Going Deeper Going further in prayer 4 Deeper... Unanswered prayer. What happens when prayer isn't instantly answered? Did we pray the wrong thing? Sometimes we do, but often we need to keep on praying. Sometimes it needs more time and pressure to squeeze our circumstance into the new mould of God's word! Remember Elijah (1 Kings 18:41 - 45). He spoke God's word into a situation of chronic drought ('there's the sound of heavy rain'). Then he started to pray that God's word would be fulfilled. When nothing happened, he continued to pray. He kept looking to see if the promised change had arrived yet! As Elijah kept on praying, pushing in the Spirit, crying out in faith for God to fulfil his word, God was beginning to draw water vapour into a cloud far out at sea. Eventually, it was seen and finally it started to rain. The word that God had given had come to pass. Elijah had prayed it into being! Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow who kept up the pressure on an unjust judge. The judge eventually granted the request. His story was specifically told to encourage people always to pray and not to give up (Luke 18:1-8). How do we do this? Wrestling . There's a picture in Colossians 4:12 of Epaphras. 'He's always wrestling in prayer for you', wrote Paul. It's easy to imagine this saint, eyes shut in earnest concentration, taking hold of a subject in prayer, and attacking it from every angle, mentally rolling it over and over until he sensed that he had won the victory. Sometimes we need to see prayer as a fight! Training . Which athlete can win a race without training? Every morning he gets up early and runs a course that he has mapped out. His daily routine is ordered with this goal in mind. As he exercises his muscles he finds that they are getting stronger. He has more power and tires less easily. We can adopt a similar approach with prayer. We hold ourselves to a certain amount of time, keep on praying, resisting the temptation to go and do something else! Persevering . A woman came to Jesus (Matthew 15:22-28) and asked for help for her demon possessed daughter. It seemed he wasn't interested because he didn't answer her. She persisted. His disciples told her to go away. She persisted. Jesus explained that he was too busy looking after the needs of the Jews. She persisted. He said that the food for the children must come first before others. She persisted and found the courage and quick wit to come up with a smart answer, 'Even the dogs get the crumbs from the children's table.' Jesus said she had great faith. Her request was granted ; her daughter was healed. It was his intention to heal all along, but he needed her to get to the point of not accepting 'no' for an answer. Silence from heaven, being cold-shouldered by Christians, even a theological perspective that says these things don't happen today are all used to discourage us. They didn't deter the woman who would not accept no, and they shouldn't deter us either. We need not accept the status quo concerning life where it is contrary to the will of God. There is too much at stake and we must persist until we see change Wider... Widening our perspective. Sometimes our praying can revolve around our own circumstances and contacts. Most of us live in villages, towns or cities. These places where we live have significance, character and identity. They are full of people who we may not know, but together we make up our community's distinct character. Cities and other places are the subject of prayers in the Bible. We can begin to pray in such a way that the entire atmosphere, infrastructure and corporate activities can be transformed. Let's extend our praying and ask God to be at work in new places; let's stand together in prayer for our cities, towns and villages. And as we look further a field, we can also consider interceding for our nation. Nearer... Obstacles to faith Whilst people's minds are blinded by the god of this age, primarily through sin and unbelief, there are also other obstacles. Cities and towns, like people, have characteristics - certain things that contribute to a common identity. Jesus spoke of whole towns on occasion describing their collective attitude to him (Matthew 23:37, Luke 10:13-15). In his travels Paul noticed how local mindsets affected how the gospel was received (Acts 17:11,16,21). Through a town's history, character gradually evolves, being shaped by people and key events. In some places there is more opposition to the gospel than in others. The cultural mindset clearly affects things. As we identify some local character traits or mindsets that could be obstacles to the gospel e.g. apathy, complacency, or superiority these can help us to pray for change. God can change people's character, even the character of a whole area. But how can we have greater authority in prayer?
