Prayer Meeting 19/9/2023
Prayer Hearing God
Tonight’s teaching will draw from Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, entitled ‘The Most High, A Prayer Hearing God’.
Firstly, our prayer for tonight is from a new prayer book for us, called ‘Prayers Of The Reformers’ (published by the London Epworth press), compiled by Clyde Manschreck. Its from page 85, and by the reformer Martin Luther – it’s entitled ‘Obedience To The Command To Pray’.
Lord, Thou knowest that I do not presume to come before Thee of myself, nor on account of my worthiness. Were I to rely on my merits I could not lift up my eye unto Thee, and would not know how to begin to pray. But I come because Thou Thyself hast commanded, and Thou dost earnestly request that we should call upon Thee, and hast promised to hear us. Thou hast also sent Thy only Son, who hast taught us what we shall pray, and hast even spoken the words we shall say. Hence I know that this prayer is pleasing to Thee, however great my boldness to consider myself a child of God in Thy presence, me seems to be. I must yield to Thee, for Thou wilt have it thus. I would not accuse Thee of falsehood, and thus adding to my sin, offend Thee still more by despising the command and doubting Thy promise. Amen
-Martin Luther
Edwards’ sermon is taken from Psalm 65, Verse 2:
O you who hear prayer, to you all flesh will come.
Edwards starts by saying:
The Psalm seems to written, either as a Psalm of praise to God from some remarkable answer of prayer, in bestowment, (giving a gift), of public mercy, or else on occasion of some special faith and confidence David had that his prayer would be answered.
Regardless, I think as Edwards ends his introduction, he simply states that which is 100% true:
That it is the character of the most high God, that he is a God who hears prayer.
Edwards adds:
Though he is infinitely above all, and stands in no need of creatures, yet he is graciously pleased to take merciful notice of poor worms of the dust.
God sits on His mercy seat waiting on us to come to Him in prayer. And as we do, I think our perspective changes in the midst of those prayers. True prayer leaves ourselves and cares with God. To pray earnestly is to leave it all in His care.
Edwards gives Hannah, as an example from 1st Samuel chapter 1, where she was deeply sorrowful - to the point she could not even eat.
1 Samuel 1:9-18
So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “o Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “how long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!” But Hannah answered and said, “no, my Lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. “do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.” Then Eli answered and said, “go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of him.” And she said, “let your maidservant find favour in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
When she prayed, she left it, and indeed herself, with the Lord - and went away with peace. She didn’t leave with peace due to a result. But simply that communion with God, and leaving it in His hands, knowing He heard her was enough.
Prayer and communion with God manifests not so much in answers, but in that, ‘I’ve left it in His hands’. The peace that comes is not so much result based. But that God has heard us, and we know He has because we leave differently, we trust.
The answer was not in the yes, or the no, but in the communion where we trust His will for our lives, knowing it is good. That’s where prayer takes us.
Why would we think it would be as shallow as a request and a yes, when we are entering into a Holy realm?
I was reading John Flavel recently, and he wrote:
Oh when you go to God in any duty, take your heart aside, and say “o my soul, I am now addressing myself to the great work that ever a creature was employed about- I’m going into the solemn presence of God about business of everlasting importance.”
To enter into prayer with God, is entering into conversation at a heavenly level. It’s not comparable to that which we attain from humans. When we earnestly pray, we don’t just leave the situation in the hands of God, we leave ourselves in the hands of God.
It’s not that God said yes to Hannah. Or let me put it this way: she had no idea of what God would do. Her peace came not from the promise of the provision. But that she had a God whom she could bear her soul and leave it all to His will.
Jesus is always ready; Edwards uses Isaiah 65:24 as an example:
“It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”
And then he uses Ephesians 3:20-21:
Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Earnest prayers often give us not what we ask, but way, way more than what we never asked. Only God alone, and through our mediator Jesus Christ, knows our true heart’s desires.
Many pray to all sorts of Gods and idols who can’t decern their hearts. Many look to man to solve their heart issues and pains to no avail. Idols bring no comfort to believers. None whatsoever. They may soothe the flesh, but never ever do they satisfy the soul.
Yet enter into communion with God, and do so with an open heart, and He will comfort us in ways that are beyond human endeavour or capability.
Isn’t it astounding at times, how quickly, yet deeply the answer comes, when we seek Him in prayer? It’s an answer that our soul celebrates, it’s an answer that mostly doesn’t fix things,
isn’t it?
It’s an answer that simply leads us into a peaceful non-confrontational trust. It’s like wisdom on tap.
Again Edwards draws on scripture:
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
We walk away, just knowing what we ought to be doing. We may well have known it before we sought Him. But for sure after it, we have such clarity. Never are we more clear of our call and purpose than when we spend time, (and by that I mean ti------me) with the Lord in prayer.
It’s not that God needs to hear our prayers in order to become aware of our lives. As Edwards says:
God doesn’t gain any knowledge by information.
God knows our needs; He knows our wants. It is however His desire to commune with us, and His desire to show mercy to us. So when we enter into communion, when we pray in His name, and draw close to Him, all He is, and His love for us pours into us.
As we seek Him our hearts are purified by His holiness and His divine mercy and grace. Our thoughts change, our desires change, our worries dissipate. It’s not in the quality of our prayers, but it’s simply in the holiness and goodness of Him, that He bestows blessing, peace and wisdom.
Over the years I’ve seen prayer taught so badly, as if the lack of breakthrough, or healing, or prosperity was down to our prayers. What the heck is breakthrough anyway? Even that language is alien to what communion with God is.
The very point we, as wicked and wretched as we are, now get to come to God boldly to seek Him and commune with Him, should be astounding enough to us.
Edwards says:
This is very wonderful, when we consider the distance between God and us, and how we have provoked him by our sins, and how unworthy we are of the least gracious notice.
That provoking, that disobedience, that utter apathy towards sin and our relationship with God, caused Him to send His only glorious Son to us, who would redeem us back to this communion with Him.
Edwards says:
This mediator, Jesus Christ, has done three things to make way for the hearing of prayers:
- He has, by his blood, made adornment for sin, so that our guilt may not stand in the way.
- Christ, by his obedience has purchased the privilege. He has not only removed the obstacles to our prayers, but has merited a hearing of them.
- Christ enforces the prayers of his people by his intersession at the right hand of God in heaven. He has entered for us, into the holy of holies.
Christ continues to represent us to the Father, to God . How can He ever refuse to hear us? This is the privilege we have as believers.
I will close with Edwards’ close:
Finally, seeing we have such a prayer hearing God as we have here, let us be much employed in the duty of prayer, let us pray with all prayer and supplication: let us live prayerful lives, continuing instant in prayer, watching with all perseverance, praying always, without ceasing, earnestly and not fainting.
Amen…
…We have a prayer hearing God…
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