Time of prayer is proof to who I am

tme of prayer proof to who I am

Praying for healing would be something I would say I am most uncomfortable with. Mostly because people do not get healed when I pray – or so I think. A few have and those I know, my prayer was short, intense and focused on asking God to get involved now.

So I was surprised to find a similar prayer in the life of Moses.

So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, heal her!” – Numbers 12:13 GNT

In my research I found out some things about this prayer. The original text goes like this – “O God now, heal her now.” I would have thrown in an exclamation mark on this one. The repetition of the word “now” would imply the earnestness and importunity and this person (Miriam) would be healed immediately. Moses addresses God with the word “El.” It is a strong word for God and expresses Moses’ faith in the power of God. It would suggest that no one else could do what he was asking Him to do. I believe, when I look at this from afar, that this type of prayer is proof of Moses being a meek, humble and forgiving person, inviting God to take the lead role is setting things right.

So the prayer of Psalm 49 is one I take in slowly and express slowly so that I may meditate while praying it.

The soberness of my sin or the complete holiness of God cannot be barriers to me in my prayer life. That bridge has separated by Jesus.

We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. – Hebrews 10:19-22 GNT

So I come into prayer with a confidence.
“Prayer is a means to energy…Spiritual alertness, vigor, and confidence are the regular spin-offs from earnest prayer on any subject. The Puritans spoke of prayer as oiling the wheels of the soul” – J.I. Packer, Knowing Christianity, 128

Prayer that is heard

Prayer (1)

I have gone through my share of days that were troublesome. Some of those days I found myself making decisions or at least thinking of solutions, in fear. If I had followed through on any of them they would have made the situations more devastating. Faith mattered in those days. It was the difference between being swept away or stopping, breathing, kneeling and believing that God is with me and wanted to help.

 The people began to complain to the Lord about their troubles. When the Lord heard them, he became angry and sent fire on the people. It burned among them and destroyed one end of the camp. The people cried out to Moses for help; he prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. – Numbers 11:1-2 GNT

It is a reminder for me to understand what power is all about and where it comes from.

The kings gathered together
    and came to attack Mount Zion.
But when they saw it, they were amazed;
    they were afraid and ran away.
There they were seized with fear and anguish,
    like a woman about to bear a child,
    like ships tossing in a furious storm. – Psalm 48:4-7 GNT 

Does power come from intimidation or attack? Is it about victimizing before becoming a victim? Is it God’s power of love? Am I able to love my enemies and pray for those who come against me? I believe it is the power of God’s love in me so that He may be known in my weakness.

It is the reason why confession is so powerful. Working with my Middle Eastern friends, prayer is about spreading out our hands. It is their posture of prayer. Instead of heads bowed, eyes closed and hands folded – their faces are turned towards heaven.

When you lift your hands in prayer, I will not look at you. No matter how much you pray, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with blood. – Isaiah 1:15 GNT

May we leave our eloquent, stirring and emotional prayers until after confession for they may be empty, hollow and useless if God is not looking or listening.

It becomes you, therefore, out of love to this true life, to account yourself desolate in this world, however great the prosperity of your lot may be. For as that is the true life, in comparison with which the present life, which is much loved, is not worthy to be called life, however happy and prolonged it be, so is it also the true consolation promised by the Lord in the words of Isaiah, I will give him the true consolation, peace upon peace, without which consolation men find themselves, in the midst of every mere earthly solace, rather desolate than comforted. For as for riches and high rank, and all other things in which men who are strangers to true felicity imagine that happiness exists, what comfort do they bring, seeing that it is better to be independent of such things than to enjoy abundance of them, because, when possessed, they occasion, through our fear of losing them, more vexation than was caused by the strength of desire with which their possession was coveted? Men are not made good by possessing these so-called good things, but, if men have become good otherwise, they make these things to be really good by using them well. Therefore true comfort is to be found not in them, but rather in those things in which true life is found. For a man can be made blessed only by the same power by which he is made good. – Augustine

 

Find time to pray

find time to pray

It might just be possible that we have become addicted to hyperstimulation. The constant barrage of news and knowledge can dominate ones mind. With the environment of media presence within our arms reach, how difficult is it to find time be be quiet, to think or even to pray.

