Category Archives: Prayer

SERVE THROUGH PRAYER

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While we certainly should agree that prayer is an important part of Christian life, we often struggle to make prayer a primary, consistent part of our lives. We interact with others frequently through out smartphones, but the same urgency is often lacking with our prayers. With our phones, we can talk with people about their needs and concerns, but in prayer, we can to God, the Creator and Sustainor of the universe, about those same needs and concerns. By intervening on behalf of others through prayer, we can change others’ lives. Step into the lives of others by praying for them. Elijah was a prophet known for his praying. God dramatically changed the trajectory of Elijah’s ministry.

                                                  Read 1 Kings 17:17-18

17 Sometime later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

       The widow of Zarephath is unsure of Elijah’s identity when, after taking the prophet into her home, her son becomes deathly sick. By the end of the story, though, she is ready to proclaim, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17:24). What enables such a dramatic shift in her outlook? The widow of Zarephath is unsure of Elijah’s identity when, after taking the prophet into her home, her son becomes deathly sick. By the end of the story, though, she is ready to proclaim, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17:24). What enables such a dramatic shift in her outlook?

        Nothing less than the resuscitation of her dead child changes her mind. Elijah’s revival of her child from death to life relieves her doubt about who Elijah is, what his purposes are, and from whom his strange powers originate. Of course, she now believes he speaks God’s truth! Witnessing such a miracle would make a believer out of any of us — at least, we hope it would. But the widow’s profession of faith is not the only movement from doubt to belief in this story.

       Elijah himself is anguished by the child’s sickness. His prayer accuses God of having wrought evil in the house that has given him refuge from God’s own drought and famine (17:1). Already in this brief chapter, we learn that he has antagonized the king (17:1), received food from birds (17:2-7), and sought sustenance from a starving widow (17:8-16), all because the word of the LORD has come to him. Obedience, both his and the widow’s, seems to have been rewarded with suffering.

        Elijah does not voice this doubt publicly. In all of his interactions with the widow, he adopts a matter-of-fact tone. He does not answer the widow’s invective, in which she accuses him of singling her out and making her answer for her sins (17:18).

                          Read 1 Kings 17:19-21

19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

        Elijah took him out of her arms: This vivid detail shows that the widow clutched the dead child tightly in her arms. The upper room where he was staying: The term upper room “Refers to a temporary shelter or room on the roof, accessible from outside the house. Such structures are common in the Near East. This arrangement would allow the widow not only her needed privacy but would safeguard her reputation”.

       Then he cried out to the LORD: Elijah prayed with great heart and intimacy with God. He brought this seemingly unexplainable and irredeemable tragedy to God in prayer. Since he knew God led him to this widow, Elijah laid this tragedy on God and asked Him to remedy it.

        He stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to the LORD: This was an unusual prayer technique, but Elijah had no precedent for this. It was not because of his prayer technique, but because of his faith that God answered this prayer. There is an almost irresistible desire to embellish on these wonderful accounts of the power of God. There are those who speak of one such attempt: “Syriac translation, followed by Jerome, that the lad was the prophet Jonah is totally unsatisfactory and historically impossible (cf. 2 Kings 14:25).”

       O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him: “A prayer full of powerful arguments. Thou art the Lord, that canst revive the child; and my God, and therefore wilt not, do not, deny me. She is a widow; add not affliction to the afflicted; deprive her not of the great support and staff of her age. She hath given me kind entertainment; let her not fare the worse for her kindness to a prophet, whereby wicked men will take occasion to reproach both her and religion”. 

         These words, in which the word also refers to the other calamities occasioned by the drought, contain no reproach of God, but are expressive of the heartiest compassion for the suffering of his benefactress and the deepest lamentation, which, springing from living faith, pours out the whole heart before God in the hour of distress, that I may appeal to Him the more powerfully for His aid. The meaning is, “Thou, O Lord my God, according to Thy grace and righteousness, canst not possibly leave the son of this widow in death.” Such confident belief carries within itself the certainty of being heard. The prophet therefore proceeds at once to action, to attempt to restore the boy to life.

       A prayer full of powerful arguments. Thou art the Lord, that canst revive the child; and my God, and therefore wilt not, do not, deny me. She is a widow; add not affliction to the afflicted; deprive her not of the great support and staff of her age. She hath given me kind entertainment; let her not fare the worse for her kindness to a prophet, whereby wicked men will take occasion to reproach both her and religion.

                                Read 1 Kings 17:22-24

22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

        We hear that the boy is saved because “God listened to the voice of Elijah” (verse 22). This is surprising because on the surface the story of Elijah seems to be about the power of God’s word. It is a story about getting people to listen to God’s voice. Yet, at this pivotal moment in the narrative, the tide turns because God listened to Elijah’s voice. The boy’s breath returns to him because God recognizes the truth in Elijah’s protest. In this moment of crisis, in response to the truth in Elijah’s words, God mobilizes the power of life and does something God has never done before. God attends to this seemingly small thing — the death of a poor boy — with an enormous act of reversal. God pulls and saves the boy.

        When the widow sees her son revived in Elijah’s arms, she proclaims, “You are a man of God…. the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth” (verse 24). Now the woman saw that Elijah’s God could be trusted. In essence the woman confessed that she believed in the Lord God of Israel because He raised er son. The reality of the resurrection is rooted in faith in the living God. Believing in the resurrection of the body is not just for highly spiritual Christians. The resurrection forms the foundation of authentic belief in God.  Elijah does not argue, but the reader knows that while her interpretation may be accurate, it does not capture what happened in the upper chamber. The boy’s life returns because God recognized that the word of Elijah was truth.

        Even when Elijah protests against God, his word expresses God’s truth. Amazingly, God recognizes it too. Perhaps truth is not just the word of God delivered from on high. Because at least in this narrative, truth emerges out of a dialogue. In the context of this narrative, I expect a recovery of sorts. I expect a divine answer — or at least a narrator’s commentary — that communicates, somehow, that this resurrection miracle was part of God’s plan from the beginning. God thought this would be a great way to show the world that God is not only more powerful than Baal but more powerful than death.

       God provides us many opportunities to step into the lives of our friends and family members by praying for them, especially when they encounter life’s trials. Just like the widow in this story, they may hold false ideas about the nature of God or how He deals with people. As we pray and God answers our prayers, the results can lead others to turn to God in faith. When we intercede for others in prayer, we can likewise join with God in restoring lives and leading people to Christ.

COMMITTED TO PRAY

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                       What stands in the way for us to commit to pray? There can be many things that don’t make it easy to pray as often as we should. Praying as often as we should and especially and for others maybe fall into the category of a Spiritual Gift. We know they abound within the church and are given to each believer at the time of their salvation experience. Believers are gifted in different ways and are called to exercise their gifts in different even if they have the same gift. One ministry can share in praying for others as individuals, while another is led to pray for situations and groups as well as individuals. I just wrote a new lesson on Spiritual Gifts for November 8th for which I found some very good commentary. It’s natural, easy, and appropriate to go to God with our own personal needs, but we are also called to intercede for the needs of others. Furthermore, a commitment to pray for others brings the joy of seeing how God answers and work in others’ lives. We are to commit to pray for the salvation and spiritual growth of others. So, we must ask God to remind us of our access to God through prayer.

