Understanding foundations of prayer
Published 9:00 am Sunday, July 24, 2016
The question that first comes to mind concerning prayer is “does God exist?” If there is no God who created everything, then God does not answer prayer because there is no God out there to pray to nor hear our prayer nor answer our prayer.
The Bible, a sourcebook on prayer, assumes that there is a God by declaring “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth“ (Genesis 1:1). John 1:1-14 further establishes God’s existence in describing that “the Word became flesh” or the incarnation of God. The Bible plainly states that “without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
These two basic assumptions — that God exists and that God rewards those who seek Him — form the basic beliefs that motivate us to seek God in any way. Things in the past that have been tried include prayer, sacrifices (in ancient cultures) and working to gain His approval. It is interesting to note that all religions promote some type of works or earning God’s favor for reward or acceptance, even to another brighter future beyond death.
The main character of the Bible – The Messiah – the Christ said on the cross “It is finished.” While it is not possible to earn God’s approval , it is now not necessary to earn God, the Creator’s approval. By declaring “It is finished” or done, He has done everything necessary for the Creator (whom Jesus called “My Father” and after the resurrection “Our Father”) to accept us. He told the disciples in John that “I go to my God and your God, to my Father and your Father.”
All other religions say “do” while Christianity says “done.” Now, the ability to please God is within everyone’s grasp by praying directly to the Father. Prayer invokes not only speaking to deity but also listening to deity. So, how does He speak and how do we hear Him? The Bible declares that God is communicating continually with mankind. We have to understand how He communicates. I have found that God communicates with us in many ways;
• Through nature. If an individual does not worship God the Creator through nature (not nature itself but the creator of nature) then God speaks of His existence through man’s conscience through our conscience of right and wrong. Romans 14:12 says “so then, each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” This includes all people from all cultures, no matter how isolated from modern civilization, because all people have standards of right and wrong—a conscience. If man does not respond to his conscience, God speaks through His revealed Word, the Bible.
• Through the revelation of God. Through His revealed Word. the Bible, evidenced through fulfilled prophecy. If man fails to respond to God’s revealed Word, God moves on to speak through natural disasters to get our attention.
• Through natural disasters.
• Through sickness.
• God seeks attention to turn to Him, to acknowledge His reality, to humble ourselves before Him in prayer, to acknowledge that God is God and that I am not, to acknowledge that I must listen to what He says through our enemies and friends, showing that evil exists and that good exists.
• Through death. Then and only then, finally, God communicates with us through death, face to face. Hebrews 9:27 says “it is appointed unto man once to die, then the judgment.” Romans 14:12 says “so then, each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” This includes all people from all cultures.
• So God is always present, always communicating. He is never silent. He is invisible to the eye but never silent. He speaks through actions taking place around us and in us. What must we do to hear Him? Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” It is our decision—pray, study and meditate on His Word, knock on His door.
• Pursue Him diligently. When we pray, we must address to whom we are praying. Jesus told the disciples to pray “Our Father” as evidenced in the Lord’s Prayer, not just to Jesus alone. Jesus said that I go to my Father and your Father.
• Develop a personal relationship with the Father by talking/praying to Him daily for all our needs. God’s Word says in Philippians 4:19 “but my god shall supply all your needs, through His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
How do we get our needs met and worship God? Simply by talking to Him about all our joys and sorrows. You will find God, the Creator, Our Father in Heaven. He will bring inward peace and outward actions for our good.
Dea. Jerry R. Joiner, Adel
Massee Baptist Church