“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
    supreme among the nations,
    supreme over the world.” – Psalm 46:10 GNT

I am encouraged to stop fighting and find that quiet place where I can know God – an essential part of my day – to read my Bible, pray and consider not only God’s goodness but also His greatness.

It is like this prayer —

Close your heart to every love but mine;
    hold no one in your arms but me. – Solomon 8:6 GNT

It is a prayer that suggests that I might see Christ’s love visibly, It puts me in a place where I discover, through my experience, there is no longer a question nor a matter of doubt that God’s hand and His heart are engaged for my eternal salvation.

God not only hears our prayers, but when I wrestle with Him and strive in prayer, He loves it.

Let me hear your voice from the garden, my love;
    my companions are waiting to hear you speak. – Song of Solomon 8:13 GNT

In the first place, helplessness. This is unquestionably the first and the surest indication of a praying heart. As far as I can see, prayer has been ordained only for the helpless. It is the last resort of the helpless. Indeed, the very last way out. We try everything before we finally resort to prayer.

This is not only true of us before our conversion. Prayer is our last resort also throughout our whole Christian life. I know very well that we offer many and beautiful prayers, both privately and publicly, without helplessness as the impelling power. But I am not at all positive that this is prayer. Prayer and helplessness are inseparable. Only those who are helpless can truly pray. – Ole Hallesby

 

 

I have prayed for you

prayedforyou

What an amazing encouragement for me today to read again that Jesus prays for me. I am stronger already for it. 

And so he is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him, because he lives forever to plead with God for them. – Hebrews 7:25 GNT

“Our blessed Lord is interceding for us, but He is in no sense appeasing God. All that God’s holy Being and righteous government could demand was once for all, completely and forever, satisfied at the Cross.” – Newell

It is not the intercession that needs to be a mediating type of thing nor is it something like a ritual religious thing. It is more like He wants me to draw near to His Father and I believe it is also about helping me or defending me against the evil one’s accusations and attacks. Remember how Jesus prayed for Peter – that his faith would not fail.

Life-changing.

“God is here, within these walls;
before me, behind me, on my right
hand, on my left hand. He who fills
immensity has come down to me
here. I am now about to bow at His
feet, and speak to him…I may pour
forth my desires before Him and
not one syllable shall escape His
ear. I may speak to him as I would to
the dearest friend on earth.”
 Austin Phelps, The Still Hour

 

 

 

Life of intercessory prayer and faith

IntercessoryPrayer

When I worship, I think of my opening lines. Most of the time I call out to my Heavenly Father, following very much in the footsteps of how Jesus taught us to pray and how He lead in prayer Himself.

But David had some good opening lines too. I like this one in particular and am thinking about using it from time to time.

You are my king and my God;
    you give[b] victory to your people. – Psalm 44:4 GNT

I know about His power and His grace and I love the fact that He is my King. Who is mighty like God, who else do I worship and turn to for help? By virtue of His office, He comes and fights my battles for me. I think David captures an intercessory prayer here but he illustrates that such a prayer can only be prayed by someone who is sure of their personal interest in God and that God is their God before they can pray for the rest of the tired and tried family of the faithful.

It is the same point that David’s son Solomon was trying to make, challenging us to know God and be known by Him.

My lover is mine, and I am his;
    he feeds his flock among the lilies. – Song of Solomon 6:3 GNT

Is this not the love of Christ shown in His life and death and revealed to you and I by the power of the Holy Spirit? Isn’t this the same kind of love that draws me out of myself, my cold and selfish nature, unworthy and unfaithful, and makes me think about God in the first place? Is it not true that we know He loves us much more than we love Him at first. His love is certain – the cross is evidence enough. Are we not afraid that we count on our excited feelings and that it could be a fleeting emotion? However, as life goes on, and by His grace I keep persevering in a life of prayer and faith, I sense a response of earnest love coming from me and it gives birth to hope. When I think of His eye being on me and that He knows my heart, I am in awe of Him and am filled with hope and peace. That is my prayer and I joy as He finds these places where He feeds me and fills me.

The preface of the Lord’s Prayer (contained in these words, Our Father which art in heaven), teaches us, when we pray, to draw near to God with confidence of his fatherly goodness, and our interest therein; with reverence, and all other childlike dispositions, heavenly affections, and due apprehensions of his sovereign power, majesty, and gracious condescension: as also, to pray with and for others. – Westminster Larger Catechism