"Friends, if we be honest with ourselves, we shall be honest with each other." - George Macdonald (1824-1905)

Prayer

Why do we pray when God already knows what we need before we ask?

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matt 6:7, 8).

So why doesn't God just give us what we need if he already knows what we need?

There are so many good things God wants to do for us but He will not grant them because he is waiting for us to ask.  He is waiting for us to ask so that we might appreciate Him, the one who is greater than the gift. What is a gift without gratitude? God wants to give us an even greater gift than the gift we ask for; He wants us to come close to Him. (If we think things just fall out of the sky whether we ask or not who do we have to thank? Will such a belief lead to gratitude and a deeper relationship with God?)

Life is only as rich as our most meaningful relationships and there is no relationship more meaningful than a relationship with God. This is wonderful. It makes me want to seek His will and ask according to that will so that I might draw closer to Him; it calms me and makes me want to bring glory to God.

The verses above, Matthew chapter 6 verses 7 and 8, also raise another important question. Should I ask for things more than once? Jesus said not to keep on babbling like the Pagans. How then are we to understand passages like Luke 11:5-9 which seems to be encouraging us to be persistent in prayer? Is it wrong to keep asking for the same thing day after day? I used to think it was wrong before I read chapter 7 of Dallas Willard's book The Divine Conspiracy. (The chapter is entitled "The Community of Prayerful Love." It is the most insightful chapter on prayer I have ever read.) The Bible is full of examples where people prayed for the same thing day after day persistently. The sad thing is we often give up on our prayers precisely when we should dig deep and keep asking. In Luke 11:5-9 a neighbour asks for bread but is told that he won't get any. Imagine for a moment that the man goes back to bed, he looks out the window and sees his neighbour standing under the street light outside his window. Twenty minutes later he looks again and there he is still standing there. A little later he looks out and the man is still standing there. Eventually he will get up and give his neighbour some bread out of pity or perhaps just to get rid of him. But if the man looks out the window and his neighbour is not there that neighbour definitely won't get any bread. God often waits to see just how serious we are about what it is we are asking for even though He knows what it is we want even before we ask. He does this to teach us patience and perseverance. He wants to do more than give us good gifts; He wants to make us like Christ. God knows we won't be truly free until we are like Jesus (see what Os Guinness has to say about this). Don't give up on your prayers. Today might be the day He answers your prayer. Persist, God is watching.

I must digress for a moment with a word of warning. Beware of super spirituality. God made us with real physical needs and we neglect them to our own harm. That is why he asks us to pray for our daily bread and gave us the Sabbath. He expects us to rest. If we push ourselves too hard we will be unnecessarily tempted.

"If someone is doubting because he is tired, the best remedy is not for him to pray but to sleep. If someone else is plagued with doubt because she is exhausted from overwork, what she might need is not spiritual heart-searching but a day-off in the country or three weeks in the sun" (God in the Dark: The assurance of faith beyond a shadow of doubt, Guinness, p. 139.)

Don't neglect to pray and don't neglect your physical needs either. "The person who is spiritual without being practical ends in being unspiritual, and the person who is practical without being spiritual ends in being impractical" (Guinness, p.139).

It is good to read the Bible and pray for at least half an hour every night. But in order to do so make sure you finish your chores earlier.

And be careful how you pray. Jesus said, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" (Matt 7:9). But if you ask for a stone God might just give you one. Sometimes He will show us how foolish we are by giving us what we want. We must think about what it is we are praying for. (J.P. Moreland gives a brilliant message about what it means to love God with your mind and how we should pray. See Loving God with your mind part 1 from the Summit Lecture Series.)

Praying helps to focus our minds on what it is we should be doing. For example, if I pray that God will bless my enemy (as he commands me) I should also pray, "Lord, what can I do to bless this person?" If I pray that someone be blessed but not be willing to help them I am kidding myself; I'm not genuine. Such prayers are mere talk and "talk without action saps the will" (George MacDonald).

We must read the Bible to discover what God's will is so that we can put His words into practice. We must pray because we need God's help to accomplish His will.

Sometimes someone will be asking for something over a period, which is according to God's will, but He does not grant it. Why? The person who prays persistently will have many requests answered but there are some which are not because God is waiting for someone else. He is waiting for you to make the request so that you might learn how to rely on Him. He wants to teach you to trust Him. Don't be that somebody who God is waiting for. Ask, God is more generous than any of us can imagine. Praying can be tough, but be sure to ask.

One of the reasons the Church is in a bad state today is because of confusion about how we ought to pray. If we pray we will be more spiritual and more practical and far less likely to fall into temptation.

Question: What is the one gift God has promised us if only we ask? (Don't bother asking unless you are serious.)

Sacrifice

For a sacrifice to be pleasing to God it must cost something to you and it must be something which God asks for. If I give up something which doesn't matter to me what am I really giving up? For a sacrifice to be a sacrifice it must cost, it must be something I value.

