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Fellowship with God |
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Fellowship with God |
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Lord's Prayer
The Other Lord's Prayer
Hindrances to Prayer
Helps
Prohibition
The original Lord's Prayer is a kingdom prayer that was applicable to the Age of the Jews. It is not a model prayer for the Church Age, since there are some phrases in it that are no longer applicable. It should also be noted that the prayer is very succinct in the Greek. That is because it came from Aramaic, which was also succinct. Many English translations keep it simple in keeping with the original Aramaic. However, it is possible to overdo the translation by being true to the Greek and not being aware of the Aramaic. I have opted for the simple translation that is closer to the Aramaic.
Matthew 6:9 Lord's PrayerJesus began the Lord's Prayer with "Our Father." All prayer should be addressed to the Father in respect for His supreme authority as the highest member of the Godhead. The Father is in Heaven. This is in contrast to Earth, because Deity is imminent and transcendent. He is everywhere.
Therefore, in this way, pray:
"Our Father who is in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name."
"Hallowed" is the Greek aJgiavzw (hagizo), meaning to hallow, make holy, consecrate, sanctify. It is in the imperative mood for a command or petition. "Hallowed be Your Name" could be translated "Your Name must be hallowed (or made holy)." Regardless of how it is stated, this is a petition for making the Father holy. God is holy, set apart, sacred. His holiness is an attribute that cannot and will not ever be compromised. Man on Earth in sin must understand that the Father in Heaven is holy.
Matthew 6:10The "kingdom" refers to the Millennial Kingdom, which in the Jewish Age at the time the prayer was given was the great prophetic event that was coming. From the perspective of the Jewish Age, the Church Age was unknown. The prayer for the kingdom to come was a legitimate prayer request based upon prophecy. However, to pray for the kingdom to come in the Church Age is absurd. The Church Age is the age of no prophecy. The kingdom comes at the end of the Jewish Age. The Church will already be in Heaven at the time.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
"Your will be done." This is applicable to all dispensations. Everyone should want the will of God to be done on Earth just as it is in Heaven. We should want the directive will of God to be done, not just His permissive will.
Matthew 6:11 BreadAsking for our daily bread is recognition of Logistical Grace Provision. The Father gives us food to eat each day (Prov 30:8; Isa 33:16; Luk 11:3). "Needed" is the Greek ejpiouvsio" (epiousios), from (ejpiv, upon) + (ojusiva, existence) = necessary for existence. This is in keeping with the Aramaic for need or necessity. The Father knows that we need food daily, and He will provide it. This is in the Lord's Prayer because eating is an important part of life.1
Give us today our needed bread.
Matthew 6:12"Debts" is the Greek ojfeivlhma (opheilema), meaning debt=sin, for the Aramaic ab*wj) (choba') = debt, sin. It is the word, debt, that is used for sin. "Forgive us our sins" is a prayer that is no longer applicable in the Church Age. After Jesus paid for sins on the Cross, there are two ways that they are forgiven. Neither way involves asking for forgiveness. The first way sins are forgiven is at Salvation. All pre-Salvation sins are forgiven at Salvation (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14). All post-Salvation sins are forgiven by Rebound (1 Jn 1:9).
And forgive us our debts (sins), as we also have forgiven our debtors.
"As we also have forgiven our debtors" – this indicates the importance of forgiving others when they sin against us. Holding a grudge against someone is a sin, and we cannot be in fellowship with God if we have unconfessed sin. Therefore, not forgiving others will make it impossible to reach God in prayer.
Matthew 6:13This is a petition for the Father to lead us in the path of Righteousness. That means away from temptation. It is also a request to be delivered from evil. Evil is Satan's policy. If we know we have sinned, we can confess it, but if we are enslaved to Satan through evil disguised as human good, we might not recognize it.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
This prayer to deliver from evil is also a good intercessory prayer for others. We may not know what sins they have committed, but we do know they are enslaved to the Cosmic System. Therefore, we can pray for them to be delivered from evil. This is also a good prayer to use in interceding for children who have fallen into the power of the Cosmic System.
