. They say the possible answers are "Yes," "No," and "Wait." And while technically any one of these three words can qualify as an "answer" to most requests, it does not truly address the question, "Why didn't God give me what I requested."

Others say that it wasn't answered because it "wasn't for the best," or it "wasn't His will." These answers are problematic, too, because we understand that there are prayers with answers that would fit into God's will; yet they too go unanswered.

For example, if we pray for a friend or family member to be saved, and that person is never saved, that unanswered prayer definitely wasn't for the best. It also wasn't God's will that the individual not be saved (2 Peter 3:9).

I believe the real reason God doesn't answer many prayers according to their requests is not found in these simple "Yes, No, Wait, God's will" cliches. Scripture doesn't use these answers, yet we still use them to offer comfort. Often, however, these cliches merely silence those who truly need understanding, and even drive others to doubt if God is there.

In the situation where a loved one is never saved, I think the real reason is a more practical one — freewill. God has always allowed us freewill. And though He is always working, He never manipulates. Therefore, if a prayer involves manipulating someone's freewill, that prayer will not be answered.

That certainly shouldn't stop us from praying about these situations, however. We are instructed to bring our every request to God (Phil 4:6-7). Additionally, we should always be ready to respond with a word (1 Pet 3:15) or to help in any situation (2 Thes 2:16-17; Eph 2:10; Col 1:9-10), and prayer prepares our minds to do so.

Romans 8:26-28

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Rom 8:26-27).

The first thing we see in this passage is that we do not know how to express ourselves so that our prayers correspond to our need. This is referring to what we pray about, not how we pray. Our greatest need is to know and do His will. And even if our prayers are sincere and unselfish, we still don't know what to pray for. Therefore, we should always pray in the Spirit because He helps us in our weakness and intercedes and speaks for us in accordance with His will.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (Eph 6:18).

It should be noted that while there is "one Mediator" between God and man (1 Tim 2:5), we have two divine intercessors, one in heaven and one on earth—Jesus Christ at the Father's right hand, and the Holy Spirit within us. Jesus Christ intercedes regarding to our salvation.

Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us (Rom 8:34).

Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Heb 7:25).

Whereas, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us regarding our Christian experience.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:16).

Since we do not know how to pray apart from His help, we are instructed to pray at all times in the Spirit (Eph 6:18). But what does that mean? I believe it means to pray in our new nature in the Holy Spirit's power. Our new nature is born of the Spirit, and that which is born of the Spirit is spiritual (Jn 3:6). Although the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is hard to understand, it is what makes us truly alive (Rom 8:10-11). We cannot see the Spirit, but He is there affecting our lives. He does His work through our new nature, interceding, guiding, strengthening, encouraging, comforting, etc... Therefore, when we pray, we pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit's power.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (Jn 3:6).
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Rom 8:6).

Praying in the Spirit is a choice we make—something we decide to do. But it seems a paradox. On the one hand we are told to do something—pray in the Spirit—and then told the Spirit Himself intercedes for us. At the same time He constantly prompts us to put on the new man. So where does He end and we begin, and vice versa? I don't know. It seems that He provides what He commands and we don't do all that much.

This same thought is seen in other references to our Christian walk, too: Gal 5:16, Walk by the Spirit. Rom 8:13, By the Spirit...putting to death the deeds of the body. 1 Cor 12:3, Say Jesus is Lord by the Spirit. Phil 3:3, Worship by the Spirit of God. In all these things we are supposed to do something. But we are to do them in a way that it is the Spirit who is doing them through us.

The way I see it is, we yield. That is our response. That is the part we do. We yield to the Holy Spirit and put on the new man, and He helps us in our weakness and works through us.

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness (Rom 6:19).

On the other hand, when we don't pray in the Spirit and pray in our old nature, our prayers are foolish and selfish. But God, who searches the hearts, knows what in our prayers is merely of our own finite, fallible mind, and what is of the Spirit, Who always prays for us according to the will of God.

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it (Ps 139:1-6).

