Paul’s
Prayers
Matthew
6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life,
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye
shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
… (6:34) Take
therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought
for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (Gk. kakia,
trouble) thereof. Jesus’ statements here concerning God’s care are
spoken here specifically to the Jews, but His unconditional care is
applicable to all the believing people of God in this, the dispensation of
the grace. But, do we really believe these statements?
Paul says, … we
look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are
not seen are eternal 2 Cor. 4:18;
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus. NIV Philip. 4:6-7
I believe Paul is
here saying, “Don’t be anxious, about the temporal cares, let it go to
God; … if it hinders your peace, then turn it over to God that you might
be restored to His peace”.
I’ve sometimes
been scolded by Christians, because they know I do not “pray”, as
meaning to ask or petition God with a laundry list of wants
and needs for myself, others, or the world; for jobs, physical needs,
hurricane avoidance, etc. My prayer normally consists of “fellowship”
with Him, speaking with Him, thanking Him who indwells my spirit for His
sufficiency and provision of all that I need – that I can trust Him in
the face of all situations. This is a real peace and rest. I can consider
all that happens in my life, whether good or bad – as a “God ordained
thing”, occurring for my good.
I recall being saved
in 1967 in a Baptist church, where Wednesday eve was for corporate prayer.
Even then I had the inner sense that there was something lacking in our
being given the weekly laundry list of needs (verbal and sometimes
written). We were told we needed to ask God for these earthly items and
needs, often ones we didn’t necessarily carry in our own heart. There
often was the “unspoken request”; that was tough one to get passionate
about, and then there was always that list of canned prayers, e.g., for
“traveling mercies”. Frankly, I can’t imagine that my Father, who
looks upon the heart and desires real, heartfelt, relationship with us as
His children, would not see through our less than heartfelt petitions. So,
heeding Matt. 6:25-34 and Paul, I reasoned, what I now feel it was of the
Lord, “If He love us and knows all things, then He knows our needs
and He cares for us, totally, why do I need to petition Him for
anything”?
Don’t get me
wrong, oftentimes I cry out to Him regarding a “care” that
concerns me and is disrupting my inner peace; and this is legitimately
Pauline (See Philip 4:4-7), that we might be restored to Him as our peace.
Usually it was an unnecessary burden I carried out of self-interest or
self-concern; actually, it demonstrates my lack of matured trust in Him.
The charismatics
then told me, “you must ask God if you want to receive” – to get
prosperity, health, wealth, etc. This was based upon James 4:2“ye
have not because ye ask not”, but this is not our case today under
this 100% grace dispensation – whereby our life is hid “in Christ”
and we have Christ in us as our life. We live in the full committed love
of the Father, who sees us as righteous by our being placed “in
Christ”, knowing our need. I’d say that we have no actual need that is
not already met in trusting our Father’s care. … He careth for us
1Pet 5:7
The
churches taught me that I needed to pray enough, gain enough prayer
momentum individually, and we corporately, or apparently God either would
not know about our need, or care about our need. By such prayers we are
saying either; our Father is hard of hearing, or He does not know our
need, or He does not care for us; so apparently we must twist His arm to
care for His own children for whom He already demonstrated His love in
sending His son to die a substitutionary death. What an awful thought to
have toward the One who loves us so. No! Brothers and Sisters, He knows
us, our need, and loves us unconditionally. Our Father’s care does not
depend upon our prayers or our work for Him; rather, we can depend upon
and trust His ever-present loving care.
Now,
as I look at the dispensation of grace revealed to Paul, and under which
we live today, I see that this “churchy” approach was not Biblically
based upon grace; it was “works” based. In Paul’s epistles we see
the heart and vision of Paul, we see His actual prayers, thus we might
learn from Paul. From his prayers we see that Paul KNEW something that we
need to KNOW by revelation (Gal 1:16). Paul knew of the indwelling Christ
received out of the Father’s love and care in the dispensation of the
100% grace of God, and His plan toward mankind; so Paul prayed for what he
knew the Spirit alone could bestow – revelation knowledge of
Christ’s indwelling for God’s children (Eph 1:16-19). Paul knew
that only the Spirit could reveal the depth of this to us.
