Prayer Foundation
Conditions Governing Answering of Prayers
At this point it may be good to realize afresh from God's Word what are the conditions for obtaining affirmative answers to our prayers.
There must be an abandonment of all known sin in our lives
THERE MUST BE AN ABANDONMENT OF ALL KNOWN SIN IN OUR LIVES
The Old Testament saints had to learn this lesson.
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Ps. 66:18).
"Bring no more vain oblations: incense is an abomination to Me . . . your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hateth . . . and when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eye from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear, your hands are full of blood" (Isa. 1:13-15).
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save: neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear" (Isa. 59:1,2).
Both John and James, in their epistles, stress the same truth:
"Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:22).
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).
Members of the Body of Christ are warned against giving place to the Devil, thus grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:27,30), and causing prayer to be disregarded by God.
There must be a practical realization of the truth of Sanctification
The root meaning of sanctification is separation, with its twofold aspect of being separated from the world and separated to the Lord, for the fulfillment of His will in daily service.
When the judgment upon the cities of the plain was impending, there were two believers who figure largely in the story. One was inside the city of Sodom, namely Lot, and one was outside the city, namely Abraham. Although Lot was vexed every day by the sin which surrounded him (2 Pet. 2:7) we have no record of any prayer on his part on behalf of Sodom, and finally we know that God had to drag him out that he might not be involved in its doom. He is a type of the believer who is not only in the world but of the world and knows little of sanctification in practice. It was left to Abraham, the separated one, to intercede for these wicked cities (Gen. 18:16-33).
It is impossible for a believer who has too close a contact with a world which is under the domination of Satan (Eph. 2:2,3) to pray effectively. We must, in practice, be outside the enemy's camp if we wish to accomplish anything for those who are still inside it.
There must be no self-motive in prayer
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3).
The Greek word hedone translated "lust" is elsewhere rendered "pleasure" and is used in the parable of the Sower to describe those who fall among thorns and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection (Luke 8:14). Sometimes it is a good thing to take stock of ourselves, searching our hearts and asking whether the things we constantly ask of God are for His glory, the blessing of others, or are they for the gratification of our desires? Is He and His service first and last, and self excluded?
Undispensational praying
We have before commented on this very prevalent source of denied petitions. If dispensational truth means anything at all it will have a practical bearing upon every phase of our life including our praying. We must learn to pray in harmony with our calling. It is not sufficient to quote any verse from the Bible and expect it to be a sufficient basis for the Lord to answer our requests. How many believers have claimed such promises as Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive", only to reap disappointment which has staggered them! It is easy to explain the failure by reading into the promise conditions which are not there. The answer to the problem is to be found, not in tampering with the Lord's words, but in rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Again, if instead of a slavish adherence to the "Lord's Prayer", the magnificent prayers of Ephesians one and three were used by God's people more frequently, would there not be a greater growth in grace and a deeper appreciation of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and also of His will?
There must be perseverance with our praying
The Apostle Paul exhorted the saints at Colosse to continue in prayer (4:2). The word here is proskartereo. It occurs in Mark 3:9, "And He spake to His disciples, that a small ship should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they should throng Him". Just as the purpose of this little ship was to be put at the Lord's disposal and wait for Him to use as He willed, so the believer, when he reaches the point in his spiritual growth where he earnestly longs for God's will, will likewise wait upon Him by continued prayer and watch for every indication of His hand to this end.
However, we must utter a word of warning. Persevering prayer to know our heavenly Father's will is one thing, but persistent praying that is outside His will may bring an answer that is terrible in the extreme. We think back on Israel's experience when, not satisfied with the gracious provision of the manna, "angel's food" as Scripture terms it, they longed for flesh such as they had in Egypt. The whole of Numbers chapter eleven should be studied in this connexion. Did God answer their prayer? Yes, indeed He did, but with dreadful consequences as the context indicates.
The Psalmist's comment is:
"They lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul" (Ps. 106:14,15).
Here was a terrible answer, consequent upon their determination to get something that was outside the will of God. Let us ever remember that He is always more ready to answer than we are to pray, and that persevering prayer is necessary, not because He is aloof and unwilling, needing constant worrying that the answer may be wrung out of Him, but rather that the waiting time is for our spiritual growth, discipline and appreciation of His goodness. Let us not interpret beseeching as though it were besieging. Just as a wise and loving parent makes every provision for the needs of his child, yet he trains that child, to ask for these things and say "please", and "thank you" when they are granted. Likewise our Heavenly Father deals in His grace and loving-kindness with us and teaches the true reason for prayer, to realize our utter dependence upon Him for all things necessary to Christian life and service, and a desire to be filled with a knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col. 1:9).
This lesson is not peculiar to the dispensation of the Mystery. Through the prophet Ezekiel God had made known His will to Israel and showed what He was willing to do for them in restoration and blessing (Ezek. 36:24-36). But, although this was true, the earthly people had to learn the lesson of prayer:
"I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them" (verse 37).
There are two opposing schools of thought among believers regarding prayer. One stresses the fact that God is sovereign and is working all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11) and that nothing can hinder the fulfillment of His plans. To such, prayer cannot forward or retard His purposes and is likely to be under-valued. The other lays stress upon the responsibility of the believer and the fact that unbelief limits the Holy One of Israel (Matt. 13:58). Such will talk of God being unable to work because of prayerlessness and of true prayer "moving the Hand that moves the world". It is very much like the arguments for free-will set up against election. The truth lies, as it so often does, midway between these two extremes. It is important to realize that God has a glorious plan for both the heavens and the earth, and that, finally, this plan cannot possibly miscarry. Not to appreciate this would cause utter despair and make mockery of all Christian effort.