When we are guided by the Holy Spirit, we begin to see truth objectively. I suppose that may surprise some unbelievers, because they accuse us of looking at everything subjectively. What they don't understand is that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit and therefore seem foolish to them. They cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). It is only when the Holy Spirit is within us, helping us in our weakness, that we can get away from the subjectivity of our fallen nature and see the truth through Him, who is the Spirit of truth (Jn 15:26). We see the groaning world of chaos that is the result of sin and know that the same chaos of sin is within us, and we groan in unison with it (Rom 8:22-23). When we go on to read verse 26, we see that in the same way the Holy Spirit is helping us, interceding with groanings which are too deep for words. "In the same way" seems to refer to the Holy Spirit groaning within us, empathizing and sharing our burdens, as we groan in the midst of a groaning creation. In doing so, He strengthens us to bear our trials with confidence and courage, and at the same time directs our hearts toward God.

We've seen from verses 26 and 27 that we don't know how to pray. However, verse 28 tells us something we do know—that all things work together for good to those who love God.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).

"All things" here refers to circumstances in general, with special reference to difficult circumstances or hardships. And "those who love God" refers to believers as a class. God works all things with a plan for good. It is not fate or luck. He causes it.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Eph 3:20-21).

Most would agree that the Apostle Paul suffered more than any other believer who has ever lived. Yet he who wrote, "all things work together for good." Romans 8:28 is probably one of the most widely used verse in all of Paul’s epistles. When things go wrong, this verse will probably be quoted by someone. However, in the middle of our difficulties the last thing we need to hear is that what has just happened to us is good. That is not what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote this verse under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Terrible circumstances are not good. They come into our lives because we live in a cursed and sinful world. But God can use them for good. All things don't always work out for our present, apparent good, but they do for our future, eternal good (v 29-30).

I think Donald Grey Barnhouse in his book, God's Heirs, says it well here:

It was the sin of Naomi's son in marrying the Moabitess, Ruth, when the law sternly forbade such a marriage, that ultimately brought Ruth into the fold of God. She would never have had Naomi as a mother-in-law if this sin had not been committed, and she would not have been able to say, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; whither thou goest I will go; whither thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my people and thy God my God (Ruth 1:16). The sin of her husband in marrying her brought her to a widowhood which later put her in the line of the mothers of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. She had been chosen by God for this purpose and the Lord caused the events of human living, including human sin, to bring about His purposes.

And one must never be drawn into the logical fallacy of thinking that this makes God a partner in sin, or that He condones sin in any way. God could never have worked with the human race if He had not worked with them as sinners. We are sinners, and the whole pattern of the life of each of us is made by the interweaving of the acts of our Adamic natures and the results of those acts. Even when we have been born again the flesh is present with us, and even after we know that we have been joined to Christ the living Head of our new spiritual relationship to God, we are aware of the continuing presence of the body of death within us.

Does the Holy Spirit's intercession indicate that the Father, Himself, is not willing to keep us secure, or to work all things out for our good? Absolutely not, because our crucified, risen Lord at the Father's right hand effectively pleas in our behalf (v 31-38).

Therefore, we can rest assured that all things will work together for good because God has told us this is so. We don't know exactly how He's going to do that. But we can take great comfort in the fact that the final outcome will be for good, and bring satisfaction to our loving heavenly Father who worked out His perfect plan in our lives to His glory.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).

How then should we pray?

In order to have a truly satisfying prayer life, I believe it is necessary to put into practice 1 Cor. 14:15, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.” “With the spirit,” yielding to His leading in pouring out to God my praises, my requests and my thanks. And “with the understanding also,” with a clear grasp of what the Bible says about God’s will and His provisions for my prayer life.

And for those of us living in this age of grace, God has never promised that He would give us everything that we asked. Instead we read that “we do not know how to pray as we should,” but “the Spirit also helps our weakness;” and “intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom. 8:26)." God has promised to “work all things together for good (Rom. 8:28)" in our lives; however, He hasn’t revealed how He is going to do that. He has promised it, and we must take Him at His word, believing that He is working everything---even the “tragedies” of our lives---together for our ultimate good. We don’t often see this, but as Paul wrote, “We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7)."

