Compelling God Through Prayer - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Colossians 4:2-3,

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."

Believers are to pray. Here Paul tells us to be devoted to the activity of pursuing God in prayer. Paul gave himself to prayer on behalf of other believers, Romans 1:9-10 and Colossians 1:3, 9. In Ephesians 6:18 he tells his readers to pray, "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." Ephesians 6:18.

We see that in addition to thankfulness and gratitude, Paul's prayers included specific requests of God, asking him for the ability to do things, either for himself or in behalf of others. Here in Colossians 4:2-3 Paul asks that "God may open a door for our message", a request asking for God's involvement in his work as an apostle, a door he felt he needed in making inroads, taking the gospel to certain people.

The notion of God responding to our requests, something Jesus exhorted his followers to seek, is predicated on the realization that God may respond to our requests if we pray, when he may otherwise not act. This is why there are exhortations to do so. This realization speaks to the issue that fatalism, "what will be will be", that all things have been predetermined, is a faulty concept. If we have been exhorted to pray and ask for certain things, then thoughts about what we might want to do or see happen become very important, as those very things may be what God would like to see happen as well. God can be persuaded by our requests when he may not otherwise act.

I'm certain those things we request of God have a favorable reception by him if they are consistent with his own agenda. I can ask for a personal fortune, but God is not going to be persuaded. Just because I am persuaded on something doesn't mean God is as well. On the other hand, Paul asked God to "open a door for our message", something consistent with with God's agenda of populating his family through the gospel enterprise.

One event that is truly  remarkable in this regard was Moses' plea to God on behalf of Israel at Mt. Sinai: 

"'I have seen these people,' the Lord said to Moses, 'and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.' But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. 'Lord,' he said, 'why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.' Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." Exodus 32:9-14.

Is that a fascinating example or what?! Some may attempt to twist this account by saying God never intended to destroy Israel in the first place. They reduce this account to nothing more than God manipulating Moses to request what it was he really intended to do all along. While this may satisfy the theology of some, I'm not in the least convinced. I let the passage speak for itself and leave my theology at the door. God said what he intended to do and we are told that following Moses' plea, "the Lord relented." God was going to destroy Israel and was persuaded by Moses to not do so. From the teaching of Jesus, we know that God can be persuaded within the confines of his own righteousness and holiness. See the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8.

What things might you bring before the Lord, that you might request of him? What are those things on your heart that might become realities if you requested them of God and persuaded him? What might he be waiting to collaborate with you on? Bring your requests to God and see some things happen!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com