PRAYER HAS MOVED ON, HAVE YOU?

The Necessity of Shedding the Outmoded and Wrong Conceptions of Prayer

MAIN READING: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

INTRODUCTION

Prayer was crudely started by human beings in an attempt to seek spiritual intervention in the difficulties of natural life, but God has responded through the imagery of the Law of Moses and the sending of the Messiah to fully grant a permanent way out of sin and its consequences. It is however not strange to find people still stuck in the old crude ways of prayer rather than the perfect way provided in the Messiah. This essay identifies the three stages of the ‘evolution’ of prayer to demonstrate the worthlessness of sticking to the first two and why the third is the only acceptable way.

A. BEFORE AND OUTSIDE THE LAW

People have always prayed, figuring out how to reach God (and other spirits or deities) through a variety of means. Before God gave Israel the Law through Moses, a major means presumed to achieve this was making sacrifices. The sacrifices included blood sacrifices (including human sacrifices), food, money, self-humiliation and self punishment. The petitions they made included asking for blessings, vengeance, protection and victory over enemies. The mediators used included traditional priests and spiritualists of all kinds who claimed some contact with God and or the unseen world. People presumed that the responses they received were coming from the deity they made the sacrifice to. When any bad things happened to those they have petitioned against or any other person, the reasoned (rationalized) that their prayers had been answered. The Bible teaches that this trial-and-error means came about because human beings sinned against God, lost touch with Him, and generally sought His intervention only when they felt threatened.

Gen. 4:1-5, Deut 18:10-12, 2 Kings 3:26-27, 1 Kings 18:28, Jer 49:3

B. PRAYER UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES

When God gave Israel the Law through Moses, He specified the types of sacrifices He would accept. These included animals, food, and money. The Israelites also practiced self-humiliation (especially in the case of asking for forgiveness), but never human sacrifices. The petitions they made included asking for blessings, vengeance, protection and victory over enemies. He appointed priests from the tribe of Levi as mediators between Him and the people. Where God answered retributive prayers, He warned that if Israel committed the same sins for which they petitioned Him against others He would visit similar retribution on them (Israel). The Bible teaches that God did this as a foreshadow to show that He is a God who alone can and will eventually repay people justly for what they do and that vengeance without recourse to Him was an offence against Him. His full intention was that all human beings would take a cue and turn away from sin to escape that ultimate wrath.

Lev 1-7, 1 Kings 18:28, Jer 49:3, Deut 32:35, Lev 26:23-25; 28:1, Heb 5:1; 10:1-10

C. UNDER GRACE, IN THE NAME OF JESUS

In Jesus, God provides a permanent escape from sin and direct access to Himself. Even before the Law, God declared that He had prepared a sacrifice that, unlike other sacrifices already named, would provide a permanent access to Him. This is because that Sacrifice, who would also be the only Mediator, would deal with the problem of sin once and for all. By His virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious (or sacrificial) death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus Christ of Nazareth has proven to be that final Sacrifice and Mediator. All human beings who believe in Jesus Christ (and therefore repent of their sin to follow and serve Him) have guaranteed access to God as His children and servants. Because God’s agenda to save every human being is now fully unfolded, Jesus teaches that we convert every potentially retributive petition into intercession. Believers should therefore not expect God to take any retributive action for them now because He has indeed committed all retribution to the Judgment Day. Rather, they should look up to Him in faith and in prayer for protection and deliverance as they serve Him. To all other persons they must demonstrate God’s will and power to forgive and accept the repentant sinner.

Gen 3:15 (cf Heb 2:14), Deut 18:15 (Ac 3:17-24), Is 53:7 (John 1:29), Is 7:14 (Mt 1:23), Mt 5:43-45; 6:13; 9:13, 1Tim 2:1-4

CONCLUSION

YOU DO NOT NEED TO OFFER GOD MONEY, BLOOD OR ANYTHING BEFORE HE HEARS YOUR PETITION for blessings, protection, etc, because Jesus came to pay for a permanent access to God for all who believe. Remember that even the sacrifices of old were not in themselves meant to supply what the petitions requested. They were only meant to provide access to God, who would then do the extraordinary. Since Jesus has provided the access through His body, any other thing we offer to God should be in obedient service to Him and no more as a means of gaining His intervention. Otherwise, Jesus’ sacrifice will mean nothing to us! 

Everyone who claims access to God through Jesus must DESIST FROM OFFERING PETITIONS THAT REQUEST RETRIBUTIONS. 

True servants of Jesus NEVER PRESENT THEMSELVES AS MEDIATORS who only hear from God and tell God’s mind to others. They direct people directly to the Eternal Mediator, Jesus Christ, who is their access to meet and hear from God directly.