kill

Necessity of prayer

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I understand the concept of war, even spiritual warfare, but I can say that I have truly missed understood why war matters. When Joshua went to war against the people of Canaan, the people experienced and learned that real power was not in the multitude or in the bravery or in the skill of its fighting men. It was solely in the might of God. The tapping into that might, and the possession of that power only took place when they were faithful to Him. Once Joshua left the scene, here is what they faced.

So then, the Lord left some nations in the land to test the Israelites who had not been through the wars in Canaan. He did this only in order to teach each generation of Israelites about war, especially those who had never been in battle before. They were to be a test for Israel, to find out whether or not the Israelites would obey the commands that the Lord had given their ancestors through Moses. – Judges 3:1-2,4  GNT

There was a generation that did not understand war and the only way for them to understand it was for them to experience it. Necessity teaches me to pray. There was distress in the land with these foreign nations still living among them and God used that in order to bring them back to focussing on Him. If anyone is going to learn to war then at the same time they would be learning to keep the commandments of God. Both were necessary. Blessings come when I listen to the voice of the Lord. Conflicts come to purify my soul and to ensure the kingdom of God is shared and is growing here on earth.

We have three needs – the need for wisdom to know our own hearts and Savior Christ better… the need for watchfulness to even die rather than yield one step to sin… and the need to be ever at war. Not to acknowledge this is the height of madness. We are to be killing sin or sin will be killing us. Owen offers his readers the big picture – he was not merely interested in seeing the believer abstain from a particular sin (or sins); for him, the whole goal of the Christian life was one of Christlikeness, which is only possible by intimately knowing Christ as He is revealed in the gospel.

To mortify a sin is not to utterly kill, root it out, and destroy it, that it should have no more hold at all nor residence in our hearts. It is true this is that which is aimed at, but this is not (in this life) to be accomplished. There is no man that truly sets himself to mortify any sin, but he aims at, intends, desires its utter destruction, that it should leave neither root nor fruit in the heart or life. He would so kill it that it should never move nor stir any more, cry or call, seduce or tempt, to eternity. Its complete eradication is the thing aimed at. Though there may be a wonderful success and eminency of victory against any particular sin, so that a man may have almost constant triumph over it, yet an utter killing and destruct- tion of it, that it should no longer exist, is not a possible condition in this life – as such, we are to “fight to the end!” This Paul assures us of: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect” (Phil 3:12). He was a choice saint, a pattern  for believers in faith and love and all the fruits of the Spirit, yet he had not “attained,” nor was he “perfect” (v. 15), but was “following after” – he still had a vile body like we have, that will be fully changed by the great power of Christ on the last day (v. 21). – John Owen

 

Prayers in vain or answered

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I think that God was watching the leadership of Moses all along. He noticed his strengths and his weaknesses. God has his back throughout his entire life. There was only one time where God could not make his weakness go away and Moses had to face the consequences.

But the Lord reprimanded Moses and Aaron. He said, “Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land that I promised to give them.” – Numbers 20:12 GNT
God points out that it was Moses’ lack of faith in acknowledging God’s power before the people of Israel that was his downfall. It almost sounds like he had blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
How many times do I feel my prayers are said in vain only because I simply do not trust Him? I am told to keep praying and I believe God wants me to come to him, even asking for the same thing over and over again, the difference being how I present these to Him. Am I praying a prayer of faith – if not, and I find myself not trusting Him and therefore repeating the same prayer in a way to build up that faith or trust, maybe I should revisit what prayer is.

I am encouraged again by the praying of David and how he repeats himself but he does so in complete faith and trust in God. People, like Saul, were cruel to David and he wanted them punished.

Where the psalms indicate that they want bad things to happen to people, they are called Psalms of Imprecation – a spoken curse. These are hard for me to understand. A key note for all of us to understand is that each psalm, when they are using this prayer, are asking God to do the punishing – not us.

Here is such a psalm.

Break the teeth of these fierce lions, O God.
May they disappear like water draining away;
    may they be crushed like weeds on a path.[c]
May they be like snails that dissolve into slime;
    may they be like a baby born dead that never sees the light.
Before they know it, they are cut down like weeds;
    in his fierce anger God will blow them away
    while they are still living.[d]

The righteous will be glad when they see sinners punished;
    they will wade through the blood of the wicked. – Psalm 58:6-10 GNT 

By acknowledging the fact that vengeance belongs to God alone, he does not take revenge himself, but he prays that God will avenge him. If you notice these curses, it is understood that the execution of these could only come from the hand of God. It is God who is called on to activate the appropriate consequences.

Going forward to another psalm we see the same thing again. In this case the enemies are those who are trying to kill David.

Save me from my enemies, my God;
    protect me from those who attack me!
Save me from those evil people;
    rescue me from those murderers!

Look! They are waiting to kill me;
cruel people are gathering against me.
It is not because of any sin or wrong I have done,
nor because of any fault of mine, O Lord,
that they hurry to their places. – Psalm 59:1-4 GNT

David is not saying he is sinless, only acknowledging that God is the one who will address him of his sin and that he is not in need of any other stepping into the role of judge, jury and executioner especially if they are lying manipulators.

Hear what he prays for against them.

Rise, Lord God Almighty, and come to my aid;
    see for yourself, God of Israel!
Wake up and punish the heathen;
    show no mercy to evil traitors!

destroy them in your anger;
    destroy them completely.
Then everyone will know that God rules in Israel,
    that his rule extends over all the earth. – Psalm 59:5,13 GNT

What does my prayer look like when I am praying for my enemies? Is the Lord answering my prayer? I love the praise that is found in between all the anger.

But you laugh at them, Lord;
    you mock all the heathen.
I have confidence in your strength;
    you are my refuge, O God.
My God loves me and will come to me;
    he will let me see my enemies defeated.

Do not kill them, O God, or my people may forget.

Scatter them by your strength and defeat them,
O Lord, our protector.

But I will sing about your strength;
every morning I will sing aloud of your constant love.
You have been a refuge for me,
a shelter in my time of trouble.
I will praise you, my defender.
My refuge is God,
the God who loves me. – Psalm 59:8-11, 16-17 GNT

I pray that I too can magnify God throughout my prayer walk and watch Him answer my requests.

It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance, diligently observe the sacramental elements and actions, heedfully discern the Lord’s body, and affectionately meditate on his death and sufferings, and thereby stir up themselves to a vigorous exercise of their graces; in judging themselves, and sorrowing for sin; in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on him by faith, receiving of his fulness, trusting in his merits, rejoicing in his love, giving thanks for his grace; in renewing of their covenant with God, and love to all the saints. – Westminster Larger Catechism