The Contest and Crown

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore, I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, BSB)

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church to encourage them to continue in their faith and remember God called them to Himself. He urged Christians to understand that being a Christian is not trivial, but a lifelong commitment. Paul taught them being a Christian requires discipline and encouraged them by reminding them of their eternal hope.

Paul used the metaphor of an athlete competing in a big race, like the games held every two years near Corinth. He reminded the church they cannot take their faith casually and not prepare for the contests. Like an athlete must exercise self-control of his body, mind, and heart, Paul said Christians must be self-controlled and disciplined to fight the battles that will besiege them. By training his body through strict habits and competitions, an athlete subjects his body to his will. Paul taught Christians must prepare themselves with spiritual disciplines that become habits to prepare for battles against temptations, trials, and forces of darkness. He meant each follower of Jesus will face contests to his faith, which can affect his body, heart, mind, and spirit. Therefore, each believer must prepare himself with spiritual disciplines/training, such as reading the Bible daily, memorizing and meditating on it, praying, fellowshipping, and worshipping with other believers, and standing up for his faith. Besides preparing for battle, each trial and/or temptation can grow the Christian and strengthen him. Those battles will make him ready for the next contest.

Living life as a Christian means the person does more than believe. He does not “beat at the air” without affect but strives, with training, to grow closer to God and emulate Jesus. Growing closer to God and becoming more like Jesus happens by following the spiritual disciplines mentioned in the above paragraph. When Christian growth through training happens, the believer gains a greater trust in God—a deeper faith. He fights battles with God’s strength and stands firm in his faith. The runner trains for the contest by subjecting his body to his will.

Discipline yourself. Subject it to your will, which you subject to God, and run the race strongly. By doing this, you will not fall short of the goal. You will not fail morally. Your testimony about God and the salvation He gives will prevail. Your faith in Jesus will inspire others to seek and to know Him as their Savior.

Remember, instead of getting a perishable crown, you receive the crown of life. Though thorny, like Jesus’ crown, your crown identifies you as being one with Christ. The thorns are the persecutions and temptations you endure and conquer, just as Jesus endured persecuted and tempted to conquer sin and death. By this, all who believe in Jesus become saved from sin and death. You, because of battling temptations and trials for your faith, will be identified with Christ. You will receive the imperishable crown as your reward from God, like Jesus’ imperishable crown, just as Paul wrote.

The contests—trails and persecutions of life—will occur throughout a person’s life. The ability to be victorious against them comes from going through them with God while receiving God’s power, wisdom, knowledge, and might. Having these with which to battle requires that the Christian discipline himself so he grows closer to God. By disciplining himself with prayer, meditating on and memorizing God’s word, studying the Bible, and attending worship services, the Christian draws close to God and immediately calls out to Him to be with and equip him for each battle he faces. The Christian, as a believer, has the imperishable wreath. He is God’s forgiven, saved child. With God, the struggles of life are conquerable. Christians have God with and for them, which makes the difference in their life journey.

If given the opportunity, many individuals would avoid engaging in contests of will, mind, heart, body, and spirit. Yet, we Christians have God’s mandate to tell everyone about Jesus so all believers can receive salvation. We have God’s promise that He will never leave or forsake us. Being able to live with and obey God daily with the joy and peace He gives makes the battles we face worth the cost. Our testimonies about God matter, regardless of the cost. Did anyone believe in Jesus because of your actions or words? If someone believes in Jesus and is saved from their sins, then the contests are worth the cost. Paul spoke of this in Acts 20:24. He wrote,

“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of God’s grace.”

How we face contests/challenges to our faith is important. Will our lives testify about God and His gospel? Or will our lives push people farther away from God? Facing hardships as a Christian is worthwhile to testify about God. The thorny, imperishable crown is worth the effort in life. Jesus considered it to be true and became the preeminent example. He died to save each person who believes in Him and confesses and repents of his sins. You will face contests as a Christian. The challenges are worth the cost of obeying God to spread the gospel. The crown is worth the contest and cost you will face.

Believe and receive the imperishable crown.

Be victorious in contests and live as a champion of the faith.

 

The Person Who Prays – Self-Controlled

Introduction

In earlier Bible studies on the person of effective prayer, we learned the Bible teaches this person is to be righteous, alert, and fervent, have belief God can do what we ask, pray in solitude, pray ceaselessly, and approach God with his or her whole being. This week we learn from Peter, Paul, Luke, David, and Solomon. Three main verses will help us understand what is meant by self-control when referring to prayer and the life of the person of effective prayer. As in approaching God, each part of our life – heart, soul, mind, and strength - must be affected by self-control.

