Trusting God and Prayer

In II Samuel 5 we read about two different battles David had with the Philistines after he became king of Israel. David was in the habit of consulting God before he went into battle and in these two instances he received two different sets of instructions. In the first battle, God told David simply to go ahead and that he would win. In preparation for the second battle, God had some different instructions:

23 And when David enquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. 24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. 25 And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer. II Samuel 5:23-24

David was told not to go. Instead he told them to circle behind the Philistines near some mulberry trees and when David heard a sound in the tops of the trees, it was a signal to decide to move. God would go out in front of them and the Philistines would be defeated. (I Chronicles 14:14)

God could have handled this all himself or he could have said "ditto" from his previous instructions. He could have made the Philistines disappear in a split second. But that is not the way God handles things. Throughout the Old Testament, there are so many records of God giving different instructions to his people on how to handle problems and enemies. This specific chapter shows two specific seemingly identical incidents that happened within a relatively short time period.

Often, as we tackle things in life and see great victories, it is very easy to fall into the trap of complacency. Sometimes when we have a great victory, we think God has deposited more power in our spiritual savings bank so that when the next thing comes along we declare to God "I got this God!"  The other thing that can creep in is to transfer the praise of God onto ourselves. Both scenarios can be big trouble.

Problems involving our thinking other people and various circumstances never stop. The older I get, the more I realize what the power of 'praying without ceasing' is very real. Praying without ceasing doesn't mean living constantly on your knees and reciting prayers over and over. Communication with God is on-going and it is with great joy and peace that we can go to him in every and any situation. We cannot afford to become complacent. Why not trust the creator of the universe with everything that comes across our path. It is not an exercise of weakness, it is an exercise of power!

Recently I had a text come to my phone to which my mind reacted very quickly on how to handle it. I shut down the reaction and put it on hold and gave it to God. The next day I read it again and I knew exactly how I should respond. This is a very small simple thing but very practical. In this day and time when we live in media chaos, twitter and Facebook-type apps, instant messaging, and instant reactions, praying without ceasing has reached a top priority:

16 Rejoice evermore.17 Pray without ceasing.18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. II Thessalonians 5:16-18

The great words of Proverbs 3 stand out in this regard:

3 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:1-6

Rich, Vital, Prayer

The very first thing I ever learned about prayer as a child was that you memorized prayers. I was never taught "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake...l" (scary way to settle your day as your head hits the pillow), but I did learn many memorized prayers suitable for bedtime, dinnertime and many other occasions. I still can recite them but I don't because I like to think through what I'm talking to God about.

The Greek word translated 'prayer' is 'proseuche'. It is a merger between two words, 'pros' and 'euche'. 'Pros' generally indicates closeness of one thing to another. 'Euche' is a request, petition or prayer.  In another older usage, the concept of vow was included in the definition. It was thought that when a person prayed, he made a vow to give something to God in return for an answer (one cannot bribe God especially with works).

Whatever way you look at it, prayer is an exchange between two parties. It is a closeness. It is a relationship with God. What do we exchange with God? We can never out give God (or get even close for that matter), but in in Hebrews 11:6 Paul writes:

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Substitute the word 'trust' for 'faith' and it gives a clearer picture of what warms the cockles of God's heart.  As any parent knows, when a child approaches with an open heart of trust it is especially gratifying. The whole chapter of Hebrews 11 is about people who have trusted God. God LOVES that trust and he pours it on because He is all about relationship with His kids.

Prayer is a big deal. There are numerous example throughout the Bible. I am especially enjoying Moses' conversations with God in Exodus! Prayer is not vain, empty, repetition. Thinking is definitely involved! When my head hits the pillow at night and the thoughts from the day quiet down, I relish the conversation with the Father. There are mornings when I awake with one of those 'nudges from Him. All day He is there in crisis and celebration. Prayer is a dynamic rich relationship with someone we can trust. It is something to look forward to!

He Prayed For You!

Great verse! I stumbled upon this yesterday while reading about how Christ prayed, what he prayed for and what he did not pray for in John 17. Verse 20 just totally caught my breath!

John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Jesus Christ was praying for his people and those who believe their words. Since we are reading John's words in the gospel we have to realize that Jesus Christ actually prayed for us! Hey! The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16b)! If there ever was a righteous man, it was Jesus Christ! and He prayed for us!

Jacob's Prayer and Our Prayers

In Genesis 28:15, 31:1-13, God told Jacob what was going on around him in regards to the end of his time in Harran with Laban and his returning to where Esau was.  In verse 3 and again in verse 13,  He gave Jacob specific instructions:

¹⁵ And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

³ And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. 

¹³ I am the God of Bethel ( a location that had meaning to Jacob), where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

  There is a very clear example of Abraham praying to carry this out in Genesis 32: 9-12:

 ⁹ And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:¹⁰ I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.¹¹ Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.¹² And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. Genesis 32:9-12:

There are several key aspects of this prayer we can learn from:

•  The first thing Jacob said was 'O God' in acknowledgement of where help comes from.
•  Jacob also repeated God's instructions and promises.
•  In verse 10, Jacob exhibited his humbleness and thankfulness.
•  Jacob then laid out specific details and his concerns.

This prayer has great practical applications for us today when it is compared to  I Timothy 2:1 and Philippians 4:6,7,8. When God promises and instructs us there is no shame in having concerns that one needs help with. When God gives us instructions and tasks to do, we need to believe and carry it out and remember what He has promised. At times this can be tough as there are forces in operation that tell us otherwise.

Many many years ago, before I really understood what revelation from God was, I remember clearly a promise of God specific to a situation that I had prayed about. The answer was so simple and clear even to the point of establishing a location that was involved in its fulfillment.  I didn't realize it until much later. The reason for that all was for encouragement and keeping the promise intact when the 'wrestling' in opposition to it popped up in my mind.

When we pray we enter into an agreement for help. Jacob had several appearances from angels to help him along.  In the grace administration in which we live, we have the spirit of God within to comfort and instruct us. Prayer is important for our own sakes. We should never underestimate its value.

Listening is More Than An Art

One morning right when I woke up, I had an 'aha' experience on something I wanted to pursue in the Bible. Then the radio alarm went off and my mind shifted towards other things. Later  my first thought of the day in all of its richness became a fleeting thought. The same thing happened this morning, only this time I sat down immediately with my coffee in one hand and pen in the other, and wrote down all the details. Then things started to really roll and I was entwined with several things to look up in the Word.

Both times God was answering prayers on questions I had. The first time I was too busy, but the next time I was determined to listen. Listening is an art in communication between two people. Between a person and God, communication is more than an art. It is a very real reality that is something to fight for (martial arts? Hi-ya!). The noise of life which includes, fears, condemnation, apathy, opinions, doubts, religious ritual chatter and many other things can cloud our thinking. You can't hear God in a crowded mind.

I fellowship with God-lovers on a daily basis and it is pure joy.  I have nothing really valuable to contribute to another person when I don't keep my listening relationship with God white hot. When I listen to Him, I am better able to listen to others and see God working in their lives also. That is what 'praising God and having favor' (Acts 2:47) together is all about.

I John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

God's love is infectious when we share it with others. A couple of months ago, a friend told me that a great opportunity had opened up at work that it was a great benefit to his family. As I listened, I recognized it immediately as God at work and an answered prayer. It was a great conversation loaded with thankfulness! We remind each other of God's incredible love and the results are compounded!