WHY WE PRAY
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 21st 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.
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