The Basis

In 1 Peter 4, Peter wrote to several churches in Asia Minor. The Christians in these churches were experiencing suffering and oppression in their cities, towns, and country. Peter reminded them Christ suffered in the flesh and they would, too, so told them to arm themselves with the same purpose, to live for the will of God. He told these Christians not to be surprised the unbelievers harm them and their reputations and reminded them God will judge these “Gentiles”. In verse seven Peter stated, “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” [NASB]

Our study today begins with this verse because by understanding what Peter meant here we will understand another facet of the attitude, attributes, and actions of an effective person of prayer. What did Peter mean by his words “sound judgment” and “sober spirit”? Did he mean not being intoxicated with alcohol and drugs? It would make sense if a person wants to be effective in prayer he or she would have a clear mind. Yet it means more than that.

“Sound Judgment”

The words “sound judgment” come from the Greek word sophroneo, which means of sound mind, exercise self-control as in putting a moderate estimate up of one’s self and to think of one’s self soberly (with a serious quality or without embellishment). Besides Peter, Paul and Luke used this phrase of “sound judgment”. Let’s consider how they used them as we try to understand what Peter meant when he wrote these words.  

New Testament.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:3, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Sound judgment in this book Paul wrote means not to have grandiose thoughts of one’s self.  It means to have humility. In 2 Corinthians 5:13-15, sophroneo is translated as “sound mind”. Paul said in this passage,

 “For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died, and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” [NASB]

This means if we are sound of mind, it comes from the love of Christ who controls us whom we made Lord and Master of our lives. Further in the Bible, Paul wrote to Titus in Titus 2:6. When speaking about the role of different people within the family and church, he said, “Likewise urge the young men to be sensible.” “Sensible” comes from the Greek word sophroneo. It means having sound judgment through Jesus Christ so Christians can deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age (Titus 2:12). Even Luke wrote about this being able to happen in Luke 8:35 when he wrote about when Jesus healed the man of the demons who had taken over his life. Luke said,

“The people went out to see what had happened and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, and sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they became frightened.” [NASB]

When Jesus comes into the life of a believer, He makes a new creation. The old life is gone and the new has come because of Christ. Jesus made new three parts of the demoniac. The parts He made new were his heart, his mind, and his spirit.

These passages show us that “sound judgment” in the New Testament means being humble and letting the love of Christ control us. Sound judgment comes through Jesus Christ’s actions on the lives of the believers when they allow God to be Lord and Master of their lives. A believer’s self-control comes through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Old Testament.

A few Old Testament writers spoke about the characteristic of humility, just as Peter did, in regards to prayer. Both David and Solomon spoke of being servants of God in their prayer life. Solomon said in his prayer in 1 Kings 8:28, “Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today.” Solomon, because he knew God and His might and salvation, understood his smallness as compared to God’s greatness. He recognized himself in the lowest position of life – as a servant. His father, David, called himself a servant of God  many times in the Psalms while praying. In Psalm 35:13, David said, “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer kept returning to my bosom.” David acknowledged his lowness and humbled himself. He actively recognized God’s greatness in his prayer to Him. We can read of David recognizing himself as a servant of God in Psalm 19:11 & 13, 27:9, 31:6, 69:17, 78:70, 79:2 & 10, 86:2, 4, & 16, 89:3, 20, & 39, 90:13 & 16, 102:14 & 28, 109:28, 116:16, 119, 132:10, 143:2 & 12, and 144:10. The important thing for us to realize is that David recognized for himself God’s greatness and worth to be praised and his own lowness. He recognized this and placed himself in this status. David and Solomon exhibited humility - "sound judgment".

Godly men and women of the Old Testament knew God and testified to His greatness as Creator, Provider, Protector, and Savior. They did not know Jesus Christ at that time, but they saw, understood, and recognized God in His actions and knew within themselves He is almighty and they were not. Paul spoke of this testimony in Romans 1:20. Jesus spoke of it in Luke 19:40 when He said even the stones would cry out about God’s plan of salvation for every person if people silenced His disciples. This tells us the person who recognizes God can choose to use “sound judgment” in life and in prayer to God. He or she can choose to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit put within him or her upon his or her confession of faith in Jesus Christ. If the person is not a Christian that person still can choose to use the sound judgment God gives each person in life and in prayer. Because God created us in His image, we can exercise sound judgment by following Him and not following the ways of Satan and the world.

