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The document discusses the topic of prayer through exploring different types and purposes of prayer. It addresses the differences between mystical and prophetic prayer, with mystical prayer focusing on internal contemplation and finding God within, while prophetic prayer sees God as transcendent and involves crying out to or communicating with God. The document also suggests that the most effective prayers involve getting to know God through his word, which can lead to a deeper relationship and more meaningful conversation between God and man through prayer.
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Prayer.3.1.25.15.publish
- 1. WHAT IS PRAYER?11/24/2015 PRAYER WORKSHOP 2015 SESSION 3 JANUARY 25, 2015 JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 1
- 2. FELLOWSHIP TIME •Gather and Greet Each Other •Write Prayer requests •Prepare for Lesson 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 2
- 3. 1. A GOOD QUESTION •The Reverend Falwell’s dilemma •Southern Baptist’s position •What is prayer? •Are all the world’s different prayers the same? •How to separate the effective from the not? 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 3
- 4. 2. A GLOBAL PHENOMENON •Prayer is at the Heart of all Religions •However, there are Atheists in foxholes •Even so, most everybody prays – Heiler •Human Instinct to pray 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 4
- 5. 3. TYPES OF PRAYER •Darwinian model – prayer is a coping mechanism •Since we have science, we don’t need God or prayer •The Greek philosophers’ internal contemplation •All part of the “Cosmic Life Force” – Jung •Isn’t that Zen Buddhism? 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 5
- 6. 4. MYSTICAL V. PROPHETIC PRAYER •Is inward Freud/Jung contemplation better? •Both mystical & prophetic have a place – Heiler •The concept of God •Mystical = Immanent; Prophetic = Transcendent 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 6
- 7. MYSTICAL V. PROPHETIC PRAYER Mystical goes within; Prophetic goes upward •Mystical: Finding God, Becoming God •Purging to become “worthy” •Prophetic: God is transcendent, IE “Other” •Prophetic – “crying out” prayer •Prophetic – “God in no man’s debt,” Augustine 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 7
- 8. •Mystical seeks “absorption”; Prophetic, “nearness” •“Absorption” = classical pantheism, “dissolve” to God •Heresy to one seeing God as “transcendent creator” 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 8 MYSTICAL V. PROPHETIC PRAYER
- 9. MYSTICAL V. PROPHETIC PRAYER •The Mystic’s end game is tranquility w/o words; •The Prophet’s, sense of difference, therefore need •Mystical prayer goes through graded steps •Prophetic prayer sees all forms as equal: • Adoration, confession, thanksgivings, petition 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 9
- 10. 5. KELLER’S “MYSTICAL PROPHETIC” •There is place for the Mystical •See Psalms 27:4, 63:1-3, & 131:2 •Jonathan: “Empty and Annihalated” 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 10
- 11. 5. KELLER’S “MYSTICAL PROPHETIC” •Contemplation OK if focus is God’s transcendence •God is transcendent yet chooses to be “accessible” •See James 4:7-8 – “Draw near to God . . .” •God grants sense of “nearness” variously 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 11
- 12. •Edwards contemplates Who God is and what He says •Hebrews 4:12 – a “two-edged sword” •Experience with God’s Word is experience with God t •Prayer is a verbal response to God Word & grace •Don’t be afraid of properly aimed mysticism 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 12 5. KELLER’S “MYSTICAL PROPHETIC”
- 13. 6. AN INSTINCT – A GIFT •Created in God’s Image. Gen. 1:26-27, •Designed to reflect and to relate to God •John Calvin’s sense of the divinitatis sensum •Romans 1:19-20 •To “reach out is fundamental” - Owen 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 13
- 14. 7. ONE ANSWER TO FALWELL •Does God hear the prayer of the Jew? •God is sovereign. He can answer anyone’s prayer if He wants to. •Edward’s comment: God’s mercy and pity •Ninevites in Jonah 3 and Ahab in 1 Kings 21 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 14
- 15. 8. PRAYER IS A RESPONSE •A personal, communicative response to the knowledge of God – Keller •Prayer altered by knowledge of God •We might “refashion God” 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 15