The way I see it, since we don’t know how God is going to work everything out for His glory, we don’t know exactly how we should pray. So how could God ever promise us that He will answer all our prayers when He tells us plainly that we don’t even know what to pray for?

We must remember that prayer is not merely a means of “getting things from God” but a means of fellowship with Him. And it seems to me that it is not God’s will to take away all our problems, but it is God’s will to give us all the grace (2 Cor. 9:8) and strength we need to live through the circumstances and problems of our lives (Heb. 4:16), and even rejoice in them.

So then how should we pray today?

We should pray “always,” “in everything,” and “without ceasing!”

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thes. 5:16-18)."

Cast all our worries on Him.

"…casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7)."

Because we know that He is working out all things for our ultimate good.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28)."

And we are also instructed to pray instead of worrying.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things (Phil 4:6-8)."

Here is more than ample proof that God has not turned a deaf ear to the cries of His children in this age of grace. He urges us to pour out our whole hearts to Him. “Tell Me everything,” He says, “and then don’t worry about anything, because I will work out everything for good.”

He has even told us what to replace our worries with---"...dwell on these things." Now really, how cool is that?!!

Supernatural Activity

"It's a God-thing."  You hear it everywhere!  Anytime something works out particularly well for us, it's "a God thing." Why must everything have to be about us and our comfort?  And what if things aren't going particularly well for us — like maybe we're battling cancer? or have lost a loved one? etc...  Does this mean God isn't for us, that He's abandoned us for some reason?

Recently I came across this passage by Harriet A Harris, Lecturer in Theological Studied, University of Exeter, in her book, “Fundamentalism and Evangelicals.”  She presents a rather interesting perspective on God's supernatural activity, doesn't she?

“Charismatics challenge traditional fundamentalist thinking about God’s supernatural activity. Traditionally fundamentalists confine miracles to the Bible and regard them as violent divine interventions (Barr 1984: 86). In John Wimber’s words: ‘Christians unconsciously consign the supernatural to an impenetrable upper tier (except for the resurrection, early church miracles, and transcendent moral standards), excluding God’s power from their theology and practice’ (1985: 88). However, increasingly in fundamentalist circles God is regarded as ever-present and active, providing such mundane services as finding parking spaces in the centre of town on a Saturday morning. As Nancy Ammerman (1987: 48-9) found, having spent a year studying a fundamentalist church in New England,

‘Almost anything good or bad can be explained as God’s doing. God keeps the dishes from breaking, locates things that are lost. He supplies friends and offspring. He makes sure cars get fixed at affordable prices. He arranges convenient overtime work schedules and makes hiring and firing more pleasant. He provides clothes and food when they are needed, as well as less essential items like tickets for a rodeo or a pet dog for the children.’”

So does God really work like this today? Some may say yes.  But when we look in the Bible, we see that when miracles were performed, they were proclaimed (Matt. 4:24; Mark 3:9, 10; 6:56) — they were not performed by stealth. There was no guessing or wondering if they were miracles or not. They were always straight-forward. And regarding the healing miracles, there were no doctors, drugs and gradually being healed.  Miracles were instantaneous — the dead immediately got up and walked, blind men from birth suddenly could see, the sick were instantly healed, etc...

In an article for Christianity Today, Dr. Paul Brand, a well recognized authority on orthopedic surgery for leprosy patients and a well respected Christian, said:

“From my own experience as a physician I must truthfully admit that, among the thousands of patients I have treated, I have never observed an unequivocal instance of intervention in the physical realm. Many were prayer for, many found healing, but not in ways that counteracted the laws governing anatomy. No case have I treated personally would meet the rigorous criteria for a supernatural miracle.”

However, many Christians today point to John 14:11-14 and claim if they pray with enough faith, God will give them what they request. But can every word addressed to the apostles be intended to apply to all believers at all times? For instance, go to John 14:12. Is every believer to be endowed with miraculous powers equal to or greater than those performed by Jesus Christ Himself? Most are quick to say, “Of course not.” So should we then suppose that the verses that immediately follow are for universal application?

“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (John 14:11-14)."