                                 Read Colossians 1:3-6a

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you.

        We give thanks to God, meaning himself and Timothy (v.3). This is the beginning of the epistle, which is introduced with a thanksgiving to God; to whom praise and thankfulness are always due as a Creator and preserver, as the author of all good things, as the Father of mercies, temporal and spiritual, and as the covenant God and Father of his people through Christ: wherefore it follows, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; the sense of which either is, that God the Father, who is the object of praise and thanksgiving, is both the God of Christ, and the Father of Christ, the God of Christ, as Christ is man, and the Father of Christ, as Christ is God; or the latter is exegetical of the former, and may be rendered thus, “God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”: and very properly are thanks given to him under this character, because it is as he is the Father of Christ that he blesses his people with all spiritual blessings; and because he is their God, as well as his God; and their Father, as well as his Father, though in a different sense, his by nature, theirs by adoption. Moreover, as all their blessings come from God, as the Father of Christ, and through Christ, and for his sake, so it is very proper that thanks should be returned unto him under that character; and through Christ, by whom alone such sacrifices of praise are acceptable to God: it is added, praying always for you; which, as it is expressive of the constant discharge of the duty of prayer, and the continual remembrance of these saints in it, and shows the affection the apostle had for them; so it points out the time when, and the way and manner in which Paul and Timothy gave thanks to God on account of them; it was when they were at the throne of grace, and in their frequent prayers to God; thankfulness for mercies received, both by ourselves and others, being a branch of the duty of prayer.

        Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus (v.4) – To wit, by Epaphras, who had informed Paul of the steadfastness of their faith and love; Colossians 1:7-8. This does not prove that Paul had never been at Colossae, or that he did not establish the church there, for he uses a similar expression respecting the church at Ephesus Ephesians 1:15, of which he was undoubtedly the founder. The meaning is, that he had heard of their faith at that time, or of their perseverance in faith and love. Which ye have to all the saints – In what way they had manifested this is not known. It would seem that Paul had been informed that this was a character of their piety, that they had remarkable love for all who bore the Christian name. Nothing could be more acceptable information respecting them to one who himself so ardently loved the church; and nothing could have furnished better evidence that they were influenced by the true spirit of religion; compare 1 John 3:14.

       Verse 5 starts, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. The union of hope with faith and love is natural enough. Compare the fuller expression of 1Thessalonians 1:3, “your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope.” But the place assigned to hope in this passage is notable. “For the hope” is really “on account of the hope.” Hence faith and love are spoken of, not merely as leading up to hope, but as being actually kindled by it. Similarly in Ephesians 1:18 we find that, while faith and love are taken for granted, there is a special prayer that they may be enlightened “to know the hope of His calling” as the one thing yet needful. The prominence given to the thought of “the heavenly places” in the Epistles of the captivity, and therefore to Christ in heaven, even more than to Christ risen, is evident to any careful student. Accordingly, the hope, which is the instinct of perfection in man, and which becomes realization of heaven in the Christian, naturally comes out with corresponding emphasis.

       Ye heard before that is, at their first conversion. There is an implied warning against the new doctrines, which are more fully noticed in the next chapter. The truth of the gospel.—This expression (as in Galatians 2:14) is emphatic. It refers to the gospel, not chiefly as a message of graciousness and mercy, but rather as a revelation of eternal truths, itself changeless as the truth it reveals. There is a corresponding emphasis, but stronger still, in St. John. (See, for example, 1John 2:27; 1John 5:20; 2John 1:1-4; 3John 1:2-3.) The gospel was now winning its way to supremacy over civilized thought. Hence the need of warning against the sudden growth of wild speculations, contrasted with the unchanging simplicity of its main truths.

        Which is come unto you – It has not been confined to the Jews or limited to the narrow country where it was first preached but has been sent abroad to the Gentile world. The object of the apostle here seems to be, to excite in them a sense of gratitude that the gospel had been sent to them. It was owing entirely to the goodness of God in sending them the gospel, that they had this hope of eternal life.

.                              Read Colossians 1:6b-8

As indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on yourbehalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

       As it is in all the world; as it was come into, and preached to all the world, and was made   useful, and continued in all the world at that time. Christ gave his disciples a commission to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature; it was no more to be restrained to a particular nation, but was made general and common to all the nations of the world, and accordingly they preached it to all; and by this time had delivered the joyful message to the greater part of the world, which is sometimes meant by all the world, and the whole world; or it had been now preached in all the known and habitable parts of the world by one apostle and another, some being sent into one part, and some into another; so that the grace of God appeared to all men, and the doctrine of it had been preached to every creature under the heaven, according to Christ’s commission; the Gospel of the kingdom was to be preached in all the world, for a witness to all nations, before the end of the Jewish state came, or before the destruction of Jerusalem, which was not many years after the writing of this epistle. Now this shows, that it was the same Gospel which had been preached at Colosses by their faithful minister there, as had been preached in other areas, and in all parts of the world by the apostles; which is said in the commendation of the Gospel, it being one, uniform, consistent, and all of a piece in every place, and as preached by every faithful minister, and might serve greatly to confirm the Colossians in their faith of it:

       And bringeth forth fruit: by which is meant, either the conversion of sinners, the fruit of the Gospel ministry, when attended with a divine blessing and power; or the graces of the Spirit, as faith, hope, love, repentance, humility, self-denial, &c. with all the effects thereof, in new obedience, and a godly conversation, which come from Christ, the green fir tree, and are produced by the Spirit, through the preaching of the Gospel. The Vulgate Latin adds, “and increases”; the Syriac version has the same; and it is so read in some Greek copies, as in the Alexandrian copy, two of Stephens’s, and in the Complutensian edition; and may intend the spread of the Gospel among others, besides those who first received it, and the growing fruitfulness of the professors of it under its influence:

       And knew the grace of God in truth: by “the grace of God” may be meant the love and favor of God, in the mission and gift of his Son, to be the Savior and Redeemer of lost sinners, displayed in the Gospel, of which they had a comfortable experience, it being shed abroad in their hearts by the Spirit; or the blessings of grace revealed in the Gospel, as free justification by the righteousness of Christ, full pardon of sin, according to the riches of grace, and adoption of children, arising out of the love and free favor of God, of which they had had a real application made to them through the Gospel, by the Spirit of God; or rather the doctrine of grace itself, so called because it is a declaration of the free grace of God in the salvation of sinners and the means of implanting grace in the heart.

