Does it matter whether we pray or not? Does prayer really do any good?
If God is in control, why can't we just trust that He will take care of everything in our lives and everything will turn out ok in the end? After all, doesn't He always want the best for us? We could just pray, "Thy will be done," and that should take care of it, right?
Have any of these thoughts ever entered your mind, as they have mine?
So what does the Bible teach us about prayer?
The scripture that first comes to my mind is in Luke 18, the parable of the persistent widow who kept going to the judge to ask for justice. Because of her continual asking, the judge granted her request. If she had asked only one time, she would have gotten nothing from the judge.
The first verse of that chapter says that Jesus told the parable to the disciples to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Then verse eight indicates that persistent prayer is counted as faith. Wait a minute--we have heard it said continual prayer about something indicates a lack of faith. Can we pray a prayer of faith, believing that he has heard and will answer our prayer, and yet still pray about it? I believe we can. If we know that we are praying according to his will, we can continually bring it up to the Lord, thanking him that he has heard and that he will answer. We can remind him of the promises in his word and tell him that we believe those promises are true. Speak out our faith to him, don't give up our faith, no matter what we see in the natural.
Another scripture indicating a need to persevere in prayer is Matthew Chapter 7. Jesus tells us to "Ask, seek, and knock." Asking indicates that we believe God is our good Father and that he cares about our need. He tells us elsewhere in the Bible (James 4) that we do not have because we do not ask, or we ask with wrong motives. Seeking implies earnest petitioning to the Lord for our need. Knocking implies perseverance in coming to the Lord even when we don't see the answer quickly.
Jesus says, "Everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." If we know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father give good gifts to his children who ask him.
Many times throughout the Bible, we see examples of how prayer is necessary in order for God's will to be carried out. The Israelites were successful in their battle against the Amalekites only as long as Moses persisted in prayer with his hands lifted toward God. After Elijah received the prophetic word that rain was coming, he still persisted in prayer until the rain came. And many more examples can be seen even in the New Testament. The early church prayed in the upper room until the Holy Spirit came. What if they had not stayed there and prayed? How different the outcome for the church would have been.
In Mark 11:24, Jesus states "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." IN PRAYER, ask for it. BELIEVE that you HAVE received it, it shall be yours. We have to ask in faith.
In John 14, he says "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." Again, we see that we have to ASK. There is authority in the name of Jesus.
Prayer is effective when it is in harmony with the will and word of God. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (I John 5:14)
In many instances we know God's will because he reveals it to us in his word. We don't have to pray, "If it be thy will," when the Bible clearly shows that it is God's will. Maybe we need to study the Bible more to be sure we know what the will of God is.
At other times God's will becomes clear only as we earnestly seek to determine what it is. In these times, we may have to humble ourselves through fasting and continue in prayer until we hear from the Lord. This is the hard part. How do we know when God speaks to us? We have to learn to know the Lord's voice when he speaks, but we can be assured that he does speak to his children, "My sheep hear my voice" (John 10:27). Once we know his will about any given issue, we can pray with confidence and faith that God will answer.
It is a principle of God's word that his people pray persistently in faith, in the authority of Jesus' name, and in accordance with his will in order for his plan to be accomplished on this earth and in our lives.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Acts Today
Before Jesus left the earth, he gave the command to his disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:15-18) Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied. (v. 20)
When did that command end? When did the signs stop?
The book of Acts in the Bible documents the first 33 years of church history. The entire church, not just the apostles, "preached the word wherever they went." (Acts 8:4) The early church prayed fervently, saw angels, had visions, witnessed mighty signs and wonders, drove out demons, and healed the sick. If the Bible were still being written, what would it say about the church today? Would we still be able to document signs and wonders?
In the first chapter of Acts, the promised Holy Spirit came upon the assembled believers to give them power. That power allowed the followers of Christ to continue the work that had started with the ministry of Jesus and he left to the disciples. Time and again, we read that the Holy Spirit spoke, they were led by the spirit, the spirit gave them utterance.
We are the same church and we still have the same Holy Spirit. Since Scripture never suggests that the supernatural signs were restricted to 33 years, surely Jesus intended that they were to continue in the church until He returns.
Acts is not just a history book of the early church, but should be a handbook for the Christian life and the Spirit-filled church. We should desire and expect as the norm all the elements that were present in the first century church.
That's why I am expecting a miracle. I believe that we can still operate in the same power and authority to see the same kinds of works that were seen by the early disciples. If we can't--why not?
When did that command end? When did the signs stop?
