The Main Purpose for Christ to Answer Our Prayer is so That the Father may be Glorified in the Son

Tip! Talking to God – This is the one on one type prayer – where we converse with God to develop our relationship with him. We may ask him to help us in areas that we need spiritual, physical or emotional support.

"...Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." -- John 14:13.

If a careful study is done of our Savior's words form the Holy Bible, it will show that His only purpose is to glorify the Father through the lives, the love and the work of His redeemed people. The moment that we can fully grasp this amazing truth in our hearts, it will not be hard to understand the importance of the kind of praying that is required to glorify our Father in His Son.

When Jesus told us from His Word, "...He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also ...," He explained to us the obvious fact that a person does have the mental and moral capacity to carry out the works of God while on this earth. Even though it is apparently true that all people do not have the same natural abilities to serve God in this world. The Master made this truth clear by telling us His parable concerning the Kingdom of heaven.

Tip! THE word “Prayer” expresses the largest and most comprehensive way to approach God.

"Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability . . ." — Matt. 25:15

The Master will not expect more from anyone than a person is capable of doing for Him. Jesus wants us to understand that each person will be rewarded according to their faithfulness in doing their given task. It is quite impossible for any person to achieve the works of Christ except they first acquire the works of Christ in their own heart. Please do not fail to notice the fact that moral character and moral conduct are so closely connected that one can not be present without the other. A person's character is always demonstrated in their behavior. The Savior again said,

Tip! “Asking of God” and “receiving” from the Lord - direct request to God, immediate connection with God - that is true prayer.

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good ..." --

Luke 6:45

Jesus exposed the triumphant reason for accomplishing His works when He said,

"...The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." -- John 14:10

Paul affirmed this uplifting truth when he said,

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." -- Phil. 2:13

It surely is feasible for Almighty God to pass on the natural behavior of His divine nature to a saved soul, seeing how He did create His image and likeness in the first man in His original creation. When at the Last Supper Jesus is telling His disciples, "...I go to my Father," He was telling them of His death on the cross and His ascension to the throne of grace that is in heaven. If we genuinely believe in the sacrifice that Christ did for us on the cross, we must believe that the natural graces of mercy, truth, and holiness in concert with the fruit of the Spirit can be fashioned in the heart of a human person.

Tip! In (Phil. 4:6) we have these words about prayer: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

So when we ask Christ to carry out His works in our hearts we are fervently praying that our Father may be glorified in His Son. We have to open the doors of our hearts and welcome our Father, through His Son and by the Holy Spirit the right to rule us for evermore. When we really pray that our Father may be glorified in His Son, Jesus guaranteed us that our heavenly Father would make His residence with us in answer to our prayer. Certainly we who are so blessed would be able to demonstrate the greater works of Christ in our faithful hard work. It is obviously clear that our Lord has not limited the power made available to His people through prayer in His Name.

When Jesus said, "...I will do it," this placed His unrestricted power for our use. He shows Himself to be an Almighty Servant standing ready and willing to do anything and everything pertaining to His works in answer to prayer. While pondering on these wonderful promises it is essential that we keep in mind the main purpose for Christ to answer our prayer is so, "That the Father may be glorified in the Son."

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Our Chief Concern Should Always be to Gain Power through Prayer to Achieve Greater Works for Christ

Tip! Our ability to work for God, and to pray to God, and live for God, and affect others for God, will be dependent on the measure of the Holy Spirit received by us, dwelling in us, and working through us.

"...Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." -- John 14:13.

God's people do not have authorization to demand the Savior's promise of, "...Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do," in order to gain something very special for themselves. His special promise does not give us permission to make Him, who is the Creator of the heavens and earth, a servant of our own luxuries in life. The Master has guaranteed us that the Father is aware of our personal needs, and wills to give good things to His children. But the things that matter most in this life are not our creature comforts.

This promise is for the specific intention of achieving the works of Jesus in this present time. These great promises regarding prayer have been given to His people so that we can do the great work for Him. Our greatest concern should always be to acquire power through prayer to achieve the greater works for Christ.

The oneness that is between the Lord who is on His go-between throne in heaven and His people on earth is so beautifully perfect, that He meant it as the literal truth when He said, ". . . Greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."

It seems that the greater works to be performed by us are not works that are more extraordinary in quality, but of works that are greater in quantity. This helps us to understand our responsibilities to Christ better, that the greater works to be accomplished for Him is in numbers, or more work. Conceivably the ministry of Jesus did not extend beyond the borders Israel where He lived and died. But surely it is clear that He fully planned that the whole world should experience the spiritual force of His indestructible power through the preaching and praying of His ransomed people.

Tip! “Intercession” is amplification in prayer; it is going out in broadness and fullness from ones self for others. Primarily, it does not center in praying for others, but refers to the freeness, boldness and childlike confidence in praying.

For that reason He filled His faithful witnesses with the Holy Spirit and power and sent them out to the farthest parts of this earth. Why? To perform the works that glorifies the Father in the Son. Let us always be aware of the fact that the power that is achieved to do the greater works that are required for Christ, is only gained through fervent prayer and faith in Jesus Christ.

A person cannot achieve the works of Christ through his eloquence and education; we must fervently pray in the Name of Jesus, and receive power from Him in order to accomplish the works of God in this "pleasure loving" day and age. As long as Jesus was in this world, He worked the works of our Father; at His word of command devils fled, the sick were healed, and the poor had the Gospel preached to them like never before. When He returned to our Father by the way of the cross, His works from the throne of grace can only be performed through His praying and trusting people.

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Christ’s Peace Passes All Our Understanding; This Gift of God is Opened with Help by the Holy Spirit

Tip! “Asking of God” and “receiving” from the Lord - direct request to God, immediate connection with God - that is true prayer.

"...Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."-- Philippians. 4:6, 7.

We are intelligent enough of having the truth of God's Word revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. So when Paul talks of the mind he is unmistakably speaking of our intellect, our feelings, and our understanding. We all have the ability to think and to reason about the things of God. However it is impossible to comprehend the peace of God without the help of the Holy Spirit. We are not able to analyze the peace of God in the laboratory of our minds to learn of its true character; nor can we discover the component parts of God's peace by the systems of modern science and philosophy. His peace passes all human understanding. In this uncertain world we live in there are times when our minds are deeply puzzled by the problems confronting us. Many times we cannot depend on our own emotional state to find the answer to life's trials and tribulations. But when He was in the middle of all of life's problems Jesus said,

"...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." -- John 16:33

Wow! This means that for the person that is equipped by the eternal peace of Christ, this life has no fears and death holds no horror. He is our peace and our protection. The peace that is received in answer to our prayers will not stop the problems of this life from confusing us; but His peace does prevent these trials from succeeding over us.

