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November, 2005
In Reverence or Defeat
Bow your heads to pray...
Posted by Brian Beers at 11/10/2005 9:22:00 PM (2 comments left)
Last night in our prayer meeting we had a man who…gloated in his certainty that God did not intend to bring physical healing for those on our prayer list. Lest you think that I exaggerate, this man cited a woman who expressed confidence many years ago that God would heal her daughter. He then said that he “wouldn’t rub her nose in it” that her daughter has yet to be healed.
The pastor’s direction for the evening was that we ought to pray with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5), and this man’s gloating illustrates the idea that having the mind of Christ means that we try to guess what God is going to do. The earliest example of prayer-to-ascertain-God’s-will may be found in Acts 1:24-26 with the selection of what’s-his-name to replace Judas.
If the disciples couldn’t guess God’s will even with a pious, humble prayer what hope do we have?

Trying to guess God’s will is not the purpose of prayer. One purpose of prayer is to let our requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6). This is the Psalms, the requests of men along with their recognition of God’s majesty. I don’t recall any “if it be your will” qualifications in the Psalms. There are plenty of “crush them, God, because you promised to” and “why haven’t you crushed them already?”
So when we come before God in prayer meeting, how do we ask God for what we really want – healing? I shudder at the lack of faith concealed within this man’s cynicism. Matthew 13:58 (And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.) suggests that he won’t see his opinion challenged.
How do we come before God with our requests? Do we qualify them, doubting God does anything amazing anymore? Do we think of it as a lottery or lightning strikes? God healed his cancer last time so we really shouldn’t expect him to be healed this time?
I don’t think that the faith-in-faith posture of some charismatics is true faith, but I am also sure that cynicism isn’t either.
So what should my posture be before our mighty God? Is he still able to work miracles? Does he anymore? Why, if our physical condition is unimportant, did he spend so much time healing the lame, blind, and leperous?
When you bow your head -is it in reverence for the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth who retains his power and exercises it for his delight? Or...is it in defeat -since he tired of healing when he tired of giving new revelation?

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Comment 1 by mingman:
to pray or not to pray

what is the real question? obviously the one who gloats against healing has no need to guess what God's will is. He already knows. So even he may not have a reason to pray. here is another question, Christ never ended his prayers with "in my holy, mighty, abracadabra, name amen." so why is it that many of us think that if i end my prayers with "in Jesus name amen," God is compelled and cannot but answer. or that if i inadvertently leave it out, there will be someone to remind me, "you're prayer is not going to be answered because you left out the magic word?"

Posted  12/8/2005 6:50:00 PM 
Comment 2 by Charlie:
I agree with Ming. I think too often we evangelical Christians forget that prayer is not magic. If we just pray right, God will answer! Prayer is the expression of our relationship with God. Instead of prayer looking like our relationship with our best friend or our family, our prayer looks like our relationship with Santa Claus.
Posted  12/9/2005 10:19:00 PM 

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