____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ March 24, 2001 ____________________________________________________ Communing With God by Tom Edwards From about `73 to `77, I faithfully attended a denomination. Whenever a service was going on, I felt it my duty -- as well as my desire -- to be there; so I was. It was hard for me to imagine how anyone calling himself or herself a "Christian" could really be one, while at the same time neglecting the church. Those were the days when, in looking back, it seems that I had spent more time "praying" for others -- rather than just "thinking about things." Whether it was while at work, while walking, while riding my bike, while driving my car, wherever or whenever, prayer was always an important part of my life. So when I learned in 1977 that baptism is part of the plan of salvation -- and which I had not realized before -- I then knew that not only had I been in a lost state for many previous years, but that I also had not had the right to call upon God as my Father. And that certainly gave me even more incentive for why I then submitted to water baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). For not having God to talk to, left me with a very empty, hollow, and purposeless feeling. Like most Christians (I would think virtually all), I, too, pray every day -- literally. I imagine it seems strange to many of us to realize that there are millions of people who don't even take the time to think about God every day -- let alone pray to Him. But what an important part of the day prayer is to the true believer. My favorite prayers to the Lord are those that flow from the heart -- not as "memorized requests" (though there are some that I pray that way); but, rather, as that which is new, impromptu, spontaneous. Some prayers, however are repetitious: Jesus instructs His people to ask for their "daily bread." So that is something that must be asked day after day. In "memorized prayers," I have added to "my list," over the years, of those things that I find most important to pray every day; so prayers of that nature are often repetitious. But one of the important things is that the person praying is sincere and such prayers are uttered from the heart. For if not, that would then be the "vain repetition" that Jesus condemns in Matthew 6:7. It's not the repetition per se that is wrong (for Christ prayed the same thing three times in the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew 26:39-44); but, rather, it's the "vainness" or "emptiness" of that prayer -- one that is said without really thinking about it, like a memorized poem that can be recited without any serious thought. Many of my prayers are audible -- especially at home. And, since the Bible does not designate any specific posture for prayer, I also enjoy, at times, praying while walking, where I can admire and appreciate God's wondrous work of creation: to see the grass-covered, rolling hills; the farmlands; the woods of various trees; the blue sky, with a wide variety of interesting clouds, that slowly drift by, and add to the wonder -- and all of this appealing to the aesthetic nature that God has made within me, and which enables me to truly delight in and appreciate His wonderful work of creation. It becomes a beautiful time of prayer, meditation, and praise to God. Recently, while preaching down South, I crossed the bridge from Bay St. Louis (Mississippi) to Pass Christian, where I was then greeted by an awesome and alluring sight that was like seeing an old friend again, whom I hadn't seen for about 13 years: The white, sandy beach and the immense Gulf of Mexico drew me to the water's edge. I parked and then walked the 3-mile stretch of beach for about 3 hours -- and ran into only three or four people in all that time! For the most part, I had the entire beach to myself. For 5 days, I walked along the water's edge, totaling, at least, 35 miles all together -- averaging about 7 miles per day; and probably spent about 90% of that time talking with God and praising Him! It certainly was a meaningful and uplifting experience. To look out over the immense gulf that God had made, while listening to the rhythmic waves, and being caressed by the gentle breezes -- or looking up at the star-filled sky, while still hearing and feeling the same -- is just a little reminder of how great God is. He is a God who can create the unfathomable: We can't even begin to number all the stars that He has spoken into existence! This is the God to whom we pray! It was an off-season, so during the five days that I spent in communion with the Lord, along the gulf, there were never any sunbathers, nor hardly even any other strollers to share the beach with. It was a most beautiful experience to be able to have so much of God's creation all to myself to enjoy, to praise Him for (as well as for simply being the God that He is), and as an ideal setting to commune with Him in prayer. I really felt that I was walking with God -- physically, as well as spiritually -- while trekking up and down the coast and verbalizing my prayers and praise to Him. And isn't it beautiful to know, when praising God, that the Lord is "...enthroned upon the praises" of His people (Psa. 22:3) -- or as the KJV says, God "inhabitest the praises...." To have God as close to us as He can be, and we to Him, should surely be one of our greatest desires. One evening, while praying by the shore and looking up at the stars, I had a wonderful feeling of being "at my post," though 1,200 miles from my home. I was doing my part in praying for the brethren and for those outside of Christ -- wherever they might be -- just as I realized that many of my brethren were also doing the same "at their post." How important prayer is, and what a wonderful duty and privilege for those of us who are God's children! And no matter where we pray from, we know that all of us who do so, as Christians, are actually in the same place -- and that is, in the spiritual kingdom of the Lord that will one day be taken up into eternal glory, where we can ever live with God and all the redeemed in heaven. It is truly great to know that the Christian can pray from anywhere! It's knowledge like that that can even make "camping out" on the backseat of your car, hundreds of miles from home, at a "rest stop" along the Interstate, another enjoyable experience! Being the frugal guy that I can be at times and spending several days on the road recently, three of those nights I just grabbed a sleeping bag from my trunk and made my car my "temporary home." (Of course, I wouldn't recommend this for you husbands out there who take your wives along, or you might find another new place to