PRAISE AND PRAYER
PRAYER IS OUT OF GOD
Part Three of Sixteen
GOD’S GRAND GOAL is to be Everything in every one of
His creatures (1 Cor.15:28). In order to accomplish this there must be
intercommunication between them. God speaks to men in His Word. Men
speak to Him in praise and prayer. Very few listen
attentively to what He has to say, but He hears every syllable that they
utter. Yes, He listens even to the inarticulate groanings of their hearts.
This is even the case when they address themselves to Him, although they
do not know Him and do it only as a form, and speak of, and to,
themselves. How, then, should He not hear our petitions, who are
acquainted with Him and His Anointed? To be sure, in a figure, He may not
“hear,” that is, even if He does perceive what is said, yet He does
not hearken to that which is contrary to His ways and His will.
In Hebrew
the word prayer is based on the idea of MEDIATION.
In the A.V. Samuel says to his wicked sons, “If one man sin against
another, the judge shall judge him...” Rather, he said, “the
judge shall mediate.” This form of the word phll is seldom
used. But, by prefixing eth, it becomes self-MEDIATION,
or prayer. Usually a priest mediated between a man in Israel and
Jehovah. Prayer takes the place of the priest. It is the medium of
communication between God and His creatures.
The word hear,
in Hebrew and Greek, is also used figuratively, to denote hearken,
or obey. God does not hearken to all He hears, that is, do as each one
wishes Him to do, but he hears and answers, that is, responds, to
every word or thought which is directed to Him. Why, then, does it seem
as if He pays no attention to our prayers at times? Again, if He only
answers prayer which accords with His intention, why pray at all if our
petitions do not alter His plans? Some tell us that in “prayer moves the
hand that moves the world.” But if a million saints in one part of the
world pray for one thing and a million of His people in a different region
pray for the opposite, how can He obey them both? Instead of compliance
there would be collision. How much less can He submit to each whim of
every petitioner? Is it not wrong for men to look at prayer from the human
viewpoint instead of from the divine?
But, we may
ask, It only prayer in accord with God’s will is fulfilled, why pray at
all, why persevere if it will not change anything? To the mind trained in
human dialectics this seems a mere form and futile, without any reasonable
basis. But to the man of God it appears otherwise. Realizing the vanity of
reasoning about things divine, he falls back on faith, and believes
what God says, rather than any inference which would be logical only if a
man had spoken. The prophet Ezekiel, after giving the outlines of the
restoration of the holy land in the day of Jehovah, includes this notable
detail: “For this I shall be inquired of by the house of Israel to do
it for them” (Ezek.36:37). Does not this show clearly that, not only
is the answer to the prayer already determined by God, but the prayer
itself is a part of His planning. How can we know now that the sons of
Israel will pray if God does not put it into their hearts to do so?
THE DIVINE SIDE
Why
should prayer have any place in the universe during the eons, when their
course has been planned beforehand to the last detail, so that they are
sure to end in a glorious consummation? If prayer cannot change this plan,
why indulge in futile performances, when they produce no tangible results?
That is the human side, which surely should be sufficient evidence to show
how utterly ignorant man is of God’s great purpose. The answer is
simple: Prayer is an essential part of God’s program. God’s
heart hungers for the fellowship of His handiwork. If He wants to be All
in all in the future, He must commence to be Something in some at the
present. He reveals Himself to us through prayer in an intimate and
personal manner which would be impossible if He alone stood back and
allowed no one to speak but Himself.
THE OBJECT OF PRAYER
God
is engaged in drawing His creatures to Himself by various means. One of
the most effective of these is prayer. It is especially needed in the
training of the saints in their special function of revealing Him to the
rest of creation. Text books are good, but they must be supplemented by
practical experience. God could not leave minute directions in His Word
for every step in the lives of billions of His saints. Besides, that is
not His goal. We need His Word now, in our ignorance. But there is
no written revelation for the time after the consummation, because each
one will be so attuned to God Himself, Who will be Everything to them, so
that no written record will be needed, and no prayer will be contrary to
His will. That will be ideal then, but now the experience of ignorance and
evil is needed to bring it about.
Let us be
clear on this point. The object of prayer is not to dictate to God what He
shall do, or to get Him to alter some detail of His plan to conform with
our wishes. Sober reflection would soon convince us that this would lead
to confusion unutterably worse than we already have in the world. One
saint wants this, another that, and if both pray for their own way, one,
at least, must be refused, or, more likely, both. But if both close their
prayers with “not my will, but Thine be done,” they will be heard,
they will be blessed, God will be glorified, and they will gain in the
realization of His will by their fellowship with Him. This will
usually humble them or confirm them in His ways, in view of their future
work in making God known to the rest of His creatures. But the main gain
will be God’s, Who will be more to them through this experience than
before. His great purpose to draw all to Himself is greatly advanced
through such fellowship with the saints. The prayer itself, whether in
accord with His will or His intention, is a vital part of His plan, rather
than a means to amend it through the ignorance of conceited mortals.
