|
Introduction
To A Study On Prayer
During discussions in
our group study on the Book of Galatians, the question of Prayer
kept recurring. So, it was a natural progression to do an in-depth study on
this subject.
But when we started, a
whole host of questions emerged. Whom do we pray to? How do we pray? Why
pray if God is in control of everything? These were very basic and
fundamental questions. The search for their answers led us to the Old and
the New Testaments. We had unanimously decided that our study would be
based only on the Bible. In regarding the Bible as the divinely inspired
Word, we are insisting upon its truth only in its original form,
that is, in the Hebrew and Greek in which it was first written.
Within our fellowship
itself we make use of different versions of the Bible - the King James
Version, which is also known as the Authorized Version, The Revised
Standard Version, the New International Version, the Jerusalem Bible, the
Good News Bible, the Concordant Literal New Testament, etc. These various
versions were used for our comparative analysis and interpretations,
sometimes resulting in very lively and heated discussions! We accept that
there are errors in translation resulting in inaccuracies and
misinterpretations, and that a consistent version, as close to the original
languages as possible, is necessary as a standard. The Concordant
Version was accepted as this reference tool and, therefore, all
quotations in this study are from the Concordant Version unless otherwise
stated.
Our original goals were
actually to learn how to pray, what to say in prayer, etc. As our studies
developed we learned more about God, about Jesus Christ and about the
Spirit of God. We came to realise that many of our beliefs and convictions
were not biblically correct and were often against biblical teachings. We
have come to see that rituals, myths, and traditions have been allowed to
gain a stranglehold on our worship of the Almighty God. We find that our
studies have opened our eyes and led us into a better, more coherent,
understanding of the Holy Scriptures and into a fuller knowledge of God,
our Father, and of Jesus Christ, our Lord, the incarnate Word of God.
These notes have been
compiled from these many months of study (from 18th.July,1997 to 26th.
November,1999) which have enriched our lives and blessed us with much
spiritual growth. We would like to share our experience with you and we
pray that you will be likewise blessed as you go through this series of
articles.
Among the many problems
that impede a proper understanding of God's plans for creation and humanity
is one that involves our ability, or rather our lack of it, to properly
piece together the various relevant revelations which He has deemed fit to
scatter throughout Scripture. And we should have been taught through this
method from our youngest days.
Isa.28:9,10 KJV Whom shall he
teach knowledge?
and whom shall he make to
understand doctrine?
[them that are] weaned
from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts.
For precept [must be] upon
precept, precept upon precept;
line upon line, line upon line;
here a little, [and] there
a little:
At the
very outset we must establish one essential factor. To begin to see
God's plans and intentions in a clearer light, we need to grasp and keep
before our minds, at all times, that Scripture is His revelation of
Himself - of His character and integrity and of His intimate feelings.
If we lose sight of this factor, we can never hope to keep on the correct
path. We realise, of course, that a grasp of God's revelations depends not
on the natural intelligence and abilities of the searcher, but on God's
gift of a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Eph.1:16-19 … giving thanks for you, making
mention in my prayers
that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may be giving you a
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the realization of Him,
the eyes of your heart
having been enlightened,
for you to perceive
what is the expectation of His calling,
and what the riches of the
glory of the enjoyment of His allotment among the saints,
and what the transcendent
greatness of His power for us who are believing,
in accord with the
operation of the might of His strength,
Psalm 94:11 Yahweh is the One knowing
the devisings of humanity,
That they are a transitory
breath.
Isa.55:8,9 KJV For my thoughts
[are] not your thoughts,
neither [are] your ways my
ways, saith the LORD.
For [as] the heavens are
higher than the earth,
so are my ways
higher than your ways,
and my thoughts
than your thoughts.
This
spirit of wisdom concerning the things of God directs us to some essential
guidelines for the study of Scripture which, in its absence, are usually
either completely missed or deliberately ignored. (2Tim.3:16,17; 2:15;
1:13).
Our endeavour, then, to
understand Prayer in its scriptural contexts begins with the object
and focus of prayer - God - His identity, how and where He is revealed, His
character, the relationship that binds us together, the medium through
which this is done, and for what purpose.
We then progress to the
study of the One through Whom we have access to God - Jesus Christ - His
relationship to God and to us, and why and how He is the only One through
Whom we have this access to God, the Father.
Our study then moves on
to the role of holy spirit. Here we probe into the various references to
spirit in the Scriptures in order to identify where spirit refers to the
Father, to the imperceptible power of action, to the divine power as
manifested in His invisible, intangible, operations, and to metaphysical
beings.
Once the positions of
God, the Father, of Jesus Christ, His Son, and of holy spirit are
established, our study examines the way God works with humanity. We read of
God's dealings with the chosen nation of Israel,
of His relationship with the ecclesia which is the body of Christ, and of
His operations with the rest of mankind - those nations other than Israel - in
fulfilling His divine purpose. We learn that He is in absolute control and
that he will bring everything to its right and proper climax at His
appointed time.
Realising this awesome
privilege that God has blessed us with, we are at once brought to the
appropriate response - that of thanksgiving - our PRAYER - for all that he
has showered on us and will continue to throughout the future.
All references in these
notes are to and from the Word of God only, and each proposition is
supported by reference to one or more passages from within the Word of
God.
It is hoped that these
notes will lead to a greater appreciation of the need to read, with
understanding, the Word of God and of the need for a constant dialogue
between Creator and creatures, God and people, Father and sons.
April 2001
Back to:
Main
menu of articles
Proceed to:
The Scriptures: The Foundation of Study
|
