The Bible’s School Of Prayer

[shortlady]

The Bible’s School Of Prayer
READ: Habakkuk 1:1-4

I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. —Job 7:11


To call God and us unequal partners is a laughable understatement. And yet by inviting us to do kingdom work on earth, God has indeed set up a kind of odd-couple alliance. God delegates work to human beings so that we do history together, so to speak. Clearly, the partnership has one dominant partner—something like an alliance between Microsoft and a high school programmer.

We know well what happens when human beings form unequal alliances: the dominant partner tends to throw his weight around and the subordinate mostly keeps quiet. But God, who has no reason to be threatened by us, invites a steady and honest flow of communication.

I sometimes wonder why God places such a high value on honesty in our prayers, even to the extent of enduring unjust outbursts. I am startled to see how many biblical prayers seem ill-tempered. Jeremiah griped about unfairness (20:7-10); Habakkuk accused God of deafness (1:2); Job conceded, “What profit do we have if we pray to Him?” (21:15). The Bible teaches us to pray with blistering honesty.

God wants us to come to Him with our complaints. If we march through life pretending to smile while inside we bleed, we dishonor the relationship. — Philip Yancey

Give Him each perplexing problem,
All your needs to Him make known;
Bring to Him your daily burdens—
Never carry them alone! —Adams

The best thermometer of your spiritual temperature is the intensity of your prayer. —Spurgeon

 

[Boanerges]

No use in trying to hide anything from Him!
God wants us to go much deeper than the surface and surrender even those places in our hearts that remain hidden, sometimes even from ourselves. He is after our hearts and His gaze penetrates the surface to see even the intents behind our thoughts. Yes my friend He wants it all but He offers us a chance to grow past the complaining. It is only when we learn to rejoice and give thanks during our darkest night that we can truly begin to understand how He works all things for our good.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Though many do share their frustration with Him He has given us another course and that is to learn how to abide in His joy. It is in this place of joy that Paul and Silas worshipped God as they lay freshly beaten in a prison cell. It was indeed during that time of pray that they saw God move miraculously on their behalf.
1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.