The last sentence of this verse was omitted because it is not in the best Greek manuscripts. It says:
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]It is true, but it cannot be justified from our manuscripts.
The Lord's Prayer, OutlinePetition to Glorify the Son (Jn 17:1-5)1. Petition to Glorify the Son (Jn 17:1-5 )
2. Intercession for the Disciples (Jn 17:6-19)
Disciples Belong to the Father (Jn 17:6-10)
Keep Them Safe in the World (Jn 17:11-12)
Give Them the Happiness of Christ (Jn 17:13)
Protect Them from the Evil One (Jn 17:14-16)
Sanctify Them Through Doctrine (Jn 17:17-19)
3. Intercession for All Believers (Jn 17:20-21)
4. Petition for Future Glory for the Disciples (Jn 17:22-25)
Glory of Christ Given to Them (Jn 17:22)
Fellowship with Father and Son (Jn 17:23)
Revelation of Glory of Christ in Resurrection Body (Jn 17:24)
Petition for Disciples to Receive Divine Love (Jn 17:24-25)
John 17:1 The Lord's PrayerJesus prayed looking up to Heaven. "The hour has come" indicates the strategic time for Judgment for the sins of the world. "Glorify" is the Greek doxavzw (doxazo), which means to glorify; praise, honor, hold in honour, extol, magnify; clothe in splendor, glorify, used of the glory of the Resurrection. This is an imperative of entreaty. "Glorify Your Son" means the humanity of Christ is requesting Spiritual support from the Father for death, burial, and resurrection. The Son will be glorified in fulfilling the Father's plan.
These things Jesus spoke, and having lifted up His eyes toward Heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son in order that the Son may glorify You."
"In order that the Son may glorify You." Jesus can glorify the Father:
John 17:2The Father gave the Son authority over all Creation, and the Son agreed to become a man and go to the Cross to pay for their Salvation. To those who believe in Him, He will give Eternal Life.
even as You gave Him authority over all flesh (humanity), that to all whom You have given Him, He may give Eternal Life.
John 17:3Those who receive Eternal Life through faith in Jesus Christ, come to know God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the One the Father sent on a mission to the Earth to be the Savior of the world.
This is Eternal Life, that they may come to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent on a mission.
John 17:4 Christ Glorified the FatherDuring the incarnation, Jesus Christ glorified the Father. The Father was glorified:
I glorified You on the Earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.
John 17:5 Glory of the Son Beside the Father"You glorify Me, Father by the side of Yourself." This refers to the glory of being seated at the Father's right hand, which is the place of honor and glory.
And now, You glorify Me, Father by the side of Yourself with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
"With the glory I had with You before the world existed.." Jesus is requesting support to finish His work and return to His former status of glory at the right hand of the Father. Formerly He was the second person of the Trinity, the Son. However, God is one, and the Son was not a separate entity until He became a man. Jesus Christ is the God-man in Hypostatic Union. However, He did not become a man until He was born of a virgin. Before then, He existed eternally as God (Jn 8:58). He formerly appeared as the Angel of the Lord to relate to the angels. And Isaiah was allowed to see His preincarnate glory in which He appeared as a man sitting on the Throne of God in Heaven (Isa 6:1-4; Jn 12:41).
Intercession for the Disciples (Jn 17:6-19)
The major portion of the Lord's Prayer was intercession for His disciples, who were about to be scattered. Jesus began with rapport with the Father by recognizing that the disciples belonged to the Father (Jn 17:6-10).
John 17:6Jesus manifested the Name of the Father to the disciples. This means He revealed to them through His teaching the person of the Father as the Eternal God and Father. Jesus recognized that the Father gave Him the disciples out from the world, which is the Cosmic System. And He pointed out that the disciples had kept the Word of God.
