c. the attributes of god and prayer 1. · pdf file430 the attributes of god c. the attributes...

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C. THEATTRIBUTESOFGODANDPRAYER

1. Introduction.ItiscommontohearwellintentionedChristiansexpressingtheirbeliefthatwhatweneed today ismoreprayer, inquality andquantity.Andwho foramomentwoulddenythatthisisasadlyneglectedbiblicalimperativethatourSaviorupheldwhenHeexhortedHisdisciples,bymeansoftheParableoftheImportunateWidow,thatatalltimes theyought toprayandnot loseheart (Luke18:1).TopresshomeHispoint,especiallythatofdoggedpersistence,Heconcludes,willnotGodbringaboutjusticeforHiselectwhocrytoHimdayandnight,andwillHedelaylongoverthem?(Luke18:7).Dr.MartynLloydJonesfurtherarguesthispointquiteemphatically:

Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul.Man is at hisgreatestandhighestwhen,uponhisknees,hecomesfacetofacewithGod. . . .Whenamanis[authentically]speakingtoGodheisathisveryacme.Itisthehighestactivityofthehuman soul, and therefore it is at the same time theultimate test of amans truespiritualcondition.There isnothing that tells the truthaboutusasChristianpeoplesomuchasourprayer....Prayerisundoubtedlytheultimatetest,becauseamancanspeakto others with greater ease than he can speak to God. Ultimately, therefore, amandiscoverstherealconditionofhisspirituallifewhenheexamineshimselfinprayer,whenheisalonewithGod.[Prayer]isnotonlythehighestactivityofthehumansoul,itistheultimatetestofourtruespiritualcondition.Anotherwayofputtingthatisthis.Youwillfindthattheoutstandingcharacteristicofallthemostsaintlypeopletheworldhaseverknownhasbeenthattheyhavenotonlyspentmuchtimeinprivateprayer,buthavealsodelightedinit.27

Consider also the similar emphasis of D. A. Carson who stresses the particularimportanceofbiblicaldirectioninourpraying,thatisGodsspeakingtousinsuchamannerthatwerespondinprayer.

OneofthefoundationalstepsinknowingGod,andoneofthebasicdemonstrationsthatwedoknowGod, isprayerspiritual,persistent,biblicallymindedprayer.Writingacenturyandahalfago,RobertMurrayMCheynedeclared,WhatamanisaloneonhiskneesbeforeGod,thatheis,andnomore.Butwehaveignoredthistruism.Wehavelearned toorganize,build institutions,publishbooks, insertourselves into themedia,develop evangelistic strategies, and administer discipleship programs, but we haveforgottenhowtopray.28

27 D.MartynLloydJones,Studies InTheSermonOnTheMount, II,pp.4547.Yetsurelycaution isneeded

herelestweprioritizesubjectivemysticism.ForisitbetterinprivatetotalktoGodorlistentoHimspeaktous?ItisbettertoacknowledgethatbothprayertoGodandlisteningtoHiminHisWordaretogetherofsupreme importance. Surely God does not primarily desire that a man should speak to Him andsecondarilythenlistentoHim.

28 D.A.Carson,ACallToSpiritualReformation,p.16.

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FurtherconsiderJ.C.RyleinhisbookPracticalReligion,inparticularachaptertitledPrayer,inwhichitisstronglyassertedthat,prayeristhemostimportantsubjectinpracticalreligion.Sevenreasonsinsupportofthisproposalarelistedasfollows:29

a. Prayerisabsolutelyneedfultoamanssalvation.Thisisreflectedintheprayer,

God,bemercifultome,thesinner(Luke18:13).

b. AhabitofprayerisoneofthesurestmarksofatrueChristian.SothisistrueforHiselectwhocrytoHimdayandnight(Luke18:7).

c. Thereisnodutyinreligionsoneglectedasprivateprayer.Formany,prayeris

merelyamatterofrepetitiousform;forothers,alowpriorityinabusylife.

d. Prayeristhatactofreligiontowhichthereisthegreatestencouragement.ThereistheurgingoftheHolySpirit,aswellasJesusexampleandencouragement.

e. Diligence in prayer is the secret of eminent holiness. In the battles of life,

confessedweaknessandinabilityleadstocallinguponGodforgrace.

f. Neglectofprayerisonegreatcauseofbacksliding.Increasingoccupationwiththeworld,andwaningrelianceuponGod,inevitablyleadstoneglectofprayer.

g. Prayer is one of the best recipes for happiness and contentment. Cast your

burdenupontheLORDandHewillsustainyou(Ps.55:22).

2. TheGodwhoisaddressed.

However, all of the preceding being acknowledged as vitally true, yet there is anadditional matter that must be considered which, unless acknowledged, willinvariablyresult inashallowness inprayer thatcanonlyberemediedbymeansofclearerfocusconcerningthenatureofGodtowhomwepray.Considertheproblemthatariseswhenfaithissoobjectifiedandelevatedtoaplaceofprominencethatittendstoobscurethegloryoffaithssavingobject,whoisGodHimself.Inrealityfaithisnonmeritorious linkage toHewho actuallydoes the saving and sanctifying. Initself,faithdoesnotsave,thoughfortheChristianitsobjectcertainlydoes.Thereforetruesaving faithdoesnot look to itselfbutHewhosaves, that is JesusChristwhothrough faith is beheld. Similarly with prayer, we must be careful about soobjectifyingitthatweobscurethevisionofHetowhomwepray.Intheworldtherewill often be glib talk about the need to pray in a very abstract sense; specificityconcerningwhowe pray to is usually pushed aside as being a concern thatwillunnecessarily injectdissension.EvenChristians often speak of prayer in a similar

29 J.C.Ryle,PracticalReligion,pp.4659.

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mechanisticmanner. Praying is declared to be all important; particular, definitiveGodcenteredness incontent isaneglectedconcern.ButsurelyChristianswhopraytoGod should know theGod towhom they pray, especiallywhen they boast inaccesstoHimthroughJesusasanewandlivingwaywhichHeinauguratedforusthroughtheveil,thatisHisflesh(Heb.10:1920).

