|
Introduction
Four months ago I was visiting some
of my neighbours and one told me
about her aunt who was in hospice
and not expected to live. We stood
at the open door to her condo and
prayed. Two days before that I was
at another friends house to speak
comfortingly to him. His wife of
some 60 years had died. We prayed
together. A week or so later I got
a call to inform me that my niece,
fifty years of age, has three months
to live and I prayed. A range of
questions flow like a river through
one’s mind as emotions rush over the
mind like cascading rapids. What do
I pray for? What is happening? How
can I comfort such? Will my prayers
really be heard? Will they be
answered in the affirmative? Is
this praying just the done thing, a
ritual that makes me feel I have
done what I could? Is it just a
religious exercise to give a
quietness to my mind? Is there
really a God who deigns to listen to
this poor individual of six foot of
dust? How do I know anything in
such situations?
The Parable
|
In pondering such questions
there came to my mind a
parable of the Lord (Lk.
11:5-8). In the parable a
man had unexpected company
arrive at his home expecting
to receive a bed and
something to eat.
Unfortunately the host had
nothing to give his guest
and in his helplessness, he
went to another friend’s
house, at midnight, to ask
for three loaves of bread.
Changing the wording, in his
great need he prayed to
another for that which was
needed. There are several
observations that relate to
our prayer life. |
|
|
a) |
The man had to understand,
not intellectually but in
reality, he had nothing to
set before those in need. (Lk.
11:5-6) |
|
|
b) |
He had to believe that the
one he went to was a real
person, not some figment of
imagination. |
|
|
c) |
He had to believe that the
friend had the resources he
needed. |
The man had to understand, not
intellectually but in reality, he
had nothing to set before those in
need.
|
When the visitor came to the
man in the parable the host
knew he had nothing. I
expect he had fed his
children and wife for the
night and would go in the
morning and get some fresh
bread. It was all very
ordinary. Then there was
an unexpected visitor and
having opened the door to
them he realized, “I have no
bread”. This was real, the
visitor was sitting in the
living area waiting for some
refreshment and he had
nothing. |
|
|
a) |
This is sometimes how the
Lord deals with us. We are
brought into a situation
where we have no earthly
resources that can help. My
niece is so ill, my friend
has an empty chair, another
friend needs a job and I
have no contacts that can
help, neither does anyone
else. Just like the
disciples in the boat in the
storm, they realized they
were helpless (Matt.
8:24-25); Jairus when he
hear his daughter had died
(Mk. 5:22-23), he and all
the physicians were
helpless. |
|
|
b) |
The Lord at times brings us
to the situation where we
have no one to turn to for
help. They can express
sympathy but they cannot
help. |
|
|
c) |
The man in the parable had
to understand he needed
outside help and needed it
now. |
He had to believe that the one he
went to was a real person, not some
figment of imagination.
|
On the ancient Mount Elijah
challenged the priests of
Baal to bring down fire on
the sacrifice they had
prepared (1 Kgs. 18:20-38).
They cried to Baal all
morning and afternoon. They
cut themselves, they did
everything they could but
Baal did not respond for a
simple reason. Baal is a
worthless piece of material
which had eyes but could not
see, ears which could not
hear and was so helpless he
had to be carried about. He
and his images were pieces
of material void of life.
Elijah calls on God, he
prayed, not for hours on
hours but a simple prayer to
the Living God. Suddenly,
after he prayed, fire and
lightning came down from
Heaven and consumed the
sacrifice. Was this an
answer to the prayer or a
lucky happenstance? |
|
|
a) |
There is no sense in praying
to a piece of wood, stone,
silver or gold. How foolish
would I be if I got down and
asked my wife's wedding ring
to help someone who is
suffering, to help someone
find a suitable home. |
|
|
b) |
The scriptures inform us
that, “He that cometh to God
must believe that he is”
(Heb. 11:6). God is and is
all knowing, omnipresent.
