Prayer VII: Praying for Yourself

 What do people pray for when the pray for themselves? Healing, wisdom, maturity, the location of lost items, faith, to win the lottery? How do we know that these prayers will be answered? How do we pray for ourselves and make sure it is according to God's Will and it can be stamped with Jesus' name? If we are to pray without ceasing as I Thessalonians 5:16 says, how can we do that without running the risk of praying for things that aren't wholesome or pleasing to God? Should we pray for our lost car keys?
 Well, the short answer is yes. If we are to pray without ceasing and cast our cares and concerns onto God, then ultimately the lost keys would fall under that umbrella. But let's look further into what praying for ourselves really entails. Galatians 5:16-26 tells us that the flesh wars against the spirit. The flesh seeks worldly things and, ultimately, sin. The spirit, though, desires after the things that the Holy Spirit does. Remember, the Holy Spirit dwells inside us, and by nature makes us into a temple to Him. Therefore in man there can only be two sets of hierarchies with regards to submission.

 These hierarchies aren't in regard to greater or lesser, but in regards to submission. Either the flesh rules or the spirit does, but never the soul. In natural man, only the flesh can rule, but in the supernatural man, by the workings of the Holy Spirit, the spirit can rule.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matthew 6:24

 If we cannot serve two masters, and either the flesh rules or the spirit rules, we don't have much of a choice. We must walk by the spirit so as not to carry out the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16). This chapter in Matthew goes on to tell us that God takes care of the birds and the lilies and so He will much more take care of you, His children; therefore, we need not worry about food or clothing. Does this mean we shouldn't pray for these things? Not at all! But rather that we shouldn't worry about these things. Pray to God for them and then be settled, knowing God loves you and will take care of you.
 The chapter ends with Jesus saying not to worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself and that each day has trouble of its own. Then should we not pray for today only? Also consider this: God's hierarchy of submission is Father - Son - Spirit. Again this is not a hierarchy of supremacy as God is infinitely supreme and the tri-unity is exactly that, united and equal. However in this supremacy of submission the Spirit is lowest. This allows God's Spirit to harmonize with your spirit, provided you are ruled by the spirit and not the flesh. Natural men's spirit is effectively dead until God quickens it, but once we have been made alive in Christ we can partake in the Heavenly realms, beginning with His Holy Spirit.
 So when we pray do not worry over anything. Especially do not worry what is a suitable topic for praying. The only suitable topics are ones you pray for in the spirit. If you are praying in the flesh the criteria of prayer doesn't matter, it is in vain. If, however, you pray in the spirit, the doors of Heaven are open to you and be the prayer trivial or colossal, God hears, listens, and answers. So pray without ceasing and let tomorrow take care of itself. Let the Holy Spirit guide your spirit to a height the flesh can never attain. Walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

Prayer VI: Praying in His Will

 Have you ever decided you wanted something, but wouldn't allow yourself to have it? Maybe it was a purchase, another piece of dessert, or just saying no to a night with friends before an early morning. Well is God's wants different than His Will? They certainly are. God desires that none, should perish yet wide is the gate that leads to ruin. How then should we react to God's will. Is it similar to the clash between our wants and our will? Our Spirit versus our flesh? His Spirit versus ours? Let's look a little further on this subject this week.

 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:26-30

 In this passage, Paul is highlighting what the Spirit does in regards to our prayer. He intercedes, much like Jesus, our mediator. However does the Spirit intercede before we pray to tune our hearts to God so that we would pray better, or does He intercede on the prayer before the prayer reaches God, cleaning it and polishing it? Probably both. The Spirit's whole goal is to make the prayer presentable to God as soothing aroma. First the Spirit strives to conform us to the image of the Son, but second He makes intercession too deep for words before God. In this way He acts as both a proofreader giving suggestions to us, the petitioner, but also the copy editor making final changes before publication in Heaven.
 The Spirit's ministry is to conform us to the Son. This process is called sanctification and all believers are undergoing sanctification this side of eternity. When it comes to prayer, however, sanctification's goal, and therefore the Spirit's goal, is to have us pray as Jesus would pray. Last week we saw that when we pray in Jesus' name, we should pray as Jesus Himself would pray. Well good news! We need not (and cannot) do this on our own, the Spirit is there to guide us! He acts as our guide, our path, our friend, and helper to show us how to pray. One isn't born speaking fluent English, and neither is one born again speaking the deep matters of the heart conformed to God's will. The Spirit brings our stubborn selves along until we can pray as such.
 So then what is the will of God in regards to prayer? That we become conformed to Jesus' image. If, however, we stray from this, what is the consequences? Well for an unbeliever, they cannot pray according to God's will as the do not have God's Spirit. For believers, it becomes more tricky. First the Spirit will convict men unto repentance. But if a stubborn soul should persist, then God's will might pass them by. Consider Esther 4:13, Mordecai tells Esther that if she doesn't do this thing, God will raise up another. The same could be said for us, but may it never be! Rather strive to pray according to the will of God, for God's name's sake.
 This means putting off our old selves. Denying things that we may want. Things for good or for bad, but nevertheless, things not according to God's will. John the Baptist said "I must decrease, He must increase," this is even more true for us who are indwelt by His Spirit. The Psalms also speak of rejoicing to do God's will (Psalm 40:8), so we should not consider this a burden, but rather an opportunity to rejoice and learn. Ask God to to teach you His Will (Psalm 143:10)
 God's Will is that none should perish (II Peter 3:9). If that is so why do some perish? Why doesn't God destroy evil? Because He desires that none should perish and come to repentance and so He allows them a chance. If He eliminated evil, He would have to destroy all men who are not covered by His blood. However there will be a day that this is done, the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. In the aftermath, all that will be left is those who strive to pray according to God's will. What do we call it when everyone is praying in God's will? Heaven. Heaven will come to earth. Rejoice, brothers and sisters, as we have a Blessed Hope.

