Sunday: A Cosmic Struggle
Compare Revelation 12:7-9, Ephesians 6:12, and 2 Corinthians 10:4. How do these passages influence our understanding of intercessory prayer?
The Bible lifts the veil between the seen and the unseen world. There is a struggle between good and evil, between the forces of righteousness and the forces of darkness, between Christ and Satan. In this cosmic conflict, God respects human freedom.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
He will never manipulate the will or coerce the conscience. He sends His Holy Spirit to convict men and women of divine truth (John 16:7-8). Heavenly angels enter the battle to influence people for eternity (Heb. 1:14). God also arranges providential events in people’s lives to lead them to Him.
What God will not do is coerce the conscience. Force is contrary to the kingdom of God. Coercion is alien to the principle of love, which is the foundation of His government. Here is where prayer is so significant. Although God is doing everything He can to reach people before we pray, our prayers unleash the mighty power of God. He respects our freedom of choice in praying for another, and He can do more, in the light of the controversy between good and evil, when we pray than if we did not.
Consider this statement carefully, “It is a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask”. — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 525. In the great controversy between good and evil, prayer makes a difference. When we pray for someone who does not know Christ, it opens channels of divine blessing to flow into their lives. God honors our choice to pray for them and works even more powerfully in their behalf.
In dealing with the subject of intercessory prayer, we should humbly acknowledge that we do not understand God’s workings fully, but this should not keep us from continually entering into the blessings prayer offers for ourselves and for others.
| Why do you think God works more powerfully when we pray than when we neglect prayer? Even if we don’t fully understand how it all works, why should the Bible admonition to pray for others impel us to do just that? |
(30)
While the battle between good and evil is cosmic in scale, the bit that concerns us the most is the battle for our minds that occurs in our very presence. When I think of intercessory prayer for others, I think, particularly of my own children and grandchildren. They are the "others" closest to me where I see that battle being played particularly while they are growing up. I think too of my own parents while I was growing up. My father would kneel at his bedside at 4:45am to pray for us kids before he went off to start milking the dairy herd at 5:00am. Mum would do the same before starting the daily task of getting us ready for school.
I know that we can differ on our views about how prayer affects others and I don't want to get drawn into a discussion on that. Suffice it to say that if you are praying in this cosmic battle for and about those who you love then that changes the way you deal with those people. It is my belief that praying intercessory prayers for others opens the way for God to work through you to help and encourage others. And that is really the bit of the battle that involves us.
In this spiritual warfare according to Paul there are only 3 things we need to do:
1) put on the full armor of God
2) stand (and watch God win)
3) pray (am I doing my part?)
For the battle is the LORD's
2Chron 20:15, 1Sam 17:47
Thanks Shirley, I love how you put the 3 things we need to do and for #2 stand and watch God win, I never thought of it that way. I so enjoy hearing other's thoughts on God's word and learning from others perspectives. It transforms my own limited thinking, which I think prayer does as well. Prayer has the power to completely change my attitude for the day, even in a moment. When I do not feel like praying, that is often when I need prayer the most. It changes me daily and helps me to see the Fathers love for me and others.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise......2 Pet 3:9
A Cosmic Struggle
To the natural human eyes, the battle appears as if we are fighting a physical fight. To the spiritual eye, the battle is a spiritual one- good v/s evil. This spiritual battle began in Heaven, then came to earth. In the garden of Eden when humans disobeyed God it was a spiritual battle- good against evil, evil won. Jesus came and lived and died, he won the spiritual battle so all can have the power over evil. Many humans starting from Genesis to Revelation have been victorious in this struggle, while some allowed evil to rule them. As I see it, the battle is between Jesus( the creator and Lord) and Satan( a created angel) who rebelled against his Creator. We humans find ourselves in the middle of the conflict.
We now have to choose which side we want to be on, which master do we want to rule over us. But we are told in Eph 6:10-20 about this battle and what we need to do to be victorious. We are also given the Holy Spirit and our own angels to help us and guide us every moment of the day. They are with us to guide us 24/7 in all our decisions to do that which is right and good. As stated before but the never force or us into doing anything we don't want to do. Satan and his angels forces human to be disobedient.
I encourage all to be on the winning side.
We cannot fully understand everything that is happening around us. The ultimate fight is unseen, it's a fight against evil and good and it's invisible! That's why we should continue to wish protection to those around us. In doing so, we close a circle of stronghold in love, which no darkness can beat. Praying for each other can do much more than we can think of! Let us practice such a simple and mental device, with even scientific proofs!
"In this cosmic conflict, God respects human freedom. He will never manipulate the will or coerce the conscience. God also arranges providential events in people’s lives to lead them to Him."
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12
I have always considered prayer to be a force for spiritual warfare. It is the unseen, but most powerful weapon which moves behind the scenes of our natural, material and spiritual life to effect all life. Without it, we are left to our own devises. I believe/think that ANYTHING taking form in thought or deed, is exposed to the spiritual forces at work in our world - for good or ill.
