ENEMIES OF PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY APRIL 24, 2021.

SUBJECT: ENEMIES OF PRAYER!

Memory verse: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me. Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4 vs 6.)

READ: Luke 6 vs 46 - 49:

6:46: “But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? 

6:47: Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 

6:48: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against the house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 

6:49: But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin on the house was great."

INTIMATION:

There are known enemies of prayer. Some of these enemies are very dear 'friends.' We have associated with them for many years, and it will be hard for us to give them up.

One of them is a desire to read about the Bible and about prayer rather than to study the Word, meditate on it, and fit ourselves for the highest known and holiest of all vocations. In my considered opinion, it is more than a vocation, it is a privilege, and the rarest of all privileges that have been given to us in grace. Reading the Bible as if you are reading a letter or newspaper will never make you get the imbedded knowledge in the Word. But when you study and meditate on the Word, the Holy Spirit will help to reveal the truth to you in the Word. And until you do, you will never have a prayer life beyond the baby experience.

Another enemy is ignorance of what "Believing" is. The word "Believe" is a verb. It is an action word -- it means to act upon the Word. Therefore, believing the Word is simply acting on it. We act upon it as we act upon the word of your government on taxes. Act on it the way you expect your children to act on your word of right morals to them. When Jesus says, "If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you," (John 15 vs 7), you simply act on the word. There is no believing without acting, and believing means having possession. You possess what the Word has promised.

For instance, here is a statement of fact: 

"Surely He has born my sicknesses and carried my pains and I have come to esteem Him as the one stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." You don’t just give a mental assent to it, rather, you act on the Word, you speak it out to yourself and others, as if you are the only person Jesus is talking to. You claim it as your word, and eat it as if you are eating your favorite meal. Declare it all the time. If you fail to speak and act on the Word, you are self-deceived.  The Believer is a "doer  of the Word and not a hearer only." 

In the passage we read today, Jesus gave a description of such persons who are doers of the Word. The doer was the one who dug deep, went down to the rock and built his house therein. The Mental Assenter built on sand.

Another enemy is praying for faith. It is a delusion to pray for faith or more faith. You can never get it. I have never heard of anyone getting more faith or having their faith increased by praying for it. Why is it so? Because the prayer for faith is a prayer based on unbelief. If unbelief were not your master, you wouldn't need faith. Praying for faith is because you are in doubt of the Father, His integrity and His Word, hence you are praying for faith to believe Him. It is an absolute proof that you will not get it, and that you are insulting the Father by doing it. 

So, when you pray for faith you are insulting the author of the Word. You don't intend to, but you are doing that. This is the same as acting on the Word and still not believing on the efficacy of the Word. For instance, when you are divinely healed, you will not confess it because you still want to wait a while to confirm it is done.

Another enemy of prayer is our dependence on other people's faith. We become unconsciously, spiritual hitchhikers. To everyone God has given a measure of faith; that faith came when you received the Father's nature. That nature is a faith nature. As soon as it came into you and you became His child, you began to develop that faith. Just as you develop your mental strength by certain mental exercises, and develop your physical strength by certain physical exercises, now you are developing your faith by feeding on the Word. (Romans 10 vs 17).

Our Father did give us a measure of faith because He knows that without it, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11 vs 6). If you have no faith you cannot please Him, even with somebody's faith posturing for you. Your faith is built up when you begin to live in the Word, you are acting on the Word, and taking advantage of your privileges in Christ.

Prayer: Abba Father, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble, because it gives light and understanding. Blot out, Oh Lord, any form of unbelief in my heart, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

I