If you are a thief then stealing is something you value, it brings you things you would not otherwise have. If you are a liar then lying is something you value. Do you cheat on your wife? Do you have sex outside of marriage? If you do you do it because it brings you pleasure. Do you watch pornography or gossip about others? Do you play computer games when you should be doing something you know needs to be done? If you do any of those things you have something to offer God in obedience to Jesus. Many things only have value when they are given up and offered to God. Thank God you have something which you can sacrifice, a sacrifice that is pleasing to God. Be rid of that vile thing that enslaves.

 
If you are unsure if something should be sacrificed ask yourself some questions, first "Does God command me not to do it?" if your still unsure if the thing is OK then it would be wise to ask, "Does God command me to do it?"  For something to be an act of faith it has to be something which God asks us to do. If not then doing it is not an act of faith and if it is not an act of faith it is sin and ought to be given up. (Note: No where in the Bible are we told to wash the dishes, but it tells us to obey our parents. Therefore washing the dishes because you know it is pleasing to your mum is an act of obedience.) Everything that is not done in faith is sin. Many act as though masturbation is OK, but does God command people to do that? How is that honouring or serving someone? Isn't it just selfishness? Is doing that an act of faith? Is it pleasing to God?

Notice how subtle so many sins are, they are subtle in that they take us away from doing that which we should be doing. (That is one of the things which makes TV harmful to our relationships.) As Christians we are always in danger of being consumed with the worries or pleasures of this world  (see Luke 8:14). If we are to follow Christ we have to make real sacrifices.

I am convinced that for revival to occur many more Christians have to choose to work part time and spend more time reaching out to and helping others. (Did Jesus die so that you could have a big house and a nice car?)

Another way in which we can make a real sacrifice is by talking to people we feel uncomfortable talking to. I suspect that many Christians feel uncomfortable talking face to face with Muslims. I have heard people say, "you have to have a real heart for these people if you are going to reach out to them." How pure do your motives have to be before you act? (see Luke 6:32) Rather than waiting to feel a particular way we should be obeying Jesus, only then will we wrestle with our emotions and mature. Obedience leads to change. 

Some believe that singing a song is a sacrifice. Have you heard the song We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise? How much does it cost to sing such a song in a room full of believers in the west? For westerners, who have freedom of religion, it is a bit of a joke when you think about it. How much more might it cost to sing such a song in an Islamic state? How much more would it cost to sing a song about Jesus dying to save us from our sins? That's the kind of sacrifice some Christians have to make to identify with Jesus.

Some people make real sacrifices, but they are not sacrifices to God. If I made a vow not to talk for 5 years it would take a lot of self discipline but it would not be a sacrifice to God because He does not ask me to do it. Many of the sacrifices Christians make have nothing to do with what Jesus asked. In fact such sacrifices make us proud of what we have achieved, they are sacrifices to the demon called self which take us further from the one true God. Such sacrifices enslave us to a lesser god. Don't sacrifice to the false god called self, he will enslave and destroy you. Though you may appear strong to the world you will become a hard hearted fool who looks down upon others. Don't do things to be better than others; do them because you enjoy them and never let the things you enjoy interfere with obedience to God (This does not mean that obedience to God is always tough. Entertaining those in need can be just as enjoyable as entertaining friends.) Do the only thing you can do to make your heart free and your conscience clean, sacrifice your sin to Jesus.

A word of warning: once you start to overcome a particular sin you run the risk of becoming proud. Resist that temptation by remembering your own past. When we talk to the poor and the victims of society it reminds us of what we were or could have been. Remember your past by helping and talking to others.

"At its core, the story of anyone or anything is virtually the person or thing itself. The best avenue to understand the nature of the person or the thing is to tell their story" (Os Guinness, Prophetic Untimeliness, p.103).

If you remember how many times you have failed (regarding a particular temptation, you know the one) you will be humble; if you forget your failures you will become proud. Your history tells the real story about you.

"...history provides a deeper and more comprehensive knowledge of our humanity than science does" (Os Guinness, Prophetic Untimeliness, p.103).*

Does saying the sinner's prayer make someone a Christian?

Suppose a Church service is held in which a young lady makes a commitment by saying the sinner's prayer. She then starts attending Bible studies on a regular basis and does a course like "Christianity Explained". Many verses are shown to her in an attempt to communicate that she is now a Christian, that she is a child who has been adopted into the family of God.

Now let us suppose she says something like, "But I don't feel like a Christian". How do Christians usually respond to that? When someone says something like "I don't feel like a Christian" verses are usually pointed to in an attempt to get her to believe that she is a Christian. But is it possible that she doesn’t feel like a Christian because she is not a Christian? Just because we say we believe something doesn’t mean we actually do. The heart is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9). We like to believe that we are something we are not and we like to believe that we are better than what we are. No doubt there are many people in Hell who thought that they would go to heaven. C.S. Lewis rightly points to Jesus words in his book Mere Christianity that, "Unless you forgive you will not be forgiven" (notice in Matt 18:21-35 Jesus is talking to the disciples). When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are actually asking God not to forgive us unless we forgive. Is it possible that this girl does not feel like a Christian because there are people she has chosen not to forgive? (Or perhaps there is some secret sin which makes her doubt that she is a Christian?) This is a very serious issue.

