640 Sermon Illustrations on Prayer

Luke 18:1–14 — Parables on Prayer « Leader information shown in this fashion »

A. The Time Line

1. we are now in the last few weeks of Jesus life on earth; He is headed toward Jerusalem, to the Triumphal Entry, to the Cross, and to the Resurrection « — we shall spend some time, therefore, in looking at the other gospel records of this period, to gain a fuller picture of these days, the crisis of all the ages »

a. these weeks started with the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1–44) which was followed by the gathering of the chief priests and Pharisees (John 11:45-53) in which they determined that “it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people” (Caiaphas in John 11:50)

b. it seems that the events of Luke 17:11 — 19:28 fall between

(A) John 11:54 (NKJV): “Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.”

(1) after which Jesus travelled to the northern border of Samaria to Galilee

(2) Luke 17:11 (NKJV): “Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.”

(3) which we looked at two weeks ago, and introduces this section of Luke as Christ heads to Jerusalem;

(B) and, John 11:55–57 (NKJV): 55 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 56 Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think — that He will not come to the feast?” 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

2. and in these weeks we find the Lord Jesus engaged in teaching on very important subject, principally to His disciples preparing them and in laying the final foundation stones for the establishment of His church; so, today we find two parables

a. the parable of the importunate widow with the unjust judge

b. the parable of the Pharisee and the publican

c. with both of these being on the subject of prayer; what is the paradox of prayer? « — that the sovereign, righteous, holy Lord should joy in answering the prayer of sinful man »

B. The Parable of the Importunate Widow, Luke 18:1–8 (NKJV): 1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came {Greek is imperfect tense: she used to come or she kept coming} to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. {or, “just listen to that unjust judge!”} 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

1. what are the twin purposes of this parable?

a. that prayer should be « a continual, if not continuous, exercise (not limited to Jews’ three times a day modelled on Daniel) »

b. that prayer is the root « of perseverance, of strong faith »

2. the Greek word “dikaios” means just, righteous, fair, equitable and we find several of its “relatives” in this passage

a. the widow asks the judge to “ekdikeo” which is to get or to extract justice, to defend, to avenge or to vindicate

b. against her “antidikos,” her adversary or her opponent; the one who stands in the way of her justice

c. and the judge himself is described as “adikos” which is the opposite of “dikaios,” meaning unjust, without fairness

d. how is God’s judgement described in …

(A) … Romans 2:4–5? « — God’s delay is for purposes of His grace; when He condemns, in His wrath, He is completely fair, equitable, right »

(B) … 2 Thessalonians 1:5–7? « — when He brings His children into His kingdom and will ultimately defend their cause and give justice and equity against their enemies »

3. who does the widow represent in this parable? « — the believer who is consistent and persevering in prayer; God’s elect »

4. what is the contrast in this parable? « — between the unjust judge and the righteous God; compare also 2 Corinthians 8:21 »

5. what is the similarity? « — the unjust judge may sometimes do right, then how much more will God do so! »

6. So what should be the inevitable result of our prayers? « — an increased trust in God »

C. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, Luke 18:9–14 (NKJV): 9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

1. at what wrong attitudes is this parable aimed?

a. « self-righteousness (particularly in prayer)? »

b. « arrogance (self-importance and contempt) toward others »

2. which of these men were the likelier temple attendee? … why? « — the Pharisee as a religious leader, whereas the tax collector was a social outcast, a friend of Rome, a habitué of sinners »

3. what sins did the Pharisee claim to avoid? … how accurate do you think was his self-assessment? … see Matthew 23:14, 23–27

a. « enriching himself at other’s cost; judging unfairly; engaged in immorality or associating with immoral people »

b. « Christ lamented at the unjustness, extortion and inward sinfulness of the Pharisees in general »

4. what righteousnesses did he claim? … how did these compare to what the law required? « — fasting twice weekly, tithing all; law may require fasting on day of atonement (actual expression is “afflict your souls,” Leviticus 16:29ff, 23:27ff, Numbers 29:7ff); tithing was to be of the produce, not possessions, Deut 14:22) … Plummner: “he glances at God and contemplates himself” »

5. what sins did the publican claim to avoid? … righteousnesses? « — none, none; but rather the opposite … he is the sinner (Greek) »

6. what does the publican claim? « — God’s mercy »

7. what is Jesus’ assessment of these two prayers? « — the first, who requests nothing, will be answered by his being humbled; the second will have his request granted, be justified, be exalted »

D. Teaching while Going from Galilee through Perea (parallel passages)

Matt 19:1–12: 1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” 10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Mark 10:1–12: 1 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. 2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. 3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” 5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female. 7 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. 11 So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Note that the thoughts expressed in Matthew 10:4–5 fall in a different order in Mark, but that the full idea of the words are nevertheless reported in both.

E. With this incident, we come to the place where the three synoptic gospels begin to focus on the same events, with the story of the little children being brought to Jesus

a. Matthew 19:13–15

b. Mark 10:13–16

c. Luke 18:15–17

1. and we will, Lord willing, begin with these next Sunday

Spring sprang! The lawn had turned green, and was in need of a trim. The young man that usually does the cutting couldn't get to it for a few days... so I went to the shed only to discover a dead battery on my lawn tractor. That's no problem... I've done this many times. I just plug it into the charger over night and it is ready to go. Well... it was still dead the next day... so I charged it again over night. (The battery was 1 year old).

In the morning I prayed that God would cause it to start as there was no one around to help me but Him. I unplugged the charger... sat down on the seat... turned the key, and the battery blew up with such a loud explosion that it temporarily deafened me in both ears.

Quite shaken, I wandered into the house and laid down. Not knowing if my ears would ever be normal, I began to wonder why God had allowed this after I specifically prayed before I ever turned the key. To be honest, I said right out loud, "What good does it do to pray?"

With my ears still sounding like the birds were chirping in a tin barrel, I went out to the shed to see what had been damaged. 1)There were pieces of battery several feet down the path, and fluid everywhere. 2) Sitting right next to the tractor was a can of gas. 3) I had just filled the gas tank. All of a sudden I began to praise the Lord for sparing my life. He had indeed heard my prayer and saved me from a worse disaster.

