Moved by Prayer

After some meetings I have attended I later thought to myself, "Now that was a waste of time."  A prayer meeting has never been one of those meetings.  Even when it was a struggle to arrive at the meeting on time or there were other pressing matters, meeting to pray with others or alone before the LORD is always a productive and encouraging blessing.  The Bible teaches us when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us--and God never disappoints (James 4:8).  We are easily disappointed and frustrated, but faith in God exercised by prayer brings sure expectation of good now and in the future.

I was edified to read a couple chapters in Spiritual Leadership yesterday, and here is a highlight of what was included on the subject of prayer:

"One of the most frequently quoted of Hudson Taylor's statements is his expression of conviction that "it is possible  to move men, through God, by prayer alone."  In the course of his missionary career he demonstrated its truth a thousand times.  However, it is one thing to give mental assent to his motto, but quite another thing consistently to put it into practice.  Men are difficult objects to move, and it is much easier to pray for temporal needs than for situations which involve the intricacies and stubbornness of the human heart.  But it is in just such situations that the leader must prove his power to move human hearts in the direction in which he believes the will of God lies...

To move men, the leader must be able to move God, for He has made it clear that He moves them through the prayers of the intercessor.  If a scheming Jacob could be given "power with God and with men," then is it not possible for any leader who is willing to comply with the conditions to enjoy the same power? (Gen. 32:8)

Prevailing prayer of this kind is the outcome of a correct relationship with God.  Reasons for unanswered prayer are stated with great clarity in Scripture, and they all center around the believer's relationship with God.  He will not be party to petitions of mere self-interest, nor will He countenance impurity of motive.  Sin clung to and cherished will effectively close His ear.  Least of all will He tolerate unbelief, the mother of sins.  "He that cometh to God must believe."  Everywhere in prayer there is the condition, either expressed or implied, that the paramount motive in praying is the glory of God." (Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership. Marshall Pickering, 1986. pages 82 & 84)

God cannot be moved by force, but He delights to move by childlike faith of those who seek Him and make their requests known to God, believing He is able to do everything.  It is not possible for anyone or anything to move God by an act of the will or power of man, but God grants us faith to pray that He move and work according to His will.  Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."  Because our God is immoveable and eternal, we are always upheld by His grace.  At the same time He gladly moves in response to our praying, and this should encourage us to be casting our cares upon the LORD who cares for us.

The Burrito Lesson

I was reminded recently of an interaction with a stranger in the car park of a Mexican restaurant near Point Loma in California many years ago.  After enjoying some carne asada burritos, an impromptu game of hacky-sack broke out in the carpark between a few university-aged friends and myself.  A man approached our circle, not to join in with our clumsy game, but to ask for money to buy a burrito because he was hungry.

We looked at each other hesitantly because we weren't certain the man was telling us the truth.  So after a brief back and forth we agreed we would be happy to buy him the burrito he asked for.  He immediately began backpedalling on his initial request.  "I'm more hungry than I thought," he said, "and I'm gonna need something that really sticks to my ribs.  A burrito ain't enough.  I need money for the carne asada combo plate."  Ah, now the motivation became clear!  It seemed the man had a hunger a burrito could not satisfy.  We mused, "If you're really hungry, why would you turn down the burrito you asked for?  A burrito was enough for each of us.  Seems like it's the money you're after and not the burrito."  The man insisted he was hungry and would spend the money on the combo plate, but in the end he walked away from the offer of a carne asada burrito because it wasn't quite enough food for his ravenous appetite.

This was a case when actions spoke truer than words.  Had the man hungrily inhaled the first burrito, I have no doubt we would have given him a second or even a third just to see him mow through them!  But the man's actions spoke of a person who had his heart set on receiving money to spend on something other than a burrito.  His request for a burrito was dishonest from the start because he had an ulterior motive:  to use the request for a burrito to collect money to spend on something else.  The man insisted he was on the level, but his actions said something completely different.  It was only by us offering to provide the burrito it brought awareness that is was never about buying carne asada burritos or combo plates:  it was about money.

This is good for Christians to keep in mind when people (Christians or not) ask us questions on matters of faith.  We can be frustrated when we do the equivalent of supplying the burrito as requested and it is rejected as unsatisfactory because it was not enough.  No amount of burritos will ever be sufficient when one does not want a burrito in the first place!  In these situations, more important than answering the question is to address the questioner to see what their motivation is in asking.  With God's help we are best equipped to ascertain the heart of the matter and be guided in His wise ways in how to lovingly respond--even when someone is the victim of their own dishonesty and left empty.  In due time hunger pangs may bring them back for a burrito, and it will be a joy to share a meal with a truly hungry soul.

Cursed No More

Prior to God's overthrow of Jericho, the Hebrews were strictly warned not to take any spoils from the city.  Joshua warned the people in Joshua 6:18-19:  "And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. ¹⁹ But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD."  Anyone who took of the spoil was robbing God of what was consecrated to Him and would bring an accursed thing into the camp.  History has shown that on every occasion God has established something as sin, someone will choose to transgress His command--and the fall of Jericho was no exception.