The book of Acts in the Bible documents the first 33 years of church history. The entire church, not just the apostles, "preached the word wherever they went." (Acts 8:4) The early church prayed fervently, saw angels, had visions, witnessed mighty signs and wonders, drove out demons, and healed the sick. If the Bible were still being written, what would it say about the church today? Would we still be able to document signs and wonders?
In the first chapter of Acts, the promised Holy Spirit came upon the assembled believers to give them power. That power allowed the followers of Christ to continue the work that had started with the ministry of Jesus and he left to the disciples. Time and again, we read that the Holy Spirit spoke, they were led by the spirit, the spirit gave them utterance.
We are the same church and we still have the same Holy Spirit. Since Scripture never suggests that the supernatural signs were restricted to 33 years, surely Jesus intended that they were to continue in the church until He returns.
Acts is not just a history book of the early church, but should be a handbook for the Christian life and the Spirit-filled church. We should desire and expect as the norm all the elements that were present in the first century church.
That's why I am expecting a miracle. I believe that we can still operate in the same power and authority to see the same kinds of works that were seen by the early disciples. If we can't--why not?
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
GREAT Faith
What is this great faith that will move mountains, cause miracles and healings, and accomplish great things for God? It is my desire to find this kind of faith.
At least twice in the Bible, Jesus complimented someone for having great faith. In Mathew Chapter 8 a centurion was lauded as having "great faith" when he said to Jesus that he didn't have to come to his house to heal his servant but to speak the word only and the servant would be healed.
Again, he spoke of the great faith of the Canaanite woman in Matthew Chapter 15 when she requested that he cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus tried to send her away saying, " I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." She was persistent and said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters' table." Jesus replied, "Woman, you have great faith, your request is granted."
What did these two people have that we do not have?
Jesus also commented about the lack of faith on several occasions, including when he told the disciples the reason they could not cast the spirit out of a boy was because of their unbelief. What? The disciples had unbelief? They had been going about healing the sick and casting out devils--now suddenly they have unbelief? What happened to their faith?
Evidently we can have faith for some things, but not for others. I mean, didn't we have faith for our salvation? That was a really big miracle, but in most cases, I would say it was not hard to believe for it. (Unless you were really, really bad.) We believed in our heart and confessed with our mouth, and - boom - we were saved. Now, I know that Satan came along and tried to talk us out of it, but we stuck to our guns and believed it anyway. Why can't believing for a miracle be that easy? Maybe because we can't see our soul and it's dirty condition, so we don't have the evidence staring us in the face. When we are trying to believe for healing, for example, we have the symptoms to deal with. It's hard to believe that you are healed when you are still hurting.
Jesus told the man who came to him with his son that "nothing is impossible to him who believes." We know that he does not mean anything our heart desires--it must be based on God's will. So, obviously, first of all, we have to be confident that we know what God's will is.
My Life in the Spirit Study Bible says that true faith is a work of God within our hearts. It involves an awareness divinely imparted to our hearts that our prayers are answered. The Holy Spirit creates it within us; we cannot produce it in our own minds. Since true faith is a gift imparted to us by Christ, it is important to draw near to Christ and his Word and to deepen our commitment to, and confidence in, him. (note for Matthew 17:20)
When God speaks to our hearts and makes his will known to us in a certain situation (revelation), we can have faith for that particular thing. Like Peter did when he walked on water. Jesus spoke to him and said, "Come." When Jesus tells you to do something, he will give you the ability to do it. If Peter had tried to walk on water without that word from Jesus, he wouldn't have gotten as far as he did.
What I need is that God-given faith that would enable me to face a mountain of impossibility and see it move by God's power. In order to receive that God-given faith, I have to hear God speak. In order to hear God speak, I have to maintain a life of prayer and intimacy with God along with obedience to his word. That will lead to great faith and spiritual authority to see mountains moved and miracles take place.
I am confident that God's revelation will activate God's faith in me in order for a miracle to occur.
At least twice in the Bible, Jesus complimented someone for having great faith. In Mathew Chapter 8 a centurion was lauded as having "great faith" when he said to Jesus that he didn't have to come to his house to heal his servant but to speak the word only and the servant would be healed.
Again, he spoke of the great faith of the Canaanite woman in Matthew Chapter 15 when she requested that he cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus tried to send her away saying, " I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." She was persistent and said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters' table." Jesus replied, "Woman, you have great faith, your request is granted."
What did these two people have that we do not have?
Jesus also commented about the lack of faith on several occasions, including when he told the disciples the reason they could not cast the spirit out of a boy was because of their unbelief. What? The disciples had unbelief? They had been going about healing the sick and casting out devils--now suddenly they have unbelief? What happened to their faith?
