Prayer

Coming up in a few days, I will have the opportunity to take the rains of the Bible study that I am a part of and teach about prayer. I’ve spent some time looking and digging in the Word of God for some material that I can draw from, and have asked God for wisdom. After a time of doing this, the following is what I am left with: Prayer is a vital part of a Christian’s life, or rather, a vital part of a Christian. It is our soul means by which we communicate with God, our life line in this fallen world we live in. Without prayer, we have no interaction with God, and with no interaction with God, we are left with only the power of our own body and our own will to accomplish that which we are called to: glorifying God. Simple Christian theology says that we (humans, mortals, fallen man) can do nothing apart from God, which includes glorifying Him. So, from that we can conclude that we need to pray, it is the soul means by which we will be able to fulfill the purpose which we were created for. Prayer; we need it, but what is it and how and when do we do it, that’s the question.

First of all, let’s establish what prayer is. The Oxford Dictionary defines prayer as “A solemn request or thanksgiving to God or an object of worship” or “An entreaty to a person.” Some other words for prayer are intercession, petition, supplication, request, plea, and appeal. This definition pretty accurately describes what prayer is. Prayer is a means by which we can ask God for what we need, thank God for what we’ve been given, or intercede with God on another’s behalf. Furthermore, prayer is a very powerful tool that God has given us. James states this in James 5:16, therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. In Mark chapter 9 verses 14-29, Mark describes an incident of demon possession in which the disciples cannot drive out the demon, and Jesus comes and drive away the evil spirit and says in verse 29 And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer,” so we see here that prayer is sometimes the only thing we can do. Prayer is our line of communication with God, and more than that, it is a very powerful tool that God has given us to battle the forces of evil that are set against us. We know that we need prayer, we know what prayer is, but how do we go about praying?

To answer this question, we need to turn to one of God’s lines of communication with us, His Word. The Bible has a few things to say about how to pray. 1 Timothy Chapter 2:1 says First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings, (all different kinds of prayer) be made for all people. From this we know that we should be praying for not just a select few people, or our favorite people, but all people. In Philippians 4:6 it says do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. From these verses we can extrapolate who we should pray for (ourselves and others), but we are still left with the question of how to pray. In Luke 11:2-4, Jesus tells his disciples how to pray: And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. This is expanded upon in Matthew 6:7-13, where He says, and when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Here, we see clearly that Jesus gave us a cut and dry form for praying. He even says in Mark When you pray, say…. So we now know how to pray. Now to add something on here that I think needs to be said; this form is just that a form. It is good recited by itself, but it can also be a template for more specific prayers. In using this form as a template, follow the form with your prayer about whatever it is that you are praying about. For example, if you have a relative that is sick and needs your prayers, using the form of the Lord’s Prayer, you might pray:

“Heavenly father, in all this may your name be exalted above all and your glory be shown through this trial. Accomplish your will in this situation and give so-and-so wisdom to discern your will in all of this. Please provide or continue to provide for so-and-so what he/she needs. Forgive so-and-so, for we all are sinners and give so-and-so the grace to forgive those that he/she may have grievances with. Keep so-and-so’s heart focused on you and give him/her reprieve from the evil that surrounds him/her. In all this may your name be made known.”

The above prayer uses the Lord’s Prayer for a guide. Using the Lord’s Prayer as a matrix to lay your own prayer into gives a template to form an effective prayer for any situation, even the ones in which we don’t know how to pray, or what to pray for. A prayer, as was mentioned earlier, can also be a plea or a cry, meaning that the form of the Lord’s Prayer is not requisite of a prayer. In Matthew 26, we see Jesus in Gethsemane praying to God: Matthew 26:39 and going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” This prayer does not follow the form of the Lord’s Prayer, but rather is a cry or a plea straight from the heart of Jesus. We can cry out from our heart, make a plea to God from the depths of our being and it too can be an effective prayer. But in all this, we also have a warning concerning prayer. Matthew 6:5-6 and when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Do not, this passage says, pray in order to display your righteousness, but rather when you pray, make your prayers between you and God alone. When you stop to think about it, when you pray in order to display your righteousness you are not really asking for what you are praying about, you are asking for others to be impressed by your righteousness. But when you pray just between you and God, there can be only one thing your asking, and that is what you are praying for. Can you pray to God outside of solitude and really mean it? It’s possible, but if you are alone, it’s hard to question a pure motive. Jesus also tells us that to pray in pretence, or to pray in order that you yourself might be glorified by others, will heap upon yourself condemnation (Mark 12:38-40). With all of this, we’ve answer the question of how to pray, how NOT to pray, and even where to pray, but the question of when to pray is still left unanswered.

