The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Today’s Reading: Luke 10 & 11.

Good morning, and it’s always good to start your morning with prayer. In Luke chapter 11 we find the Lord praying…

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. (Luke 11:1-4)

In this passage we see that when we go to the Lord in prayer we ask for something: we want God to do something.Lord, teach us to pray.Lord, make you name Holy. Lord, let your kingdom come, and your will be done. Lord, give us what we need today. Lord, forgive our sins. Lord, lead us not into temptation. Lord, deliver us from evil. This is a prayer asking God to act: to do something. And notice that this prayer is not wavering, but specifically asks.

In Matthew 21, Jesus curses a fig tree…

And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matt. 21:20-22)

In the October 2010 issue of In Touch magazine from Dr. Charles Stanley there is an excellent article by Allen Harris. The artical was titled: “(All About Me) Two Prayers That Can Hold You Back.” I want to pass on these two nuggets of truth to you. These will more than likely ring a bell; we all have used them at one time or another.

The first is, “Lord, but if…”

My daughter Melissa has cancer. I would pray, “Lord, please heal my daughter from this cancer, but if not, help her to deal with all the pain and suffering.” My belief wavers: I don’t seem to believe that God can actually heal her, so I give Him an way out. God is fully capable of healing my daughter: He does not need a way out. “But if” just shows my lack of faith and trust. Now I just pray, “Lord, heal my daughter from the cancer, and giver her relief from the pain.” I’m not giving God an out, I’m trusting Him to answer my prayer. As Christians, we should be mature enough to allow God to answer: yes, no, or not right now. We need to keep asking until we get an answer. That’s what Paul did about the thorn in his side. After asking three times, God gave Paul the answer: My grace is sufficient.

The second hinderance that Mister Harris mentioned is “Lord, let me…”

I want to see God work in my life. How can I if I’m in the way. “Lord, let me be the kind of father I need to be to Melissa.” I can do it, let me. No I can’t. Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” How about, “Lord, give me the wisdom and understanding to raise your child as you would want.” I’m relying on God to do something, and that includes giving me what I need to do the work that He has prepared for me to do.

We should all want to see God’s work in our lives. Allowing Him to work is a great start. And when we see God work, He gets all the praise. Thank the Lord for other believers who are willing to share what the Holy Spirit has taught them so the church can be edified.

Peace (John 14:27)