Prayer

30
Jul
2014

Strengthening Ourselves in God

STRENGTHENING OURSELVES IN GOD

 

At an especially difficult and fraught time in the life of David, all seemed lost. An enemy force had  taken his family captive and rampaged the town in which he was residing. Then, to make bad matters  worse, even David’s own people turned against him and threatened to stone him dead. The Bible though records that at that time, David did not give in to despair, but rather ‘David strengthened himself in the LORD, his God’ (1 Samuel 30:6). Foes, friends and fears notwithstanding, David knew that whatever his circumstances, Almighty God – ‘his God’ – was in ultimate control, and that His purposes could not be defeated and His plans could not be thwarted.

In ‘strengthening himself in the LORD his God’ David has given us an example to emulate, especially when we too find ourselves ‘up against it.’ But how exactly do we do this? We do it by applying the truth of God’s Word to ourselves and our situation. To be more specific, we take hold of at least four truths revealed in Scripture.

 

  1. We are accepted with God through Christ

 

Ultimately, all is well with us, as the finished work of Christ at Calvary cannot be undone or rescinded. Through Christ’s merits and mediation, we are acceptable to God and will never be separated from Him. The Gospel of justification by the grace of God in Christ has great pastoral and practical implications:-

 

Justification is an act of God’s free grace wherein He pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone’ (Shorter Catechism).

 

Truth be told, if we are united to Christ, we could not be more acceptable to God, for our acceptance with Him is not based on who we are or on what we do, but on who Christ is and what He has done. ‘A man is not justified (reckoned righteous) by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 2:16).

 

  1. God’s grace keeps pace with whatever we face

 

The Bible reveals a God of sustaining grace, as well as saving grace. When Paul was in excruciating pain – a pain from which he prayed earnestly to God to be released – God’s promise to him was ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). From this we may reason that if our Father in heaven does not see fit to remove our burdens from us in answer to our prayers, He will most certainly give us a stronger back to bear our burdens. If the path He has laid down for us is a stony one, He will surely provide us with protective shoes! His grace will prove to be as sufficient for us as it was for Paul:-

 

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater

He sendeth more strength when the labours incrase

To added affliction He addeth His mercy

To multiplied trials His multiplied peace

(Annie Johnson Flint 1866-1932).

 

  1. God promises wisdom to those who ask Him

 

‘Wisdom’ may be defined as ‘sound judgement in relation to life and conduct.’ How we all need wisdom in this complex world, so that we know how to act and react aright. But what do we do when we don’t know what to do? The Bible’s answer is ‘Ask God.’ God promises to give wisdom to those who humbly ask Him for it. ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:6).  ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him’ (James 1:5). The Bible also states that ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom’ (Proverbs 9:10). Thus, if our sincere desire is to please the Lord and if our deepest horror is causing offence to Him, He will surely make the way ahead for us clear.

 

  1. ‘He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength’ (Isaiah 40:29).

 

When we feel impotent, it is easy to forget that our Father in heaven is omnipotent. He is almighty God! Scripture abounds in reminding us of God’s absolute, sovereign might. He has no problems. He only has plans:-

 

‘Is anything too hard for the LORD?’ (Genesis 18:14).

‘Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is anything too hard for me?’ (Jeremiah 32:27).

‘For with God nothing will be impossible’ (Luke 1:37).

 

The wonder is that this God – whose might is such that He could merely speak the universe into existence – actually puts His power at the disposal of His needy children. Hence the Psalmist could testify ‘My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth’ (Psalm 121:2) and hence Paul could conclude on the encouraging thought ‘Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 2:20).

 

External appearance apart, Christians are no ordinary people. We are the adopted children of God! Yes, difficulties, disappointments, trials and traumas come our way in the will of God in this fallen world – but God’s will, will be done, for He ‘accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will’ (Ephesians 1:11). If we belong to Jesus, when we are ‘up against it’ we have the privilege of bringing our difficulties and impossibilities to the Lord. He can handle them better than we can! When you are tempted to despair of yourself and your circumstances therefore, strengthen yourself in your Faith by asking yourself  the rhetorical question ‘Is anything too hard for the LORD’ (Genesis 18:14).  How we need to trust Him more than we do.

 

Is the burden intolerable?

Is the task impossible?

Is the grief inconsolable?

Not with the Lord

 

Is the darkness impenetrable?

Is the sky unpierceable?

Is the tear undryable?

Not with the Lord

 

Is the joy irrecoverable?

Is the state irreversible?

Is the case irretrievable?

Not with the Lord.

(Anon.)