When we are under the weather or sick, when our nerves are stressed, when we are always on the brink of tears, our faith will be flooded by our feelings. These are the times when our feelings will contradict our faith. Illness can discourage our emotions to such a level that we are ready to doubt our relationship with Christ. In these times of testing it appears that the joy of the Lord has left, and we are persuaded to think that for some unknown reason we are experiencing the disapproval of the Lord. Our befuddled state of mind is because of our ill health. Our loving Lord has not been saddened by our sickness of body and mind, but is waiting to hear from you in prayer so He can answer you and came to help you.

Tip! “Intercession” is amplification in prayer; it is going out in broadness and fullness from ones self for others. Primarily, it does not center in praying for others, but refers to the freeness, boldness and childlike confidence in praying.

When in life we sometimes seem to stand at the edge of a mind-boggling, uncross-able gulf that is not humanly understandable and seems impossible to cross. And when we come to the place where reasoning ends and despair begins, we will discover that Christ's protective peace is like a bridge that spans this gulf that our own limited understanding could not cross. But only when we cry out to God in holy prayer for His protective peace can this problem be crossed.

Tip! Prayer is always and everywhere an immediate and confiding approach to, and a request of, God the Father.

The weakness of our body can cause our imagination to run wild. Sickness can cause many incredible ideas and strange perversion to disturb and confuse our minds. Some unhappy people imagine they are being tormented by evil spirits. Some think their nervous disorders are caused by some strange power of Satan. These stressful nervous illnesses and unwarranted fears are rooted only because of their physical condition. Would a just and holy God allow His praying and trusting people to become the unwilling victims of satanic power? Of course not! He has provided a peace to guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Tip! THE possibilities of prayer are gauged by faith in God's ability to do. Faith is the one prime condition by which God works.

The terrifying thought, that if anyone who is truly born again in Christ Jesus could forfeit all hope of salvation, exists only in their frazzled imaginations. If these troubled people will exercise faith in a merciful and faithful Christ, and humbly ask Him for help and hope, their groundless fears will immediately pass away, and the peace of God will comfort their troubled hearts.

Our Saviour has freely paid a great price to redeem us from all sin. He cannot deny His saving mercy and grace from anyone seeking and longing with all their heart to please Him in everything. The peace of God will stop us from becoming the hopeless prey of our troubled minds if we will only pray without stopping, and continue to believe on the name of the Son of God.

When Jesus said, "...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid," He intentionally wanted to impress upon us the fact that we can prevent the fears and troubles of this world from entering our hearts and minds. He expects us to keep our minds fixed firmly to Him. The inspired prophet saw this fact when he said,

Tip! Talking to God – This is the one on one type prayer – where we converse with God to develop our relationship with him. We may ask him to help us in areas that we need spiritual, physical or emotional support.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." -- Isaiah 26:3

The Psalmist said,

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." -- Psalm 55:22

Only if we continue to make our requests known to God by prayer and plead (supplication) with thanksgiving, He will not allow us to be provoked by the forces of evil in this turbulent world.

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The Quality of God’s Peace was Exemplified in the Sinless Character and Conduct of Our Saviour

Tip! 1 Timothy 2:1. Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

"...Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously." -- 1 Peter 2:21-23

Peter's witness makes it possible for us to see how the peace of God behaves in this world of turmoil and strife. Jesus' life exposed the natural character of God's "peace which passes all understanding." God has intended that His peace will keep our hearts and minds. He wants us to understand that His peace will be our guard when we make our requests known to Him in prayer. When once we grasp the truth about this, and give it an important place in daily life, we will know what it means to possess the peace of God which passes all understanding.

Jesus was always calm and composed in the time of trial. He was never intimidated by the threats of violence. Jesus was never excited and agitated by the trickery and hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day. He never lost His spiritual composure when persecuted and slandered by His enemies. He had a strong courage that baffled His critics. He never compromised truth to gain favor with people. His inspiring silence in the hour of His trial caused the crowd to marvel.

The heart is the center of a person's spiritual life. It is the sanctuary of our eternal soul. Our dreams, our desires, our love, our will and our conscience all exist in in the heart. God's Word says,

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." -- Proverbs 4:23

Tip! The Holy Bible says in (John 5:13) this statement about prayer: “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

It is God's intention to drive out the strongholds of sin we have in our souls by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and pass on the peace of God to our heart.

"...The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." -- Isaiah 32:17

When Jesus said to "...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid," He met that it was possible to be rescued from the perplexing troubles and disturbing fears that are the happenings in life while in this world. The peace of God can drive out all our troublesome panic and fill our aching hearts with comfort and happiness. God is willing to make the sanctuary of our souls the stronghold of His brigade of peace. He wills to make our hearts a secure defense of spiritual power. His peace will mount a guard over our hearts and minds like a sentry chosen to keep watch over a city. Then Paul added to our comfort when he said,

"…The God of peace shall be with you." - Philippians 4:9.

Paul is saying that we can have the peace of God within, and God of peace without. Just as Jesus Christ was able to show us His peace is ours if we ask for it.

God’s Peace is Only Obtained in Answer to Prayer - Even at Christmas

Tip! THE possibilities of prayer are gauged by faith in God's ability to do. Faith is the one prime condition by which God works.

"...Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."-- Phil. 4:6, 7.

When we pray and plead (supplication) with thanksgiving, making our requests known to God, we are guaranteed of receiving His one of a kind peace through His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus. When we enter into that place of perfect peace, the house of prayer or the Church of prayer, we are in the sacred Presence of the Prince of Peace.

When we make everything concerning this life a matter of prayer, Paul wanted us to realize that Christ gives us a portion of His own peace to our worshipping hearts. We can willingly understand the possibilities of prayer after we see that a mortal person can obtain a measure of this peace that only comes from the God of Peace that He possesses in His divine nature. We as children of God do not have to enter heaven in order to enjoy the benefits of this priceless possession of peace. It is Christ's will to give this wonderful inheritance of His Peace to all the sons and daughters of God while still on earth. He exposed this truth when He said,

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." — John 14: 27.