I have manifested Your Name to the men whom You gave Me out from the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
John 17:8Jesus communicated words of doctrine to the disciples that He received from the Father. "Communicated words" is the Greek rJh'ma (rhema), for spoken, or communicated, words. This refers to Jesus Christ communicating doctrine to the disciples. He received the doctrine from the Father. It was the Word of God, or the will of the Father, which was revealed to the humanity of Christ.
Because I have given to them the communicated words which You have given Me; and they received them and have truly come to know that I came from You, and they believe that You sent Me on a mission.
The disciples received the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ. The disciples learned that Jesus Christ came from the Father. He existed as Deity before the Hypostatic Union in which He became perfect humanity and undiminished Deity combined in one unique person. The disciples believed that Jesus was sent to Earth on a mission from the Father.
John 17:10 Jesus Glorified by the DisciplesAll believers in Jesus belong to the Father (Jn 10:29). Jesus Christ was glorified by His disciples. Not only did the disciples honor and glorify Jesus, but having the disciples brought glory to Him.
And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified by means of them.
Keep Them Safe in the World (Jn 17:11-12)
John 17:11Jesus is leaving to be with the Father. He prays for the Father to keep watch over the disciples and keep them safe in His Name. This is the Name that Jesus was given. This means the disciples are sons of God as Jesus is the Son of God. They are all Family of God.
I am no longer in the world; yet they themselves are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your Name, which You have given Me, in order that they may be unified just as We are.
Then Jesus prays for the disciples to be unified. "Unified" is the Greek ei|" (heis), which means one, unity, or unified. They need to be Spiritually unified with God. Just as the members of the Trinity are one in essence, the disciples need to unified. This does not mean to be united with each other. The only way for them to be united is to be unified Spiritually with God. Jesus knows that Satan will try to divide and conquer after He departs, and this is a prayer to protect them Spiritually.
While Jesus was with the disciples, He protected them (Jn 17:12). None of them perished except Judas Iscariot, who died the Sin Leading to Death. He is called the "son of destruction," which is a Hebrew idiom for 'one who has fallen victim to destruction.' What happened to Judas was foretold in scripture (Ps 41:9; Jn 13:18).
Give Them the Happiness of Christ (Jn 17:13)
John 17:13As Jesus Christ is about to depart to be with the Father, He is communicating Bible Doctrine to His disciples. He prays that they will have His Divine Happiness fulfilled in themselves. Jesus Christ had this Divine Happiness in His human body in Hypostatic Union. He is praying for the disciples to have His Happiness in them. The Happiness comes through the Holy Spirit from an Edification Complex of the Soul, which is formed by metabolization of Bible Doctrine. This Happiness is always available to the believer even in adversity. The greatest Happiness is available in historical adversity. Jesus will use Happiness to endure the Cross (Heb 12:2).
But now I am coming into Your presence; and these things I am communicating in the world, that they might have My Happiness fulfilled in themselves.
Protect Them from the Evil One (Jn 17:14-15)
John 17:14 Hated by the WorldAfter Jesus taught the disciples doctrine, the world hated them. The world under the power of Satan hates doctrinal believers (Jn 15:19). The disciples are not from the source of the world, just as Jesus was not from the world (Jn 3:31; 8:23; 1 Jn 4:5). They were born from above (Jn 3:7).
"I have given them Your doctrine; and the world has hated them because they are definitely not from the source of the world, even as I am definitely not from the source of the world.
John 17:15Jesus was not asking the Father to take them to Heaven but to leave them in the world and protect them from the evil one.
I do not ask You to take them out from the world, but to protect them from the evil one.
John 17:16The disciples are not from the world, just as Jesus is not from the world. They are citizens of Heaven.
They are not from the world, just as I am not from the world.
Sanctify Them Through Doctrine (Jn 17:17-19)
John 17:17 Sanctification by the Word"Sanctify" means to be set apart and consecrated to God. This is accomplished by Rebound, but it is also accomplished by metabolization of Bible Doctrine. "Doctrine" is the Greek ajlhvqeia (aletheia), which means truth or doctrine (Eph 1:13; Col 1:5; 2 Tim 2:15; Jas 1:18). The Word of God is doctrine (truth).