 

Timothy Cross

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible Characters, Prayer
14
Jul
2014

The Elements of Prayer

THE ELEMENTS OF PRAYER

 

I have been told that the way to embarrass any Christian is … ask them about their prayer life. Every Christian has the privilege of access to God in prayer, yet surely all Christians feel their prayer life is inadequate, and would dearly like to be better at prayer. Truth be told, if human beings are made in the image of God, and find their chief end in fellowship with Him, our times of prayer are the happiest, highest and holiest times on earth. Prayer, being what it is – spending time in God’s presence – is an end in itself and not just a means to an end. According to the Lord Jesus, one secret of prayer is prayer in secret. He said ‘But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you’ (Matthew 6:6).

To understand something, it is often helpful to break it down into its basic elements. One of my college textbooks was entitled The Elements of New Testament Greek.  Prayer also has its basic elements. I shall enumerate these now, trusting that they will be of help to my fellow apprentices in Christ’s school of prayer:-

First of all, in prayer, look up.  That is, look up to God and realise who He is, as He has revealed Himself both in creation and His Word. Then worship Him reverently. He alone is God. ‘God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth’ (Shorter Catechism). God is holy. God is majestic. God is on the throne. God is all powerful. God is all loving. We know the latter because He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and sent Him into the world to be our Redeemer. ‘God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8). Through Christ we are reconciled to God. Through Christ we can know God as our loving Father in heaven and address Him as such in prayer. Look up – and then bow down in worship.

Secondly, look inside.  That is, look within ourselves in the light of God’s light. He sees us as we are. ‘Before Him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’ (Hebrews 4:13). Understandably, we can feel uncomfortable in God’s presence – matters can lay heavily on our conscience, for in His presence our sins and failings are exposed. We are forced to agree with 1 John 1:9: ‘If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.’ But the next verse contains a wonderful promise: ‘If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9). We have then the privilege of confessing our sins privately to God and knowing His cleansing and forgiveness and the restoration of intimate fellowship with Himself. Look up in worship. And look inside at yourself and confess your sins and failures to God.

Thirdly, look around you at others. We all come across people in various kinds of need. Our priestly duty is to bring them to the Lord in prayer. The ‘priesthood of all believers’ is a very practical doctrine. We come then to the matter of intercession – interceding to God for those around us who are in special need of His help and care: family, friends, those we encounter day by day, those responsible for the rule over us – our Queen and government. You cannot actually do anything better or kinder for someone than pray for them – that is, bring them to God Himself and lay them at the feet of Jesus in prayer. A friend has lost his job, a friend has lost a loved one, a nephew is sitting exams which may decide his future, a lady in the church has been taken into hospital, a neighbour we get on well with shows no interest in the gospel and no awareness of a life beyond this one … God’s grace is surely sufficient for all these needy people. In prayer we entrust them to His care and mercy. Look up, look inside, look around.

Fourthly, look back. When we look back with the benefit of hindsight, and view God’s dealings with us, our hearts are sure to overflow with thanksgiving to Him. He is our maker, provider, protector, leader and guider. ‘All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me’ goes a hymn. We worship God for who He is in Himself. We thank God for all the blessings – temporal and eternal – which He has bestowed and continues to bestow on us. Praise and thanksgiving are distinct, but they often blend in our prayers, as God’s good gifts lead us back to the God who is a good and gracious giver. Hence Psalm 103:1,2: ‘Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits …’ Finally, in prayer, we may:-

Look ahead. Here we come to personal supplication – our own hopes and fears which weigh upon us. There are responsibilities to undertake in the days ahead. There are burdens to carry and tasks to perform. There are disappointments, perplexities and frustrated plans to encounter. The future is unknown to us – I might lose my job, I might lose my health, I might lose a loved one, I may struggle financially … But fear is incompatible with the conviction that we are under God’s good, wise, loving and all-embracing providence.  In prayer, we supplicate Him to supply what we need to live and cope and bear with whatever circumstances He sees fit to send our way. His grace will surely keep pace with whatever we face! So Paul exhorts us that when we look ahead to the sometimes foreboding future ‘Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God’ (Philippians 4:6). God knows our needs. Our difficulties are actually blessings if they make us draw near to Him with the request that He meet those needs. When we do, we find that He never fails or forsakes His children.

So there are the main elements of prayer, from a fellow struggler on the journey. Look up in worship. Look inside and offer confession. Look around and intercede for others. Look back and thank God for His goodness. Look ahead and seek God’s grace for whatever He sends your way. ‘Lord, teach us to pray …’(Luke 11:1).

 

Timothy Cross

Posted by Site Developer in Prayer