“Sober Spirit” 

 The words “sober spirit” Peter used comes from the Greek word nepho, which means to be calm and collected in spirit, to be dispassionate and circumspect (cautious, wary, careful, and guarded). Soberness of spirit comes by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. What does “soberness of spirit” look like in a person? How is it used in prayer? Paul and Peter wrote about a “sober spirit” in three passages in the New Testament.

In 1 Peter 1:13, Peter spoke to the believers in Asia Minor concerning living during a time when Gentiles orally and physically persecuted Jesus-followers. He reminded them they have an imperishable and undefiled inheritance through Jesus Christ. Peter told them God protected them with His power through faith. They can rejoice, he said, even though they experience trials because their faith, though tested, will cause praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus. Peter told them they preached the Gospel to other people through their words, actions, and attitudes just as the prophets did before them. Peter said in verse thirteen, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” The followers of Jesus can keep a sober spirit by being calm in spirit, by being dispassionate so that what is happening in action and word does not discourage them, and by being careful and guarded so they are not taken by surprise. This soberness of spirit comes through the indwelling Holy Spirit within the life of the believer. It comes when a person professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and allows the Holy Spirit to guide, guard, teach, remind, and admonish him or her each day. By following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a believer will be able to stand strong during trials and persecutions and will stay prepared because of his or her growing closeness with God, his or her growing love relationship with God, and his or her growth in Christlikeness.

Besides Peter, Paul wrote regarding soberness of spirit. In 1 Thessalonians 5:6 & 8, he spoke to them of the dark times the believers faced then. Paul reminded the believers they were sons and daughters of the light and of day (God) and are they are not of darkness or night (Satan). He encouraged them with these words.

“So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [1 Thessalonians 5:6-9, NASB]

Christians do not sleep, but are ready. They are alert and sober. Believers are aware of what is going on around them, but are prepared by the Word of God teaching and empowering them through the Holy Spirit in their lives. With prayer Christians have put on the armor of faith as Paul taught in Ephesians 6:10-18. Soberness of spirit, Paul said, prepares you to overcome the darkness of the world and reminds you about the inheritance - the hope - you have through the salvation Jesus Christ bought for you. Be sober spirited and alert.

Paul wrote about a sober mind in 2 Timothy 4:5. He wrote to Timothy charging and encouraging him to do that for which God appointed him. Paul reminded Timothy God would judge the living and dead when His kingdom comes. So, he said, “preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” [2 Tim. 4:2, NASB] Paul continued telling Timothy that people would turn their ears away from the truth and would turn to myths. He said in verse five, “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” Even though Timothy faced hardship and people would not listen to him when he preached the word of God, Paul exhorted him to be sober in all things. He meant to be calm and careful. Paul meant for Timothy not to let anger arise because the people did not heed him. Instead he said to know (this is the part to be careful and guarded about) that darkness is around and people will choose to follow what strikes their fancy instead of following Jesus, of whom he preached. If Timothy had allowed anger or frustration from the people’s lack of listening to enter his voice, actions, or attitude, his testimony for God would have been less powerful and may even have caused him to stumble.

• ·         For the task to which God appointed Timothy, he would need to rely upon the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide, guard, protect, teach, and encourage him. Self-control as a Christian comes from the Holy Spirit’s filling so he could have a sober spirit.

• ·         For the ability to stand in the light even as darkness surrounds one, Paul taught the Thessalonians believers to keep alert and sober minded. Stay calm and collected in spirit and be guarded. With prayer put on the armor of God and stand strong.

• ·         For the believers of Asia Minor, Peter taught them to keep a sober spirit. He told them to prepare their mind for what is coming. Be careful and hopeful. Fix their hope on the grace of Jesus Christ and be holy in all their behavior through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 4:7 Redux

What then did Peter mean when he told the believers in Asia Minor to be of sound judgment and sober of spirit for the purpose of prayer? Believers in Jesus Christ must exercise self-control and put on a moderate estimate of their selves. They must recognize God’s greatness and their smallness in relation to Him. Believers in recognizing this might consider themselves the servant of God as David, Solomon, and Paul did. These believers must recognize who God is and who they are not and exercise self-control that comes from the Holy Spirit in their daily lives recognizing that fact. That is “sound judgment”. Peter spoke of a sober spirit, too. The believer would, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, be able to stay calm and collected in the face of persecution, trials, and adversity remembering Jesus faced these without sinning. He testified to God’s love, mercy, and grace continually. Besides this, the believer would be cautious and guarded knowing that trials, persecutions, and adversity will come. Jesus said His followers would face what He faced and more. Yet, even with the knowledge trials will come and facing them, the Christians of Asia Minor were to realize, accept, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and control them so God’s gospel continued to reach people in darkness. Having a sober spirit meant knowing trouble would come, but God’s Holy Spirit would protect and guide the believer through it.

