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Genesis 20c:

Prayer Part 2

When God gives us a choice in the Bible of “A” or “B” (or more), it is not intended that we should use our worldly wisdom and choose that which appears to be right to us. Whether in doctrine or action, He expects us to tell Him the truth that we are not capable of choosing correctly.  We need to admit that we are but little children who do not know how to come in or go out, and that without His guidance we are sure to choose wrongly! 

So why the choice? 

Because He wants us to be free to refuse and go our own way.

The wisest man who ever lived knew this.

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1 Kings 3:

7 [Solomon said] “And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child [he was about 18 years old]:

I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen [as their educator, for Christ alone is King], a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore Your servant an understanding heart to judge [guide] Your people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge [lead] so great a people?”

10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

11 And [the Son of] God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment; 12 behold, I have done according to your words: lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like to you.”

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This was the manner of approach used by the father of the demon-possessed boy in the New Testament.

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Mark 9:

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help You my unbelief.”

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When we do this it is perfectly proper for the Spirit to then tell us which is the right choice for us.  We should know our limitations and ALWAYS ask God immediately which of His propositions is right for us (these are based on our sin’s results).

Here is an example:

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2 Samuel 24:

11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12 “Go and say to David, Thus says the LORD, I offer you three things [because of your sin]; choose you one of them, that I may do it to you.”

13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land?  Or will you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you?  Or that there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now advise, and see what answer I shall return to Him that sent me.”

14 And David said to Gad, “I am in a great strait [a narrow place]: let us [his sin affected others] fall now into the hand of the LORD; for His mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man [or use my own reasoning or choice].”

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There are  three types and direction of prayer.

1.  To God the Father in thanks for His gifts, the greatest of which is Jesus.  We can do this as we feel like it.

2.  To God the Son in request for salvation and/or forgiveness and cleansing.  We can do this as we need it.

3.  To God the Spirit in desire to fulfil His will on earth, to do that which is right always.  We should do this continually, without ceasing.

If we confuse these prayer types, or address them to the wrong figurehead, then no great damage will be done, but we will be showing our ignorance of the protocol of God’s kingdom.  The Father has ALWAYS been in charge of the universe but He gave His Son permission to deal with the sin problem as He desires, and He in turn, gave the daily running of the world into the hands of the Spirit when He returned to heaven after the crucifixion. 

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1 Corinthians 15:

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His [second] coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He shall have delivered up [returned] the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He [the Son] shall have put down all [rebellious] rule and all [sinful] authority and power. 25 For He [the Son] must reign, till He has put all enemies under His [own] feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death [death is not our friend!].

27 For He [the Father] has put all things under His [the Son’s] feet.  But when He [the Father] says all things are put under Him [the Son], it is manifest [plainly obvious] that He [the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under Him [the Son]. 28 And when all things shall be subdued to Him [the Son], then shall the Son also Himself be subject [again] to Him [the Father] that put all things under Him, that God [the Father] may be all in all.

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Here are some other examples of correct prayers.

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Revelation 19:

5 And a Voice [from the Son of God] came out of the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants, and you that fear Him, both small and great.”

John 14:

15 [Jesus said] “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; 17 even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall BE IN YOU.”  

18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world sees Me no more; but you see Me.  Because I live, you shall live also. 20 At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”

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We read last week that the Spirit is the Witness.  Acts 5:32. 

So one of our jobs is to assist Him in His work (not the other way round as so many would like to believe.)

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John 15:

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me.  27 And you ALSO shall bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

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We do not need a chain of praying people because the Word says,

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Matthew 6:

6 “But you, when you pray, enter into your closet [private room], and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.”

7 “But when you pray, use not vain repetitions [or many speakers], as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking [we will be heard because of our need]. 8 Be not you therefore like to them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him.” [So why ask?  Because, like Abraham, WE need to know what we need, not what we want!!]

James 5:

16 Confess your faults [not sins, for they go only to Jesus] one to another [to the one you have wronged], and pray one for another, that [like Abraham] YOU may be healed [of YOUR faults]. 

The effectual [correct], fervent [really concerned], prayer of a righteous man [notice that only one is needed] avails much. 17 Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are [he was human like us], and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

1 Kings 17:

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

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Elijah was told to pray this prayer for the people (one man for a whole nation) because a drought and the resulting famine were needed to get their attention.  His simple word as a prophet was not enough in the circumstances, but they must experience the drought so that they knew it was a sign (not a punishment) from the Son of God. (They believed that their false god controlled the weather.)  This is the second of the ways in which God gets our gaze on Him, through sickness or trouble.  He takes advantage of what we do to ourselves, and turns it into a good thing!!

A wise (yet young) Christian man named Elihu once said,

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Job 33:

19 He [the erring one] is chastened also with pain upon his bed [with sickness or accident as the result, or wages, of his sin], and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: 20 so that his life abhors bread, and his soul dainty meat [his appetite goes].

21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not [normally] seen stick out. 22 Yes, his soul draws near to the grave, and his life to the destroyers [Satan and his crew].

23 [However], if there be a messenger with Him [obedient Christians are hard to find], an interpreter [of God’s word], one among a thousand, to [or who can] show to man His uprightness: 24 then He is gracious to him, and says, “Deliver him from going down to the pit [the second death]: [tell him] I have found a Ransom.”

25 His flesh shall [then] be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth [a complete recovery]: 26 he shall pray to [the Son of] God [directly himself], and He will be favourable to him: and He shall see his face with joy: for He will render to man [who was sick] His righteousness.

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As far as prayer for the sick is concerned the LORD still offers us a way of respite, even though it is often our own fault, or the fault of some ancestor, when we “fall” sick.  He just uses it as a warning sign if necessary.

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James 5:

14 Is any sick among you?  Let him [or someone close to him or her] call for the elders of the church [those whom the sick one believes are near to God by experience]; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil [a symbol of the Spirit] in the name of the LORD [because a sick person cannot think clearly he needs others to ask what he can do to help the Spirit remove the problem]. 15 And the prayer of faith [by the elders in his behalf] shall save the sick, and the LORD shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him [because the sickness is most likely the result of bad habits].

John 5:

13 And he that was healed [of paralysis] wist [knew] not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed Himself away, a multitude being in that place. 14  Afterward Jesus finds him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come to you.”

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This is not long-distance healing, but relies on the elders being present with the sick one and listening to his or her PARTICULAR needs. 

Enough for now?  I look forward to your comments.

See you next week,

Ron

Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library.  No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.

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