Sanctify them by means of doctrine; Your Word is doctrine.
Jesus said, "I sanctify Myself" (Jn 17:19). This means He keeps Himself separated from sin and the world and consecrated to God.
Intercession for All Believers (Jn 17:20-21)
John 17:20 Prayer for All BelieversJesus is not just interceding for His disciples but for those who will believe through their word. He is thus interceding for all believers on the Earth.
I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but on behalf of those also who believe in Me through their word;
John 17:21 Prayer for Believers to Be Unified Spiritually"In order that they all may keep on being unified." "Unified" is the Greek ei|" (heis), which means one, unity, unification. This means one in essence, just as the Trinity is one in essence. It means united in unification with God (Col 3:14). The only way for believers to be one is to be one with God. This requires sanctification, which includes separation from the world and unification with God. Sanctification includes Positional, Experiential, and Ultimate Sanctification in union with Christ. Later, it will include the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
In order that they all may keep on being unified, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You,
In order that they themselves also might be in Us,
In order that the world may believe that You sent me on a mission.
Being unified also means fellowship with God (1 Cor
1:9; 1 Jn 1:7).
"Just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You." "You, Father, in Me" – this is the indwelling of the Father in the humanity of Christ. "I in You" – this refers to the Son as one in essence with the Father and to the humanity of Christ in fellowship with the Father and Holy Spirit.
"In order that they themselves also might be in Us."
Petition for Future Glory for Disciples (Jn 17:22-25)
In the closing section of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus petitioned the Father for future glory for His disciples. He gave His glory to the disciples and prayed for their future fellowship with the Father and the Son. He prayed that they might see His Resurrection Glory and that the Father might give His Divine Love to them.
Glory of Christ Given to Them (Jn 17:22)
John 17:22 Disciples Given Glory"Glory" is the total essence of all the characteristics of God. The glory that the Father gave the Son included:
And the glory which You have given Me, I have given to them in order that they may keep on being unified just as We are unified.
"In order that they may keep on being unified just as We are unified." This is a prayer for the disciples to be one in essence spiritually. This means having the same Divine Righteousness, Justice, and Love as God. It corresponds to the Grace bestowed on us in the Beloved (Eph 1:6). It refers to Positional, Experiential, and Ultimate Sanctification (ref. Jn 17:21).
"Just as We are unified." The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have the same essence (Jn 10:30).
Fellowship with Father and Son (Jn 17:23)
John 17:23 Fellowship with Father and Son"I in them" – this is locative of sphere in the Greek, which means "I in the sphere of them," or "I in fellowship with them." This refers to fellowship of the disciples with Christ.
I in them and You in Me in order that they may be brought to completion in unification (with God), so that the world may know that You sent Me on a mission, and You have Loved them just as You have Loved Me.
"You in Me" – this is also locative of sphere and means "You in the sphere of Me." This refers to fellowship of the Father with the humanity of Christ. The context here is fellowship. This is not a prophecy of future indwelling.
"In order that they may be brought to completion in unification."
This refers to Spiritual Maturity (Eph 4:13) and Spiritual Rapport (Eph
3:19).
Revelation of Glory of Christ in Resurrection Body (Jn 17:24)
John 17:24 Revelation of the Glory of the Resurrected ChristHere Jesus Christ anticipates Heaven. He wants the disciples to see His glory in Heaven where He will be in His Resurrection Body. The disciples only know of Earthly things. They have no perspective of Heaven. Jesus is praying that they might see Him in all the glory of His Resurrection Body in Heaven at the right hand of the Throne of God.
Father, I wish that where I am (in Heaven), those whom You have given Me also might be with Me, so that they might see My glory; for You Loved Me before the foundation of the world.