Having sound judgment and sober mind enables a believer to pray as the Lord prayed. He prayed that no person would be lost to the darkness. Jesus prayed that everyone would come to know God’s love and mercy. He prayed for the sinner who died on the cross next to Him.

Relevance and Conclusion

Are our prayers reflective of this sound judgment and sober spirit? Do we allow our emotions to dictate our prayers to God or do we pray as God wills – for the salvation of that criminal, for that dying child, for that suffering depressed person, etc.? That is humility. Do we exercise self-control (Spirit-control) when praying each day so we recognize God’s will needs to be done, not ours? That is servanthood. Do we pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven? Do we pray for other believers to stand firm in their faith and do their God-appointed tasks? That is soberness of spirit.

• ·         We must recognize God’s greatness and our smallness.
• ·         We must seek His will that none be lost.
• ·         We must remember God is in control?
• ·         We must allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, hearts, actions, and words.

Remember, only when we are communing with God with each part of our being, that is loving Him with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, are we truly allowing the Holy Spirit to bring us to the depth of relationship with Him and the true purpose of prayer – for God’s will to be done that all people might be saved and enter a relationship with Him. Paul stated this in John 3:17 and 2 Timothy 2:4.

• ·         Yes, prayer is for your growth in your relationship with God.
• ·         Yes, prayer is for your growth in Christlikeness.
• ·         Prayer is also for the salvation of all people of the world.

Will you pray with sound judgment and sober spirit so that no one will be lost?

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” [John 3:17, NASB]

PRAYER (part 2): Who is the Effective Pray-er

Introduction 

Last week’s Bible study, Prayer (Part 1): What, Why, and How, began a multi-part series on the Bible’s teaching on prayer and the pray-er. In the New American Standard translation of the Bible, over 132 verses speak on the pray-er and on praying, calling out, supplicating, asking, and requesting from God. The first part of this study on prayer and the pray-er covered three areas:

·         What is prayer?

·         What do we do when we pray?

·          How do we/are we supposed to pray?

This second part of the pray-er/praying Bible study series will cover what the Bible teaches on the pray-er - the person who prays.

If we can grasp the magnitude of prayer that prayer is not just a conduit to God’s help or a wish list, but a way of growing to know God better-of being in relationship with Him-then we will understand the importance of prayer in our lives. We may start our Christian life praying as a Christian discipline. Over time and with deeper devotions, prayer becomes an everyday desire to be with the Lord. Prayer is a way to stay in a continual and growing relationship with God. By it, we grow more Christlike, too.

What is expected of the Pray-er 

Many people think prayer is acceptable to God from anyone. We do not realize since prayer is part of the foundation of our relationship with God that specific requirements of the pray-er are necessary for God to hear prayers. The Bible mentions twenty-nine attributes, actions, and attitudes necessary of the pray-er. These group into eleven categories of attributes, actions, and attitudes of a person from whom God will listen to and answer prayer. I will strive to note these in descending order based on the number of times mentioned in the Bible though no one of them is important to the pray-er than any other. As a quick reference, these categories break out this way–righteousness, belief, praying in solitude, watchfulness and alertness, ceaseless prayer, fervency and enthusiasm, approach of God, self-control, love of people, acknowledge and love of Jesus, and praying in agreement.

Righteousness 

One of the most famous men in the Old Testament known to be righteous is Job. Even though he endured testing by Satan at the permission of God, Job never denied the Lord nor gave up on Him. He believed God listened and answered his prayers. While going through the trials Satan aimed toward Job, Job prayed to God. In Job 16:17-19, he expressed that though his prayer was pure, and it appeared he would sink in the darkness, he had a faithful and listening witness in heaven. Job recognized the need for purity and righteousness of the person praying. In Job 42:8 God recognized Job’s prayers as acceptable and righteous as opposed to those of his friends. In this verse, God spoke to Eliphaz (Job’s neighbor). He told Eliphaz twice that Job was His servant. God recognized and pointed out Job’s righteousness compared to Eliphaz’s lack of righteousness. He told Eliphaz what made him unrighteous in His sight–speaking against Him.

