PRAYER AND ITS PURPOSE

 

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PRAYER AND ITS PURPOSE

 Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of Elohim, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 * * * * *

 In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), the Master spent the first chapter redefining the Law in terms of IAUE’s true expectations (“You have heard it said…but I say unto you”). He spent the second chapter explaining that life isn’t about you/us. (The Father is fully aware of the needs of our physical life, so why waste a minute being concerned about them ourselves?). He spent the third chapter making it quite clear that the Father expected a changed life built upon trust in His word; and that trust should be evident in how we lived our lives (A house built upon the rock versus a house built upon the sand).

The premier message of the Messiah and of his disciples was always, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”  Now, when the disciples asked the Master to teach them how to pray, he taught them: “Our Father, which art in Heaven; hallowed be thy name. They kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”  We have already examined in previous posts that this prayer is not about the one praying for the pronouns are all plural. It begins with “Our.”  This is in keeping with the Sermon on the Mount.  We don’t need to concern ourselves with ourselves. In fact, if you are praying on behalf of others; and they are doing the same; then all of them are praying for you. 

We have also seen in prior posts, that the first request of this model prayer is for the Father’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth.  That means, the premier message (Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.) remains the premier focus of our lives; and that includes our prayer. 

Our opening verse congeals this focus and summarizes the entire sermon in a single sentence. 

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of Elohim, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

A few verses later, the Master mentions this “seeking;” but, unfortunately, because of the chapter break, it is rarely seen in context with this verse. 

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Everyone is familiar with “ask, seek and knock” in the Sermon on the Mount; but if put into the context of the sermon, we will see Yahushua, who was ever focused on His Father’s Kingdom; and who just taught his disciples to seek first the Kingdom of Elohim, is telling his followers that if we are seeking first the Kingdom then our asking will be about the Kingdom. Our seeking will be about the Kingdom; and our knocking will be about the Kingdom.  It was the primary message and the primary focus of the Master and of his disciples. 

This is not a trite revelation. It isn’t a clever “find” in the Scriptures to tout to others to show off your insights into Scripture. It is a clearly defined path for the disciple of the Master Messiah Yahushua to walk out in life in such a way that the fruit of it is evident to all.  We live for the Kingdom and its advancement in the earth. 

So, when we read verses in the Scripture like this one (Ask and it shall be given you.), we should never mistake this for asking for anything other than that which advances the Kingdom and secures the will of IAUE being performed in the earth.  

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 

When we read these verses outside of the context of the heart of Yahushua revealed in the Gospels, we contort the words and render them as though they are wishes being granted by a genie to fulfill all our selfish desires; and yet James tells us: 

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Can you see the commentary this provides to Matthew 7 which says if we ask we receive?  We do NOT receive if our asking is out of focus with the advancement of the Kingdom…if our asking is for our self-interests. 

We also see in John’s first epistle, this dedication to the model prayer. 

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 

Our confidence in receiving that for which we ask is entirely based upon the alignment of our prayer with the advancement of the Kingdom and the performance of IAUE’s will in the earth. 

Our Master demonstrated what our lives should be like when he was yet a young boy. 

Luke 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 

What about this is difficult to understand?  There isn’t anything, really. The problem begins with our not having embraced the premier message:  Repent. Remember, we are dead, and our lives are hidden with Messiah in Elohim; and since we reckon Messiah died for all, we which live should live for him who died for us. (Colossians 3:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Our lives are no longer about us; and our prayer should not be about us.  Focus. Prayer is not for sissies.  It is for those committed to the advancement of the Kingdom of IAUE and the performance of His will in the earth.

PRAYER AND PRETENTIOUSNESS

 

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PRAYER AND PRETENTIOUSNESS

 Mark 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

* * * * *

Today, I want to discuss something that would seem to be obvious and in need of no discussion at all. Though that should be true, there are so many manifestations of this problem in the lives of Christians and whole congregations that a “wake up” call is needed. This problem is pervasive and creeps into the lives of even the most serious and disciplined of disciples from time to time; and that problem is pretentiousness in prayer.

