Prayer – TGN

Does God Answer All Our Prayers?

Kwesi Sena — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 06:31:39 +0000

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15

It is fair to say that most Christians generally acknowledge the importance of prayer in their walk with the Lord, even though not all of us practice the discipline with the consistency and urgency it requires. In a previous article, Ebenezer, my colleague, laid out with clarity the importance of prayer as taught in the Bible.

However, the question will always remain, if prayer has so many benefits and is of such importance according to the Bible; why don’t most Christians pray consistently and regularly as they should? In his article, Ebenezer talked about prayer being akin to physical exercise, which requires some amount of hard work; as a result, not many of us like it.

In addition to it being hard work, I have discovered over the years that many Christians are not quick to pray because they haven’t experienced quick answers to their prayers as they would like. I have had many Christians come up and ask me; does God really answers all prayers? They read passages like Matthew 7:7-8, “ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened”; yet they still don’t receive what they asked for, even though they asked with much faith.

Is it that God didn’t mean many such verses spread across the New Testament? Or is there a secret formula for unlocking verses like Matthew 7:7-8? Because I’m sure if they instantly received every request they make of God, there would be no shortage of people on their knees praying.

As you read the whole Bible, you realise that the only secret formula is to let other parts of the Bible interpret the part you are reading. This is what 1 John 5:14-15 does for us as we seek to understand passages like Matthew 7:7-8.

In our opening two verses, John tells us that this is the confidence every Christian can have when they approach God to pray. He hears us! After all, he is the one who bid us to come and pray (Luke 18:1; 21:36; Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; James 5:14).

Prayer is not the invention of the church; it is God’s idea. Which means he is more ready to hear and answer our prayers than we will ever be willing to pray. Therefore, as a believer, you should never doubt for a second if God hears your prayer. This is the confidence with which we approach God in prayer.

Praying According to God’s Will

However, the text also tells us, “if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

According to John, the surest way to receive answers to your prayer is to pray according to God’s will. The next logical question is, how do I know God’s will? In Deuteronomy 29:29, Moses told the Israelites, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

It is true that the Bible doesn’t provide a step-by-step guide on every aspect of our lives. There are undoubtedly many things for which the Bible doesn’t tell us what to do specifically. For example, who to marry, what job offer to accept, in which neighbourhood to live, etc. But even in those cases, there are clear biblical principles which can be applied to guide our decisions and so help us to be in God’s will.

Therefore, even though there are secret things that have not been revealed to us by God, “his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). No Bible-believing Christian can claim ignorance of God’s will for their lives, because he has graciously and clearly revealed it in his word.

When John admonishes us to pray according to God’s will, he is basically saying to pray according to the word of God. Which means we must pray with our Bibles open. As a general principle, our prayers are more likely to be aligned with the will of God if they are rooted in the written word.

Self-Centred Prayers Will not be Honoured by God

All of history is moving toward one climatic end, when all of God’s purposes will finally culminate in the glorification of his Son Jesus Christ with the breaking in of the new heaven and the new earth. This is where creation is finally headed, which means as believers, everything about our lives must be oriented toward this grand vision.

Which job offer to accept, the spouse we marry, how we raise our children and even which dress we wear should all be oriented toward this grand vision of God. Therefore, the prayers we pray regarding all these aspects of our lives must also be aligned with how they will ultimately further this grand vision of God.

God does not exist to further our own little kingdoms. It’s a very popular idea within certain Christian circles that, as children of God, we have the right to command God to answer our prayers when we do so in faith. Such an idea is sorely mistaken and has no place in biblical Christianity.

In admonishing his readers against worldliness and self-centeredness, James wrote, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:1-3).

According to James, God will not honour selfish prayer requests made without regard to his will. Does he answer prayers? Yes! But he doesn’t honour self-centred prayers.

God’s Three Answers to Prayer

The question is not so much whether God answers all prayers; as it is, does God say yes to all our prayers? For the believer, God answers all our prayers in one of three ways; yes, no, or wait.

As a loving father, he desires to give good gifts to his children (Luke 11:9-13). It is because of his yeses to our prayers that we live and move and have our being. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). It’s unfortunate that, as Christians, we sometimes live as though God has been unkind to us. Our long faces, anxiety and complaints provide ammunition to a mocking world that is always looking for an opportunity to castigate our Heavenly Father as stingy and unkind.

Then, there are times when in his grace and mercy, God says no to our prayers. Knowing that most of us, if not all of us as Christians, don’t always perfectly pray in accordance with his will, God will be unloving to say yes to all our prayers. As a loving father, for our own good, he sometimes has to say no to some of our prayers.

From hindsight, I’m thankful that God didn’t answer some of my prayers, because if he did, that answered prayer would have made a shipwreck of my faith. I’m sure the believers in James’ day could say the same thing. Their selfish prayer requests, if answered, would have pushed them further and further into worldliness and away from God. And as observed by James, friendship with the world is enmity toward God.