Besides these two verses on Job, eleven other verses in the Bible record God hears and answers the prayers of the person who is righteous. Righteousness comes from God to His believers. He gives righteousness through belief in Him and forgiveness of a believer’s sins when that person confesses and repents of his or her sin. God continues to give righteousness each day to a believer when that person chooses to live by the power of the Holy Spirit He put within the person on his or her day of saving belief in Jesus Christ. For Abraham, Moses, Job and others of the Old Testament, their saving faith came when they believed God and He counted it as righteousness (Genesis 15:6, Job 1:8, Hebrews 11). Because this attribute is important in the person who prays, I will give the verse and references concerning righteousness and the pray-er for your reflection. Consider the following verses:

Ø  Psalms 17:1 – “Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.”

Ø  Psalm 19:14 – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Ø  Proverbs 15:29 – “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”

Ø  Isaiah 56:1 – “This says the LORD, ‘Preserve justice and do righteousness for My salvation is about to come and My righteousness to be revealed.”

Ø  Acts 10:1-2– “Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, a devout (godly, pious, like God he was righteous before God) man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.”

Ø  Acts 10:31 – “And he (Peter) said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.”

Ø  1 Timothy 2:8 – “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.” (coming before God righteous as a right relationship with the Lord makes us)

Ø  James 4:3 – “You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (Wrong motives, James noted, come from selfish desires and jealousy. These are not righteousness.)

Ø  James 5:16 – “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (God will answer the prayer of a righteous person.)

Ø  1 Peter 3:12 – “For the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”

Ø  1 John 5:14-15 – “This is the confidence which we have before 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 which we have asked from Him.” (God hears and accepts prayers that are in accord with His will. Our faith in Him means we can know He will answer our prayers made according His will.)

The Bible teaches the other side of this, too. It says in Proverbs 28:9, “He who turns his ear from listening to the Law, even his prayer is an abomination.” “Abomination” comes from the Hebrew word tow’ebah and means disgusting, wicked, and abomination[i]. A person who turns away from following God is sinful and wicked. God will condemn wicked people on judgment day. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:12, “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” God will listen to the prayers of the righteous, those who seek Him. Jesus said this to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:14 when He spoke about their actions. He said God would not listen to their prayers because of their evil actions and unrepentant hearts. God would condemn them.

God will listen to the righteous, those who genuinely seek Him and want to be in a relationship with Him. He will not attend to the prayers of the unrighteous-those who do not follow the Lord and who live and pray with selfish motives.

Belief

Belief in God is the attribute second most spoken of by the Bible in a believer who prays. The Bible writers most often stated it as “having faith in God.” In this category, five Bible verses speak on “prayer” and two regarding “pray” and “ask.” Jesus noted faith was necessary (Matt. 17:19-21). He said belief brings receiving that for which you ask in prayer (Matt. 21:22). Paul has great confidence in the faith and prayers of the Philippian Christians (Phil. 1:19). He said the believers of Philippi could pray with thanksgiving knowing God would listen to and answer their prayers (Phil. 4:6). James stated the prayer of faith would restore the sick (James 5:15). Mark noted for a pray-er to receive that for which he or she asked, he or she had to believe (Mark 11:24). John speaks of this same belief necessary for a child of God. He said because the Father loves believers, He wants to give them what they request (John 16:26-27). Each of these men spoke of belief in terms of the Greek word pisteuo. Pisteuo means to think to be true, to be persuaded and place confidence in God and Jesus Christ because of a conviction and trust in the triune God. That trust aids in getting what a person needs or prays for, and in receiving salvation. The Bible speaks through seven verses/passages of the pray-er needing to have faith or belief. Below are those verses.

Ø  Matthew 17:19-21; 21:22

Ø  Mark 11:24

Ø  John 16:26-27

Ø  Philippians 1:19; 4:6

Ø  James 5:15

Pray in Solitude

The third most common teaching in the Bible concerning the attribute, action, or attitude of the pray-er necessary for effective praying regards where to pray. Five times in the New Testament the disciples recorded Jesus teaching or modeling prayer in solitude. Jesus told people to go to an inner room. He contrasted this solitary praying with that of the Pharisees whom He called hypocrites. Four other times, Matthew and Luke record Jesus went to a lonely, quiet, and solitary place to pray. You will notice when you read these passages that Jesus took those dearest to Him, the disciples. He modeled prayer for them and He wanted them to pray to the Father, too.

