Order in Worship and Service--Part 11

The dictionary defines prayer as a devout petition to, or any form of spiritual communion with, God or an object of worship. In Hebrew, the word “prayer” means to entreat, to make earnest and fervent prayer, which ascends like incense before God. In the Greek, since the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, prayer is addressed to God the Father, in the name of God the Son, and by the abiding Holy Spirit.

Prayer is a major doctrine (a particular principle) of Christianity. Christianity is alone when it comes to involvement of the Divine Trinity. True prayer is in the Spirit, by the agency of Jesus Christ, and to God the Father: “for through Him we both [Jews and Gentiles] have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18 NASB). According to Scripture, true prayer is in the Holy Spirit: “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:26, 27 NASB).

Prayer is also a major principle of religion. Buddhism is a major religion of the world that originated in India. It later spread to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and other parts of Southeast Asia. Islam as set forth in the Koran is the religion of the Muslims. It teaches that Allah is the only God and Muhammad is his prophet. They boast of one billion members who pray five times a day, and they are saved by human effort.

Prayer is a doctrine of heathenism. Regardless of how low its forms, heathens offer up supplication and petitions—to whom? The heathen, like religionists who cannot pray, assume the attitude of prayer. Therefore, everything in the sinner is sinful, even his prayer. He reverses God’s established order. He thinks God exists for him instead of his existing for God.

Christians cannot have too low an estimate of bastardized prayer. The Scriptures are clear on what bastardized prayer is. No practicing homosexual can pray because he is not a Christian. According to Romans 1:24-32, homosexuals and lesbians are given over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, degrading passions, and depraved minds. Scripture goes further to say, “…they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (v. 32 NASB). If this is not enough for those who embrace bastardized prayer, “bastardized churches” receive homosexuals as members and even ordain some to “their” ministry. I Corinthians 6:9-11 drives a nail in their casket: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you [not such are some of you]; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” (NASB).

The heathen view of prayer is recorded in I Kings 18:28-29—“So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. And it came about when midday was past, that they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention” (NASB).

False religion does not like to be disturbed. The principles of this world are in direct opposition to the things of God. Therefore, no true Christian can follow both at the same time. In Ahab, Elijah, Obadiah, and Jezebel, a fourfold type of human society is displayed. They represent the speculator, the far-seeing prophet, the Godly servant, and the cruel persecutor. A bad king employed a good person who feared the Lord greatly. Like Joseph, Obadiah reached his place in society by the straight lines of integrity. While Elijah was breathing in the holy atmosphere of Jehovah’s presence, Obadiah was breathing the polluted atmosphere of wicked Ahab’s court. How many professing Christians are in Obadiah’s position, laboring with corrupt men to avert civil and social ruin? One thing the laymen must never forget is that the world system is passing away. When Elijah and Obadiah met, the prophet told the servant of the King to tell Ahab that Elijah was there.

When Elijah and Ahab met, the King said, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” (I Kings 18:17 NASB). The man of God is an intruder on the peace and order of the world system. Eight hundred and fifty false prophets opposed Elijah, but he feared God too much to fear the false prophets. Baal’s altar and Jehovah’s altar cannot stand side by side. There are altars, and there is the true altar. Anyone can build an altar, but God alone can provide the flame. Anyone can proclaim a moral idea, but the Lord alone can give a holy disposition. Only God can bring fire to the cold and lifeless altar of man’s heart.

The heathen view of prayer, like their view of sacrifice, proceeds on the notion of subjecting God’s determination to man’s desire. Both alike are intended to work on the Divine mind so as to change it into accordance with that of the worshipper. God’s will can never bend to man’s will. God never says, “I will if you will.” There can be but one Sovereign.

Since this lesson is focused on prayer before the death of Christ, one may wonder why the study does not begin with the book of Genesis. The verb “prayed” is used only once there: “And Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children” (Gen. 20:17 NASB). The statement “I pray thee” (KJV) or “Please say” (NASB) is used as a request several times in Genesis.

The book of Job is believed to be the most ancient known to mankind. The patriarch acted as high priest in his family, which was not allowed after the Exodus. Job is a historic character proved by the fact that his name is connected with Noah and Daniel in Ezekiel. The prophet spoke of the word of the Lord that came to him saying, “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it, and cut off from it both man beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves, declares the LORD GOD….even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live, declares the LORD GOD, they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness” (Ezek. 14:13, 14, 20 NASB).

The Book of Job shows how remarkably full were the theological knowledge and intellectual culture of the patriarchal age. Job in Uz was like Joseph in Egypt. The message of the book is the mystery of suffering. His conquest of adversity was achieved by what he retained in the midst of all his losses.

Job’s suffering was corrective. One must remember that Job lived before any part of the Bible was written. Therefore, he could not be expected to have as clear a view of God’s character as persons who have the completed Scriptures. However, the vast amount of knowledge the patriarch possessed must not be underestimated. Job’s deep-seated self-righteousness had to be brought to the surface (Job 29-39).

Job’s confession at the conclusion of the book proves that he had learned a valuable lesson. He designated himself as “vile” and called attention to his vileness, “Behold.” This was a manifestation of grace because people try to conceal the miserable rottenness of their lives. The patriarch took the blame for his vileness: “I am vile.” He did not attribute it to his original depravity as something he could not help. He did not attribute it to his circumstances or his social condition in the land of Uz.

The patriarch was not meant to know the explanation of his sufferings. Had God explained the reason, He would have destroyed the very purpose for which Job’s suffering was designed. The Divine purpose was to bring Job to the point where he rested in God Himself apart from explanation. God proved to the world His power of grace.

As to Job’s prayer life, “his prayer was pure” (Job 16:17). He was exhorted to pray to God (Job 22:27). Elihu said Job would pray to God (Job 33:26). God said, “My servant Job will pray for you [the three friends of the patriarch]” (Job 42:8 NASB). Without any inspired Scripture, Job was better informed than most people today with the completed Scripture.

Job 19:23-29 has been called “The Testament of Job”—“O that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! That with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever! And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me. If you say, How shall we persecute him? And What pretext for a case against him can we find? Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves, For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, So that you may know there is judgment” (NASB). This famous passage is far from the only one that gives evidence to the patriarch’s faith and relationship to the God of all grace, but it is his testimony that has bound inscription not on a rock but in God’s sacred Scriptures enrolled in heaven forever.

Job possessed assuring knowledge: “I know.” The converting object of faith is Jesus Christ, God manifested in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:1-4). Job saw Christ in His preincarnate state. Faith is evidence, not a conjecture (opinion without evidence). Faith is personal—“My Redeemer lives.” Such faith gives composure in the midst of confusion. He had a true friend in the midst of cruel friends. He had a living relationship in the midst of a dying family. Furthermore, he had absolute certainty in the midst of uncertain affairs.

Since Job could say, “I know that my Redeemer lives” before life and immortality were brought to light by the gospel (II Tim. 1:10), saints today could never speak less positively. God’s law has been Divinely satisfied on behalf of those for whom Christ died. The redeemed have secured for them an eternal inheritance in Christ’s kingdom.

Job’s faith looked beyond the work of Christ’s first advent: “…And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me” (Job 19:25-27 NASB).