A prayerless life can never be a God-guided life

PRAYERLESSNESS - Bible Insight
by empy


We have a prayer answering God and if we do not pray then He will not interfere in our lives. what happens if a believer does not commit his or her life to prayer.

a) Purpose of a believer’s life is not fulfilled.

Let us now turn to the Scripture and see why the Lord chose His disciples.

Jn.15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…that what ever you ask of the Father in my name, He may give to you.”

This is a very familiar verse from Scripture. The grammatical meaning of this verse is simple and straight forward. But very few believers have understood the meaning of this verse and fewer indeed have put this verse in to practice.

Our Lord was telling the disciples His purpose in choosing them. Fruit bearing clearly is the purpose expressed in this verse. Every disciple of Christ is expected to have consistency in fruit bearing. As all of us know fruit bearing is an automatic thing when it comes to a tree. Given sufficient water, manure and sun light, a tree bears fruits automatically. Likewise, a believer who feeds himself on the Word of God regularly and weeds his life of the works of the flesh (I Pt.2:1-2), fruit bearing for the Lord will become an automatic thing for the believer.

But according to this verse, fruit bearing is not an end in itself. It leads to some thing else. Let us look at the verse once again. The verse continues, “…that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give to you.”

A fruit bearing believer has to be an asker. Fruit bearing person has to ask and receive fro the father. The fruit bearing believer is promised ‘what ever you ask in my name’.

The verse may be summarized in the following way:

Chosen and appointed (i) to bear fruit, (ii) to continue in fruit bearing, and (iii) to ask and to receive what ever asked for!

When this truth was brought home to me first, it really looked unbelievable. Can it be that God has chosen and appointed us that whatever we ask in the name of the Son of God be given to us? Yes, indeed, the Scripture says, we are chosen and appointed to ask and to receive.

It is true that conditions are to be met if prayers are to be answered. Life has to be fruit bearing, there should be consistency in fruit bearing and of course, asking has to be in the name of the Son of God. If these conditions are met, God does the answering part of it.

In other words we have to order our lives in such a way and ask in such a way that answers must come to us. This indeed is God’s purpose for every believer. So if we do not ask and receive answers, it is that God’s purpose for our lives is not achieved.

A car is bought for going around. If it does not run, it will become a real head-ache to the one who bought it. Like wise a believer, chosen and appointed to ask and receive, if asking and receiving are not done, such a believer becomes the greatest head-ache for heaven. May that not be true of you and me.

Let us arise and order our lives to produce fruits for the master consistently and let us pray in such a way that heaven will answer us. Then and only then will our life purpose will ever be achieved. May the Lord give us grace for His glory. Amen.

If we do not pray…

b) We sin against God

If we are chosen and appointed to ask and receive, prayerlessness means failing in our duty. And the Bible describes prayerlessness as sin.

Many think sin means breaking one of the ten commandments. Sure, breaking commandments is sin. But we usually do not find such sins in the lives of believers.

There may be some believer some where living in blatant sins. Every one knows that they are living away from God. They lose their God-given joy. They become guilty. We know punishment awaits them. We must remember that there is no provision for forgiveness for willful sins. For any willful sin the Bible only offers firey judgment
(Num. 15:30,31; Heb.l0:26,27). New Testament teaches that when a believer is judged, he is not condemned with the world (I Cor.ll:32). Whether a believer or non believer, if a person is found in willful sin he or she is liable for punishment.

I Cor.5:5 tells us that a believer who is found in the sins of the flesh is given over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Any sin is a barrier between God and man (Is.58:2).

To day many a believer is found in another type of sin. Sin of prayerlessness (ISam.12:23). I Sam. 12 says that God will not forsake His people. That is God’s plan for His people. But God only carries out His plan in response to the prayer of God’s people. What ever God wants to do in this world He reveals them to His servants the prophets (Am.3:7; Gen.18:17). And the man of God who knows the will of God must pray that it will come true.

Scripture is full of examples of this truth. See how the plagues came in Egypt. God will tell Moses what He was planning to do. Then Moses will declare it to the people God’s will. Then Moses will ask God to bring it about. Again and again we see it in the Scripture.