In our opening Scripture, the scribes are drawing attention to themselves to satisfy their own egos. There is no legitimate faith or religion behind what they do. Instead, they use faith or religion as a pretext for behavior designed to draw in the admiration and esteem of their intended audience. In other words, their lives are all about themselves.

Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Now, it may not be particularly common to find someone, today, praying long-winded prayers in order to capture the awe and admiration of the people.  No, there really isn’t much stomach any more for long prayers; because prayer has become such an antiquated form of religion, that even short prayers can be seen as an expression of “sainthood.” Longwinded prayers, today, are more than likely to agitate the listeners; because they are ready to move on to the next item on the agenda; and they are ready for the person to just shut up (demonstrating that both the one praying and the one listening are not really involved in legitimate prayer at all).  Nevertheless, the Master’s point is made. The scribes prayed with many words for the same reason that all too many Christians, today, pray publicly. It isn’t to be heard and answered from Elohim above; it is to be heard and respected by man, with their esteem the real answer to the prayer.

Let’s try to put this in some present-day context and broaden our understanding of the pretentiousness of prayer. Below is an example of a typical Sunday Morning church bulletin providing the order of service.

Prelude

Call to Worship

Prayer of Invocation

Greeting of Visitors

Hymn of Adoration

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Offertory

Special Music

Sermon

Pastoral Prayer

Notice the Order of the service includes the “Prayer of Invocation,” a “Prayer of Thanksgiving,” and a “Pastoral Prayer.”  This, or something quite similarly, typically occurs in church after church, week after week, year after year all around the world.

In my lifetime, I have been a member of more than 20 churches in seven States in the USA.  This has included denominational churches, independent fundamental churches and independent charismatic churches.  Their Sunday morning services all followed something similar to this bulletin’s agenda.  The prayers prayed at the indicated times for the indicated purposes were schedule-fillers for the most part. No real entreaty to the Heavenly Father was made. Someone had to say something out loud in the form of a prayer in order for the next thing on the bulletin to be reached.  This kind of prayer is utterly pretentious. It is a ruse. It isn’t what it appears to be; and it is an insult to our Father and a disservice to all who hear it; not to mention denigrating to the character of the one praying it.

Any prayer in any setting that is offered for any other reason than a pure desire for the Father to hear and answer is pretentious; and our Master commanded us NOT to be pretentious in prayer.

Another example: In a gathering of friends and family, where one does not want others to think they are not Christians…or in In a restaurant where one specifically wants others to know they are believers, a prayer is offered before eating.  We call it “saying grace” (which term doesn’t really make sense). I am not saying that no one ever prays before a meal without genuine expression of thanks to the Father.  I know that is probably the rule; but also, quite common is the “pretense” of prayer for the outward show to those watching or listening.

There is one time in Scripture when a prayer was spoken for the benefit of those listening and not specifically for the Father’s ears.  That was when Yahushua prayed a brief prayer before commanding Lazarus to rise from the dead; and it was not pretentious. It was purposeful.

John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 

In the regular course of one’s life as a Christian, we are often confronted by people who ask us to pray for someone we do not know…like a relative of a friend…or friend of a relative. Either way, we have no emotional or personal connection to them. When we consent to pray, if we ever actually get around to praying, it can often be speaking the right words, directed to the Father; but totally without any genuine compassion or faith or a moment’s expectation that the prayer will be answered. It is more of a discharge of responsibility accepted from the one who asked us to pray.  Such prayer is pretentious.

Prayer is serious stuff; and we will be continuing to examine it in weeks to come; but non-serious prayer is also serious stuff; and we need to expunge its existence from our lives and call it out in other believers when we observe it.  We are to be known as a “house of prayer.” Such selfish games in prayer must not be once named among us. Do we think our Father does not see?  It is imperative that we examine our prayer life and remove all such pretense from our lives.

If we ever raise our voice to Heaven, it must be filled with faith and expectation. If we cannot fit that bill, then the prayer must be one of seeking wisdom to know His will so we can follow it with a prayer of faith.

PRAYER IS NOT FOR SISSIES – PART IV (PRAYER AND PREPARATION II)

 

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PRAYER IS NOT FOR SISSIES – PART IV  (PRAYER AND PREPARATION II)

James 5: 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.  18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

 1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

* * * * *

We could expend a lot of time devoted to this topic of preparation in prayer; but our last post sufficiently opens the door to understand why preparation is important, and the role it plays in effective prayer. If you meditate on the illustrations provided, you can further develop your own understanding of this issue of preparation. The more you devote yourself to prayer continuously throughout the day, every day; it will increasingly become obvious that it takes preparation to transcend the “gunslinger” experience in prayer. (This is the quick shoot-from-the-hip quickie prayer that is focused on what the natural mind perceives is the need for prayer. This form of prayer frequently misses the underlying problem that created the apparent need; but once the sentence prayer is uttered, the weapon of prayer goes back into the holster, unused until the next quickie prayer seems needed.).  We will cover two more illustrations and then move on from this topic.

Illustration #1 – Elijah

James 5: 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Do you think Elijah looked at the trouble being caused by the King of Israel and decided what he was going to pray to wreak vengeance upon him?  No.  He prepared before praying. He saw in the Law of Moses, the Torah, there were many curses that would result if the people failed to keep IAUE’s commandments (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). His heart was directed to this one.

Deuteronomy 28:23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.  24 IAUE shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

Understanding the will of IAUE regarding this particular matter, Elijah prayed.  We do not see his prayer in Scripture; but we know that he was confident that IAUE heard him.  As the apostle John says, if we know we have prayed the will of IAUE we know He has heard our prayer; and if He has heard our prayer, we have assurance we have the answer to our prayer (1 John 5:14-15). So, with this assurance, Elijah comes onto the scene for the first time in Scripture and does this.

1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As IAUE Elohim of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

He declares to King Ahab that what he has prayed is now a fact, a foregone conclusion.

Then, as we explained last week how IAUE may sovereignly reveal the knowledge of His will to us, Elijah knows by the word of IAUE that it is time for the rain to return.

1 Kings 18:1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of IAUE came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

Even though IAUE said He will send rain, Elijah had told King Ahab that it would not rain again except according to his word; so Elijah prays…seven times…and the rains came hard and full (1 Kings 18:41-45).  James tells us that Elijah was no different than us. This is what prayer can do, and the most common among us disciples of Yahushua can pray with this kind of effectiveness…with a little preparation.

Illustration #2 – Abraham and Sarah

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

In the first six verses of this chapter, Peter was giving instructions to wives how to behave with their husbands in order to be honorable wives, and, if their spouses are not disciples, how to win them without a word.  Then Peter has one thing to say to the believing husbands: Behave properly toward your wife to prevent your prayers from being hindered (ekkopto) – cut off, hewn down. “Hindered” is a gentle version of what is happening here. A husband who does not properly relate to and treat his wife as a fellow heir of the grace of IAUE, has no business praying at all. His prayers will find Heaven to be as brass, just like Elijah prayed they would be. His prayers will fall to the earth as dust. 

Abraham’s relationship with Sarah emulated this kind of wife-honoring; and Abraham was able to negotiate with IAUE regarding matters that affecting kingdoms.

This is a preparation that must be made by every believing husband. It is a requirement. There are no exceptions to this; and it is not dependent on how nicely one’s wife responds to him.  Husbands MUST honor their wives according to this knowledge;  because as believers we are living stones in the House of IAUE, which is to be known as a house of prayer.  One requirement mandates the other.  There should be no believing husbands among us that does now show honor to his wife.