       As ye also learned of Epaphras – who is for you – Who this Epaphras was we cannot tell; only it is likely that he was a Colossian, and became, by the call and grace of Christ, a deacon of this Church, faithfully laboring with the apostle, to promote its best interests. Some think that he is the same with Epaphroditus, Epaphras being a contraction of that name, as Demas is of Demetrius; and it is remarkable that one of the Slavonic versions has Epaphroditus in this place. That he was a Colossian is evident from Colossians 4:12; : Epaphras, who is one of you, ὁ εξ ὑμων· some think that he was the first who preached the Gospel among this people, and hence called an apostle. He was raised up among themselves to be their minister in the absence of the apostle, and he showed himself to be worthy of this calling by a faithful discharge of his ministry, and by laboring fervently for them all, and pressing them forward, that they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

       Your love in the Spirit – So we preached, and so ye believed. The heavenly flame in the heart of this minister communicated itself to those who heard him; it was like priest like people. They enjoyed a spiritual, energetic ministry, and they were a spiritual people; they had a loving spirit, and love through the Spirit of God which dwelt in them. And of this love of theirs in the Spirit, and particularly towards the apostle, Epaphras gave full proof, not only by describing to the apostle the affection they felt for him, but in presenting to him those supplies which their love to him caused them to furnish.

                                Read Colossians 1:9-12

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified youto share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

       Paul’s prayer that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will does not mean that he wants them to know whether they should take a different job offer or marry a particular person. Rather, he’s asking that they might know God’s moral will as revealed in His Word. “Being filled” with this knowledge is a prayer that they would be controlled by this knowledge so that it would govern every thought, word, and deed. Since God’s moral will is a reflection of His holy character, Paul’s prayer is that these new believers would grow to know God Himself as He has revealed Himself in His Word.

       The knowledge of how God wants us to live requires spiritual wisdom. “Spiritual” is emphatic by position and applies both to “wisdom” and “understanding.” Spiritual wisdom and understanding come from God’s Spirit and stand in contrast to the worldly wisdom of the false teachers (Col. 2:23). “Wisdom” is an Old Testament concept emphasized often in the Book of Proverbs. The same Greek words for both “wisdom” and “understanding” often occur together in the Septuagint, as in Proverbs 9:10:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

       The main idea behind the Hebrew concept of wisdom is “skill.” The men who were able to construct the tabernacle according to God’s plan as revealed to Moses are called “wise,” meaning skillful (Exod. 31:3, 6; 36:1-2). Just as a skilled carpenter can take a piece of rough wood and shape it according to a plan into a beautiful and useful piece of furniture, so the wise person is able to take the rough elements of life and shape them according to God’s plan into something beautiful and useful to Him. Spiritual wisdom requires learning about God and how He wants us to live so that our lives will not be ruined by sin, but rather will become a finely crafted product that will cause others to be attracted to the Maker, who displays His glory in us.

      The knowledge of how God wants us to live requires spiritual understanding. Wisdom and understanding are somewhat synonymous, but there may be a subtle nuance of difference. “Wisdom” refers to knowing how God’s Word commands us to live, whereas “understanding” refers to insight, perception, or the ability to discern between things. Understanding enables us to put the pieces of wisdom together in specific situations. In 2 Timothy 2:7, after using the analogies of the solider, the athlete, and the farmer, Paul tells Timothy, “Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” The Lord would enable Timothy to grasp mentally the truths of those analogies and put them together so as to gain insight into how he should conduct his ministry.

       How do you become filled or controlled by the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding? To illustrate, when I was in the Coast Guard and we were navigating in the fog, we used two things to keep from running into something. First, we used our radar, which would show up an object as a little blip on the screen. We couldn’t see it out the window because of the dense fog, but the radar said, “Look out! Something is out there!” But in addition to the radar, we’d send a man to stand on the bow. Sometimes it was so foggy that you could barely see him, but he would wear a headset so that he could talk with the bridge. Sometimes he could see something from his vantage point that those on the bridge couldn’t see.

       Two things help us grow in spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that my life hasn’t run aground in the moral fog of this world. The first is prayerfully to read and meditate on the Word of God. By reading the Bible over and over and thinking about what it says and asking God for understanding, I can see the blips of danger on the screen and avoid smashing into them. God’s Word exposes the dangerous winds of doctrine that are blowing in our times. It also reveals the way that Satan has tempted people in the past and the consequences when they have yielded to his evil schemes. All of you men should burn into your minds the portrait of the foolish man in Proverbs 7, whose first mistake was to go near the home of the loose woman. Then he succumbed to her enticement, “as a bird hastens to the snare. So he does not know that it will cost him his life” (Prov. 7:23). God’s Word imparts spiritual wisdom and understanding.

        The second way I’ve been helped is by reading church history and Christian biographies. God’s Word is like the radar but reading church history is like the guy on the bow. You don’t depend on him alone, but sometimes he can help you interpret what you’re seeing on the radar screen or point out something that you missed. By reading what God’s people have faced down through the centuries and how they either succeeded or failed, you gain insight into our times.

       Spiritual growth means walking in a manner worthy of the Lord as we seek to please Him in all things. The knowledge of God’s will lead to a walk that is worthy of the Lord. The result of all biblical knowledge should be godly conduct. And the primary motive for godly conduct is not that we can live a happier and better life (although that always is the result), but rather that we please and glorify the Lord. Before we look at the four ways Paul says that we can please the Lord, note that this is a walk. That implies steady progress in a deliberate direction. You don’t get there by a dramatic spiritual experience or a quick fix, but rather by steady, deliberate, day by day growth in understanding through God’s Word.

      1. We please the Lord when we bear fruit in every good work.

      2.We please the Lord when we increase in the knowledge of God.

      3. We please the Lord when we are strengthened with His power to be steadfast and   

          patient.

      4. We please the Lord when we joyously give thanks to Him for His great salvation.

How do you develop this joyous, thankful attitude in the midst of difficult problems or difficult people? Paul’s answer is to set your mind of the fact that the Father has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light (the Greek text has the definite article before “light”). The picture in Paul’s mind is the division of the land of Canaan in the Old Testament. After Israel conquered Canaan, they divided up the land by lot. Each tribe received a portion of the land to live on and pass on to their descendants after them.

       Even so, Paul is saying that the Father has given us an inheritance that we share with all the saints in the light. We all have Christ in us and enjoy His full salvation. Individually, we’ve been given gifts to use for the common good. And we should pass this spiritual heritage down to our children and grandchildren. They should see our joy in the Lord, even when we go through trials, and want to experience the same blessings that we enjoy.

PRAYING FOR OURSELVES

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PRAYING FOR OURSELVES

As we have been talking, prayer is FAR more than bringing our needs and requests to God, but that is where we often start. The Model Prayer gave us a different approach. When we use the Model Prayer, the prayer is essentially half over before a single personal request is made. We need to focus on God. We need to seek His honor. We need to concentrate on His Lordship and Will. After doing these things, we are in the best mind-set to present our daily needs to Him. Then we can take our needs and requests to God daily and trust Him to answer. However, as humans, we may forget to do this daily. So, we need ask God to remind us to turn to Him first. The Holy Spirit is there to give us that reminder. We are then ready to ask God to supply our needs.

Read Mathew 6:11b and Isaiah 38:1-3

When we pray “Give us today the food we need”, we are acknowledging that God is our sustainer and provider. It is a misconception to think we provide for our needs ourselves. We must trust God daily to provide what He knows we need.

