Foundations of Faith
PRAYER (IV)
In this series we have considered the moral basis for prayer, how we are to pray, how often we should pray, and for whom we should pray. Now let us learn from the Scriptures
We shall begin with the topics of prayer taught by the Lord to His disciples, and then list other themes of prayer found in the New Testament.
1. That God’s name be kept holy (Matt. 6:9), say, by not using it carelessly and by ourselves behaving in a holy way if we call ourselves Christians and children of God.
2. That our Father’s kingdom- which is the eternal state-might come (Matt. 6:10; Rev. 22:20), and that we might allow Christ to rule our lives each moment.
3. That God’s will might “be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10), starting with ourselves (Col. 4:12).
4. That God will continue to provide all that we need daily for body, soul, and spirit (Matt. 6:11; Phil. 4:19).
5. That God will restore us to fellowship with Himself after we have sinned, just as we forgive those who sin against us (Matt. 6:12; 1 John 1:9).
6. That God will keep us from trials and testings, and will keep us from responding in a sinful way to any trials and temptations that do come our way (Matt. 6:13-15; Mark 14:38; John 17:15; 2 Cor. 13:7).
7. That God will heal disease (Acts 28:8; 2 Cor. 12:8; Jas. 5:14,15).
8. That God will send Christian workers “into His harvest” (Luke 10:2).
9. That God will be merciful to us and forgive us and save us if we are not yet saved (Luke 18:10; Acts 8:22; Rom. 10:1; 1 Tim. 2:4). Are you saved?
10. That our faith, and that of others, might not fail (Luke 22:32).
11. That God will give us boldness (Acts 4:31; Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3).
12. That God will deliver from prison (Acts 12:5; Philem. 22).
13. That God will open the way for us to visit certain people or assemblies (Rom. 1:10; 1 Thess. 3:10; 2 Tim. 1:3,4).
14. That God will give us wisdom, the knowledge of His will, fruitfulness, and growth of our love and knowledge of Christ’s love (Eph. 1:16; 3:14-19; Phil. 1:9; Col. 1:9-11).
15. That His Word will have free course (2 Thess. 3:1; Isa. 55:11).
This question was posed at the beginning of our study of prayer (Sep99). If the God of all knowledge knows all of our problems and concerns and needs already, why should we pray to Him about them? Here are some suggested answers:
1. Prayer is an evidence that we realize our weakness and inability to solve every problem and handle every situation by ourselves. It shows our dependence upon the Lord rather than upon ourselves or other human beings.
2. When our prayers are answered, praise and thanksgiving to God will follow. Without prayer we would not be made aware of God’s power and wisdom and we would not be thankful (Phil. 4:6).
3. Prayer knits our hearts together with those with whom and for whom we are praying (Acts 12:5,12).
Running the Race
SOME EXAMPLES OF ANSWERED PRAYER (IV)
Hundreds of miles away from any doctor, the wife of missionary John Clark lay dying of a tropical fever. There was one unusual request she kept repeating: it was a call for three ripe tomatoes. But where could a tomato be found in the whole of the Belgian Congo? Only the prayers of the entire mission compound seemed to keep Mrs. Clark alive.
A tribeswoman suddenly appeared and wanted to see the missionary. No one had ever seen her before. John Clark looked into the crude basket that she carried: there were three ripe tomatoes!
The native had come for advice. Food was scarce in her village, but here was some queer fruit she had grown from seeds left her by a white man. Were these all right to eat? Mrs. Clark ate the tomatoes and soon recovered from her fever.
The Scriptures tell us of a man named Elkanah who lived in the land of Israel between 1100 and 1200 B.C. “He had two wives;… Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (1 Sam. 1:2). One year when Elkanah took his family to Shiloh to sacrifice unto the LORD, Hannah “prayed unto the LORD … and she vowed a vow, and said, “O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine handmaid, but wilt give unto Thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life….
“And the LORD remembered her [and] she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD” (1:10,11,19,20).
This proclamation was made by Minnesota’s Governor Pillsbury: “In view of the threatened continuation of the grasshopper scourge, I do hereby appoint Thursday, April 26, 1877, to be observed as a day of fasting and prayer.”
In 1873 many farms had been ruined by the grasshoppers. The next year there were a thousand times as many, which stripped trees, gardens, and fields of everything edible. It was even worse in 1875 and 1876. Of course, conferences were held and experts were consulted, but no one could find how to get rid of the grasshoppers.
Now look at the timetable:
April 26. Day of prayer.
April 27. A day so hot that young grasshoppers hatched out in millions -enough to destroy the crops of half a dozen states. Not much sign of a miracle yet!
April 28,29. More warm weather.
April 30. Just when the grasshopper nation was really flourishing, a sharp frost occurred-which killed the lot!
If the frost had come earlier, the grasshoppers would have been unaffected, and if it had been much later, it would not have hurt them.
A ship burned to water’s edge off of Cape Horn; 14 sailors in four lifeboats tossed in the ocean for days, praying frantically for rescue. Meanwhile, a whaling vessel was facing a strong south wind and making little headway. Suddenly, an idea popped into the captain’s mind: “There are probably as many whales in the opposite direction; why not run with the wind?” An hour after changing course, they came upon the 14 sailors, just in the nick of time. “By His power He brought in the south wind” (Psa. 78: 26).
Assignment 15: The following is a review quiz based on the 1999 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.
1. (Jan.) (a) Who was the greatest prophet of all? (b) What evidence did he give of being a prophet?
2. (Feb.) What is the difference between the gift of teacher and the gift of pastor?
3. (Mar.) Describe the work of one who has the gift of exhorting.
4. (Apr.) Describe two ways in which you have served the Lord.
5. (May) What are some differences between the way the Lord Jesus and the apostles healed people and healing services today?
6. (June) Write out (a) two verses about our suffering because of our own sin, and (b) two verses about our suffering for reasons not related to our sin.
7. (July) Describe one or more of the ways you do the work of an evangelist.
8. (Aug.) Does speaking in tongues help one to grow in holiness and spiritual maturity? If so, write out a verse that states this. If not, write out a verse that does show how we grow in holiness and spiritual maturity.
9. (Sept.) Write out two verses that give moral principles that must be observed in our lives if we are to expect answers to our prayers.
10. (Oct.) Describe an experience in which the Lord answered one of your prayers.
11. (Nov.) Write out three verses that tell for whom we should pray.
12. (Dec.) Write out three verses that tell for what we should pray.