He is everywhere. He is all
powerful having unimaginable
resources and loves to be
trusted. When we pray it is
not speaking to space, like
blowing air into bubbles
that burst giving happiness
for a moment and then gone
leaving the situation as it
was. Prayer is communing
with the God who is alive,
who knows all we are
experiencing and how to help
us in the distress. |
|
|
c) |
Failure to have a big
understanding of God results
in a small God and therefore
prayers can be somewhat
superficial with a wait and
see attitude. We leave a
little latitude so see if it
works and end by saying, “If
it is Thy will”. In other
words, we are verbalizing a
“grocery list” of what we
would like the Lord to do,
but will have to wait to see
what happens. |
He had to believe that the
friend had the resources he
needed
Had he known his friend was like
himself without any bread, there
would have been no intelligence
in asking him. That would be an
exercise in futility.
Furthermore, he had to know that
if the friend gave him the three
loaves it would not leave him in
need, he had to have more than
what was needed.
Application
As I think of the situations at the
beginning of the paper, what can I
do for any of these folk? I recall
when Jean and I were totally
penniless. We did not even have a
mattress and slept on sleeping bags
loaned to us. I had pneumonia and
was out of work. When the doctor
gave me a prescription my wife went
to the pharmacy and asked if we
could get the medications and pay
them off at the end of the month.
We knew we had nothing. Often times
people do not know what it is like
to be totally penniless. Poverty
was a stark reality, to whom could
we go? The shame of having to
borrow money from a friend. There
was only one thing to do, pray! My
wife was supported by a hymn called
“The Lighthouse” being the light on
a stormy night at sea. We prayed
for health for somehow to get some
money for food for ourselves and our
three children. Then it happened.
A brother and his wife gave us an
envelope with $200.00. Back in 1976
that was a lot of money. We went
and got some groceries and thanked
God. Was that an answer to prayer
or happenstance? In times of storm
the only one we can depend on is
God. He has the resources and in
kindness He uses human beings to be
His channel to supply the needs
Before prayer it is a good exercise
before God to ask, do I believe God
is? I know He is because I have
been told so, and I understand that
the things I see in creation are His
handiwork, but have I ever been
enlightened as to the immensity of
God? A reading of Isaiah 40:21-28
will impress on the mind the
glorious reality that God is. He is
glorious in power; all excelling in
wisdom; sovereign and supreme in
administration; great in mercy,
grace and love; perfect in
righteousness; and he deigns to give
us the blessing of calling Him
“Father”. Daily He guides our
footsteps, provides our meals,
preserves us mentally, physically,
emotionally and spiritually. We are
never out of His sight nor from His
listening ear. His voice is full of
wisdom and tenderly He speaks to us.
Does He have the resources for my
needs? Consider His resources. He
owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
the earth is His and the fulness
thereof. What is there in this
world, what is there outside of this
world that God does not own? What
political power, kingdom,
dictatorship, usurper, is there
which is not under His control?
What nation, empire, country can
never be out of his sight or power?
No matter what any individual in the
world thinks, be he Elon Musk, Jeff
Bezos or Bill Gates, they are
paupers compared to God for He owns
every penny they have. No matter
what property the Queen, Pham Nhat
Vu, or the MacLahlan family has, it
all belongs to God. The fishing
rights of every nation mean nothing
to Him for He owns every ocean, sea,
lake and river. God is never short
of land for all the stars, planets,
suns and moon known and unknown are
His. When we pray to God we are
speaking to the greatest property
owner of the world, the greatest
mind there is and the greatest
financier ever known. Dare I wonder
if He can, by His channels, provide
for me. The question is a virtual
insult to even consider.
Concluding Thoughts
When we get a big view of the
immensity
of God, then when we pray we know
that He has all the resources to
meet our need. Furthermore, He will
never deprive us of that which is
beneficial
to us if it is for our spiritual
learning.
|
