What happens when I pray?

"The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended." Psalm 72:20

Now there's an odd verse.

King David was dying, and Psalm 72 is his prayer for his son Solomon the new king. As the author recorded the final prayer of the great king he or she concluded the psalm by stating that David's prayers "are ended", and so they were, from an earthly vantage point.

But that doesn't mean they were gone.

If we go to the Book of Revelation chapter 5 the scene is set in heaven. Around the throne of God we find "...golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." (vs.8) Then, in chapter 8:3-4 we read,

"And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel." [Revelation 8:3-4 ESV]

Did you see that? "...the prayers of ALL the saints...rose before God..."

Here's the thing: if you are a child of God, your prayers don't go away once they "are ended". They linger before the Lord long after you have quit praying. I am convinced that many spiritual successes we see are the fulfillment of prayers long forgotten by men.

For instance:

• An old man bows before the Lord in repentance, and the prayer of his long dead mother is answered.
• A mission work suddenly begins to blossom, fulfilling the vision and prayers of missionaries who died long ago.
• A church flourishes with evangelism and discipleship, bearing fruit from the seeds of prayer sown by a pastor and congregation decades before.

How can this be? Acts 10 gives us a little window into the way prayer works. In this passage a man named Cornelius has been praying and an angel appears to him telling him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God."

That's right, God memorializes our prayers. So keep praying even if it seems that there is no answer. There is an entire side of this thing that you and I cannot see. It turns out that God keeps our prayers, and they are continually before him.

Keep praying, my friends. Keep praying!

The Secret Life of Successful Christians: Part 6 - Replacing Worry with Trust

The Secret Life

of Successful Christians

Introduction:

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." -Matthew 6:1

In chapter 6 of Matthew, Jesus is giving us practical instruction on Christian living. Specifically, He causes us to focus on our motives. Whom, exactly, are we trying to please? It is entirely possible, it seems, to spend a lifetime doing "righteous" things and yet, not be right with God. Jesus tells us to "beware" of the temptation to live for the applause of people. He further tells us, that if that is our motivation, we forfeit any heavenly reward.

PART 6: Replacing Worry with Trust

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. [Mat 6:25-34 ESV]

The Context: Money

Money is the context of this passage about worry. Whether in a modern American setting or in Judea 2000 years ago, worry about finances seems to be a constant of the human condition. Fear of poverty can drive people to do many things. Such as:

1.                   Neglect the ones they love in pursuit of money.

2.                   Neglect the things of God in pursuit of money.

3.                   Behave stingily toward charity.

4.                   Fail to meet today's needs because they are hoarding “for a rainy day”.

Jesus states very bluntly, “You cannot serve God and money.”

Three specific things Jesus tells us not to worry about.

Jesus lists specifically what he does not want us to worry about.

1.                  Life. The word Jesus uses here is the Greek word “psyche” and it refers to the human soul.  He tells us (as believers) not to worry about our life, for it is an eternal thing. Your body may waste away with sickness, but your soul never will. He is telling us not to fret about things like position or purpose. Only in eternity will we know why he guided our steps as he did, and the impact our lives have had.

2.                  Eat and Drink. If God is able to feed the birds who do not even have a concept of tomorrow, can't he feed us also?

3.                  Clothing. If God clothes the grass of the field with flowers, can't he clothe us?

Our Pursuit: The Kingdom of God

He tells us to seek first His kingdom and leave the rest to Him. Now the practical question is this: “What does my pursuit of his kingdom look like?”

1.                  How do I spend my time?

2.                  How do I spend my money?

3.                  What are my priorities in life?

4.                  What are my instincts when I am faced with a crisis?

“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” [Phl 4:5-6 ESV]

To go to the next series "The Public Lives of Successful Christians" click HERE.