We need to note the order of the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer. The first three petitions have to do with God and with the glory of God; the second three petitions have to do with our needs and our necessities. That is to say, God is first given his supreme place, and then, and only then, we turn to ourselves and our needs and desires. It is only when God is given his proper place that all other things fall into their proper places. Prayer must never be an attempt to bend the will of God to our desires; prayer ought always to be an attempt to submit our wills to the will of God.

The second part of the prayer, the part which deals with our needs and our necessities, is a marvelously wrought unity. It deals with the three essential needs of man, and the three spheres of time within which man moves. First, it asks for bread, for that which is necessary for the maintenance of life, and thereby brings the needs of the present to the throne of God. Second, it asks for forgiveness and thereby brings the past into the presence of God. Third, it asks for help in temptation and thereby commits all the future into the hands of God. In these three brief petitions, we are taught to lay the present, the past, and the future before the footstool of the grace of God.

Turning to Isaiah, the narrative shifts its center of interest from national welfare to the personal health of the king. It shows us how ancient Israel understood one part of the prophetic office and how it understood the prayer relationship between people and God. Here is the first time that Isaiah faced Hezekiah personally. The prophet had a stern prognosis: death. Hezekiah found the proper prescription: prayer. The content of the prayer is interesting. As so often in the Psalms (Ps. 7; 17; 26; 59), a confession of innocence appears. Hezekiah had always done God’s Will and attempted to serve God without fail. So, he did not think he deserved the fate received, He went straight to God with his complaint. Hezekiah did not have a self-righteous attitude.

In those days – That is, his sickness commenced about the period in which the army of Sennacherib was destroyed. It has been made a question whether the sickness of Hezekiah was before or after the invasion of Sennacherib. The most natural interpretation certainly is, that it occurred after that invasion, and probably at no distant period. The only objection to this view is the statement in Isaiah 38:6, that God would deliver him out of the hand of the king of Assyria, which has been understood by many as implying that he was then threatened with the invasion.

  Was sick – What was the exact nature of this sickness is not certainly known. In Isaiah 38:21 it is said that it was a boil, and probably it was a pestilential boil. The pestilence or plague is attended with an eruption or boil.  The pestilence was, and is still, rapid in its progress. It terminates the life of those who are affected with it almost immediately, and at the furthest within three or four days. Hence, we see one ground of the alarm of Hezekiah. Another cause of his anxiety was, that he had at this time no children, and consequently he had reason to apprehend that his kingdom would be thrown into contention by conflicting struggles for the crown.

Unto death – Ready to die; with a sickness which in the ordinary course would terminate his life.

Set thine house in order – Give command to thy house, that is, to thy family. If you have any directions to give in regard to the succession to the crown, or in regard to domestic and private arrangements, let it be done soon. Hezekiah was yet in middle life. He came to the throne when he was twenty-five years old 2 Kings 18:2, and he had now reigned about fourteen years. It seems that he had as yet made no arrangements in regard to the succession, and as this was very important to the peace of the nation, Isaiah was sent to him to tell the necessity of leaving the affairs of his kingdom so that there should not be anarchy when he should die. The direction, also, may be understood in a more general sense as denoting that he was to make whatever arrangements might be necessary as preparatory to his death.

Notice how Hezekiah responded to the bad news. He turned to God, prayed and then wept bitterly. He didn’t ask Isaiah to plead with God for him. Neither did he explode in uncontrollable anger out of a sense that God had mistreated him with an injustice. Instead, he went to God in prayer. Previous experience had taught him the value of spending earnest time with the Lord when he faced a crisis (37:14-38).

Read Isaiah 38:4-6

The parallel account in 2 Kings 20:4 reveals that Isaiah left Hezekiah and was on the way to departing from the palace, being as far as the middle court, when the Word of God came to Isaiah again, instructing him to reveal that the Lord had heard his prayers and was extending his life by some fifteen years. “So swiftly does God answer the prayer of faith!” From this we may conclude that God approves of our prayers for health, for life and for strength.

The Lord God of David thy father – is mentioned here, probably, because Hezekiah had a strong resemblance to him 2 Kings 18:3, and because a long and happy reign had been granted to David; and also because the promise had been made to David that there should not fail a man to sit on his throne (see the note at Isaiah 37:35). As Hezekiah resembled David, God promised that his reign should be lengthened out; and as he perhaps was then without a son and successor, God promised him a longer life, with the prospect that he might have an heir who should succeed him on the throne.

Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life – This is perhaps the only instance in which any man has been told exactly how long he would live. Why God specified the time cannot now be known. It was, however, a full answer to the prayer of Hezekiah, and the promise is a full demonstration that God is the hearer of prayer, and that he can answer it at once. We learn here, that it is right for a friend of God to pray for life.  However, when we study Hezekiah’s prayer closely, we observe that he didn’t ask the Lord to heal him. Who can tell but that God often  spares useful lives when worn down with toil, and when the frame is apparently sinking to the grave, in answer to prayer? He may not indeed work miracles as he did in the case of Hezekiah, but he may direct remedies which had not before occurred; or he may himself give a sudden and unlooked-for turn to the disease and restore the sufferer again to health.

And I will rescue you and this city – The purport of this promise is, that he and the city should be finally and entirely delivered from all danger of invasion from the Assyrians. It might be apprehended that Sennacherib would collect a large army, and return; or that his successor would prosecute the war which he had commenced. But the assurance here is given to Hezekiah that he had nothing more to fear from the Assyrians (see the notes at Isaiah 31:4-5; Isaiah 37:35). In the parallel place in 2 Kings 20:6, it is added. ‹I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David‘s sake.‘ In the parallel passage also, in 2 Kings 20:7-8, there is inserted the statement which occurs in Isaiah at the end of the chapter Isaiah 38:21-22. It is evident that those two verses more appropriately come in here.

Read Isaiah 38:15-17

What shall I say? In a way of praise and thankfulness, for the mercies promised and received; I know not what to say; I want words to express the gratitude of my heart for the kindness bestowed. What shall I render to God for all his benefits? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it; the Lord had sent him a message by the prophet, and assured him that he should recover, and on the third day go up to the temple; and now he had performed what he had promised, he was restored, and was come to the house of God with his thank offering; whatever the Lord says, he does; what he promises, he brings to pass. I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. Before he did not reckon of a day to live, now he speaks of his years, having fifteen added to his days, during which time he should “go softly”, in a thoughtful “meditating” frame of mindF18; frequently calling to remembrance, and revolving in his mind, his bitter affliction, and recovery out of it, acknowledging the goodness and kindness of God unto him: or leisurely; step by step, without fear of any enemies, dangers, or death, having a promise of such a length of time to live: or go pleasantly and cheerfully, after the bitterness of my soul, as it may be rendered; that is, after it is over, or because of deliverance from it.

O Lord, by such things men live – The design of this and the following verses is evidently to set forth the goodness of God, and to celebrate his praise for what he had done. The phrase “these things” refers evidently to the promises of God and their fulfillment; and the idea is, that people are sustained in the land of the living only by such gracious interpositions as he had experienced. It was not because people had any power of preserving their own lives, but because God interposed in time of trouble, and restored to health when there was no human prospect that they could recover.