- 16. 8. PRAYER IS A RESPONSE •Prayer “works itself out” at two levels 1. The reaching out for help 2. The Spiritual Gift of “unclouded knowledge of God” •The Holy Spirt shows us we are God’s children •Instinctive prayer comes universally through nature •Knowing God comes through the Word’s correction 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 16
- 17. 9. CONVERSATION/ENCOUNTER •God is initiator. Man is the responder •To know Him better is to converse better •Thus, some prayers are “better” than others •Some are a mere “Bat Signal,” others, encounters 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 17
- 18. 10. THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH •Lewis discloses a Satanic trick – minimization •To avoid it, we must move forward in knowing God •The goal of prayer: sharing ourselves •Knowing God – Packer •Prayer, a continuing conversation with initiator God •If continued, it becomes an encounter 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 18
- 19. 11. LISTENING AND ANSWERING •Job, basically an extended prayer, asks questions •One is whether one can become so contented with God that circumstances don’t matter •Keller says, “Yes, through prayer” •Job ended happily – we may not – no matter 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 19
- 20. 11. LISTENING AND ANSWERING •Power in prayer comes from knowledge of God •We can’t see the Father, but we can see Jesus •Jesus is God and is the image of God •Through Jesus, we have • An earnest and familiar talking with God – Knox • An intimate conversation – Calvin •Access to the Father through Christ – Eph. 2:181/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 20
- 21. 12. JACOB’S LADDER •In Genesis 28, Jacob sees the Angels’ Ladder •He “Angel Wrestles,” winning but being changed spiritually and physically •The phone call •The “Bat Signal” 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 21
- 22. 12. JACOB’S LADDER •I didn’t want to pray. Why not? •Prayer, a conversation between friends •A relationship requiring “letting go”of control and fear •An experience with God – Word, prayer, “knowing” 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 22
- 23. 12. JACOB’S LADDER •It’s all about the relationship •Jacob wrestled with God and with himself •As he learns to Know God, he learns to love Him to the extent that his life is forever changed •Jesus says: “Behold, I stand at the door . . .” 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 23
- 24. NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT Read Murray, Chapter 6, Page 27 •Rule 1 Just start praying. •Rule 2 Prayer is a Relationship not a Review 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 24
- 25. PRAYER TIME Lord, teach me to pray. 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 25
- 26. MURRAY CHAPTER 19 JN. 14:12-14 •The Sermon on the Mount; the final address •The Church now has to do the work •It can do “even greater works” though prayer •“In My Name” the only efficacious prayer. •Accessible to every believer – “every one” 1/25/15© JOHN R. WIBLE, EDITOR 26
Editor's Notes
- Gathering time - 9:00-9:15 Study and discussion about prayer – 9:15-9:50. Time in prayer – 9:50-10:15. As we get deeper into the study, the length of times of study and doing will reverse until at the end, most of the time is actually in the doing of prayer. In fact, next week will be your turn.
- I. Fellowship Time – recording of prayer requests. II. Teaching Time – From Keller, Prayer. Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. Here throughout, most material is quoted from or suggested by Keller. For the sake of brevity, I have not set off many thoughts in quote marks. That is not to claim original ownership in the thought. There are original insertions, however and they will probably be obvious.
- The Reverend Falwell’s dilemma: In 1980, Rev. Jerry Falwell set off a firestorm of controversy when he stated: “I believe God . . . does not hear the prayers of unredeemed Gentiles of [sic – or?] Jews." The assertion endorsed the views of the Southern Baptist’s position. Rev. Dr. Bailey Smith, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, that "God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew" because only prayers offered in the name of Jesus receive God's attention. What is prayer? Are all the world’s different prayers the same? How to separate the effective from the not?
- Prayer is at the heart of all the great monotheistic religions – in fact all religions. However, there are Atheists in foxholes. Even so, most everybody prays. Heiler. Heiler says, “there seems to be a human instinct for prayer.” The some-time cynical philosopher Karl Barth calls it our “incurable God-sickness.”
