Negotiating With God

Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. If you find ten good people there, what will you do?” The Lord said, “If I find ten good people in the city, I will not destroy it.” The Lord finished speaking to Abraham and left. Then Abraham went back home. Genesis18:32-33ERV

Abraham’s negotiations with God didn’t end well for the patriarch. He had been hoping to run God down to one, therefore saving Sodom and Gomorrah from disaster. Abraham must have thought he was onto a good thing, after all he started this ‘deal’ with God at fifty good people and got all the way down to ten! The arrogance that Abraham showed was breathtaking, and we can’t get our heads round it in our day and age. We wouldn’t try that today, would we? Our generation has more sense, right? A good Christian bargain with God? Never!

Wrong. Let’s think: As a parent, your shy child has a birthday party, so you pray for all her friends to come along although you know she is not the most popular girl in her class. You earnestly pray for 20 but you need to drop the number to a more realistic 10. You need £500 for your two teenagers to have a church camp holiday, but you pray again and settle for £100 because that will do. Our local church needs 10 new members and you pray accordingly, but after a while you settle for 5 because that will do. Or lastly, we desperately need several folks from church to visit the sick or make a phone call, but when God doesn’t seem to respond, we settle for just a few because that might do. In fact, we will take anyone, that’s any one person who cares enough to show Christian love and interest for that person who hasn’t made it out for some weeks, now that would be a start. Lord, are you listening?

So, yes we do bargain with God, and we do it often. More often than not, we set the bar at the level we think would hopefully be possible to satisfy our own desires, and not God’s plan. But God is gracious and will answer even our downscaled request. The real problem (at least for me) is when we pray for some friends to come, but no one does. Not a reduced number as in the case with Abraham, but none. Nada. Zilch. Nihil. But wait, the story isn’t over yet because some good people did respond to the prayer, and in the number you had initially hoped for, so what’s the problem? Simply put, God answered through the unexpected arrival and visits (plural for good measure) of friends from another body of believers whom you now respect even more than you did before. Now what do you do? Stay in the same uncaring group, or recognise that God chose to use that other prayer sensitive, caring church group, recognising where the answer to prayer finally came from, and determine to experience more of their church fellowship? Tough call! Or is it??

Vitamin Deficiency

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke18:1NIV

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm34:1NIV

Are you a good patient? Or do you do your own thing when it comes to your health? Let me guess. You go to the health shop and after a lot of thought you buy some vitamins because your body needs some help. You could have an underlying condition, or you are maybe just getting older and you need these vitamins to balance your body’s needs.

More than that, you go to the doctor and she gives you a wee pill on prescription for an ongoing condition, and when you ask how long you will need to take them, she says you will always need to control your cholesterol or blood pressure.

Let me guess, when you get the vitamins and the prescription, as soon as you get home, you take them. But then you stop. Well, you think, I took the pills but now you are surprised to be feeling as bad as ever during the days and weeks ahead. I am joking. Of course you are not that stupid because you wouldn’t be so short sighted. To get the benefit, you need to keep taking the medicine, right?

So, what makes us think we should have a part-time relationship with talking to God, praising Him, or reading His Word? We wouldn’t be so silly with our bodily health, so it makes sense that we need to look after our spiritual health, and we do that in the best way possible. There are no shortcuts in dealing with temptation or those sinful desires. We must keep on taking the spiritual medicine! During my Sunday School days we would sing “Read your Bible, Pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow”. In case you still haven’t got the message, let me leave you with this verse which says it best.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Thessalonians5:16-18NKJV

A Guid Scots Tongue

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew7:7,8NLT

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Luke6:38NLT

When I was young, and wasn’t sure about something, my wise mum would tell me, “You’ve got a guid Scots tongue in that heid o’ yours, so use it!” These wise words have held true over many years, but also through many of life’s problems, issues, and dilemmas both inside and outside the church.

When out walking the rolling hills of Scotland, and if I needed confirmation of where I was, and where I was going, I would ask. When I bought a new piece of equipment for the house, and didn’t know how to use it, I would ask. When I want to see a movie on DVD or read a good book, I would ask. More than once, I have been looking for an address in a city and there was always a point when I had to stop someone in the street and ask.

Given that we are so ready to ask for help and advice in the secular world, why is it a last resort for us as Christians to ask the One who has the answers to all of our eternal life’s problems? The tool of prayer is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of every Christian, whether a new or older believer. We are in the privileged position of serving an omnipotent (all powerful) God. So, in the words of my mum, “You’ve got a guid Scots tongue in that heid o’ yours, so use it!” This much is certain, our great, loving God will be delighted to hear from us.