Evidently we can have faith for some things, but not for others. I mean, didn't we have faith for our salvation? That was a really big miracle, but in most cases, I would say it was not hard to believe for it. (Unless you were really, really bad.) We believed in our heart and confessed with our mouth, and - boom - we were saved. Now, I know that Satan came along and tried to talk us out of it, but we stuck to our guns and believed it anyway. Why can't believing for a miracle be that easy? Maybe because we can't see our soul and it's dirty condition, so we don't have the evidence staring us in the face. When we are trying to believe for healing, for example, we have the symptoms to deal with. It's hard to believe that you are healed when you are still hurting.
Jesus told the man who came to him with his son that "nothing is impossible to him who believes." We know that he does not mean anything our heart desires--it must be based on God's will. So, obviously, first of all, we have to be confident that we know what God's will is.
My Life in the Spirit Study Bible says that true faith is a work of God within our hearts. It involves an awareness divinely imparted to our hearts that our prayers are answered. The Holy Spirit creates it within us; we cannot produce it in our own minds. Since true faith is a gift imparted to us by Christ, it is important to draw near to Christ and his Word and to deepen our commitment to, and confidence in, him. (note for Matthew 17:20)
When God speaks to our hearts and makes his will known to us in a certain situation (revelation), we can have faith for that particular thing. Like Peter did when he walked on water. Jesus spoke to him and said, "Come." When Jesus tells you to do something, he will give you the ability to do it. If Peter had tried to walk on water without that word from Jesus, he wouldn't have gotten as far as he did.
What I need is that God-given faith that would enable me to face a mountain of impossibility and see it move by God's power. In order to receive that God-given faith, I have to hear God speak. In order to hear God speak, I have to maintain a life of prayer and intimacy with God along with obedience to his word. That will lead to great faith and spiritual authority to see mountains moved and miracles take place.
I am confident that God's revelation will activate God's faith in me in order for a miracle to occur.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Can I get a miracle?
I'm praying for a miracle.
And I believe that I will see that miracle take place.
I believe in miracles.
The Bible is full of miracles performed by Jesus. Jesus was a man--a human just like us while he was on this earth. But he performed miracles. And when he left this earth to go to heaven, he told his disciples that they would do the same things he had done, and greater. I believe that is still true today--so why are we not seeing miracles take place?
In the Bible in Luke, Chapter 9, when the man with the epileptic son came to the disciples and asked them to cast an evil spirit out of his son, they could not do it. Jesus came down from the mountain and the man said to him, "If you can do anything, please help us." Jesus said, "If you can? All things are possible to him who believes." The man said, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief." The man was honestly confessing that he was having trouble fully believing. I, too, believe but have to admit that I need help overcoming my doubts. It is encouraging to read that, even though the man had some doubts to overcome, he still received a miracle because of his faith.
In Matthew, Chapter 17, the disciples later asked Jesus why they could not cast the demon out. Jesus said, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, move from here and it will be moved. Nothing will be impossible for you." Back in Luke he continues by saying, "This kind comes out only by prayer and fasting."
Oh, to have faith that would move mountains. How can a person get faith like that? Is it even possible? Lord, I believe, but please help me overcome my doubts.
Why couldn't the disciples cast out the demon? They had been casting demons out, healing the sick and seeing mighty miracles. Why suddenly could they not do what they had already been doing. What happened to their faith?
Later Jesus asked the disciples, "What were you arguing about on the road?" They had been arguing about who would be greatest in the kingdom. Sounds like they had gotten away from being spiritual and had become pretty carnal. Maybe that's what affected their faith. When we get into the flesh, surely we cannot also be in the spirit. One is going to win out over the other--the one that we dwell on the most. So how do we overcome that fallacy of ours to get too carnal?
I confess -- I'm certainly guilty of carnality. I get caught up in busy-ness and my mind is always on the next thing to do. So many times, I neglect to spend time in Bible-study and prayer. Before long, I am more carnal-minded than spiritual-minded. God might speak to me if he could get my attention.
When Jesus said, "This kind comes out by prayer and fasting," maybe he was talking about that carnality. I don't believe he was talking about casting the demon out, because he did not say, "Let's fast for 3 days, then see if we can cast him out" or "Let's all pray" then we'll cast him out. He didn't fast and he didn't pray, he cast him out.
Fasting certainly will help to humble the flesh. When the flesh gets too big for its britches, just deny it for awhile and you will see it line up. Fasting doesn't make God do anything, but what it does do is get us to a place where we can be more spiritual-minded. That, along with praying, will help us get rid of our unbelief and have faith.
Have faith for what? Can we have faith for just anything that we desire? We can't desire something enough to make it happen.
