The value of prayer

the value of prayer

It was interesting to read in Leviticus chapter six this morning and in particular, a new element was introduced – fire. In my research I could not believe how many commented on this passage and its significance was not lost to me. Let me share some of them with you, but first let me allow you to read this one verse in particular.

The fire must always be kept burning on the altar and never allowed to go out. – Leviticus 6:13 GNT 

“No more should our faith, love, zeal (that flame of God, as Solomon calls it, Song of Solomon 8:9), that should never go out; the waters should not quench it, nor the ashes cover it.” – John Trapp

F.B. Meyer observed that the perpetual fire was an emblem of:

· God’s love, because there was never and will never be a time when God does not love.

· The prayers of Jesus for His people, because He forever lives to pray for His people (Hebrews 7:25).

· The ministry of the Holy Spirit, because the fire first lit on the Day of Pentecost still burns among the people of God.

By this law we are taught to keep up in our minds a constant disposition to all acts of piety and devotion, an habitual affection to divine things, so as to be always ready to every good word and work. We must not only not quench the Spirit, but we must stir up the gift that is in us. Though we be not always sacrificing, yet we must keep the fire of holy love always burning; and thus we must pray always. – Matthew Henry

Charles Wesley brings several of these interpretations together in his hymn – O Thou Who Camest From Above

O thou who earnest from above
The pure celestial fire to impart
Kindle a flame of sacred love
On the mean altar of my heart.

There let it for Thy glory burn
With inextinguishable blaze
And trembling to its source return
In humble prayer and fervent praise

In considering what prayer may look like, I am encouraged when I read Psalm five.

Listen to my words, O Lord,
    and hear my sighs. – Psalm 5:1 GNT

It is not about keeping our eyes closed and speaking prayer continuously – it could be very much a simple or deep or exasperated sigh. It is about God listening and in this case hearing from my heart. I believe God can answer prayer even before I speak them.

In no means does this take place of the spoken prayer for we are taught of its importance.

However, when I do not know how to pray or the exact words to pray I know the Holy Spirit will help me pray.

His next statement matters.

Listen to my cry for help,
    my God and king!

I pray to you, O Lord – Psalm 5:2 GNT

When David uses the word “cry” I believe it is for the sense of urgency involved in the need.

You hear my voice in the morning;
at sunrise I offer my prayer[b]
    and wait for your answer. – Psalm 5:3 GNT

I am a morning person so I like the habit starting my day with prayer. Who knows what the day will be bringing? Who knows what decisions and temptations will be coming my way? What kind of leadership will I be called on to perform? I am feeble, helpless, sinful, prone to making mistakes, living in a world of temptation and surrounded by dangers I know nothing about. When people talk about fitness, I practice my spiritual fitness looking to God each morning for His guidance and protection.

How can I be expected to follow God if I do not have instructions for the day? It is my time to declare Him as Lord when I do. My time with Him in the morning becomes my “tithe” of the day. He knows my sincerity when I do.

 It is not unexpected to read the apostle Paul urging the Christians in Colossae to pray and to do so persistently.

Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God. At the same time pray also for us, so that God will give us a good opportunity to preach his message about the secret of Christ. For that is why I am now in prison. Pray, then, that I may speak, as I should, in such a way as to make it clear. – Colossians 4:2-4 GNT

He adds two other elements that increase the value of prayer – “keep alert” and “giving thanks.” It is about being spiritual aware of what should be prayed about – to my needs and the needs of others. I love the idea of giving thanks because I know the temptation to fill my time of prayer with asks more than praise. The idea of keeping alert is something I practice before prayer – during prayer – after prayer – I need to be aware of God’s leading.

Paul also asks for prayers on his behalf – a bit unexpected. But as a man with passions there was no special spiritual elevation. He was tempted, capable of weakness and fatigue and faced the challenges that I face, that we all face, trying to do what is right.

However, I do love the specific prayer request he made – “Pray, then, that I may speak, as I should, in such a way as to make it clear.” He wanted good opportunities – he wanted open doors – he wanted success to have the gospel preached and ultimately he wanted to see changed hearts and lives. 

Everything in this passage highlights the value of prayer and how it relates to the gospel. If I ask God to help me, to guide and direct me will doors open for me in ministry?