Truth of the Scripture is very simple. If God’s promises must come true, God’s people must pray. God will not do any thing spiritual in the world except in answer to the prayers of God’s people. So, if people of God do not pray in the will of God, we are hindering or blocking the work of God. Is there a bigger sin than that?

Look into the scripture and see how many commands God has given to believers about prayer. 1 The. 5:17; Col.4:2; Lk.18:1 &c. They are all imperatives. They are not optional. May we learn that prayerlessness is disobedience and therefore punishable sin.

Let us now set apart time to spend time in the presence of the Lord. Let us pray and release the mighty hands of God which is waiting to do wonderful things in response to our prayers. May His Name be glorified. Amen.

If we do not pray…

c) God’s perfect will cannot be accomplished on earth

We have seen several reasons from the Scripture as to why we should pray. There is no room for prayerlessness in the lives of God’s people. A believer who does not have regular prayer habits is not merely useless for God’s kingdom, but the greatest hindrance to God’s work on earth.

I am not strong enough to write these words. My heart beats faster. I cannot bear my burden. “Lord, Jesus I am helpless, Help me I pray. Amen.”

God of the universe has a good and a perfect plan for this universe and for every individual born here. God wants every one to enjoy life in its fullness and be found in His perfect will. But the devil is against this perfect will of God to be accomplished in human lives.

Therefore Satan induces man to go against God and against His perfect plan. Man being fooled by the lies of the Evil One sins against God for temporary gains and pleasures.

Any man who commits sin has to bear the punishment for the same. This is God’s righteous law (Eze.18:14; Rom.6:23). But God has no delight in the death of the sinner (Eze.18:23,32). Death of a sinner is not the perfect will of God. It is the permitted will of God. God permits it with tears. God permits it because there is no other way around. But that surely is not his perfect will. He is not willing that any should perish (ITim.2:4).

If the perfect will of God is to be achieved, there is no other way than the prayers of God’s people. God is not willing that our neighbors and our country men go to eternal hell fire. But if they do not repent and call upon Him they will surely end up there without a doubt. If this should not take place we should be willing to stand in the gap and become intercessors for our nations. “Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them” (Ps.106:23).

“And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none” (Eze.22:30). If you and I who are God’s people do not stand in the gap millions in our land will end up in Eternal hell fire and no one is responsible for this than those of us who know the Lord. God continues in His sorrow that His perfect will is not achieved. He punishes the unrepentant sinner in sorrow.

If God’s perfect will has to be accomplished on earth, God’s people have to pray. There is no other way. Look at Rom.15:31 where Paul says, “…strive with me in prayer…” that the will of God may be accomplished in my life.

God’s righteousness demands the death of a sinner. But God’s grace is flowing through the child of God to whom God has shown mercy through Christ. The same love of God and grace of God which began to flow through Calvary continues its course through us into the world. The grace of God in us is that which prompts us to pray for the world. To day if we are prompted to pray, we should set aside every work and we should sit at His feet. If we separate time and place and begin to pray regularly we will begin to see this grace flowing through us to others around us. If many a believer responds to the inner call of God and begin the ministry of intercession we will begin to see God’s perfect will accomplished in the lives of many around us. That is why our Lord taught His disciples to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt.6:10).

May we respond to the inner call of God and may we bring glory to His Holy name. Amen.

You are His Beloved - By Sis Stella Dhinakaran

See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
(Isaiah 49:16)

Beloved! In this fast and uncertain world even parents fail to show love and care for their begotten children. But the Lord loves you very much because you are precious to Him. The Loving Lord says, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:15, 16).

The Bible speaks about Ruth, a Moabitess woman who lost her husband at a very young age. Her mother-in-law, Naomi who was also a widow urged her to return to her father’s house and start a new life. But Ruth refused to do so and determined to cleave to Naomi to the end. She said to Naomi, “For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Both the women returned to Bethlehem where Ruth gets to glean ears of corn that were left behind by the reapers in the field of Boaz. Boaz was a rich and close relative of Naomi’s husband who came to know of the good deeds of Ruth said, "The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge" (Ruth 2:12).

The Lord did repay the good deeds of Ruth by blessing her latter end. She married Boaz and the Lord blessed them with a son. Yes, the Lord turned the bitter life of Ruth into a sweet one filled with joy and happiness.