Solitariness solely for isolation was not what Jesus taught. He taught this so people understood the intent of the pray-er’s heart was what God listened to and saw. That intent, be it righteousness or showmanship, determined if God would attend to and answer prayer. Jesus taught this lesson so people understood a pray-er must get away from distractions to commune truly with the Father. A quiet place allows a person to focus on God so the pray-er can approach God with reverence. That person can have an honest conversation with Him that enables two-way communication. This private conversation gives the pray-er solitude so he or she remains uninfluenced to push his or her sins, for which he/she makes confession should, under the rug. Solitude allows focus, genuine communication, and sincere repentance and confession.

The verses of the New Testament that teach this action and attitude of the pray-er are:

Ø  Matthew 6:6, 14:23

Ø  Luke 5:16, 6:12, & 9:28 

Watchfulness and Alertness

In the four verses that teach a pray-er should be alert or watchful, the writers of those verses used two Greek words watchfulness and alertness–gregoreuo and agrupneo. Both these words mean to stay awake to avoid the snares and deceptions of Satan. Agrupneo is an alertness in a believer’s character that keeps laziness and forgetfulness from becoming part of the person’s character, which would allow temptations to overtake him or her. It derives from the word used to speak of a shepherd abstaining from sleep to watch for the safety of the sheep. Agrupneo speaks of an active watchfulness and alertness. It describes being spiritually awake and alert as opposed to being spiritually indifferent. The writer uses this “alert” as a command/imperative. (This alert is aorist imperative.) Agrupneo is an action a believer is to do based on his or her character. It is characteristic of being a Christian who is growing more like Christ. If a person is truly a believer, then he or she will be alert. The character is of being a Christian, which should impel an active watchfulness. Luke and Paul used agrupneo for the English word “alert” in Luke 21:36 and Ephesians 6:18.

The second word used for alert and watchful, gregoreuo, has its emphasis on the action of being watchful, not the character of the person. In its original usage, it referred to being careful as one stepped on moss-covered stones, not being careful as a follower of God. Gregoreuo is an action and agrupneo should be part of the character of a believer. Over time, the usage of both came to mean the same thing–being watchful and alert. Matthew and Paul used gregoreuo in Matthew 26:41 and Colossians 4:2.

The important thing to remember about these passages is the call to be actively watchful and alert. For a person to be an effective pray-er, one who God hears, that person must be alert and watchful not to be tempted and deceived to follow a way other than God’s way. When people walk away from God and remain unrepentant, they are not righteous and their prayers go unheard by God. When a genuine seeking of God occurs by a person, God hears and will answer prayer.

Ceaseless Prayer

A person who seeks God in prayer should pray ceaselessly. In Luke 18:1, Jesus taught His disciples to pray always and not give up. He taught the Father would listen to the prayers of His children who cry out to Him ceaselessly day and night. He is the just King and brings justice for His people. The other point Jesus made with this passage came as a question. He asked, “Would the returned Christ find faith like this on earth when He returns?” Will people who call themselves believers have continual faith in crisis and calm and still follow Him?

Paul taught on ceaseless prayer, too. He said the pray-er should pray at all times and without ceasing in Ephesians 6:18 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. He modeled this unceasing and faith-filled prayer in Colossians 1:9.

These verses remind us prayer is about being in relationship with the Father, not just an emergency lifeline. Prayer should happen in good times and bad. Besides this, the pray-er should align his or her request with God’s will. By doing that, the pray-er will join with God seeking the best and He will answer the prayer. The pray-er should be in such a close relationship with the Lord that his or her prayers are ceaseless (at all times), persevering, and in agreement with the will of God. 

Fervency and Enthusiasm

Along with ceaseless praying, the Bible instructs pray-ers to approach the Lord in prayer with what is on his or her heart. When a pray-er does this, the person is fervent, passionate, and enthusiastic concerning that for which he or she prays be it a petition, confession and repentance, or adoration and thanks. The word “fervent” comes from the Greek word ektenos and means earnestly, fervently, and intensely. When a person genuinely approaches God in prayer, the person speaks with enthusiasm (fervency) and not with meaningless repetition. The Bible speaks on these in four passages.

The Christian church prayed fervently for Peter’s release from prison in Acts 12:5. No earthly powers would intervene for Peter. The followers of Jesus knew God’s power could provide release for him. Jesus gave believers a model of fervent praying. Luke recorded in Luke 22:44 that Jesus, in agony, prayed with fervency as noted when His sweat was like drops of blood on the ground. James said Elijah prayed earnestly it would not rain and it did not for three-and-a-half years, until he prayed for rain (James 5:17).

Earnestness comes from the heart. This prayer is not a rote prayer learned as a child. It does not come from repetition, but as a heart’s cry to the Lord almighty. Jesus said the Gentiles prayed meaningless repetition to their gods, and those supposed gods stayed silent. Their prayers went unanswered (Matthew 6:7). Instead, Jesus taught His believers should pray to God about what is on their hearts. Be earnest.

