A Purpose of Prayer
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LeeMartini on
7/5/2011 6:56:35 AM
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A Purpose of Prayer
Down in the Atlantic there is a body of water bound by three sides called the Bermuda Triangle. Some people call it the “Devil’s Triangle.” This is because some claim that airplanes fly into this area and disappear, ships sail into the area and are never seen again. The “Devil’s triangle.” Some claim it to be true and some say it is a mystery. There is another Triangle we have today that is not a mystery, nor a myth. It does not cause things to disappear, but to come into existence, to be brought into the light. This is a Divine Triangle, and we can see it in all Scriptures, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For those of you whom believe it a myth, beliefs should come after the facts, and one should consider what they believe and why they believe it. In essence, this basically is the theme of Scripture, it speaks of the Sovereignty of the Creator God whom has brought all things into existence. The Creator can control all things, for all things are of Him and to Him, yet He remains in control and guides mankind’s path without impedance. Hence, free will. One example according to the Bible is seen in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In the book of Revelations, Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. Now this is true in the spiritual, as well as the physical realm. As we look at the physical realm, consider Colossians 1:16-17, it speaks of how God created everything, maintains everything, and how everything is going to climax together in Him. Scripture also says, “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” He is before all things, and by Him all things exist. This is a restatement of what is said in Romans 11:36. Jesus is the power of creation.
Ask someone you meet today, “Where did everything come from?” I’ll tell you something, being an atheist is not a sign of intelligence! If a person thinks that nothing times nobody equals everything… I think they have unfurnished rooms to rent upstairs. Think about it. Sir Fred Hoyle was a leading astronomer and mathematician in the British Academy of Science who said, “We must now admit to ourselves that the probability of life beginning and arising by chance of evolution is the same probability of throwing six on the dice, five million consecutive times!” Then he went on to say, “Lets be specifically and scientifically honest with ourselves, the probability of having life arise to its greater complexity in organization by chance, is the same probability as having a tornado tear through a junk yard and form out the other end, a fully functional, fueled and running, Boeing 747 Jet.” Then he went on to say, “The random and impersonal chance does not create complexity in design.” Now I am not saying that everything the church teaches is correct, for evolution is true, but whom created the original stock for all variations in life.
I use “God” as a term for the power of creation. Just because one doesn’t believe God to exist, doesn’t deny the fact that the Creator does. Just because people claim that He does this, that, or a variety of other things doesn’t mean that He does either. Personal beliefs need to come after established facts. The Creator Son, Jesus, has brought the material universe into existence. Not only is the big bang theory a good Television program currently, it is also the predominantly accepted theory of existence. Ask of yourself, who put the gaseous ball together and who lit the fuse in order for it to go Bang? Should you care to digress further, that which formed the former is and was a self-existent being. The finite cannot understand the infinite, so unless you have a better supported explanation, I suggest we go with this one! Ask someone these simple words, “Jesus, what if He is true.” Not only is Jesus the power of creation, but Jesus is the preserver of creation because it is of Him, and through Him. That is, all things hold together because of Him, making him the Glue of the galaxy (not duct tape). A friend of mine Has PHD in Astrophysics and admires the Creators handy work. The reoccurring Psalm pervades his head, O’ Lord, our Lord, when I consider the stars in all the heavens the work of your hands, what is man that you should think anything of him? He was doing what is told in Isaiah 40:26, “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these, He who brings out the starry hosts one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” This indicates that God is the one who allows this universe to maintain regularity, not Metamucil fiber. He is the power and preserver and the cosmic glue of all creation, not silicone. Albert Einstein was an atheist when he started out in 1932, but in 1952 he was no longer an atheist. He was a Christian Jew who, before coming to believe in God said, “This is mathematically impossible that this universe has come into being and be regulated apart from a higher power.” He later went on to find and accept that higher power. The passage we looked at earlier in Colossians says that all things were created by Him, and for Him. Now the word “for” is a preposition which means “motion toward an object.” Some say the world is coming to an end; I say it’s coming back to God. I feel, God didn’t make this for you, He made it for Himself, so it’s not about you, its about God.
