Troublesome Topic: THINGS THAT QUALIFY AS TRUE PRAYER

Expressing Gratitude and Asking for Forgiveness

These are obviously true prayer because they put the focus on God and they glorify Him.

Intercession

The Hebrew word for prayer teaches us that intercession is a key aspect of true prayer. However, that is only true if we go about it in the right way. We think asking God to save someone is true prayer. But here is the problem: God never forces anyone to follow Him, so asking Him to save someone actually goes against His character and His will. Intercession should be asking God to draw that person to Him. He will always answer that prayer. Or we can ask that God make someone miserable in his sin, and know why he is miserable. That one also fits within the realm of what God is willing to do, and it is sometimes the tactic He chooses.

We should ask God to bring revival, and to use us any way He desires. This puts the focus on Him and His plan; our inclusion in it is only a P.S., a post script.

Seeking God’s Glory by Joining in His Great Work

This is the true task of prayer on its deepest level.

This is what God has called us to. This is the front lines of the battlefield. God is seeking more men and women to fill out these ranks.

It is worthwhile to take a look at how the disciples prayed in Acts 4, after Peter and John had been imprisoned, beaten and then released.

Having heard this, they lifted their voice with one accord to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples devise vain plans?

The kings of the earth take their stand,

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against Christ, his anointed one.

Indeed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city [to conspire] against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do what your hand and your purpose had determined beforehand should happen. And now, Lord, consider their threats and grant to your servants [the ability] to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:24-30).            

Notice that, although they had gotten into a tight spot, they kept their focus on God, not on their situation. They concluded their prayer by saying, in essence, “and Lord, you know those things we did that got us into trouble the first time? Help us do them again, just better!” They had this attitude because those things that brought hardship on them had brought glory to God, and that was the main priority. They knew it wasn’t about them.

Oh, that we would respond to our problems with such an emphasis on God’s glory!

True prayer is so much more sublime, so much more energizing, so much more glorious than just asking for favors.

In Luke 11 the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Teach us to pray.” When speaking about true prayer this means, “Teach us to think like you think.” True prayer requires that we think God’s thoughts.

The prayer we call “The Lord’s Prayer” is a prayer that seeks God’s name to be lifted up and held in high regard; it seeks God’s will and God’s kingdom, which are His authoritative reign, to be evident on this earth; it asks for forgiveness; it asks for protection and deliverance from the tempter and his temptations; it also asks for God to show Himself to be the provider of physical needs—“Give us today, today’s bread.” Is the request for bread a favor rather than true prayer? In one way it is just a favor because God is not obligated to answer it and He has not always answered it for everyone down through history, although He usually does provide for our needs. He will always provide for our spiritual needs, but not always provide for material needs. In another way it is deeper than just a favor. First it shows us that God does not mind us asking for material things as long as that is not the only thing we do, as long as we express proper trust in Him, and as long as we know the difference between favors and true prayer. In this prayer the request for bread is combined with trust—“Give us today, today’s bread,” not food for a week or a month. That is as much a statement of trust as it is a request. So in one way this is asking for a favor, which is okay, and in another way it is deeper than that because it is not just about us, it is a statement of trust. Remember, however, that the rest of the prayer focuses on God’s glory, His will and His authority.

As long as there is balance, our Daddy accepts whatever requests we bring to Him. But I fear that most American Christians today lack balance in their praying.

The next lesson in this series is BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF FAVORS AND TRUE PRAYER