- Certain Darwinian-based theorists, including the inimical Sigmund Freud state that prayer basically is a human-created coping mechanism to attempt to control the forces of nature. To hold this theory leads them to the conclusion that now since we have science, we don’t need prayer [or God for that matter] any more. Freud labels prayer then as “similar to the mentality of the . . . child, the chief trait of which is infantile magical thinking. ,” we find early man making sacrifices, sometimes grain or animal and sometimes human, to Zeus or some of the other gods. Keller notes the improvement on this theme by the Greek philosophers turning their contemplation inward seeking to bring about changes in their own consciousness or inner peace rather than changes in the circumstances. Carl Jung believed as did Eastern thinkers that humans are all part of the “cosmic life force.” Thus man should move into health and wholeness by looking inward and connecting with the [god] within himself. This is not far from Zen Buddhism.
- Both Freud and Jung saw contemplation as a more sophisticated way to pray as opposed to making petitions to a divine being. Heiler had a different idea. He saw value in both kinds of prayer – the inwardly focused “mystical” and the outwardly focused “prophetic” prayer. Keller to a great extent adopts these terms. Heiler states that these two forms of prayer different basically in their conception of God. “Mystical prayer” emphasizes God as more “immanent than transcendent.” [The two words are polar opposites. “Immanent” means, “being within the limits of possible experience or knowledge while “transcendent” means not within any limits, IE, above knowledge or experience Heiler, supra.
- Anthony Bloom, Orthodox theologian says that “the Kingdom of God is within us first of all . . . . If we cannot meet God within ourselves . . .” we won’t find Him outside us. The danger with this construct is that while looking within oneself has merit in some regards, it is not a far leap to find yourself being part of God or in a sense, a god. Roman Catholic brethren: one engages in layers of the purging of sin until pure & worthy. Prophetic prayer sees God as transcendent above us, holy, glorious and “Other.” Heiler uses this term to refer to the kinds of fervent, “crying out” prayers . . In the world-view held by the prophetic petitioner, salvation and anything good can only be granted by the “provenience and providence of the transcendent God, not as a result of any work done by the petitioner. Augustine rightly said that “no man will put God in his debt.”
- The aim, then of prophetic prayer is not “absorption into God but nearness to God.” Pantheism. Heiler clearly sees the prophetic as superior to the mystical, stating that mystical prayer, even Christian mystical prayer tends to minimize the differences between man and God until man, the “pray-er” dissolves into God. [This fits the classical definition of “pantheism” which holds that everything is a small part of God. We would all dissolve into God. .” This is heresy in Christian theology wherein God is the transcendent Creator.
- The climax of mystical prayer is tranquility without words while the climax of prophetic prayer is words of praise and a greater sense of the difference between God and man [thus the greater sense for the need for God.] Prophetic prayer sees all forms as equal: Adoration, confession, thanksgivings, petition Mystical prayer sees prayer as a stepped progression from lessor forms of prayer such as petition to the greater, in order: confession, adoration and finally wordless contemplation. The Prophetic does not recognizes in the value or degrees of kinds of prayer and sees all as having a place.
- Keller: Heiler has over-criticized the mystical in some regards. we must recognize this goal as sometimes the end of prayer Biblically, evidence some of the Psalms contemplating God’s beauty, Ps. 27:4; His glory and love, Ps. 63:1-3; His contentment, Ps. 131:2. Edwards: Once . . . [in] divine contemplation and prayer, I had a view that for me was extraordinary, of the glory of the Son of God, as Mediator between God and man, and his wonderful, great, full, pure and sweet grace and love, and meek and gentle condescension. . . . The person of Christ appeared ineffably excellent with an Excellency great enough to swallow up all thought and conception . . . which continued as near as I can judge, about an hour; which kept me the greater part of the time in a flood of tears, and weeping aloud. I felt an ardency of soul to be, what I know not otherwise how to express, emptied and annihilated; to lie in the dust, and to be full of Christ alone; to love him with a holy and pure love; to trust in him; to live upon him; to serve and follow him; and to be perfectly sanctified and made pure, with a divine and heavenly purity.
