The Prayer God Answers by Eberhard Arnold & Richard J. Foster

Author:Eberhard Arnold & Richard J. Foster
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Plough Publishing House
Published: 2015-12-04T00:00:00+00:00

Praying for the Kingdom

JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES never taught a theology or a philosophy. They addressed life – actual, practical life. Whoever has faith in Jesus has life (1 John 5:12). Holding fast to the Son of God is no otherworldly matter; it is a concrete reality that translates faith into deeds. “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). These words of Jesus are the life we pray for. They cover everything that can happen to us.

Nothing shows this more clearly than the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9–13). The “Our Father” sums up the message of the gospel, so that in every era, all areas of life can be filled with the fresh and vital life of God. Hence, every prayer offered in the Spirit will ultimately correspond with what is expressed in the Lord’s Prayer. It covers everything we human beings need to live as God wants us to live, just as completely as it encompasses the honor of God and his holy will.

Whenever we come before God we should ask for the bread we need, the forgiveness of our sins, protection from temptation, and reconciliation with others. All this belongs to true prayer. But most importantly, we need to ask that God’s will is done and that his kingdom comes. Our personal prayers remain selfish unless they are placed in the larger context of God’s rulership being established on earth. This is the only way in which we may bring our personal needs before God; they must be placed in the setting of his great and all-inclusive power. We should see these personal requests to God as part of the one object of our prayer: that the Spirit come down and fill us and change everything from the bottom up.

We should be brief and to the point when we ask God for this one, all-important thing. Wordy prayer and lazy prayer – trying to make an impression by reciting prayers instead of doing the will of God – are more heathen than Christian. Clearly, communal prayer has a place in the church; it is equally clear that it cannot be a spectacle for the general public. Besides, the prayer of the church depends on the secluded prayer life of individual believers. Withdrawal into quiet and solitude is one of the most decisive characteristics of Jesus. He retired to the isolated mountain, the lonely wilderness, or the quiet water so he could meet his Father completely alone (Matt.14:23). But days rich in work always preceded and followed these nights when he was alone with God.

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