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James5:16NLT

Groans

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:25-27 NIV

The KJV Bible uses the word ‘groanings’ in this passage, and in some ways this carries the feelings in a little better manner. It’s the Spirit that intercedes for us in this way, but it doesn’t take much imagination to show that we also find ourselves praying in wordless groans! We don’t know why, but we feel that something isn’t right in our lives, or family, or church, or leadership, so we adopt a groaning for our petitions because we can’t put it into words.

I’m sure you will get the feeling at times that something isn’t quite right, but you can’t put your finger on it exactly. At work, school, or in the house that old red light comes on and for the life of us, we don’t understand why. Then a few days, or weeks, or perhaps even years, the truth emerges and your 6th sense was shown to be right. The question is, did we act on that ‘feeling’? Or did we just file it away under ‘it will pass’?

It would serve us well to take note of the warning light, and if possible check it out, or even act on it when we feel strongly enough that the feeling will grow bigger until it takes over. We have the God given senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste, but we are also granted some foreknowledge of something wrong. It is called discernment, and is often wrongly and sadly abused to malign and castigate fellow believers who think or act differently from us.

Open Wide

Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge.                 Proverbs 3:5 ERV

The stronger the prescribed medication, the greater the warning to follow the instructions carefully, not to exceed the dosage, or refrain from driving, and the list of cautions go on. However, when you buy something for the sniffles over the pharmacy counter, your relief might come with the words, “take as required”.

You feel unwell and you want to get better, so you make an appointment with your local doctor. You trust him or her to treat your symptoms correctly and prescribe the medication to make the sickness go away. The instructions clearly say, “Take after a meal”, so that’s what you do. Why? Because you trust the advice given and you want to get better.

Why then, do we get the idea that we know better than the Great Physician when it comes to the welfare of our souls? The necessary medication, tailored to our own need, might be: Read the Bible more, but we ease back. Find more time to pray, but we ignore the advice. Make sure you get to church each Sunday to worship, but we don’t always like the way they do it any more so we watch a service on TV instead. Get the picture?

The Bible as the Word of God is full of good advice about how best to be healthy believers. Our sin sick souls deserve no less, so it is important that we follow the Great Physician’s advice. After all, because God is fully qualified in this field, and we can trust Him fully! We probably heard the best advice in Sunday School when we sung the chorus, “Read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow”. Somehow we think these children’s songs no longer apply. How wrong we are! As our earthly dad would say, “open wide and take your medicine, it’s good for you”. So too says our heavenly Father! Amen.

Prayer

As a Christian community of believers, we all agree that prayer is important, and in fact, essential for growth. I can see this importance in two ways.

Firstly, it is our duty and responsibility to pray and intercede for everyone and anyone who asks for prayer, and even for those who do not know we are taking their name before the throne of God. These petitions can range from health, finance, salvation, Christian growth, to fruit of the Spirit and others. We don’t always know the impact our prayers have on others, and there are times we can doubt their worth, especially when we don’t see results. We are even prone to ask, “what good is it doing”?

But look at it from the other side. The side of the person who doesn’t go to church often, and may not know how to pray, but who equally knows that they want and need the prayer support of those who do! They know they need prayer, and they believe it works, and there is no reason for them to think otherwise. What do they have to lose? So I ask you, who knows the importance of prayer better, the pray-er or the person on the receiving end of your petitions?

When we see prayer from these two sides, we have no reason to think or believe our stumbling prayers are not important. They are supremely important, and in the hearts of those who know full well that they need them, these prayers are essential. Prayer makes a difference to circumstances, but perhaps more importantly, prayer changes us! The moral? Keep on praying, even if you don’t see any results! After all, the Bible says:

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 NIV

Who Cares?

If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small! Luke 12:28

Who do you trust with your deepest feelings but the one you trust the most? After all, why should you unburden your innermost thoughts and fears to someone who couldn’t care less what you are going through?

Praying is what we do, but the pray-er is the person who cares enough about you to remember to bring your hurts and problems to the Father in the act of intercession. If the pray-er doesn’t care, s/he will not remember to pray. They may have other things on their mind, and it may not be you.

I think the ultimate compliment we can be paid as a Christian, is when a friend asks you to pray for them, and their life. They will only do that if they trust you fully, and know in their heart that you will pray. Be thankful if or when you are asked to pray on behalf of another struggling soul. They have just placed their deepest trust in another struggling soul, but one whose integrity they respect. Let’s not take that trust lightly.

I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares for you. Philippians 2:20

Give all your worries to Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

How Bad ?

We live in a secular country, where the State has won out over the Church, and in fact almost anything to do with God. Our media pushes the ‘godless’ agenda in programming, so much so that you could be forgiven for thinking that ‘God people’ are deranged, misguided, and not in their right mind. When a minister or priest is shown on TV, it is usually with a theme of corruption or not to be a laughing stock.

