Bible Ballistics: Vol. 14 No. 26 Communication Or Dictation???
One of the gifts God has given to us is prayer, but we often take prayer for granted; or even misunderstand what prayer really is. I want us to consider our own prayer life, and what we are doing to draw near to God and make a difference in the world around us through our biblical, diligent prayers and living for Jesus!
“But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore he saith,
God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore
to God.
Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God,
and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands,
ye sinners;
and purify your hearts,
ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted,
and mourn,
and weep:
let your laughter
be turned to mourning,
and your joy
to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves
in the sight of the Lord,
and he shall lift you up.” James 4:6-10
James calls us to remember that it is God who grants us grace for each day, and we are to recognize HIM in all we do. Consider this list that James records for us and see the desire of God’s heart for His own! Notice the instructions that he gives:
–resist being proud—
–submit to God—
–resist the devil—
–draw near to God—
–cleanse your hands—
–purify your hearts.
Then James deals with what I believe is a call to have an open heart before God. We are to be open to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit who Jesus gave to us to grow, prepare, and lead us in His service. We aren’t to discount our sin, or justify it, or placate our own conscience by measuring our righteousness by the world’s standard rather than God’s. In dealing with sin, we are to:
–be afflicted in our heart and mind—
–mourn over our sin—
–weep over our sin—
–avoid minimalizing sin—
–don’t laugh at it—
–don’t rejoice at sin-yours or other’s.
We must humble ourselves before the God we claim to love and trust; knowing that HIS will is to be our will. Even as Jesus taught us to pray:
“After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father
which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
in earth,
as it is in heaven…” Matthew 6:9-10
We hear so much today about the “name it and claim it” philosophy that I want us to consider what Jesus said above—our prayer is to be that God’s will be done in our lives, that God’s kingdom will come in our lives, and the lives of those around us, we are to seek on earth the same things that please God in heaven (See Revelation 4 and 5 for a most profound picture of the attitude of heaven, more than any other to me.)! Many have falsely concluded that prayer is “dictation” to God, rather than “communication” with our heavenly Father, our Redeemer, our King!! God desires our heart’s devotion not our orders of self-will! We can walk with Him in intimate fellowship, and when we stumble, fall and offend, we aren’t to justify it, but we are to confess and seek God’s face for His continual work in us before a lost and dying world! How about you?
“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within:
and they rest not day and night, saying,
Holy,
holy,
holy,
Lord God Almighty,
which was,
and is,
and is to come…
… 10 The four and twenty elders
fall down before him that sat on the throne,
and worship him
that liveth for ever and ever,
and cast their crowns
before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord,
to receive glory
and honour
and power:
for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure
they are
and were created.” Revelation 4:8 & 10-11
Our prayers are to The One who is able!
“God is faithful,
by whom ye were called
unto the fellowship
of his Son Jesus Christ
our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9
“Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work
in you
will perform it
until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6
As we fellowship with HIM, He directs our steps so that we can recognize our sin and submit to the work of our Father in us; His transforming work that is conforming us into the image of Jesus The Son! Not trying to conform God’s will and desires into our own! We are to pursue communication with our Lord, not handing Him our ‘grocery list’ of selfish desires (or even unselfish pursuits) but desiring HIS kingdom to “come” in me, HIS will to be demonstrated to the world through me! That’s the beauty of trusting God our Father and His Son Jesus, leaning on His Holy Spirit who dwells within every child of God. Whose will are you seeking?
“But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit,
if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you.
Now if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ,
he is none of his.” Romans 8:9
“And he that searcheth the hearts
knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession
for the saints
according to the will of God.
28 And we know
that all things work together
for good
to them
that love God,
to them
who are the called
according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate
to be conformed
to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren.” Romans 8:27-29
I truly believe that as we hear the voice of God speaking to our hearts, as we dig into His Word, we will find ourselves drawing “nigh to God” rather than the world! The problem for many of us is that we have allowed ourselves to be so distracted and often deceived that we aren’t listening to God on a regular basis, and we don’t know HIS Word. But when we will listen to The Spirit, He will convict us of sin and help us to draw near to God in repentance and restoration of fellowship with our Lord! This is the work of The Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised, and sent upon His departure (His death, burial and resurrection for our sin!)
“And I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you
for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth;
whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him:
but ye know him;
for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless:
I will come to you.” John 14:16-18
Are you walking in The Spirit, or the flesh?
“This I say then,
Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil
the lust of the flesh…
… 25 If we live in the Spirit,
let us also
walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16 & 25
And as we live in The Spirit, we also have an open door to our Lord when we are confused, stumble, sin or fall.
“If we confess
our sins,
he is faithful
and just
to forgive us
our sins,
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest,
that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God,
let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points
tempted like as we are,
yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help
in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16
I find no arrogance or any attitude of dictation to God here, but rather a heart of humility and dependence on The One who has called us, saved us and sustains us in all our ways! And when we do err, Paul tells us that real sorrow has a different outcome than just being sorry that we got caught. What about you? Are you in a place of error, and has The Spirit brought you to a place of conviction? If so, you must choose whether you will go on in your sin, or face your sin, repent and and be restored by God to full fellowship with Him!
“Now I rejoice,
not that ye were made sorry,
but that ye sorrowed
to repentance:
for ye were made sorry
after a godly manner,
that ye might receive damage
by us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow
worketh repentance
to salvation
not to be repented of:
but the sorrow of the world
worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing,
that ye sorrowed
after a godly sort,
what carefulness it wrought
in you,
yea, what clearing of yourselves,
yea, what indignation,
yea, what fear,
yea, what vehement desire,
yea, what zeal,
yea, what revenge!
In all things ye have approved yourselves
to be clear in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-11
So, my question for us today, “Is our life a testament to God’s work in us? Or have we so conformed to the world that others see nothing of God in us?” “Are we seeking communication with God, or are we dictating to the Sovereign Lord of all creation?”
“But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye stedfast,
unmoveable,
always abounding
in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know
that your labour is not in vain
in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
All by remembering that’s it’s all about GOD not me:
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord?
or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him,
and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him,
and through him,
and to him,
are all things:
to whom be glory
for ever. Amen.” Romans 11:34-36
Amen and Amen!!!
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