Prayer review, Part 17: Concluding principles; John 15:16.

Title: Prayer review, Part 17: Concluding principles; John 15:16.

 

Opening prayer:

 

 

 

Point 4: Petition and desire.

 

4. Negative - Negative. The answer is no to both the petition and the desire, God doesn’t answer either.

 

a. Mt 26:36-46 is Jesus’ prayer for the possibility that the cross could be bypassed.

 

b. In 2 Cor 12:7-10 Paul prayed three times that God would remove his thorn in the flesh. This was a prayer that could not be answered.

 

The motivation was wrong and the prayer was wrong.

2 Cor 12:7 And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me —  to keep me from exalting myself!

 

2 Cor 12:8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

 

2 Cor 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

 

Then He assured me for my benefit, `My grace has been and still is sufficient for you. For My power is made complete in a state of weakness [human incapability to solve the problem; helplessness].

 

The perfect tense of lego “has said” means that Paul recalled doctrine after receiving no answer. Again, here, as in all prayer, it is for our benefit.

 

When prayer brings no answers the believer has to go to his storehouse of doctrine. It’s either that or the world system. We'll explore some of the possibilities at the end of this passage.  

 

Whatever this thorn was, it was consistently aggravating and troublesome to Paul and constantly pressed upon him by a demon angel. They knew Paul.

 

Acts 19:15

 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

 

This event occurred in Ephesus when Paul was there and where Paul wrote the Corinthian epistles.

 

2 Cor 12:10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

There is a reason for everything that happens to the believer. Paul was not out of fellowship. The prayer was not answered to teach Paul the importance of handling suffering for blessing with the problem solving devices. It is not wrong to pray for people that are sick and it is not wrong for people who are sick to pray for help, but remember that prayer is not a problem solving device.

 

Four of the results of the thorn are mentioned in verse 10, slandering (people testing), pressure (thought testing), persecutions (system testing or injustice), troubles (terrible anguish).

 

insults (slanders) - people testing

Distresses (pressure) - thought testing

Persecutions (injustice) - system testing

Difficulties (great troubles) - disaster testing

 

Whatever the function of the thorn demon, it brought Paul to a state of preventative suffering. The thing being prevented was his arrogance from his abundance of doctrine.

 

If you are positive towards doctrine the time will come when you have enough wisdom of God’s plan, which 99% of the world does not have, that in order to prevent arrogance God will allow one or all of these testings to occur. And if you recall, God always tests for positive outcomes - dokimazo.

 

Though being in fellowship, Paul offered a prayer that could not and was not answered. Prayer was the wrong solution; therefore, it was not answered.

 

Offering this prayer three times was in line with Christ’s three prayers in the Garden. The result of the repetition was a clear answer of no and that something other than bypassing the thorn had to be the answer.

 

By asking repetitively, Paul gets to the solution of the thorn and although we may want to call this a failure to apply doctrine in the end it is not since Paul arrived at a great conclusion - power is perfected in my personal helplessness.

 

The failure to apply doctrine to these kinds of testings results in apostasy by looking to the world system for solutions.

 

I used the example of prescription drugs in their illegitimate use, not the legitimate use, which is your own determination as a believer priest. Tonight I use the example of illegal drugs. Just like people want a quick fix or a way out through prayer rather than dedication to doctrine many people in the US resort to illegal drugs to handle their problems. Abuse of alcohol also falls in this category.

 

"The US is world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine. [cia.gov] "

 

As one Mexican official put it, "Mexico doesn't have a drug problem, the United States does." In reality, both countries do.

 

Some sources cite the size of the illegal drug market to be 0 billion while others go as high as 0 billion annually [less than 1% of GDP]. Highest usage is between the ages of 16 - 25 at roughly 20%. Over 26 the percentage is roughly 7%, however the over 50 category is the fastest growing - from 2.7% in 2002 to 5.8% in 2010. Heavy alcohol use is around 8% depending on the age group. [US department of Health and human services]

 

When we avoid God's solutions and go to other sources, of which there are hundreds and maybe thousands, we are substituting something for the truth and convincing ourselves that it is acceptable. This is the act of spiritual sublimation.

 

sublimation: the process of converting and expressing a primitive instinctual desire or impulse to a form that is socially or culturally acceptable. [Webster's Dictionary]

 

spiritual sublimation: the process of converting and expressing a human viewpoint mechanism to a form that is spiritually acceptable by apostate standards.

 

Sublimation takes a good bit of self-justification.

 

Closing Principles:

 

1. What the Lord does not remove He intends for us to resolve in some other way within the framework of our spiritual life through the function of the ten problem solving devices.

 

People often want you to pray for them when they are hurting, and it may be God’s means of promoting them.

 

 2.Prayer is a vehicle of assistance for the use of certain problem solving devices.

 

a. Rebound: Ps 66:18

If I regard wickedness in my heart,

The Lord will not hear;

 

b. Filling of HS: EPH 6:18

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

 

c. Faith rest: HEB 4:16

Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. Matt 21:22, “Everything you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”

 

d. Grace orientation: 1 Peter 3:7

 You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

 

e. Doctrinal orientation: James 1:5

 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

 

f. Personal sense of destiny:Phil 1:19

For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,