July 28, 2013
The Miracle Prayer
The two-thousand member mega-church was filled to overflowing one Sunday morning. The preacher was ready to start the sermon when three men dressed in long, black coats and black hats entered through the rear of the church.
Two of the men walked down the middle isle while the other stayed at the back. They all reached under their coats and pulled out machine guns.
The one man in the middle, obviously the leader, said loudly, “Everyone willing to take a bullet for Jesus stay in your seats.
Naturally, the pews emptied, followed by the choir. The deacons ran out the door followed by the choir director and the assistant pastor.
After a few moments, they were about twenty people sitting in the church. The preacher was holding steady in the pulpit.
Then the men put their weapons away and matter-of-factly said to the minister, “All right pastor, the hypocrites are gone now. You may begin the service.”
By this point in the travels and experiences on the mission trip by Jesus and the disciples, hypocrites were pretty much out of the picture. Yet, we see another clue in Luke 11:1 through 13 that a disciple became curious about prayer while observing the Master during His prayer time. So, this unnamed disciple outright asked, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.
There must have been something remarkable about Messiah’s prayer, otherwise His words would have been considered normal, and something different must have been taught by John the Baptist that was remembered, or was a part of his reputation that Jesus’ disciples wanted to know. No doubt, there was suspicion that certain magical words or phrases were needed to enlist God’s favor, so this disciple posed the question.
It’s not important to identify this unnamed disciple, yet this person must have been one of the 70 since this group is certainly referred to in Luke. The Twelve didn’t seem to be all that anxious to give credit to anyone in this larger collection, plus there was posturing within the inner circle for position and notoriety. You would think that politics would have been put aside in the presence of Immanuel, but disciples just didn’t seem to keep their human desires at bay.
Still, Jesus didn’t seem to mind the question and began giving them specific words to use. The complete prayer is not recorded here as it is in Matthew 6. Was the incident in Matthew the same as this one in Luke? Apparently not since this account is the result of a disciple asking for information and Matthew’s account is before a crowd. In Luke there is an emphasis on a relationship with God as friend, and we find a more important point, that God does care about how you treat your neighbor, or so it would seem if there is no edit point between verses four and five. Yet my suspicion is that the way verse four ends and five begins, continuity may have been lost when information in the original script did not make it to the translators. This makes the passage fascinating and curious. The Teacher switches from a prayer relationship with God to one of friendship and what it means, as if to equate God to a friend. Such a quick subject change is either missing original content, which may have been similar to Matthew’s account, or an intentional description of how our relationships with each other affects our relationship with God, even to the point of making our prayers effective or not.
Just before the change, Yeshua gave the recorded and final words to the ideal prayer, “And do not bring us to the time of trial.” What kind trial is he referring to? Apparently, this trial is what happens in our lives when we attempt to live on our own understanding and apart from the Holy Spirit. The story then launches into a supposition intended for us to place ourselves in that situation with God taking the place of “friend.”
In paraphrased form, here is the story. Suppose you have a friend and you knock on his door at midnight, which is an obvious inconvenience. You say, “Lend me a loaf of bread for sandwiches because another friend has showed up and he’s hungry.” The guy at the door says, “Seriously?! It’s midnight, dude! We’re in bed—all of us. You should have gone to the store when it’s open. Forget it!” He slams the door.
Another knock on the door and your friend is again standing there is his robe looking at you with tired eyes and messed-up hair. Now you beg, “His car broke down and he walked three-hours to my place and he’s hungry. I thought you were my friend,” you say to lay a guilt trip on him.
“I am your friend, but you’re pushing it, buddy!” he says, “All right, stay here and I’ll get the bread.”
You know it was persistence that resulted in the bread you needed.
Now the Master equates the story to God, who doesn’t behave like the tired, sleepy friend. Jesus, talking about God, said, “Ask and it will be given you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
What a different attitude! This friend is not inconvenienced or upset that you woke him in the middle of the night, but willing to open the door to the good or answer you search for, even a solution to any problem. Remember that in the Scriptures, bread equals truth.
Now Yeshua establishes understanding using another relationship parents recognize. He said, “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg will give a scorpion?” This phrase not only shows the honesty in God’s relationship with us but promises that evil will not be given after a request for good. It also shows that God does not trick us or cause harm. Snakes and scorpions were and still are known as agents of pain or death.
Then verse 13 refines the answer with the understanding of what love causes a mortal person to do, even an evil one, in comparison with what the Giver of Love will do, which is much greater than human understanding. It reads, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Can it be that this verse is relaying that the gift of all gifts is the Holy Spirit, and that this wonderful gift is promised when you communicate with God? What does the Holy Spirit do in your life that enhances your relationship with God and humanity? If we pray in confidence that our heavenly Father desires that we have the best, and His best is the Holy Spirit in our lives, then this gift must be something spectacular. This gift means power, in that we now pray in power and with an advocate to the Father. This power brings joy, not because we put others down, but rather we lift them up to a level of understanding and wisdom for all to live in peace. This Holy Spirit gift never boosts our ego or status with people, but with God, who is the only one who really counts. We can now live in humility with each other, allowing God to elevate us to the level of love where He wants us to be.
This Holy Spirit power is not some strange display of sound or loss of control, but rather love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness wisdom, and self control, of which there is no law. (Galatians 5:22 and 23) Now, we together confess the faith with joy, lifting the church with renewed intent and passion to be of service.
