Boldly approaching God

How do you approach God in prayer?  Boldly or tentatively?

In Hebrews 4, the writer tells us:

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

If you are like me, you may feel more tentative than bold much of the time.

Why is that?

One reason may be that we believe we are unworthy.  But does God demand perfection before he answers our prayers?  Clearly, no.  We all have to admit that we fall short of perfection.  If the Lord required us all to be super-saints, none of us would ever see answers to prayer.

The writer of Hebrews declares in chapter 4 that we need to hold firmly to what we believe because we have a great high priest in heaven - Jesus Christ - who pleads our case before the Father.  He knows we are weak and yet he speaks up for us.

He assures us that we will find grace and mercy in our time of need because he is a gracious God.

But, suppose our prayers don't match up with what God wants.  How can we pray confidently if God sometimes says: "No.  That is not what I want for you."

That is perhaps a more common reason we are hesitant in prayer.  We're not sure our prayers are according to his will.

As I think about this, I remember Jesus' words in Luke 11 about prayer.  He calls on us to be persistent and to keep on asking and God will give us what we need.

For me, the key is that God will give us what we need.  He knows what we need better than we do.

In fact, Jesus says, God will give us more than any earthly father could - the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, it is listening to the Holy Spirit that can increase our confidence in prayer.

The Spirit enlightens our minds as to what God wants for us as we read the scriptures.  And he arranges meetings and words from friends and drops thoughts into our minds to guide us.

The Book of Acts describes in chapter 10 how God gave Peter a vision that changed his attitude - and the attitude of the young church - towards accepting non-Jews as genuine followers of Jesus.  And in Acts 16, the Spirit stopped Paul from going into Asia in a vision.

The great British prayer warrior, George Muller, took major decisions in his orphanages after seeking God's leading through reading the scriptures and listening to the Spirit.  He acted once he was convinced of what God wanted.

I need these reminders when I feel twinges of doubt as I pray.

I can pray boldly because God loves me and wants to give me what I need.

Awe

Am I in awe of God?

The way we answer that question says a lot about how we pray.

A quick glance at the Merriam-Webster dictionary yields this definition of awe: "An emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime."

So, do we approach God with dread, veneration and wonder?

People in the Old Testament collapsed in terror before God and his angels.  They recognized he was holy and good while they were stained by sin.  They were aware of God's overwhelming power and majesty.

A good example is the prophet Isaiah who had a vision of God in the temple in Isaiah 6.  He cried out: "It's all over! I am doomed for I am a sinful man.  I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven's Armies."

God responded graciously, sending a seraph with a coal to touch his lips and tell him: "See, this coal has touched your lips.  Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven."

Today, we believers can enter the presence of God with confidence because Christ has died for our sins (Hebrews 4:16).

Does that mean we no longer need to come before God with awe?

No, it does not.  The mighty God of the Old Testament is still the mighty God of our day.

The apostle John presents a great picture of Christ speaking to him in a vision in Revelation 1:12-16.  The image of Jesus was glorious, a vision of overwhelming power with a thundering voice.

John reacted as Isaiah had: "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead."

But Jesus replied: "Don't be afraid!  I am the First and the Last.  I am the living one.  I died, but look - I am alive forever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and the grave."

As with Isaiah, God was gracious toward his loved one.

Christians today worship the Lord just as Christians have for many centuries.  But do we see him the way John saw him in his vision?

I have been thinking and reading about the attributes of God recently.  Like many Christians, I tend to dwell on his qualities of love and healing.  But I usually pass over other aspects.

Now, I am beginning to meditate on the Lord's awesome character.  For instance, God:

• Has always existed;
• Created the universe and the ant - everything - out of nothing;
• Knew everything about me before I was created - even knew my thoughts, the things I think about today;
• Is everywhere in the world and the universe every moment of the day;
• Sets up kings and kingdoms - and tears them down;
• Judges and punishes evil; and
• Intervenes to bring healing and help when people run out of hope.

And perhaps God's most awesome quality: Loving us so much that the Lord became a man and died for us so we can be with him eternally.

I love the fact that Revelation describes Jesus as the sacrificial lamb and the "Lion of Judah".  He is both.

He is truly awesome.

Decisive praying

"The way we pray will decide the way the universe goes," says Derek Prince.

A bold claim.  But I believe there is support for what he says.

