The Simplicity of Prayer – Convergence of Men and God’s
Answer
1 I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks, be made for all men;
The preeminence of pray is in Jesus’ witness to the
importance of praying. In Luke 18, Jesus
gives one of the most riveting examples of perseverance in prayer leaving no
question of His support of the preeminence of prayer to face a hostile world in
which God’s people need to have patient endurance.
Luke 18:1-8
1 And he spake a
parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to
faint; 2
Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither
regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she
came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And
he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear
not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will
avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust
judge saith. 7 And shall not God
avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with
them? 8 I tell you that he will
avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find
faith on the earth? (KJV)
This passage teaches us that we are disciples tasked with
waiting for deliverance. We are not good
at this.
Why does God “bear long” making us wait? Does he watch us suffer with
satisfaction? Are we only mice in a maze
for his Divine Sovereignty?
The most obvious explanation is that God is not ready to
move “the cloud.” He is preparing
circumstances in order to answer our prayers.
As creator, God placed man in a world of time, space, and matter. This creative necessity brought Self-imposed
limitations on God’s actions. This does
not make him any less sovereign, omnipotent, or omniscient. God may and can overrule these Self-imposed
limitations, we call these events miracles.
But in most recorded events in the Bible, He does not overrule with
miracles.
God willingly acts according to man’s world of limitations. Because of this, God appears to move slowly when
executing actions, because convergence of men and events must occur for Him to
accomplish His will. He moves men to the
convergence of His will according to their environment of time, space, and
matter.
An example of God overruling and suspending Self-imposed
limitations is the miracle of tongues on the Day of Pentecost. The disciples did not have time to learn the
languages needed at Pentecost. Therefore,
God miraculously gave tongues so the message would be available at that crucial
point of convergence of nations, events, and men. God’s plan for the Gospel will never be
thwarted by man’s inability and limitations.
The greatest example of God converging His will according man’s
limitations was the birth of His Son. Galatians
calls this the fullness of time.
Galatians 4:4
4 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
All the world had to be prepared through the earthly nation
of Israel. It was Israel with all of its
history, ceremony, and laws that would give the platform from which Christ
would save the world. Each event of
Christ’s birth and life had to be according to the prophecies of the Old
Testament
The Roman Empire had to be on earth to provide for the
crucifixion and unity to spread the message.
They unified a disjointed world.
They provided the law to put Christ to death. They built the Roman roads over which the great
disciples of the gospel traveled. They
provided the catalyst for Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem.
Mary had to be born and become of age so she could be overshadowed
by the Holy Spirit – God overruling limitations – and be the vessel for the
body of Christ.
The birth of Christ is one of the greatest convergences of
all the plans of God. This was done so
the message of Christ could be heard, propagated, and understood by all men.
God does everything in His own timing. Titus 1:2
Titus 1:3 (KJV 1900)
3 But hath in due times manifested his word
through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of
God our Saviour;
Nothing can thwart his will, and no one can say to him, “What
doest Thou”?
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