The Two Sides Of Prayer

The Two Sides of Prayer

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING: - Oftentimes prayer is the most neglected area in a person’s life. The lack of prayer has weakened our spiritual body and because of this we often find ourselves spiritually feeble, without strength and even the crumbling of our spiritual foundation. If we would stop and look at ourselves, we will realize that most of our trouble and problems can be traced back to the lack of prayer. We have taken prayer out of schools, and we see the decay and erosion that has taken place, school shootings are and every increasing fact today. We have taken prayer out of our judicial system, and we see the effects of that with the decisions that are made in the Supreme Court. The neglect of prayer has affected all areas of life, not just the Christian life but life in general.

So often we treat prayer as a shopping list for God to fill. However, prayer is two sided the asking and the answering, the request and the receiving. You have no doubt heard the sayings there are two sides to every coin, every story has two side, truth is there are two sides of the street and there are two sides to every question. The number 2 conveys the meaning of a union, division/separation, or the verification of facts by witnesses.

SCRIPTURE: - Luke 11:1 says, “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples” This is the ultimate question:- Lord, teach us to pray!

Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”.

PRAYER: -

The number 2 conveys the meaning of a union, division/separation, or the verification of facts by witnesses. A man and woman, though two in number, are made one in marriage Genesis 2:23 - 24. There is also a union of two (2) between Christ and the church 1 Corinthians 12. The Bible is separated into two Testaments (Old and New). His agreements with humanity are divided into Old and New Covenants. Adam, the first man, sinned and brought death and destruction into the world. Jesus, however, as the second (or last) Adam brings the hope of the resurrection and eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:21 - 22, 45 - 49). Those who ultimately refuse to repent and obey God will be put to death forever by being thrown into the lake of fire, which is called the second death Revelation 21:8. The testimony of at least 2 people was needed in the Old Testament to convict someone of a crime or sin. Two Witnesses, in the End Time, will appear on the world scene to testify and uphold the truth of God against the Beast and the False Prophet Revelation 11. Jesus sent the disciples out in groups of 2 so that they could not only testify about his teachings and miracles, but also be witnesses of those who accepted or rejected the gospel Mark 6:7 - 13.

Two can also convey comparison and contrast. The Old Covenant was based on physical blessings for obedience while the New is based on those that are spiritual. In the Old Testament, physical circumcision was required so that a person could qualify to be part of God's people, while the New requires circumcision of the heart. God formerly required obedience only to the "letter" of his laws but now calls upon man to obey their spiritual intent as well.

There are two sides to every prayer the human and the divine, man’s side and God’s side, the asking and the answering, the request and the receiving. The two aspects of prayer are contained in Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” This means, of course, that there are two persons involved in prayer the one who prays and the One who answers. It also means that prayer is conditional: the answer to prayer is conditional upon our praying. Matthew 18:19 says, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven”.

SIDE ONE IS HUMANITY’S PART: THE REQUESTING, ASKING SIDE OF PRAYER

What is humanity’s part in prayer? Is it some difficult and complicated process? Is there some formula that we have to learn? The simplest and most complete definition of the human side of prayer is contained in the three words “Call unto me”. Prayer is calling upon God, the creature calling upon the Creator, the child petitioning its father. These three words tell us three things about prayer: -