Behold, for my own well-being I had great bitterness. Meaning not that instead of peace and prosperity, which he expected would ensue upon the destruction of Sennacherib’s army, came a bitter affliction upon him; for he is not now dwelling on that melancholy subject; but rather the sense is, that he now enjoyed great peace and happiness, though he had been in great bitterness; for the words may be rendered, “behold, I am in peace, I had great bitterness”; or thus, “behold my great bitterness is unto peace”: or, “he has turned it into peace”; it has issued in it, and this is my present comfortable situation: “but”, or rather, and thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: the grave, where bodies rot and corrupt, and are quite abolished, as the word signifies; see Psalm 30:3 or “thou hast embraced my soul from the pit of corruptionF23“; it seems to be an allusion to a tender parent, seeing his child sinking in a pit, runs with open arms to him, and embraces him, and takes him out.

For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back; as loathsome and abominable, and so as not to be seen by him; for though God sees all the sins of his people with His eye of omniscience, and in His providence takes notice of them, and chastises for them, yet not with his eye of avenging justice; because Christ has taken them on Himself, and made satisfaction for them, and an end of them; they are removed from them as far as the east is from the west, and no more to be seen upon them; nor will they be any more set before his face, or in the light of his countenance; but as they are out of sight they will be out of mind, never more remembered, but forgotten; as what is cast behind the back is seen and remembered no more. The phrase is expressive of the full forgiveness of sins, even of all sins; see Psalm 85:2, the object of God’s love is the souls of his people; the instance of it is the delivery of them from the pit of corruption; the evidence of it is the pardon of their sins.

A New Testament connection with Hezekiah’s poem can be made with Romans 8:28-29. In that passage, Paul urged believers to trust the Lord to be at work in us so we can grow toward maturity in Him. He intends to shape us through our experiences in life so we can be more like Christ. Therefore, we live in the assurance that God answers us when we pray. He also strengthens and benefits us in ways we had not anticipated, especially when “Praying for Ourselves”.

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LEARN TO BE A MORE POSITIVE PERSON AND HAVE MORE JOY

REVELATION: What are Christians Affirmations? They are a method to reprogram your mind to gain spiritual confidence in agreement with God's word. It is a marvelous way to gain an amazing insight into God's loving character. Affirmations that lift your life.

CHRISTIANS AFFIRMATIONS WILL GIVE A BETTER OUTLOOK ON LIFE

PRAYER OF SURRENDER

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A PRAYER OF SURRENDER

Have you ever told a child- “Because I said so”? Or how about- “You need to do it my way”? Anyone who has ever helped raise a child knows it’s sometimes difficult to explain the reason why the child must do something or can’t have something. Children often don’t ask for what is best for them, but they must learn to trust the parent or adult. As we come to God with our requests, we must trust Him also. For God is the “parent” and we are His children. It comes as a surprise to many people from what has been called the “selfie” generation that to follow Jesus means to give up our selfish desire and to seek first God’s kingdom (Matt. 6:33). We need to have God teach us to make our priority to pray for God’s Will to be done. Then we can approach prayer with humble submission to God’s Will.

Read Matthew 6:10-11a

Honoring the Lord when we pray opens the door for surrendering to Him. Jesus’ Model Prayer showed us the path from praise to submission as we approach our Father. It tells us to pray that His Will be done. This makes it a Prayer of Surrender. Jesus taught us to honor the Lord’s name as holy when we pray (6:9). Jesus intends for us to grow in Him as kingdom citizens and to make Him our highest priority. He knows that as we strive to live out His intention, we will face a serious temptation. When we give into temptation, we’ll neglect God’s kingdom. But we invite Christ into our lives, we become citizens of His kingdom.

The phrase in verse 10 “May your kingdom come” is a reference to God’s spiritual reign, not to Israel’s freedom from Rome. The eternal community in which God rules as king with complete authority over His people who have received His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. God’s kingdom was announced in the covenant with Abraham (Matt. 8:11; Luke 1:26), is present in Christ’s reign in believers’ hearts (Luke 17:21) and will be complete when all evil is destroyed, and God establishes the new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1). When we pray “May Your Will be done”, we are not resigning ourselves to fate but praying that God’s perfect purpose will be accomplished in this world as well as in the next. God accomplishes His Will largely through people willing to obey Him. This part of the prayer allows us to offer ourselves as doers of God’s Will, asking Him to guide, lead, and give us the means to accomplish His purposes.

Read James 4:6-10

James 4:6-10 is showing the need to be humble. There are three challenging things James tells us to do. He promises that these will change our lives. This passage from James was written in a very serious circumstance. Christians were quarreling; committing murder and adultery; living by lust, greed, and envy. They were making themselves enemies of God, denying the Spirit who dwelled in them, and embracing the world and its ill-gotten pleasures (James 4:1-5).

Having reprimanded them for this, James tells them, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).  Then James tells sinners three things they need to do.  1) Resist the devil (v. 7). 2) Draw near to God (v.8). 3) Humble yourselves (v. 10). James wipes the smiles off their faces: “You sinners, cleanse your hands. You double-minded purify your hearts. Be miserable and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to grieving, and your joy to gloom” (James 4:8-9). In the course of this rebuke, James offers these three things for those sinners to do, so as to revolutionize their lives and mend their relationship with God. We may not be in the fallen state those rebuked were in, but the three things are not reserved for apostates and reprobates. Even the best Christians ought to do these things, because they promise the avoidance of sin as much as they promise its rectification.

Now here is something wonderful. You can resist the devil. Did you realize you have that power? Well you do. The grace of God grants it to you —if you are humble about it (1Corinthians 10:12-13). The devil’s reaction may not be to scamper off immediately. He may tempt and try you a bit harder at first. But if you consistently resist him, he will fear the power of God in you, and he will flee. He may come back again another time, but he can’t win if you keep resisting him with the power God’s grace supplies you.

Here’s something more wonderful still. You can draw near to God. Did you realize that you have that privilege? Is it possible to be close to a God far away in heaven, “who dwells in unapproachable light” (1Timothy 6:15-16)? Well of course you cannot go into heaven (yet) and meet with God. James however mentions “the Spirit dwelling in us” (James 4:5). We have access to God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18) and “The Spirit intercedes for us” (Romans 8:26). So, we can draw near to God and be near him all the time —so long as we go to him humbly.

This is perhaps the most wonderful thing of all. God will exalt those who come to him humbly. Peter says the same (1Peter 5:6). Some translations say that God will “lift you up” but I’m inclined to think “exalt” is more what God has in mind. We come to God with no pretensions, seeking his grace, and he blesses us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), and grants us “his precious and magnificent promises” (2Peter 1:4).

Read James 4:13-17

James moves to a new application in giving a warning specifically about business forecasting. Somewhat unusually, he focuses first on the principle of trusting God. He opens with sobering words: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring.  For you are a mist (vapor) that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:13–14). It might seem that James is condemning even short-term business plan­ning. Planning ahead, however, is not his concern. Imagining that we are in control of what happens is the problem.