SowhenwecometotheBibleandconsiderthenatureofnumerousprayersthatarerecorded there,we find a repeated emphasis that is decidedlyGodcentered anddefinitive.Tobeginwith,itseemscustomarythattherebenoimmediatepresentationofhumanneedandpredicamenttoGod,eveninsituationsinvolvinggreaturgency.Rather,He, thegreat Jehovah, is firstaddressedwith reverence that isspecificandcomprehensive. It becomes immediately obvious that those in theBiblewho prayknowHe towhom theypraywith both experiential breadth anddepth; there areindications of intimate union and communion that presuppose a profoundappreciation of the character ofGod.Even in theOldTestament,while the saintsthere lived during centuries of promise and shadow preceding New Testamentrevelation,neverthelessitwouldbefoolishtosuggestthatthisfaithrelationshipwasprimitiveandshallow.ItisnothingshortofastoundingtoseehowsuchchildrenofGod addressed Him in a manner that would shame many a New TestamentChristian.Thereasonforthiswouldseemtobeduetothefactthatwhile,forthem,thecomingoftheMessiahwasprospective,yetafaithalonerelationshiplookedtoagloriousGodwhoseperfectionswerewellcomprehended,suchaswasthecasewithAbrahamwho,inhopeagainsthopebelieved...inwhatGodhadpromised(Rom.4:19,1325).Theobjectofthisprayerfulbelieving(cf.Gen.20:17)wasinnoabstractdeity,butGodAlmighty (Gen.17:1), thedefinitively revealed, covenantkeepingGodofIsrael.

3. TheOldTestamentpatternofprayer.

While, in unproven innocence,Adam and Eve freely communedwithGod in theGardenofEden(Gen.2:89),following theFallwefind thebirthofSeth tothefirstparents, inplaceofAbel,ushering inagodly lineage.Thus,ToSeth,tohimalsoasonwasborn;andhecalledhisnameEnosh.ThenmenbegantocalluponthenameoftheLORD(Gen.4:26).Certainlyanongoingindicationofthisgodlylinewasthatofcommitmenttoearnestprayer,asthefollowingexamplesindicate.

a. Jacob(Gen.32:912,2432).

Fear of vengeance from pursuing, aggrieved Esau, causes his fearful brotherJacob to offermaterial appeasementwhile distancing himself and his familyfromtheseemingthreatofretribution.Althoughreceivingangelicguidance,yetalarmedJacobisconstrainedtopraytoGod,Deliverme,Ipray,fromthehandofmy brother, from the hand ofEsau; for I fear him, that hewill come andattackmeandthemotherswiththechildren,v.11.

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However thisprayer isbaseduponapreceding invocationandconfession.OGodofmyfatherAbrahamandGodofmyfatherIsaac,OLORD,v.9.Eveninsuchashortprayer,thedistinctivecharacterofGodisclearlydefined.Livinginaworldpresently saturatedwith idolatry, Jacob is careful to identify the soleand specificGodhe is addressing.He intends togive exclusivehonor to thisGodandnoother.ThereisalsoadesireforproperaccesstoGod,whichhearingcannot be presumed upon, except the approach bemade according toGodsterms.TheappealthenistotheGodoftheAbrahamicCovenant,theGodwhohasrevealedhimselfandspoken,theGodofcovenantedreliability,v.12.

Here,aswithalloftheprayersoftheBible,thereisnomerevaguesentiment,noabstractmeandering,nosentimentalform.Rather,thosewhopray inScripturearegroundedupon theknowledgeofGod revealed in that sameWord.ThusJacobsapprehensionofhisGodisclearlydefined.

(1) JacobsGodisElohim,theGodofallpower,v.9a.

(2) JacobsGodisJehovah,theeternalGodofloyalcovenantlove,v.9b.

(3) JacobsGodisunchanging,theGodofAbraham,Isaac,andJacob,vs.9,12.

(4) JacobsGodisliving,forHehasspoken,vs.9,12.

(5) JacobsGodisselfrevealing,forHehasspoken,vs.9,12.

(6) JacobsGodismerciful,abundantinlovingkindness,v.10.

(7) JacobsGodisfaithfulinHiscovenantkeeping,v.10.

HowreadyGodproves tobe inanswering Jacobsprayerandcoming tohim,forthatverynight,aman[evenGodtheSon]wrestledwithhim[Jacob]untildaybreak, v. 24. As a result Jacob prayed yet again, but with a greaterearnestnessthaneverbefore.Iwillnotletyougounlessyoublessme,v.26;Please tellme your name, v. 29. The resultwas greater blessing than everbefore.TheLord Jesus said tohim,Yourname shallno longerbe Jacob,butIsrael;foryouhavestrivenwithGodandwithmenandhaveprevailed,v.28.HereisnoprimitiveencounterwithGod,butprofoundprayerfulintimacy.

b. Hannah(ISam.1:918;2:110).

InthemidstofIsraelsdescent intounprecedenteddecadenceduringthereignof the Judges, yet a faithful remnant existed that included Elkanah theEphraimiteandhis twowives, lovedand favoredbarrenHannah,and fruitful

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Peninnah.BeingtormentedbytherivalPeninna