“MOUNTAIN PRAYERS – MOUNTAINOUS PRIVILEGES”
You’ll remember, no doubt, that in Luke 18:1 Jesus spoke to His disciples after the Pharisees had asked Him about the coming of the Kingdom of God, and said to them [and us!], Then He spoke a parable to them, that “MEN ALWAYS OUGHT TO PRAY AND NOT LOSE HEART, SAYING…”, and He illuminated the importance, the necessity, the faithful ‘heart-cries’ unto God, like the prayers of desperation of the widow who knew that in her life there was no hope except in the loving, caring, merciful God, who gives His kingdom-rule and presence, like “little children” who trust, lean, and depend upon Him ALONE!
Do you realize, comprehend, or discern why many “church-goers” are like many “American voters”, confused with true allegiance to “religion over relationship,” or “pretense over possession”, or a “fleshly substitute over the spiritual reality of you ‘must be born again’”, or “surrender to Christ’s Lordship”, or “yielded-ness to Resurrection Presence”?
In my Random House Collegiate Dictionary (1975, Random House Inc.), I read about “mountain-sickness” and wondered if that is illustrating many poor, praying, professing disciples of the Lord Jesus! It says: “Mountain sickness” is defined as: “a condition characterized by difficult breathing, headache, nausea etc. caused by the RAREFACTION OF THE AIR AT HIGH ALTITUDES.” “RAREFACTION? – “extremely high or elevated; lofty; exalted: rarefied thinking, understanding, or rarefied art”!!!
Have YOU ever heard that “prayer” or “the wings of prayer carrying one high and far” – even into the presence of Holy God and His Throne”? In Matthew 5:1, as Jesus saw the masses, the multitudes following Him, “He WENT UP ON A MOUNTAIN…” like, Exodus 19:3? “And Moses went UP to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, Saying…”! “Mountainous Experiences”? Mountainous experiences like “prayer”?
Several months ago I read Eric Metaxas’ book, “Miracles”, [Copyright@ 2014 by Metaxas Media,LLC], and in his ‘preface’ before his own Introduction, he quoted G.K. Chesterton, from his book “Orthodoxy”, saying: “But my belief that miracles have happened in human history is not a mystical belief at all; I believe in them upon human evidences as I do in the discovery of America.” Do I believe in the “miracles” of prayer? Just as assuredly as I believe in the historical discovery of our great nation”. Chesterton went on to say, “That is, you either deny the main principle of democracy, or you affirm the main principle of materialism – the abstract impossibility of a miracle. You have a perfect right to do so; but in that case you are the dogmatist. It is we Christians who accept all actual evidence – it is you rationalists who refuse actual evidence being constrained to do so by your creed.” [Would that be the “creed of self-actualization” apart from the need of any divine intervention?]. Chesterton went on: “But I am not constrained by any creed in the matter, and looking impartiality into certain miracles of medieval and modern times, I have come to the conclusion that they occurred.”
Have YOU come to the conclusion in the 21st Century that Holy God is still the God who hears and answers your prayers, with miracles or without one in your journey?
Oh, and then, in his “Introduction”, Eric Metaxas wrote, “Most readers will consider this volume a departure from my previous oeuvre , ‘the works of a writer, painter, or the like, taken as a whole,’ (Random House College Dictionary, 1975, Random House Inc.), and from my recent biographies it is certainly a departure. In fact, the subjects of those books, William Wilberforce and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, do not seem to have had any experiences that could be described as miraculous, at least not in the sense of that word as it is used in this book. Their deeply inspiring lives – their extraordinary actions and accomplishments – were manifestly fueled by their passionate faith in the God of the Bible, yet we have no record of that God speaking to them or revealing Himself to them in any ways that would qualify for mention in a book like this SO perhaps we should let their exemplary lives stand as evidence that one can have a world-changing and even saintly life of faith without miraculous experiences,” which I too believe to be true, but not apart from the “prayer-life and ministry”, which should be the testimony of every true disciple!