- One may at the same time go into deep contemplation and realize not as the pantheist would say that he is God, but rather that he has come near to a transcendent God who is at one and the same time, both so transcendent, yet near. All this because allows it to be so. God is transcendent, yes, but He is not inaccessible. James 4:7-8 advises, “Draw near to God and He will draws near to you.” God can grant us the sense of nearness not only in such contemplation but also, perhaps more the case, in Bible study and prophetic petitionary prayer.
- Keller summarizes Edward’s remarks as “deeply mystical and richly prophetic.” Edwards is not “going down into himself, though it would appear so, rather, he is going deep into the contemplation of Who God is and what God has said. Heb. 4:12: For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Henry Blackaby would say that an experience with the Word of God is an experience with God. Prayer is ultimately a verbal response of faith to a transcendent God’s Word and His grace, not an inward descent to discover we are one with all things and [with] God.” Don’t be afraid of appropriately aimed mysticism. Some of us are more of a mystic while other are more of a prophet. When we earnestly seek to be with God, he will find me “Just as I am.”
- Genesis 1:26-27 states that all humans are made in the “image of God.” Bearing God’s image means that we are designed to reflect and to relate to God. John Calvin wrote of the divinitatis sensum, the sense of deity that all people have embedded deeply somewhere in their hearts. Romans 1:19-20 intimates that we can look at the world and conclude that some great power created and sustains it. When we get into need or trouble, this sense is triggered. The English theologian John Owen held that the prayer-impulse is “original in the nature” and a “fundamental acknowledgement of that Divine Being.” Owen is said to be “without doubt not only the greatest theologian of the English Puritan movement but also one of the greatest European Reformed theologians of his day, and quite possibly possessed the finest theological mind that England ever produced."
- here is the answer to one of our basic questions and the one which got the Revered Falwell into so much trouble: “Does God hear the prayers of the Jew?” Jonathan answers thusly: God is sometimes pleased to answer the prayer of unbelievers [including Jews, Muslims and people who subscribe to no faith,] not because of any obligation but strictly out of his pity and sovereign mercy. In other words, God is sovereign and He can answer anyone’s prayer if He wants to. Edwards cites two Biblical examples. God hears the cries of the Ninevites in Jonah 3 and withholds judgment on the city. Further, He listens to the prayer of the “Wicked King” Ahab in 1 Kings 21:27-28.
- Keller comes the conclusion that prayer can be defined as “a personal, communicative response to the knowledge of God.” Prayer is seeking to respond to and connect with the Supreme Being and Supreme Reality. If it is true that prayer is a response to the knowledge of God, that means that “prayer is profoundly altered by the amount and accuracy of that knowledge. Logically, how could it be otherwise? Calvin observes that “we all refashion that sense of Deity to fit our own interests and desires unless through the Spirit and the Scripture our view of God is corrected and clarified.”
- If prayer is a response to the knowledge of God, it “works itself out,” says Keller, at two levels. At one level, prayer is the reaching out for help based on a need to some general and unfocused sense of “God.” It’s a vague effort to communicate. At a richer level, prayer is a spiritual gift. Through the Bible and the Holy Spirit, our understanding of God can be “unclouded.” God allows us to meet with Him and to “converse,” have a two-way dialogue. When “born again,” the Spirit comes into us and shows us that we are not just God’s subjects, but His “children.” As such, He has granted us the indescrible blessing of speaking to Him as to a Father and have a full conversation with our Father. See Galatians 4:5-6.
- God is the initiator and man is the responder. The knowledge of God governs the extent of our conversation with Him. Some prayers are “better” than others. Limited knowledge means our prayers are only “emergency flairs,” S.O.S., or a “Bat Signal.” If we know God well, then prayer is a beautiful spiritual gift of personal conversation. But then there are degrees of conversation. Most human conversation is superficial even with people we know well. In the same way, even though we are given the ability to know God, we may still have merely superficial conversations with Him.
