A common concept that is found
among the multitudes of religious folk is the notion that a massive
amount of prayers will cause the Lord to pay attention to
the petitioners. Thus the practice arises of sending
out prayer requests, chain letters, or emails that assure us that
results are sure to occur if we will just pass them on to
others and thereby multiply the number of prayers that are being
offered for whatever it is that the prayers desire. We would
never seek to discourage anyone from making their requests known
unto the Lord, but we are certain that men cannot cause God to
hear them due to the volume of requests that they make or how
many people are involved in the particular endeavor. The Lord
said, But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen
do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking. The psalmist very plainly tells us that men do not make
the Lord hear, but rather he causes his own ear to hear those
whose heart he has prepared to pray. It is this preparation
of the heart which is the precursor to true prayer. For your Father
knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. Prayer
that is not performed by the spirit working in the children
of God is no prayer at all, but merely the vanity of the flesh
seeking to fulfill its own desires by performing empty religious
habits. Nothing can prevent through prayer
from occurring according to the ordained purpose of God, even
when he demonstrates the weakness of our flesh. The Lord gave his
disciples some very specific instruction on the matter of
prayer, contrasting it with the example of those who make a religious
show of it. Prayer is to be a very private
exercise, which is not entered into for the benefit of those
who might hear the prayer. When thou prayest, enter into
thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father
which is in secret. This does not preclude public
prayer, but it is a warning against praying to be heard or seen of
men. True prayer is essentially worship.
The Lord taught this very principle when he began his model prayer
by addressing the Father in worship. Our Father which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. This term hallowed means holy
or set apart. He is that one who only hath
immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach
unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see. It is therefore fitting
that he be approached in fear and trembling. Then he demonstrated
the necessity of a desire to be reconciled to the will and
purpose of him who does all things according to the good pleasure
of his will when he said, Thy will be done in earth as it is
in heaven. Only as the Lord is pleased to
give a man a humble heart can he truly desire the Lord's will
rather than his own. Many is the time that men simply
add this phrase because they think it proper rather than casting
themselves at his feet in genuine submission. And this is the confidence
we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will,
he heareth us. The desire of the humble is the
gift of God. To this man will I look, even
to him that is of the poor and contrite spirit, and trembleth
at my word. Can the sons of God be in any
more blessed place than under his watchful eye? Blessed are
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The
desire of the humble is the only desire which will be heard in
the courts of heaven. God resisteth the proud and giveth
grace to the humble. The desire of the humble is manifested
in those who are delighted to see the triumphs of the kingdom
of God in this world. As he prayed, thy kingdom come.
This is a very present desire and not one which is relegated
to some future age or carnal fulfillment of prophecy. The
Lord said, It is your father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom. This kingdom is seen by the manifestation
of the fruit of his Spirit in the sons of God. The fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance. Can the man who is born of the
Spirit of God desire anything less than that this fruit be
found in him? The desire of the humble is seen
as a man counts all of his religion, accomplishments, and activities
therein to be totally void of any merit, and is acquainted
with his own sinfulness, and who by grace has fled to Christ
as his only refuge. Oh, to be humble before him!
Is that your desire? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream dot net.