And even when he says no, as a loving father, he gives us grace in our disappointment, just like he did for Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

The third and final answer we will encounter on our praying journey is, “wait”. Perhaps, of all God’s answers to prayers this one is the most sanctifying. This is because as believers who still live in a fallen world, we don’t like to wait. Yet, throughout the Scriptures we’re told that God works on behalf of those who wait on him. There will be many times in our walk with God when we will have to wait for his answer to our prayers. It is in those times that our trust and dependence on him is tested.

But we can be sure of one thing, “this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

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Half The Money: Going Past The Hypocrites’ Prayer

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 07:13:06 +0000

The story is told of two brothers who were sent by their mother to purchase a few items from a nearby shop. In their playfulness, they lost the money on the way. Immediately the older brother remembered how their mother used to speak about God being a prayer answering God. So, he suggested they pray to him; perhaps he may help them find the money. With no further delay, he began thus, “God, you know we would be in serious trouble if we go home without the things mom sent us out to get or the money. So, Lord, please show us where the money is; we promise to give you half of it if you help us.“ Immediately the younger brother tapped him on the shoulder, “But you know that we need all the money for the things we are going to buy“, to which the older brother replied, “Shh… it’s a trick!“.

The older brother thought to use his prayer to get what he wanted from God but had no intention of honouring the promise he made. To this little boy, prayer was only a means to twist God’s hand. Sadly, this boy is not alone. If you listen to most of the prayers we pray these days, you’ll realise that we are in it just to “trick“ God. In many ways, we sound very much like that little boy.

Regrettably, this attitude has been with us for a very long time. Let’s listen in to the prayer of Jacob, the patriarch, as recorded in Genesis 28:20-22, right after he had the vision of a ladder leading up to heaven and anointed the stone upon which he had slept as the house of God and christened the place the gateway to heaven:

“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

The nub of the patriarch’s prayer can be restated like this: “Look, Lord, you may have shown me the gates of heaven and angels ascending and descending, and you’ve just promised to give me the land where I slept and make my descendants many. But if you want me to make you my God, here’s a list of things you must comply with in addition:

1. You better be with me as I journey to Haran (hadn’t God already promised to be with him moments ago?)

2. You better keep me safe and bring me back to my father’s house in one piece

3. Oh, and you need to ensure I always have something to eat and clothes on my back

4. And by the way, if you can do all these things, I’ll give you 10% of all you give me.“

Talk about twisting the arm of God!

Like any spiritual discipline, prayer can quickly become man-centred instead of God-centred. In our previous article, we saw that the disciplines are a means to enjoy God and, consequently, be more like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18; Psalms 34:5). C. S. Lewis is on record to have said.

“The Scotch catechism says that man’s chief end is ‘to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.‘ But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.“

Rightly so. God is the object of the disciplines; we are not. In them, we focus our gaze on Him, not on us. A direct consequence of constantly being in His presence is that, like Moses, we begin to radiate off Him. But it would be idolatry to go to Him only to get our clothes bedazzled so we can show off how iridescent we are.

This is what preoccupied the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. “They practised their righteousness (the spiritual disciplines) before other people in order to be seen by them“ (Matthew 6:1). In repudiating their hypocrisy, Jesus picked on three notable disciplines: namely, giving, fasting and prayer.

These hypocrites sounded a trumpet when they gave alms to the poor, “to be seen of men… that they may have glory of men.“ Jesus says such almsgiving is of no consequence in heaven. Then in Ch. 6 v. 16, he reproves them for the way they disfigure their faces when they fast to appear to men to be highly spiritual.

When it comes to prayer, Jesus observed:

“…for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.“ (v.5).

Thus, the Pharisees had turned the spiritual disciplines into a glory-seeking, man-centred, self-righteous venture. And they did not stop at publicly showing off their religiosity; in their prayers, they reminded God how holy they were, how much they gave, fasted etc. And in this self-aggrandised state of mind, they demeaned everyone else (Luke 18:10-14). This was legalism at its peak. A legalistic mindset says, “I deserve to be rewarded because I have been good“. This attitude is diametrically opposed to grace, which says, “I owe it all to you, and I can’t earn it by my good works nor repay it“.

And so, Jesus sets the record straight:

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-10; 13b, KJV

SONSHIP AT THE HEART OF PRAYER THAT PLEASES JESUS

Theologians agree that Jesus here gives us a model to pattern our prayers (we will explore this in greater detail in a subsequent article). If this is true, then it is instructive to pay attention to Jesus’ method so we don’t pray amiss. Rather than being all about us, Jesus shows us that prayer starts and ends with God. Observe how the honour of God’s name, His Kingdom and His will come first on Jesus’ list.

Observe the first two words. “Our Father“. As we noted in the previous article, the first words of the new-born believer are “Abba! Father!“ Our adoption as sons must continue to shape our minds and hearts as we approach God in prayer – never doubting for a moment that He loves us and is ever attentive to our prayers.