Prince, author of Secrets of a Prayer Warrior, uses the example of the prophet Daniel whose steadfast praying brought about a memorable response from the angel Gabriel in Daniel 10.

Daniel was terrified by the mighty angel's appearance near the Tigris River in Babylon after the prophet had prayed and fasted for three weeks about a vision he had received about a great war.

Gabriel told Daniel he had left heaven with the explanation of the vision as soon as the prophet prayed.  But he had been delayed by the "Prince of Persia", a demon angel, for three weeks and was only able to get through because the archangel Michael came to assist him.

Gabriel then gave Daniel a summary of future history - the rise and fall of empires.

Prince says this story shows that Satan "seeks to control the empires of earth through its rulers in order to make its leaders and governments instruments of his will".

He adds: "We must pray for our governments in order to frustrate Satan and to bring our governments under heaven's control."

Prince notes we humans find it hard to believe that our prayers have world-shaking significance.  We feel insignificant, but God has given us important roles as prayer warriors.  The Bible says we will see our prayers answered if we pray according to God's will (1 John 5:14-15).

The apostle Paul says that the weapons he fights with are spiritual and "have divine power to demolish strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).  The strongholds are spiritual strongholds under the control of Satan.

In Ephesians 6, Paul outlines the spiritual weapons available to all Christians in defending against attacks from Satan - and the offensive weapon of the word of God.  He concludes by urging believers to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).

An example of a powerful intercessor springs to my mind - Rees Howells.

Howells was a Welshman who played a large role as a young man in the Welsh revival of the early 1900s.  That revival changed the face of society in Wales - God's influence spread everywhere.

But Howells felt that God was directing him to intercede for people and the world around him rather than become the face of the revival.  He was an effective evangelist but intercessory prayer was his calling.

He and his wife became missionaries to Africa where he continued his ministry of intercession.  Then, a revival broke out in southern Africa in 1915-1920.

Later, he founded the Bible College of Wales with prayer as a major priority.  Throughout World War II, the Bible College students prayed intensely against Satan and satanic forces as Britain was under attack.  They believed their prayers were answered as Britain emerged intact.

There are other examples in the Bible and history of God working miracles as people intercede for their cities and their nations and for the people around them.

Jesus used the word of God - the scriptures - as a potent weapon in fending off Satan's attempts to tempt him in the confrontation in the wilderness just after Christ's baptism in the River Jordan (Matthew 4).

Jesus spoke the scriptures.  Jesus had memorized scriptures and declared them with his mouth.

Prince says we should remember that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit as he rejected Satan's temptations.  Are we yielded to the Spirit's guidance as we face satanic attacks?

Other weapons are the name of the Lord and the blood that Christ shed on the cross on our behalf.  Praising God and testifying about Jesus' victory on the cross are ways of combatting Satan.

For many years, I ignored Satan and his work in our society.  But, like many Christians, I have become increasingly aware that the evil one is active in our country and in the larger world.

I am aware of the pitfalls of becoming obsessed with Satan.  He has been defeated by Christ on the cross.

I particularly like Guy Chevreau's approach in his book Spiritual Warfare Sideways: Keeping the Focus on Jesus.  Chevreau says that worshiping God is especially powerful in fighting evil.  Keeping the focus on God and praising him led to significant victories in the Bible.

The important thing for me is that I must be vigilant - "alert" as the apostle Paul says.

And I must be ready to put on the full armour of God as the apostle outlines in Ephesians 6.

I cannot disregard Satan's efforts to sideline the kingdom of God in our city and country.

Watchmen

Years ago, my wife  and I visited Nazareth and the guide pointed out a tower at a high point, declaring that was where the village's watchman stood in ancient times.

Watchmen were vital to the safety and security of towns in those days.  They were able to warn villagers of potential danger so they could be armed and ready for an attack.

The watchman role should be important, too, among us who are prayer warriors.

The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6:18: "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

And Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8: "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

Praying to protect our families, friends and fellow believers against Satan's schemes should be one aspect of the intercessor's role, says Dutch Sheets, author of Intercessory Prayer.  And some intercessors are especially equipped to be watchmen.

Sheets notes that biblical watchmen were tasked with keeping an eye out for animals and thieves who might make off with the village's crops along with giving an early warning of invaders.  They watched the surrounding countryside constantly from a high tower or high walls.

So, what should we watch for?