The Father gave Jesus Christ His Heavenly glory. "For You Loved Me before the foundation of the world." The Father Loved the Son in Eternity past. He also Loved us in Eternity past in Antecedent Grace (1 Jn 4:19).
Petition for Disciples to Receive Divine Love (Jn 17:24-25)
John 17:25 Knowing GodThe world does not know the Father, but Christ does, and the disciples know that the Father sent Jesus Christ.
Righteous Father, the world has not come to know You, but I have known You, and these have known that you sent Me on a mission.
John 17:26 Divine LoveJesus made known to the disciples the Name of the Father. The "Name" is a title of Deity that defines His personality or essence. Jesus Christ taught the disciples about God the Father including His omnipotence, omniscience, Divine Righteousness, and Justice.
and I have made known to them Your Name, and I will continue to make it known, in order that the Love with which You have Loved Me may be in them, and I may be in them.
"And I will continue to make it known." The Word left behind is the thinking of Christ, which will continue to enlighten every man.
"The Love with which You have Loved Me" – this the Love of God which is in the heart of the humanity of Christ. Jesus prays that the Love of the Father "may be in them." He is asking that the Father share His Love with the disciples. "In them" is locative of sphere and means "in the sphere of them." This means in their heart. The Love of the Father will be in the heart. Having this Divine Love in them may also be called reciprocal Love.
"And I may be in them" – this is also locative of sphere or instrumental of association and means "in the sphere of them" or "in fellowship with them." This is a prayer for fellowship with Jesus Christ. In hindsight this was also a prophecy of the indwelling of Christ in the Church Age Believer.
God is holy. He will have nothing to do with sin. He separates from sin. Therefore, the person with sin in his life will not have his prayers heard (Psa 34:15-16).
Isaiah 59:1The Lord is not hard of hearing such that He cannot hear legitimate prayers.
Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.
Isaiah 59:2"Iniquities" is the Hebrew /wu)* (`avon). In the plural it refers to the unconfessed sins of reversionism. God separates from sin. Hiding His face is a metaphor for withholding Grace. In this case God refuses to answer the prayers of those with iniquity in their life.
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Ezekiel 13:8Those speaking vanity (emptiness, nothingness, worthlessness) were the false prophets. The visions they saw were lies (Ezek 13:6). Satan provides visions and dreams, and apostates cannot interpret them correctly. These false prophets led others in prayer, but the Lord would not answer their prayers. He opposed them.
Therefore, thus says the LORD God, "Because you have spoken vanity and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you," declares the LORD God.
Evil
Evil is the policy of Satan. Evil may not appear to be sin because it may be cloaked in human good, lust, lawlessness, or legalism. But God separates from it and opposes it.
Psalm 5:4God rejects wickedness, which includes evil, criminality, and reversionism. Evil people do not dwell with God. There are no evil people in Heaven.
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
An evil one cannot dwell with You.
Psalm 5:5Boasters are full of sins of pride and arrogance. They cannot stand in the presence of the Lord. He strongly disapproves (hates) the doers of iniquity. The "doers of iniquity" are evil doers.
Boasters cannot stand before Your eyes;
You hate all doers of iniquity.
The Lord took Ezekiel, who was an exile in Babylon, on a spiritual tour of the Temple in Jerusalem where he saw through visions the abominations of the worship of idols.
Ezekiel 8:14At the North gate of the Temple, women were weeping for Tammuz. Tammuz was a false god, who was synonymous with Bacchus and the Greek Adonis. He was worshipped as the child savior as the counterfeit for the Lord Jesus Christ. Weeping for Tammuz was part of the ritual of mourning his violent death.
Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the Lord's house which was toward the North; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.
There were also people at the entrance of the Temple bowing down toward the Sun (Ezek 8:16). They were worshiping the heavenly bodies (Deut 4:19; 17:3). Manasseh brought this idolatry into the Temple, but the idolatrous priests were expelled by Josiah (2 Ki 23:5, 11).