The same Divine triangle holds true in the spiritual realm. I would like to talk a little about prayer, so put your harsh criticisms aside for the moment. The Creator/God is the origin of effectual prayer (it is of Him), for cognitive and effectual prayer is spiritual in nature. God is the objective and operator of prayer, it is to Him. What is the origin of prayer? It’s one purpose of God because it is of Him. The prayer that gets to heaven is the prayer that started in heaven because it is of Him. What is the purpose of prayer? What did Jesus teach about prayer in His example- “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Therefore, prayer is not man’s way of getting man’s will done in heaven; it is God’s way of allowing us to do His way done on earth. Oh how many pompous idiots set in church and think their voice has weight! All to many forget “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The origin of effective prayer is the purpose of God because it is of God. Why does God use prayer? Why would God want us to tell Him about what He already knows? Why does He want us to ask for what we already need? If He knows all things, if He knows what we need before we ask, then why pray? Because He has given us the privilege of working in the regulation and administration of the universe. Scripture tells us that we are laborers with Him.
I have flown before with people in small airplanes and at times and have been asked if I would like to fly. So I would take over the controls and flew the airplane with him right along side of me. I was flying the airplane in the sense of cooperation with him, under his instruction and with his encouragement and background. In essence of this allowance, he is still flying the airplane, but has given me the privilege of flying that airplane with him. Now when that happened, there was a thrill. My pilot friend that allowed me to experience and learn about flying could do it without me, and God can run this universe without you, but you cannot do it without God. Remember than man invents, God creates! I couldn’t fly that sophisticated airplane without a pilot or learning how to fly first, but what a joy it is to cooperate and to have that fellowship. When there is a fellowship, there is bonding. Prayer is a way to bond you to your Creator. God doesn’t want you to live your life independent of Him, but you can. God allows us to be dependent upon Him, if we choose to do so, in order that we will have that bonding and fellowship that comes between us when we pray.
Another reason is that prayer disciples us, it helps make us more like the Creator. Have you ever prayed for something and He answers in silence? We think, “Why didn’t He give me what I asked for?” James, the half brother of Jesus, tells us one reason is because, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend to the ways of the world becomes an enemy of God.” So you might think, have I been a friend of the world? Is there error in my life? Prayer is not bending God to fit your will, it is finding the will of God and joining with it. Do we not call someone who is materialistic, worldly?
Now let’s consider the operation of prayer. For not only is it of God, but it is through Him. He not only originates the desire, but also enables us to pray through the fragment of Him that indwells within the believer. It is this Spirit that leads you to pray. Did you know that your flesh has no desire to pray? The carnal mind is at opposition with God, it is not subject to the law of God, nor can be. What does this mean? It means that your sinful nature, the natural material man, has about the same desire to pray, as you dog or cat wanting to see the opera. Your natural instinct is to shy away from the God, we do not seek him at first, He seeks us. It is the spirit of God who gives us the desire to pray. Evolution in this material existence does not provide, nor maintain a spirit within us. Also in Scripture, we see that God tells us that He has sent His Spirit into our hearts. I believe that which is of the world, is born of the world, and that which is of the spirit, is born of the spirit. It is also the Creator that gives one the direction to pray. We thank God for answered prayer, but I think we should also thank him for unanswered prayer, or prayer answered in silence. Sometimes we need to go without in order to grow or learn, so where is our mindset then! Since many times we know not what to ask for, we would be in trouble if He answered all prayers at all times. Sometimes we need what we don’t want, like a child and a spanking. Some times we ask for what we have, like power over our own strong desires. Sometimes people sit in church and ask God to send us the money; maybe we already have the money in our lives if we would just look. Some lazy people say, “Lord, you just float it down from heaven so we don’t have to earn it or work for it.” So don’t ask God for what you already have or don’t want to do.