I believe this gets right at the heart of the legalistic attitude of the hypocrites whose prayer style he would have us avoid. Legalism seeks a reward for being ‘good‘ and tries to earn God’s approval and favour through works. Thus, it displays a misunderstanding of grace and sonship. As sons of God, we have nothing to prove. Our Father loves us with the same love he loves Jesus (John 14:23; 15:9; 16:27; 17:23). He loved us even when we were His enemies (Romans 5:8); there’s nothing we can do to make Him love us any more or any less than he already lavishly does.

That is where all the spiritual disciplines begin.Jesus begins with it. He reminds us; when you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites – you are in the presence of your Father who loves you and whom you love. He loves to commune with you. What a privilege! Prayer is all about coming into the presence of a loving Father whose ears, as the Jewish Rabbis used to say, “are never satisfied with hearing“.

Notes:

1. The Midrash (Jewish Biblical exegesis), commenting on Psalm 65. In “The Purpose of Prayer“, John MacArthur, sermon available at https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2233/the-purpose-of-pr

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The No. 1 Prayer Request in Ghana: But, is it Godly?

Kwesi Sena — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 06:53:28 +0000

I’m sure if God gave us a sneak peek into his prayer request book on Ghana; which contains all the prayers he has received from Ghanaians, the No. 1 prayer request we will see is “prayer against enemies.”

Whether it is a difficult boss who is not satisfied with our efforts; or a mean auntie who is jealous with our progress; or a colleague who is sabotaging our every move in the office; or a cousin who is envious that we are married and she is not; or even the neighbour who we suspect is the cause of our recent miscarriage, these are enemies of our progress from whom we need protection, and must be prayed against or “bound” as we colloquially say.

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, an enemy is “a person who hates or opposes another person and tries to harm them or stop them from doing something.” Whoever they are, and wherever they are, enemies are real and according to this definition, they hate us and are trying to harm us and impede our progress.

The Ghanaian’s Obsession with Enemies

It is not clear from where the obsession with enemies in our Ghanaian society originated, I’m sure the origin will differ depending on who you speak to. But, whether it is in the church or outside the church, there is this strong belief in our Ghanaian society that someway somehow, someone somewhere is working against our progress all the time and we must constantly “bind” them if we’re are to progress in life.

It doesn’t take long when you enter a prayer meeting to discover that, it’s actually a demon and enemy “binding” session. All the prayer topics in one way or another have something to do with an enemy. In my experience, if I asked ten Ghanaian Christians what specific ways I can pray for them, I’m pretty sure in seven out of ten, one of the requests will have something to do with enemies and demons.

To be clear, I’m not oblivious to the existence of enemies and evil forces. The Bible admonishes us in many places to be on guard against the evil one and his cohorts. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are told, “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” I will be a reckless Christian if I did not appreciate the existence of the devil and his schemes.

But in the preface to The Screwtape Letters, a fictional book on an imaginary correspondence between an older demon and his apprentice nephew, C. S. Lewis warns Christians against an inordinate obsession with demons and their work. He writes, “there are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

Our excessive obsession with enemies and demons reveals a deeply flawed understanding of who God is. Contrary to what we might say we believe, constantly attributing suffering and difficult situations in our lives to the activities of our enemies reveals a diminished view of God. It only suggests that such individuals have power to subvert God’s purposes and plans in our lives. If an enemy can cause a miscarriage while God watches on, then we have a serious problem with the “God” we have entrusted our lives to.

It is true that there is a spiritual battle raging on, but Scripture teaches us that this is not an equal and open contest between God and the devil as we see from the story of Job. The devil and his cohorts are on a leash and they can only go as far as the Sovereign God would allow them. So, take comfort my Christian friend and set your hearts and affections on God, rather than obsessing about demons and enemies.

Suffice it to say that in praying against our enemies, we may not literally say they are demons, however, deep down we believe that their hatred or opposition is inspired by the devil hence the reason we “bind” them. But, taking into account the words of C. S. Lewis, what should be our attitude toward our real or perceived enemies who we believe are out to get us?

What Should be Our Attitude Toward Our “Enemies”

In a section of the Sermon on the Mount recordedin Matthew 5:43-45 Jesus taught his disciples,

“43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

In our case we don’t even have to hear it said, it is very natural for us to love those who love us and hate those who are out to get us. It’s a natural principle of life; it sounds good and it feels right. But the countercultural message of Jesus is to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.” In the parallel passage in Luke 6, it says, “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Jesus calls us not to pray against or curse our enemies but to love, pray forand bless them.

And he sets God as the standard. He says in verse 45, love your enemies “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” In Romans 5:8 Paul tells us, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners [enemies], Christ died for us.”

In a similar exhortation in Romans 12:20-21, Paul told the Christians in Rome, “to the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Sometimes the best way to love an enemy is to remove yourself from a place if your life is physically in danger, or turn them over to civil authorities if they have broken the laws of the state. But, the call to love, pray for and bless them doesn’t change even in those circumstances.