London has seen a ‘Towering Inferno’ in real life, like no other in our country, and the death toll keeps rising. The seriously injured are spread between several hospitals, and the search for bodies continues. According to emergency services, no further survivors are expected to be found. As I watched the constantly repeated newscasts, I was left with a burning question.

How many of these good people cried out to God when they feared for their lives? How many self confessed humanists, secularists, and atheists found a voice for prayer? How bad does it have to get before we pray? To place the question closer to home, how many lapsed and backslidden Christians, faced with a horrible end, came face to face with the fact that God DID exist, and found themselves calling out for forgiveness, regretting their prodigal lifestyle? God knows that every one affected needs to know and feel comfort, and where better to get them than from God, who is love (1 John 4:8).

These questions troubled me, and still do. Those touched are no different from us, except that an impending disaster may have sharpened their minds, and focussed their thinking to the one thing in this life that’s important, and that is how we finish. Sadly, for most of us it takes a life changing circumstance to make us understand the very importance of life, how we live it, and the legacy we leave behind. The good news of the Gospel is that the story doesn’t end there because we believe in a forgiving God who gives eternal life to all who call on Him, no matter when. Remember the thief on the cross next to Jesus? He is spending his eternity in heaven because of his simple prayer. What about this great promise which is effective for all?.....

“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13  

Can't or Won't?

...not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. Hebrews 10:25

For most of us, it’s only once a week, and only for an hour at that, but I don’t like missing that time in church. It’s my time to connect with God and those I respect and love in the Lord. It’s good to be among like minded gentle, God fearing people ”...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” Ephesians 5:19

I love singing the old hymns, and (most of) the newer praise band style of worship songs. At the root of it all is the lifting of our voices to heaven and the Author of our salvation. It sounds a bit tame until it gets to the business end of the hour when the leader, pastor, or minister preaches the Word of God from the Bible, which IS “The Word of God”. Then it can get less comfortable because the Scriptures are for everybody and for every situation. There’s conviction If you need salvation, encouragement for the believer to live a better life and example of holiness, and everything in between. Sometimes it’s not so easy to be there to listen, so we choose to skip the discomfort.

I believe there is only one choice for not being in the House of God, and it’s either we can’t or we won’t go. There is no middle ground like: I don’t like the speaker, singer, people, chairs, heating, music and the list could go on. Excuses don’t count when it comes to the preaching of the Word. It’s not for the weak, cowardly, or the wooly, after all the Bible says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Is THAT the reason you won’t go? Afraid? Just asking!  

A Prayer

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

So even to old age and grey hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation….. Psalm 71:17,18

If you had one wish for your life, what would it be? Would it possibly take the form of a prayer like the Psalmist? In our youth, we seldom have time or the desire to think beyond our own needs, or the immediate needs of our family if we are blessed with one. The real question behind my words is, what is most important to you, and what do you want your legacy to be when you are gone?

We all know folks who have walked this life, done good, lived close to their Lord and God, and we relish their memory much more than some others. The reason for this is their quest and zest for life, and for passing something of that enthusiasm down to the rest of us. The way they did that was through their simple, unassuming, uncluttered faith. And we can do the same.

The best way for us to influence others for good is firstly to get old gracefully. We joke about that, but there is a truth underlying the words. There is no better or greater example than one given from a full heart, and a love for God which drives all other loves. When we are close to God, we automatically become closer to our spouse, children and friends and without it being an effort. So while life lasts, at whatever age we are, let us live out the words of the Psalmist when he prays: So even to old age and grey hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation.

The ageing  Apostle of Love, John, puts it so well when he records his own thoughts in 3 John 4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” Amen to that prayer.

But If Not...

When we pray, or at least when I pray, there is a tendency to present God with a 'to do' list of requests, fully expecting that some will at least be answered. The more we ask, the better the chances that at least a few will find God's ear, and we will get the reply we want.

One of the biggest words in the Bible is 'if'. A small word, but with a hefty punch. Jesus used it in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed just before His arrest. He asked His Father to remove the cup of a cruel death from Him, but also said, “If it be Thy will”. The Old Testament tells of the words of the three who were put into the fiery furnace to roast. Their prayer was that they believed their God is able to deliver them, and then these words, “but if not”. This was not a sign of a weak faith, but the evidence of a strong faith. Strong enough to take it if or when the answer is not what we want, and still believe strongly in the judgement of our God!

Maybe you have been Blessed to have come across this kind of prayer, either in someone you admire (how can you not admire such faith?) or love. Maybe you have prayed it yourself, when your back is to the wall, and there is nowhere else to go, but to the Lord. Then you will also know that the faith required to say “If not....” is no small thing. I would also suggest however, that God will honour these prayers from a contrite and hungry heart, and perhaps more so than when He is given a 'to do' list.

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Dan 3:17-18 (KJV)