This has caused me to look at those in the Bible who have had disastrous things in their lives such as Job... yet in Job 13:15a... he says, "Though He slay me, yet will I TRUST in Him." Daniel 3:17-18. The three Hebrew children were witnessing that God is able to deliver them... then they said in V.18b. "BUT IF NOT, be it known to thee O king, that we will not serve thy gods."

A woman missionary Doctor told of her brutal rape while traveling to help others near the jungle. She was sent back to the hospital in England where she wrestled with God as to why this horrible thing happened. She began to come out of her depression when she openly said to God, "I will TRUST you even if you never tell me why."

"TRUST in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Dorcas tidbit: I am learning that "TRUST IN GOD" is the top and bottom line even when things don't work my way.

PS. The repairman said, "Wow, were you lucky." But I told him, only God could have spared me. We have grace and mercy, not luck!

I think we are the busiest bunch of eager beavers ever seen in the religious world. The idea seems to be that if we are not running in a circle, breathing down the back of our own neck, we are not pleasing God!

When Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15 KJV), Peter probably leaped to his feet and, no doubt, scooped up his hat on the way out. He was going to go right then!

But the Lord said, "Peter, come back, and 'stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high' (Luke 24:49)."

I heard a Christian leader warn recently that we are suffering from a rash of amateurism in Christian circles. Christianity has leveled down and down and down. We are as light as butterflies -- though we flit, flit, flit around in the sunshine and imagine that we are eagles flapping our broad wings.

Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost. The Counselor, 95.

"Lord, this morning I'll stop for a while at least to 'just wait on God.' I know You're wanting to work, and I for one am willing to wait this morning to hear Your voice and discover what You want to do for me today. Amen."

Among the enemies to devotion none is so harmful as distractions. Whatever excites the curiosity, scatters the thoughts, disquiets the heart, absorbs the interests or shifts our life focus from the kingdom of God within us to the world around us -- that is a distraction; and the world is full of them. Our science-based civilization has given us many benefits but it has multiplied our distractions and so taken away far more than it has given....

The remedy for distractions is the same now as it was in earlier and simpler times, viz., prayer, meditation and the cultivation of the inner life. The psalmist said "Be still, and know," and Christ told us to enter into our closet, shut the door and pray unto the Father. It still works....

Distractions must be conquered or they will conquer us. So let us cultivate simplicity; let us want fewer things; let us walk in the Spirit; let us fill our minds with the Word of God and our hearts with praise. In that way we can live in peace even in such a distraught world as this. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." The Set of the Sail, 129-132.

"Lord, it's certainly harder and harder to shut out the distractions of an increasingly science-based civilization. Help me to cultivate simplicity, to be satisfied with fewer things, and to find the inner peace that You can give in a life of prayer and meditation. Amen."

If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him. — C. T. Studd

Measure thy life by loss and not by gain.

Not by the wine drunk, but by the wine poured forth.

For love’s strength standeth in love’s sacrifice.

And He who suffers most has most to give. — Ugo Bassi

The more we pay for any truth, the better is our bargain. — William Law

Prayer is the highest activity of the human soul, and therefore it is at the same time the ultimate test of a man’s true spiritual condition (there is nothing so much as prayer life that tells the truth about us as Christian people.) Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer. — Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones

Psalm 28:1–2, 6 Doubts « Leader information shown in this fashion »

A. 1 To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: Do not be silent {or, be deaf} to me, Lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my supplications When I cry to You, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy {holy of holies} sanctuary. (NKJV)

1. James 1:6 (NAS) tells us when praying “But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” Yet we often find ourselves having various doubts when we do pray. « Psalm 28 is one of a number of “very human” Psalms showing we are not alone in this experience. »

a. look here at how David expresses his doubting

(A) « that God will not listen to his prayer (”be deaf”) »

(B) « that God will not answer his prayer (”be silent”) »

(C) « that he will die as a result (and, in verse 3, that he will be no better off than the wicked) »

b. but also look at how David expresses his faith

(A) « he recognizes the Lord as being his Rock: the place of security, of stability, of faithfulness »

(B) « he recognizes that only the Lord can deliver him so that he does not die »

(C) « he recognizes that God is his only hope as he cries out in supplication to Him »

(D) « he recognizes that he can pray directly to the Holy of Holies, the place of God’s very presence »

2. So we find David, and often ourselves, praying

a. with faith in God’s ability to answer

b. but uncertain as to whether He will answer or not

c. and we feel the same as the man who told Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:24, AV) «

d. but then we come to verse 6 »

B. 6 Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!” (NKJV)

1. so, when we pray, we should remind ourselves

a. that not only can God answer our prayers

b. but that He delights in doing so, but always for our good

One soldier on D-Day who did not forget to thank God was Lt. Richard Winters, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne. At 0001 hour on June 6, he had been in a C-47 headed to Normandy. He had prayed the whole way over, prayed to live through the day, prayed that he wouldn’t fail.

He didn’t fail. He won the Distinguished Service Cross that morning.

At 2400 hour on June 6, before bedding down at Ste.-Marie-du-Mont, Winters (as he later wrote in his diary) “did not forget to get on my knees and thank God for helping me to live through this day and ask for His help on D plus one.”

And he made a promise to himself: if he lived through the war, he was going to find an isolated farm somewhere and spend the remainder of his life in peace and quiet. In 1951 he got the farm, in south-central Pennsylvania, where he lives today.

”You’ve got mail.” Many of us hear those words each day as we log on to the Internet to check our email. The phrase was also popularized by a movie of the same title a few years ago. Remember when the only option to connecting to the World Wide Web was through a phone modem with a tortoise like connection speed of 28k? Then we expanded to 56k. Then to cable, broadband, and DSL — suddenly we could download volumes of information in seconds with the simple click of a mouse.

Learning to hear the voice of God occurs in a similar fashion.

The New Testament commands us to “walk in the spirit” (Gal.5: 16). The apostle Paul speaks of “hearing from God” and “being taught of God” (Gal. 1:12). The Old Testament tells us that our ears will hear a voice behind us saying, “This is the way: walk ye in it” (Is.30: 21). Isaiah points us to ‘the still, small voice” of the Lord.