At the same time, if redemption means anything at all, it signifies that the believer is not only alive spiritually, but free; free to choose the way of the flesh and self-gratification as well as the will of the Lord. And it is here that the supreme importance of prayer becomes manifest. If God is working to a plan and chooses to use redeemed human lives to carry it out, then the question arises as to what part each of us is going to play in its unfolding. The importance of this can hardly be overemphasized. Does it not mean that we must go to the Throne of Grace constantly and ask "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6). We are assured by the Apostle Paul that it is according to the "effectual working in the measure of every part" that the Body grows (Eph. 4:16), and this will only take place when every member of the Church is doing just the work intended by our Heavenly Father and none other. What this involves can only be discovered by prayer and waiting upon God.
As there are no useless members in the physical body, so there should be none in the spiritual Body. That prayer does make a difference, the following Scriptures make abundantly clear.
"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified . . . and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men" (2 Thess. 3:1,2).
Now it could be argued that it was obviously the Lord's will that His Word should run unhindered and be glorified. If so, then why the need for prayer? But the Apostle knew how easily the human factor could enter in and the flesh and the Devil intrude, and so hinder God's work.
"Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds" (Col. 4:3).
The same thought occurs here, but this time Paul is thinking of himself and any possible failure on his part to make known the great Secret.
"For I know that this shall turn to my salvation, through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:19).
Whether we take salvation to mean Paul's deliverance from prison or in a much deeper sense, his salvation with age abiding glory (2 Tim. 2:10), is not our concern at the moment. It is clear that the suffering he was undergoing in his Roman prison was for the Lord's gain and the furtherance of the truth, and the prayers of the Philippian saints contributed a vital part to this great end.
Whether this would have happened if the church at Philippi had not constantly remembered the Apostle in prayer, it is idle to speculate, but it is quite evident that Paul took them as a factor to be reckoned with in the outworking of the Lord's will "But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you" (Philem. 22).
Here, quite obviously, the Apostle is contemplating the possibility of his being set free from prison and in a position to visit Philemon; and this possibility is inextricably woven with Philemon's intercession for his release. If prayer makes no difference to the daily happenings in our lives, why should Paul say, "I trust that through, or, on account of (dia) your prayers, I shall be given unto you"? (22).
"Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together (sunagonizomai) with me in your prayers to God for me; that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed" (Rom. 15:30-32).
Here Paul asks prayer for four important things concerning himself and mentions God's will regarding them. If the fulfillment of this will was automatic, there would be no need of such prayer, but it is evident that the Apostle did not so regard it, but rather that the petitions of the Church at Rome could materially help forward the fulfillment of his desire.
We trust that careful consideration of these passages will impress upon the mind of both writer and reader how vastly important our daily prayer-life is and how it can very practically affect not only our own Christian service but also the service of others.
From time to time we come across believers who are exercised about their sphere of service and witness for the Lord. They are rightly concerned about these things. It is not our province to direct the conscience of such, but this we can say that here is a supreme ministry we can all engage in, namely that of intercession. It will cost us something in time and perhaps in other ways, and we shall get no human commendation for it, as it is a thing only known to us and our Savior.
Just as in our physical bodies there are organs like the heart and lungs doing vital work, yet are never seen like the external members as the hands and feet, so believers who engage in this vital activity behind the scenes may be doing as much in the Lord's sight as those whose service is in the open and manifest to all. The reader will remember the wonderful type given in Exodus 17:8-13. Joshua and his men were fighting strenuously with Amalek in the valley, but it was the man unseen at the hill top who controlled the battle, namely Moses.
"When Moses held up his hand . . . Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun" (verses 11,12).
Do we who value dispensational truth and the glories of the dispensation of the Mystery, uphold our leaders like this in prayer? Oh, the need today for many like Aaron and Hur! As we look around us we see a growing apathy to spiritual things in general and to our calling in particular. Christian walk and witness is getting more difficult as the weeks and months pass. We may put this down to the increasing apostasy and declension which marks the end of the age and we may be right in so doing. But can it be that we have not yet fully realized the possibilities latent in a vital prayer-life and that the lack of results which we deplore may be due to the fact that we have sown the seed of the written and spoken word and then forgotten to water it by the ministry of prayer? Only then can we expect the increase or growth that God alone can give (I Cor. 3:6,7).
When John in his Apocalyptic vision sees the twenty-four elders before the Throne, he tells us that each one had a golden vial "full of odours, which are the prayers of saints" (Rev. 5:8). So, in symbol, the prayers of God's people ascend to Him as something inexpressibly precious and fragrant. What encouragement we have then to come constantly to the Throne of grace and share in this wonderful ministry of intercession!
Persevering prayer along the lines of the will of God does make a difference, and if our studies on this subject come as a challenge to each of us as we consider the poverty of our prayer life, may God give us grace to use, as we have never done before, this matchless privilege, and so be blessed of Him increasingly in making known His transcendent riches of grace and glory in the saving, calling out, and up building of those chosen in
Christ before the overthrow of the world, to inherit the Heavenly
holiest of all for all eternity.
. . "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Col. 4:2).