What could be anymore obviously true then that Jesus' intention was to give His own peace to His praying and believing people. This is why God's people can have untroubled hearts in this world of trouble. Christ would have us understand that His own perfect peace will validate us in hope, and comfort us in our heart. It is apparent that this delightful inheritance of the heart can only be obtained in answer to true prayer. God's peace is of critical value to His divine character. We saw His peace manifested in Jesus Christ, The Prince of Peace.

The only time that there well ever be "peace on earth, goodwill toward man" is when God's people pray and plead (supplication) with thanksgiving, making our requests known to God, then we are guaranteed of receiving His one of a kind peace through His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus.

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Real Prayer is Communion with God so that there will be Common Thoughts between His Mind and Ours - Part 2

Tip! Note how frequently prayer is brought to are attention in the Holy Bible’s New Testament: “Continuing instant in prayer”; “Pray without ceasing”; “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving”; “Be ye sober and watch unto prayer”; Christ’s clear call was “watch and pray.” What are all these and others, if it is not the will of God that men should pray?

Does anyone object that it is our privilege to do more than unfold our need before God? Are we reminded that God has, as it were, given us a blank check and invited us to fill it in? Is it said that the promises of God are all-inclusive, and that we may ask God for what we will? Then if this is so, we must call attention to the fact that it is necessary to compare Scripture with Scripture if we are to learn the full mind of God on any subject, and that when this is done we will discover God has qualified the promises given to praying souls by saying "If ye ask anything according to His will He heareth us" (1 John 5:14).

Real prayer is communion with God so that there will be common thoughts between His mind and ours. What is needed is for Him to fill our hearts with His thoughts and then His desires will become our desires flowing back to Him. Here then is the meeting-place between God's Sovereignty and Christian prayer: If we ask anything according to His will He hears us and if we do not so ask He does not hear us; as the Apostle James says, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" or desires (James 4:3).

But didn't the Lord Jesus tell His disciples, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you" (John 16:23)? He did; but this promise does not give praying souls carte blanche. These words of our Lord are in perfect accord with those of the Apostle John: "If ye ask anything according to His will He heareth us." How is it we are to ask "in the name of Christ"? Surely it is very much more than just a prayer formula, the measly closing of our prayers with the words "in the name of Christ." To apply to God for anything in the name of Christ, it must be in keeping with what Christ is! To ask God in the name of Christ is as though Christ Himself were the person praying. We can only ask God for what Christ would ask. To ask in the name of Christ is therefore to set aside our own wills, accepting God's!

Tip! In (Phil. 4:6) we have these words about prayer: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

I need to amplify our definition of prayer now. What is prayer? Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude-an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. Prayer is a confession of our weakness, yes, of our complete helplessness. Prayer is the acknowledgment of our need and the spreading of it before God. I do not say that this is all there is in prayer, because it is not: but it is the essential, the primary element in prayer. I freely admit that I am quite unable to give a complete definition of prayer within the bounds of a brief sentence, or in any number of words. Prayer is both an attitude and an act, a human act, and yet there is the Divine element in it too, and it is this that makes an exhaustive analysis impossible as well as a poor attempt. But admitting this, I do insist again that prayer is fundamentally an attitude of dependency upon God. Therefore, prayer is the very opposite of dictating to God. Because prayer is an attitude of dependency, the one who really prays is submissive, submissive to the Divine will of God; and submission to the Divine will means that we are content for the Lord to supply our need according to the dictates of His own Sovereign pleasure. And hence it is that we say every prayer that is offered to God in this spirit is sure of meeting with an answer or response from Him.

Tip! The whole lesson culminates in asking for the Holy Spirit as the great objective point of all praying.

Here then is the reply to our opening question, and the scriptural solution to the seeming difficulty. Prayer is not the requesting of God to alter His purpose or for Him to form a new one. Prayer is the taking of an attitude of dependency upon God, the spreading of our need before Him, the asking for those things which are in accordance with His will, and therefore there is nothing whatever inconsistent between Divine Sovereignty and Christian prayer.

In closing I would give you a word of caution to safeguard you, the reader, against drawing a false conclusion from what has been said. I have not tried to show the whole teaching of Scripture on this subject of prayer, nor have we even attempted to discuss in general the complete problem of prayer; instead, I have confined ourselves, more or less, to a consideration of the relationship between God's Sovereignty and Christian prayer. What I have written is intended chiefly as a protest against much of the modern teaching, which so stresses the human element in prayer that the Divine side is almost entirely lost sight of.

In Jeremiah 10:23 we are told "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (cf. Prov. 16:9); and yet in many of our prayers we push to be so bold to direct the Lord as to His way, and as to what He ought to do: even implying that if only he had the direction of the affairs of the world and of the church he would soon have things very different from what they are now. This cannot be denied: anyone with any spiritual discernment at all could not fail to detect this spirit in many of our modern prayer-meetings where the human (old nature) holds the commanding influence. How slow we all are to learn the lesson that the proud creature needs to be brought down to his knees and humbled into the dust. And this is where the very act of prayer is intended to put us. But people (in their usual wickedness) turn the footstool into a throne from whence they would direct the Almighty as to what He ought to do! Giving the onlooker the impression that if God had half the compassion that those who pray (?) have, all would quickly be right! Such is the arrogance of the old nature even in a child of God.

Tip! The gift of the Holy Spirit is one of the benefits flowing to us from the glorious presence of Christ at the right hand of God, and this gift of the Holy Spirit, together with all the other gifts of the enthroned Christ, are secured to us by prayer, as the condition.

Our main purpose in this article has been to emphasize the need for submitting, in prayer, our wills to God's. But it must also be added that prayer is much more than a religious exercise, and far more than a mechanical performance. Prayer is, indeed, a Divinely appointed means whereby we may obtain from God the things we ask, providing we ask for those things which are in accord with His will. This will have been in vain unless what has been written will lead both writer and reader to cry with a deeper earnestness than ever before, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).

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Real Prayer is Communion with God so that there will be Common Thoughts between His Mind and Ours - Part 1

Tip! “Supplication” is the very soul of prayer in the way of pleading for some one thing, very much needed, and the need intensely felt.

Our views respecting prayer need to be revised and brought into harmony with the teaching of Holy Scripture on this subject. The prevailing ideas seems to be that I come to God and ask Him for something that I want, and that I expect Him to give me that which I have asked. But this is a most dishonoring and degrading belief. This popular conviction reduces God to a servant, our servant: doing our bidding, performing our pleasure, granting our desires. No; prayer is a coming to God, telling Him my need, committing my ways to the Lord, and allowing Him to deal with it as He sees best. This makes my will subject to His, instead of, as in this former case, seeking to bring His will into subjection to mine. We can not pray in a way pleasing to God unless our spirit triggering our prayer is able to say "not my will, but Thine be done."