God is always speaking to us. Our hearts can be likened to a modem, picking up on the subtle impressions and whispers of the Holy Spirit. At first, our ability to discern His voice perhaps is slow and faint, similar to our 28k modem. But as we persist in hiding His written word in our hearts and cultivating a 24/7 dialogue, or as someone said, “practice His presence,” we seem to develop a more “broadband” type of connection with the Lord. Impressions, insights, dreams, and visions become clearer as we stay “logged on.” Jesus said in John 14:26, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.” A few verses later He gives us the secret or “password” to hearing from Him. “Remain in me.” Remain. What a great word. Paraphrased, that means “stay online 24/7 to my spirit.” Staying online requires cultivating an intentional preoccupation with Jesus as we live our lives and go about our daily schedule.

In Luke 10:38 it is recorded that Martha invited Jesus and His disciples to her home.

And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are so anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” (RSV)

Figuratively speaking, Martha seems to represent the busy, active, extraverted side of our personality and Mary the receptive, introverted side. This passage highlights our tendency to emphasize “action and doing” (Martha) over “being and listening” (Mary). Jesus says that Mary has chosen the “good portion.” Jesus seems to be emphasizing that nothing, not even hospitality and service, is more important than a readiness to “be still and know Him.” To wait upon Him. Jesus says, “One thing is needful,” and that is to “BE” with Him and to listen for His “still, small voice.”

Unfortunately, it is too easy to be distracted by the demands of our culture. Especially a culture that is driven by that which it values most-goals, action and results. Even our churches fall prey to this mentality as we are driven to respond to every need that arises. Many times “the good” is the enemy of the “best.”

In the coming days, let’s try to emulate Mary and carve out time in our lives to sit at his feet. And as we go about our daily routines, let’s stay logged on to the Holy Spirit, and progressively learn to be led by His Spirit through the adventure of this life. Psalm 95:7-8 declares, “Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” You’ve got mail!

How does the Lord Jesus want you to pray for your marriage?

I’m not asking how often He wants you to pray for your marriage. I’m not asking how long He wants you to pray for your marriage. I’m simply asking how does He want you to pray for your marriage? What type of things does He want you to be praying for your spouse? What should your focus be when you pray for your spouse?

Someone might respond, “Those are great questions, but there is no verse in the Bible where the Lord says, ‘Pray for your marriage in such and such a way’.” That is true. But there are certainly many prayers in the Bible that could serve as models of how God wants us to pray. This is especially true of the most well-known prayer in the Bible: the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

Just before Jesus begins the Lord’s Prayer, he does not say, “Pray these words: Our Father who art in heaven… “ No, Jesus says, “Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who art in heaven… “ (Matthew 6:9a). In other words, Jesus is not giving us a prayer to recite as much as He is giving us a model of what prayer should look like.

So what does Jesus want our prayers to look like? And how can we use Jesus’ model of prayer in praying for our marriage?

• Our Father, who art in heaven…

Jesus begins His model prayer with a reminder of who it is that we pray to. Before bringing any of our requests before God, we pause to remember the God to whom we are praying.

On the one hand, we remind ourselves that God is “our Father”. He is not a distant God who is far away; He is a God who is near, a God who loves us, a God to whom we can come like a little child can come to his or her father.

On the other hand, we remind ourselves that God is our Father “who is in heaven”. This speaks of God’s sovereignty and greatness, His absolute control over the world. As a result, we not only bow before Him with reverence, we also bring our requests to Him in confidence, knowing that He is powerful and mighty to help us.

Our prayers, then, begin with praise to God, our loving Father who is great and powerful and able to help us. This can be especially important to remember in the context of a marriage that is difficult or going through a rough time. God does indeed love us and is indeed able to help us.

• Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…

The focus of these three petitions is the glory of God. This is very important to recognize. Unlike many of our prayers, Jesus’ prayer does not begin with asking for daily bread; that comes later. Instead, Jesus teaches us to begin by praying for the glory of God. In fact, all three of these petitions are focusing on that very thing.

For example, the word “hallow” in this context means “to treat as holy”. When we pray, “Hallowed be Thy name”, we are praying that God would be treated as holy in this world. We are praying that people would acknowledge His holy character and respond to Him as a holy God. What we are praying is that people would give glory to God.

When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are praying the same. The “kingdom” of God is His rule and His reign in this world that is shown especially in the lives of those who have submitted to His lordship. When we pray that His kingdom would come we are praying that more and more people be rescued from the kingdom of darkness and submit their lives to the kingship of God Himself.

When we pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are again praying that God would be glorified in the earth. We are praying that people would be obedient to the will of God so that the kingdom of heaven itself would be reflected in their lives. Once more, then, we are praying that God would be glorified.

How should this impact the way that we pray for our marriage? If God’s glory were our first concern, what kinds of things would we be praying for? Here are a few suggestions to consider:

1. We would pray for the Lord’s perspective — a kingdom perspective — in the decisions that we make as a couple. Ask the Lord to give you a kingdom perspective on life. Ask him to make the things that thrill His heart thrill yours; ask him to make the things that break His heart break yours.

2. We would pray that our spouse would love the Lord God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. We would go so far as to pray that our spouse’s love for God would be greater than any other love that they had.

3. We would pray for our spouse’s spiritual life and their growth in Christ. If they are not a Christian, we would be bold to continue to pray that God would bring them to faith in Jesus Christ.

What all of these suggestions have in common is that they are prayers for God’s glory to be manifested in the context of our marriage. This is how prayer for marriage should begin. Is this how our prayers for our marriages begin?

We began to consider how the model of prayer that Jesus gives us in the Lord’s Prayer could guide us in praying for our marriages. We saw that Jesus has us begin by remembering who God is: our loving Father who is in heaven, mighty and sovereign and able to help us when we call to Him. We then saw that Jesus has us continue by praying that God would be glorified: that His name would be treated as holy, that His kingdom would come, that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The implication of all of this is that our prayers for our marriage should be founded on a desire that God be glorified in our marriage. God’s glory should be the foundation of our prayers. But our prayers do not stop here, for the Lord’s Prayer continues on.

• Give us this day our daily bread

After focusing on God’s glory, we are ready to ask the Lord for his material provision. Practically, this means:

1. We give thankful acknowledgment to the Lord that He is the source of our material provision;

2. We pray His help and aid in providing for our material needs;

3. We pray that as a couple we would be content with provision of daily bread and that He would protect us from the dangers of materialism.