Approach of God

In last week’s Bible study on prayer (Prayer part 1: What, Why, and How), we learned from the Bible we are to approach God recognizing His existence, mercy, power, faithfulness, and righteousness. Because of these, we are to approach Him with reverence, pray to Him only, and ensure our prayers give testimony of God. The question this current part of our study answers is the physical/spiritual action needed when praying. Five verses in the New Testament teach us how to approach God.

Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray in the Spirit. Romans 8:26 says this, too. It says, “In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” This Spirit is the Helper Jesus promised His followers (John 14:16). Jesus added in John 14:26 the Father would send this Helper, the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name (with Jesus’ power). This means when we pray in the Spirit, we are communicating and communing with God through the Holy Spirit He puts in each believer when he or she professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This Holy Spirit gives us access to the Father for communicating and utters things too deep for mere human words. By the Spirit, we commune with Him on a spiritual level.

Besides praying through the Holy Spirit, Paul taught we are to pray with our spirit and mind. If what we pray is not understandable to our physical/mental being, it will not affect our resultant actions and thoughts. Prayers need to come from the mind. Yet if our prayers are just mental and we do not commune with God with our spirit, too, then praying is rote discipline and does not affect us spiritually-growing us to be more Christlike, heeding God, and truly communing with Him. Prayer brings and nurtures our relationship with God. If only one part of our self prays to God, then true relationship building and bonding does not occur.

Besides approaching God through the Holy Spirit and with our whole being–heart, mind, and soul, we must approach Him acceptably with our physical self. We must speak acceptably to the Lord. David expressed this in Psalm 19:14 when he said, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” David recognized prayer occurs from the physical self and the heart.

God taught the Israelites to love the LORD with all their heart, soul, and might in Deuteronomy 6:5. Jesus taught His followers to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength (might), and mind in Luke 10:27. Jesus understood to be in a relationship with God, humans had to love Him with their whole being–spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional. To love someone with the depth of one’s being means a person must communicate and relate to another on each of these levels. Relationship and communication are more than speaking (action). Communication with the Lord is more than thinking your prayers to Him, too. Relationship with God involves physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual connection.

Self-Control

Added to the areas above, the person who prays, to be an effective pray-er, must be self-controlled. What does that mean? Just as we love the Lord with our whole being–heart, soul, mind, and strength–we are to bring the parts of our self under control while seeking to be one with God, build our relationship with Him, and become more Christlike. Part of that self-control is being humble. David spoke of this in Psalm 35:13 when he expressed his loyalty to Saul and his family. We must approach God with humility, which includes in prayer. Solomon humbled himself before the Lord in 1 Kings 8:28 when he referred to himself as a servant of the LORD God.

Peter added to humility in prayer. He taught, “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” This “sound judgment and sober spirit” he spoke of is self-control and humility. Besides that, when he said a person must approach prayer with a sober spirit, he meant the pray-er must be calm and collected in his or her spirit, temperate and dispassionate. To approach the Lord in prayer requires the person praying to be humble, self-controlled, calm, and collected. Building and deepening a relationship needs peace to occur. Frantic-ness is inevitable, but is not conducive to meaningful communication and growth.

Love of People 

When approaching the Lord in prayer, a person must harbor no ill will–wrath and bitterness–toward another person. Jesus taught this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:23. He said, “Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your offer.” Jesus taught that interpersonal relationships can hinder our relationship with God because our emotions get in the way. If a person is fraught with negative emotions those emotions carry-over into other spheres of life including our relationship with God.

Peter and Paul both taught people need to live with understanding and care toward other people so they can approach God in peace and without anger, bitterness, or fretting. In 1 Peter 3:7, Peter spoke about husbands and wives, the closest human relationship. He said, “You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman, and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.” By harboring anger or a grudge against a person, we do not honor him or her. Bitterness takes root in a heart and prevents genuine communion with God. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:8, “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting holy hands, without wrath and dissension.” He taught the same thing Peter did. One cannot lift his/her hands in prayer if he/she lifts them in anger toward another person.

Our relationship with other people affects our relationship with God. These relationships include the husband and wife relationship, other familial relationships, and encounters with friends and other people within our sphere. We must honor, care for, and love other people. That was the second part of the greatest commandment Jesus taught. Love of other people is the second part of the Ten Commandments God gave Moses for the Israelites–love one another. The first part is to love and honor God. 

