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10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
KEEPING HOUSE FOR
THE LORD
Written by H. Frank Fort
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LESSON #10
"Prayer"
No. 3
Today
we shall consider prayer in both its common and special aspects. By common, we
mean the praying: which the responsibilities of "the faith" demand by
special, we mean the praying which God heard during the confirmation of
"the faith".
In Rom. 8:26
A.S.V., Paul said, "We know not
how to pray as we ought". Now for this lack of knowledge, Paul says,
"The Spirit…helpeth our infirmities…the spirit himself maketh
intercession for us…according to the will of God" Rom.
8:26,27. It is thus that we "receive grace to help" Heb.
4:16, which help is needed in view of "our infirmities" Heb.
4:15. Notice now, an illustration of the sufficiency of this helping
"grace" in the case of Paul. Paul refers to his
"infirmities" three times 2 Cor.
12:5,9,10, and says, "for this thing (thorn in the flesh) I besought
the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me" 2
Cor. 12:8. It did not depart, but Christ answered, "My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness". To which
Paul replied, "Most gladly therefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that
the power of Christ may rest upon me" 2
Cor. 12:9. It is clear that:
·
Paul
prayed
·
It is
also clear that he didn't receive that for which he asked regarding his
infirmities
·
But God
gave that which he knew was best for Paul
·
And Paul
found that what God gave was "sufficient" to enable him to endure
"for Christ's sake", his "infirmities, reproaches, necessities,
persecutions, and distresses", and that "most gladly". He found
he could even "take pleasure" in these things borne for" Christ's
sake”, by the "strength", "the power of Christ" designed
for this purpose.
Just so in Rom.
8:26, though we know not how to pray as we ought, the spirit maketh
intercession for us, "and he (God, the Father) that searcheth the hearts
(of the praying saints) knoweth what is the mind of the spirit (Holy Spirit, as
intercessor) because he (spirit) maketh intercession for the saints according to
the will of God" Rom. 8:27.
Now what is the will of God? "That all things work together for good to
them" (saints). But what are the conditions? "Love God…called
according to his purpose" Rom. 8:28.
·
If I pray
for that which, if given, would not "work together for good", then God
does not give it. This is what is meant when it is said, "We know not how
to pray as we ought”. Notice, "our infirmities" Rom.
8:26, and consider them in the light of "the sufferings of this present
time" Rom. 8:18. It is only as we see with Paul, that they are "not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" Rom.
8:18, that in spite of them we will "take pleasure in infirmities"
2 Cor.12:10, or take "joyfully the spoiling of your goods"
Heb. 10:34.
·
We may
pray and not be heard because of the wrong motives in praying. James said,
"ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon
your lusts" James 4:3. The
meaning of "lusts" here is explained in vs. 4, as being “the friendship of the world”. To take what God
gives and consume it on that which is “enmity with God”, would be to set God
against himself. They who ask, hoping to receive, with a view toward thus
consuming, “receive not”. The prizefighter that makes the sign of the cross
and calls on God to give him the victory over his opponent, is an example of
this perverted motive.
We
may pray and not be heard, because we regard iniquity in our hearts, instead of
confessing it and putting it away. The Psalmist said, "If I regard iniquity
in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" Ps. 66:18. God said to Israel, "Your iniquities have separated
between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will
not hear" Isa. 59:2. Because of
these sins God had said, "When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine
eyes from you; yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear" Isa.
1:15. Thus "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but
who so confesseth them shall have mercy" Prov. 28:13. David said, "I will confess my transgressions unto
the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin" Ps.
32:5, and so in the New Testament, "If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive our forgive our sins 1
Jn. 1:9.
·
Thus we
see that we may pray and not receive because that for which we ask may not be
for our good
·
Or we
pray with unchristian motives, and not receive
·
We may
pray without the scriptural basis of approach and not be heard.
Now let us notice the praying of God’s people as related to the preaching of the word. Remember we considered the preaching as the first item in formal worship, In the house of God. Let us now consider the relationship between preaching and praying. When the seven men of Acts 6, were appointed “over this business” of serving tables in the daily ministration regarding the needs of the people as to food, etc., Peter said, “We will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word, And the saying pleased the whole multitude” Acts 6:4,5. When this program was followed, “the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied” Acts 6:7. Notice now Paul ‘s requests of Christians, that they pray for him as a preacher.