I know many of us will at this point protest and contest that this is easier said than done. But such is the call and demand of Jesus on our lives as his followers. The call to follow him is a radical one and you’re right in thinking that this is not easy, because it is actually impossible.

But you know what? Jesus is not asking us to do this in our own strength. It takes the grace of God to love your enemy, just as it takes God’s grace to be saved. The starting place is to pray for your enemies not against them.

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The Prayer Everyone Should Pray in 2019

Kwesi Sena — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 05:30:12 +0000

Psalm 90:12 is undoubtedly one of the most beloved verses in the entire Bible. In this verse Moses offered a short prayer to God after observing the cycle of human life. He prayed,

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

For Moses, this was not just a nice verse to be memorized, but a deep and heartfelt prayer after considering the brevity of the human life. Through experience, he had become aware that human life was a pilgrimage as he observed the cycle of birth and death in the wilderness. His conclusion was that the wisest thing for any human to do is to number our days that we may get a heart to wisdom.

The years come and go. Often there is nothing remarkable about the new year. I slept on the night of 31st December, 2018 and awoke to 2019 with no change in my life, yet with each passing day I get closer to death than I was before. It is the unremarkable nature of the years that makes the prayer of Moses even more important. The next major event after birth is death. It is for this reason that each of us should pray that God would teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. It is very easy to live in forgetfulness and foolishness, however the fact that there will be a day of reckoning when each of us would give account of our lives demands that we live a life of wisdom.

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:15-17 writes,

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Paul’s warning is very similar to the prayer of Moses. According to him not only are we living on borrowed time, but this short time is also filled with evil. That’s why it is critical that we watch carefully how we live our lives, not as unwise but wise. His advice to the Ephesians was that in view of the times we should not live as foolish people but understand what the will of the Lord is. For Paul, a foolish life is one that does not consider the will of God.

As we begin 2019, what does it mean to live a life of wisdom?

According to Paul a life of wisdom is one that is lived in accordance with the will of God. That doesn’t sound like a very “deep” revelation. Often times when we talk about wisdom, people are looking for some concocted 10 point ideas that will usher them into their heaven on earth experience. Not so with the true wisdom that comes from above. This wisdom consists in living your life in accordance with God’s word. This means we must first know what the will of God is. And where do we find the will of God? We find the will of God in his word.

The Bible is not just a collection of books, it is the very word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit and it contains the will of God for our lives (2 Tim 3:16 & 17; 2 Pet 1:20 & 21). Therefore, if you want to know how to live a life of wisdom in 2019, you need to devote yourself to reading and meditating on God’s word in order to know what he requires of you.

God’s will for your life is simple and clear. If you’re not yet a follower of Jesus Christ, his will for you is that you repent of your sins and be reconciled to him by trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:17-21). And if you’re already a follower of Jesus Christ, his will for you is that you increasingly become conformed to the image of his Son Jesus Christ ( Rom 8:29; 1 Thess. 4:3).

None of us know what 2019 will bring, even though there are self-acclaimed prophets and apostles who will declare otherwise. However, for the believer in Jesus Christ, we don’t need any prophecies or visons about how to navigate the year. God has spoken clearly and unambiguously in his word and the wise thing is to study and walk according to his will.

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A Prayer For Guidance

Kwesi Sena — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:37:51 +0000

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long (vv.4-5).

This is the second in a series, Psalm 25: Praying A Psalm. In the previous article, we looked at the first theme: Prayer For Protection. We all know how easy it is to make prayer all about our needs and wants without the slightest incline to what God wants and what pleases Him. David’s requests tell of his seriousness in seeking to please God. This was a man passionate about knowing God. He wasn’t only interested in enjoying the gifts God bestows; he was concerned about knowing the giver of the gift and to please him. His prayer is an indictment on many modern Christians.

For many, in times of comfort, God is a second thought. But David’s desire was to please God, and the only way to do that was to know about God – his ways, his paths and his truths. In Psalm 86:11, he writes, “Teach me your way, O LORD that I may walk in your truth, unite my heart to fear your name.” A proof of our love for God is our obedience. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandment.’ We cannot obey what we don’t know. So David’s prayer was to God to help him know his ways and his truths.

The Disposition of David’s Heart

We also see from these verses, the disposition of David’s heart. Here is a man who not only wanted to know the ways and paths of God, but he also recognized there was no way he could know God by himself. Unless the Lord inclined his heart, he would not even have the desire. So his prayer was, “Make me…Teach me…Lead me.”

These requests show a complete surrender to God. They convey a message of utter helplessness and dependence. He doesn’t go to God seeking the fulfilment of his own plans and wishes. The words he uses are of someone who has completely relinquished control and is prepared to allow God to be King in his life. Not my way, not my path and not what I consider truth. There is a certain humility and trust reflected in that prayer. We see here what I call attitudes to obtain divine guidance: (i) “A humble heart” (vv 8-10). The Lord teaches and leads the humble in the path they should go.

