Prayer becomes more effective as we mature. Doctrine of prayer part 5

/4. Effective prayer is related to spiritual adulthood.

a. Confidence and effectiveness in prayer exists when the believer has advanced to spiritual adulthood.\

 

Confidence is a virtue directed toward God. Confidence in prayer is dependent upon knowledge of God’s will. Therefore, effectiveness of prayer must relate to cognizance of the will of God.

 

1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.

 

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

 

1 John 5:15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

 

/ “And if we know” - “In fact, when we know” [“if” used again without the subjunctive mood making it an exceptional pronoun]\

 

This is really a prayer promise for the believer who has reached spiritual adulthood.

 

The first stage of spiritual adulthood is spiritual self esteem. It is here that the believer finally breaches the love barrier. That is, love for God, personal love for God in the mental attitude.

 

With love for God comes confidence in God and the veracity of His word. Therefore prayer begins to become much more effective.

 

/b. Confidence in prayer starts at the point of spiritual self-esteem, and continues with maximum effectiveness in spiritual autonomy and reaches its peak in spiritual maturity, HEB 4:16\

 

HEB 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

 

HEB 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

 

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.

 

For the believer in spiritual childhood, ineffective prayer is related to arrogance and ignorance, our two greatest enemies.

 

 

 

Ignorance of the will of God, inability to execute the plan of God by following the mandates, failure to rebound, failure to believe that God will fulfil the request, guilt over failures, bitterness in the heart, lack of tranquillity in the heart and the home, all other mental attitude sins, and lack of humility all contribute to an ineffective prayer life for the immature believer.

 

These failures are corrected by a proper amount of time plugging with the word of God, which leads us to the next aspect of effective prayer.

 

ROM 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

 

ROM 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

 

ROM 12:11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

 

ROM 12:12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

 

ROM 12:13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

 

In these commands there is a lack of MAS and execution of the PPOG. This begins at SSE where there is confidence.

 

/ “rejoicing in hope” - “having inner happiness in confident expectation of the future.” This is the confidence in escrow blessings both for time and eternity.\

 

This confidence begins at SSE, the first stage of spiritual adulthood and increases all the way to SM.

 

1 John 3:21 Beloved [RFOG], if our heart does not condemn us [we are not hypocrites in context], we have confidence before God;

 

/Confidence face to face with God is the believer’s social life with God. We call it spiritual life but in reality it is our social life with God, our worship of God.\

 

All true confidence is toward God, not toward man. Confidence can only exist between a person and God because confidence demands two parties, not one. The only way we can have confidence is to link up with someone we can depend on, and that someone is God.

 

1 John 3:22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

 

/Executing God’s commandments and doing what pleases Him means residing in the plan of God. This produces the virtue of confidence in God which is vital to effective prayer.\

 

Executing God’s commands and doing what is pleasing in His sight also means that the believer must not fail to rebound. God at no time is looking for sinless perfection, yet He does command us at all times, that is why we must rebound and it too must be habitual.

 

/c. Prayer cannot be effective unless the believer has harmonious rapport with God, Ps 66:18.\

 

Ps 66:16 Come and hear, all who fear God,

And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.

 

Ps 66:17 I cried to Him with my mouth,

And He was extolled with my tongue.

 

Ps 66:18 If I regard wickedness in my heart,

The Lord will not hear;

 

Ps 66:19 But certainly God has heard;

He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.

 

Ps 66:20 Blessed be God,

Who has not turned away my prayer,

Nor His lovingkindness from me.

 

 

 

Go to:

Ps 116:1 I love the Lord, because He hears

My voice and my supplications.

 

Ps 116:2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,

Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

 

Ps 116:3 The cords of death encompassed me,

And the terrors of Sheol [the grave] came upon me;

I found distress and sorrow.

 

Ps 116:4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord:

"O Lord, I beseech Thee, save [deliver] my life!"

 

[skip down to:]

Ps 116:12 What shall I render to the Lord

For all His benefits toward me?

 

Ps 116:13 I shall lift up the cup of salvation,

And call upon the name of the Lord.

 

/Harmonious rapport with God is akin to fellowship with God through fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Only the mature believer has consistent fellowship with Christ.\

 

John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.

 

/ “abide” aorist active imperative of meno [meno] = to abide, to remain, to not depart. This is consistent residence in the plan of God for your life.\

 

The part of the definition which is to not depart is telling that this is more than momentary fellowship or very sparse times of fellowship which is the lifestyle of the immature believer. This word means to remain in the plan of God and not leave. While no one ever resides or abides in the plan of God without leaving the meaning here is much like our meaning to the term “without ceasing,” it is consistent and habitual but not totally permanent.

 

/The mature believer sins like the immature believer, however the mature believer rebounds quickly without guilt or condemnation and is alert to stop the trend of chain sinning by circulating doctrine in his heart again. \

 

/5. Effective prayer can begin in spiritual childhood through the use of the faith rest drill.\

 

The faith rest drill is the problem solving device of the baby believer. This in no way implies that the mature believer no longer uses it; in fact he uses it more and more effectively. To the baby believer it is the most advanced problem solving device.

 

The new or baby believer is taught to rebound. Since rebound is momentary and simplistic, through its effects are supernatural, the new believer possesses the first two PSD’s immediately.

 

However, some doctrine is needed for the faith rest drill.

 

/PSD #1: Rebound [1Jn 1:9 - confess all known sins to God the Father]. PSD #2: Filling of the HS [a direct result of rebound since the soul is cleansed.\

 

/PSD #3: Faith Rest Drill:

a. claim a promise

b. apply a doctrinal rationale

c. faith execution and rest\

 

/Claim a promise: Ps 56:11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? Ps 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For Thou alone, O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety. \

 

/Apply a doctrinal rationale: A fortiori rationale - if God would do the greatest for me by becoming a man and dying on my behalf then God will do the lesser, deliver me in my adversity.\

 

/Faith execution: the rationale strengthens my faith and I claim the promise in confidence. Rest: I share the happiness and tranquility of God.\

 

When a new or baby believer has learned enough promises and doctrine to complete the FRD he can have an effective prayer life, though not near as effective as what it will be when he matures.

 

The principle is:

/Pray habitually no matter what stage of spiritual growth you are at. Don’t wait for maturity to habitually pray.\

 

/Matt 21:22

"And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." \

 

/Mark 11:24

"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you. \

 

/Phil 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. \

 

Anxiety or worry is a clear indication of a lack of faith in the work of God. Baby believers have anxiety, worry, and fear frequently; however with rebound and the FRD those mental attitude sins can be quenched allowing them to approach the throne of grace boldly.

 

Naturally the problem of ignorance of the will, purpose, and plan of God is still an issue, as is the lacking virtue of confidence. This is why the believer’s prayer life becomes more effective as they mature, even though they continue to use rebound and the FRD.