Ezekiel 8:18Because of the evil of the people, the Lord vowed to destroy them. Furthermore, he would not listen to their prayers even when they cried with a loud voice.
Therefore, I will deal in wrath. My eye will not have pity nor will I spare; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.
Reversionism
The reversionist has rejected God. He lives in sin and refuses to Rebound. Therefore, his prayers are not answered.
Isaiah 58:9The Lord will answer prayers if the reversionist changes his ways. The first thing he must do is Rebound. This verse lists three things that he must stop doing. He must remove the yoke. "The yoke" symbolizes oppression (Isa 58:6). He must stop oppression.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, "Here am I!"
If you remove from your midst the yoke,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking evil,
He must also stop "pointing the finger." This symbolizes accusation (Prov 6:12, 13). He must stop accusing others or gossiping about them. And he must stop "speaking evil." Speaking evil is telling the lies of the Cosmic System. This is no small problem because everyone does it (Psa 116:11; Isa 6:5; Rom 3:9-18). In order for prayers to be answered, the reversionist must Rebound and metabolize Bible Doctrine in order to be sanctified from sin and the Cosmic System.
Isaiah 59:3The reversionist has multiple problems that rob him of fellowship with God and prevent his prayers from being answered. Hands defiled with blood symbolize murder and violence (Is 1:15, 21; Jer 2:30, 34; Ezek 7:23; Hos 4:2). "Fingers with iniquity" refers to the dabblings of reversionists (Prov 5:22; 18:8; Is 30:13; 64:5, 6; Lam 4:22). Lips that speak lies refers to the falsehood of Satan's Cosmic System (Psa 62:9; 116:11; Is 28:15; 30:9; 59:13; Jer 7:8; 9:3-6; Rom 3:9-18).
For your hands are defiled (spotted) with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips speak lies,
Your tongue murmurs wickedness.
"Your tongue murmurs wickedness." "Murmurs" is the Hebrew hg*h* (hagah), which means to murmur. This is onomatopoetic for the chirpings and mutterings of necromancers and wizards (Isa 8:19). Murmuring wickedness includes surreptitious lies, gossip, maligning, conniving, half-truths, veiled threats, and innuendo. It includes whispering and gossip (Hebrew vj^l* (lachash), serpent-charmer, Psa 41:7; Hebrew /g^r* (ragan), Prov 18:8; 26:20, 22; Hebrew #[p^x* (tsapaph), chirp, Isa 29:4; Hebrew hB*D! (dibbah), evil report, Jer 20:10; Hebrew /wy)G*h! (higgajon), harp sound, Lam 3:62).
After the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah noted how God refused to answer the prayers of reversionists.
Lamentations 3:42-44The Jews of Judah had transgressed the Law and rebelled against the Lord. The Lord did not pardon them, but punished them with the destruction of the nation. The Lord was covered in anger (strong disapproval) and He vented His wrath on the nation. He killed the people, and He did not spare. And He covered Himself with a cloud so that no prayer could pass through. This means He hid Himself from them so that their prayers could not reach Him. The Lord refused to listen to the prayers of reversionists who had defied Him until their nation was destroyed.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled,
You have not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger
And pursued us;
You have slain; You have not spared.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud
So that no prayer can pass through.
God will answer the prayer for wisdom if it is offered in faith (Jas 1:5). However, He will not answer the prayer for one who doubts.
James 1:6-7 Asking in FaithThe one who doubts is not asking in faith. He is carnal or a reversionist. He is like the surf of the sea. He goes every way the wind blows.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting; for the one who doubts (vacillates) is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that person must stop assuming that he will receive anything from the Lord.
James 1:8"Double-souled" is the Greek divyuco" (dipsuchos), which denotes the divided man as opposed to the 'simple' (Greek a&plou~" (haplous)), meaning simple, without ulterior motive; and as an adverb, unambiguously, wholeheartedly. Thus "double-souled" describes the carnal or reversionistic believer. This person will not have his prayers answered. It should be noted that the "double-souled" condition can lead to psychosis. It is an underlying symptom of disorders like bipolar complex, schizophrenia, and Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD).