Like David we must come to God in complete surrender. (ii) A heart ready to obey” (vv14-15). The Lord makes known His covenant to people who fear him. A person who fears the Lord is the one who is ready to obey. My question to you is, in your walk with God, is it about your way or God’s way? Your path or God’s path? Are you really concerned about what the word of God says about every area of your life?

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Psalm 25: Praying A Psalm

Kwesi Sena — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 18:25:29 +0000

The book of Psalms has given expression to believers throughout the history of the church. The book covers various emotions of the people of God at various points of their walk with Him. No matter what you are feeling as a Christian, it is encouraging to know you are not alone; neither are you the first person to have gone through that experience. Whether it is fear, disappointment, anxiety, depression, abandonment, brokenness, hurt, joy, peace and the list goes on, the saints who have walked this path once felt the same at one point or the other in their lives.

Psalm 25 has been one of the most encouraging of the Psalms to me this year to me this year. It is a Psalm where David laments and cries in anguish to God to help him in various troubles he faces in his life. Unlike many other Psalms, there is no specific occasion which is cited as the reason for writing of this Psalm. Some commentators have said David wrote this chapter during the last days of King Saul. Others say it was written during the rebellion of Absalom. All these are speculations because no one knows exactly why it was written. However, regardless of the occasion, one thing is clear. It is a prayer in which the Psalmist brings before God various requests.This makes it very useful for every believer, because the requests being offered here are those we can all identify with.

Psalm 25 is an acrostic: a Psalm where each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. If it were in English, the first verse will begin with a word that starts with the letter “A”, the second verse with a word starting with “B” the third verse with “C” in that order. Because of its acrostic structure, the themes of the Psalm are scattered throughout the chapter. You will notice that the same topic is spoken about, and in some cases expanded in other sections of the passage. But as you go through the Psalm, you notice it is a prayer with three major requests or themes David brings before God. He prays for

1) Protection from Enemies
2) Divine Guidance
3) Forgiveness of Sins

David didn’t only pray around these three themes, he also expressed a high confidence in the God to whom he prayed. He had no doubt in his mind that God will hear his prayers and answer.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust (vv. 1-2).

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies (vv. 8-10).

David’s confidence in prayer is rooted in the unchanging character of God. So must ours. As a matter of fact, the Christian life rests on our confidence in the faithfulness, character and nature of God (1 John 5:14-15, Hebrew 11:6). As David prays, his prayer is intermittently accentuated with a strong confidence in God. Prayer is a window to the heart of the believer; we can tell what kind of Christian you are by listening to your prayers over time. Your prayer will tell how trustful you are of God and his sufficiency. We can also tell if you are kingdom minded or earthly minded. Your view about God’s holiness and your sinfulness can all be discerned from your prayers. If God gave us a diary of all the prayers you’ve prayed since you became a Christian, what kind of Christian would we see?

At this point, let’s consider these three prayer points which run through Psalm 25. I will treat these as a series beginning with

A Prayer For Protection.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous (vv1-3).

David was no stranger to enemies. Right from the palace of King Saul to his own household, there were those who sought to harm him. His life was one of constant contention with enemies. We know there is no particular occasion cited for writing this Psalm, which means it is not about any particular enemy. The enemies being referred to here could therefore be understood as David’s enemies in general. Throughout his life, there were people who hated him for no just cause. Whether it was Saul and his relentless pursuit or his own son Absalom, David had to fight on a daily basis for his very survival. No king in Israel fought as many battles as David (1Chronicles 22:8). Again in verses vv.19-20, he writes: “Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you”

I have no doubt we each have our own share of enemies; people who hate us for no just cause. Some of these could be colleagues in the office who backstab you in order to appear favourable in the eyes of the boss. They could be friends who betray us with malicious intent. Sometimes our enemies could even be members of our own families who hate us because of our faith.
Regardless of who they are, enemies don’t seek our good. They don’t wish us well. Their intention is to harm us and shame us. They exult in our shame. Because of this, the natural reaction is often to hit back and pay them back in their own coin. We often take matters into our own hands and avenge ourselves. What is remarkable about David was not so much the battles he won or how many of his enemies he defeated. What is remarkable about him was how he approached the problem of enemies in his life.

If we look at verse 1 & 2, he entrusted himself to the God who is able to protect him. He says; “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust” Instead of looking for ways to hit back, he turns to the God to whom belongs vengeance. His prayer was that God will deliver him from all their plots. It takes a lot of confidence in the justice system of God to actually leave your case to him. Any time we take matters into our own hands or take revenge, what we are saying is that we don’t trust God to defend our cause. In Romans 12:19, Paul gave this advice to the believers in Rome “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Do you have enemies? David shows us a better way of dealing with people who seek our harm. He went to God on his knees.

In the next article, we will look at Praying For Guidance.