THE LONELY SAINT’S PRAYER
In
my early ignorance of God’s great goal, I was much exercised about His
apparent failure to answer the prayer of some of His saints who seemed
most pathetically deserving. Take the case of a widow, left alone with
many children, for each of which she agonizes in prayer, that they should
accept the Saviour, yet not a single one responds to her entreaties. Some
of them die before she is put to repose, and those who survive are not
reached by the gospel. There, you say, is a clear case of earnest
petitions and many prayers which were not answered! I do not blame you. I
thought so myself once. But now that I have believed that God is the
Saviour of all mankind (1 Tim.4:10), and look ahead to the
consummation, I have changed my mind. The poor widow knew nothing of the
future beyond the grave, so she should have stopped praying, if she had
been logical. But she kept on because she could not stop. I am
inclined to think that each of her prayers for her children was a “prayer
of God” (Luke 6:12), in a very special way inspired by His spirit
in her heart.
Can you
imagine what joy will be hers when she is reunited with all those for whom
she prayed, at the consummation? Will it not be magnified by the tears and
prayers which she thought so weak and futile before she died? And who will
insist that these had no part in preparing for the eventual reconciliation
of her offspring? And who will assert that the apparent delay was not
better, from God’s standpoint, than if they had responded to her
supplications? It is evident that God’s plan calls for an experience of
distance from Him on the part of all. Hardly any are called from their
birth, or before, like John the Baptist. All of us are estranged from God
in our youthful years. Those who are not reconciled in this life have only
an extension of this experience. All must be consciously lost before they
are saved, in order to realize the direness of being at a distance from
Him.
A serious
stumbling stone, in the eyes of the world, is the opposing prayers of
Christians in time of war. Both appeal to God to give them the victory,
when, superficially, at least, only one side can have it. In practice it
seems to be “answered,” as a rule, but on different planes. On the
physical, the power of one side may prevail, and history records a
victory, but the spiritual results are often worse than a defeat. Success
in battle may breed self-righteousness and pride and domination. But this
is quite contrary to God’s ultimate, which does away with the
righteousness of man, and leads to humiliation and submission. So it is
usually a Pyrrhic victory, far higher in price than in profit. On the
other side, defeat has its spiritual advantages. It may produce
self-searching and humility and submission, just the effects which God is
seeking, in view of His ultimate goal. So, in a way, the believers on both
sides of a battle are “answered.” Yet the one who thinks it was
answered does not receive nearly the benefit as the one who thinks it wasn’t!
The “logical”
deduction from these apparent premises would lead us to cease from praying
altogether. If everything is cooperating for our welfare anyway, why even
try to spoil it by our ignorant and selfish petitions? Alas, how illogical
is human logic! It usually leaves God out, or reduces Him to human
proportions even though He is the Major Premise in all things. God is
using all our experiences in order to fit us for fellowship with Him, so
to become Everything in us, and through us to become All in all His
creatures. This calls for the exercise of faith in Him, and doubt and
distrust in all that is of man. We must learn by experience how futile are
all our wishes unless inspired by God’s spirit. As sin in humanity is a
background for God’s grace, so are seemingly “unanswered” prayers a
necessary test to expose us to ourselves and lead us to rely only on Him
and His love.
PRAYER OUT OF GOD
All
is out of God. Strange as it may seem at first thought, prayer does not
originate with us, but with Him. Before we explain the why and the
wherefore of this, let us confirm it by actual examples, of which there is
no lack in the predictive prophets. Jehovah has not only promised to
restore Israel to their land, but has foretold that they would pray for
it. He even puts the actual words into their mouths. Does not this show
that the prayer as well as its fulfillment is due to the operation of His
spirit? It may, of course, be partly through His Word, in which the
blessings are promised. But even that is not enough, for many of His
ancient people do not believe them. A special work of His spirit is needed
to stir their hearts to ask for the gifts He will bestow (Jer.31:19). It
was after Daniel learned from the prophecy of Jeremiah that Jerusalem
would be restored after seventy years, that he made his confession and
petition (Dan.9:2,3).