· “(Pray) for me, that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel…that I may speak boldly as I ought t speak” Eph. 6:19,20. Notice that this request follows his instructions that they , “he strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” Eph. 6:10, and be found, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” Eph. 6:18. He knew that if they would do this, their prayers would be effective in his behalf. Keep in mind that Paul is not asking prayer, that he might know what to say, for the ”what” of his preaching was from God. Paul did not depend upon man in order to know what to say, for he was inspired of God, as to the content of his message. The praying which he requested was related only to the manner of his preaching, that it be bold and illuminating. God said to Jeremiah, “speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them” Jer. 1:17.
·
Paul said to the Colossian Church, “praying also for us, that
God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ…that
I may make it manifest as I ought to speak” Col. 4:3,4. When a Church is in fellow ship with God, it’s prayers
in behalf of the minister of the word, will enable him to be bold in the face of
the enemies of truth, but it will enable him also to exercise the restraint
necessary to preach the truth in the proper spirit, before the provocation’s
which the apparent indifference of God’s people often display. We know that
“the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” James 1:20. If Moses, who “was very meek” Num. 12:3, could be provoked by the rebellion of Israel Num.
20:10-12, let no preacher think today, that he is immune from such
provocation. The prayers of God’s people will be effective toward the
scriptural restraint of such a spirit. Pray for the preacher, as Paul taught us
to do, that his preaching may be bold, in reproving for sin, whether in morals,
or in doctrine, and that it may be illuminating in effect, and constrained by
love for God and souls. The power of prayer must not be underestimated. A
prayerless Church is the poorest institution in the world. It has no power with
God, and no influence with men, but like salt that has lost it’s savour, “it
is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under
foot of men” Matt. 5:13. Pray, therefore, without ceasing, pray with the
understanding, to the Father, in the name of Christ, according to the truth,
believing, with singleness of heart, desiring God’s glory, praising God’s
name, imploring divine help, to do scriptural tasks, and be assured that God
will hear and is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to his power that worketh in us” Eph.
3:20.
Now as to an example of special prayer in connection
with miraculous gifts, during the time of an inspired ministry and the
confirmation of God's word.
·
Cornelius,
It is said that he was "a devout man…and prayed to God always" Acts
10:2.
The
Lord said, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before
God" Acts 10:4. Cornelius said,
regarding this, before Peter, that "a man…in bright clothing, said,
Cornelius, thy prayer is heard and thine alms are had in remembrance in the
sight of God" Acts 10:32. Notice
the word "remembrance" here, and compare with "Memorial"
in vs. 4. We know that a memorial is a reminder of something that has been said
or done before. Of what then, was the prayer of Cornelius a memorial, or
occasion of remembrance? It was of what God had said he was going to do for the
Gentiles. The gospel had gone to Jerusalem, Judaea, and Samaria. Acts
2:22, Acts 8:1, Acts 8:5, and
the time has come to visit the "uttermost part of the earth" Acts
1:8 in reaching "every creature" Mk.
16:15, "among all nations" Luke
24:47. When Peter told about his visit to the house of Cornelius in
fulfilling the will of God, that "the Gentiles should hear the word of the
gospel and believe" Acts 15:7.
James said, he was telling how "God
visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name, and to this
agree the words of the prophets; as it is written" Acts 15:14,15 A.S.V. Since the words of the prophets had revealed
the mind of God as to his purpose regarding the Gentiles, we can understand how
a Gentile's prayer at the time of God's fulfillment of his purpose, could be
called a "memorial". It was a memorial of his prophetic purpose; thus
a remembrance. Now notice a parallel in the Old Testament. Here is the prophecy,
"He (God) said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall
afflict them four hundred years…afterward shall they come out with great
substance" Gen. 15:13,14. Now
look at the time of fulfillment, "It carne to pass in process of
time…they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with
Isaac and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had
respect unto them" Ex. 2:24,25.
The memorial was of what God had prophesied, in both cases, that of Israel, and
that of Cornelius, the first of the gentiles to be visited with the ministry of
God's witnesses. No Gentile praying today, as Cornelius prayed, need expect God
to act as he acted toward Cornelius, because an unconverted gentile praying
today, would be a memorial of nothing recorded in God's word. He has already
visited the gentiles as per his prophecy. Next week we shall consider prayer and
healing.
Prepared
by: H. Frank Fort, Minister
Berean Baptist Church
Houston, Texas.
Oct. 3, 1956
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"