Martin Luther, on "Praying in Faith"
Some reflections from Devotional Classics...
The only thing I didn't agree with was his statement that "we entreat God by his Son, his saints, his promises, his name." Not by his saints! Yes, the blood of Jesus allows us to "approach the throne of grace with confidence" (Hebrews 4:14-16), and his promises provide a foundation for us to know what his will is, and how to pray according to his will. In John 14:14 Jesus says, " You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." And 1 John 5:14, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." I don't believe that God's answers to our prayers are dependent on "his saints".
But I like this: "Prayer is made vigorous by petitioning; urgent by supplication; by thanksgiving, pleasing and acceptable." (A distinction is made between petitions and supplication: "in supplication we strengthen prayer and make it effective by a certain form of persuasion...petitioning is stating what we have at heart, naming the desire...") And he adds, "faith makes the prayer acceptable because it believes that either the prayer will be answered, or that something better will be given instead." Another very practical quote: "We are to lay our need before God in prayer, but not prescribe to God a measure, manner, time or place." That's where trust comes in -- trust that God will do what is right. He goes on to say that we are prone to sin in one of two ways in praying: by lacking faith, or by in essence, telling God what to do by prescribing specific times and measures. Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
I really like this quote: "God sometimes delays, but he always comes." This encourages me to be persistent in praying for the names on my "unsaved people" list, but I am convicted that I need to pray in faith. There are some pretty hard hearts; do I really believe that "my God is mighty to save"? He changed Paul's heart, and even my own dad's! And he is "the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Now here's the tough balance: how do I pray specifically and vigorously without giving God boundaries? During our Missions Conference God challenged me especially with regard to my prayers of, "Lord bless the missionaries." While that certainly isn't limiting God to a Who, a Where, and a When, I believe there is a better way to pray. I guess it comes back to my last post...knowing God, and knowing his will.
God actually wants to answer our prayers! He enjoys meeting with us. But I think we all get frustrated by prayers that don't seem to get answered, and we may wonder what the use is. Remember, "he sometimes delays, but he always comes." Well I need to remind myself to check a couple things: What am I praying for? God is loving and powerful enough to meet my needs, but are my prayers really asking for His will to be done, or for me to have my way? And am I believing? What if we really lived out the promise that if we believe, God will give us whatever we ask for in prayer? Is the promise fact or fiction? Are all things actually possible with God or not?
Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The only thing I didn't agree with was his statement that "we entreat God by his Son, his saints, his promises, his name." Not by his saints! Yes, the blood of Jesus allows us to "approach the throne of grace with confidence" (Hebrews 4:14-16), and his promises provide a foundation for us to know what his will is, and how to pray according to his will. In John 14:14 Jesus says, " You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." And 1 John 5:14, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." I don't believe that God's answers to our prayers are dependent on "his saints".
But I like this: "Prayer is made vigorous by petitioning; urgent by supplication; by thanksgiving, pleasing and acceptable." (A distinction is made between petitions and supplication: "in supplication we strengthen prayer and make it effective by a certain form of persuasion...petitioning is stating what we have at heart, naming the desire...") And he adds, "faith makes the prayer acceptable because it believes that either the prayer will be answered, or that something better will be given instead." Another very practical quote: "We are to lay our need before God in prayer, but not prescribe to God a measure, manner, time or place." That's where trust comes in -- trust that God will do what is right. He goes on to say that we are prone to sin in one of two ways in praying: by lacking faith, or by in essence, telling God what to do by prescribing specific times and measures. Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
I really like this quote: "God sometimes delays, but he always comes." This encourages me to be persistent in praying for the names on my "unsaved people" list, but I am convicted that I need to pray in faith. There are some pretty hard hearts; do I really believe that "my God is mighty to save"? He changed Paul's heart, and even my own dad's! And he is "the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Now here's the tough balance: how do I pray specifically and vigorously without giving God boundaries? During our Missions Conference God challenged me especially with regard to my prayers of, "Lord bless the missionaries." While that certainly isn't limiting God to a Who, a Where, and a When, I believe there is a better way to pray. I guess it comes back to my last post...knowing God, and knowing his will.
God actually wants to answer our prayers! He enjoys meeting with us. But I think we all get frustrated by prayers that don't seem to get answered, and we may wonder what the use is. Remember, "he sometimes delays, but he always comes." Well I need to remind myself to check a couple things: What am I praying for? God is loving and powerful enough to meet my needs, but are my prayers really asking for His will to be done, or for me to have my way? And am I believing? What if we really lived out the promise that if we believe, God will give us whatever we ask for in prayer? Is the promise fact or fiction? Are all things actually possible with God or not?
Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.