Perhaps
every reader of these lines is convinced of the blessing of Israel, as a
nation, in the day of Jehovah. Reason would say, then there is no need to
pray for it. But prayer is hyper-rational, or super-rational, if we may be
allowed to use a rare but much needed expression. Perhaps it were better
to expose “reasoning,” as hypo-rational, because it bases its
syllogisms on inadequate premises. A sounder syllogism would be this:
Since God seeks the fellowship of His creatures in view of their future,
He not only reveals His plans to their minds, but engages their hearts in
His proposals by means of praise and prayer. Already much praise has
ascended to Him in view of the glories He has promised His ancient people.
And much prayer will go up to Him, especially in the dire days preceding
the fulfillment of His predictions. Even a cursory reading of Ezek.36:37,
will show that the prayers of that day will be inspired by Him, for they
were predicted thousands of years ago.
God’s
dealings with Israel in the past were based on law, therefore there was
such fearful failure. His dealings with them in the future will be founded
on favor, hence there will be such a fine fulfillment. In older to guide
them in their prayers He begins His predictions with an emphatic negative:
“Not on your account am I doing it, avers the Lord Jehovah.”
Their prayers will not be based on ignorance in this particular. What a
contradiction! When they sought to earn their blessings, they failed to
get them, yet when they do enjoy them it will not be because they
keep the law! Though we enjoy the acme of transcendent grace, to which
they cannot attain, nevertheless they also are dependent on God’s favor
for the fulfillment of their prayers. Rather, they are blessed in spite of
their wayward ways, and cleansed notwithstanding their depravities. This
knowledge enables them to pray the prayer of God.
When Israel
has learned the futility of their own failures, the spirit of Jehovah
leads them to praise Him and to pray for salvation at His hands. Their
deliverance seems long delayed to those who do not apprehend God’s
purpose in the prolonged period of preparation. The lesson taught to
Israel through their wilderness journey was of the utmost importance to
prepare them for the land. In the desert they experienced their vital
dependence on Jehovah for their very existence. Neither food nor water nor
shelter could be had except it come directly from His hand. And the same
lesson is being taught to Israel today, for the trials of the wilderness
were but a type of their present plight. When they no longer have hope in
themselves then they are turned to Jehovah to praise Him and pray for His
promised salvation.
The evils
in the wilderness were planned by God. He would not allow them to go by
the travelled highway to the promised land, so that they must find their
all in Him. So with Israel now. Most of them would much prefer to take the
travelled road, by automobile, or by airplane, figuratively speaking, in
order to enjoy the promised paradise. But, for their own sakes, and for
the sake of the other nations, as well as for the benefit of God’s
creatures everywhere, they must perform their part of the play, which
portrays the path of independence from the Deity until the moral is plain
and patent to all creation: The creature is accursed when estranged
from the Creator!
It is
popularly supposed that prayer is essentially begging for something that
is outside of God’s will or intention. It is argued, What is the use of
praying for a thing when God has already promised it? How far this is from
God’s thoughts may be shown by one example. Jehovah has assured Israel
that He will restore them to their land and that it shall become as the
garden of Eden, so why pray for it? But Jehovah has also revealed the fact
that they will. His heart yearns for the fellowship of His people.
That is more important to Him than their blessing. If His kindness to them
will not bring Him praise, of what use is it in His purpose? And this is
greatly intensified by previous fellowship in His plans.
Not only
will the land that was deserted and desolate be filled with cities and
luxuriant gardens, but the nations round about will be impressed by the
fact that they did not do it, but Jehovah, their God. Hitherto, under the
law, self-righteous Israel was wont to war with their neighbors. Now that
they are really right, they illuminate them, and reveal the true God to
them. Perhaps no passage of Scripture uses the emphatic I so excessively
as Ezekiel 36:37. Even the Authorized Version has three capital I’s. The
Concordant makes a special effort to carry over the emphasis of the
Original. And here this cannot be adequately accomplished without using five,
and two of these emphatic. Israel, in that day, will no longer be
egocentric, engrossed with their own blessing, but world-centric, the
center from which blessing will radiate to all the other nations of the
earth.
But all
this will not be forced on an unwilling and antagonistic nation, out of
harmony with God’s plans, and opposed to His purpose. Before He blesses
them in fact He engages their faith. He not only foretold their fate, but
predicted their petitions. For thousands of years before the millennium,
the wandering Jew has inquired concerning their coming bliss in the day of
Jehovah. The believing remnant emptied out the longing of their hearts
before Him, and prayed, “How long, O Lord!” In fact the years of
prayer have been much longer than the era of blessing. It may be that this
prolonged preparation may do more for Israel to prepare them for their
final function in God’s universal purpose than the much desired
millennium itself. Prediction does not dispense with prayer, it draws it
out. Moreover, it helps to mould it to conform with God’s heart.