"When God gives blessings on a praying people, it is not for the sake of their prayers, as if He was revised or changed by them; but it is for His own sake, and of His own Sovereign will and pleasure. Should it be asked then, to what purpose is prayer? The answer must be, this is the way and means God has appointed for the communication of the blessing of His goodness to His people. For though He has purposed, provided, and promised them, yet He will be sought unto, to give them, and it is (our) duty and privilege to ask (for them). When they are blessed with a spirit of prayer it forebodes well, and looks as if God intended to bestow the good things asked, which should be asked always with submission to the will of God, saying, Not my will but Thine be done" (John Gill).

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The attribute of prayer that was just noted above is of great sensible importance for our peace of heart and mind. Perhaps the one thing that exercises a Christians' faith as much as anything else is that of unanswered prayers. They have asked God for something, and as far as they are able to judge they have asked in true faith believing they would receive that for which they had prayed for from the Lord: and they have asked earnestly and repeatedly, but the answer has not come. The result is, in many cases, their faith in the effectiveness of prayer becomes weakened, so much so until hope gives way to despair and then the time and place of prayer is altogether abandoned. They stop praying when all's said and done, giving up, defeated. Isn't this the way it happens?

Tip! The whole lesson culminates in asking for the Holy Spirit as the great objective point of all praying.

Now will it surprise you then, my readers, when I say that every real prayer of faith that has ever been offered to God has always been answered? I unhesitatingly confirm this with all my heart. But in saying this I must refer back to the definition of prayer. Please allow me repeat it. Prayer is a coming to God, telling Him my need (or the need of others), committing my ways to the Lord, and then leaving Him to deal with the case as He sees best for us. This leaves God to answer the prayer in whatever way He sees fit, and more times then not, His answer may be the very opposite of what would be acceptable to us. But then, if we have really LEFT our need in His hands it will be His answer, nevertheless. Let us look at two examples from the Holy Bible.

In John 11 we read of the sickness of Lazarus. The Lord "loved" him, but He was not present at Bethany during this time. The sisters, Mary and Martha, sent a messenger to the Lord acquainting Him of their brother's condition. And note here particularly how their petition was worded-"Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick." That was all. They did not ask Him to heal Lazarus. They did not request Him to hurry at once to Bethany. They simply spread their need before Him, committed the case into His hands, and left Him to act as He deemed best! And what was our Lord's reply? Did He respond to their appeal and answer their mute request? Certainly He did, though not, perhaps, in the way they had hoped. He answered by remaining "two days still in the same place where He was" (John 11:6), and allowing Lazarus to die! But in this instance that was not all. Later, He traveled to Bethany and raised Lazarus from the dead. Our purpose in referring here to this case is to illustrate the proper attitude for the believer to take before God in their hour of need. The next example will emphasize rather, God's method of responding to His needy child.

Tip! Note how frequently prayer is brought to are attention in the Holy Bible’s New Testament: “Continuing instant in prayer”; “Pray without ceasing”; “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving”; “Be ye sober and watch unto prayer”; Christ’s clear call was “watch and pray.” What are all these and others, if it is not the will of God that men should pray?

Turn to 2 Corinthians 12. The Apostle Paul had received an unheard-of privilege. He had been transported into Paradise. His ears had listened to and his eyes had seen all of which no other person had heard or seen this side of death. The wondrous revelation was more than the Apostle could endure. He was in danger of becoming "puffed up" by his extraordinary experience. Therefore, a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, was sent to agitate him in case he became proud above measure. And the Apostle spreads his need before the Lord; he asked three different times of Him; that this thorn in the flesh should be removed. Was his prayer answered? Most assuredly, though not in the manner he had desired. The "thorn" was not removed but grace was given to bear it. The burden was not lifted but strength was given to submit to it and to deal with it. In our weakness God is strong. We are all-weak He is Almighty.

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What then is the Relationship between God's Sovereignty and Christian Prayer?

Tip! “Supplication” is the very soul of prayer in the way of pleading for some one thing, very much needed, and the need intensely felt.

First of all, I would say with emphasis, that prayer is not intended to change God's purpose, nor is it to persuade Him to form new or fresh purposes. God has decreed that certain events will happen through the means He has appointed for their accomplishment in time. God has elected certain people to be saved, but He has also decreed that these people will be saved through the preaching the Gospel. The Gospel, then, is one of the appointed means for the working out of the eternal counsel of the Lord; and prayer is another way. God has commanded the processes or the way in which His purpose is to be accomplished as well as the time to end them and among all the methods there is prayer. Even the prayers of His people are included in His eternal decrees. Therefore, instead of our prayers being ineffective they are among the means through which God exercises His decrees. "If indeed all things happen by a blind chance, or a fatal necessity prayers in that case could be of no moral efficacy, and of no use; but since they are regulated by the direction of Divine wisdom, prayers have a place in the order of events" (Haldane).

The thought that our prayers are for the execution of the very things decreed by God, and that they are not meaningless is clearly taught in the Scriptures. Elijah knew that God was about to give rain, but that did not prevent him from immediately launching himself into prayer (James 5:17, 18). Daniel "understood" by the writings of the prophets that the captivity was to last but seventy years, yet when these seventy years were almost to the end we are told that he set his face "unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes" (Daniel 9:2, 3). God also told the prophet Jeremiah "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end"; but instead of adding, there is, therefore, no need for you to pray to Me for these things, God said, "Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you" (Jeremiah 29:11, 12).

Tip! In (Phil. 4:6) we have these words about prayer: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

Here then is the design of prayer: not that God's will may be altered, but that it may be accomplished in His own good time and way. It is because God has promised certain things that we can ask for them with the full assurance of faith. It is God's purpose that His will shall be brought about by His own appointed means, and that He may do His people good on His own terms, and that is, by the ‘methods' and 'terms' of request and prayers. Did not the Son of God know for certain that after His death and resurrection He would be exalted by our Father. Of course He did. Yet we find Him asking for this very thing: "O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine Own Self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:5)! And He knew that none of His people could perish? Yet He asked our Father to "keep" them (John 17:11)!