- In That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis, through the main character, discloses one of Satan’s tricks - minimization. Let every encounter stand on its own. Today’s conversation is not tomorrow’s. Keep on knowing God all the more deeply. We learn then that the goal of prayer is not the sharing of information or ideas, but the sharing of personalities, sharing ourselves with God and him with us Editor’s comment. J. I. Packer, writes: Knowing God is a matter of personal dealing. . . . more than knowing about him; it is dealing with him as he opens up to you, and being dealt with by him. . . . Friends . . . open their hearts . . . . Knowing God is an emotional relationship, as well as intellectual and volitional. One could not be in a deep relationship . . . were not so. Keller: Prayer is continuing a conversation that God has started through his Word and his grace, which eventually becomes a full encounter with him.
- Job is basically one long, growing prayer. Job asks and answers several questions. One is, “Is it possible for a person to come to love God for who God is rather than for what He does for us to such extent that the person becomes contented with God to the point where circumstances don’t matter anymore?” Keller says, “Yes, but only through prayer.” The more Job saw the character of God through various prayers, the more he loved God. Job accepts the circumstances because he knows God is in charge. Then he is content. Job is rewarded and restored in the end – a happy ending to the story but our story may not end happily. Therein is the genius of prayer - the ending doesn’t matter – the journey does. Id. Except for his servants, sons and daughters who are all killed . . .
- The power in prayer lies not in our effort, striving or gnashing of teeth, not even in our words or technique, it lies in our knowledge of God. Can we see God? We can see Jesus, the very image of God, the God that we can see and live. It is through Jesus and through His Name that prayer becomes what John Knox called, “An earnest and familiar talking with God;” what John Calvin called “An intimate conversation. For “through Christ we have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Eph. 2:18.
- In Genesis 28, Jacob, at a place called (previously) Luz, a royal Canaanite, has a dream in which he sees the Angels going up and down a ladder from earth to Heaven. He believes this is the gate of Heaven and renames the formerly pagan place Beth-El, the House of God. In the dream, he wrestles an angel. The angel lets Jacob capture him but touches Jacob’s hip putting it permanently out of joint thus crippling Jacob probably for life. So what, I asked either God or myself, is the lesson? As I pondered a regular prayer partner called to say he couldn’t make it today. We agreed to pray separately for the needs on the prayer list. I thought, “You know, just praying through the “list” is like throwing up the ‘Bat Signal’.” Tomorrow's SS lesson is how prayer is a relationship not just a throwing up of the “Bat Signal.” As we continued to talk, I was impressed that such is generally the way I, perhaps many, perhaps most, pray.
- I didn’t really want to pray, why not? Today we learned that prayer is not a monologue, it is a dialogue, a conversation between friends. Maybe I don’t pray because I really don't want to enter into relationships with God, or with anybody else for that matter. But “why?” I submit that it really doesn't matter why. What matters is what I'm, what we’re, going to do about it. I asked my friend to pray for me that I'd overcome the fear of releasing control of my life and allowing God to run things. I realized this all was an experience with God, and it all started from His Word, led through prayer, then to “knowing
- How does this relate to Jacobs ladder? At this very place Jacob wrestles with God but also with himself. Eventually, he starts to “know” God and has a life-changing experience. Do you have a formerly pagan Beth El? God is waiting there for you. He wants to hear from you – not just the “laundry list,” but from you. Jesus says through John the Revelator, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20.
- Read Murray Chapters 1, 7, 20 and 25 at pages 9, 31, 78, and 100. No lecture next week. Your reports and discussion. Rule 1 Just start praying. Rule 2 Prayer is a Relationship not a Review
- Listen. Click.
- I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. John 14:12-14. in the Sermon on the Mount with the same subject as this He tells the disciples that they are to take His place in the Work. He gives to them the care of the world. Now, they must accept that role. But, they do not go it alone, they do it in His strength. Prayer is the channel, through which that strength flows. They will receive power from the Holy Spirit. They can now ask for that power “in His Name.” “Whatsoever ye ask, I will do. Jesus’ first mention of prayer in this address teaches two lessons. 1. Whoever wants to do the works must pray in His Name. 2. Whoever prays in His Name must do the works in His Name. Jesus did all His powerful works in prayer. The disciples must work directly as Jesus works indirectly. Since Jesus has risen from the grave, He has conquered Death and in so doing, He has unleashed Heaven’s power on Earth As we believe and ask in His Name, that power takes possession of us. And empowers us to do great works – but works in His name