The Importance of Prayer

"In God’s name I beseech you let prayer nourish your soul as your meals nourish your body. Let your fixed seasons of prayer keep you in God’s presence through the day, and His presence frequently remembered though it be an ever-fresh spring of prayer.

Such a brief, loving recollection of God renews a man’s whole being, quiets his passions, supplies light and counsel in difficulty, gradually subdues the temper, and causes him to possess his soul in patience, or rather gives it up to the possession of God."

—François Fénelon, 17th century theologian and writer

May you be blessed as you seek the Lord today in prayer.

Roger

An Historical View of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Had Christ not risen we could not believe Him to be what He declared Himself when He "made Himself equal with God." But He has risen in the confirmation of all His claims. By it alone, but by it thoroughly, is He manifested as the very Son of God, who has come into the world to reconcile the world to Himself. It is the fundamental fact in the Christian's unwavering confidence in "all the words of this life."
— Benjamin B. Warfield, pastor and theologian


Benjamin B. Warfield (Nov. 5, 1851 - Feb. 16, 1921) was the principal of Princeton Seminary from 1887 to 1921. Some conservative Presbyterians consider him to be the last of the great Princeton theologians before the split in 1929 that formed Westminster Semiary and the Othodox Presbyterian Church.

For a short time in 1876 he preached in Presbyterian churches in Concord, Kentucky and Dayton, Ohio as a "supply pastor" — the latter church calling him to be their ordained minister (which he politely refused). In late 1876 Warfield and his new wife moved to Germany where he studied under Ernst Luthardt and Franz Delitzsch. Warfield was the assistant pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland for a short time. Then he became an instructor at Western Theological Seminary, which is now called Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He was ordained on April 26, 1879.

In 1881 Warfield wrote a joint article with A. A. Hodge on the inspiration of the Bible. It drew attention because of its scholarly and forceful defense of the inerrancy of the Bible. In many of his writings, Warfield attempted to demonstrate that the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy was simply orthodox Christian teaching, and not merely a concept invented in the nineteenth century. His passion was to refute the liberal element within Presbyterianism and within Christianity at large.

Throughout his life, he continued to write books and articles, which are still widely read today.

May we today, in 2009 continue to stand on the foundational principles of the Christian faith, declaring that Jesus Christ is exactly who he claimed to be: equal to God the Father, God in the flesh, the very Son of God who provides the only way to salvation and everlasting life.

Just as we read in the Holy Scriptures: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Belive, and obey! God Bless,

Roger

PRAYER: The Big Picture

Do you ever get frustrated, discouraged, or disappointed in prayer? I know I have experienced thoughts like: "Does God really hear me? Does He care? Am I just fooling myself that prayer makes a difference?" Those thoughts arise in most of us when going through very difficult times, and not receiving the answers we hoped for, or expected. Well, listen to what C.S. Lewis has to say about prayer, and maybe that would be helpful for you to see the "BIG PICTURE" regarding prayer.

Prayer is either nothing more than an illusion, or a real personal contact between developing, incomplete persons (ourselves) and the utterly whole and complete PERSON (God Almighty).

Prayer in the sense of petition (that is asking for things) is only a small part of what makes up prayer.
Confession and a sense remorse for the wrong we have done is truly the threshold of prayer.
Adoration and worship is the "sanctuary" of prayer.
Experiencing the presence, vision, and enjoyment of God are its bread and wine. At that moment of prayer God actually shows Himself to us.

The fact that He answers prayer is obvious, and not the most important point. The most important point is that He reveals Himself to us. What He does, within the context of relationship, helps us to learn who He is.
(This is my interpretation of what C.S. Lewis says in "The Efficacy of Prayer" in The World's Last Night)

Basically, what I believe C.S. Lewis is saying here is that there is so much more to prayer than just making requests of God. Clearly the Bible supports the action of going to God to make requests, but don't you think God already knows what it is you want? So why pray?

We pray to acknowledge God. We pray to experience God. We pray to thank Him, to worship Him, and give Him glory. We pray to develop a relationship with God. We pray to be in His presence, to begin seeing things through His eyes, to gain His perspective. In the process, He DOES hear our prayers, and immediately begins the process of answering those prayers.

BUT! We have to be careful we don't treat God like some kind of genie in a bottle. Oh how often we wish that we could have a "golden lamp" like Aladdin, and make whatever request we like, and always instantly have what it is we want. But God isn't like that. He loves us, and is developing us, helping us become mature and healthy believers, not a bunch of spoiled brats.

So, know that God does hear you. Know that God is good all the time, and that He really does care about you. He already knows what it is you want, what it is you need, but He requires that we approach him in prayer to achieve the ultimate end: A mature believer in Jesus Christ, living for His purposes, living a life that is pleasing to Him, and bringing glory to His name.

As the Apostle Paul prays for us in Colossians 1:9-12...
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light."

That's what God wants for us above all else. Yes, He does answer prayer! But He wants us to become mature in Christ first and foremost.

God Bless, and enjoy your time with God in prayer today.
Roger