May 28
2 Sam 13:1-39 | PS 119:81-96 | Prov 16:6-7 | John 17:1-26
Prayer is crucial to a healthy relationship with God. But how do we pray and what exactly do we spend the bulk of our prayers on. We read in James 4:3-4, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." There is nothing wrong with praying for our health or the health of our loved ones, for job security, for our children to get into the college of their choice, etc. Yet, if we pause these are worldly issues. If most were honest these and items like these form so much of one's prayer life. Yet, the truth is we are in a spiritual battle. We and those around us have deep spiritual issues which are much more important than the worldly issues, yet, if one were honest it is the worldly issues that get the more prominent position in most individual's prayer life. As an elder in the church, the overwhelming majority of prayers that people seek intercession for concern areas of health, jobs, etc. But like every other area we should seek the guidance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to illuminate what prayer should look like.
We see Jesus in deep prayer, in His high holy prayer in John 17. We read in John 17:14-19, "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." Notice that concerning His disciples Jesus prayed about their spiritual needs, not their worldly needs. He prayed for their sanctification or their being set apart unto Him, not their health, wealth, etc. He goes on further concerning us, you and me, in 17:20-24, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."
When it comes to the reading of God's Word most continue to read only those portions of Scripture that they want, perhaps staying in the New Testament, or little devotionals with a Scripture here and there, followed mostly by views from a person. It's not that this is bad, and it is certainly better to be in some of the Word than none of the Word, but those who choose this are choosing to neglect the full counsel of God's Word through the entirety of Scripture. In like manner, when it comes to prayer, though there are so many deep spiritual needs, the overwhelming majority choose to focus on worldly issues. We must remind ourselves that this tent that God gave us to live in, our bodies, are not created to last. They will decay over time. Yet, our souls live on forever. This being true whether this means eternity with God in heaven or eternity separated from God in hell. With this in mind, and considering those in our respective mission fields do you really think worldly concerns should completely overshadow spirtual needs in our prayer life. May we look at things as Jesus did and focus on those things that Jesus deemed most important.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: