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:

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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.

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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?

PRAYER IS NOT FOR SISSIES

 

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PRAYER IS NOT FOR SISSIES

Let’s take inventory of what we have covered so far.

Why pray?  We are commanded to pray.

Why we do not pray.  We are selfish/worldly and have not bothered to learn about prayer.

Why we do pray.  We facilitate IAUE’s eternal counsel and manifest the Kingdom of IAUE.

Why prayer defines us.  We are the house of IAUE and His house shall be called the house of prayer.

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If, by this time, you have realized that as a disciple of Yahushua you should be more committed to and engaged in a life of prayer, you have probably started praying a bit more each day than what you have in the past; but probably nowhere near as much as you know you should.  (It is when one begins praying more that they become keenly aware of how selfish they still are.)  

You could probably draw up a short list of the things in your life that you have discovered you do not want to compromise in order to spend time in prayer.  You don’t want to wake up an hour earlier to pray because you value your sleep.  You don’t forfeit eating a meal to pray because you love to eat.  You don’t sacrifice your favorite TV show to pray because you don’t want to miss your program.  You generally don’t want to pray because everything else in your life has more value to you than prayer.  This is the “push comes to shove” time in your life.  Are you going to be a disciple of the Master Yahushua Messiah in life or in name only?

Two posts ago we discussed that IAUE directs us to pray for his wish or desire (His thelema) to be accomplished in the earth in order that His eternal counsel in Heaven (His boule) is fulfilled. This is why Messiah taught his disciples to pray first for IAUE’s kingdom to come and his will (thelema) to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  This requires knowing IAUE’s will; and that requires spending time with Him to know His will.

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.

There are many places in Scripture where His will is revealed to us; and prayer for such matters is always consistent with His current will.  For example:

- We are to pray that the Master of the harvest would send laborers into the harvest.

- We are to pray for those who persecute us and despitefully use us.

- We are to pray to be made aware of prophetic times and seasons.

- We are to pray for all who are in positions of authority.

- We are to pray for all of the saints.

We also know from Scripture what IAUE’s will is about those who are oppressed of the devil. He wants the works of the devil to be destroyed. He calls this “doing good.”

Acts 10:38 How Elohim anointed Yahushua of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for Elohim was with him.

1 John 3:8 …For this purpose the Son of IAUE was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

We know from Scripture that IAUE wants the gospel preached throughout the world and for men and women to observe to do all that Messiah has taught us to do.  We know that IAUE wants His children to grow in the knowledge of Him and of Yahushua Messiah. We know that He wants the believer to heal the sick and cast out demons. The Scripture is full of verses that reveal what our Father wants to happen in the earth; but most “Christians” are content just to watch and see if it will happen.  They are prayerless and will not partake of the blessings associated with anything that comes to pass in the world that is due to prayer.

Matthew 6:6 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.

Let’s examine how a body of believers prayed in the Scripture. In Acts 4, Peter and John were called before the High Priest and his close family members (important Levitical priests) regarding their healing of the lame man and for preaching in the name of Yahushua. They threatened them no longer to preach in Yahushua’s name. When Peter and John told them they would not cease preaching in his name, they threatened them further and then released them.  

Peter and John immediately went to a gathering of disciples and explained what had happened. The group then prayed “in one accord.”  What they prayed required thought and planning and knowing the heart of IAUE. Their corporate prayer involved quoting several Old Testament scripture verses to frame their request; then they asked IAUE to behold the threats that were made and to grant the disciples boldness to continue preaching in Yahushua’s name. Then they asked Him to remember to do what He had promised in Mark 16, that He would continue to heal, and that signs and wonders be done in Yahushua’s name. They received an immediate and powerful answer to their prayer.

My purpose in relating this story is to show the care and attention that went into drafting the prayer; and to see the role of Scripture in presenting one’s request to IAUE. This wasn’t an “off the top of their head” kind of prayer. The objective was important so the prayer also was important.

A life of prayer is not just giving ones’ self over to talking to IAUE incessantly. It requires time, thought, maybe searching the Scriptures, then expressing one’s request in faith to IAUE.  Prayer isn’t bowing one’s head for a moment of silence.  It isn’t just saying words to discharge a prayer request rather than searching the mind of the Spirit to genuinely seek divine assistance.  All such flippancy in prayer is noted by the Father for the selfishness it truly is.

If you study the prayers Paul prayed for the churches, you will quickly see that they required thought. They even required prayer to know how to pray for them.  Oh, yes, real prayer often requires prayer to find out how and what to pray.  If you just pray off the top of your head…the first ideas that come to your mind, you must evaluate if you are just being hasty to say you prayed (in case someone asks), or if your mind is being directed by the Holy Spirit to pray.

Bottom line: Prayer is not for sissies.  It requires commitment and cultivation of a heart that truly wants the Father’s will to be done on earth.  That is the prize of an intercessor. We have to want it.  Just like a prize fighter trains and trains, and controls and regulates his appetite, and meditates on the objective.  He sees the prize worth all the time and effort that leads up to accomplishing that for which he has disciplined his life. Once we focus on the prize---seeing the Father’s will being accomplished on Earth---the time and self-denial will be seen as very much worth the prize; and when the prize is demonstrated, when we see our prayers being answered, we can take joy in knowing we actually participated in it.

[True story:  When I was in the Army and stationed in Germany in 1977, there was a situation of concern developing in our city. I know several of our number prayed intently upon the matter. Three weeks later, that whole situation dissolved and the cause for concern disappeared. The believers who prayed were overjoyed; but I, who had not prayed one bit for it, was struck with the reality that I had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with this obvious answer to prayer and that I could not share in the joy. I had lost the opportunity to participate with IAUE and to experience the reward of answered prayer.  This singular event in my life made a huge impact on me and opened my eyes to the joy that our Father wants us to experience.] 

PRAYER IS WHAT DEFINES US

 

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PRAYER IS WHAT DEFINES US

Mark 11:15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Yahushua went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

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Anyone who has ever read the Gospels is familiar with this passage of Scripture. It is also found in Matthew 21:12-13, and Luke 19:45-46 (It Is quoted from Isaiah 56:7). We could call this a repeat of the “Nadab and Abihu experience.”  When Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the Law, he had been given explicit instructions on how the Tabernacle was to be designed and erected, and how every single service of the Tabernacle was to be performed. IAUE repeatedly warned Moses to insure that all things were done exactly as He had explained it to him.

We know from 1 Corinthians 10:11 that the things and events recorded for us in the Old Testament were examples for us (signs, types and foreshadows) to represent spiritual truths for those partaking of the New Covenant.  The Tabernacle of Moses was the most explicit, most highly detailed imagery of the person and work of Yahushua Messiah that is found in the Old Testament. It had to be perfect in its structure and in its service. In Leviticus 10, the day the Tabernacle of Moses was consecrated for service, Aaron the High Priest, had his job to do, as did his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar; but it appeared there was no specific assignment for Aaron’s other sons, Nadab and Abihu. All of them had been anointed to the priesthood; and this day of inaugurating the Tabernacle to being offering the sacrifices for the people, the excitement level of the children of Israel would have been very high.  Nadab and Abihu desired to participate in some way, so they placed incense in a bowl and set fire to it to burn incense in the Outer Court.  This act was not only contrary to the designs and plans IAUE gave Moses, it violated the message of the Tabernacle and misrepresented the person of Yahushua Messiah. IAUE had to delete it from the imagery, so He sent fire from Heaven and consumed the two boys.

(A similar experience was in Numbers 20:11, when Moses struck the rock twice to bring forth the water in the wilderness instead of striking it once as IAUE had instructed him to do. This was a violation of the foreshadowing of the impaling of Messiah. 1 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the rock was Messiah; and Hebrews 6:4-6 tells us that sacrificing Yahushua a second time for sins would put Messiah to shame. Yahushua was sacrificed once for all.  For this violation of this foreshadowing of Messiah’s sacrifice, Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land.)

What had Isaiah foreshadowed that caused the Master such concern that he would so forcefully drive out the moneylenders from the temple, and not even permit men or women to use the temple grounds for a shortcut to carry water through it?  They were violating the imagery designed by IAUE. There was a spiritual truth being jeopardized by their actions; and in so doing, the Master not only corrected the type but added to it.  Let’s see what this means

Ephesians 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of IAUE; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahushua Messiah himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Master: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of IAUE through the Spirit.

The believers in Messiah are individually members of His Body.  All believers everywhere constitute the body of Yahushua Messiah in the earth.  Paul explains to the Ephesians and to disciples everywhere that when they believed on Messiah became building blocks fitted together to form a holy temple whose purpose is to be an habitation of IAUE…to be a dwelling place for His Holy Spirit.  The apostle Peter said it like this.

1 Peter 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to IAUE by Yahushua Messiah.

Paul says we are the building blocks that form the temple of IAUE; and Peter says those building blocks are living stones that do not just form a place for the Spirit of IAUE to dwell. These living stones have a responsibility…a duty that falls upon them by virtue of their being a part of this holy temple.  They (the believers) are to “offer up spiritual sacrifices” as opposed to the literal sacrifices that were types and shadows for us in the Tabernacle of Moses, as well as in the other temples that replaced the Tabernacle of Moses through the centuries, right down to the one where Yahushua drove out the moneylenders.

What are these spiritual sacrifices?  Isaiah foretold what they were; and Messiah drove out the moneylenders and forbade the people from using the temple grounds for personal convenience in order to preserve the integrity of the imagery of Isaiah’s prophecy.  The house of IAUE was to be known among all nations as the house of prayer.

Note that Paul had said this building, this holy temple, was being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Yahushua Messiah, himself, as the corner stone. What does the Scripture tell us of the apostles and of Messiah?

Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of IAUE, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto IAUE by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

Every single one of us who call upon the name of our Master Yahushua as Messiah are a part of a holy temple…the body of Yahushua Messiah.

John 2:19 Yahushua answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

The Scriptures teach us that we are to do many things.  We are instructed in all manner of relationships: father and children, husbands and wives, masters and servant, neighbor to neighbor, disciples to those in authority, etc.  It teaches us about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It provides codes of conduct in several of the epistles.  All of this we are to do; but there are only two things the Scripture teaches us that all peoples of the world will be able to observe us and thereby to recognize us as disciples of the Master Yahushua Messiah; and they are:

1.  “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John      13:35).

2.  “My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer.” (Mark 11:17)

Between now and our next post to this blog, I believe we all should take inventory of our lives to see if our living stone is doing its part as a building block in the habitation of IAUE’s Spirit. We can no longer dismiss prayer as something special intercessors do and which we can disregard.

WHY WE PRAY

 

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WHY WE PRAY

 Reasons why we do NOT pray:

 Disobedience is inconsequential to us.

We have no confidence in prayer.

We do not know how to pray.

We consider it a waste of time.

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If we read this short list and contemplate it for just a moment; there are several things that should quickly come to mind.  Things like how rebellious we are and how selfish we are; and how little we trust IAUE’s word; how little we will do to learn what is truly important; and how little we actually know IAUE.  It is an awful indictment and one that should truly make us feel ashamed before IAUE.; and yet, it clearly doesn’t for most professing believers; otherwise these would not still be problems. We have become so calloused in our 21^st century lifestyles, that IAUE is treated as an addition to our lives instead of becoming our life.

So, let’s try to tackle this problem. There are hundreds of books on prayer. Most are “how to” books, which don’t really deal with the issues that render us prayerless. Obviously, we need to deal with our rebellion and our selfishness; though that should not be an issue for us if we have died in Messiah and are alive unto IAUE…and yet it is.  (We will deal with that at a later date.) Selfishness is also at the root of our unwillingness to do what is necessary to learn how to pray; but when we consider that prayer, or more specifically, that our praying is a waste of time; we clearly do not know IAUE as we should.

Let me just say, if you want to know IAUE better than you do, you have to spend time with Him.  Who on earth are you going to know better without spending time with them, having contact and interaction with them? Do you think reading the Scriptures and learning what it says about IAUE is going to be enough for you to have a relationship with Him?  That would be like reading a biography of any famous person and thinking you are friends by the time you have read the last page.  To deal with this particular problem of prayerlessness, that of not knowing IAUE well enough, I would just say, spend time with Him.  We will move on to the next issue.

Why does IAUE instruct us to pray?  This is quickly revealed in Messiah’s answer to the disciple who asked him to teach them how to pray.

Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

It may not immediately present itself to you by reading these verses; but just look at the very first request in this prayer.  Prayer is IAUE’s way of involving His children, His sons and daughters, in the revelation and manifestation of His Kingdom in the earth. Through prayer we are being groomed to rule with Messiah. If this be true, how can we neglect such a responsibility?

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood (a priesthood of members of the royal family), an holy nation, a peculiar people; 

2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto Elohim and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our Elohim kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.=

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Yahushua, and for the word of IAUE, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Messiah a thousand years.

Messiah taught his disciples…he taught us…to pray for the Kingdom of IAUE to come.  Later, our Master answered when asked when the Kingdom would come:

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of Elohim should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of Elohim cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of Elohim is within you.

This brings us to the second half of the first request of the Master’s prayer: Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  In order to expound on this we must revisit something we discussed in a post years ago in this blog.  The two “wills” of IAUE.

The “will” mentioned in the Master’s prayer (Thy will be done) in the Greek, is the “thelema” of IAUE. This refers to IAUE’s “wish or desire.” It is what He would like to have happen…both in our lives and in the things that happen around the world.  It is behavior on our part that violates or disobeys IAUE’s thelema that is called sin; so obviously, IAUE can desire something and not get what He wants.  The thelema of IAUE can be resisted and disobeyed.

There is another “will” of IAUE found in the New Testament, the “boulomai,” which speaks of IAUE’s intention, or predetermined outcome. When the root word, “boule” is used, it is translated “counsel” and refers to the irresistible plan of IAUE.  No one can sin against the boule of IAUE.  He will accomplish His eternal counsel despite anything anyone may or can do.

Ephesians 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel (boule) of his own will (thelema):

Can you begin to see how all of these verses are connected?  Paul tells the Ephesians that IAUE is working all things, absolutely everything that happens on this earth, according to the eternal counsel of his wish or desire.  Let’s put this another way.  IAUE has an eternal plan to use man’s obedience to His wish or desire in order to fulfill all of His eternal counsel.

When our Master Yahushua Messiah instructs us to pray for IAUE’s Kingdom to come, that is the eternal counsel of IAUE.  His Kingdom is coming whether we like it or not. Nothing we can do can prevent it from happening. That is a matter that has been eternally decreed in the counsel (boule) of IAUE. We CAN, however, recognize that He has chosen for His Kingdom to come as a direct consequence of His wish or desire (thelema) being accomplished or obeyed with as much precision and expediency as His desire is satisfied in Heaven. IAUE has done this in order to groom us for leadership. He puts it to us to do His will personally, as well as to ascertain what He wants accomplished in the earth to bring about His Kingdom, and to pray for that to  come to pass. 

Yahushua did just that his entire life.  He was wholly given to prayer to know His Father’s will and to intercede for His will to be done.  As a result, many aspects of the eternal counsel of IAUE were accomplished by Yahushua and through him.  Many times it is recorded in the Gospels that something happened “that it might be fulfilled” as it had been prophesied in the Scriptures.  The prophecies revealed the boule of IAUE.  Obedience to His thelema made them happen.  Then what happened?  All authority in Heaven and earth were given to Messiah (Matthew 28:18).  He had been groomed for leadership, and now he reigns as King.

Let’s imagine a long distance race course. There are open fields, wooded areas, lakes and streams all around.  The one overseeing the race has put markers at certain places that are visible to the runners to help them keep on course because there is all manner of latitude to veer off of a straight course.  Now, consider those markers benchmarks of the counsel (boule) of IAUE.  It is IAUE’s desire (thelema) that the runners will run straight from benchmark to benchmark thus running the most streamlined path to the finish line; but life isn’t always lived on the straight and narrow. Mistakes are made; and some just refuse to run as they ought. The benchmarks ultimately force mankind to be where they must be and doing what they must do for the race to reach its conclusion. In order for that to happen, those who are obedient to IAUE’s wish or desire actually cause the eternal counsel of IUAE to be fulfilled (i.e., the Scripture to be fulfilled). IAUE works all things through those who obey His will in order to assure the outworking of His eternal plan. 

That means we are participants in fulfilling the eternal counsel of IAUE when we pray as we ought. In effect, we function as members of the royal family taking on our assigned roles as royalty, facilitating all of the plans of the King.  Imagine what is required for a President to visit a city.  Well before he arrives, there are scores of people with their assigned duties (originating from the President’s office) each a necessary prerequisite for the President’s arrival.  The conditions of the hotel must be scrutinized and approved. The food preparation must be approved or arranged for temporary culinary staff. The arrival airport, the path to the hotel, and even the walk from the car to the inside of the hotel must be secured, etc. It is no different for the arrival of our King.  Many plans must be approved and accomplished. 

This is why we are to pray.  We are to be participants in facilitating the coming of the King.