• And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors

This part of the Lord’s Prayer is often confusing to people. Does it mean that we earn God’s forgiveness only when we forgive other people? By no means. God grants us forgiveness freely and as a demonstration of His grace. But that is just the point: we cannot ask this of God on the one hand and refuse to extend it to someone else on the other hand!

Jesus illustrates this for us with a parable in Matthew 18:21-35. We read there of a slave who owed the king millions of dollars. When the slave could not repay the king, the king was going to have him thrown in jail. The slave begged for mercy and the king graciously forgave the debt. That slave then went out and found a fellow slave who owed him only a few dollars. When the fellow slave could not repay, he pleaded for mercy. The first slave refused to forgive him of the debt, however, and had him thrown into prison. When the king learned of it, he was furious! He had forgiven the first slave a debt of millions of dollars and now that slave would not forgive someone else a debt of a few dollars! How could this be?!

Jesus’ point was very clear: you and I, like that first slave, have been forgiven an incalculable debt of sin by God. In fact, the debt of our sin against God is so great that the debt of others’ sins against us do not even begin to compare! And because the debt we have been forgiven is so large, we cannot help but forgive the lesser debts of those who sin against us. If we refuse to do this, we are like that first slave, and risk the anger of God Himself.

How does this impact the way that we pray for our marriage? Here are some suggestions:

1. We must be open and honest before the Lord about our sins, confessing them and repenting from them; this includes the sins that we have committed against our spouse;

2. We must also ask the Lord for His help in forgiving our spouse for their sins against us; this might include asking Him to take away bitterness, to give us a forgiving heart, and to help us to remember the grace that He has shown to us in forgiving our sins.

3. Some helpful resources on forgiveness are: The Art of Forgiving (Lewis Smedes); Bold Love (Dan Allender; deals with anger and forgiveness in difficult relationships); What’s So Amazing About Grace (Philip Yancey; full of good stories; touches on forgiveness very well on several occasions).

• And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

There is some debate among scholars about how this part of the Lord’s prayer is to be understood. One thing is agreed, though, and it is this: there is an evil one in the world who seeks our harm and we are in great need of the Lord’s protection from him. As it applies to marriage:

1. We need to pray that the Lord would protect our marriage. We could pray specifically that: He would help us to maintain our faithfulness to our spouse and purity in our lives; He would protect us from believing the lies of the enemy about marriage; He would protect us from drifting apart from each other or drifting away from the Lord.

• For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.

There is some question whether or not this was part of the original Lord’s prayer (see the margin or footnotes in your Bible at Matthew 6:13). It does remind us, however, of the greatness of God and of His glory. In this regard it takes us back to the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, reminding us of who God is and of the fact that His glory should be our greatest concern.

Do you want to pray well for your marriage? Let the Lord’s Prayer guide you as you lift up your spouse and your marriage before the Lord.

Have you ever noticed that God is not in a hurry? It took 40 years for Moses to receive his commission to lead the people out of Egypt. It took 17 years of preparation before Joseph was delivered from slavery and imprisonment. It took 20 years before Jacob was released from Laban’s control. Abraham and Sarah were in their old age when they finally received the son of promise, Isaac. So why isn’t God in a hurry?

God called each of these servants to accomplish a certain task in His Kingdom, yet He was in no hurry to bring their mission into fulfillment. First, He accomplished what He wanted in them. We are often more focused on outcome than the process that He is accomplishing in our lives each day. When we experience His presence daily, one day we wake up and realize that God has done something special in and through our lives. However, the accomplishment is no longer what excites us. Instead, what excites us is knowing Him. Through those times, we become more acquainted with His love, grace, and power in our lives. When this happens, we are no longer focused on the outcome because the outcome is a result of our walk with Him. It is not the goal of our walk, but the by-product. Hence, when Joseph came to power in Egypt, he probably couldn’t have cared less. He had come to a place of complete surrender so that he was not anxious about tomorrow or his circumstances.

This is the lesson for us. We must wait for God’s timing and embrace wherever we are in the process. When we find contentment in that place, we begin to experience God in ways we never thought possible.

Acts 1:12–26 — Awaiting the Promise — (outline by F. F. Bruce, NICNT) « Leader information shown in this fashion »

Some parallels that Luke draws between Peter and Paul in the book of Acts

Peter

First sermon 2

Sorceror: Simon Magus 8

Power of His shadow 5

Lame man healed 3

Tabitha raised 9

He is worshipped 10

Laying on of hands 8

Paul

First sermon 13

Sorceror: Elymas 13

Power of His handkerchiefs 19

Lame man healed 14

Eutychus raised 20

He is worshipped 14

Laying on of hands 19

Three themes found in the book of the Acts

1. The prominence of the Divine element in the Christian church

2. The universal application of the gospel

3. The hostility of Judaism

[A]. The Birth of the Church (1:1–5:42)

[1]. The Forty Days and After (1:1–26)

A. Prologue

B. The Apostles’ Commission

C. The Ascension

D. In the Upper Room — Acts 1:12–14 (NKJV): 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

1. 1:12: this continues the history immediately following … « the giving of the great commission and the ascension of Jesus Christ; they now return to the upper room where they were staying which may be the same as where they observed the Passover and/or where He appeared to them on resurrection Sunday (Luke 24:33, 36; John 20:19, 26) »

2. how does this differ from the list of apostles as found in

a. Matthew 10:2–4? « — Lebbaeus Thaddaeus and Simon the Cananaean are named instead of Judas Jame’s son and Simon the Zealot; the order differs »

b. Mark 3:16–18? « — Thaddaeus and Simon the Cananaean are named instead of Judas Jame’s son and Simon the Zealot; the order differs »

c. Luke 6:13–16? « — the names are the same, the order differs »

d. John does not give a complete list, but he does name Peter, Andrew and Nathaniel, among others in his gospel; only Peter, James and John are mentioned further in Acts which belies the common title of Acts of the Apostles

e. how do you explain these differences? « They are different names for the same person, either given to them by others or taken by themselves; eg., Bartholomew just transliterates the Aramaic “son of Talmai” who was probably Nathaniel; also, Cananaean is Hebrew or Aramaic (hanq) for “zealot” »

f. did you notice what is the same in all four lists « — they all begin with the name of Simon or Peter (also, Philip #5 and James son of Alphaeus #9) »