Notice, this is not a guarantee of answered prayer. It is a guarantee that your prayer will NOT be heard, much less answered, if you don’t get this right in your life.

PRAYER IS NOT FOR SISSIES – PART III (PRAYER AND PREPARATION)

 

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PRAYER IS NOT FOR SISSIES – PART III  (PRAYER AND PREPARATION)

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

* * * * *

Today, I want us to consider another aspect of the prayer-life that is not for sissies.  By that I mean it isn’t “easy.” It requires time and effort.

Proper prayer requires more of the disciple than just shooting off words from the top of the head. Most consider prayer to be the work of a gunslinger who is told about a need then does a quick-draw, shoots a prayer-bullet then reholsters his gun; rather than a covert military operative who must plan, equip, position, maneuver and wait for the perfect timing to execute and complete a mission. What I am saying is, most prayer where requests are being made of the Father require preparation, especially corporate prayer where others are expected to be in union with the prayer. (There are several forms of prayer which we will discuss later, but we are speaking specifically to prayer that asks things of IAUE.)

I have been in prayer meetings and church services where prayers were being spoken from the congregation; and I absolutely could not agree with them.  In fact, on occasion, I have actually asked the Father to forgive them for what they were praying; because they were praying in conflict with the Scriptures. I would imagine most disciples have experienced this.  Why does this happen?  In a congregation or a bible study or conference, etc., it is because there is no preparation.

John 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

People who are familiar with this verse believe they can ask IAUE for anything, so they ask what THEY want or want to happen. This is a single verse in a period of instruction that occupies three entire chapters of the Gospel of John (14-16). Out of context, it would seem this verse would validate the gunslinger; but in context, this verse is entrusted to a believer who loves the brethren, loves IAUE, obeys His commandments and is committed to the performance and execution of His will.  Well, that would bring into action the prayer Messiah offered as an illustration of how to pray; and the first request in that prayer was for our Father’s Kingdom and will to come and be done on earth in such a way as to fulfill His eternal counsel.  Consequently, prayer is not about us. It is not about what we want, unless our desires are in conformity with His desires. Yahushua was not giving his disciples the power to do what they want, act like they want and get what they want. He was training them to carry on his work.  Remember the “Great Commission” of Matthew 28:19-20?  They were ordered to go out and make disciples and to teach people to DO what Messiah had commanded THEM to do. There is no room in that commission for self-gratification and worldly pursuits.

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in IAUE: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

When our delights are IAUE’s delights; when our desires are what He desires, we are ready to be engaged in the warfare of prayer because we have reached the right mindset for prayer. Yahushua was always about his Father’s business.  We must always be keenly focused on facilitating the advancement of the Father’s kingdom and His will. Our own personal needs are already accommodated by Scripture. In Matthew 6:25-33, Messiah told his audience not to take one thought about the cares of their lives because the Father knows their needs.  The disciples’ job was to do the work of the Kingdom. The Father’s job was to insure they were appropriately supplied for the work.

The very next verse King David provided after promising IAUE would give us the desires of our heart shows this vital arrangement between the Father and the disciple.

Psalm 37:5 Commit thy way unto IAUE; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

So, let’s take a look at this preparation for prayer.  Our opening verse says:

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 

Admittedly, we have all heard people pray “If it be thy will,” scores of times, maybe hundreds of times in our life. It is impossible to pray in faith if you do NOT know what you are praying is Father’s will; and without faith it is impossible to please IAUE (Hebrews 11:6); and whatsoever is without faith is sin (Romans 14:23). So, the first step of preparation is to learn what the Father’s will is about the subject for which you want to pray.  You cannot pray in faith without knowing.  How, then can we know the Father’s will?  There are primarily three ways: 1) The Scripture reveals it, 2) We ask for the Father to reveal it, and 3) The Holy Spirit sovereignly reveals it to us.