'Prayers of the righteous availeth much' - James5:16 . Prayers and prayerful thoughts make all the difference in our life! Jesus admonishes us to love God with all our being and love our fellow man like we want to be loved; and in this same way does He want us to pray - whole-heartedly! With our prayer, we invite Heaven to come down to earth - asking to come to our defense or to clear the way for GOD'S Will to be done. If we can request an army of angels, why would we not want heaven to sent all the heavenly forces needed to come to our aid?
One of the very telling examples of the powers released through prayer is found in 2Chron.7:14 - Though this verse describes the spiritual relationship between God and Israel, I still believe that He will heal 'nations' if the ones that are called by His name turn to Him and pray - will it depend on the numbers! We also have seen this Mercy available to Sodom and Gomorrah.
The healing starts whith us turning to our Heavenly Father requesting His intervention. This will bring about spiritual healing in the believer's heart, mind and soul first because we will turn from our wicked ways. Then, it can become visible in the personal and organizational structures of society.
We, the US, is being engaged by the forces of the prince of the darkness of this world right now; we need to take a stand for the forces of good to prevail! Prayer stands on the frontlines of the battles directed against the forces of darkness!
Matt.6:21 - God gives us the desires of our heart; and were our 'treasure' is, there will our heart be also. I believe that America's experiment, to form for its citizens an administrative environment in which everyone is considered equal in God's eyes and offered opportunities and freedom to pursue individually defined happiness, is at the threshold of being transformed into a nation where everyone will be treated 'equal' as defined in man's eyes! Let us ask God to help us avoid this, I pray!!
Moral and ethical self-government/disciplin should be at the heart of the believer's efforts to be a good citizen. We find the 'beam' in our eyes first before we try to remove it from the eye of the neighbor. The less the individual practices self-restrain, the more governmental powers are needed to restrain the 'liberated' citizen engaging in self-serving acts.
Phil.4:4-8 What are we to do? Be anxious for nothing!
v.8: Whatsoever things are true, are honest(venerable), are just, are pure, are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think (and engage in those) things.
Bridgette, I agree with you that the battle going on right now in the USA is the literal part of the cosmic battle going on all around us all the time. The battle is Freedom vs Anarchy. It is hard to say how this particular battle will go but it is comforting to know that God is ultimately in charge and His will, will prevail in the end. Even so, Come Lord Jesus.
Jim - thanks for your comment! I have been wrestling for a while now about the status of the Church; its spiritual and civic mandate. For too long, Christian's have become 'invisible/absent' as participants on the 'marketplace of ideas'!
'Prayer', if only seen as a separate event and not as a 'state of being' regarding our daily involvement, will cause us to not 'sense' the righteousness of God through the Holy Spirit stirring our hearts when being confronted by unrighteousness; it will promote a sense of detachment from the 'world's affairs'. Jesus did not hide God's Light under a bush, He placed Himself and His Message in the middle of the marketplace - therefore, I hold strongly that 'prayer' needs to be understood as a state of being!
Matt.25:14-30 - showes clearly that we are given a mandate to be the custodians of our Lord's 'goods'. (18)But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth:lo, there thou hast that is thine. (29)For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
The talents represent more than our physical/material or personality attributes - it is our FAITH! The breadths and depth of our faith will determin the effectiveness of our committment as custodians of our Lord's 'goods'.
At all times are our thoughts and deeds exposed to the Righteousness of Christ in us, and through Him to God's righteousness - they are the same! Jesus came in His Father's name!
If we neglect to understand that we are now accountable in our spirit to live unto God's righteousness - to be its Salt and Light - we will conduct ourselves 'care-less', acting detached from the effect our conduct has or could have on the civic life of our Nation or the persons God has brought into our life.
We are God's Salt and Light to the world, there is no way around it. We either are or we are not - it is a matter of the effectiveness of our applied faith! Matt.5:13
I agree. I am quite disappointed in our church hierarchy. They should be standing up for religious liberty but they are standing back and watching on the hillside like a herd of sheep.
In answer to the Question,
Why do you think God works more powerfully when we pray than when we neglect prayer? Even if we don’t fully understand how it all works, why should the Bible admonition to pray for others impel us to do just that?
I believe the Lord wants us to be very close to Him so as to help us stay closer to Him and very far away from sin. Since it is only in prayers that we are closer to God, He has chosen to work more powerfully when we pray to encourage us to continue in prayers.
The Bible admonition to pray for others is not that God cannot perform in the life of others without our prayers; but He wants to see that selflessness and love for others that will compel us to pray for them. When we pray for other God sees us performing the commandment to love others as we love ourselves. As we forget about ourselves and make others problem paramount the Lord does not forget about us.