Scripture

Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

~John 16:24, NLT

Quote

Action produce results: Prayer is an action.

~C.S. Lewis

I am bad to get a new book, read a couple of chapters and lay it down. I am a spot reader; I seldom read a book in one sitting or ever one week or month. I have read entire commentaries by reading a chapter at a time. So beginning 2023, I picked up books that I had started but not finished and it is amazing to me how God is speaking to me from these books. One is on the model prayer by Hank Hanegraaff. Those who know me, know that I believe in prayer and I come unglued when I hear a passives believer or a calvinist say that pray cannot change anything other than ourselves. They say, “God is sovereign and already knows what we need, we can’t possibly influence His will.” I agree that the most enjoyable part of prayer is intimacy with Jesus but it was Jesus who taught us to ask. C.S. Lewis shares my theology. In his book, GOD IN THE DOCK, he makes the following statement about prayer.

We know that we can act and that action produces results. Everyone who believes in God must therefore admit that God has not chosen to write the whole of human history with His own hand. Most of the events that go on in the universe are indeed out of our control, but not all. It is like a play where the scene, the outline and conclusion are written by the author but he allows the actor to improvise. It is a mystery that He allows us to cause event at all but even odder that He would allow us to cause them by praying. He gave us small creatures the dignity of being able to contribute to the course of events in two different ways. He made the matter of the universe such that we can do things to it; that is why we can wash our hands, feed a hungry neighbor or do him harm. Similarly, He made His own plan for history such that it admits a certain amount of free play and can be modified in response to our prayers.

God is sovereign but He is not insecure. He created us in His own image so that we could before a viable force in history. You will have to read the above paragraph more than once to understand what he is saying but just as God allowed Adam to name the animals, He allows us to make choices that have results both negative and positive. Every prayer counts. Don’t allow the devil to convince you of a lie, your prayers matter. I can promise you, the devil doesn’t want you to pray for Revival or lost souls. Nothing would please him more than for you to simply focus on yourself and forget that the world is walking in darkness and needs the light of the gospel. Let me ask you one question: according to the Bible, did the prayer, fasting and repentance of the Ninevehites make a difference? Keep asking!

Extra

Well it is cool this morning but not cold; not compared to Christmas week. There is a big difference between 38* and 3*. Actually with the sun out, it feels good. June read me the latest report on Lincoln and it sounded good to me, PTL. June and Holly go to Nashville today so I will probably stay in and study and visit tomorrow. Just keep praying for all those battling cancer. Pray for Revival in America.

Have a good day and thanks for reading the blog.