1) The Scripture reveals it.  King David constantly studied the Scriptures for it revealed the ways and the will of IAUE. The Scripture gave David the confidence to know exactly how IAUE would respond to any given set of circumstances; and he used this wisdom to structure all of his prayers.  In the New Testament we see a brilliant illustration in Acts.

Acts 4:23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to Elohim with one accord, and said, IAUE, thou art Elohim, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Messiah.

27 For of a truth against thy holy child Yahushua, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

29 And now, IAUE, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Yahushua.

Note in v.24, they prayed with one accord. That required discussion among them to know what was going to be prayed so all present could be in agreement with it.  Also, in v. 24, they magnify the Father’s name (the same thing Yahushua instructed them to do first I prayer – “Hallowed be thy name.”)

In v. 25, they quoted Psalm 2:1; and in v. 26, they quoted Psalm 2:2.  This effectively invoked the rest of Psalm 2 which shows IAUE’s reaction to such opposition would be to laugh at their resistance and to take a rod of iron to crush them; then to warn them to get on His Messiah’s good side or suffer the consequences.  What a perfect Scripture this was to invoke in this particular instance; and how appropriate to the need for which they prayed.

In v. 27-28, they told IAUE that the worldly leaders were doing exactly what His Word said they would do with His Son; and that leads to what IAUE’s response to those leaders would be.

Then in v. 29, they finally make their request, having set before IAUE a clear and precise explanation from His own Word what they were dealing with and what He said He would do about it.  They then ask for boldness to continue doing His will; and asked for signs and wonders to confirm His word (which is what Yahushua had said in Mark 16).  This is Scriptural preparation for knowing IAUE’s will BEFORE praying.

2) We ask for the Father to reveal it. James tells us that if we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask IAUE who will give it to those who ask in faith (James 1:4-5).  In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he told him that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks was to be made for all men, especially for kings and those in positions of authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2).  Here we see four different kinds of prayer.  First, supplications are the gunslinger’s prayers. You immediately pray for what appears to be the obvious need. Secondly, prayers represents seeking insight from IAUE to know more accurately what the need is and to obtain the wisdom to know precisely what and to pray.  This is information gathering from the Father to know more perfectly what His will is in the particular situation.  Once wisdom is received, intercession prays what the Father revealed unto the victory in prayer which is followed by thanksgiving to IAUE.

3) The Holy Spirit sovereignly reveals it to us. Sometimes, the wisdom of IAUE can come to us by someone speaking a word of knowledge or word of wisdom to us (see the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12.) equipping us with the knowledge of IAUE’s will or wisdom to understand how to proceed in a matter (essentially, providing the information sought in the “prayer” phase of 1 Timothy 2:1). Sometimes, the Holy Spirit just brings revelation to our own minds.  Frequently, and quite regularly, when one does not know how to pray for a matter, prayer extensively in tongues will cause the wisdom to be dropped into our spirit, and when, in time, that reaches our understanding, we have the revelation of the Father’s will in the matter we desired.

All of this indicates that gunslinger prayer is not what is going to solve the matter of “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” It is going to take those disciples who are willing to take the time to pursue the Father’s direction and His will, and to know the Scriptural basis for the prayer that needs to be prayed. This cannot be effected by selfish prayers uttered simply to discharge one’s duty to pray because they said they would pray; or to compensate for one’s sense of guilt for the disobedience of prayerlessness.

PRAYER IS NOT FOR SISSIES – PART II (PRAYER AND LOVE)

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PRAYER IS NOT FOR SISSIES – PART II  (PRAYER AND LOVE)

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

* * * * *

The Apostle Paul clearly had a deep understanding of the love of IAUE for he describes  the nature of it in detail in 1 Corinthians 13; and he earnestly prays for the disciples to come to know and understand every dimension of the Master’s love in Ephesians 3:14-19. King Solomon described the love relationship between the Master and his bride in great detail (Song of Solomon); but examining his own life, it is unlikely that the understood what he had written. It was a prophetic song that transcended his own experience. The Apostle John, perhaps more than anyone else recorded in Scripture, understood the love of Yahushua and the love of IAUE. In his own gospel record, five times he refers to himself as the disciple whom Yahushua loved; and he dedicated his first epistle almost entirely to the love of IAUE.

