Paradoxes of the Bible # 14
The Paradox of Prayer
Matthew 6:5–8; Romans 8:26–27; Philippians 4:4–7;
Hebrews 4:14–16; 1 John 1:1–4.
- Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
- Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
- Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
- Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
- Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
- Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
- In Genesis we find the first humans in fellowship with their Creator. Face to face in the garden then all was lost and the direct connection was severed.
- Then followed untold millennia with only commands and attention to the details of sacrifice at the temple with priests as intermediaries. Still no personal fellowship.
- When the right time arrived, Jesus, by means of His person and work, made it possible to have a direct and personal connection with God. So personal that God the Holy Spirit actually indwelt those sons and daughters.
- We find then that God knows our needs before we ask Him while at the same time we are called to ask in any case.
- We also find that the Holy Spirit, living and abiding in each follower of Jesus, also prays for that follower with groans or words that are inexpressible. Truly incredible.
- We will ask however, why would the Creator God desire to have intimate fellowship with those who sin against Him? This drives us to the mystery of the love of God, yet we are told, “For God so loved the world.” And it is here that we find the call to prayer.
- Lovers most enjoy being able to be in close fellowship with each other, to talk at the deepest levels, to reveal all that can be revealed.
- So then, by means of prayer we have personal fellowship with our God. And this is but the beginning. At the end of the age, we will be in face to face communion once again.