13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” 14 “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it,” (John 14:13, 14).
This is undoubtedly the most astounding promise Jesus could make. Anything? Ask for anything? However, we doubt it. It’s kind of like the Daddy who says to his little girl, “I’ll give you anything, honey! I’ll give you the sun, the moon and the stars!” Everyone knows he can’t and she doesn’t want the sun, the moon and the stars anyway. We’re kind of like that with His extraordinary promise. He made it the night before His crucifixion, when He gave His last instructions to His disciples, and, well, He probably got carried away in His passion, His apprehension of what was to come upon Him.
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"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly”(Matthew 6:6).
There has been much discussion over the centuries as to where, exactly, is this room. Should we be creating a distinct place where we pray? Dedicate the use of one room in our houses where only prayer takes place? Or a closet as some translations make of that word? As a child I attended a Church Camp for many years, one in which they sent us out into a vast field in the afternoon where we were to take our Bibles, find a solitary place, and pray. I found a tree, a big valley oak, that I liked to sit under, and lean against the trunk. When someone took that spot before I could get there, I found them to be quite unjust for taking my place, so I’d walk around and around that tree until they would be annoyed enough to get up and leave. We were forbidden to talk so the person couldn’t say anything to me; I didn’t even smile, I just took my place. Does an actual physical place that we use every day make a difference? No. It may make the flesh feel more comfortable because it likes ritual and routine, but for the benefit of the prayer? There is none. The Samaritan woman asked Jesus to tell her where to find the best place to pray. Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples" (Luke 11:1).
Every generation is in the same boat with the disciples. We all need to learn how to pray. Prayer seems so simple at the beginning; it’s just presenting our little requests before God. Yet we soon learn that prayer is also very hard. We learn that prayer is taking what God wants, praying about it, then praying for it, until it comes to pass. There are many obstacles set before someone who prays beyond their own little lives. These of course come from the devil because he knows the power of prayer. These obstacles are designed to bring us to a stop. But a disciple will press through such difficulties and pray until victory is sounded. The very first thing God wants is a closer relationship with us. I don’t care how well we think we know Him, there is more to learn. Without that close relationship, how can He reveal His heart to us? Until we know Him better, He cannot trust us to know what is on His heart. With chagrin I can remember many times when I brought my intimacy with God to an abrupt halt because I, in my childish pride, blabbed His divine purposes. Someone in close relationship keeps secrets until the time to disclose them comes. |
Marty
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