3. what distinctive features do you find in this prayer meeting?

a. prayer was « not an incidental but a continuing exercise »

b. prayer was « communal — in a group rather than simply as private individuals and with agreement by those praying »

c. prominent involvement of « the apostles and of the women; this was the same as during Jesus’ years of ministry »

d. presence of « the brothers of Jesus who had been disbelievers (John 7:5), named James, Joseph, Judas, Simon (Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:35); see too 12:17, 15:13–21, 21:18, 1 Corinthians 15:7 (the probably reason for this change), Galatians 1:19 »

e. note that this is the last reference to Mary in New Testament history or in any seriously historical document: what is she doing? « — she is in worship along with Jesus disciples »

E. A Replacement for Judas Iscariot — Acts 1:15–26

1. Peter Begins, Acts 1:15–17 (NKJV): 15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”

a. in one sense, the name and the person so named are one and the same; this is particularly the case with God Who is represented and revealed by the Names He has taken. « May there here be an intimation of a roll (cf. Rev. 3:4)? »

b. what impelled Peter’s getting up to make this proposal?

(A) though discredited by his denial of Christ « — his being restored by the sea returned him to leadership position »

(B) they had been « — in constant prayer to God, which would have covered Jesus’ words of the last 40 days »

(C) Scripture must be « fulfilled and hence obeyed; note that as Messiah was of David’s line, many of his experiences were understood prophetically as applying to Jesus »

(D) Judas had had « a real place in the years of Christ’s public ministry; even of apparent prominence (”treasurer!”) »

2. Judas’ End, Acts 1:18–19 (NKJV): 18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)

a. note that this is not part of Peter’s speech, but included by Luke to explain about Judas’ end to his reader, Theophilus

b. this is not pleasant reading! Compare it to Matthew 27:3–10 — how are the differences to be explained?

(A) respecting the purchase « — Luke ignores the rulers’ part and assigns the act to Judas, for it was his deed that provided the money that paid the price of the field »

(B) respecting Judas’ death « — Luke bypasses the immediate cause of Judas’ death, his suicide by hanging, to depict his ultimate, ghastly end: the results of his being hanged »

3. The Prophecy, Acts 1:20 (NKJV): 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’ (Psalm 69:25); and, ‘Let another take his office.’ (Psalm 109:8)

a. the word “office” is episkopein, “office of oversight” « (which is a direct LXX quotation; the Hebrew means the same but also “his number” as one of a muster or cohort) »

b. Psalm 69:25

(A) original application was « — David’s enemies to be taken away from their possessions »

(B) prophetical « — only dead corpses in this field he bought »

c. Psalm 109:8

(A) original application was « — each of David’s enemies to be deprived of life, position and substance »

(B) prophetical « — another to have Judas’ apostolic office »

4. The Selection, Acts 1:21–26 (NKJV): 21 Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” 23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

a. what were to be the qualifications of Judas’ replacement?

(A) must be « — among the first disciples and followed Jesus throughout His ministry »

(B) must have « — witnessed His resurrection »

b. note that Peter does not pronounce the judgment upon Judas, but leaves this with the indeterminate words, “that he might go to his own place.” We do well to emulate this.

c. what place had the lot in the …

(A) … Old Testament (Numbers 26:55, Ezra 2:63, Prov 16:33) « used in the division of the land; Urim & Thummim also considered such; prayed God to overrule the lot »

(B) … New Testament « — never after descent of Holy Spirit »

d. What do you think of this selection? « — Paul should be considered as a totally different kind of apostleship »

Psalm 44 — When Good People Have Bad Times — « Leader information shown in this fashion »

A. Charles Haddon Spurgeon gives this outline for this Psalm:

1. 1–3 — The Lord’s mighty works for Israel are rehearsed

2. 4–8 — In remembrance of them faith in the Lord is expressed

3. 9–16 — Then the notes of complaint are heard

4. 17–22 — The fidelity of the people to their God is aroused

5. 23–26 — The Lord is entreated to interpose

B. Background

1. now, we cannot place this at any specific point in the life of David, or of later kings of Judah, but the situation is that their armies had been defeated (see verse 9)

2. defeat of the armies of Judah and Israel was not a new thing — but this was normally a result of sin on the part of the nation; the children of Israel could look back on centuries of instances of such defeats … starting when they had first refused to enter the promised land, and then changed their mind (Num 14:29)

3. but it does not appear that this was the case at this time, so the writer — presumably David — is somewhat perplexed; there are some lessons here for Christians in similar situations

4. when you are having a bad time, what is there to do?

a. verses 17–22 « — check out if this is God’s chastisement; am I walking in known and unconfessed sin? »

b. verses 1–3 « — stop and encourage yourself with what God has done in the past; this tells me of His faithful character »

c. verses 4–8 « — commit yourself to determination to put your trust in God in the future, regardless of the situation; I know that He will care for me! »

d. verses 23–26 « — lay out before God your situation and pray for His intervention (in accordance with His will) »

1. Brethren, we have met to worship

And adore the Lord our God;

Will you pray with all your power

While we try to preach the Word?

All is vain unless the Spirit

Of the Holy One comes down;

Brethren, pray, and holy manna

Will be showered all around.

2. Brethren, see poor sinners round you

Slumb’ring on the brink of woe;

Death is coming, hell is moving–

Can you bear to let them go?

See our fathers and our mothers

And our children sinking down;

Brethren, pray, and holy manna

Will be showered all around.

3. Sisters, will you join and help us?

Moses’ sister aided him;

Will you help the trembling mourners

Who are struggling hard with sin?

Tell them all about the Saviour–

Tell them that He will be found;

Sisters, pray and holy manna

Will be showered all around.

4. Let us love our God supremely,

Let us love each other too;

Let us love and pray for sinners

Till our God makes all things new.

Then He’ll call us home to heaven,

At His table we’ll sit down;

Christ will gird Himself and serve us

With sweet manna all around.

