TEXT: Matt 18:19
“19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”
This verse along with others is often used resulting in two ends: 1) deception & 2) dismissal.
Addressing the first, many, particularly charismatic preachers, use this verse to deceive believers into thinking that whatever they pray for, no matter what, as long as at least one other person prays for it with them, they will get it. This is a wholly unscriptural approach to prayer, both in practice & expectation. Firstly, one must note that all such promises (including Mk 11:23; Jn 14:13-14; 15:7; 16:24) are made explicitly to the apostles. If one looks at the passage one will quickly see that Jesus is not addressing the multitude, but the small party of the 12 in all these cases. It is a promise made exclusively to them, proof of which will be offered soon. Secondly, all prayer is to be in accord with the Father's will (Luke 11:2). Even Jesus could not pray His way out of the Father's will. He prayed in the garden that the cup of the cross would pass from Him, but it did not. The scriptural approach must be "thy will be done" (Luke 22:42). Thus, God does answer all prayer. We simply must be prepared for that answer to be, "No."
If the interpretation of the charismatic's were true, no Christian would ever have died. Certainly those that I have prayed with have had two or more praying for healing as have millions more through history. If this passage were applicable to us, then these people including many members of my family & myself, would be alive & well. The evidence of our eyes must prevail. Given the two interpretations, the evidence of our eyes & history demonstrates the truth of only one ie this promise was exclusive to the apostles.
Which is the refutation to the second use of this passage ie dismissal. Many anti-Christian speakers & philosophers dismiss Christianity pointing to this as being a "lie" that Jesus spoke for no one has ever gotten everything for which they have prayed. Again, the faith remains perfectly consistent & intact only if one sees this & similar promises as applying to the 12 exclusively.
Nevertheless, we should not despair. The purpose of this promise was to establish Christianity & make it triumphant in history; a purpose that was accomplished through the work of the apostles. Christianity survived, thrived & has dominated western thought until modern times. The Christian should feel joy in this fulfillment. Just because we see this as not applying to us, we should realize we are all on the same grace as Jesus & the apostles ie the will of the Father. Indeed, this is applicable to us if we see our prayer life from that perspective.
Prayer is not about wish fulfillment. Prayer is not about a laundry list of "I want"'s. Bringing all our desires, all our wants into accordance with His will should be the fulfillment of the believers soul. It is only in this way that a martyr can go to his/her fate; that a faithful servant can find his reward.
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Habitual Prayer
TEXT: Dan 6:10
“10 ¶ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”
Daniel was a man of prayer. We see all through this book that it was a habit for him to pray. He prayed toward Jerusalem at “the time of the evening oblation” ie toward a city that no longer existed, destroyed over half a century before by the Babylonians, at the time of a ritual that had not been kept in 70 years! It must have seemed to him at times that all that was left of his home & way of life was in his prayers. This kind of longing is felt by every Jew that weeps & prays at the Wailing Wall. Prior to 1948, it was a feeling shared by every Jew that yearned for a homeland of their own. How much of the reality of the situation actually sunk into Daniel's psyche we don't know. What we do know is that through habitual prayer, he kept his identity alive. How many of us, of our young, of those around us every day seem lost, without an identity to hold on to. How much might prayer help them rediscover & retain who they really are. This is more than the quaint sentiment, "The family that prays together, stays together." Prayer must hold a personal dimension to be effective. Proper prayer life means connecting one's deepest sense of identity, of who we are, with God's. Prayer is not a wish list; it is not a memorized repeated incantation.
Prayer is touching God & feeling Him touch back. Prayer is part of a relationship. Thus, yes, it does take on ritualistic aspects. There are married couples that, though their day may routinely see them separated for most of the time, they will, with ritualistic passion, have a cup of coffee together, every morning & talk. The point of such an exercise is not the enjoyment of coffee, though they may with some frequency seek out different, more exotic blends, brew methods, etc. The point is not actually the talk, though each will save a story or comment expressly for the morning get together. The get together, the relationship, is the point. The element of good coffee and/or special comments heighten the experience. But, even if the coffee is a bit off; even if the room is quiet, the experience of being together, the relationship, still makes the experience, the ritual, worth the effort for in this way, in this ritual, they form an identity as a married whole, not two people who happen to be married. Such a ritual will develop only with dedication to making it a habit. This is what prayer is. It's a habitual engaging in the relationship.
In a modern culture of one night stands, no fault divorce & abortion on demand, maybe we have lost the knack of forming relationships, but that is what Daniel had. It is a fulfilling experience (or at least it should be) for its own sake. This is what God wants; not repeated, mindless incantations; not just the odd moment now & then, always when we're in need. He wants a relationship. He wants to hear when your sad; he wants to hear when you're happy, ecstatic; even when you have nothing to say, maybe He does! Make prayer a habit & God guarantees you'll have a relationship. Be as faithful in your prayer life as Daniel & you will experience all the joy that relationship can bring in this life!
“10 ¶ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”
Daniel was a man of prayer. We see all through this book that it was a habit for him to pray. He prayed toward Jerusalem at “the time of the evening oblation” ie toward a city that no longer existed, destroyed over half a century before by the Babylonians, at the time of a ritual that had not been kept in 70 years! It must have seemed to him at times that all that was left of his home & way of life was in his prayers. This kind of longing is felt by every Jew that weeps & prays at the Wailing Wall. Prior to 1948, it was a feeling shared by every Jew that yearned for a homeland of their own. How much of the reality of the situation actually sunk into Daniel's psyche we don't know. What we do know is that through habitual prayer, he kept his identity alive. How many of us, of our young, of those around us every day seem lost, without an identity to hold on to. How much might prayer help them rediscover & retain who they really are. This is more than the quaint sentiment, "The family that prays together, stays together." Prayer must hold a personal dimension to be effective. Proper prayer life means connecting one's deepest sense of identity, of who we are, with God's. Prayer is not a wish list; it is not a memorized repeated incantation.
Prayer is touching God & feeling Him touch back. Prayer is part of a relationship. Thus, yes, it does take on ritualistic aspects. There are married couples that, though their day may routinely see them separated for most of the time, they will, with ritualistic passion, have a cup of coffee together, every morning & talk. The point of such an exercise is not the enjoyment of coffee, though they may with some frequency seek out different, more exotic blends, brew methods, etc. The point is not actually the talk, though each will save a story or comment expressly for the morning get together. The get together, the relationship, is the point. The element of good coffee and/or special comments heighten the experience. But, even if the coffee is a bit off; even if the room is quiet, the experience of being together, the relationship, still makes the experience, the ritual, worth the effort for in this way, in this ritual, they form an identity as a married whole, not two people who happen to be married. Such a ritual will develop only with dedication to making it a habit. This is what prayer is. It's a habitual engaging in the relationship.
In a modern culture of one night stands, no fault divorce & abortion on demand, maybe we have lost the knack of forming relationships, but that is what Daniel had. It is a fulfilling experience (or at least it should be) for its own sake. This is what God wants; not repeated, mindless incantations; not just the odd moment now & then, always when we're in need. He wants a relationship. He wants to hear when your sad; he wants to hear when you're happy, ecstatic; even when you have nothing to say, maybe He does! Make prayer a habit & God guarantees you'll have a relationship. Be as faithful in your prayer life as Daniel & you will experience all the joy that relationship can bring in this life!
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