He had been comparing Himself to a vine, His disciples to the branches in the vine. Some branches continued in the vine, that is, remained in living union with the vine, so that the sap or life of the vine constantly flowed into these branches. They had no independent life of their own. Everything in them was simply the outcome of the life of the vine flowing into them. Their buds, their leaves, their blossoms, their fruit, were really not theirs, but the buds, leaves, blossoms and fruit of the vine. Other branches were completely severed from the vine, or else the flow of the sap or life of the vine into them was in some way hindered. Now for us to abide in Christ is for us to bear the same relation to Him that the first sort of branches bear to the vine; that is to say, to abide in Christ is to renounce any independent life of our own, to give up trying to think our thoughts, or form our resolutions, or cultivate our feelings, and simply and constantly look to Christ to think His thoughts in us, to form His purposes in us, to feel His emotions and affections in us. It is to renounce all life independent of Christ, and constantly to look to Him for the inflow of His life into us, and the outworking of His life through us. When we do this, and in so far as we do this, our prayers will obtain that which we seek from God. – Torrey

Confess and pray through

confess and pray through

There is a short list of things in Leviticus chapter five that outline what one might have done unintentionally that required a sin offering. This was the conclusion.

When you are guilty, you must confess the sin. – Leviticus 5:5 GNT

There is a lot to say about wisdom and watchfulness that would prevent these missteps. The offering, while very important, was not accepted if it did not come with confession through humble prayer for pardon. It would also seem that the confession had to be particular – I have sinned in this thing. Denial lies in generals – I know I have sinned, but my particular sin I may be unwilling to give up. So to ensure pardon and to be armed against sinning again in the future, I need to confess the exact truth.

King David seemed to have no issue in being particular in his prayers. When the world became messy for him, David had confidence in facing that world. God answers the call of my prayers when they are made with such faith.

But you, O Lord, are always my shield from danger;
    you give me victory
    and restore my courage.
I call to the Lord for help,
    and from his sacred hill[b] he answers me. – Psalm 3:3-4 GNT

I know silent prayers are heard but there are times when it is feels better to pray out loud. Answers to prayer are sweet for the soul and reminds me that I do not need to fear the world when I am joying in a prayer hearing God.

When prayer leads the van, in due time deliverance brings up the rear. Thomas Watson

 

I have often heard persons say in prayer, “Thou art a prayer hearing and a prayer answering God,” but the expression contains a superfluity, since for God to hear is, according to Scripture, the same thing as to answer. Spurgeon

When in danger, I need to pray.

There is rest, even during the night, knowing God sustains us and will be there to greet us in the morning. David knows his prayers are answered when he starts the day and that gives him confidence in whatever may happen. God is his salvation and he starts the day with that very prayer.

I lie down and sleep,
    and all night long the Lord protects me.
I am not afraid of the thousands of enemies
    who surround me on every side.

Come, Lord! Save me, my God!
You punish all my enemies
    and leave them powerless to harm me.
Victory comes from the Lord—
    may he bless his people. – Psalm 3:5-8 GNT

It helps to be in need of care or to experience grieving when they engage me to earnestly pray. David found God ready to answer his prayers whenever he prayed. Prayer means there is no gulf between God communicating His grace to me and the working of His grace in me or between His favour and my faith. I am safe under His Divine protection. It applies to me and my family every night to which I am thankful for each and every morning. It is not much to do about my everyday aches and pains that may cause me bodily or mentality to be alarmed, it has to do with the peace in my spirit in the midst of all of this. The calming effect comes by God’s grace and the infilling of the Spirit. It is a great mercy, when I am in trouble, to have my mind on Christ.

There is a request to answer prayer and an acknowledgement that God has answered them.

Answer me when I pray,
    O God, my defender!
When I was in trouble, you helped me.
    Be kind to me now and hear my prayer. – Psalm 4:1 GNT

Psalm three gives me a model Lament – it can be used as a template to guide my prayers in the challenges and conflicts that I face. I found this recently, and once you read the psalm meditatively then click here to compose your own prayer.