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Stand Up For Jesus

Andrews Ampomah — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 08:35:32 +0000

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed ~ George Duffield.

In a country with about 71% of the population ¹ dentifying themselves as Christians, it is baffling the moral decadence that plagues us. There are churches on almost every street which are full during worship hours on Sundays. With such statistics of professing Christians, it is expected a high, holy and moral life will be upheld.

Unfortunately, our profession of faith doesn’t translate into our daily lives. The lives of many Christians are marked by compromise; conforming to the pattern of this world. We have failed to ‘Stand Up For Jesus’ by forgetting who we are and our purpose here as ambassadors of Christ Jesus. In 2 Chronicles 36, the Bible tells the sad story of the nation Israel. During the reign of Jehoiakim the nation descended into a state of evil and disobedience. “He [Jehoiakim] was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God”. His evil reign resulted in Israel being carried away into captivity in Babylon.

The scene of this story is not new to humankind. In Genesis, God made for our first parents –Adam and Eve — a habitation in the Garden of Eden, where they had the privilege to enjoy great fellowship with God and have all that they needed. However, they disobeyed God and brought upon themselves and rest of humankind the captivity of sin.

Israel’s captivity in Babylon has an encouraging parenthesis in the lives of those who stood up for the cause of God and refused to compromise. As a result of the nation’s rebellion, Daniel and his generation became strangers and exiles in Babylon. Like Daniel and his countrymen, all Christians are strangers and pilgrims in this world. “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

We live in a hostile environment in which our commitment to God is tested by the world systems on a daily basis. We are surrounded by people who do not recognize the authority of the God we serve, and rebel against His rule. We are hard pressed to conform to the lifestyle of the world and forsake the precepts of holiness set out for us in scripture.

A look at the story of Daniel and his three friends in captivity teaches us how a people in exile, who are hoping for a lasting city must live their lives in a world that is fleeting. We are God’s representatives on this earth, ‘ambassadors of Christ’ and the bible admonishes us that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, to do all to the glory of God (1Cor. 10:31). To stand up for Jesus is to defy the status quo in our world today and obey God. We are in this world but we are not of this world. We are to travel the road less travelled: “broad is the way to destruction and narrow the road to life” (Matt. 7:13)

In Daniel 3, we see Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refusing to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s graven image. Rather, they chose the narrow and unpopular path. While everyone around them bowed, they chose to obey God by not bowing. We also see in chapter 6, Daniel refusing to obey the commandment not to pray to any god for thirty days except to Darius the King. These choices were not pleasant, and came with dire consequence. In the case of the three, they were thrown into a fiercely burning furnace and for Daniel he found himself having a sleepover with the lions.

Despite the glaring danger associated with choosing the side of God, He calls us to persevere to the end. He calls us to obedience regardless of the consequences.

There are tree lessons to be learned from these four Hebrew captives in Babylon:

They Kept their Identity

Daniel 1:7-8.

Though Nebuchadnezzar changed their names, their identity as Jews and children of God was intact. In a land of captivity, Daniel and his friends never compromised on who they were. As believers, we are described as pilgrims and strangers in this world (Heb. 11:13). Paul, writing to the Colossian Church, emphasised the necessity to keep focus on the Kingdom of God. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:1-2). We have been bought with the precious blood of Christ. We are a new creation. We live in the world but are not of the world. We must not lose our identity as Christians in a world of compromises.

Consistency In Prayer

What actually got Daniel into trouble was his prayer life. But God answered and kept him out of danger. The believer is admonished to pray without ceasing. Jesus says we “ought to pray and not faint”(Luke 8:1). Prayer is to the believer, what water is to the fish. A prayerless Christian can easily fall prey to temptation and defeat.

A Life of Integrity

The believer is called to a life of integrity. Though Daniel’s enemies sought an avenue to trap him, they could find none. In a world filled with decadence and evil, God calls the Christian to live a life that is set apart. Peter admonished his readers to keep their conduct among the gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Pet. 2:12).

Notes

1: http://www.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/2010phc/Census2010_Summary_report_of_final_results.pdf

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Your Breakthrough Will Not Be Sudden And Dramatic In 2016!

Kwesi Sena — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 10:20:44 +0000

Prior to entering the year, many churches made declarations about 2016 accompanied by weeks of prayer and fasting. Members of these churches, by the declarations of their leaders are promised breakthroughs and miracles during the year. These declarations and promises are annual rituals. However, often times, the year ends without any of the promises being fulfilled. Towards the end of the year, they are further promised “to hold on for a last minute breakthrough”. In a repetitive cycle, the year ends and begins again with these same promises.

There are many reasons Christians and church attendees fall for these falsehoods. Notable among them is that we all seek an improvement in one area of life or the other. Indeed, the times are hard. If there is the possibility of a sudden breakthrough or miracle that will change our lives, why not?