Prayer V: In your name, we pray

Have you ever had a nickname before? What was it and what’s the story behind it? How about when you chose a name for your son/daughter, or your stuffed animals, or your car, what were those names and how did you arrive at them? What do you think makes people name one child Winner and the other Loser? Is there inherent power in knowing a name, such as many fictional or mythical stories purport? What about the name of Jesus? What does God’s name mean/what power does it have? Is there inherent power therein or does it all stem from who He is, rather than simply His name?
For today’s study we’re going to be looking at what it means when we pray in the name of Jesus. It seems often that we simply use this as a way to close our prayers, sort of like sincerely, cheers, or your friend, but there’s more to it than that. In olden times families would seal their letters with wax and stamp them with a signet ring, signifying that while the wax was unbroken, this letter bore the exact words of that family and held the same potency as if the head of the family himself was there to say the words.
  With regards to Jesus, though is this true? Let’s begin by looking at Exodus 3:13-15. Here God is speaking one-on-one with Moses through the burning bush. He reveals to Moses His name. This seems like a truly intimate meeting between them. God has not, in recorded scripture, revealed His name to anyone prior to this. His name is also a name forever and a memorial-name to all generations. This name is supposed to last. This one name, the only name of God given to us, is what is commonly written today as Yahweh. This name was so holy, that in times past, when scribes would make copies of a text, they would need to ceremonially bathe before they wrote this name. This is particularly astonishing in passages in the Pentateuch or Isaiah where the Name is used frequently. Yet this doesn’t yet explain what it means when we pray in Jesus’ name. It adds some weight and, hopefully, some reverence, but nothing that shouldn’t have already been there.
Our next passage, Matthew 7:22-23, illustrates people who did things in Jesus’ name, but Jesus simply says He never knew them. He doesn’t say that He knew them once, but not anymore, or He was acquainted with them, but not good friends. Nay, rather He says He never knew them! This is particularly scary for believers as it directly applies to people who think they’re doing things for Jesus, but don’t have a relationship with them. Not only did they do normal things, but they also cast out demons, performed miracles, and prophesy. They did these things, yet did not know Jesus. How sad to think that people could do so much work for the Lord, but do not know the Lord of the Work. This passage applies to prayer extensively in that we need to make sure our prayers are about God and having a relationship with Him. Not about ourselves or simply doing, but rather knowing and growing in relationship to Him. Yet this does not explain what praying in His name means.
Matthew 8:5-10 tells the story of a centurion who came and asked Jesus to heal his slave. He told Jesus that Jesus did not need to come Himself, but only say the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus then marvels at this centurion’s faith, especially that he is a Gentile. Like all of scripture, though, we must read this in context, synoptically with its other passage in Luke 7. Luke’s version does not have the centurion come himself, but rather some Jewish leaders from the local synagogue and then some friends of the centurion. Yet it is the same story, resulting in Jesus marveling at the centurion’s faith. While this passage shows the authority of both Jesus and the centurion, for our purposes it shows just what it means to come, or do things, or pray in someone’s name. It is as if that person or persons came themselves.
Consider this, when you pray in Jesus name, you are, in effect, saying that you prayer is what Jesus would pray, if it were He who lived, and not you. You are acting as His ambassador. When you pray for earthly or base things, yet say you are doing it in His name, you are profaning that holy name, the name so holy scribes needed to take a bath just to write it. From now on, when you pray and you decide to close In His Name, remember what you're doing, Who you're doing it to and for, and remember all the weight it carries with it. It is your privilege as priests, but it is also your responsibility. May the God of all comfort keep you holy in your prayers.