The following verse helps us see James’s real point: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:15). The problem is not planning; it is planning as if the future lies in our hands. We are responsible to use wisely the resources, abilities, con­nections, and time that God gives us. But we are not in control of the out­comes. Most businesses are well aware how unpredictable outcomes are, despite the best planning and execution that money can buy. The annual report of any publicly traded corporation will feature a detailed section on risks the company faces, often running ten or twenty pages. State­ments such as “Our stock price may fluctuate based on factors beyond our control” make it clear that secular corporations are highly attuned to the unpredictability James is talking about.

Why then does James have to remind believers of what ordinary businesses know so well? Perhaps believers sometimes delude them­selves that following Christ will make them immune to the unpredict­ability of life and work. This is a mistake. Instead, James’s words should make Christians more aware of the need to continually reassess, adapt, and adjust. Our plans should be flexible and our execution responsive to changing conditions. In one sense, this is simply good business practice. Yet in a deeper sense, it is a spiritual matter, for we need to respond not only to market conditions but also to God’s leading in our work. This brings us back to James’s exhortation to listen with deep attention. Christian leadership consists not in forcing others to comply with our plans and actions, but in adapting ourselves to God’s word and God’s unfolding guidance in our lives.

“As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.” (v. 16). Boasting is evil because we are defying our utter ignorance of the true state of thing, turning a blind eye to the frailty of the fittest man and the fact that we depend upon God for everything. God wasn’t in Rodale’s thinking. There in that New York TV studio was a man who in one area of life had some knowledge, that is, of vitamins and healthy eating. He had one piece of the jigsaw and had become an authority in that single piece. But the other pieces? Such as length of life? And human unpredictability? And the divinely forged connection between sin and death? And the whole picture? He knew nothing at all about these things. The youngest child in the kingdom of God knew more than he did. John Calvin once observed, “Men arrogate too much to themselves when they think that they excel in anything.” James says baldly, “That is evil.” Not just the great cruel crimes that we read about too often. Yes, they are evil too, but boasting and bragging. Its source is the evil one. From the beginning he boasted what he could do for our first parents. He boasted to the Son of God that if he would fall down and worship him he would give him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Every time you hear a man bragging, think of the pit. That is the source of all pride. Our boasting shows that we are sinful men. Then there is the other root problem.

Our Sins of Omission. v.17 “Therefore to him that know to do good, and do it not, to him it is sin.” We know the good we ought to do? Yes, because the things of the law are written in every heart. We know that it is wrong to lie and to steal and to kill and to worship an idol and to boast and brag. We know because God has given you a conscience – his great monitor that commends you when you do well and condemns you when you do wrong. The famous Puritan illustration of the conscience compares it to a sundial. That is, it operates effectively only when it is enlightened by the light that strikes it from the Bible. It will give us a reading if we shine our torch upon it. It will tell us a time but it is inaccurate, because it only works effectively by the light of the sun. So, our consciences will work best when they are illuminated by the Bible. Think of those who have the conscience of evil! They do it in conscience. Think of the conscience of the Auschwitz guards! They acted by the light of their conscience. Driving the Jews into the gas-chambers and going home to sing ‘Silent Night’ with the families at Christmas. Men can muffle and distort the voice of conscience.

James reminds us that we should be guided by what is good when we make our plans. What is good is the coming of God’s kingdom and our willingness to be submissive to His Will for us. Surrendering our plans to Him enables us to accomplish His kingdom plan for us each day. We sin when against God when we decide to take actions that reflect rebellion against Him. So, sin can also involve what we decide not to do. That is where “A Prayer of Surrender” comes in and is important to know God’s Will.

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PRAYER OF PRAISE

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A PRAYER OF PRAISE

We have considered to whom we pray, now let’s think about why we pray. It is natural for many of us to call out to God when we need something. While it is certainly okay to ask God for help or even something we need, it should not be the only time we pray to God. God does invites us to come to Him with our requests and prayers. However, we need to consider what God wants. In the Model Prayer, Jesus tells us to petition for God’s name to be honored as holy. We are to bring our requests to Him and seek an answer that brings honor and glory to God. Our prayers should be driven by the desire to honor God and in everything we say and do.

Read Matthew 6:9b; Psalm 96:1-3

The second part of Matthew 6:9b states- “Your name be honored as holy”. This is Jesus’ instruction for us to honor our Father. The honor we give Him cannot be something that’s contrived or produced out of obligation or ritual. It’s something that we sincerely want to do. Our desire to honor Him inspires us to praise Him. While we know the prayer that Jesus shared with us as the Lord’s Prayer, it may be best to call it the Model Prayer. Both are very good names. However, Jesus intended for us to use it as a guide or model when we pray. Jesus was telling us how to acknowledge God as Father when we begin to talk with Him. How we approach our Father makes more of a difference than we may realize at first. When we honor God at the outset of our prayer, we’re more settled in His presence. Coming into His presence matters more than making sure that He hears about our needs- since He already knows our needs.

Psalm 96 is for royalty. It should start with timpani (kettledrum) and end with a trumpet. This enthronement psalms (93; 95-99) calls the people to praise God (verses 1-3, 7-10a, 11-12a) and gives reasons why God is worthy of praise (verses 4-6, 10b, 12b-13). Taken together these moves “describe the nature and consequences of God’s rule.” God’s reign gets spectators involved and awakens sleepers. No wonder the Psalm brims with imperatives: three times we are told to sing, and after that to bless, tell, declare, ascribe and worship. This Psalm is motivational. It moves people to proclaim God’s mercy and might. It offers insights into how to honor the Lord as holy when we pray.

In Part 1 (verses 1-3) God’s people get their marching orders. First, we are to “sing a new song” (verse 1). But what exactly is that new song? The preacher can well ask what song his or her congregation is given to sing. The Psalm leaves that pretty open ended. It could be Psalm 96 itself, or some brand new composition. It might be a response to some event in the story of God’s people, such as “the return of the exiles from Babylonian captivity” or something that has happened in your congregation or community. It could be a song looking toward the future, or one that combines past, present and future.2

After three calls to sing, the Psalm moves to another imperative: the call to bless God’s name (verse 2). Of course, God does not need our blessing. But in worship, to bless God is to tell of God’s saving deeds…to extol God’s mercy, might and compassion. Ancient worshippers in the Temple used Psalm 96 (and others like it) to bless God, and they may also have knelt and lifted up their hands. Worship is between the worshipper and God, yet it moves outward with another imperative: we are to tell others of God’s salvation. This is not just preaching to the choir, but to all the world. The Psalmist says we are to declare God’s glory “among the nations” God’s marvelous works “to all the people.” So, Psalm 96 has been called a “missionary psalm.”

Because He has saved us, glorifying Him always remains our primary passion. To glorify Him implies that we cast the light on Him and call attention to His name and the meaning in our lives. When we declare His glory to others (v.3), we eagerly put the light on God so they will turn to Him. Our eagerness to declare His glory knows no boundaries. We want to proclaim His name to every people group and every nation in the world. As we eagerly sing the song of praise to Him, we want the whole world to hear the good news of His salvation.