Unfortunately, many are driven by this quick-fix mentality in our churches. I am sorry to disappoint and burst your bubble. But the truth is that “you will not experience a sudden miracle or breakthrough that will attract global attention in 2016”. In Acts 2:46-47, Luke tells us something uniquely usual about Christianity:

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved

In contrast to a sudden breakthrough and miracle, the Christian life is a day by day experience in the presence of God. We find our joy and excitement in mundane Christian living rather than a sudden unexpected miracle. An ordinary life of obedience in a rebellious world was what drew the attention of the world to the first century church. This was the secret of their power and effectiveness in the then world. They did not gather to amuse themselves through declarations and decrees. Rather, they daily attended to the apostles’ teaching and devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 4:42).

As you journey through 2016, don’t fall for a life that promises sudden breakthroughs and miracles. Resolve by God’s grace to travel the well-trodden path of Christian disciplines.

What do I mean by Christian disciplines? I will expound on three below:

1. Reading of Scripture

This must be obvious for a Christian. But not many give heed to the Bible. God is a communicating God, and he has chosen to reveal Himself and speak to us in a book–the Bible.

Spending time in God’s word is the best way to know Him and what He requires of us. Recently, we did an article, The Resolution Every Christian should Make in 2016, to highlight the importance of consistent bible reading. Nothing can replace the word of God in the life of a believer. Luke’s commendation of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 is a great yardstick to inspire us to reading the word. “…these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so” Note our word again: “daily”. The Bereans searched the scriptures daily. There are no shortcuts when it comes to the Christian life, and more so when it comes to Bible reading.

There are many Christians who elevate the words of their preachers above the bible, but like the Bereans, our sole authority must be the word itself.

2. Consistent Prayers

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

If there is anything that creates anxiety more than any other, it is a broken promise. It is instructive to note that Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from jail, and yet the book overflows with joy and excitement. The apostle found his “breakthrough”, not in ‘material blessings’, but in a life of daily consistent prayer. Now, I don’t need to be a prophet to predict that those declarations of breakthroughs and miracles will not happen, because God hasn’t promised any of them.

The result will be disillusioned Christians who might shipwreck their faith, blaming God for failing them yet again. On the contrary, we should walk the path of consistent prayer throughout the year. We should faithfully and trustingly bring all our supplications and requests with thanksgiving to the Sovereign Lord, who works all things in accordance with His will and purpose.

3. Selfless Service to God and His People

We live in a world that teaches us to look out for ourselves, minding our own business. If we must help, we should do so when the timing is right and the conditions are just perfect not forgetting what is in it for us. This is the doctrine of the world; a mind-set that elevates self above any other consideration (all the clamouring for breakthrough is self-centred). It is within this context Jesus calls His followers to a life of servitude– giving up ourselves for one another and thereby proving our discipleship. Jesus, the eternal Son of God cast aside all His ‘Godly’ privileges and took on the form of a man, came into our world and gave Himself as a ransom for many.

In John 13:12-15, Jesus gave us a picture of how this life would look like in service to others. In these verses, He stooped so low as washing the feet of His disciples (the most menial of all tasks) — a bold statement of how service should look like. He did this to show us an example in serving one another. Christ is calling us to a daily life of expending ourselves for others in the church throughout the year.

There are many other Christian disciplines I have not mentioned. But I believe they are central to the Christian walk.

In 2016 don’t fall for the promises of sudden breakthroughs and miracles in your life. The Christian life is a day by day experience and not so dramatic and sudden. We are on a pilgrimage to that celestial city whose founder and builder is God, our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we eagerly await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).

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Witnessing To Loved Ones

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 08:59:17 +0000

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” Romans 10:1

If there was ever a man who had reason to be bitter against his kinsmen, it was Paul. Without a doubt, his very kinsmen constituted the biggest opponents to his evangelistic ministry.

Many times in the book of Acts he came face to face in confrontation with unbelieving Jews, who out of envy stirred up riots in cities where gentiles in their numbers gladly received the good news of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet this great apostle does the most unusual thing. Instead of being bitter against them, he prayed for them!

Earlier on in the previous chapter—Romans 9:1—3 – he had revealed his heart for his brethren the Jews in very moving words. His own kinsmen whom he loved had largely rejected the Gospel and were outside the Kingdom. Moved with compassion, the Apostle lamented their rejection of God’s provision of Salvation in Christ Jesus and wished that he would be accursed, so that they might be saved in his stead. Clearly, Paul’s anguish is almost contagious in the graphical way in which he expresses his deep longing for the salvation of his kinsmen the Jews.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Have you ever felt like you were at your wits end in desperation over a loved one who persistently turns a deaf ear to the Gospel? How do we react to people who are close to us who are not saved?

If you have experienced anything close to what is described above, it is comforting to know that you are not alone. This is the exact situation which occasioned Paul’s writing our opening verse. The good news is that the inspired Apostle shows us the way to reach out to unbelieving persons, especially those who are close to us. Let’s see what we can glean from his example.

