Monday, May 7, 2012

Of Kamikazes, Guns, and Atoms

If you've ever taken history, you've probably heard of Kamikazes. They were Japanese planes on suicide missions that would fly their planes across the ocean and into enemy ships. Although the pilots would be sacrificed, the ships often sank or sustained terrible damage. Damage on these multi-million dollar warships was devastating to the government and the economy. The funny thing is that the Kamikaze planes were actually very small-and yet a well placed hit would be enough to sink an entire warcraft! How small a craft is needed.

If you've ever seen action movies, you've probably heard of guns. Guns (as you should know), are weapons that can be used to save and protect or to destroy. The force of the bullet is dangerous, no matter large or small-but some bullets penetrate or explode on impact. But all you have to do to obtain that powerful force is to pull the small trigger. But once you've done that small action, lots of big things happen at once. There is a huge crack, the gun kicks back, and there is a speeding bullet launched into the air-from one little movement. How small a trigger is needed.

If you've ever taken science, you've probably heard of atoms. Atoms, some of the tiniest objects that we know of, are so tiny we can't even see them with our magnifying equipment. But these atoms are the building blocks for life-for everything. Everything you can see or touch is made out of atoms. Despite their size, if some types form a simple formation, it can be deadly. For example, sometimes carbon and oxygen form CO, the deadly carbon monoxide gas, which is odorless and invisible and can kill in minutes. Yet it only comes from several atoms bonding together. How small an atom is needed.

You may understand where I'm going now. Small things can cause big things to happen. Actually, big things are always a combination of very little things. In James 3:5, it says "How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!" And it's true. A forest fire doesn't usually begin with someone running through the woods with a flame thrower, but a group of innocent campers who forget to douse the campfire. There is a pattern of big things coming out of the little things. And that doesn't seem important, but it is.

I am currently reading "The Power of Prayer" by R.A. Torrey. He makes the point that, excepting the study of the Bible, that prayer influences our world like nothing else. He says "Your growth and mine into the likeness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be in exact proportion to the time and to the heart we put into prayer." We think we know prayer. But in essence, we don't. Prayer is somewhat more than "saying grace", or praying once a week for Grandma who's in the hospital.  It's more than kneeling down for 15 minutes every day. It's more than scrunching your face, hoping God will answer your prayers.

A little more of R.A. Torrey's book, who speaks of John Welsh, the son-in-law of famous reformer John Knox. John Welsh counted his day a waste if he did not spend at least seven or eight hours of the day in prayer. "Hold it!" You cry. "Don't tell me I have to pray for seven hours every day! I have school! I have sports! And chores! There's no way!" Yes, I agree. And Torrey makes a point of that. But what he said after that astonished me. "I do not suppose that God has called many of us, if any of us, to put seven or eight hours a day into prayer, but I am confident God has called most of us, if not every one of us, to put more time into prayer than we do now."


The only reason that a rational person would decide that prayer wasn't important enough to devote a considerable amount of time to it is a person who doesn't know what it does. It's like a person who decides they'll walk from their home in Oregon to their vacation in Florida-not because they can't afford a plane, or because they don't know about planes, not even because they haven't been in a plane, but because they have no idea that airplanes go to Florida. Let me share with you some verses on the power of prayer. Please read them carefully and digest their meanings.


And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13 ESV)

   Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, (Ephesians 3:20 ESV)

   Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5 ESV)

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:13-16 ESV)

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:21-22 ESV)

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:15 ESV)

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:22 ESV)

You do not have, because you do not ask. (James 4:2 ESV)





Prayer is beautiful, and it works with great power, if it is used well. Although there are many passages in Scripture that outline many different things for accomplished prayer, there are several main ones:

1. Ask
You do not have, because you do not ask. (James 4:2 ESV)

It seems too simple, but in truth it is such a problem. We see prayer, we like prayer, but we don't even bother! Our problem is not that we don't pray the right way, but that we don't pray at all! I'd recommend the first thing to do is to set-apart time for prayer. Not enough time? Get up an hour earlier. Drop FaceBook or phone calls or texting. Put away the video games. Don't go gossip with your friends. Prayer is so much more important than almost anything else in this world-and we have to act like it. And He will answer! What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13 ESV).

2. Ask for the Right Things

   You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:3 ESV)

As I said, the verse preceding this one presents the dilemma of most Christians: "You do not have, because you do not ask." But then it goes on to this verse, which explains why asking still won't work. You won't receive if your prayers are either for you, your own glory, your selfish ambition, your desires, your goals, your agenda, your wants, or for someone else's glory, selfish ambition, self centered desires, goals, agenda, or wants. But only things that are for God's glory, ambition, desires, and agenda. Now, if your friend is planning on going to college and needs the money, you can pray for that! As long as you are not praying for a pursuit that is against God's plans and commands.

3. Ask in Faith
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:22 ESV)
Wow! What an uplifting verse! "Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive!" And then comes the hard part. If you have faith.

It's easy-really easy, to have faith that God can answer your prayer. (Although at times, we even doubt that!) We know that nothing is out of His control. But we rarely believe that He will answer our prayers. I'd recommend searching the Scriptures for stories about God's answering the prayers and cries of His people, as well as just taking time to dwell on His loving nature. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:15 ESV)  This shows that God will answer our prayers, if they are in His agenda and we believe.

4. Follow the Righteous Way

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:21-22 ESV)

"If our heart does not condemn us..." The statement is hard to understand out of context with the short book of 1 John. 1 John's message is entirely about sin. Overcoming sin, Christ's forgiveness of our sins, and most importantly, freedom from our sins. I don't believe that it's impossible to be righteous-neither do I believe that complete perfection is attainable, or that we can eliminate all sin from our lives. But we can eliminate habitual sins from our lives. 1 John says very clearly that Christians who know of their habitual sins and continue to let them linger and gain control are not really followers of Christ! But that's another blog post. Often what is hindering our prayer lives are sin. Whether it's a sin that we know of and aren't taking care of, or perhaps one that we have hidden inside and have not yet brought to God. Whatever it is, I'd recommend doing some soul searching-sitting down with a pen and paper, and asking God to bring up all the sins to mind you can think of, writing them down and asking God to clear them out one by one. ((GIRLS: I would highly recommend Leslie Ludy's "Cleaning the Sanctuary" material available HERE: http://www.setapartgirl.com/innersanctuary_files/Cleaning-the-Sanctuary.pdf)

5. Continue to Ask
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)

If we have confidence, we can know He will answer us. Too often, however, we pray only once-or maybe twice, maybe we pray for a month, or a year, or several years, and no answer comes. However, even then it is not time to give up. We must press on, until either our prayer is answered (or not answered) or we die. We must press on.

**Sometimes things we ask for, even if they are not out of a self-centered heart, or asked many times in faith out of a pure heart, are not His will. Therefore, not every prayer may be answered. But He is faithful to assure us that if a prayer goes unanswered, it just means that He has something better planned.**

And here is the verse that just about sums all of these up:

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:13-16 ESV).


I'd recommend committing it to memory.


God bless you in this area of your life.







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