Then finally, it should be said that God's will is unchallengeable, and cannot be altered by our crying. When the mind of God is not toward a people to do them good, it cannot be turned to them by the most fervent and persistent prayer of those who have the greatest interest in Him: "Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth" (Jeremiah 15:1). The prayers of Moses to enter the Promised Land are a parallel case.

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If God Foreordained - Before the Foundation of the World - Everything in Time, What Use is Prayer?

Tip! So it is the same elsewhere in the Holy Bible (James 1:5) we have “asking” put into view as a prayer: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and upbraiding [scolding somebody] not, and it shall be given him.

I would like to offer a few remarks concerning the design of prayer. Why is it that God has chosen that we should pray at all? The vast majority of people including me would reply, in order that we may acquire from God the things that we need for life on this world. While this is one of the purposes of prayer it is by no means the most important one. Moreover, this idea of prayer only considers it from our human side, and prayer must be viewed from the Divine side. So with that in mind, then, let us look at some of the reasons why God has required us to pray.

First and foremost, prayer has been appointed so that the Lord God Himself should be honored. God requires we should recognize that He is, indeed, "the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity" (Isaiah 57:15). God requires that we must own His universal dominion: in petitioning God for rain Elijah did but confess His control over the elements; as well when we are in prayer to God to deliver a poor sinner from the wrath to come we acknowledge that "salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9); in supplicating His blessing on the Gospel unto the uttermost parts of the earth we are declaring His ruler-ship over the whole world.

Tip! THE word “Prayer” expresses the largest and most comprehensive way to approach God.

Again; God requires that we worship Him, and prayer, that is real prayer, is an act of worship. Prayer is an act of worship inasmuch as it is the prostrating of our soul before Him; inasmuch as it is us calling on His great and holy name; inasmuch as it is our acknowledgement of His goodness, His power, His immutability, His grace, and inasmuch as it is the recognition of His Sovereignty, owned by our submission to His will. It is very noteworthy to see in this connection that the Temple or Church wasn't termed by Christ as the House of Sacrifice, but instead, the House of Prayer.

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Once more; prayer redounds to God's glory, for it is in prayer that we do acknowledge our dependency on Him completely. For it is only when we humbly supplicate the Divine Being that we throw ourselves on His power and mercy. In seeking blessings from God we admit that He is the Author and Fountain of every good and perfect gift. That prayer brings glory to God is more often seen by the fact that prayer calls faith into exercise, and nothing from us is as honoring and pleasing to Him as the confidence we have in our hearts for Him.

Tip! “Asking of God” and “receiving” from the Lord - direct request to God, immediate connection with God - that is true prayer.

In the second place, prayer is appointed by God for our spiritual blessing, as a means for our growth in grace. Before we regard prayer as a means for obtaining the supply of our need; we should be seeking to learn the design of prayer first. Prayer is designed by God for our humbling. Prayer, real prayer that is, is a coming into the Presence of God, and a sense of His awful majesty produces a realization of our nothingness and unworthiness.

Again; prayer is designed by God for the exercise of our faith. Faith is started in the Word as Romans 10:8 says: "But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach);", but it is exercised in prayer; that is why, we read of "the prayer of faith."

Tip! “Supplication” is the very soul of prayer in the way of pleading for some one thing, very much needed, and the need intensely felt.

Another way prayer is designed by God is that prayer calls love into action. This must be asked concerning the hypocrite, "Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God?" (Job 27:10). But they that love the Lord cannot stay away from His love for very long, because they delight in confessing themselves to Him. Not only does prayer call love into action but through the direct answers granted to our prayers our love for God is increased-"I love the LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications" (Psalm 116:1).

Tip! 1 Timothy 2:1. Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

Once again; prayer is designed by God to teach us the value of the blessings we have sought from Him, and it causes us to rejoice even more when He has granted us that which we asked or supplicated of Him.

Third, prayer is appointed by God for our seeking from Him the things which we are in need of. If God has foreordained, before the foundation of the world, everything which happens in time, what is the use of prayer? If it is true that "of Him and through Him and to Him are all things" (Romans 11:30), then why is there a need for us to pray? When replying directly to these questions it should be pointed out how that there is just as much reason to ask, what is the use of me coming to God and telling Him what He already knows? Wherein is the use of me spreading before Him my need, seeing He is already acquainted with it? What is the use of praying for anything when everything has been ordained beforehand by God?

Tip! Our ability to work for God, and to pray to God, and live for God, and affect others for God, will be dependent on the measure of the Holy Spirit received by us, dwelling in us, and working through us.

Prayer is not for the purpose of informing God, as if He were ignorant (the Saviour expressly declared "for your Father knows what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him"-Matt. 6:8), but it is to acknowledge that He does know what we are in need of. Prayer is not appointed for us to provide God with the knowledge of what we need, but is designed as a confession to Him of our sense of need. In this, as in everything, God's thoughts are not as ours. God requires that His gifts should be sought for by us. He designs to be honored by our asking, just as He is to be thanked by us after He has given us His blessing.

However, the question still returns with us, If God is the Predestinator of everything that comes to pass, and the Regulator of all events, then isn't prayer a profitless exercise? A best answer to these questions is that God bids us to pray, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And again, "men ought always to pray" (Luke 18:1). And further: Scripture declares that "the prayer of faith shall save the sick," and "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:15, 16); while the Lord Jesus Christ, our perfect Example in all things, with superiority a Man of Prayer. So, it is evident, that prayer is neither meaningless nor valueless. But still this does not remove the difficulty or answer the question with which we started out. What then is the relationship between God's Sovereignty and Christian prayer? In my next post I hope to answer this question completely.

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Is it Not the Very Unchangeableness of God which is Our Greatest Encouragement to Pray?

Tip! In (Phil. 4:6) we have these words about prayer: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

There is a quote from one of the newest books written on Prayer that I would like to examine, in it the author says, "The possibilities and necessity of prayer, its power and results, are manifested in arresting and changing the purposes of God and in relieving the stroke of His power." Such a claim as this is a horrible reflection on the character of the Most High God, who "doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" (Dan. 4: 35). There is no need whatsoever for God to change His plan or alter His purpose. The all-sufficient and only reason is because these were framed under the influence of perfect goodness and faultless wisdom. People may on the other hand have cause to alter their purposes, because in their short-sightedness they are frequently unable to anticipate what may arise after their plans are formed. But this is not so with God, for He knows the end as will as He knows the beginning. To support the notion that God changes His purpose is either to reject His goodness or to deny His eternal wisdom.