The baptismal approbation of Jesus, the Son of David, thus takes on added significance. God’s sons Adam, Israel, and David’s descendants, all repudiated that privilege. Now, one can almost hear heaven sigh with relief because at last here is a true Son in whom God is well pleased. Such a Son is able to say with confidence to his Father, “I knew that you always hear me” (John 11:41-42). Christology, then, is vital to our understanding of prayer. What belongs to the true humanity of Jesus now belongs to all who trust in him. This is the ground of our justification. It is the source of our confidence in our own eventual resurrection to glory (Rom 8:10-11). Christ has become for us our alter-ego so that we have been crucified with him, baptized into his death, made alive with him, raised up with him, and made to sit with him in heavenly places (Gal 2:19-20; Rom 6:3; Eph 2:5-6). In this sense he is our life (Gal 3:3). Paul’s description of our “in Christ” and “with Christ” existence indicates that nothing hinders our access to the Father. The intercession of Jesus is the continual reminder of this (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25). If it belongs to the risen Jesus to have access to the Father, it also belongs to all who are in union with Christ by faith (Heb 10:19-22). – Graeme Goldsworthy

 

Prayer changes me

prayer changes me

Quite a few years ago I took an entire year to process Psalm 1. Today, looking through the lens of prayer, I ask myself if it has something to teach me on prayer. Will it enable me to seek God?

It shows me that prayer can enable me to live a godly life. Prayer is ordained by God to draw me to Him and I can experience His presence, power and transformation.

I can choose from two lifestyles and I need God’s help to live for Him. It starts by making a commitment to follow God.

Happy are those
    who reject the advice of evil people,
    who do not follow the example of sinners
    or join those who have no use for God. – Psalm 1:1 GNT

To do that I make another commitment to saturate myself with God’s Word.

Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord,
    and they study it day and night. – Psalm 1:2 GNT

Why is this so important? It provides me with accountability. I am giving concrete expression to what I will do before the Lord. It also allows me to plead with God on the basis of my commitment. I can ask Him for His power, grace and wisdom. I can call on Him to empower me to be the person that looks like I follow Him.

They are like trees that grow beside a stream,
    that bear fruit at the right time,
    and whose leaves do not dry up.
They succeed in everything they do. – Psalm 1:3 GNT

In fact, I am sustained by Him. No matter what I face or what part of the world experience I am in, God will sustain and bless me. He will supply me with everything I need. In turn, whatever I do for Him will not be in vain but will be used and honoured. I am content in my walk with Him. It is important for me to express my contentment as it keeps me from envying evil people. They do not have a God like I do – merciful, kind, loving, good, gracious, powerful and righteous. They do not have a guide, a lamp and a light for their life in the world. They are not continually sustained with strength and power from the Holy Spirit. They do not have a source of hope and comfort.

I want to express my confidence in God’s judgement of the wicked and at the same time I express my confidence that God will keep me secure.

The righteous are guided and protected by the Lord,
    but the evil are on the way to their doom. – Psalm 1:6 GNT

Now I can turn my prayer attention to those who have not chosen to follow God. I can ask God to open their eyes to see how He can be the difference in their lives and that He can be trusted to keep His promises. I can ask God to show them the fruit of sin cannot compare to the blessings of God. I pray that they can see the road they are travelling on leads to nothing now and nothing in eternity.  I pray that the Holy Spirit can provide powerful and precious insight into who God is.

Lastly, I end with praise, I praise the characteristics of God by taking these truths and turn them back to God.

• He is the God who makes me happy (1:1).
• He is the God who enables me to reject the advice of evil people (1:1).
• He is the God who has given me joy in His Word (1:2).
• He is the God who has revealed to me His truth (1:2).
• He is the God who is worthy to be studied day and night through His Word (1:2).
• He is the God who continually supplies all I need (1:3).
• He is the God who enables me to bear fruit (1:3).
• He is the God who sustains me in all the circumstances of life (1:3).
• He is the God who allows me to succeed in all I do for Him (1:3).
• He is the God who is not disturbed by evil (1:4).
• He is the God who sees all, even the evil (1:4).
• He is the God who will judge the sinner (1:5).
• He is the God who is intimately involved in the lives of the righteous (1:6).
• He is the God who leads His people in the right and just way (1:6).
• He is the God who never abandons His people (1:6).
• He is the God who will bring the evil to an end (1:6).

“For as soon as God’s dread majesty comes to mind, we cannot but tremble and be driven far away by the recognition of our own unworthiness, until Christ comes forward as intermediary to change the throne of dreadful glory into the throne of grace.” – Calvin

 

 

What do I want to repeat in prayer?