[Tune “Holy Manna” or, alternate, “Beecher”]

*

It seems simple, but at the time it was a potent hope: The cry of a heart to God cannot be silenced, anymore than God can be silenced Himself. It was the closest I had ever been to persecution, and even then it was not my life that was being threatened. Praying for a friend, I found myself sick with helplessness and indignation, and suddenly uncomfortably aware of how childish my attitude toward prayer often is.

In my own life, prayer has at times become a detached process, another mental list of pleas sent away for review. And in this case, prayer seemed among the privileges that could be taken away in the midst of persecution. As I cried out to God that morning, feeling as if my words were being hurled before Him, He showed me the hope I overlooked, through the eyes of the psalmist. “By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life” (42:8).

I had read this verse many times but had never really pictured the powerful image the words set forth. In the first half of the verse, the psalmist describes the actions of God. The Lord directs his love to us by day, while at night He brings the comforting presence of his song. One gets an image of a God who draws near to his people, moving actively throughout time with love and word. The psalmist seems to be making a statement about God's actions on our behalf. Yet, the remaining words in the psalm, though further describing the actions of God, switch in perspective to the actions of the psalmist. As almost an afterthought, the psalmist speaks of the prayer on his own lips as an element in his unfolding image of the omnipresence of God! It is as if he is saying in our prayers we discover the God who is already there.

Prayer is communion with the one who is there, the God who was and is and is to come. Even more so, it is communion that no one can silence, with one who will not be silenced. The name of Christ can be banished from the public, but not from the prayers of those who love him. The cry cannot be removed from the heart of a prisoner, nor his plea revoked. And where the cry is voiced, God is already stirring, the irrevocable Word: “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear” (Isaiah 45:22-23).

Prayer is heard where it is uttered, for God is already there. And the limping metaphors of our hearts can neither be silenced by sword, nor distorted by law, anymore than they can be prevented from reaching God because they were spoken from a prison cell, a shopping mall, or the belly of a fish.

It was for me a needed hope in the midst of my cries for mercy, and mercy came in forms other than I was pleading. Like the poetic image of Lewis, God pointed me to more than what I meant: “Seeing me empty, you forsake/The Listener's role, and through/My dead lips breathe and into utterance wake/The thoughts I never knew.” In the cry of the heart of the prisoner, wherever the chains may bind, God is already there.

________

Copyright © 2005 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

*

Anatoli Levitin, a Russian writer and historian, spent years in the Siberian Gulag where petitions to God must have seemed frozen to the ground. But he came back quite spiritually fit. “The greatest miracle of all is prayer,” he wrote. “I have only to turn mentally to God and at once I feel a force that pours into me from somewhere, into my soul, my whole being.... It comes from outside me - and there is no force in the world which could ever resist it.”

Rick Durst of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, was reading 2 Corinthians 13 one day in 2005, which he had read many times before.

This time, the Trinitarian benediction in the last verse caught his eye: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Was there a reason for that particular order?

“I looked up every place in the New Testament where the members of the divine Trinity are referenced and quickly found 30,” said Durst, professor of historical theological and director of the seminary’s new Bay Area Campus. “Then I did it again and found 50 -- and ultimately ended up with 75 instances.” The ordering of the members of the Trinity, he said, can be in six variations depending on the context and intention of the passage.

Durst discovered that each of the different orders was normally used in specific contexts. Most of the 18 instances of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit order are found in a missional or “sending” context.

In a “saving” context, he found the Trinity listed as the Son, the Holy Spirit and the Father. And in the context of Christian service or ethical standing, he found the Holy Spirit, Father and Son.

Durst shared his findings with students in an evening class and asked them: “If the New Testament uses these orders to identify the Trinity and calls us to different works, would you be willing to try a prayer experiment? Would you be willing to speak to the Triune God in whatever order makes the most sense to you tonight? If the New Testament authors use each of the six different orders in their invocations, instructions and benedictions, why can’t we do the same?”

The class prayed for five minutes and then shared their experiences. Durst found that something significant had happened with many of the students. For example, one student confessed she had come from an abusive home, but this new way of praying changed her heart.

“I have never called God ‘Father,’” she said, “because my own father was abusive. I started praying to Jesus, then the Spirit and finally for the first time I prayed to God as Father, and I felt something totally different.”

Durst has written a book on his discoveries, “Reordering the Trinity: Six Movements of God in the New Testament,” published by Kregel Publications in November.

Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Seminary, said he found the conclusions in the book to be creative, original and inspiring.

“This book takes the word order of the words in Scripture seriously,” Iorg said. “It is a fascinating study of different orders of Trinitarian expression and their exegetical significance.”

The ways the early church thought and spoke about the Trinity had a great deal of richness and diversity that has since been lost, Durst said. The six Trinitarian orders in the New Testament, he said, reveal God’s calling to join Him in six different works.

“Most people read Scripture from about 2,000 feet up,” Durst said, “but I went up to 30,000 feet to identify all the pieces to the way we view the Trinity. When these pictures move together, we see how dynamically God moves, and how that can affect the way we pray, witness and work.”

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly.” (James 5:17).

The greatest blessing which can come to an unconverted man is for him to become savingly united to Christ; but when once we are saved, the highest honor which can ever be ours is to become used of Christ in the saving and blessing of others. It is a fact, exemplified both in the Scriptures and in Christian experience, that the men and women whom God uses most are men and women of prayer. We may not be able to grasp all the divine philosophy of prayer, but we do know this, that in the providential government of this world, and in the administration of redemption, prayer creates an opportunity for the working of divine grace and power in men which otherwise would not be. Prayer is the coupling-link between human need and divine omnipotence.

With this in mind, think again of Elijah. The brief reference to him in this Epistle of James tells us three things: (1) he was a “man”; (2) he “prayed”; (3) he “prayed again”. So first, then, “Elias was a man… “ We tend to overlook this. Distance wraps those long-ago Old Testament heroes in garments of fire, until we scarcely think of them as being human like ourselves. This is especially so in the case of the startling, rugged, fiery prophet, Elijah. Ask a dozen people who Elijah was, and probably most of them if not all, will reply that he was a “prophet”. In the case of this sinewy-armed challenger of wicked Ahab, it is easiest of all, perhaps, so to see the prophet that we lose sight of the man.