See the next article! Deeper... Having greater power in prayer comes from laying hold of God's word and praying with authority. Praying God's word . There is great power in God's word and we should use it. The Bible is full of promises. Paul tells us all God's promises are 'yes' in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). They can be ours, if we claim them. Imagine winning the lottery and not bothering to check your ticket to see if you had won the prize! Or throwing away the ticket because you didn't believe that the lottery company would keep their promise to pay! But that's how we often treat God's promises. We should diligently seek out every promise that is available for us, and then by faith, lay hold of them in prayer. We can be inspired by those who, 'Through faith... gained what was promised' (Hebrews 11:33). Jesus taught us to pray, 'Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven' (Matthew 6:10). As God's word expresses his will, so we can ask him to fulfil his word on earth. We can pray with greater authority as we believe what God has said. Praying with authority . Satan's greatest fear is that the Church might realise that she is more powerful than he is! Like Pharaoh, the devil is afraid that the Church might leave the land of captivity. When the Church begins to proclaim the truth of the word and to put it into practice, and is able to pray with authority, she is destined to overcome. Like the Israelites in Egypt, we have God's promises. In addition, we are, 'seated in heavenly places with Christ' (Ephesians 2:6) but over time, we forget some of these truths, and find ourselves enslaved again. Our tendency is to invent reasons that explain our spiritual misery and our inactivity. Often we stop saying those prayers that could only be answered through a miracle, or we form our prayers in such a way as to give God 'a way out', in case no answer comes. But it is the truth that sets us free, so the truth must be proclaimed. In Egypt, the children of Israel cried out to God and they were heard. Praying was all they could do. Moses came and spoke with authority to Pharaoh declaring the truth of the Israelites destiny. They would be freed because God was going to do it (Exodus 3:7-10). What God says is true, is true. It should be believed and can be proclaimed. This is how we can pray with authority. It was the same for the early Church. Their prayer was dynamic and powerful. God gives us 'the power to walk on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy' (Luke 10:19). 'You, little children, you are of God, and you have the victory over them, because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world' (I John 4:4). God has given us authority over the enemy; it is up to us to use it. Wider...Taking responsibility for the place where we live. To reach a whole town or city people are needed who are ready to bring it to God. A few key people who commit themselves to prayer can make the difference. In Genesis 18:16-33, God showed Abraham two cities which were about to be destroyed - Sodom and Gomorrah. The outcry of destructive pride and sexual malpractice brought about by the sin of people in those cities was causing immense grief. God invited Abraham to pray. Abraham interceded for the lives of the righteous in these cities. His intercession brought about the remarkable escape of one family. Jonah, after a little diversion with a big fish, preached to Nineveh (Jonah 3). This was a city teeming with 120,000 people. But it was facing catastrophe. His ministry brought about repentance which averted the destruction. God had concern for the people in that city and he wanted to show is compassion. Has God invited you to pray for your town or city? Some people are particularly called to take responsibility like this. Eternity will tell the significance of such praying. To reach a whole town or city also needs evangelism. A few key people are needed who are ready to make Christ an issue. When Paul arrived in Ephesus it took only two years for everyone in the whole region to hear the word of the Lord (Acts 19:10) . Nearer... Rebuilding our walls. The walls and gates of a city are biblically and traditionally significant. The walls are an important part of the defence of a city. The gates were a means of trade through which the city was served on a day to day basis. They were also a means by which the city could get rid of its waste. Gate-keepers were appointed to look out for opposition and keep the gates closed from dusk to dawn. When we '(re)build the walls of the community' we do so to protect it and strengthen it against attack, so that it can be a place of God's presence, a place of praise, unity and peace. Intercessors often build spiritual 'walls' and some view themselves as gatekeepers. They keep spiritually alert to assess and marshal the spiritual activities of their cities. Researching the influences sociologically, historically and spiritually as well as prayer walking can give insight about the current spiritual state of an area. Restoring community relationships . The gap between the rich and the poor in the UK is the largest it has been for 40 years. A recent report showed that people's lives are still largely determined by parents' social class and skin colour. National statistics tell us that attainment at school, participation in further or higher education, and even life expectancy are strongly influenced by people's social and economic background. Certain specific social injustices are evident in all communities. Injustice, wherever it occurs, needs prayer. It needs to be exposed and it needs to stop. Pray for good relationships between groups of people in your area. Identify a tension in your local community (between racial groups, old and young people, different neighbourhoods). Visualise the relationship as God would want it - hurts healed, distrust removed, injustice righted, and respect restored. Ask God to intervene and pray the image into reality. But isn't doing things more important than praying? See the next article! Going further in prayer 6 Deeper... Being still. People today tend to value activity over rest. Many of us are never happy unless we are doing something. Life can be a whirlwind of both physical and mental activity as we rush from one thing to the next. Our thoughts never really centre on one thing. Jesus speaks through the story of Mary and Martha to urge us to slow down. Mary quietly sat and listened at his feet whilst Martha scurried around visible and active yet missing out on hearing his words and enjoying his friendship. Mary wasn't wasting time but developing a deep love and understanding. Jesus said she had chosen the better way. Do we feel that inactivity is a waste