sleep when you get home -- in the dog house.) But I can't think of a better way in ending the day then by praying for my brethren, my friends, for every lost soul who can be prayed for -- for every human being upon our planet. Have you ever wondered how many thousands of prayers we have probably prayed? But I'm not tired of that yet, are you? If you're a child of God, I would think not. Someone, for instance, who has been a Christian for 60 years and has prayed every day, making 100 different requests per day, has actually made more than 2 million prayer requests during that time! And since one prayer can contain many different prayer requests, making 100 different requests each day probably is a low estimate; but it's one of those things we do without counting or keeping track. Could you imagine, however, what your life would be like if God said, "Okay, I don't want any of you to pray to Me anymore"? If you're like me, you'd probably feel that an important part of your life was taken away. How much emptier, colder, and not as meaningful the day would seem. Maybe you'd even feel a bit like a stranger to yourself. In today's early morning chill, I found my front porch (which has three open sides) a beautiful place to start the day with prayer. For the wind was also there, which has long been like another "old friend," along with the sun's radiant beams that would soon be transforming the cold Pennsylvania morning to a more ideal temperature. These early beams are like "hope" during a not-so-pleasant time -- a foretaste of something better. And with patience and expectation, the "better" soon comes: the cold is replaced by the much-welcomed warmth. Prayer, too, is something made out of hope and faith: we request that which we want to see come to pass. The prayer gives us a glimmer of something better; the "something better" becomes the fulfillment, the reality, the answer to our prayer. For just as every question has an answer, so does every prayer. Though maybe not always the "answer" we want at the time, our faith tells us that God knows best and will answer each prayer only as He sees fit. We can be thankful for that. Let those of us, therefore, who are Christians continue in this wonderful privilege and duty to make our requests known unto God, knowing that He would not ask us to do such if there were no way He could answer those prayers! So with more than 6 billion people in the world, we sure have a lot to be praying for! And what a wonderful way to be communing with God! -- Brief Scripture-Thoughts on Prayer -- Why Should We Pray? 1 Peter 5:7, "casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He [God] cares for you." James 4:2, "...You do not have because you do not ask." 1 Tim. 2:1 -- we are commanded to pray for all people. Prayer is part of the Christian's duty and devotion: Epaphras was "...always LABORING EARNESTLY for you IN HIS PRAYERS" (Col. 4:12, emphasis mine); "Devote yourselves to prayer..." (Col. 4:2). For Whom Should We Pray? Luke 6:28, "...pray for those who mistreat you." Matt. 5:44, "...pray for those who persecute you." Eph. 6:18, pray "...for all the saints." Matt. 9:37,38, pray that God will send forth "workers into the harvest" (for the work of evangelism). 1 Tim. 2:1,2, pray "...on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority...." (Pray for the lost, as well as the redeemed.) Matt. 6:9-13 -- pray for yourself. How Should We Pray? * With faith: Mark 11:24, "...all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you." * Continually: Luke 18:1, "...at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart"; Eph. 6:18, "...pray at all times...." * "In the Spirit" - Eph. 6:18. * With "holy hands" and "without wrath and dissension" -- 1 Tim. 2:8. * Without "meaningless repetition" (be sincere and pray from the heart) -- Matt. 6:7. * Not ostentatiously or to be a "showoff" -- Matt. 6:5. * With a forgiving heart -- Mark 11:25. * With alertness -- Luke 21:36. * With devotion -- Rom. 12:12. * With "thanksgiving" -- and don't be anxious -- Phil. 4:6. * Pray anywhere -- 1 Tim. 2:8. * With confidence -- Heb. 4:16. * With righteousness -- James 5:16; 1 Pet. 3:12. * "earnestly" -- James 5:17. * With humility -- 2 Chron. 7:14; James 4:6. * With "sound judgment and sober spirit" -- 1 Pet. 4:7. Specific Prayers: * Pray for deliverance from temptation -- Luke 22:40. * Pray that Christians will do what is right and not what is wrong -- 2 Cor. 13:7. * Pray that Christians be "complete" -- 2 Cor. 13:9. * Pray for enlightenment that one may realize the "hope of his calling" and the "riches of the glory of" the saints' inheritance -- Eph. 1:18. * Pray for love to abound in real knowledge and discernment -- Phil. 1:9. * Pray to be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding -- Col. 1:9. * Pray to be found "worthy of your calling" -- 2 Thess. 1:11. * Pray that God's word will "spread rapidly and be glorified" -- 2 Thess. 3:1. * Pray for effective "fellowship of your faith" -- Philemon 1:6. * Pray when suffering -- James 5:13. * Pray for "one another" -- James 5:16. * Pray for prosperity and good health -- 3 John 1:12. * Pray for strength to overcome -- Luke 21:36 * Pray for opportunities to reach lost souls -- Col. 4:3. * Pray that you "may stand perfect and fully assured in the will of God" -- Col. 4:12. * Pray that "we may lead a tranquil and peaceful life in all godliness and dignity" (1 Tim. 2:2). Conditions for Answered Prayer: * Must have faith and know that God can answer prayer -- Mark 11:25; James 1:5,6. * Husband must live with his wife in an "understanding way" --1 Pet. 3:7. * Faithful to God's commandments -- 1 Jn. 3:22 * Prayer must be according to God's will -- 1 Jn. 5:14. * Must know that God hears the prayer -- 1 Jn. 5:15. * Must have right motives -- James 4:3. * Must be of a forgiving spirit -- Mark 11:25,26. In Closing: A Lesson from Jesus Jesus sometimes "...spent the whole night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12); and sometimes with "loud crying and tears" (Heb. 5:7). He had even prayed so fervently that "...His sweat became like drops of blood, falling upon the ground" (Luke 22:44). Since Jesus, the perfect Son of God, was this dedicated to prayer then how much more do we, God's imperfect children, need to be?!!! May we each find great solace and meaning in communing with God through this wonderful avenue of prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ has -- willingly and sacrificially -- made possible for us. ________________________________________ evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (610) 925-3567 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ________________________________________