Will some of us be rebuked by God because of malpractice? If a doctor tells a patient that they have not got cancer when they have, and that patient dies because of that misinformation, is the doctor liable? We too are liable if we tell people they are Christians and that they are going to heaven when they are not. There are many people who made a decision to follow Christ who are now seven times worse than they used to be because they didn't count the cost and choose to persevere (actively trust Jesus which is faith, see Luke 8:15). What then should be told to the girl? I would say something like this:

"I don't know if you are a Christian, that is between you and God. But I do know this, I know that Jesus died for you and that God loves you and He will never stop loving you. You cannot earn His love. Seek Him; knowing Him is life. Read the Bible every day, pray and be content with what you have. Only as you draw closer to God can God give you the assurance that He loves you and that nothing will ever separate you from His love."

By the way, I am in no way saying it is wrong to make a decision to follow Christ. But making a decision to follow Him and actually following Him are two different things (see Matt 7:26, 27). Making a decision does not necessarily make something a reality. I can make a decision to be an astronaut but that does not make me one. Whether I become one or not is largely dependent on how serious I was regarding that decision. Believing certain things about Christ is not the same as believing in Him. Making a decision to follow Christ is a necessary step, but when doubt is expressed regarding whether or not a person thinks they are a Christian we must not assume that they are. Only God knows that. We must accept someone who makes a decision to follow Christ as a new brother or sister in Christ but when doubt is expressed we must be very careful how we address the issue. (See also “The Magic Prayer” by Greg Koukl)

What many are practicing today is nothing but indoctrination and calling it the work of the Holy Spirit. If enough people tell you something often enough, and you want to believe it is true, you just might come to believe it. But if, rather than telling someone who has made a decision that they are a Christian when they express doubt, you tell them about God's character, they might just reach a point where they are able to say, "No matter what people say about me, I know that God loves me and that Jesus died for me and rose from the dead. I will seek Him and love Him for as long as I live." Such conviction comes from the Holy Spirit and is not a matter of wishful thinking or autosuggestion.

We can tell people the difference between Christians and non-Christians and tell of how the Holy Spirit helps Christians to obey God as Paul and the Apostles did but we should not try and convince a person that they are a Christian when they express doubt. (When a person expresses doubt about whether or not they are a Christian it could be a turning point in their life. They've realized something is wrong and it might just be the time when they get serious about seeking God. The Holy Spirit may be at work; don't shut Him out by convincing the person that their relationship with God is OK. People are quick to point to Rom 10:7  but ignore Romans 10:6. Why? Don't assume that everyone who says the magic prayer is a Christian. Clearly Paul, in his epistles, wrote to Christians in the Churches, but he never said that everyone in those Churches were Christians.) There are many examples in the Bible where people said they would follow God but did not. Place your confindence in God's unchanging character and not in a decision you make.

When you seek God with all your heart you will find Him. Exercise faith and you will come to know Him.

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If the parable about the Good Samaritan was a real life situation, is it possible that the Priest and the Levite would have prayed as they walked past the man on the side of the road?  Having no intention of helping the man, praying might have given the Priest and the Levite some comfort.

Is God sometimes angry with our prayers?

     "O LORD God Almighty,
       how long will your anger smolder
       against the prayers of your people?" (Psalm 80:4 ).

       "When you spread out your hands in prayer,
       I will hide my eyes from you;
       even if you offer many prayers,
       I will not listen.
       Your hands are full of blood;

       wash and make yourselves clean.
       Take your evil deeds
       out of my sight!
       Stop doing wrong,

       learn to do right!
       Seek justice,
       encourage the oppressed.[1]
       Defend the cause of the fatherless,
       plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:15-17)

"Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague" (Jeremiah 14:12).

"If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, 
       even his prayers are detestable." (Proverbs 28:9)

"Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:10).

'The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him' (1 John 2:4).

It is time for those of us who call ourselves Christians to start listening to the atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, Muslim, ex-Christian etc and those from the denominations we disagree with and start seeing if there is any truth in their criticism about us. It is time to confess our sin and start doing what God commands.

Many modern teachings may comfort us but if we keep listening to lies we will be taken out and trampled on. (Paul Maier's shows how this has happened in the past see "Christianity: The first three centuries" in the Guard the Treasure CDs)

      "The prophets prophesy lies,
       the priests rule by their own authority,
       and my people love it this way.
       But what will you do in the end?" (Jeremiah 5:31).

 It is time that our actions and our prayers were in agreement with each other.

"The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." and "With humility comes wisdom." The key to Daniels wisdom was his humility. (Yes he was intelligent, but because he humbled himself God gave him wisdom.) If you want wisdom you must begin by humbling yourself.

Pray and ask God how He might accomplish His will through you.

Confess your sins as Daniel did (see Daniel 9:20); be willing to look like a fool as Francis of Assisi did (see "Everybody’s Fools" in Os Guinness book The Call) and you will turn the world up side down with Jesus.[2]

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