Sheets says that one thing we should watch for is false messengers.  Biblical watchmen could tell whether the messenger belonged to them from the way he ran towards them.  If he was not familiar, they might be wary about his message.

"Seasoned watchmen are often alerted by the Holy Spirit, before they even have any concrete evidence, that certain 'messengers' are not to be trusted."

He acknowledges we can make human mistakes, but, through experience, he has learned to trust the misgivings of certain "watchmen" because they are usually right.

Certainly, false prophesies and doctrines have sprung up in the church over the centuries.  False messengers can be very divisive.

Sheets says there is a difference between being preoccupied with Satan and being aware of him and his efforts to subvert believers.  "Be infatuated with and in awe of Jesus - be aware of the enemy."

A shepherd guarding his sheep at night is another feature of being a watchman.  The shepherd is watching for marauders and, at the same time, prepared to defend his flock from attack (Psalm 23:4).

There is a strong need for people to pray for God's protection against satanic attack.  Pastors, in particular, are a major target for the Devil because they play such an important part in leading churches.

Sheets says that there is still another way to look at watchmen in the Bible.  The word for watching in the Old Testament also suggests "laying siege" as in laying siege to a city.  This is used as an army seeks to keep supplies from flowing into a besieged city.

The author writes: "God is giving us the ability - by his Spirit - to discern the enemy's plans, strengths, weaknesses and points of entry - to cut him off and take nations, cities and individuals through prayer."

This may take weeks, months or even years of intercession and that can be discouraging for many of us.  But it is an important aspect of intercession.

He tells the story of Theresa Mulligan and her friend who prayer-walked a neighbourhood for a long time and stopped before every house, asking God to save the occupants.  Soon, stories drifted in about people giving their lives to Christ - a colonel's wife, a teenager, a college student and others.  Even after moving away from the neighbourhood, she continued hearing stories of people coming to the Lord.

This can be broadened to cities and nations - disputing the ground that Satan is claiming.

This kind of prayer has not been a strong point in my life.

But I have been sensing more and more that it is important to "watch and pray".

I need to be alert.

Your will, not mine

Do you ask God to carry out his will in your life when you pray?  If so, do you really mean it?

For various reasons, I sometimes forget - or avoid - asking for God's will to be done.

Why?  Because I  have my own ideas as to how God should answer my request.  Or, because I'm afraid God won't answer my request the way I want.

That is wrong thinking.

For example, it assumes that what I want is more important than what God wants.  When I think that way, I am out of tune with Jesus.

When Jesus outlined for his disciples the model prayer, he said in Matthew 6:9-13 that we should pray to the Father:  "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

We are here to help advance the kingdom of God.  And, in order for the kingdom to advance, God's will must be carried out.

For some people, the idea of submitting to God's will in a situation is akin to giving up.

Catherine Marshall says in her book Adventures in Prayer that she had been in bed for months with a serious lung infection in 1943 when bitterly and reluctantly she told God that he could do what he wished.  In the hours that followed she felt Christ's presence in her room as never before and she recovered.

She calls this "the prayer of relinquishment".  Her prayer had been ungracious, but God loved her and wanted her to surrender to him.  When she did, he met her need.

Of course, we can't expect that the results of our prayers will always turn out the way we wish.

In a sense, a good case in point is Jesus' prayers to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he died.

Sweating drops of blood in agony of spirit, Jesus prayed: "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (Luke 22:39-44)

Jesus knew he was about to die on the cross for all the sins of humanity from the beginning to the end of time.  And he knew he was about to be cut off for a moment from the beloved Father as he suffered the consequences of mankind's sin.

Knowing this, he still obeyed the Father's will.

And, of course, he won the greatest victory in history - the defeat of Satan on the cross.

We are promised that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose". (Romans 8:28)

We know that our ultimate destination is an eternity with Jesus where we will be rewarded for our commitment to the Lord.  In the meantime, we may suffer but our suffering will not be worthless.  God will use it for his purposes - and his purposes are good.

For instance, I remember reading about a young Russian woman who was beaten to death by the Soviet secret police for worshiping God.  One of her tormentors was so impressed by her steadfast faith to the end that he began thinking about God - and ultimately became a believer.

That is something few of us will face.

But we can be sure God will work our our difficult situation according to his plan - and his plan is always good.

And the result is good for us, too.

Battles and blessings

Long-time Christians know that life is a mixture of "battles and blessings".