The double-souled man is unstable in all his behavior.
Failure to Rebound
Effective prayer requires being in fellowship with God. This is only possible in the filling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Rebound is essential to provide the filling of the Holy Spirit for effective prayer.
Proverbs 30:20The adulterous woman is a reversionist who says she has done no iniquity. In her self-justification, she doesn't admit the need to Rebound. She claims her adultery was not sin.
This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, "I have done no iniquity."
The Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Israel were in reversionism before the fall in 586 BC. They rejected the Bible Doctrine taught by Jeremiah. The Word of the Lord according to Jeremiah said:
Jeremiah 2:23 Filly Camel in HeatThe Jews of Judah had become Phallic Reversionists involved in idolatry. They were worshipping Baal and engaging in ritual prostitution under the power of the Prostitute of Babylon. The Lord asked, "How can you say, 'I am not defiled?' " They were defiled from the sins of idolatry and the prostitution associated with it (Hos 5:3; 6:10 Jer 2:23 Ezek 20:30, 31, 43; 23:7, 13, 30). However, they did not see the error of their ways. They saw nothing wrong with idolatry. They were like a filly camel in heat tangling up the caravan. Yet, they refused to Rebound.
How can you say, 'I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the Baals'?
Look at your way in the valley!
Know what you have done!
You light footed, filly camel entangling her ways,
Jeremiah 2:35In spite of their reversionism, the Jews of Judah said they were innocent, and they believed the Lord would not punish them. However, the Lord declared that He would Judge them because they said, "I have not sinned." They absolutely refused to Rebound. Consequently, the nation was destroyed by the Chaldeans in 586 BC.
Yet you said, "I am innocent;
Surely His anger has turned away from me."
Behold, I will enter into Judgment with you
For saying, "I have not sinned."
Selfishness
Selfishness is a reason prayers are not answered. God will not rubberstamp our projects or support our selfish ambitions. The Lord told Isaiah to preach against the people who prayed and expected God to grant their selfish desires.
Isaiah 58:4These people even fasted with their prayers. Yet they were full of quarreling and strife. They struck others with a malicious (clenched) fist. These sins were motivated by selfishness. They were not compatible with impersonal Love for all mankind. Their fasting was a selfish attempt to get God to grant their personal desires. They didn't fast from genuine humility so that God would hear legitimate prayer requests.
Behold, you fast with quarreling and strife and to strike with a malicious (clenched) fist. You do not fast as today to make your voice heard on high.
Self-Righteousness
Self-Righteousness is a mental attitude sin that hinders prayers. It is associated with an inflated ego and lack of humility. It comes out in many ways from being ostentatious and showing off to hypocrisy. It also motivates snobbishness.
Matthew 6:5Jesus cautioned those who pray not to be like the hypocrites, who liked to be seen praying in the synagogues or on the street corners. Their reward was the praise given to them by people. God would not answer their prayer.
When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
Matthew 6:6Unlike the hypocrite, the humble believer should go into an inner room to pray. After closing the door so that he can be alone with God, he should pray to the Father in secret, and the Father will reward him. Praying in secret means praying privately. Prayer doesn't have to be out loud, and it is no one else's business. Don't tell others about what you said in prayer.
But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and after closing your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Jesus told this parable of a Pharisee and a tax collector.
Luke 18:10-14Thus, the self-righteous Pharisee was full of his own self-importance and legalism. He was not qualified for Grace, and his prayer was not answered. However, the tax collector, who was humble and asked for mercy, was heard by the Father and vindicated. The principle is: Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who is humble will be exalted.
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee, having stood up, was praying these things to himself: "God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector."
12 "I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get."