I believe the answer to that question lies in the story of the first miracle Jesus did. When he was at the marriage feast with his mother and she asked him to turn the water into wine, she told the servants, "Whatever he tells you to do, do it." He told them to go fill the water pots and when they did the water turned into wine. There is our answer - whatever he tells us to do, do it. And we can have our miracle. Jesus himself said he only did what his father told him to do.
I have concluded that there are three steps to receiving a miracle.
1. Fast and pray until you hear from God concerning your request.
2. Whatever he tells you to do, do it. Be obedient.
3. Watch what God does. This step is not ours to take - it is his.
Faith begins where the will of God is known, as I have heard one of our Bible teachers say. Once we are convinced that what we are asking is in God's will, then we can have faith in him and his word to bring it to pass.
I believe I will see my miracle come to pass. Sooner or later, I'm going to hear from God and I'm going to be obedient to what he tells me to do, and he is going to work a miracle. Just wait and see.
And I believe that I will see that miracle take place.
I believe in miracles.
The Bible is full of miracles performed by Jesus. Jesus was a man--a human just like us while he was on this earth. But he performed miracles. And when he left this earth to go to heaven, he told his disciples that they would do the same things he had done, and greater. I believe that is still true today--so why are we not seeing miracles take place?
In the Bible in Luke, Chapter 9, when the man with the epileptic son came to the disciples and asked them to cast an evil spirit out of his son, they could not do it. Jesus came down from the mountain and the man said to him, "If you can do anything, please help us." Jesus said, "If you can? All things are possible to him who believes." The man said, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief." The man was honestly confessing that he was having trouble fully believing. I, too, believe but have to admit that I need help overcoming my doubts. It is encouraging to read that, even though the man had some doubts to overcome, he still received a miracle because of his faith.
In Matthew, Chapter 17, the disciples later asked Jesus why they could not cast the demon out. Jesus said, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, move from here and it will be moved. Nothing will be impossible for you." Back in Luke he continues by saying, "This kind comes out only by prayer and fasting."
Oh, to have faith that would move mountains. How can a person get faith like that? Is it even possible? Lord, I believe, but please help me overcome my doubts.
Why couldn't the disciples cast out the demon? They had been casting demons out, healing the sick and seeing mighty miracles. Why suddenly could they not do what they had already been doing. What happened to their faith?
Later Jesus asked the disciples, "What were you arguing about on the road?" They had been arguing about who would be greatest in the kingdom. Sounds like they had gotten away from being spiritual and had become pretty carnal. Maybe that's what affected their faith. When we get into the flesh, surely we cannot also be in the spirit. One is going to win out over the other--the one that we dwell on the most. So how do we overcome that fallacy of ours to get too carnal?
I confess -- I'm certainly guilty of carnality. I get caught up in busy-ness and my mind is always on the next thing to do. So many times, I neglect to spend time in Bible-study and prayer. Before long, I am more carnal-minded than spiritual-minded. God might speak to me if he could get my attention.
When Jesus said, "This kind comes out by prayer and fasting," maybe he was talking about that carnality. I don't believe he was talking about casting the demon out, because he did not say, "Let's fast for 3 days, then see if we can cast him out" or "Let's all pray" then we'll cast him out. He didn't fast and he didn't pray, he cast him out.
Fasting certainly will help to humble the flesh. When the flesh gets too big for its britches, just deny it for awhile and you will see it line up. Fasting doesn't make God do anything, but what it does do is get us to a place where we can be more spiritual-minded. That, along with praying, will help us get rid of our unbelief and have faith.
Have faith for what? Can we have faith for just anything that we desire? We can't desire something enough to make it happen.
I believe the answer to that question lies in the story of the first miracle Jesus did. When he was at the marriage feast with his mother and she asked him to turn the water into wine, she told the servants, "Whatever he tells you to do, do it." He told them to go fill the water pots and when they did the water turned into wine. There is our answer - whatever he tells us to do, do it. And we can have our miracle. Jesus himself said he only did what his father told him to do.
I have concluded that there are three steps to receiving a miracle.
1. Fast and pray until you hear from God concerning your request.
2. Whatever he tells you to do, do it. Be obedient.
3. Watch what God does. This step is not ours to take - it is his.
Faith begins where the will of God is known, as I have heard one of our Bible teachers say. Once we are convinced that what we are asking is in God's will, then we can have faith in him and his word to bring it to pass.
I believe I will see my miracle come to pass. Sooner or later, I'm going to hear from God and I'm going to be obedient to what he tells me to do, and he is going to work a miracle. Just wait and see.
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