Read Psalm 96:4-6

Part 2 (verses 4-6) tells why God is to be praised. God is great above the heavens. But down here on earth where there are many gods, the one true God outshines them all. The Psalmist dismisses those other gods-with-a-small-‘g’- as mere idols. They are things we made up, in contrast to the creator who made us, and the heavens (verse 5). We praise God as Creator, and we also praise God’s character.

For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised (v. 4).  He is no petty deity, presiding, as the heathen imagined their gods to do, over some one nation, or one department of nature. Jehovah is great in power and dominion, great in mind and act; nothing mean or narrow can be found in him or his acts, in all things he is infinite. Praise should be proportionate to its object, therefore let it be infinite when rendered unto the Lord. We cannot praise him too much, too often, too zealously, too carefully, too joyfully. He deserves that nothing in his worship should be little, but all the honor rendered unto him should be given in largeness of heart, with the utmost zeal for his glory.

He is to be feared above all gods (v. 4). Other gods have been worshipped at great cost, and with much fervor, by their blinded rotaries, but Jehovah should be adored with far greater reverence. Even if the graven images had been gods they could not have borne comparison for an instant with the God of Israel, and therefore his worship, should be far more zealous than any which has been rendered to them. He is to be feared, for there is cause to fear. Dread of other gods is mere superstition, awe of the Lord is pure religion. Holy fear is the beginning of the graces, and yet it is the accompaniment of their highest range. Fear of God is the blush upon the face of holiness enhancing its beauty.

For all the gods of the nations are idols (v. 5).  Mere images of wood and stone, vanities, nothings. But the Lord made the heavens. The reality of his Godhead is proved by his works, and foremost among these the psalmist mentions that matchless piece of architecture which casts its arch over every man’s head, whose lamps are the light of all mankind, whose rains and dew fall upon the fields of every people, and whence the Lord in voice of thunder is heard speaking to every creature. The idol gods have no existence, but our God is the author of all existences; they are mere earthly vanities, while he is not only heavenly, but made the heavens. This is mentioned as an argument for Jehovah’s universal praise. Who can be worshipped but he? Since none can rival him, let him be adored alone.

Perhaps the most famous description of God’s character appears in Psalm 103:8 (and elsewhere): God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” The description of God’s character found in Psalm 96: 6 has a different emphasis: God’s “honor and majesty are before Him, his strength and beauty fill the sanctuary.” This points to God’s sovereignty and holiness, an important theme in scripture though often neglected today. Honor and majesty are before him. (v. 6). Men can but mimic these things; their pompous pageants are but the pretense of greatness. Honor and majesty are with him and with him alone. In the presence of Jehovah real glory and sovereignty abide, as constant attendants.

Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. In him are combined all that is mighty and lovely, powerful and resplendent. We have seen rugged strength devoid of beauty, we have also seen elegance without strength; the union of the two is greatly to be admired. Do we desire to see the “sublime and beautiful” at one glance? Then we must look to the eternal throne. In the Chronicles we read strength and gladness; and the two renderings do not disagree in sense, for in the highest degree in this instance it is true that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever.”

Read Psalm 96:7-9

Part 3 (verses 7-10) returns to the imperative mood once more, in a worship setting. Three times we are told to ascribe to glory to God. To “ascribe” is to name a quality that belongs to a person or thing. To a deer we ascribe speed and grace and to an artist or composer we ascribe creative genius. To God we ascribe glory and strength — especially when looking at creation. To express our gratitude and dependence on God, we are told to bring an offering, come into God’s courts (verse 8) worship the Lord, and tremble before God (verse 9). In verse 10 (not included in the lectionary) we are to say to the nations that the Lord is King.

Ascribe to the Lord, used in the same triple manner. This is after the manner of those poets whose flaming sonnets have best won the ear of, the people, they reiterate choice words till they penetrate the soul and fire the heart. The invocation of the sweet singer is still addressed to all mankind, to whom he speaks as Ye kindreds of the people. Divided into tribes and families, we are called in our courses and order to appear before him and ascribe to him all honor.  “All worship be to God only,” is the motto of one of our City companies, and it may well be the motto of all the families upon earth. Family worship is peculiarly pleasing unto him who is the God of all the families of Israel. Give unto the LORD glory and strength, that is to say, recognize the glory and power of Jehovah, and ascribe them unto him in your solemn hymns.

Bring an offering and come into his courts. Come with an un-bloody sacrifice; atonement for sin having been made, it only remains to bring thank offerings, and let not these be forgotten. To him who gives us all, we ought gladly to give our grateful tithe. When assembling for public worship we should make a point of bringing with us a contribution to his cause, according to that ancient word, “None of you shall appear before me empty.” The time will come when from all ranks and nations the Lord will receive gifts when they gather together for his worship. 0 long expected day begin! This is language taken from the temple worship, and means that God is to be worshipped, in the manner which he has prescribed, as a suitable expression of his majesty.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. This is the only beauty which he cares for in our public services, and it is one for which no other can compensate. Beauty of architecture and apparel he does not regard; moral and spiritual beauty is that in which his soul delights. Worship must not be rendered to God in a slovenly, sinful, superficial manner; we must be reverent, sincere, earnest, and pure in heart both in our prayers and praises. Purity is the white linen of the Lord’s choristers, righteousness is the comely garment of his priests, holiness is the royal apparel of his servants. Fear before him, all the earth. “Tremble” is the word in the original, and it expresses the profoundest awe, just as the word “worship” does, which would be more accurately translated by “bow down.” Even the bodily frame would be moved to trembling and prostration if men were thoroughly conscious of the power and glory of Jehovah. We should enjoy the privilege of knowing Him intimately as our Father. Then all of our prayers will be “A Prayer of Praise”.

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REVELATION: PRAYING WITH JOY

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PRAYING WITH JOY

Prayer is an opportunity to experience joy. Too often prayer is limited to asking God to do something, intervene in a crisis, or fix a problem. To be sure, the Bible is full of invitations for us to call on Him to work, but our prayers should also reflect the fact that God has already been at work and continues to work in our lives. So let’s review how Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9-13- “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven may your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one” (NLT).Clearly Jesus was telling us to recognize God for what He has done and to praise Him before asking God for any of our requests. When we reflect on His work in our lives and the lives of others, it should cause us to rejoice and motivate us to continue praying joyfully for God’s work.

Then in Matthew 6:14 it continues as follows: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins” (NLT). This seems unreasonably harsh but it is completely in line with Jesus answer about the “Greatest Commandment” when He said to “love your neighbor as yourself” in the second part of His answer. We can find joy in the forgiveness of others and our prayer should reflect that.

Read Philippians 1:3-6

Paul established the church at Philippi (on his second missionary journey- Acts 16), but it had not been one of the destinations he intended to visit. In a God-given dream, Paul and his companions were diverted to Philippi. So later from prison, Paul wrote this letter that begins in verse 3 by saying he gave thanks to God for His works. Paul was also thanking God for His remembrance of the church at Philippi- the people not the things. Separated from the believers in Philippi as he was, Paul could do one thing for his beloved friends. He could pray for them. He believed with all his heart that his prayers were both necessary and helpful to other believers.