In this same book we are told, "The prayers of God's saints are the capital stock in Heaven by which Christ carries on His great work upon earth. The great throes and mighty convulsions on earth are the results of these prayers. Earth is changed, revolutionized, angels move on more powerful, more rapid wing, and God's policy is shaped as the prayers are more numerous, more efficient." If possible, this quote is even worse then the first, and I have no hesitation in showing it to be blasphemy. In the first place, it flatly denies Ephesians 3:11 which says: "According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:" this is God the Father having an "eternal purpose." If God's purpose is an eternal one then His "policy" is not being "shaped" today by people praying. In the second place, it contradicts Ephesians 1:11 which expressly declares' that God "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will," surely this shows that "God's policy" is not being "shaped" by people's prayers. In the third place, such a statement as the quote above makes the will of the creature (people) supreme, for if our prayers shape God's policy then the Most High is subordinate to us worms of the earth. This is why the Holy Spirit asks through the Apostle Paul, "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor?" Romans 11:34

Tip! “Supplication” is the very soul of prayer in the way of pleading for some one thing, very much needed, and the need intensely felt.

Such thoughts on prayer as I have been citing in this article are due to a very low and inadequate perception of God Himself. It ought to be apparent that there can be little or no comfort at all in praying to a God that was like a chameleon, which changes its color every day or at the whim of his surroundings. What encouragement is there to lift up our hearts to a God who was in one frame of mind yesterday and another today? What would be the use of petitioning an earthly monarch if we knew he was so mutable as to grant a petition one day and deny it another? Is it not the very unchangeableness of God which is our greatest encouragement to pray? It is because He is "without variableness or shadow of turning" we are assured that if we ask anything according to His will we are most certain of being heard. Luther remarked well by saying, "Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness."

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"Human Destiny" is Settled NOT by the Will of Man, But by the Will of God

Tip! “Supplication” is the very soul of prayer in the way of pleading for some one thing, very much needed, and the need intensely felt.

"If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us" (1 John 5:14).

Throughout this blog it has been my primary intention to exalt God the Creator of the heavens and earth and to lower us as His creature or someone that has been created. The general tendency now days, is to magnify people and dishonor and degrade God. On every hand I have found that, when spiritual things are being discussed, the human side and factor is pressed and stressed, and the Divine side, if not altogether ignored, is banished or pushed to the background. This holds true in much of the modern teaching about prayer. In the great majority of the books written and in the sermons preached on prayer the human element fills the scene almost entirely. It is the conditions which we must meet, the promises we must "claim," the things we must do in order to get our requests granted; and God's claims, God's rights, God's glory is completely disregarded.

As a fair example of what is being given out today we need to look at a brief editorial which appeared recently in one of the leading religious weeklies entitled "Prayer, or Fate?"

"God in His Sovereignty has ordained that human destinies may be changed and molded by the will of man. This is at the heart of the truth that prayer changes things, meaning that God changes things when men pray. Someone has strikingly expressed it this way: 'There are certain things that will happen in a man's life whether he prays or not. There are other things that will happen if he prays; and will not happen if he does not pray.' A Christian worker was impressed by these sentences as he entered a business office and he prayed that the Lord would open the way to speak to some one about Christ, reflecting that things would be changed because he prayed. Then his mind turned to other things and the prayer was forgotten. The opportunity came to speak to the business man upon whom he was calling, but he did not grasp it, and was on his way out when he remembered his prayer of a half hour before, and God's answer. He promptly returned and had a talk with the business man, who, though a church-member, had never in his life been asked whether he was saved. Let us give ourselves to prayer, and open the way for God to change things. Let us beware lest we become virtual fatalists by failing to exercise our God-given wills in praying."

Tip! Seeking God's will for our life – This type of prayer requires us to really open up our spirit and seek to hear what God is saying to us. We need to come humbly before him, asking him to use us as a tool for his work – and praying for guidance and wisdom as we seek to follow where his is leading us.

The above illustrates what is being taught today on the subject of prayer, but what is so deplorable is that scarcely a voice is lifted in protest to such a misleading statement. To say that "human destinies may be changed and molded by the will of man" is in line with a lie and that is the only proper term I can find for it. To say that "God has ordained that human destinies may be changed and molded by the will of man" is absolutely untrue.

"Human destiny" is settled not by the will of man, but by the will of God. That which determines human destiny is whether or not a man has been born again, for it is written, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." And as to whose will, whether God's or man's, is responsible for the new birth is settled, unequivocally, by John 1:13-"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but OF GOD." To say that "human destiny" may be changed by the will of man is to make the creature's will supreme, and that is, virtually, to dethrone God. But what do the Scriptures say? Let the Holy Book answer this for us: "The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory" (1 Sam 2:6-8).

Let's look back to the Editorial here that is under review, next we are told, "This is at the heart of the truth that prayer changes things, meaning that God changes things when men pray." Almost everywhere I go today I always seem to come across a bumper-sticker bearing the inscription "Prayer Changes Things." As to what these words are designed to signify is evident from the current literature on prayer - we are to persuade God to change His purpose. Concerning His purpose, I will say more on this in the next article.

Tip! The Holy Spirit is the spirit of all grace and of each grace as well. Purity, power, holiness, faith, love, joy and all grace are brought into being and perfected by Him. Do we grow in grace in particular? Are we to be perfect in all graces? Then we must seek the Holy Spirit by prayer.

Again, the Editor tells us, "Some one has strikingly expressed it this way: 'There are certain things that will happen in a man's life whether he prays or not. There are other things that will happen if he prays, and will not happen if he does not pray.'" Those things happen whether a man prays or not is exemplified daily in the lives of the non-Christian, most of who never pray at all. That 'other things will happen if he prays' is in need of qualification. Because if a believer prays in faith and asks for those things which are according to God's will he will most certainly obtain that for which he has asked. Again, that other things will happen if he prays is also true in respect to the subjective benefits derived from prayer: God will become more real to him and His promises more precious. That other things 'will not happen if he does not pray' is true so far as his own life is concerned-a prayer-less life means a life lived out of communion with God and all that is involved by that. But to affirm that God will not and cannot bring to pass His eternal purpose unless we pray is utterly erroneous, for the same God who has decreed the end has also decreed that His end will be reached through His appointed means, and one of these is prayer. The God who has determined to grant a blessing also gives a spirit of supplication which first seeks the blessing.