We rarely think of life as it would be apart from the Holy Spirit. The reverse of the list in Galatians is hate, despair, strife, impatience, unkind acts, ignorance and loss of self control. Yes, there are laws against these things, both God’s and man’s law. Yet, our world has come to reject the gifts of the Holy Spirit because Christianity has so confused the meaning that the world has opted for the negative and claiming that we don’t know what we are talking about. Yet when we compare the negative list with common behaviors in the world today, we see that without the fruits of the Spirit, we are all in big trouble. And what a negative world thinks of as “justice” is all selfish, wanting what they want, and wanting it now, which is no justice at all. The definition of “evil” in the ancient Hebrew, and as is found in Genesis, applies to the result of this rejection of the Holy Spirit’s gifts and fruits; that definition is “nothingness,” which describes life apart from God.
What an amazing gift we receive when we pray. This ultimate Gift is literally everything, while being without this gift equals a very hollow and chaotic life.
Yes, there IS a code of conduct associated with the Holy Spirit, and with this new Code in each of our lives, we in humanity find a smooth track to relationships and love that is God’s will.
These words sound like some form of utopia, where the whole world can sing in perfect harmony, get along with each other, abolish war and even disagreements, and it sounds impossible. Such a world is impossible aside from God. There is no attempt by God and certainly no teaching by Messiah that we must all be of one race, color, political leaning or nationality. Individuality is a part of God’s plan for us. However, unity in understanding and living the fruits of the Spirit is what all of us, regardless of earthly opinions or birthright, can follow.
Normally, teaching on the Holy Spirit begins with references from Acts where we get a glimpse of how we treat each other when humanity is unified in prayer. Acts 1:14 reads, “…these all were continuing together in prayer with one soul with the women and with Maryam, Mother of Yeshua, and with his brothers.” Don’t ignore the importance of the women in this passage. Moving to Acts 2:1 we see, “And when the days of Pentecost were fulfilled, as all of them were assembled together...” which means the 50-days after Jesus departure they found the nerve to come together to plan their futures in service. These references in Acts describe unity, togetherness in purpose and conduct toward each other, just as the Master had ask them to do.
With the previous three-years of Yeshua’s ministry fresh on their minds, and having seen the plan carried out before their eyes, the Holy Spirit came to empower each one for their individual missions, equipping them with the tools needed to complete their assigned task in the locations each was to serve. This is where they remembered how Messiah assigned them, two-by-two, in teaching and service in homes and continue the education process. And now, that they knew the Holy Spirit’s role in their lives, plus how to pray for the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, empowerment was no problem at all.
Unless these people went to homes that were wrapped in evil, the disciples and apostles now filled with the Holy Spirit brought those fruits and gifts to be duplicated in these receptive hearts. Talk about world-changing teaching!
But what has happened to us, the so-called faithful, who are charged with doing what the apostles did from the meeting 50-days after His departure in the clouds? Would you agree that we have gone our separate ways, found phrases or interpretations we like then call others to separate and follow us instead of God? What has happened to our prayers, now that we seem to pray selfishly instead of calling for the Holy Spirit to save our broken world by changing our spirits? Why do we need to be elevated by some sort of spiritual rank, when the Holy Spirit will assign us according to the Will of God and for His purpose?
We repeat the Lord’s Prayer but rarely think of the instructions and intentions spelled out in Luke, that the purpose of those words is to change our lives so we can live out the gifts of the Spirit. Is life better when we change from the negative and opposite gifts from the enemy to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, wisdom, and self control? Do you want others in your work, social and church world to live by the Spirit instead of selfishly? And, what would happen if denominations and church-type organizations steeped in control would actually turn to the Holy Spirit and live as God intended?
Is there one in that list of gifts of the Holy Spirit that reeks of religion? Listen carefully for a hint of religion in this list; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, wisdom, and self control. Now, which of those traits or fruits call for another denomination or disunity among the faithful? And, which of the fruits do we not understand?
We in humanity have truly gone our own way, turning away from the very way of life that results in success in every category. Our nations have turned from God, as have our families and individuals, while history records our greatest successes when we live in His will. It is evil when those successes are denied through revisionist history.
So, we have the prayer to pray and know the intent of the prayer, and the greatest gift that is the result. We know how to spread the word by example and instructions from Messiah so that others can and will live in harmony with us. So, what is the advantage in denying God? Where is the benefit of living out of the Holy Spirit’s guidance? How far can we advance as a society or nation when we live outside of truth?
Some will say they don’t believe because they can’t see, touch, feel, hear or taste God. Ask those of they can feel love, or joy, or peace; how about kindness or wisdom or even self-control. Now, ask those same people if they can consistently live the list of fruits of the Spirit without power to do so.
Can you think of more important words than the Lord’s Prayer and the result? With this prayer, more people could stay in the pews of the mega-church where hypocrite-members bailed.
Within that amazing prayer are the words, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Remember that “bread” represents “truth”. To live in the Spirit’s control we all need a daily dose of truth, or reminder of God’s Word. Literal bread satisfies our stomachs, spiritual bread, or truth, satisfies mankind’s need to live in love.
Now, if you know the Lord’s Prayer, repeat the words with the understanding you have just heard.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.
©2013, J. Tilton
