| On the right lines - priorities in prayer |
April 2006 index|
I begin this new series on biblical priorities in prayer knowing I have a huge amount to learn in this area. My hope is that we may learn from the Bible to pray in line with God’s plans and thus be more effective in his mission. |
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Andy Lines General Secretary of Crosslinks
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Much of my thinking comes from one of the most helpful books I have ever read: ‘A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers’ by DA Carson. In it Carson argues that knowing God is the greatest need in the West today: “When it comes to knowing God, we are a culture of the spiritually stunted. So much of our religion is packaged to address our felt needs . . . God simply becomes the Great Being who . . . meets our needs and fulfils our aspirations. We think rather little of what he is like, what he expects of us, what he seeks in us.” This is an attitude that is naturally reflected in our prayer life and so: “Just as God’s Word must reform our theology, our ethics, and our practices, so also must it reform our praying” * What lesson can we draw from scripture? Paul writes to the Thessalonians “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love that every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4) We Christians in the West are largely ungrateful, not wishing to acknowledge our dependence on anyone. Carson says “what we mostly give thanks for betrays what we most highly value.” So when prevailed upon to give thanks, what are we usually thankful for? Mainly material blessings: our health, possessions, families, food, safety etc. Certainly, most of us have been mightily blessed in all these things. Paul however thanks God for the Thessalonians’ growing faith, increasing love and perseverance in persecutions and trials. These are the marks of the Gospel bearing fruit in their lives; the evidence of Christian growth and becoming more and more like Jesus. When we pray for other Christians, whether in our church or further afield, let us give thanks for these examples of God’s work in their lives, praying that they would exhibit them more and more. *
DA Carson ‘A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from
Paul and His Prayers’ (IVP 1994; ISBN 0-85110-976-4). |
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