The Bible tells us in Matthew 16:19 that God has given us the keys to heaven, that whatever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and that whatever we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Try finding out what God is up to and joining with Him. Look into heaven in prayer and you will find that it is not “You name it and claim it.” It is more like, “Lord, give me an insight as to what is going on here.” That is what Jesus, who lived here on earth as a man and said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself, except what He has been given. He also said what the Father says is what I speak. He was in perfect tune, or parallel, with heaven. He said, “Thy will be done Father, not mine.” This is one way to get prayers answered, not by superimposing your will over the will of God like He is a puppet.
Do you know why many don’t know what is going on in heaven? Because they spend very little time there in worship. We rush into the presence of God and say, “Now listen Lord, your servant is speaking…” What we should say is, Speak Lord, for your servant hears…” Try reading Ecclesiastes 5:1 and consider what it is saying. One way to know the will of God is worship. Romans 11:36 must be followed by 12:1-2. Do you know what worship is? It has been said that worship is seeing the mercies of God and saying, Lord, I am a living sacrifice. In the Old Testament the sacrifices were killed, yet I am alive and come and place myself upon the altar. In the Old Testament the sacrifice was consumed by fire. Worship is bringing yourself to God, presenting yourself to God and letting God consume you. Now consider that He will not consume an unholy sacrifice. But when you place yourself upon that altar and say, “Lord, all of me, here I am, I give myself away to you, all that I can do. I am a living sacrifice for you Lord.” When you present yourself to God in a manner such as this, you will not be conformed to the ways of this perishing world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind to prove the good will of God. We will know more than what we do if we would spend more time in heaven through worship, and be able to bring more to earth, that which is done in heaven. To many times we are asking in our prayers, not giving worship or seeking His will in our lives or the lives around us. You will be in good standing with God if you will spend more time on your knees. So many times we don’t get our prayers answered because we are not interested in the perfection of God. We are trying to make God into a cross between Santa Claus and a bellhop. We say, “Do this for me,” or “Do that for me,” or try and work deals with the Lord. God is not served by human hands; in fact, He gives us all things to live by and has long-suffering when it comes to us. Many of our prayers are not interested in getting or giving glory to God, this is why He will not share His glory with another. This is why James, the half brother of Jesus tells us that we do not receive because we ask with the wrong motives. God will answer prayer, but not selfishness. Prayer says “Please;” praise says “Thank you.” Prayer goes into God’s presence to carry something away, praise goes into God’s presence to stay forever. Perhaps now you can see that the end of all things is not things, but God.
What does it mean to ask in the name of Jesus? Try reading my other works, “In Jesus name.” It doesn’t mean that you have obtained some little magic formula that you put at end of your prayers and it will work. Prayer is not like a magic wand given to you by Harry Potter that you can wave around and have everything you desire come into being. Many people need to learn more about what it means to pray, and to pray in the name of Jesus. Have you every got ready to pray and not felt like it? Like your prayers are not getting any higher than the light bulb. Maybe you have a headache and don’t feel like it, then don’t. Take a couple of aspirin and in a when you feel pretty good, then you say to yourself, “I believe it is time for my prayer” and have a wonderful time in prayer… were you any more on praying ground after you took that medicine than before? Not at all friend! Do you mean to tell others and me that God was in those tablets you took for a headache? Do you think that those tablets made you more spiritual? Would God have heard your prayers even if you didn’t feel good? Of course He would, now you have a better ability to focus or concentrate. However, if you truly came in the name of Jesus, it is not how you feel, but His Spirit that indwells you that gets your prayer through. The origin is of Him, the operation is to Him, the objective is to be like Him. He is the source, He is the strength and He is the subject. It is about Jesus, not you… Because all you are allowed do is complete the circuit. Learn well and live well… Lee