This question is a very simple question because it has a very simple answer. Let’s start by looking at the apostle Paul. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he begins with a reflection of how he himself prays when he says I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day in 2 Timothy 1:3. When does Paul pray? Both day and night. In Paul’s magnum-opus of theological revelation, his letter to the Romans, he talks about in chapter 12 verses 9-13, the marks of a true Christian. In verse 12 he lists Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. From this verse, we can conclude that a Christian is to pray when: Constantly. Paul brings this up in other letters as well. Ephesians 6:18: praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Colossians 4:2: Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. So, the answer to the question of when do we pray is constantly, continuously, without ceasing.

Prayer is the very life-force that should drive a Christian; therefore naturally, a Christian should have an insatiable hunger for prayer. Prayer should be to a Christian what water is to a fish. Prayer is very important, and if you find yourself at a point in which you do not desire prayer, I would urge you to step back and examine what you are trying to draw your life-force from if not from prayer. Prayer is what drives us, it’s what sustains us. It is prayer that lets us do Gods work, and it is prayer, that if left undone, will prevent us from living the life we were created to live.

The Whole Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-18 – The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Let’s take a look at the whole armor of God, piece by piece, shall we. First of the pieces mentioned is the belt of truth. The belt of truth, I believe, refers to the truth that is God and Jesus Christ, apart from whom there is no truth. This might also be said as the belt of the knowledge of truth. It is this truth that gives birth to all the rest of the pieces, therefore is central to the whole armor of God. Next is the breast plate of righteousness. In a suit of armor, the breast plate is a large piece of metal or some other hard material that protects the torso, where most of the body’s vital organs are held. Just as a physical breastplate would protect the vitals of a person’s physique, a breastplate of righteousness protects one’s spirit from harm. For example, a physical breastplate would prevent such injuries as a sword penetrating a lung, because the sword wouldn’t be able even to penetrate the skin, much less get to the lung; similarly, a breastplate of righteousness will protect from such spiritual injuries as falling into a life of sin, for in a state of righteousness, sin is not only undesirable, but for the righteous, by definition, it is impossible. I would now like to note that up until now, all the armor has been passive armor, meaning that in order for it to do its job, one need only to wear it. The rest of the armor, with one exception, is active armor, meaning that simply wearing will do you almost no good. For active armor to work, one must use it. That being said, the next piece of armor is the shoes of readiness, or the “readiness given by the gospel of peace.” They, like any other shoe, will do nothing if by themselves. The person wearing them must put forth effort in order for them to do what they were designed to do. Like physical shoes were meant to protect and aid in propulsion (walking, running, jumping, etc.), the shoes of readiness, or the gospel, will aid in one’s spiritual movement. While we are moving spiritually this way or that, there will be some stumbling blocks in the way put there by the enemy, and in those situations, the gospel, the shoes of readiness, provide protection so that our spirit is not damaged and allows us to traverse over such obstacles. As was previously stated, the shoes of readiness are of no use unless use is made of them. Next in the list of armor is a vital piece of the suit, the shield of faith. The shield of faith is a very powerful piece of armor, for it is able to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one”. If you’ve ever seen a shield that goes with a suit of armor, they’re usually not big enough to protect the whole person at once. There is a good reason for this. If the shield were big enough to protect the entire body at all times, one, it would eliminate the need for the suit of armor, but more importantly two, it would not be easily toted; the user would be relatively immobile, that’s a bad thing for a soldier. Because it is, relative to the user, small in size, it must be correctly used to be effective. For a physical shield to be effectively used, one must put it between themselves and the incoming threat. Similarly, for the shield of faith to be used effectively, one must focus their faith toward incoming threats, or flaming darts, so that in faith, one will be able to stand against whatever opposition he is facing. Like the shoes, for the shield to be effective, it must be used. The next element of the whole armor of God is the helmet of salvation. I mentioned an exception early to the last pieces being active armor, this is it. Like a physical helmet, one need only to sport it to be protected by it. The helmet of salvation protects that which matters most, the soul. A physical helmet protects the head, in which the brain, which controls everything that the body does, resides, likewise, the helmet of salvation protects the soul, which ultimately dictates what the spirit does, or at least is the essence of the spirit. This piece of armor is very important. The next and final piece is the only offensive piece of the entire suit: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” To take a closer look at this piece, we must go to a different passage. In Hebrews 4:12, the author states “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” So from this we can conclude that the sword of the spirit, or the word of God is a very powerful piece of the armor, and in fact, a weapon, but like the shoes and the shield, for any sword to be effective, it must be wielded, and wielded correctly. As a side note, I feel I need to mention that just like a physical sword, the sword of the spirit can be incorrectly wielded, at which point it has the potential to become very dangerous.