And who can fail to notice the difference between the earlier and later chapters of the book of Acts? In the beginning of Acts, we see the apostles performing extraordinary miracles in His name, and no one who is preaching Christ dies. But as Israel's opposition increases, Stephen is killed (Acts 7:54-59), and a little later James dies by the sword of Herod (Acts 12:1-2).  Notice, too, that in Acts 5 all of the sick who were brought from various cities to Jerusalem were healed by the apostles. But twenty-five years later we find Paul himself denied healing (2 Cor 12:7-9).  And near the end, we see him advising Timothy to take a little wine for his frequent ailments (1 Tim 5:23).  Still later we learn that Paul has left another worker sick at Miletum (2 Tim 4:20). So although in the early chapters of Acts Jerusalem, the seat of Israel's government, is filled with miracles, after the stoning of Stephen there is never again any record of a public miracle in that city called the city of the great King (Matt 5:34-35).

Moreover, “to the Jew first” is stamped on every page of the book of Acts. The twelve apostles went to the Jews. And when Paul comes on the scene half way through the book, it was by divine appointment that he too went first to “the chief of the Jews” in every place he visited. It is because of this that I believe the purpose of miracles in the NT was to accredit the Messiah to Israel (or the messenger bringing a message), and not, as generally supposed, to accredit Christianity to the world (Luke 19:36-38; Jn. 2:11; 10:25, 32, 38; 14:11; 15:24; 2 Cor. 12:12).

Though no one may dare limit what God will do for the believer, I believe we need to realize that in this time of grace, we live by faith, not by sight; and that ours is a higher privilege as those “who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).” If “signs and wonders” were given to us, as in times past, faith would sink to a lower level, and the whole standard and character of the Christian walk would be altered. Paul’s sufferings toward the end of his life show a higher faith than the miracles of his earlier ministry.

In fact, Paul’s letters contain many accounts of unanswered prayers. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to fix his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7-8). But did the Lord say to him, “Whatever you ask you’ll receive, if you have faith?” Not at all. The Lord told him that His grace would be enough for him (His grace meaning His power working in Paul’s life). And, “…My strength is made perfect in weakness...” (2 Cor. 12:9) We always want the Lord to fix our problems, but He wants to show us the sufficiency of His grace and power working in our lives.

It appears that Paul’s whole attitude about suffering changed as a result of this prayer experience because He says that he learned to “take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Cor. 9:10)."

And in Philippians 4:11-13 he says, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Here is a glimpse of the life Paul led:

“Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Cor. 11:24-27)."

And what was his response? Instead of grumbling at his infirmities, he boasted in them. Not vainly or morbidly, but “for Christ’s sake he had suffered the loss of all things.” In fact, he described them as “light affliction which is for the moment, working for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory,” and continues, “while we look, not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:17, 18)." And, “…I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18)."

So then, should we expect miracles when we pray today?

Sir Robert Anderson in “The Silence of God” puts it this way:

“…it is plain matter of fact that before this, the great characteristic truth of Christianity, was revealed there was immediate Divine intervention upon earth: in a word, there were miracles; whereas, after this truth was revealed, they ceased. The era of the reign of grace is precisely the era of the silence of God. To grace, therefore, we look to explain the silence. Christianity is the supreme and final revelation of the Divine “kindness and love-toward-man.” Therefore when God again declares Himself it can only be in wrath, and wrath must await “the day of wrath (Rom 2:5)."

“…From the throne of the Divine Majesty there has gone forth the proclamation of pardon and peace, and this without condition or reserve. And now a silent Heaven gives continuing proof that this great amnesty is still in force, and that the guiltiest of men may turn to God and find forgiveness of sins and eternal life.”

God has said all He needs to say (the canon is now complete) and done everything that needs to be done —through His Son’s death on the cross on our behalf. In Christ, we are complete and have been blessed with all spiritual blessings. What greater gifts could He possibly give? Now he is lovingly drawing all who will come to Him in faith, patiently waiting with outstretched arms.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself (Jn. 12:32)."

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18-20)."

“For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Col. 1:19-20)."

May we, like Paul, look past the events and circumstances of this life, see our home beyond, and rejoice in the glory to which He calls us.