In fact, please remember Christ Jesus, in Matthew 5:1, “went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him,” and He shared the blessed “Beatitudes”, but went on in Matthew 6:5-13, saying, “And WHEN YOU PRAY, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward ( what’s that? “seen of men” but not by God!). But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. [Isn’t that amazing to you? Jesus acknowledged that ‘heathen’ pray, even though with vain repetitions!]. For they THINK that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Satan). For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.”
Do YOU understand, grasp, and live by the inevitable, unceasing, empowering ‘heart-cry’ of the truly transformed? Psalm 145 is David’s song of prayer and praise to the Holy God of majesty and indescribable, unending, deserving worship, and never-ending availability to the humble, needy, yielded vessel of true faith and blood redemption! It says:
“I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever, (just not today?) (No!). Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable (Maybe even “indescribable”?). One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.
The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. [Are YOU one of His works?]. All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints (those “set apart” to His honor and praise!) shall bless You. They SHALL SPEAK OF THE GLORY OF YOUR KINGDOM, and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. {Under God’s “Heaven on earth, what have YOU been waiting for, looking for, or hoping for ‘someday’ out there in “the sweet by and by”, when the Word declares His kingdom rule is for here and now in all true believers’ lives, whether they know it or not!!!}
King David went on in Verses 13-21, Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord upholds (even) all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down (ever been bowled over, bowed down by “tribulations” that Jesus said you would experience in your world, but, you realize, you know, you are not to “Lean to your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him”, giving Him room to be Himself, in you and through you”! David went on:
The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in ALL HIS WAYS, gracious in ALL HIS WORKS. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and save them.
THE LORD PRESERVES ALL WHO LOVE HIM, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever. “ { And “all flesh” praises Him forever, even if it’s while bound in Hell!}.
Psalm 145 declares: 1) The personal expression of praise and extolling God the King! Verse one.
2) It is the perennial occupation of the “redeemed”! Verse two: “Every day I will bless You, and praise Your name forever and ever.” Really?
3) It is the powerful overture of symphonic praise! Verses 3, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”
4) It is to be a “passed-on priority”! Verse 4, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”
5) It is passion for His majestic ways! Verses 5-6, “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness.”
6) It is poured-out, overflowing, abundant declarations (even in YOUR prayer to Him, “The sacred instinct, the ‘natural’ spiritual state of one redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!”) Verses 7-9, “They shall utter the memory of Your goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness: “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”
7) It is the inevitable heart-cry of the transformed, the royal revenue of a redeemed, regenerate heart, the holy heritage of hearts helped by Him, and the continuing, on-going, eternal ministry and thanksgiving and “hallelujahs” of the “blood-bought”, the “joint-heirs” of God “in Christ”!
Psalm 149:1-2 declares: “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints. Let Israel (the people of God, the ‘remnant’), rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.”
“Mountain Prayers – Mountainous Privileges!” As Eric Metaxas started his book, early in the first chapter, (p.13), he stated, “It is vital that we do not have a “Disney” theology that only says “Believe!” – one that is ‘merely’ about childlike wonder – because if we aren’t careful with what we believe in, we will end up believing in anything”. How true!
But, at times, “professing believers” live in a ‘spiritual’ (?) state of blindness, even thoughtlessness, and often times even hyper-critical of God “for my present circumstances – where are You, God?”, and with Metaxes, see themselves in “thoughtless gullibility on the one hand, and flippant, dismissive cynicism on the other”, while “prayers” are steeped in prayer-faithfulness, even IF it’s a long-time coming!
Are you aware of the humblest servant, the ‘least’ gifted, the unknown faithful witness of “amazing grace”, being used by Holy God to exalt, exemplify, explain, and interpret the Living Jesus through their ‘unglazed’ but “graced” walk of true discipleship? Do YOU discern, witness, and are heart-broken because of so much “pretense” apart from “faithful practice” and “faithful seeking” and “faithful proclamation and privilege of”, yes, “sharing Christ Jesus with others”? Is there such a thing as “biblical, redemptive, life-changing faith” that is “salt and light” to the unredeemed, ‘lost’, alienated and separated from God individuals, and, yes, even “dead religions” and “dying, though professing, godless nations”?