Pray For Them

Paul had a deep longing and desire for the salvation of the Jews, but it didn’t end at that – he prayed for them. The role of prayer in soul winning cannot be over emphasized. It is only God who can save a lost soul. Therefore it is crucial we engage in prayer on behalf of loved ones who don’t know the Lord. Scripture teaches us that Satan as the god of this world holds captive all who are not in Christ, causing them to walk after the course of this world, after his dictates (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Furthermore, the scriptures reveal that Satan blinds the minds of the unsaved, keeping them from seeing the light of the Gospel which leads to salvation:

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2Corinthians 4:3-4).

This is why we need to pray for the mighty work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of all who are not saved. Until they are set free from Satan’s clutches and the veil removed from their hearts and minds, they cannot be saved.

Patiently Win Them

Paul’s teaching in 1Corinthians 2:14 provides tremendous insight into evangelism, particularly to those close to us. He writes, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Paul here draws our attention to the fact that conversion is a spiritual battle and needs to be approached as such. He, like all the Biblical writers, rightly diagnosed the state of the mind of the unsaved when he said they are unable to understand spiritual things, because spiritual things are spiritually discerned. This means it doesn’t take great brains to understand and believe the gospel; it takes the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We need to therefore patiently explain the Gospel to those we reach out to, trusting that God through the Holy Spirit will grant them understanding. Katherine Hankey aptly wrote in her hymn:

Tell me the story simply, as to a little child, for I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

Every good parent will agree that it takes lot of patience, with gentleness to communicate effectively to children. This is the principle that is conveyed here.

A careful study of Paul’s approach from the entire book of Romans will further reveal that one needs to guard against their emotions when evangelising loved ones. Regardless of the love we have for them, our loved ones cannot come to Christ because of the reciprocal love they have for us; for then their conversion would not be genuine. They need to believe the Gospel from the heart in order to be set free from sin (Romans 6:17-18).

Too often, many Christian parents make the mistake of thinking their children should naturally grow up to become Christians. But this notion is erroneous and one that is not supported by the scriptures. One’s faith cannot be transferred to their offspring, nor forced on them; for that will only lead to rebellion and resentment. True Christian faith is not produced by either of these. Instead, parents need to gently hold their hand and show their children the way of the Lord; and pray for their hearts to be opened to the truth of the Gospel, just as we read of Lydia of Thyatira, the first convert in Asia whose heart God opened to believe when she heard the gospel (Acts 16:14).

Like Paul, all of us who desire for the salvation of the lost, especially of those close to us, will do well to take a cue from his example. Once we have done our part in faithfully presenting the Gospel to them, we simply have to leave the results to God, and trust Him to bring about the conviction in their hearts that will lead to repentance and salvation.

Amen.

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The Most Neglected Prayer Topic 2

Kwesi Sena — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 07:58:53 +0000

In the previous post, I noted “Your Kingdom come” is the most neglected prayer topic among believers. I closed by saying there are two primary reasons why we need to put this prayer topic–“Your Kingdom come” back on top of our prayer list.

In today’s post, I will write on these two reasons:

1: Obedience to the Call and Cause of Christ

Jesus came to the earth with one mission; to bring the kingdom of God. In Mark 1:15, as He announced the beginning of His ministry, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand…” are the words He used. Jesus’ entire ministry was centered on the kingdom, and He enlisted His disciples as lieutenants in that effort.

One of the most crucial components of our call to follow Christ, is prayer for the advancement of the kingdom.

Christians of all centuries have held Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 as their marching orders to evangelise and make disciples of all nations. Although this is one of the clearest commands of Christ, it is also one of the most neglected as most Christians don’t have the desire or passion to share their faith. This is so because, evangelism can only be fueled by a desire to see the kingdom of God come. One of the ways to fuel that passion is to consistently pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

Praying for the advancement of God’s kingdom is a matter of obedience, and reflects a great desire for the glory of God. If we truly are concerned about God’s kingdom, we will spare no opportunity to pray for its flourishing among the nations. The best way to gauge the depth of your love for God is to check the topics that fill your prayer list.

2: Fixing Our Affections On Eternity

The other reason why this prayer topic is so important is that, the world and its ways are so sedative. It was C.S. Lewis who said,

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.

Isn’t this so true? When we lose sight of eternity, we practically become Christians of no earthly use. Now, the best way to keep awake and have our eyes fixed on eternity, is to constantly pray with longing for the arrival of the kingdom of God. Paul in his letter to the saints in Colossae said “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set you minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Setting our hearts and minds on things above involves praying for things that are truly eternal – The kingdom of God.

There are thousands of Christians who rarely think about heaven. Yes, they believe heaven exists and Jesus will one day come for His bride, but it is not a topic they think about every day. They are so caught up living life with heaven as a distant reality.

Heeding the call to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” will jolt us out of our entrancement with the world. Jesus is coming back soon, what a joy it will be for those who are truly looking forward to the arrival of His kingdom.

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