The example cited in the above Editorial of the Christian worker and the business man is a very unhappy one to say the least, for according to the terms of the illustration the Christian worker's prayer was not answered by God at all, inasmuch as, apparently, the way was not opened to speak to the business man about his soul. But on leaving the office and recalling his prayer the Christian worker (perhaps in the energy of the flesh) determined to answer the prayer for himself, and instead of leaving the Lord to "open the way" for him, took matters into his own hand.

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Our Father has Reasons that Are known Only to Him for Keeping Us Waiting

Tip! Note how frequently prayer is brought to are attention in the Holy Bible’s New Testament: “Continuing instant in prayer”; “Pray without ceasing”; “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving”; “Be ye sober and watch unto prayer”; Christ’s clear call was “watch and pray.” What are all these and others, if it is not the will of God that men should pray?

"Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you."

- Isaiah 30:18

God often DELAYS IN ANSWERING PRAYER. We have a number of illustrations of this in holy Scripture, God's Word. Jacob did not get the blessing from the angel until near the dawn of day-he had to wrestle all night for it. Joseph was a slave then a prisoner for many years before he was the second in command of Egypt. Abraham had to wait 25 years for the promise of a child. The poor woman of Syrophenicia did not get an answered, not a word form Jesus for a long while. Paul pleads with the Lord three times that "the thorn in the flesh" might be taken from him, and he did not receive an assurance that it would be taken away, but instead Paul got a promise that God's grace should be sufficient for him.

If you have been knocking at the gate of mercy, and have not received an answer, can I tell you why the mighty Maker has not opened the door and to let you in?

Our Father has reasons that are known only to Him for keeping us waiting. Sometimes it is to show His power and His sovereignty, that men may know that Jehovah has a right to give or to withhold. Believe it or not, more frequently the delay is for our own profit and good. You are perhaps kept waiting in order that your desires may be more fervent. God recognizes that delays will increase desire, and that if He keeps you waiting you will see the need more clearly, and will seek it more earnestly; and that you will honor the mercy all the more for its long wait.

Tip! THE possibilities of prayer are gauged by faith in God's ability to do. Faith is the one prime condition by which God works.

There may also be something wrong in you that must be removed, before the joy of the Lord can be given. Perhaps your views of the Gospel plan are confused, or you may have been placing some little reliance on yourself, instead of trusting simply and entirely on the Lord Jesus. Or, God makes you wait awhile that He may more fully display the riches of His grace to you at last. Your prayers are all filed in heaven, and if not immediately answered they are certainly not forgotten, but in a little while they will be fulfilled to your delight and satisfaction. Let not despair make you silent in prayer to the Almighty, but continue immediate in earnest supplication.

How Four Words Can Enhance Your Life Of Prayer ("Pray More In My Hectic Day? You Can't Be Serious")

Tip! The person who prays, has a belief that they will receive an answer. The prayer is intended to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, rather than to influence the recipient.

"I would like to pray more. But ... how to find the time?"

Does that sentiment ring true with you?

If you answered "Yes", then keep reading.

I have one of those simple, easy-to-implement ideas that will help you...

1. Increase your God-consciousness throughout the day

2. Assist you in praying for more people, more often

3. Discover "additional" time in your day to pray

HOWEVER, REMEMBER THIS

The simple idea I will explain to you momentarily does not qualify as...

*The next "cure all" for the discipline of prayer.

*A spooky, way-off-the-reality-map guarantee to solve the "I want to pray more but can't find the time" dilemma of my life.

*A substitute for regular, extended periods of prayer.

Having stated my disclaimers, let me ask you:

How many thoughts traverse across the landscape of your mind during any given day?

One thousand? Ten thousand? Thirty thousand?

Honestly, I don't know. But I do know this: it's a bunch!

Tip! Prayer is always and everywhere an immediate and confiding approach to, and a request of, God the Father.

I think about the 3:00 o'clock meeting with a friend, what I will say to the neighbor whose dog frequents my lawn much more than I appreciate, how to respond to my child's latest "Why?," and the implications of what I just heard on the evening news.

NOW SLOW DOWN FOR 59 SECONDS

Stop, and think about this:

In the time it takes me to reflect about my meeting, decide what I'm going to say to the neighbor, choose how I will respond to my child and consider the meaning of the evening news --

Tip! “Asking of God” and “receiving” from the Lord - direct request to God, immediate connection with God - that is true prayer.

*I could turn some of those thoughts into prayers.*

Imagine the following:

While traveling to meet a friend, I create a short mental drama of our interaction. I "see" it all.

I hear the conversation, smell the coffee, and anticipate the warm greeting I will soon receive.

And it takes me what...under 30 seconds?

LET'S EDIT OUR PRODUCTION

The mental production I just mentioned: I'm going to edit my film by adding a frame: a "prayer frame."

While traveling to meet my best friend, I begin to create the mental preview of our meeting as normal...

But I interrupt my scene with a prayer.

"Lord, I ask you to bless my wife. Give her strength during the day. Help her to know your presence and respond with your wisdom and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Tip! In (Phil. 4:6) we have these words about prayer: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

TIME FOR ANOTHER QUESTION

How many seconds do you think it would take you to pray that prayer?

Try this.

Stop right now, check the second hand on your watch, read the prayer, and count the seconds it takes you to complete this short assignment.

Really, try it. Amazing, isn't it?

THIS SIMPLE PHRASE WILL HELP YOU

I want you to nail down an easy-to-remember phrase.

Think about it. Memorize it.

It will help you to...

Pray spontaneously Develop more of a God-consciousness Find extra time in your day to pray

The phrase is:

"When You Think, Pray."

That's it. Four words that can enhance your prayer life.

I will repeat those words one more time.

And when I do, please consider what they could mean to you in terms of...

*When you pray
*What you pray about
*And who you pray for

Ready?

"When You Think, Pray."

GET TO IT!

Pay attention to your thoughts and seize them for God.

Tip! Talking to God – This is the one on one type prayer – where we converse with God to develop our relationship with him. We may ask him to help us in areas that we need spiritual, physical or emotional support.

Ask for guidance, give thanks, praise the Lord, and pray for your country.

Pray for friends, relatives, neighbors and work associates.

The thoughts, ideas, and emotions you entertain will generate endless prayer possibilities for you.

Take captive those possibilities for the good of man and the glory of God.

ONE CAUTION

Don't struggle to capture *every* thought and turn it into a prayer.

This could lead to mental disaster!

Start simple. Strive to make it a habit.

ONCE MORE FOR REVIEW

"When You Think, Pray."