From “the mountain” our Lord and Savior was led to the Cross! Yes! “In the world you will have troubles – but, be assured, as I have overcome through prayer and faith in My Father’s finished work, even so you, trusting disciples, will walk through the valleys of the very shadows of death into the “mountainous privilege” of relationship, intimacy, blessing, and fulfillment and finishing of the redemptive work He is doing in you and through you!” Glory
B.B. McKinney, in 1929, wrote the chorus, “Over the Line”, which says, “Over the line, Over the line, Step over the line to Jesus; Out of your night, into the light, Step over the line to Jesus”; and there is “the line” between ‘darkness and light’, between ‘life or death,’ between “best efforts” and “Blessed Assurances”!
“Mountain Prayers – Mountainous Privileges”! Have you ever said: “Father-God, WHY am I here?” How profound, personal, praise-worthy, was the prayer of Christ Jesus in Matthew 6: 9-10, as He taught the disciples then and now, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
YOUR prayers should be, must be, will be, the seeds of sowing for the ‘heart of God’ to find fertile fields through our available lives! And as Phillip Brooks once said, “Prayer is not laying hold of God’s reluctance, but (us) taking hold of God’s willingness”! Glory!
In fact, as we pray, as we search the Scriptures, as we witness the powerful testimony of our Lord and Savior, as we read dynamic testimonies of our overcoming “fathers of the faith” and “mothers of the mission” and “sons and daughters, brothers and sisters of the walk of faith”, we see “prayer-warriors” overcoming, “prayer-warriors” empowering the ‘saints’, “prayer- warriors” celebrating “the promises” and “the privileges” and even “the paths” Holy God directed them to walk upon and the fires, even, that He brought them through! Do you believe Romans 8:28 is as valid today as it was when Paul wrote it? Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that ALL THINGS work together FOR GOOD to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose,” going on to say in the very next verse that we were “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Do you remember Paul writing to the church at Colossae and us about our “Mountainous Privileges”? Colossian 1:15-23 declares, “He (Christ Jesus) IS the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, THAT IN ALL THINGS HE MAY HAVE THE PREEMINENCE”!
I challenge YOU to consider: “Does Christ Jesus HAVE PREEMINENCE IN YOU, IN YOUR MARRIAGE, IN YOUR FAMILY, IN YOUR BUSINESS, IN YOUR STATE, NATION, OR WORLD, AND ESPECIALLY YOUR PRAYER-MINISTRY?”
I do not know Samuel Henry Price. I came across a statement he once made, found in “The Encyclopedia of Religious Quotations,” [edited & compiled by Frank S. Mead, and Fleming H. Revell Company, Westwood, New Jersey]. He wrote: “The world is full of faces, black with anger, green with envy and red with shame, which could be made radiantly white with holiness and spirituality aglow by the transfiguring power of prayer.”
Dare I say, “enough of prayerless disciples, enough of prayerless preachers, enough of prayerless leaders wherever they reside”!?! Yet, how ‘the dark cloud of prayerlessness’ seems to ‘hang’ over lives, families, churches, states, and nations! Yes, passionate ‘pray-ers’ and prayers unleash divine willingness, not reluctance! Prayers open the “flood-gates” of divine willingness and sovereign desires and holy ambitions in lives, churches, cities, states, nations, whether political, social, or spiritual!
In Colossians 4:2-4 Paul wrote this challenging word to the Colossians and us: “Continue EARNESTLY in prayer, BEING VIGILANT in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains (imprisoned for the faith!), that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” Is that word ‘ought”, yes, our own “holy mandate” and “sovereign commission” as “ambassadors for Christ”? Without a single doubt! Every believer, every disciple, every servant of Christ, every man, woman, child of faith, are Commissioned by Christ Himself to “pray without ceasing” and “persevere in endurance” to touch our world with sovereign grace, mercy, and love, as WE “pray them into the kingdom”!
Do you believe it? “If God created the world, and He did, can He raise the ‘spiritually dead’ to “life everlasting” in and through Christ Jesus”? Dare I tell you? Believe I will: “Faith in Christ Jesus, because of intercessory prayers, births “new-born” lives into the eternal kingdom of God in Christ, and “they” are the “pray-ers” interceding for “world redemption”! They lay hold of the horns of the altar, and they won’t let go!