There was a man named Achan who took gold, silver and clothing from Jericho and buried it in his tent.  No one but his immediate family was privy to this trespass until the children of Israel were routed by a relatively small number of fighting men of Ai.  36 men of Israel died while the rest ran for their lives, unable to even stand before their enemies.  Joshua prostrated himself before the LORD with grief, wondering and questioning why such a disaster had come to pass.  God had full knowledge of what had happened and said in Joshua 7:11, "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff."  Bringing the accursed things into the camp brought a curse, and the solution was simple:  identify the guilty, take away the accursed things, and execute judgment upon the transgressors.

It is no surprise the children of Israel were unable to stand and contend with their enemies unless God helped them.  What fills me with wonder is though the children of Israel fell before the men of Ai, by God's grace they were strengthened to overcome the curse of sin by exposing transgression, confessing their sin, and ridding themselves of the accursed things.  Sin is more powerful than any man or army, for there is no man who can purge themselves of sin's curse that brings separation from God and eternal death.  They could not stand before a handful of enemies due to their sin, but by God's power they were able to overcome the great sin that cursed them and rendered them powerless.  By faith in God, repentance of sin and humble obedience to God, God restored the children of Israel to a close relationship with Him.

Here is a great encouragement for Christians who have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus.  We do not have the strength or power in ourselves to save ourselves from sin any more than the Hebrews did when they faced the warriors of Ai.  But when we confess and repent of our sins, we are divinely enabled to cast all accursed things from us and be reconciled to God according to His covenant and grace.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  As Jesus Christ has overcome the curse of sin and death, we are made victorious by faith and live in joyous submission to His holiness.  

A Soothing Aroma

In preparation for a recent Bible study, I considered how not all smoke is the same.  When I was fitted as a tradesman for a half-face respirator to remove asbestos, we were told to breathe normally while our instructor sprayed irritant smoke all around the seal.  The concept was the irritant smoke would provide clear evidence the mask was incorrectly fitted when the person started coughing.  The irritant smoke was harmless--unlike the microscopic fibres we were trying to prevent from lodging in our lungs that could lead to cancer and death.  Our instructor, because he was a bit of a mean old fellow, insisted everyone take an unmasked whiff of the irritant smoke for his own amusement.  And for the record, it really is irritating.

I have sat around many campfires that resulted in smoke blowing into my eyes that made them burn and water.  After blinking back tears and holding my breath, I moved from one side of the fire only to have the breeze shift and smoke me out yet again.  This was the experience God described in dealings with His people when they provoked Him to anger with their disobedience and hypocrisy in Isaiah 65:2-5:  "I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts; ³ a people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; who sacrifice in gardens, and burn incense on altars of brick; ⁴ who sit among the graves, and spend the night in the tombs; who eat swine's flesh, and the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; ⁵ who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day."  The self-righteousness of God's rebellious people were like someone intentionally blowing cigarette smoke right in the face, an unpleasant experience everyone tries to avoid.

In contrast to irritant smoke, the burn of a campfire or the smell of cigarette smoke blown in the face, the gentle waft of smoke whilst smoking meat is another experience all together.  Unlike those who scramble to escape the caustic smoke from a fire outdoors, people are often drawn to the smell of smoked meat to say, "Something smells good!"  The aroma from a smoker is one that speaks of careful preparation, seasoning of select cuts, careful temperature control and the intent to partake of delicious flavours of life-sustaining food with others.  Gatherings before the LORD often involved feasting, and the smell of sacrifices offered by faith from hearts marked with joy, gratitude and generosity were pleasing to both man and God.  After Noah offered clean animals in sacrifice to the LORD following the flood Genesis 8:21 says, "And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done."

It was not the offering of burnt sacrifices that pleased God but hearts that were made righteous by faith in God revealed by obedience to Him.  When the hearts and lives of God's people were not submitted to Him, He wanted nothing to do with their sacrifices--even though the smell of roasted beef smells delicious to us.  God spoke through the prophet in Amos 5:21-22, "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. ²² Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings."  The people did not comprehend God valued obedience over sacrifice!  Yet when God's people humbled their hearts in repentance from their sins and amended their ways, He was pleased with their obedience as it is written in Psalm 51:19:  "Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your altar."

Jesus did not fault the Pharisees for tithing of their firstfruits and herbs, but His complaint was they neglected the weightier matters of the Law.  He said in Matthew 23:23:  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."  He also said in Luke 11:42:  "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."  We do well to tithe of our increase of God, but our gifts become the equivalent of irritant smoke before the LORD instead of sweet aroma when we neglect to love others or walk justly.  Let us not pass by or neglect to examine our hearts, confess and repent of sin, and labour to do the things that please God.  If we prepared our hearts before the LORD as circumspectly as we prepare smoked brisket or ribs to serve guests to eat, we will have done well.