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not Elohim; for Elohim is love (agape).

1 John 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that Elohim hath to us. Elohim is love (agape); and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in Elohim, and Elohim in him.

Elohim is love. Love is not something IAUE does. It does not describe His personality. It is His very essence. He loves because love is characteristic of His being.

What is love (agape)? How does it differ from other kinds of love? 

Sensual love (eros) when acting on its own is utterly and completely selfish; and it drives men/women to make foolish decisions and stupid judgments. Familial love (storge) is the love experienced between family members; especially parents for their children. This kind of love is also bred of selfishness. It is not impartial; and it is not shared with others. Brotherly love (phileo) is the love experienced between friends, and is also vulnerable to selfishness. Consider how many friendships no longer exist in your life and why they were terminated. It is almost always due to selfishness.

Agape is the only truly selfless love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Its primary characteristics are that it desires the best for others, and extends the best possible attitudes and behavior towards others. It is others-conscious and others-devoted without regard for itself, without desire for recognition or reward. It does not consider itself first nor measure the prospect of loss in order to benefit others. Agape is not passive. It actively looks to bless others.

Now, let’s take a look at the commandment of the New Covenant.

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

The disciples of Yahushua are to love each other just as Yahushua loved his disciples; and their love is not to stop with just their brothers and sisters in Messiah.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Self is the root of most of man’s problems.  The Kingdom of IAUE solves that problem by removing self from man’s focus; and He uses that, through us, to demonstrate His love for mankind. Agape love is what makes us the light of the world.

So what is the connection between love and prayer?  Remember when the disciple asked Messiah to teach his disciples how to pray?  He taught them to pray like this.

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  11 Give us this day our daily bread.  12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Messiah’s example prayer contains 9 plural pronouns in a simple 5-verse prayer. Nowhere do we find the words, “I” or “me” or “my;” and yet what constitutes the prayers of most Christians?  Typically, they pray for things regarding their own personal life. They pray for their bills to be paid, for their own health, for safety of travel, for a better job, a better car, for Aunt Susan to stop being such a pain in the neck, etc. In fact, their whole mindset is that prayer is asking their Heavenly Father for things, for them. There is no others-consciousness in their prayer life.

True prayer is not for sissies.  The prayer taught in Scripture is not selfish. It is devoted to the well-being and success of others. The prayers in Scripture that are personal are prayers for wisdom so we can know how best to live out His love in our life?

James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of IAUE, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

We have an excellent illustration of how this works.

Matthew 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

In verse 39, the Master prayed for wisdom regarding his imminent scourging and humiliation and impaling…his death.  In verse 42, he has received the wisdom from His Father and love resigned itself to the coming hardship. Obedience is always the expected result of prayer for wisdom; and love is the manifestation that results in blessing others.

The Master has called us to pray for others. Yes, we can be included in that prayer because he taught us to pray corporately…for the whole Body. Sometimes, that inclusion of ourselves sometimes requires the forfeiture of pride and the loss of self.

Daniel 9:4 And I prayed unto the IAUE my Elohim, and made my confession, and said, O IAUE, the great and dreadful Elohim, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;  5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:  6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

If there was a faithful Hebrew in the Babylonian captivity it would have been Daniel; yet when he prays for the restoration of Israel to Jerusalem, he includes himself in the corporate guilt of the people. When praying for the Body of Messiah, we cannot pray as one not bearing the same responsibility as those for whom we pray. We are not on the outside looking in. What one’s left hand has done one’s right hand shares in the consequence.  Can we begin to see why Messiah’s instruction in prayer made us conscious of the needs of each other?

We are commanded to love one another.  We are commanded to pray.  How can we do one without the other being an integral part?