God does
not need to wait until we pray before He replies. This is shown clearly in
another passage concerning Israel’s future. This accords fully with the
fact that we already know many details of that glorious day. Prayer can
neither hinder nor help the fulfillment of the most minute item of these
numerous predictions. Neither can it change a single one in the least
particular. This is farther elucidated for us by the fact that, ere
they are calling, while they are still speaking, Jehovah is answering
and hearkening (Isa.65:24). The days of Jehovah’s people will be as the
days of the tree of life, and the work of their hands will not wear out.
Their efforts will not be futile, as they seemed to be in the past. Then
there will be peace—real peace—not only among men, but even among the
wild beasts. The lioness and the wolf will live with the animals upon
which they had preyed in the past. Evil and ruin will no longer have the
place it now has in the human race.
I once had
a startling experience as a very young believer which impressed me
powerfully, and opened my heart to the truth we are considering. I was
much burdened about my relatives, most of whom were unsaved. Some were
skeptical and a few were downright derisive. In fact, one of them spread
the idea that I was congenitally deranged, although none of our family
suffered so, and they certainly did not consider themselves affected! My
parents plea was that, if I was bound to be “religious,” why didn’t
I join a respectable church? They did not consider the Plymouth
Brethren in this class.
We were at
relatives, eating a meal. I was praying for an opening to speak to them
about Christ. But before I could finish framing the sentence in my mind,
the most contemptuous of my opponents asked the very question which I most
desired to answer. I was quite taken aback for an instant, but, full of
thankfulness, did my best. I suppose I should add, as a sequel, that he,
or someone else, believed, but that was not the fact, and it caused me
much questioning. Now I know that all will be saved, and I have no doubt
that my words will be used by God to that end eventually.
THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION
Perhaps
the most important example of prayer for us in this administration is the
petition for a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Paul prayed that we
should have it, and God puts this desire into the hearts of those of His
saints to whom He wishes to reveal Himself through a knowledge of the
secrets which underlie the present administration (Eph.1:17). These are
all clearly set forth in Paul’s epistles, yet have been so smothered by
tradition that very few of the saints have more than an inkling that there
are some inexplicable “mysteries” which may be revealed to us in
heaven. And this is quite right, if we are not graciously given the spirit
of revelation in order to apprehend them beforehand.
First God,
awakens in us a wish to know what these mysteries conceal. When
this wish is directed to Him it becomes a prayer, even though it be too
vague for utterance. The spirit of revelation is the spirit of God which
reveals Him and which inspired Paul to record the revelation of the
various secrets of which the truth for the present is largely composed,
for these unfold the fullest and highest revelation of the Deity. The
spirit that is imparted to us, in order that we should understand it, is
that same spirit that wrote the record. It is a special installment of
that life-giving spirit which all the saints possess in limited measure as
an earnest. It will reveal these things to all when they are vivified. Now
it is the portion of those who are led to ask for it, in order to know God
fully.
This prayer
it was, more than any other, that led to the study of The Divine
Mysteries which afterward appeared in pamphlet and book form. Along
with the light came a deep conviction that all was of God, not of us. So
that we look upon the revelation of the spirit to us as a manifestation of
God’s grace, just as the written revelation is an unfolding of the
exceeding riches of His favor to those of the nations who believe. They
deserve the opposite, yet this makes them the best means for displaying
the overwhelming wealth of His grace and love.
GOD WILLS AND WORKS AND PRAYS IN US
The
prayer of God carries His will into effect. Not only has Jehovah foretold
His will for the future, and predicted the prayers which precede its
execution, but, in this administration especially, God is carrying out
what delights Him through His saints, and is preparing for it by putting
His prayers into their hearts. He not only operates in them to work
according to His pleasure, but prepares for this day by implanting in them
the will to do it, and the prayer which precedes its
accomplishment. In the course of our meditations we will consider many
different patterns for prayer, yet all will agree in this, that they have
their origin in God and are the operation of His spirit in humanity
(Phil.2:13-18).
The works
of God, when performed by His creatures, are always due to the energy
provided by His will, and preceded by the prayer of God. Usually this is
so obscure, so hidden in the subconscious mind, that it does not reach the
realm of consciousness, so cannot be known or understood. But, in the
saint of the present era this should be clear to all, for it is the
privilege of maturity to be consciously controlled by His spirit, and
cooperate intelligently in His affairs. May it be the precious portion of
all who read these lines to realize in their experience the high honor and
happiness of praying the prayer of God!
A. E. Knoch