Acknowledge and Love Jesus

This should be obvious based on the myriad other teachings to people who pray. Yet we must include it lest someone say he or she did not know. Because Jesus Christ is the Son of God and one person of the triune Godhead, when Jesus told His followers and God told His children–Israel-to love the LORD with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, they meant for all God’s children to love Jesus Christ with their whole being, too. In John 16:26-27, Jesus told His followers because His followers love Him, the Father loves them and will listen to their prayers.

Jesus said one other thing in this passage. He said to ask in Jesus name whatever you will and the Father will give it to you (John 16:23-27). Does that mean those words, “In Jesus name,” are a magic formula like “abracadabra?” It does not. By saying them, you recognize and acknowledge that Jesus is your Savior and has the power to answer your prayers. Jesus said this more than once. He meant it. Jesus said it again in John 14:13 when He said, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” He said it in John 15:16, too. He said, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” Notice what asking anything in Jesus’ name means-

·         It means He is your Savior. You identify with Him and suffer as a Christian as He suffered while on earth.

·         Asking in Jesus’ name means the Father gets the glory. If that for which you ask will not bring God glory, Jesus will not ask the Father and your request will go unfilled.

·         Asking in Jesus’ name means you are a Christian bearing fruit, growing towards perfection in Christ, and that for which you ask leads to more fruit, a harvest that testifies about God.

Pray in Agreement

This last listed attribute, action, or attitude expected of the one who prays to God is not unimportant. Upon it hinges harmony, love of other people, and love of God. Without these, a person cannot be an effective pray-er. Without these, one does not grow toward righteousness, genuinely seek to be in communion with God, and grow toward Christlikeness.

The author of Acts, most likely Luke, wrote concerning this attribute of an effective pray-er three times. In Acts 1:14 the disciples were of one mind and continually devoted to prayer. Luke said in Acts 16:13 Paul sought a place of prayer to be with other like-minded believers seeking to be with God. In Acts 20:36, before Paul left Ephesus for the last time, he cherished time to pray with the Ephesian Christians.

·         Praying with other people requires agreement for that which each prays and, therefore, unity.

·         Praying is important enough to seek other people with whom to join in harmony and seek the Lord.

·         Praying with other people is effective when each person praying in the group agrees on what he or she says to God in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and/or petition. Jesus taught this, too.

Jesus taught His followers to pray together, too. In Matthew 18:19-20, Jesus said, “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.” When more than one Christian communicates with God about the same thing, most likely those people are praying what the heart of God wills.

The question arises: Does praying with other people make prayer more effective? In practicality, it does not because whether one person prays according to the will of God or several people pray, God hears and answers the prayers of a righteous person. With more than one person praying in concert, prayers in unison rise before God for the same thing. The urgency of heart among the people each seeking God’s heart and will on a specific request gladdens His heart and perhaps makes the answer to prayer arrive sooner. He might rain down His blessings sooner. 

Recap

Does God hear our prayers? The answer is yes if the pray-er is righteous. Righteousness comes from being in a right relationship with God. Throughout the Bible, the different authors inspired by God agreed upon eleven things that made a pray-er effective. The first is the most important and leads to the others occurring. Without the first, some of the other ten are missing and God will not listen nor answer prayer. For prayer to be effective-for God to listen to and answer a prayer–the person praying (the pray-er) must genuinely seek the Lord and His will. If that occurs, God promises He will hear from heaven (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Relevance and Conclusion 

Do we approach prayer as an item on our daily to-do list? Do we treat it as just a Christian discipline? Prayer is not just a wish list or a get-out-of-jail-free card. Genuine prayer comes from a person seeking to grow in his or her relationship with God–to know Him and His will–and to grow more like Christ each day. The Bible records eleven attributes, actions, and attitudes of a person who is seeking a growing relationship with God. None of us is perfect. Each of us needs to grow in at least one of these areas. In which area are you weakest and do you need to grow?

·         Righteousness

·         Belief

·         Praying in Solitude

·         Watchfulness and Alertness

·         Ceaseless Praying

·         Fervency and Enthusiasm

·         Approach to God

·         Self-Control

·         Love of People

·         Acknowledgement and Love of Jesus

·         Praying in Agreement

This question and its answer is between you and God. Take it to God and ask Him to show you where you need to change so your relationship with Him can grow and you will glorify Him in your prayer life and public life. James said true wisdom and understanding from God results in righteousness (James 3). Today is the day for you to ask God for His wisdom and understanding about your prayer life.

What will you do today?