So, how do we pray as we travel this up-and-down road?

The apostle Paul says we pray much the same way in good weather and bad.  We take everything to him in prayer - good and bad - and we give thanks to the Lord because we know he is good and he gives good things to his children.

And the apostle's life is just as a good a guide to how we should pray.  As he travels life's bumpy road, Paul always looks beyond himself to what God wants - he is outward-looking.

A couple of things reminded me of these truths this week - a passage in a devotional on "battles and blessings" by Nicky Gumbel, Anglican pastor of Holy Trinity Church Brompton, London, England, and a men's group discussion on Colossians 4:2-4.

"When we are in the battle, it is hard to believe that it will ever come to an end," writes Gumbel.  "When we are in a period of blessing, we sometimes expect it will go on forever.  But life is not like that.  There are battles and blessings."

So, we have to "learn to steer through battles and blessings".

How do we do that?

The first answer that occurs to me is Paul's well-known statement in Philippians 4:6-7:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I must admit I often let go of this truth and turn inwards, focusing on my troubles rather than on God.  But when I spend time in giving thanks for the many good things in my life - the Lord, in particular - my perspective changes and my view of life improves.

Of course, there is the danger that we will forget to pray at all if things are going so well that we feel no need to pray.

So, that brings me to the second way to navigate through the "battles and blessings" of life - turn our attention to what God wants in our lives.

Every Christian is given a commission by God to "be" Christ in our own little world.  God has a mission for each one of us.

That came out in our men's Bible study of the Colossians 4 passage this week where Paul urges his readers:

"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.  Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ.  That is why I am here in chains.  Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should."

We marvelled that Paul would be more concerned about taking advantage of opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ than he would be about his own desperate situation - a prisoner in jail. 

Paul put God first in his life.  This wholehearted commitment to what God wanted in his life helped him overcome all the suffering he endured.

I believe God wants to hear about our personal problems and needs.  Paul says we should take everything - good and bad - to the Lord in prayer.

But I also believe I am called to pray with certainty that, ultimately, everything in my life is in God's hands.

He is preparing me - through battles and blessings - to be more like Jesus and ready for an eternity with a loving God.

Jesus and the fig tree

I've long been fascinated with the story of Jesus and the fig tree.

It tells me that followers of Christ can also issue commands of faith if their commands align with God's will and they trust the Lord to act.

You may recall the story of the fig tree in Mark 11 and Matthew 21. 

Initially, the story seems trifling - maybe even strange.  Jesus and his disciples pass a fig tree and Jesus walks up to pick figs to eat.  But there are no figs on the tree so he says: "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." (Mark 11:12-14)

The next morning, they pass the fig tree and Peter says to Jesus: "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"

Then, Jesus follows up with a profound lesson from this seemingly trivial incident.

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered.  "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

I admit that my heart reaction to this story is: "Jesus, you can't really mean this!  That's impossible!"

But Jesus did say in John 14:12: "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father."

Jesus issued commands of faith on other occasions.  In Mark 4, Jesus and the disciples were in a boat when the winds whipped up the sea while Christ slept.  The disciples were terrified but Jesus woke up and simply told the blustery wind, "Silence! Be still!", and the wind stopped and the waters became calm.

Christ also rebuked demons and ordered them to leave afflicted people.

In the Old Testament, Joshua told the sun to stand still to enable the Israelites to win a battle - and the sun stood still. (Joshua 10:12)

Indeed, believers today have had remarkably similar experiences.

Derek Prince, author of Secrets of a Prayer Warrior, tells of a teenaged Zambian girl bicycling to one of his meetings in Africa, suddenly being confronted by a huge cobra, emerging from a 20-to-30-foot high anthill. 

She stopped before the snake, trembling.  Then, says Prince, the "Spirit of God came upon her, and she said, 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, go back into your hole.'"

The cobra stopped and turned its head towards its hole but remained motionless.  The girl repeated her command and it turned around and went back into the hole.

"When she got to our meeting place, she was still trembling," Prince writes. "In that command, God's strength was made perfect in weakness."

The passage about the fig tree indicates that these commands succeed when we have faith and we are right with God.  We do not depend on our own power, but on the power of God.

As well, we know our requests will be heard and answered if we ask according to what God wants.  (1 John 5:14-15)

There is much for me to ponder in this great story of the fig tree.  May the Lord increase my faith.