We’ve been talking about finding joy in our praying. In the last blog, Hebrews 12:1-2 served up good food for thought concerning prayer. We learned that seeing Jesus more plainly is the intent of our praying, as well as the means by which we become encouraged to pray. Jesus, as faith’s author, has provided us faith and promises to complete our faith. We come to Him in prayer by faith, believing His promises and provision. In Jesus we have access to God, which is ours by faith.
Romans 5:1-2 tells us:
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
In our sinful, Christ-less condition, we were enemies of God. But now we are now reconciled to Him and have peace with Him because of the justification He provides us (justification means declared or imputed righteousness). In Christ, we have been given righteousness because Jesus has paid our debt that we owed because of sin. The righteous standing Christ purchased and provides gives us access to God. It is a throne of grace, wherein we have more grace awaiting us in our times of need. Hebrews 4:16 reads:
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
So, Jesus has provided the faith to see Him as He is and believe what He has done and be declared righteous in God’s sight. Those who have been granted this faith have been given access to God through prayer. What a blessed thought! And yet we struggle to find motivation to pray. We are called to “draw near” to God. We are invited to Him in our time of need. Why do we hestitate?
In the last blog, we also saw that entangling, encumbering sin blinds our vision, so that seeing Jesus as He is and believing what He has done becomes difficult. Unbelief settles in and prayer becomes burdensome or forgotten. We are prone, in that condition, to stay far away from Him. Keeping our eyes glued to Jesus becomes, then, the key to battling unbelief, sin, and the temptation to not pray. Seeing Him becomes the reason we run to Him when we are entangled in sin. We must be earnest in our efforts in subjecting ourselves to the truth about Jesus, and asking Him for clearer vision and faith, in order to avoid the pitfalls of prayerlessness. When you don’t feel like praying, that is the time to pray. But it is also the time to do a bit of inventory. Where have your thoughts been of late? What is dominating your time and claiming your affections? Are you involved in intentional, deliberate, on-going sin? Now, let’s be careful at this point. Our goal is not to become sin inspectors (or as Matt Chandler says, “navel gazers”). The point is not so much about sin, but what is stealing vision and affection for Christ. Remember, we are running a race. One that is set before us. One that Christ has already won and given us the path to follow, a race that leads to greater faith in Him, love for Him, delight in Him. This is a race we want to stay in and run well. Sin entangles us, ensnares us, encumbers us. It lies to us about everything. It tells us that sin is better than Jesus. We must resist sin that steals our desire to pray. But how? Again, by fixing our eyes on who Jesus is and what He has done and running to Him by faith to receive more grace to run the race well. Running to Him, seeing Him, asking of Him, seeking more of Him, trusting His promises, and obeying Him—that’s how we run the race well!
But let’s go deeper with these thoughts. Colossians 3 gives us insights that are profoundly helpful. In this chapter, we will see a continuous stream of thought from the apostle Paul regarding our position in Christ, battling sin, and living in accordance with our relationship to Christ and others. There is much here that helps us in our praying.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)
Looking at these verses gives us several points to ponder concerning prayer.
Since believers have been raised with Christ (having died to sin and its power to damn us), Paul urges us (literally commands us) to set our thoughts on things where Christ is seated. Paul is interested in getting our minds where they do not naturally go. He knows we are naturally and perpetually drawn to the material world without reference to its God-intended purposes. Our unaided mind’s eyes do not see the glorious nature of God. Instead, we see physical reality as the only reality. We need lenses through which to view all things correctly, that all things find their beginning, intention, and consummation in God Himself. So, Paul admonishes us to set our thoughts and minds on Christ and the things above and away from those things that drag our attention and, thus, our affections away from Christ. Let’s be careful here though. Paul does not mean that physical matter is inherently evil and thus to be avoided, as some have believed. Rather, he means that in order for us to properly view physical reality we must see with spiritual eyes, enlightened to the purposes for God’s good creation. Paul elaborates in another place, telling us:
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (1Timothy 4:1-5)
It has always been the propensity of man to either reject matter as evil to be avoided, or to indulge with little or no restraint in the pleasures of it. Paul helps us see that God created everything good and thus it is not to be rejected. But to avoid the other error (indulging without restraint), Paul adds that receiving all of God’s creation as good requires an acknowledgement of Him as its Creator and a thankfulness to Him for it, and that we understand the intentions He has for creation and seek to enjoy it within those intentions. How is this done? Paul says, “for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” What does this mean? To be made “holy” means to be made suitable in accordance with its intention. God has an intention for all of His creation and the use thereof by us. How is it made holy in this way? By the word of God and prayer. In other words, God has given us His creation for enjoyment to the degree that we are thankful toward Him for its creation, and use the creation in accordance with His intention, which we know by means of His word, and which we confirm to God in prayer.
So, Paul’s first point in Colossians 3 is that as we approach God, we do so having first set our minds (our thinking) on things above, where Christ is seated, rather on things on the earth. Such an approach avoids the error of seeing the natural world as the source and end of all pursuits and pleasures, but rather establishes a view that all things are bound up in Christ, through whom all tangible pleasures have their source, and to whom all things point.
How does this affect our praying? How does it bring about joy? We are called into a relationship with our Creator, Redeemer Jesus, whom we believe because He authored our faith. His grace made us to be seated with Him in heaven, where one day we will be with Him in our bodies forever. It is there that we have fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Fix your eyes on Him. See Him, savor Him, and trust Him. Enjoy His creation as it reminds you of all that He is as Creator and Redeemer. Thank Him! Think of the immensity of all that He has created. Then acknowledge He created it all for His good pleasure and for yours as well. Enjoy His creation on His terms. Don’t worship it; worship Him. See in yourself the temptation to worship His creation rather than Him. Confess it. Are there areas of particular struggle in this area? Do you worship the good creation of food? Sex? Rest? Other people? Confess these to Christ. He’s already paid for them on the cross. Regularly use the beauty, pleasure, enjoyments of creation to remind you of its Creator. Remind yourself that the benefits of creation are a small, but significant taste of the delights of the Creator. Long for more of Him. Call out to Him for more faith to believe and then enjoy what He provides.
In the next blog, we will continue in Colossians 3, looking for more morsels of good food for our praying delight!