Beloved! Give the Lord your heart and He will cleanse you and make you His own. He shall turn your bitter life into a sweet one filled with joy and happiness.



Prayer:


Loving Heavenly Father,

I thank You for the promise that You will never forget me and that I am always on Your mind. Father, draw me close to You and strengthen me. Teach and help me to do good to others at all times. Take away the bitterness in my life and fill me with joy and happiness. When there is no way for me in life, You are the One Who makes a way for me in life and let me see good days henceforth. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

What we learn about God and Christian Living from the life of Moses

The life of Moses reveals much about the character and attributes of God, there are many valuable lessons we as Christians can learn. The Bible was not given just so we could have a history lesson, but to instruct us.


1Co 10:11 Now these things befell them by way of a figure [as an example and warning to us]; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction, we in whose days the ages have reached their climax (their consummation and concluding period). (Amplified Bible)


In Exodus we see many of the attributes of God as He deals with His elect people Israel and brings judgement on those that abuse them. We shall look at just at one.


The Omnipotent God.


omnipotent [om nípp?t?nt] adjective


all-powerful: possessing complete, unlimited, or universal power and authority


In the book of Exodus we see the power of Yahweh God. The opening of the Red Sea reveals His power over the elements. The plagues of frogs, and locust reveal His power over nature. The water from the rock reveals His creative power. The Egyptians had many gods that the trusted in and worshipped, but God showed that He was the all-powerful God. Pharaoh’s magicians were able to duplicate some of the plagues but were able to reverse them. Once God had decreed that Israel would be free no power on earth could stop it happening.



Lessons from the life of Moses.


We see in the life of Moses that God was more important to Him than the riches of Egypt, and he would rather suffer in the desert, and know he was right with God than live a life of ease in Egypt.



Moses though a Jew was raised in Egypt as a prince, and unknown to pharaoh’s daughter the servant she took to raise Moses, after finding him as a baby in the river, was no other than his mother. From Pharaoh’s daughter he learned the ways and customs of the Egyptians, but it was from his mother he would learn his true roots. No doubt she told him about Yahweh God and how that he was an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham.


Moses could have decided to live in the comfort of Egypt. Some scholars say that Moses could have become pharaoh. However, he decided to worship the only true God and serve him.


Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;


To be a Christian we must be willing to forsake the comfort and ungodliness of this world, and follow him. When Moses made is decision he went from being a friend of pharaoh to an enemy. He went from comfort to suffering.


Hebrews 11: 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;


Sufferings, persecution, trials, are the norm of the Christian life, sadly these truth are not being taught in the modern church. Today the Christians are being promised financial prosperity, life of comfort, and ease. Jesus taught the opposite.


John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.


Matthew 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.


Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.


We do not see easy believism in the life of Moses; Jesus did not teach it, and it will not be the experience in the life of a true Christian today.


A life of humility


The greatest lesson we can learn from Moses life is his humility. The Bible says he was the most humble man on the earth.


Num 12:3 Now the man Moses was very meek (gentle, kind, and humble) or above all the men on the face of the earth. (Amplified Bible)


The situation surrounding the above statement is quite interesting. There was a challenge to his leadership.


Numbers 12:1And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.


Miriam an Aaron was angry with the woman that he had married. To make it worse the challenge came from his family. Miriam was his sister and Aaron was his brother. This must have been a painful time in Moses life. They criticised his choice of a wife and accused him of not being the spokesman of God.


Num 12:1 - And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses,.... Miriam is first mentioned, because she was first in the transgression, and so was only punished; Aaron was drawn into the sin by her, and he acknowledged his fault, and was forgiven: it must be a great trial to Moses, not only to be spoken against by the people, as he often was, but by his near relations, and these gracious persons, and concerned with him in leading and guiding the people through the wilderness, Mic_6:4,


Moses did not need to defend himself; he just left it to God. God did vindicate him and punished Miriam for her sin (Num 12:10), and Aaron repented (Num 12:11). Moses did not need to fight for Himself because he was in the will of God. Throughout this whole incident Moses showed true humility, even to extent of praying for Miriam (Num 12:13)


There is a valuable lesson that we can learn here. When we are criticised by others even a fellow Christians, instead of defending ourselves, leave it to God and continue to walk in obedience, and like Moses we should pray for those that Speak against us.


Luke 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.