Yours for many hope-filled days in Jesus,

Lee (John 15:16)

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Nothing is Beyond the Scope of Prayer which is not Beyond the Will of God

Tip! The gift of the Holy Spirit is one of the benefits flowing to us from the glorious presence of Christ at the right hand of God, and this gift of the Holy Spirit, together with all the other gifts of the enthroned Christ, are secured to us by prayer, as the condition.

Our blessed Master gives the final word, before He is seized, and bound, and scourged, before His gracious lips are silenced on the old rugged cross, "Ye shall ask in My name . . . for the Father Himself loves you" (verse 26). We have often spent much time in reflecting on our Lord's seven words from the cross. And it is imperative that we should do so. But have we ever spent one hour in meditating on our Savior's sevenfold invitation to pray?

Today He sits on the throne of His Majesty on high, and He holds out to us the scepter of His power. Shall we touch it and tell Him our desires? He offers us to take of His treasures. He desires to grant us "according to the riches of His glory," that we may "be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man." He tells us that our strength and our fruitfulness depend on our prayers. He reminds us that our very joy depends on answered prayer (John 16:24).

And yet we allow the devil to persuade us to neglect prayer! He makes us believe that we can do more by our own efforts than by our prayers — by our contact with men than by our intercession with God. It surpasses one's understanding that so little attention is given to our Lord's sevenfold invitation — commands — promise! How can we dare to work for Christ without being much in prayer on our knees? Quite recently an earnest Christian friend — a Sunday-school teacher— called me, saying, "I have never had an answer to prayer in all my life." What, why not? Is God a liar? Isn't God trustworthy? Do His promises count for nothing? Does He not mean what He says? And no doubt there are many people reading these words who in their own hearts are saying the same thing as my Christian friend. Payson is right — is Scriptural — when he says: "If we would do much for God, we must ask much of God: we must be people of prayer." If our prayers are not answered — they are always answered, but not necessarily granted — the fault must be entirely in us, and not in God. God delights to answer prayer; and He has given us His word that He will answer.

Tip! The person who prays, has a belief that they will receive an answer. The prayer is intended to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, rather than to influence the recipient.

So fellow-laborers in His vineyard, it is quite evident that our Master desires us to ask, and to ask much. He tells us we glorify God by doing so! Nothing is beyond the scope of prayer which is not beyond the will of God — and we do not desire to go beyond His will.

We dare not say that our Lord's words are not true. Yet somehow or other few Christians really seem to believe them. What holds us back? What seals our lips? What keeps us from making much of prayer? Do we doubt His love? Never! He gave His life for us and to us. Do we doubt the Father's love? I say NO. "The Father Himself loves you," said Christ when urging His disciples to pray.

Do we doubt His power? Not for a moment. Hath He not said, "All power hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye . . . and lo, I am with you always . . ."? (Matt. 28:18-20). Do we doubt His wisdom? Do we mistrust His choice for us? Not for a moment. And yet there are so very few of His followers that consider prayer really worth their while. Of course, they would deny this — but actions do speak louder than words. Are we afraid to put God to the test? He has said we may do so. "Bring Me the whole tithe into the storehouse . . . and prove Me now herewith, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal. 3:10). Whenever God makes us a promise, let us boldly say, as did St. Paul, I believe God (Acts 27:25), and trust Him to keep His word.

Could any Words be Plainer or Clearer? Has Anyone Else, Anywhere, Any Time, Ever Offered So Much?

Tip! “Intercession” is amplification in prayer; it is going out in broadness and fullness from ones self for others. Primarily, it does not center in praying for others, but refers to the freeness, boldness and childlike confidence in praying.

"WHEN we stand with Christ in glory, looking o'er life's finished story," the most amazing feature of that life as it is looked back on will be its prayerlessness. We will be almost beside ourselves with astonishment that we spent so little time in real intercession. It will be our turn to "wonder."

In our Lord's last conversation to His loved ones, just before the most wonderful of all prayers, the Master again and again held out His kingly golden scepter and said, as it were, "What is your request? It shall be granted unto you, even unto the whole of My kingdom!"

Do we believe this? We must do so if we believe our Bibles. Shall we just read it over again very quietly and thoughtfully one of our Lord's promises reiterated so many times? As if we had never read them before, we should open our eyes in bewilderment, for these promises are almost incredible. From the lips of any mere person they would be quite unbelievable. But it is the Lord of heaven and earth who speaks; and He is speaking at the most solemn moment of His life. It is the eve of His death and passion. It is a farewell message. Now listen!

"Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do: because I go unto the Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, that will I do" (John 14:13, 14). Now, could any words be plainer or clearer than these? Could any promise be greater or grander? Has anyone else, anywhere, at any time, ever offered so much?

How staggered those disciples must have been! Surely they could scarcely believe their own ears. But that promise is made also to you and to me.

And, lest there should be any mistake on their part, or on ours, our Lord repeats Himself a few moments afterwards. Yes, and the Holy Spirit bids St. John record those words again. "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bare much fruit; and so shall ye be My disciples" (John 15:7, 8).

Tip! One warning you should bear in mind in the matter of prayer is the negligence of this great resource. We often neglect prayer until we get into some major trouble; and then suffocating with fear, we rush into some shallow appeal to God only to realize that our prayers are not accepted which is due to the fact that we do not even believe that those very prayers would be accepted in the first place.

These words are of such grave importance, and so momentous, that the Savior of the world is not content even with a threefold utterance of them. He urges His disciples to obey His command "to ask." In fact, He tells them that one sign of their being His "friends" will be the obedience to His commands in all things (verse 14). Then He once more repeats His wishes: "Ye did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father, in My name, He may give it you" (John 15:16).

One would think that our Lord had now made it plain enough that He wanted them to pray; that He needed their prayers, and that without prayer they could accomplish nothing. But to our intense surprise He returns again to the same subject, saying very much the same words.

"In that day ye shall ask Me nothing" — i.e., "ask Me no question" (R.V., marg.) — "Verily, verily I say unto you, if ye ask anything of the Father, He will give it you in My name. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be fulfilled" (John 16:23, 24).

Never before had our Lord laid such stress on any promise or command — never! This truly marvelous promise is given us six times over. Six times, almost in the same breath, our Savior commands us to ask whatsoever we will. This is the greatest — the most wonderful — promise ever made to us. Yet most people — Christian people — practically ignore it! Is it not so?

The exceeding greatness of the promise seems to over-whelm us. Yet we know that He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20).