We have now detailed the whole armor of God, what do we do with it now? We can put in on, and we can even know how to use it, but, like a physical suit of armor, there is no need for it if one is not engaged in battle. Therefore, Paul goes on to say, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” This denotes that to pray is to engage in battle, which in turn gives way to the term ‘prayer warrior’. To be a prayer warrior is to pray constantly, or close to it. To pray is the way in which we engage the enemy, we petition God to act. In the face engagement, the enemy responds in kind, fighting back, hence the need for spiritual armor. Are you a warrior for God; are you part of God’s army?

Take a look for a moment the life of Christ Jesus. It is recorded that he prayed more than he did anything else, possibly even sleep. Jesus was most definitely a spiritual warrior. That being said, do you follow Christ? Do you follow the teachings and life of the one and only spiritual Rambo? Isn’t that what a Christian is, a follower of Christ and his teachings? Are you a Christian? Really think about that question. Are you trying to emulate the character that Jesus had? Are you trying to grow closer to God though the disciplines and avenues that Christ presented? Do you have aspirations to be a prayer warrior? When it comes down to it, you are either trying to follow Christ, or you are not, there is not middle ground. I’ll ask the question again: Are you a Christian?

John 6:35-40

A Journal Entry 3/13/06

³⁵Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

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Before this passage, Jesus is telling the people that are following Him that they need to seek bread that lasts for eternal life, not bread that spoils (this is after he has fed the 5,000). He takes them (through what He says to them) to a point of wanting, or feeling a need for this bread of eternal satisfaction, and then starts with John 6:35-40. Here He says He is this bread He speaks of (35), but they can’t have it because they have not believed in Him, even though he’s been there in front of them (36). He goes on to say that all that the Father gives to Him will come to Him (37), meaning He will not go and get people to follow him, but as the term follow implies, all who follow Him will do so on their own, having been called, or nudged by God (the Father). He goes further to say that He has not come to do His will but the Father’s will and the Father’s will is to “lose none of all the Father has given Him, but raise them up at the last day” and they shall have eternal life (38-40).

So, in short, Jesus tells the people they need this bread, which is Him, but they can’t have it, because they do not believe, and the only way they can believe is by the power of God’s calling. But to those who do believe, Jesus will receive them and will never let them go or turn them away, and even more than that, they will have eternal life!

On A Leash

A Journal Entry – March 8, 2006

The other day I was sitting outside Willard Hall, taking a break from some homework, and there was, in the quad sitting by a tree, a young man, a student I’m assuming, with his little floppy-eared dog. It looked like a beagle. This little dog was walking and sniffing around and occasionally scampering about. He was on a leash, so he could only go so far before he was hindered, restricted, or otherwise prevented from going further. The other end of this leash was held by the young man. The dog looked like he wanted to play, but the young man was just sitting there, not interested in playing with his dog. Pretty soon, a family came by, a mother, a father, a small boy about 10 or 11, and a little girl maybe 4 or 5. The dog saw and heard them as they came by. They didn’t stop to pet the dog, or even pay attention to it really, but I could tell the dog was very happy to see little children. It ran toward them like it wanted to play with them, but before it could reach them, the leash ran out of slack, and the dog was prevented from going any further. After the children were out of sight, the little floppy-eared dog ran toward the young man he was attached to and tried to get him to play but to no avail. He settled down and went back to walking and sniffing around, and then some skater guys came by on roller skates and skateboards. They stopped and petted the little dog and gave him some of the attention that he was yearning for. But they were only there for less than a minute and then they went on their way. The little dog ran after them as if he wanted to go with them, but his leash once again thwarted his efforts. After he settled down again, he just sat there in the grass, near the end of his leash but no longer straining against it, seemingly content in where he was and what he was doing.

If we compare ourselves to the floppy-eared dog, the world to the young man the dog was attached to, and the passers by to God, or Jesus, we can draw some similarities to our lives. We are now in the world. We are born attached firmly to the world, it’s what we know, it’s what we see, it’s all we’ve experienced. As we get older, we see things from outside of the world pass by, specifically God. As we see, we yearn to be with Him and to know more about him, and we chase after Him, but inevitably our connection to the world prevents us from truly following Him. He might stop for a time and entertain our desires for a little while, but when He leaves, we again attempt to follow, but our tether to the world keeps us from Him. So we sit where we are with the knowledge that there are better things out there than what we have, pretending to be content. We desire God, but we don’t have a way to free ourselves from the world. Jesus provides a way to cut that leash and free us to pursue God fully and to enjoy the freedom of being un-tethered by the World. Do you have a leash? Jesus can set you free.