 |
| 
rb1963b
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2001
Total Posts : 93
| Posted 3/31/2002 11:39 AM (GMT -6) |   | So, since the word prayer is scattered throughout scripture, in this case God was waxing poetic? Come on, it was written just as it was to be understood.
| | Back to Top | | |
 |
GregBoyd
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 1818
| Posted 4/1/2002 3:19 AM (GMT -6) | | Someone has probably already touched on this, but what about Scripture's teaching that God knows what we will ask before we ask it? What about David's statement that he knows what we will say before we say it? I don't take these statements to mean that God knows this AN ETERNITY before we ask it, only that he knows us so well that, the moment we resolve in our hearts to ask something, or say something, he doesn't have to "wait" for the communication to come to him via our speaking.
In this light, it DOES seem that "making our request known before God" must be taken in a poetic sense.
For what its worth
Doc
"Three is the magic number, oh yes it is, it's the Magic Number" - De La Soul | | Back to Top | | |
|
trosie
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 550
| Posted 4/1/2002 4:16 AM (GMT -6) | | Here's a question I've been pondering that I THINK fits here. Do you think that the purpose of prayer and God knowing our needs before we ask has to do with spiritual warfare more than with any fleshly needs? Is it possible for God not to know the future exhaustively yet to know each one of us so perfectly that, along with Satan who studies us meticulously, they both know and can predict with accuracy which areas we are weak and vulnerable? Perhaps God knowing our needs refers to him knowing what is needed to withstand each particular dart that Satan throws our way? Jesus told his disciples MANY times to pray that they might not be tempted from the evil one. I wonder if the purpose for Jesus saying this was because he knew of the possible temptations they might fall into but NOT exactly what this would look like?
To me this would explain why some Christians in poor countries die of starvation. Perhaps the whole thing has more to do with the spiritual than the physical? Just thinking out loud.
I hope this fits with the discussion 
trosie
| | Back to Top | | |
|
Bob Hill
Registered Member
Date Joined Aug 2001
Total Posts : 98
| Posted 4/1/2002 9:17 PM (GMT -6) | | When we pray to God we are in communion with Him. The 5th verse shows us "the Lord is near". As we let our requests known to God, it shows us what's important from God's perspective. It shows us that in that communing with God that we will experience the mind blowing peace of God. Notice, it doesn't even say anything about getting our prayers answered.
In Christ,
Bob Hill
Edited by - Bob Hill on 04/02/2002 02:19:24 AM | | Back to Top | | |
|
Bob Hill
Registered Member
Date Joined Aug 2001
Total Posts : 98
| Posted 4/28/2002 9:06 PM (GMT -6) | | In addition, what does God want us to pray for? I mean what does He want the body of Christ to pray for?
When Paul wrote in Rom 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for [on behalf] us with groanings (not expressed in words). I believe God didn’t mean we don’t know what to pray for, but we don’t know how to pray according to God’s will.
So, to help our infirmities, the Holy Spirit makes intercession on our behalf. Does that mean God just wants us to get on our knees and groan in the Spirit? Of course not. God told us to pray without stopping in 1 Th 5:17. He also wants us to give thanks on behalf of everyone in Eph 5:20 [My translation eujcaristou'nte" pavntote uJpeVr pavntwn]
In fact, God inspired Paul to give the content of his prayers in the two main epistles which dwell on the body of Christ, Ephesians and Colossians. Here’s Paul’s example in Ephesians. He starts out with a prayer praising God and telling about His glorious blessings in Eph 1:3-14: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as [according as, even as, in proportion as, in the degree that, since, seeing that] He chose us in Him [in the body of Christ, corporately] before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth -- in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Then, He thanked God for them. Eph 1:15,16 “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers”.
Then, He asked God to give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Eph 1:17 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation”.
How? By the knowledge of Him with the results that Eph 1:18 “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened”, to know hope. Eph 1:18 “that you may know what is the hope of His calling”, and His glorious riches in the saints. Eph 1:18 “what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” and to know His power for us. Eph 1:19 “what is the exceeding greatness of His power for us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power’.
Then He explained this power. Eph 1:20-23 “which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Paul continued his prayer in Eph 3:14,15 “For this reason [their salvation and inclusion in the body] I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named”.
Then he requested that they have strength in the inner man. Eph 3:16 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might in the inner man” because we all need this strength. How do we get this strength? Eph 3:16 through His Spirit, according to His glorious riches with the effect, Eph 3:17, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith [by belief] with the result, Eph 3:17-19, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Then he worships God saying, Eph 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
In his other epistle about the body of Christ, he prayed: Col 1:9-12 “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
So, that’s how God wants us, the body of Christ, to pray. It is very positive, and deals with the most important things in life. Prayer empowers God to work. That’s why Christ said we should pray that the Lord of the harvest would raise up harvesters, and Paul prayed for an open door. For some reason, God is relying on us, in the war that we are in, to pray.
In Christ,
Bob Hill
| | Back to Top | | |
|
Bob Hill
Registered Member
Date Joined Aug 2001
Total Posts : 98
| Posted 5/4/2002 7:58 PM (GMT -6) | | Trosie,
I believe the Scriptures show us that our prayer is necessary in the war against Satan and his angels. Christ shows the power of prayer in evangelism when He sees the fields white unto harvest.
John 4:34-35 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”
Mat 9:35-38 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
For some reason, God depends on us to pray for laborers for the harvest. If we don’t, the laborers to be few, we must pray.
This fits the open view of God not the deterministic view.
In Christ,
Bob Hill
| | Back to Top | | |
| 56 posts in this thread.
Viewing Page : 1 2 3 |
| Forum Information | Currently it is Monday, November 09, 2026 4:40 PM (GMT -6)
There are a total of 97,718 posts in 6,040 threads.
In the last 3 days there were 0 new threads and 0 reply posts. View Active Threads
|
Forum powered by dotNetBB v2.42EC SP3
dotNetBB © 2000-2026 |
|
|