Ephes.
1:16-19 Cease
not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17That
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in
the saints, 19And
what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power,
Since
I’ve come to know our Father’s genuine and unconditional love for me,
as His child born of His spiritual loins, and since I’ve come to rest in
His care for me, knowing that He is over ALL things and all the happenings
in my life, and that He is working them always for my eternal good, I’ve
come to a place of not needing to petition Him for any thing earthly
– needing only to know Him in a greater, richer, and deeper way.
He knows my earthly and temporal needs and He cares for me, without my
asking. “For it is God who worketh all things after the counsel of
His will” Eph 1:11
I
know the former constant stress I was under when I didn’t know this or
count all things as “God things” that are “of God”,
placed in my life by God the Father. I see all things are for
my good, no matter how awful or unpleasant they may appear to be. So now
my “prayer” is one of thanksgiving, and a confession of trusting in
His care for me, and for everybody else in my life.
Most
all of Paul’s prison epistle prayers are noted here below. Each was
written chronologically after Acts 28:28 for we who are the members of the
Church universal, which is His body (Eph 1:22-23). In each prayer, Paul is
principally petitioning the Lord on one consistent and repeated thing; …
that the believer’s would come to have knowledge, enlightenment,
comprehending with full understanding; to know the love and
provision of God by placing us “in Christ”, and “Christ’s
life “in the saints”(Eph 1:18); which knowledge is gained only by
revelation of
the Spirit
to the believer’s soul mind (Eph 1:16-23, 3:16-19).
When
we come to KNOW the truth of our relationship with God, as Paul knew it,
comprehending the Father’s perfect love and care for us.
God who has provided His Son to be life in us; and as we live under a
relationship of unconditional love and 100% grace, we’ll then agree with
Paul’s prayers, which are so lofty, elevated, having no
petition for earthly provision for our temporal needs. We’ll recognize
that these temporal needs are used just turn our often wayward heart to
Him; seeking that we might come to know Him and His trustworthiness in an
even greater way.
For
Revelatory Knowledge Of His Inheritance … “In The Saints”
Ephes. 1:16-23
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17That
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you
the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him: 18The eyes (mind) of your understanding
being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints, 19And what is the
exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the
working of his mighty power, 20Which
he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his
own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far
above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22And
hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all
things to the church, 23Which
is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The
Ephesians Would COMPREHEND All That Is In Christ, Dwelling Within Them,
As God’s Fullness
Ephes. 3:14-19
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That
he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be
strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, 18May be able
to comprehend (katalambano, seize, possess) with all saints what is
the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might
be filled with all the fulness of God.
Praying
For Utterance To “Make KNOWN The Mystery Gospel”
Ephes. 6:18-19
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
(according to) the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19And
for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth
boldly, to make known the mystery (musterion, secret) of the
gospel (Gospel of the dispensation of “Christ in the believers”
Col 1:26-27),
Praying That Your Love May
Abound Yet More And More In KNOWLEDGE And In All Judgment.
Philip. 1:3-6,
9-10 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4Always
in every prayer of mine for you all making request
with joy, 5For your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day until now; … 6Being
confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in
you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
9And this I pray, that your love may
abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10That ye may approve things
that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the
day of Christ; 11Being filled
with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the
glory and praise of God.
Petition Is Only For
The Purpose Of Unburdening Yourself, To Come To Peace.
Philip. 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5Let
your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.
Prayer
“That Ye Might Be Filled With The KNOWLEDGE Of His Will In All Wisdom
And Spiritual UNDERSTANDING”
Col.
1:9-13
we…, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that
ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10That
ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11Strengthened
with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and
longsuffering with joyfulness; 12Giving
thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son:
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