PRAYERS THAT REACH GOD'S EARS

PRAYERS THAT REACH GOD’S EARS

                “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-gatherer. The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, ‘God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

                We often tend to pontificate in our prayers in an effort to make ourselves appear righteous before God. We don’t say it in so many words, but in our hearts we feel more justified before God than others because of a list of things we believe and things we do. We may thank God that we keep the Sabbath or pay tithes, or don’t eat meat, or have the perfect set of doctrines to which the world must come. We give to the poor, or offer friendly greetings in the market place. We tend to mentally hold these things up as our calling cards before God.

                But Jesus swept all of these things aside and told the gasping crowd that it was the Publican tax-gatherer that went home justified and not the Pharisee.

                Far too often we come to God in prayer with a list of things in the back of our minds that make us think we are worthy of justification before God.  In most of our prayers we blatantly tell God what to do and what we want, when in fact we should begin by saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

                It is because of our small understanding of God that we pray the way we do. He knows our needs even before we ask for them. He doesn’t need our instruction; He needs our trust, our friendship, and our awareness of His sovereignty.

                Like I mentioned the other day, God’s promises are like seed. They are not like magic incantations by which we can trap God into doing what we want. Promises rarely come true without first transforming us to receive them rightly.

                Look at all of the patriarchs in scripture. Look at the long and dusty roads they travelled towards the promises of God. As Hebrews 11 tells us, many of them never saw the promise fulfilled in their own lifetime, but they looked forward by faith to a city who’s Builder and Maker is God. This is why they made God’s Faith Hall of Fame. Faith isn’t about us… it is about Him. He is the One that is faithful. He is the One that is just. He is the One who is Love. He alone can save us and not we ourselves.

                In “The Way of the Pilgrim” author unknown, we read: “So as to further strengthen your conviction in the necessity and the benefits of constant prayer, be aware of this: (1) each stirring, each thought about prayer results from the activity of the Holy Spirit and the  voice of your guardian angel. (2) The Name of Jesus Christ invoked in prayer contains self-existing and self-acting beneficent powers within itself; and because of this, (3) do not be troubled by the impurity or the aridity of your prayer, but patiently await the fruits of your continuous calling on the Name of God. Do not listen to the inexperienced and thoughtless suggestions of a vain world, which argue that even a single lukewarm supplication, though it be persistent, is useless and long-winded. . .  No! The power of the Name of God and calling on it unceasingly will bear their own fruit, in their own time.”

                Our prayers are often centered on self rather than on God. We think that we rightly assess the world and can therefore tell God what is best for us and what we really need and we do all of this presuming that tomorrow will be the same as today.

                May I suggest to you that even during this year of 2018 America may come under the most desperate of straits. In fact it has been suggested that by the end of this year, rice will be traded as a commodity as valuable as gold, that we will in fact be embroiled in a war on our own shores.

                It has been suggested that Israel will come under attack and when America has devoted her military resources to the area then Russia and China will invade our country.

                I don’t know if any of this is true, but the point is we need to learn how to pray. We need to learn how to pray unceasingly? We need to stop presuming to know what is really going on in the world and begin to rely upon the wisdom of God rather than our own. Bible prophecy offers us a roadmap, but it is a road that can only be travelled by faith.

                We see the secret place of the Most High as a distant hideout for some distant and theoretical conflagration, when in fact we should be dwelling in it now. Only by abiding in it now can we have the faith and experience to trust in it then. As God has promised in Hebrews 12: 26-29: “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. And this expression “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, but which we may offer God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” How much of our lives are being spent investing in eternity?

                These days, we pick and choose the aspects of God that we like, the ones that allow us to please the flesh. We like His love, but not His justice. We like His benefits but not His requirements. We like His blessings, but not His discipline. We like the way we feel in a good worship service, but we rarely come before Him in reverence and awe, knowing that our God is a consuming fire. How often do we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, or take up our cross and follow Him?

                Perhaps we should spend more time praying, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” and less time in telling Him what we want. Perhaps we should spend more time praying for others, trusting that God will indeed take care of us because we are His children. He is our “Abba Father.” He knows us better than we know ourselves.

                Prefacing our prayers with “God be merciful to me a sinner,” puts us into a mode of humility… and as Jesus said: “Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

                Has there ever been a time when our pride has served us well? Did it not cause us to seek fame and fortune, or wealth or comfort? Did we not spend our lifetimes climbing the ladder of success only to get to the top and to discover that we had actually missed out on what was truly important in life? In the pursuit of things, did we not slight our relationships with friends with family, with our children… with God?

                Let the foolish days of our youth now teach us wisdom. We will need this wisdom for the days ahead.

                “And I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERY ONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.”  (Acts 2:19-21 as quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost from Joel 2: 30-32.)

                It is indeed time for us to humble ourselves and pray, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” According to Jesus, these are the prayers that God hears. For even as the crowds swarmed around Him and the noise of a thousand voices and the braying of donkeys and temple sacrifices filled the air, there was one voice that Jesus heard above the tumult. Crying out in retched hopelessness and despair, the blind beggar Bartimaeus wailed in misery, his voice drowned out by the cacophony of random sounds;         “Lord Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

                “And many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he began to cry out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man saying to him, Take courage, arise! He is calling you. And casting aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” and Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and began following Him on the road.” Luke 10:48-52.

                “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast; for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Eph. 2:8.

                When we truly understand how far we have come short of the glory of God, then we will cast ourselves at His feet and cry out: “Lord Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” and He will hear us and He will heal us.