Opus 2024-379: Prayer Details

One night in church the following verse was referred to,

Matthew 21:21-22 (KJV) 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

The pastor announced that this meant that anything we asked for we would receive.  I found that very unsatisfying.  We played the spiritualizing game with, “What is the mountain?”  People came up with all kinds of things, such as our sin.  Still very unsatisfying.

This is not the first time I have wrestled with this nor the first time I have written about it.  It struck home again.  I got to thinking about how there are many places in the Bible with prayer talked about and in each place it seems like there’s some kind of qualification.  This is one of those topics that requires a gestalt view.  

Take this verse,

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Is this referring to prayer?  And is it a qualification?  Are we required to be making righteousness a priority for answered prayer?

Then you have the case where the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  His answer was what we know as the Lord’s Prayer.   There is no guarantee of answer there, just directions.  I think that is significant.  Of course there are very few typical prayer list items mentioned.

And you have two examples of non-answers to the main people in the Bible.  One is when Paul pleads three times that his thorn in the flesh be removed.  The answer is “No.”

(2Co 12:8-9 KJV)  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Then you have Jesus Himself in the garden praying and asking that this cup be removed.  Then He finishes with those lines that are so unpopular, “They will be done.”

Let’s go there next.

1 John 5:14 (KJV) And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

Prayer is not a free for all.  It is to be focused.  

Then we have something that has become a ritual or mantra.  We tend to finish all prayers with this,

John 14:13 (KJV) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Then there is the ultimate limitation which, when joined with praying in His will, really narrows the requests down.

John 15:7 (KJV) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

So don’t base your ideas about prayer on one verse.

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