Close-Up Of Clasped Hands

“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “you know that I love you.” – John 21:15-17 GNT

It is a prayer that I often repeat – a humble one at that – mainly when I feel that I do not live up to my call from God or to the goodness of love I receive from Him. It comes in moments of shame and during those moments I know God does not see my point of view, He sees my heart and what I would like to be. I love my time of prayer for it is a time where I can be aware of God looking into my heart and loving me for who I am.

I was challenged to pray for the church again this morning. Paul has an amazing prayer in this regard.

For this reason we have always prayed for you, ever since we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives. – Colossians 1:9 GNT

It would seem that Epaphras informed Paul of the needs of this church and the attack of a cult against it. This put Paul immediately into prayer mode. If I really knew how the church was being attacked it would probably change my prayer life. I am afraid for that very reason I stay away from the persecuted church reports for I would spend my entire day praying for them and yet I sense that is exactly what God wants.

Paul’s commitment to prayer needs to be mine as well and if Paul can pray for a church whom he has never met how much more should I be committed to praying for the same? So I pray in knowledge and I pray that God would fill the church with the knowledge of His will, and with wisdom and understanding.

Why do I pray and continue to pray?

He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son, by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. – Colossians 1:13-14 GNT

 

It is also of importance to observe, that the four laws of prayer of which I have treated are not so rigorously enforced, as that God rejects the prayers in which he does not find perfect faith or repentance, accompanied with fervent zeal and wishes duly framed. We have said (sec. 4), that though prayer is the familiar intercourse of believers with God, yet reverence and modesty must be observed: we must not give loose reins to our wishes, nor long for any thing farther than God permits; and, moreover, lest the majesty of God should be despised, our minds must be elevated to pure and chaste veneration. This no man ever performed with due perfection. For, not to speak of the generality of men, how often do David’s complaints savour of intemperance? Not that he actually means to expostulate with God, or murmur at his judgments, but failing, through infirmity, he finds no better solace than to pour his griefs into the bosom of his heavenly Father. Nay, even our stammering is tolerated by God, and pardon is granted to our ignorance as often as any thing rashly escapes us: indeed, without this indulgence, we should have no freedom to pray. But although it was David’s intention to submit himself entirely to the will of God, and he prayed with no less patience than fervor, yet irregular emotions appear, nay, sometimes burst forth,—emotions not a little at variance with the first law which we laid down. In particular, we may see in a clause of the thirty-ninth Psalm, how this saint was carried away by the vehemence of his grief, and unable to keep within bounds. “O spare me,471 that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more,” (Ps. 39:13). – Calvin

 

 

 

 

With the Word, praying about everything

Bible-prayer-ThinkstockPhotos-75627303.1200w.tn

God spoke to Moses out of the Tabernacle.

The Lord called to Moses from the Tent of the Lord‘s presence and gave him the following rules for the Israelites to observe when they offer their sacrifices. – Leviticus 1:1-2 GNT

As soon as the shechinah presence took over the new habitation, God talked with Moses from the mercy-seat. It became the place where communion between God and man took place, a place where sacrifices took place and where He revealed His will to them. By Word and by prayer I have fellowship with God.

The first post-Resurrection prayers recorded were quite simple. Mary Magdalene’s was simply one-word.

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned toward him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher.”) – John 20:16 GNT

The second prayer came right after that one and only five words uttered from the lips of Thomas.

 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” – John 20:28 GNT

What a great way to pray – beginning with the name of Jesus and then a declaration of who He is to me.

It reminds me to pray, in love, for everyone.

 If you make fun of poor people, you insult the God who made them. You will be punished if you take pleasure in someone’s misfortune. – Proverbs 17:5 GNT

I might say that it is a healthy way to remember to pray for my enemies, for those who are suffering. In fact, it is when I do this I show myself as a child of God having the character of God – for He is kind.

Paul suggests that I pray about everything.

 Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 GNT

Paul does not say that my problems will go away, but he does say that I will have God’s peace.

“For he so tempers the outcome of events according to his incomprehensible plan that the prayers of the saints, which are a mixture of faith and error, are not nullified. But this ought no more to be held as a valid example for imitation than as excusing the saints themselves;” – Calvin