Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
but the Spirit itself maketh intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth
what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the
saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26,27
For we know not what
we should pray for as we ought...
Maybe some problems we have with our prayer life these days is a lack
of awareness of A.C.T.S? Adoration, Confession,
Thanksgiving, Supplication! Maybe we just jump to supplication...
etc.
or...
Maybe our prayer life is another one of the 'victim's of wrongly dividing
the word of truth. Could it be that wrongly divided application to
prayer could be included in the profane and vain
babblings which increases unto more
ungodliness?
Do you recognize any of these as
accurate descriptions of your prayers?
Profane: (in God's view, anyway) Polluted; not pure;
to apply to temporal uses; to use as base or common. To put to a wrong
use. Irreverent to any thing sacred; Irreverent; proceeding
from a contempt of sacred things, or implying it; as profane words or language;
profane swearing. Not sacred; secular; relating to secular things; as profane
history. Not purified or holy; allowed for common use; as a profane place.
Obscene; heathenish;
or maybe...
Vain: Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or
importance. Fruitless; ineffectual. Empty; unreal;
Showy; ostentatious. Light; inconstant; worthless. Empty; unsatisfying.
False; deceitful; not genuine; spurious. Not effectual.
Could much of our prayer expectations be so "wrongly divided"
that they would be considered profane? vain?
Have we come to doubt the value & worth of prayer
simply because of wrongly dividing prayer?
Have we asked, "In Jesus name!" (John
14:13,14; John 16:23,24) only to find them still unanswered
with no joy in full?
Are we 'bold' in our approach to the throne, (Hebrews
4:16) but still find them not effectual? Do we pray
seeking a solution when there is a deep need, (Philippians
4:19) only to find no apparent response from God?
And... should we even have to pray because we know
that the Holy Spirit prays for us anyway?
Are there times that you think God doesn't even hear you pray?
Have you or your family/friends even fallen for the Prayer of
Jabez baloney?
Do your prayer beliefs & "expectations" fit
within the right divisions of the Bible!
Let's look
at these early verses on prayer so you can see what I mean today!
There are many prayer verses that are NOT written TO us, yet it seems
that most Christians still try to claim those verses today!!!
The Benny Hinn, Alpha, Pentecostal, Modern Protestant Mainline Great
Commission Christians - even those Baptist Ricerites put their claim
to prayer within many of these verses. (The Catholics
expect their priest to do those things for them!)
This false application only leads folks to either more ungodliness and/or
a frustrated and empty prayer life - thus creating mroe imitation &
hypocritical Christianity.
MATTHEW
5:44 ...
for our enemies? seriously? Yes - because Paul reiterates this
in Romans 12:20,
etc. (See - RD doesn't just cut out portions of the Book!)
6:6
... reward thee openly? Has He? If so, was it God or the Devil
that rewarded you 'openly?'
6:9
... repetition of the Lord's Prayer? (the apostles prayer).
Has that prayer been answered yet?
21:13 ...
the house of prayer? What happened to preaching - teaching - growth - singing,
etc.?
21:22
... have you received "whatsoever" ye have asked? If not,
were you not believing enough?
Go ahead preacher, try to put the guilt on the Christian
for not having any answered prayer from these verses...
It happens all the time - preachers and pastors putting the guilt trip
on the people because of their 'unconfessed sin and I
John 1:9!
MARK
9:29 ...fasting
(yes, Paul mentions fasting in
I Cor 7:5; II Cor 6:5; 11:27)
11:24 ...again,
are ye not believing enough? This verse includes even what you 'desire!'
11:25 ...
be sure to offer forgiveness in your prayers, or you won't be forgiven
either?
LUKE
9:29 ...
ever had your countenance altered to the point that your clothes turned
white and glistering? (I can hear ole Benny Hinn now...)
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
1:24 ...
has God ever not shown you a 'choice' to make?
2:42 ...
this is all just part of the apostles 'era!'
3:1
... is there an 'hour' of prayer - this is what they do today in Jerusalem
and Muslims, etc. A specific 'prayer time.'
4:31
... has the place where you prayed ever started shaking?
6:6
... here comes the laying on of the hands, etc. Have you seen the
word of God 'increase' after that? Always?
8:15
... prayer for the Holy Ghost to follow a baptism...
8:22
... a situation of having a wrong heart... bitterness. Good
application if applied correctly and not for salvation! This purpose
of this particular prayer was to not have any of this bitterness come upon
him - have you ever prayed for it not to happen, but it still did?
9:40
... this prayer brought someone (Tabitha) back to life!
10:2
... a lost man and his prayers... He prayed alway, received a vision, and
was led to Peter for his 'salvation.'
10:9 ...
praying on the housetop - then fell into a trance... - has that ever helped
get your answer? Ever 'claim' anything, etc. but still never receive
it?
11:5
... went into a trance and saw a vision... that is a Pentecostal
& modern Christian favorite!
12:5-16 ...
prayer to get someone out of a jail situation... brought him an 'experience'
and then freedom, yet didn't even believe it would happen!
13:3 ...
another laying on of hands...
14:23
... seems to be our ordination proof texts... ever seen the failures afterwards?
16:25 ...
an earthquake following a prayer and song session becomes an effective
witness for someone's salvation!
22:17
... prayer leading to a trance!
28:8 ...
following prayer and laying on of hands, the father of Publius along with
many others, was healed. (right after the snake scene)
Do you notice that these mentions of active prayer carry on well into
Acts
- right up to the last chapter!
However, starting at Romans,
we no longer see those 'signs' following prayer as in the Gospels
and Acts! Of course not - the
Gospels
and
the Book of Acts is not written "TO"
us. That is what "Rightly Dividing" is all about! (see
II
Timothy 2:15,16)
In fact, if we go on and look into James,
we see in chapter 5:13,14,16,17,18,
we see more prayer verses that are 'claimed' by many but in 'wrongly'
divided truth! These verses do NOT apply "TO" us today..
Even in I Peter
4:7 we see the context is 'nearing the tribulation' because
when Peter was writing this, it was all near at hand - if they would have
accepted Christ as their Messiah, that is. But
the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto
prayer.
What sayest thou about I John 5:16?
See? If any man see his brother sin a
sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for
them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that
he shall pray for it.
We can't just blanket claim all the prayer verses in the
Bible for our instruction concerning prayer!
|
Prayer
must be rightly divided!
|
Ok, so now, let's look to where we are suppose to concerning prayer!
PAUL!
see Part
II
Part
II will give you a better understanding about:
1) prayer in our own personal Christian lifestyle/walk today!
2) those folks who make those false claims and false applications
ion the Gospels and Acts concerning prayer
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