But to bring home to us that Elijah was as human as we ourselves are, James says, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are.” This, of course, does not mean that Elijah was subject to human passions in the sense of being a morally defeated man. No, we know him to have been a strong, austere man of the ascetic mould. James simply means that Elijah had just the same “raw material” of human nature as ourselves; the same human susceptibilities, dispositions and infirmities. He was human with all those sensations, temptations, fears, hopes, reactions, which are our common human accompaniments. To quote James literally, “Elias was a man homeopathic” (homoiopathes). Never do we see it so clearly as when the overwrought champion sinks down under the juniper bush and requests to die. That which made this very human man so mighty was the super-natural power which flamed through him.

Despite all his rugged qualities and self-denying austerities, if Elijah had not been a man of prayer we should never have heard of him. Probably there were many equally gifted or far more gifted men than Elijah in the “schools of the prophets” during that long-ago religious apostasy; yet we do not hear of them. Elijah was a man “very jealous for the Lord of Hosts”, not only in spectacular public exploits like that on Mount Carmel, but behind the scenes, in lonely, persevering prayer. The man of prayer is the man of power. It was so in Elijah’s day; and it is so still!

And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near …where God was. (Exodus 20:21, AV)

My servant Moses … is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches. (Numbers 12:7–8, AV)

Some years ago a number of women were, in their Lancashire fashion and dialect discussing their ,minister, and trying to find out the secret of his power. One said that he was a good speaker, another that he had a good style about him. At last one said, “I will tell you what it is; the young man is getting thick with the Almighty.” When I read those words, I thought, and have often thought, that that is the secret of prayer —if I may say it with reverence—being thick with the Almighty. – W. H. Griffith Thomas.

Blest is the tranquil hour of morn,

and blest the solemn hour of eve,

When on the wings of prayer upborne

the world I leave.

No words can tell what sweet relief

here for my every want I find;

What strength for warfare, balm for grief,

what peace of mind.

A passion for church growth demands supernatural empowering, and supernatural empowering is dependent upon prayer.

Everyone nods agreement and some respond with a hearty “Amen!” But are we really praying with fervor and intensity? Is it our first recourse rather than our last? Do we truly believe God wants to accomplish something so great in our day no one can get credit for it but Him? If so, do we believe it will only come when the people called by His Name humble themselves and pray?

THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER

I have been intrigued by the story of the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8. David had desired to build the temple, but the Lord had only allowed him to provide the resources so that his son Solomon could accomplish the building. During the dedication, Solomon breaks forth in impassioned prayer. The content of his prayer reflects the prayer of his father David as recorded in 2 Samuel 7.

Solomon repeatedly underlines that God had kept His promise to his father, David. He then requests that in a similar manner God would fulfill the promise that had been made to him through his father, David. In other words, Solomon recognized that prayer is the tool that God gives His people to participate in the actualizing of His Word and the advancing of His Kingdom on planet Earth.

It is at this point that Solomon pauses to reflect: “But will God indeed live on earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built” (1 Kings 8:27, HSCB). What, then, is the purpose of the temple? It is at this point that Solomon begins to recite a formula that we are more familiar with in Chronicles. He speaks of such issues as personal sin, military defeat and famine. What should happen when such calamities occur? Listen: “When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and praise Your name, and they pray and plead with You for mercy in this temple, may you hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel” (8:33-34a, HSCB).

The zenith of this prayer litany is found in verses 41-43 where he anticipates the foreigner who comes from a distant land because of God's name. Why would the foreigner be attracted to this place? He will see and hear of what God has accomplished through the prayers of His people, and they will be drawn to God. The end result is then “all the people on earth will know Your name, to fear You as Your people Israel do and know that this temple I have built is called by Your name” (8:43, HSCB).

The temple was to be a place for prayer and praise. I am delighted that we have rediscovered the joy and power of praise. Yet with the revival in praise, we seem to be strangely apathetic about prayer. We can fill the building for a celebration of praise, but we can hold our solemn assemblies for prayer in a small classroom.

Prayer is the mighty tool that God has given us to participate in Kingdom activity.

PRAYER AND THE NATIONS

There is a curious passage in Mark 11 where the Gospel writer brings together several elements that appear to be incompatible. First we have the triumphal entry of Jesus followed by the story of the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple. This section is culminated by the incredible promise: “If anyone says to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him” (Mark 11:23, HSCB).

The focus in the entire section is on the King and His Kingdom. The triumphal entry takes us back to the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 where the King enters seated on the fold of a donkey. Here it is helpful to read the context. Verse 10 indicates that this King will proclaim peace to the nations. The rightful King has come, but He is not a political conqueror nor is He concerned only for the Jews. He is the universal King who alone can bring peace.

The story of the cleansing of the temple is actually surrounded by the story of the withering of the fig tree. We are familiar with the story of the cleansing of the temple but we often misapply it in terms of “selling books and tapes in the foyer of the church.” When you read the text carefully, you will note that it was His teaching that prompted the chief priest and scribes to plot His death, not simply the temporary cleansing of the temple.

What was so radical about His teaching? Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?” They had made a flea market out of the court of the Gentiles, thus ignoring God's concern for the nations. The issue was their lack of concern for reaching the nations, which is the heartbeat of God.

The fig tree story seems as if it intrudes into this story. We are surprised to think that Jesus would curse the tree for not having fruit, particularly when the text makes it clear that it was not the season for figs. How do we explain this, and how does it relate to the cleansing of the temple? First, the text does not indicate that Jesus cursed the tree. It tells us that He spoke to the tree saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” (11:14). It was Peter who concluded that Jesus had cursed the tree. When Peter asserts this, Jesus does not even bother to answer him directly.

Matthew tells us that the disciples were only surprised by how quickly the tree died (Matthew 21:20). In other words, the death of the tree didn't surprise them. Mark's Gospel gives us another important hint -- it withered or died from the roots up (11:20). Jesus' attention was drawn to the tree because it was blooming out of season. When a tree blooms out of season, it is often an indication that it is dying. This tree was systemically dead and the miracle here is the suddenness with which the tree died.

When Jesus speaks to the “out of season” tree, He declares only that it will no longer provide fruit for man. In other words, it no longer served the purpose for which it was created. The tree and the temple had this in common: Neither was serving their intended purpose. The temple was not serving as a house of prayer for the nations. Both gave the appearance of life and fruit, but both were systemically dead. The death which quickly came to the fig tree would surely come to the temple.

