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Text: James 5:13-18 Review: James helps answer the question frequently posed by people investigating the idea of prayer… “What am I allowed to pray for?” “Any of you suffering… happy… sick… committed sins?” And Paul helps make it even clearer in Philippians 4 when he says “don’t be anxious about anything, but pray about everything!” (anxious- ‘trouble, worry, care’: whatever we really ‘care’ about!) ● So, I’ve suggested then that prayer is the “rhythm” of life. ~ Most often, God will not violate the governing principles he has established. He chooses to work in and through creation to restore creation. God seems committed to the arduous process of working within and alongside hesitant and defective humanity in order to re-establish his rule. ● I am becoming more convinced that God seems to have ordered things in such a way that he can genuinely respond to our requests; that God is affected by humanity; responsive to us (one of the aspects of God which is frequently celebrated). God seems to have ordered things in such a way as to invite us into a “partnership” with him (obviously, not a “peer” partnership). Genesis 1:27-28 (see also Psalm 8:6 “You made him ruler over the work of your hands…”), God creates and then entrusts us to govern/rule/be responsible for his creation. Revelation 3:21; 22:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:12- seems to suggest that our willingness to take seriously our responsibilities now is in some sense preparing us for future responsibilities when “the dwelling of God is with men” (Rev.21:3). ● The story suggests a partnership in which we are given legitimate input (even though we’re not equal partners, we’re not merely silent partners). Prayer indicates that we are thoughtfully involved in the process; the exchange is causing us to become more aware of God’s heart toward his creation. Genesis 1:28- given the privilege and opportunity to procreate. Genesis 2:19- responsible for naming the animals. ● So, within that partnership (as I learn to govern), there will be things for which I will need to “ask”. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us the approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” “confidence” (Gr.) means ‘the freedom to speak openly and frankly’; ‘unreservedness in speech’; ‘boldness’ ● Not “arrogantly”; our need has already helped to eliminate any pride or false sense of entitlement! That posture (of confidence) in only developed in relationship. ● I suggested that… I don’t think this diminishes God in any way or makes him “subject to us”- I actually think this makes God even greater!... that he has the capacity to utilize any number of ways of achieving his purposes. Luke 11:5-13 (read)- No one listening to the story would have imagined a neighbor that would be so rude. [Historians tell us that the laws of hospitality in the Middle East were such that if a traveler happened by with need of food or shelter, you were obligated to provide it. Also, the sleeping arrangements in many of the first century homes involved the family all sleeping side by side on the floor. If the father had to get up, it would have disturbed the sleeping children]. Okay, I get it. So God is like the groggy neighbor who’s too lazy to get up, wipe the sleep out of his eyes and help? God wishes we would just work it out and let him rest? And, we are to be viewed as just the pesky, needy neighbor who’s always asking to borrow stuff? In other words, we’re just a nuisance? ● In many of Jesus’ parables, he would tell the story and say, “God is like…” or “The kingdom is like…” In this case, it’s obvious that Jesus is saying that “God IS NOT like…” ● The point of the story is that prayer requires a posture of perseverance. He is encouraging a type of boldness that will not feel as if you are putting God out- a type of insistence that will not be easily put off. Luke 18:1-8 (read) In this parable, Jesus “front-loads” the point. He understands our tendencies toward giving up, so he tells a story to suggest that we should not be so easily dissuaded. Okay, I get it. So, in this one, God is like an unethical judge with no concern for justice and no sympathy for the helpless victim? And we’re just driving him nuts! In fact, he’s willing to give us whatever we ask if we will just go away! So the idea of prayer is to keep asking in order to ‘wear him down’, right? ● It’s easy to see from the stories that for anyone who persistently brings their requests for God’s help in the face of injustice or need, his delay in answering must seem like an indifferent neighbor or an uncaring judge. It’s within his power to do something… why won’t he do it? What’s taking so long? Reflections… ►Usually we pray just long enough to get resentful and bitter. It’s hard to work through our disappointment and convince ourselves to keep asking because our prayers have seemingly proven so ‘ineffective’. As I said last week, the problem is that I am conditioned ‘not’ to wait. But, when we give up, we prematurely abort the process and are left with the eventual “what if” aspect of prayer (see Genesis 18:23-33). ►Prayer is a means of patiently navigating through all the present challenges in anticipation of the “not yet”. Persistence in prayer is not from a lack of faith in God; in fact, it’s the deepest expression of faith in God. ►What we pray for repeatedly will reveal the condition of our heart and cause us alter our request or it will strengthen our resolve. There are certain prayers that we abandon with little struggle (i.e. we’re a little disappointed, but ‘no big deal’). ● I have found that they are usually the things for which we pray in “generalities”; it usually indicates that they lack a sense of urgency (i.e. ‘God bless the missionaries…’). Sometimes these prayers are offered with an “I was just seeing if you would” attitude; like we could catch God off guard in a moment of weakness or generosity. Like we’re trying to slip in a request in the middle of a conversation or trying to get your parents to sign your sub-par progress report. ● But, we find that we tend to be more consistent and more specific about the really urgent things in our lives. ● With prayer, it’s also important to “allow room for God”. Prayer is too often our “contingency plan”; we pray in the interim while we are solidifying our strategy. Prayer is usually a “last resort”. Maybe prayer is not our initial response because we have too many options!? ● That “pause”- while waiting on God, will either provide the opportunity for God to answer your request or for you to alter your request! ►Persistence usually indicates that we feel that we’re right! We are convinced of the legitimacy of our prayers. We find that we are not easily discouraged because our prayers originate in our hearts… with what moves us! (these are not just our “preferences” or petty desires). And, we keep on praying in confidence because we are certain of God’s heart. We are convinced that it moves us because it moves God! ● It’s our prayers for God to eliminate injustice, or to show mercy or capture the heart of our loved ones who have yet to embrace Jesus that we dare not abandon. ►Persistent adversity usually evokes persistent prayer. You may stop talking for a while, but it might be just long enough to hear something… God. ►“Who knows?!” (Jonah 3:9; Joel 2:13-14; 2 Samuel 12:22) King of Ninevah Jonah 3:9 “Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." 2 Samuel 12:22 “He answered, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.'” ● In my own experience, I have discovered that prayer usually begins with a distinct focus on “self”. It seems that we pray not only out of obligation/duty, but out of “curiosity” (we’re told to ask and we’re curious to see if it really works!)
But, it seems that as our life with God
develops, we pray more for his sake than our own- because God IS good and not
just because he is good TO US! |