of time or an investment towards depth and fullness of life? The psalmist knew the importance of stillness before God, just enjoying his company. He knew how refreshing it is to 'lie down in green pastures'. Jesus said 'Come to me, ... and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28). As we do this we can learn to relax and just be with him. As we allow the Holy Spirit to engage with us we can receive God's words, his power and his love. We can be like a sponge soaking in his presence. When our time with him is focussed, he reaches the depths of our hearts and minds. We reach deeper understanding and tap into his everlasting supplies. As we rest and receive, our souls are nourished. Wider... Praying for the lost. When we pray for the lost we are tapping in to something that is on God's heart. Jesus told three parables in Luke 15 each of which show God's concern for the lost. If your only child was dying, you'd pray like you'd never prayed before. And you'd do all that you could to bring about a change in his condition. If we understood the pain that is in God's heart as he watches the spiritual death of his children in our land, we would give ourselves to prayer much more fully. God wants all men to be saved. Behind the process of reaching the population with the message of Jesus, lies the bedrock of God's love - which reaches to all people. Christ has suffered for all and we want him to receive his reward. Praying that all should hear is in accordance with God's will, who desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Nearer... Thanksgiving. Whilst we may be only too aware of the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of our community, we can think of many instances of God's 'gracious hand' at work: the provision for local projects; individuals within our church and community who faithfully and courageously work for God's kingdom here on earth; even the opportunity of prayer together during these days. These are all God's blessings to us for which we can be thankful. Let us give thanks to God who meets all our needs 'according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 4:19). Peace and prosperity ' Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers you too will prosper' (Jeremiah 29:7). In these words we are invited to pray for the place where we live. We should seek peace for our communities. Specifically we can pray for reduction of crime in problem areas, for our police, for the causes of crime and for those who commit crime. We should seek prosperity for our area. In Proverbs, wisdom and folly are portrayed as women competing for attention. We can pray for wisdom, rather than folly, to permeate decision-making, innovation, and provision in: ARTS & MEDIA, SPORT & LEISURE, LOCAL MANUFACTURING, BUSINESS & COMMERCE, EDUCATION AUTHORITIES, HEALTH & SOCIAL WELFARE, ENVIRONMENT. Pray words of blessing into each of the spheres of life outlined above. Thank God for the ways you have seen improvement. Thank him for new developments, new initiatives and ventures that are having a positive impact in your area. But how can I live in God's presence? See the next article! Going further in prayer 7Deeper...Practising his presence . Brother Lawrence, a 17th century monk who lived in France, wanted to 'pray without ceasing' and yet he had his daily duties to perform. His answer was to make all of his life a prayer and to be continually aware of God's presence; everything he did was to the glory of God. He felt the presence of God whether he was working in his kitchen or worshipping in his church. Jesus told us the Kingdom of God is 'at hand' and 'within us'. The Kingdom of God is primarily where God is King, where he rules and his will is done. We are challenged therefore to allow God to be king in different areas of our lives. Jesus said that he is the light of the world (John 9:5), but he also said that we are (Matthew 5:14). We can therefore bring light to the world we live in. We do this by 'practising the presence of God'. How? Each day we will see a lot of people. As we go through the day we can let our light shine - switching on a kind of spiritual 'torch'. We can pray that God's light will light up the lives of those we see. We can ask that God's Kingdom will come to their lives. We can pray that hope and love will affect the faces that are dark with despair. We can pray that darkness will be hurled back. As we pray through each day like this , committing people and situations to God , we will be opening the door for the King to come in! Wider... Unblocking the wells Our towns and regions have witnessed many things over the course of their history : progress, battles, decadence, courage, cowardice, poverty or saintliness. This collective history has helped to form the distinctive character of our area, with all its traditions and prejudices. Some places have had a history of peace and tranquility, of harmony and spiritual blessing. Others have been more marked by violence, hardness of heart, poverty, the occult or recurrent evil. Sometimes the roots of bitterness lie deep in a community's collective mind-set. Though they stem from long ago, these issues may never have been adequately addressed and laid to rest. In other places you can find memorials to acts of outstanding human kindness, prayerfulness or godliness. In the past, these places served as unique springs that refreshed the surrounding area, although today they may have been long forgotten, buried under the sands of time. Their original calling needs to be re-discovered and fulfilled in our generation. The ancient wells can be unblocked. Salvation cannot be passed down from generation to generation. The gospel needs to be preached afresh. But there are some spiritual benefits that can be received from those who have gone before, a legacy from our parents in the faith. Those who in former years met with God can affect what, for them, lay in the future. Prayers may have been prayed or promises obtained that were never fulfilled through their own ministry in their life time. God began a work in them which is to be carried on by this generation. As we are called to pray for the area in which we live, it is often helpful to go back into the past. Although many of these things are unknown to us, they are seen by God, for whom a thousand years is like a day. We can ask the Lord to forgive the sins of our fathers, and to heal any painful spiritual legacies of the past (Daniel 9:8, Nehemiah 1:6; 2 Samuel 21:1-14). We can also ask him to renew in our day the great things that he did in our area long ago (Habakkuk 3:2). Remember, God's gifts and call are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
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