When we think of this story, we are aware that the temple had all the outward signs of health and fruitfulness, just like the fig tree. It was full of activity, noise and people, and yet it was systemically diseased because it had failed to serve the purpose for which it was created -- a house of prayer for the nations. We must ask if our churches would be characterized as houses of prayer for the nations. Are our churches blooming with activity but devoid of fruitful prayer?

Jesus ends the section by talking about mountain-moving faith. I think we must again return to Zechariah to understand the point of the statement. Zechariah prophesies concerning a day of the Lord that is coming which will result in mountains being split asunder, moving to the north and the south (14:4). Further, he tells us that on that day Yahweh will become king over all the earth -- Yahweh alone, and His name alone (14:9). This must surely refer to the final and triumphant return of the King to the earth.

Thus, the promise about having faith to move mountains is not a “name it, claim it” prayer promise. Nor is it a manipulation of sovereign God to provide us with miraculous signs. It is used to clarify a primary purpose of prayer. Prayer is the fast forward button for Kingdom activity! The miracle with the fig tree was the fast-forwarding of root rot. Jesus now allows the disciples to glimpse the ultimate end of all the kingdoms of the earth.

If we want to see Kingdom activity fast-forwarded in our church, we must pray Kingdom-focused prayers. Perhaps you are wondering what such prayers would look or sound like. Take a look at the prayer of Jesus in Matthew 6. Jesus prays: Your name be honored as holy, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Did you hear it? Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven -- fast forward!

*

One of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray … When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are … but when ye pray, use not vain repetitions … After this manner therefore pray ye. — Luke 11:1; Matthew 6:5,7,9.

The Lord never taught His disciples how to preach only how to pray. He did not speak much of what was needed to preach well, but much of praying well. To know how to speak to God is more than knowing how to speak to men. Not power with men, but power with God is the first thing. The Lord still loves to teach us how to pray.

Lord, teach our hearts to pray,

And tune our lips to sing;

Nor from Thy presence cast away

The sacrifice we bring.

God, the all-wise, and Creator

Of the human intellect,

Guide our search for truth and knowledge,

All our thoughts and ways direct.

Help us build the tow'rs of learning

That would make us wise, astute,

On the rock of Holy Scripture:

Truth revealed and absolute.

O how vast the shores of learning–

There are still uncharted seas,

And they call to bold adventure

Those who turn from sloth and ease.

But we need Your hand to guide us

In the studies we pursue,

And the presence of Your Spirit

To illumine all we do.

May the things we learn, so meager,

Never lift our hearts in pride

Till in foolish self-reliance

We would wander from Your side.

Let them only bind us closer,

Lord, to You, in whom we find

Very fountainhead of wisdom,

Light and life of all mankind.

A beautiful little book, Expectation Corners, tells us of a King who prepared a city for some of his poor subjects. Not far from them were large storehouses, where everything they could need was supplied if they but sent in their requests. But on one condition-they should be on the outlook for the answer, so that when the kings' messengers came with the answers to their petitions, they should always be found waiting and ready to receive them. The sad story is told of one despondent, one who never expected to get what he asked, because he was too unworthy. One day he was taken to the king's storehouses, and there, to his amazement, he saw, with his address on them, all the packages that had been made up for him and sent. There was the garment of praise, and the oil of joy, and the eye-salve, and so much more; they had been to his door, but found it closed; he was not on the outlook. From that time on he learned the lesson Micah would teach us: "I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).

-Andrew Murray

George was a working man much given to drink, who, through the prayers and example of a wise and godly wife, had been led to total abstinence and to repentance. Christmas, however, was coming on. It was the custom for the chief manager to give the men a keg of beer to make merry with at that time. George was afraid of the coming temptation. He was standing on a ladder at a considerable height from the ground; it was three in the morning; he was in prayer, asking that this time of fierce temptation, as he felt it would be, might pass over him without his being drawn into sin. Suddenly his feet slipped; he fell down on an iron bar below, and, being a heavy man, was doubled over it, and then dropped to the ground. He was carried home in intense agony, and put to bed. There he lay for nearly a week. During this time his repentance was deepened, his view of sin increased, his trust in Christ strengthened, and when he came forth, it was found that no internal injury had been sustained. But the object was accomplished; the danger was over; Christmas passed, and God's penitent servant was safe and well. "Did not God," said George himself, "answer my poor prayer as completely and immediately as if I had seen His hand making my feet to slip, and causing me to fall, that I might stand and not fall?"

"And she vowed a vow, and said, "O Lord, if thou ... wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life...." (1 Samuel 1:11).

"Only a short time ago," writes an eminent preacher, "I was shown an old bundle of letters faded with age in which a mother-long dead now-set down all her longings for her wonderful baby boy; and as I read, my soul blushed red. The writer of those letters was my mother, and the baby boy was I."

His mother's longings and prayers became the inspiration of a more consecrated ministry. Her prayers had followed him through the years.

Another example of this very thing came out of World War I. "When you go home will you do me a favor, Padre?" asked a lad dying on one of Flander's Fields. "Certainly, my boy, what is it?" replied the chaplain. Then slowly drawing a ring from his finger, he said in a faltering voice: "My mother gave me this ring to remind me that every time I looked at it she would be praying to God for strength to help me keep straight. Will you give it to her, Padre, and tell her that I have been greatly helped to keep straight?"

A bundle of letters and a precious ring-lovely tokens of a mother's unending intercession for her children. God grant us the vision of the power of fervent, effectual praying (James 5:16)!

"Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest" (Luke 10:2).

Prayer and work go together. Yet many believers are like the clownish fellow whose cart was stuck in the mud. He began to cry and pray that Hercules would come and help him. But Hercules, looking down from his cloud, bid him not to lie there crying, but to get up, put his shoulder to the wheel, and work!

A living example of working by prayer is found in the diary of David Brainerd. At the beginning of his ministry, and while yet very young, he spent hours and days "in the power of intercession for precious, immortal souls, for the advancement of the kingdom of my dear Lord and Savior in this world." He continued to say, "I grasped for multitudes of souls." Small wonder the Lord so marvelously used this man in His service.