Prayer, God and the Christian

Prayer, God and the Christian

“The function of prayer is not to influence God, 

but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”  

Søren Kierkegaard

Payer is where we show our need of God. Where we show our faith. What we call the Lords prayer is really what some call the disciples prayer. It is a good example of how we should pray. It states.

“ ‘Our Father in heaven, 

hallowed be your name, 

your kingdom come, your will be done 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us today our daily bread. 

Forgive us our debts, 

as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from the evil one.’  

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, 

your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  

But if you do not forgive men their sins, 

your Father will not forgive your sins. 

Matthew 6:9-15

1/ The prayer starts by acknowledging our Heavenly Father the creator of the Universe.
    It acknowledges the holiness of God.
2/ It makes it clear that the one praying wants God’s will to be done on earth as in       heaven. Without conditions, even if we don’t like it.
This was something Jesus acknowledge prior to his crucifixion. Jesus said,

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; 

yet not my will, 

but yours be done.”  

                                                                        Luke 22:42.
3/ The prayer asks God to give us “our daily bread”. Our physical needs for that day.
4/ Then the prayer states,

“Forgive us our debts, 

as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Notice it asks God to forgive our debts “as we have forgiven our debtors”
Jesus elaborates on this saying,

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, 

your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  

But if you do not forgive men their sins, 

your Father will not forgive your sins.”

                                                                                            Matthew 6:14,15.
5/ The prayer asks God to

“And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from the evil one.”

In all it is a prayer telling God we love and praise Him. Asking Him to forgive us of our sin. While at the same time telling God we sincerely need Him to guide, protect us and provide for us.
Sadly too many calling themselves Christians when they pray don’t acknowledge their need for God. They pray amiss. The majority of the prayer is asking God for things they don’t need. They ask God to do what they want they treat God like a servant.
Harry Emerson Fosdick said,

“God is not a cosmic bellboy 

for whom we can press a button to get things done.” 

James the half brother of Christ states,
“You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.  
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?  
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:2-10.
As Christians that last line is important,
“Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Please take time today to take stock of how you pray and how you treat God. Do you treat him as Harry Fosdick said “a cosmic bellboy” or do you bow humbly before him and say to him as Jesus did,

“not my will but yours be done”

Please think about it.

God and the Christian

God and the Christian
Lenny Bruce said,
“Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God. Really.” Lenny Bruce, "Religions Inc."
What Bruce said, is not entirely incorrect. I as a Christian of now over four decades have seen many churches and those calling themselves Christians here in North America walk slowly away from God. It has been slow and gradual. So slow those it’s happening too have not noticed it.
Many have turned from the true purpose of the Church. The real reason Jesus came into the world.
For many calling themselves Christians church has become a social club. Or a group that protests against abortion clinics, gay rights and anything else they disagree with. This is not what God intended. Such things turn people away from Jesus, away from God.
Jesus speaking of Himself said,

“For God so loved the world

 that he gave his one and only Son,

 that whoever believes in him shall not perish 

but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world

 to condemn the world, 

but to save the world through him.” 

John 3:16,17.

Jesus speaking to His disciples and through them to us said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.   Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
This is the prime directive of the church to make disciple of all nations and teaching them all Jesus taught us.
Jesus made things clear about our attitudes toward other people when He said,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, 

you will be judged, 

and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 

Matthew 7:1,2.

The apostle Paul tells us,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?” 1 Corinthians 5:12.
We are not the judges of those outside our own faith. That is up to God. We are to judge those within our own faith making sure they are doing what is right according to scripture.
We are to present the good news of Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen to us and present it in a respectful and loving manner.
The other way some calling themselves Christians are falling short of doing what God wants them to do, is in doing good works.
Now don’t get me wrong THE CHURCH MUST DO GOOD WORKS. However that should be an outgrowth of our faith. We should be presenting our faith to the world in word and in deed. The apostle James said,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ?  
Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”James 2:14-26.
Christianity is not a religion as such. It is not a church building we go to once or twice a week. Christianity is a life committed to doing the work of Jesus Christ in word and in deed. It is a lifestyle that should show people the way to eternal life with God.
Francis of Assisi said,
“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” Francis of Assisi.
Question: Are you a true Christian living you life and faith in a way that is pleasing to God?
Please think about it.