Several characteristics of Paul’s prayers for the Philippian Christians emerge from his remarks. They were prayers of thanksgiving. When Paul saw good things in the lives of Christians, he thanked God for those good things, for he recognized the Father as the source of every Christian grace. Moreover, he remembered and prayed for all the believers. This emphasis upon the whole church is characteristic of Philippians in particular (1:1) and of Paul’s letters in general. The apostle’s prayers were characterized also by joy. This is a key word in the letter- all the more remarkable when we remember that Paul was in prison.

The word for prayer (v.4) is used of a special kind of prayer. It is petition or supplication. Paul was saying, therefore, that every time he went to God to make supplication for the Philippian believers he never failed to thank God for them. The reason for the thanksgiving and joy is stated in concrete, specific terms. It was Philippians’ “partnership in the gospel” (v.5). Partnership translates “koinonia”, one of the great words in Paul’s Christian vocabulary. Many times we can also understand it as “fellowship”. The Christian life is a partnership or fellowship. It is a shared life. We share with all other believers the blessings of God’s grace. We also share with them the responsibilities of our new life in the proclamation of the gospel. If the gospel is to reach our world, an effective partnership among many people is necessary. Some must give, stay, witness, and pray, as the Philippians had done. Some must receive, go, witness, and pray, as Paul had done.

Paul was supremely sure that the faithful, loving service so characteristic of the Philippians would continue and grow in the future. After all, it was God who had begun “a good work” in the Philippians. He could be trusted to continue it and to “bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”. This is the day of Christ’s appearing, the final consummation of history, and the complete victory of God’s rule.

This the first of many times Paul used the word joy in this letter. The Philippians were remembered with joy and thanksgiving whenever Paul prayed. By helping Paul, they were helping Christ’s cause. The Philippians were willing to be used by God for whatever he wanted them to do. When others think about you, what comes to their minds? Are you remembered with joy by them? Do your acts of kindness lift up others?

The Philippians first heard the Good News about 10 years earlier when Paul and his companions visited Philippi and founded the church there. When Paul said that the Philippians were partners in spreading the Good News, he was remembering how they contributed through their practical help when Paul was in Philippi and through their financial support when he was in prison. As we help out ministers, missionaries, and evangelists through prayer, hospitality, and financial gifts, we become partners with them in spreading the gospel message. The God who began a good work within us continues it throughout jour lifetime and will finish it when we meet Him face to face.

Read Philippians 1:7-8

Verse 7 seems to be a justification of Paul’s special feeling for the Philippians. “I hold you in my heart” may also be translated in the opposite way: “You hold me in your heart” (NEB). Indeed, it makes more sense in the context. Paul’s attitude toward his readers is “right” because of the special place they have given him in their affection. Moreover, they were “partakers” with Paul of “grace”. Partakers, a cognate of the word for partnership (v. 5) can also be translated partners or, literally, “fellow sharers”. The word “grace” is somewhat surprising, since it is related to Paul’s “imprisonment”. We might expect to find the word suffering instead. Suffering, however, if it were in connection with his proclamation of the gospel, was an undeserved privilege which was granted to him by the grace of God. Later in the letter Paul spoke about the privilege of sharing in the suffering of Christ (3:10).

The Philippians would not allow the apostle to go unnoticed or forgotten in this time of his great trial. They sent him a gift as a concrete expression of their fellowship with him his imprisonment. “Defense” referred to the plea made by the prisoner before the court. “Conformation” denoted the evidence presented to validate the defense. From Paul’s statement, however, we see that he was not attempting to defend or exonerate himself. He used the opportunity of the trial to press the claims of the gospel.

Paul occasionally used the phrase “God is my witness” when wanted to make an especially solemn declaration. God is the highest witness to the truth, for only He knows the heart. Paul spoke so solemnly because he wanted his readers to be absolutely certain of his longing to see them. Yearning is our feeling when we are separated from those we love. Have you ever longed to see a friend with whom you share fond memories? The love that made Paul “yearn” for his brothers and sisters was no less than the “affection of Christ Jesus” Himself, a bold declaration. Paul knew, however, that his love for the Philippians came from the Lord. He regarded love for other members of God’s family as the primary expression of the new life in Christ (1 Cor. 13). “Affection” is literally the viscera, the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys (KJV-bowels). They were regarded by the Greeks as the seat of affection. Paul had a longing to see the Christians at Philippi. His love and affection for them was based not merely on past experiences but also on the unity that comes when believers draw upon Christ’s love. All Christians are part of God’s family and thus share equally in the transforming power of His love.

Read Philippians 1:9-11

The future is something we can plan for, hope for, and imagine, but not control. It is also something we choose not to think about. But because God already exists in the future, and He has plans for our good, we can engage in joyful prayer for the future of those we love. After assuring his readers of his love for them, Paul moved naturally to the petition that their “love” for one another might increase in an overflowing manner. This word for love (v.9) is agape, the one generally used in the New Testament for God’s kind of love. Therefore, Paul prayed that the love of the believers might be accompanied by “knowledge and all discernment”. This knowledge is always knowledge of God or of the things of God. Discernment translates a word which denotes the capacity to make moral distinctions and ethical decisions.

The need for this capacity is seen in the clause “so that you may approve what is excellent.” The translation of the NIV probably gives the sense of the clause somewhat more clearly: “so that you may be able to discern what is best”. The end result is also mentioned by Paul. We shall be “pure and blameless for the day of Christ”. The best life which we can present to the Lord will be one that is lived by the poser and under the direction of His love. Paul did not express his love for his readers in a negative way only. Being a Christian is much more that being “blameless”. Paul wanted them to be “filed with the fruits of righteousness”. Righteousness, therefore, is more than being justified or declared right before harvest of good fruit. From Paul’s point of view, the day of the harvest will be the “day of Christ”.

Christians will not be able to take credit for their accomplishments. The harvest is produced by God’s righteousness working “through Jesus Christ”. It does not reflect on the believer so that he is praised. Rather, it leads to the “glory and praise of God”. Often the best way to influence someone is to pray for him or her. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was that they would be unified in love. Their love was to result in greater knowledge of Christ and deeper understanding (moral discernment). Their love was not based on feelings but on what Christ had done for them. As we grow in Christ’s love, our heart and mind must grow together.

Paul prayed that the Philippian believers would have the ability to differentiate between right and wrong, good and bad, vital and trivial. We ought to pray for moral discernment so we can maintain our Christian morals and values. Hebrews 5:14 emphasizes the need for discernment.

Of course the “The day of Christ’s return” refers to the time when God will judge the world through Jesus Christ. We should live each day as though He might return at any moment. The “fruit of you salvation” includes all of the character traits flowing from a right relationship with God. There is no other way for us to gain this fruit of righteousness than through Christ (Galatians 5:22-23). So prayer is to be an exciting and joyful time we share with God- our heavenly Father.

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