13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was unwilling even to lift up his eyes to Heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
Meaningless Repetition
Use of meaningless or empty repetition is a hindrance to prayer. It is important to have clear, concise thoughts in prayer. This helps us to know where we stand, and it will help in identifying the answer when it comes. If we can't ask a clear question, how do we expect to get a clear answer? Nothing is worse in a conversation than trying to make sense out of a confusing question. Even if God answers a confusing prayer, how will we understand the answer?
Matthew 6:7"Meaningless repetition" is the Greek battalogevw (battologeo), from (battov", stammerer, lisper) + (logevw, fond of talking) = to talk aimlessly, waffle, babble; use vain repetitions. This includes rambling, half-baked ideas as well as sophisticated phrases. A person should be praying in faith from application of Bible Doctrine. Vain or meaningless repetition as used by the heathen (unbelievers) should be avoided. The heathen assume they will be heard for their "many words." "Many words" is the Greek polulogiva (polulogia), from (poluv", many) + (lovgo", speaking, word) = much speaking, wordiness, many words. Long prayers are not as good as short prayers. To paraphrase an old adage, it matters not how long we pray, but how.
Moreover, when praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the heathen do, for they assume that they will be heard for their many words.
There is no need to be long winded like the heathen because the Father knows what we need before we ask (Matt 6:8). He knows the end from the beginning, and He knew in Eternity past.
Failure to Forgive
Failure to forgive is another hindrance to prayer. If we do not forgive others, we are holding a grudge, and that is a sin. If we do not have Love for others, we cannot effectively pray for them. God will not hear our prayers if we have sin in our heart. If we are bitter, jealous, or afraid, we are not on praying ground.
This problem is easily solved. When we are bothered, piqued, or upset by another person, rather than reacting, we should intercede for them first. If we first pray for them to be forgiven of their sins or delivered from evil, then we will not have an unforgiving attitude toward them. An unforgiving attitude is a sign of not having impersonal Love for all mankind. This is a failure of the Royal Law (Jas 2:8).
Mark 11:25Forgiveness is required for effective prayer. If we can't forgive others, then God the Father will not forgive our transgressions. Unforgiven sin knocks out the filling of the Holy Spirit and renders our prayers ineffective.
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, in order that your Father who is in Heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
Marriage Discord
Discord in Marriage hinders prayers. It is one of the major reason prayers are not answered. When there is discord in the Marriage or in the Right Man – Right Woman relationship, prayers will be hindered and life will be a disaster. Since Marriage Culture is the foundation of society, it affects everything in life, including the Spiritual life.
1 Peter 3:7Harmony in Christian Marriage (and the Right Man – Right Woman relationship) requires knowledge of Bible Doctrine. Christian Marriage must be executed Spiritually. It is not just a temporal relationship under the Laws of Establishment. The woman is a "weaker vessel" because she is subordinate to the husband's authority. The husband must grant her honor because she is a "joint-heir of the Grace of life." She has an inheritance in the Royal Family of God along with other members of the Church. She is elected to privilege just as other Christians.
You husbands likewise, dwell together with your wives according to knowledge (of Bible Doctrine), as a weaker vessel who is a woman; and grant her honor as a joint-heir of the Grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
"So that your prayers may not be hindered." Lack of domestic tranquility hinders the Grace of God in the Spiritual lives of believer priests. It hinders the Spiritual life. Failure in Marriage leads to grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit and thwarts the function of the priesthood and prayers (ref. Hindrance to the Priesthood).2 So, prayers are hindered as well as the function of the priesthood in the Church Age Believer.
"Hindered" is the Greek ejgkovptw (egkopto), from (ejn, in) + (kovptw, cut) = to hinder, thwart, impede, arrest; from the military practice of making slits in the street to hold up a pursuing enemy; hence, "to block the way" (Rom. 15:22).3 Hindered can mean all these things related to prayers as well as the Spiritual life of the believer-priest. Prayers can be blocked, hindered, or impeded. And the blockages can come from the enemy, which is the world, the flesh, or the devil. Satan can hinder the prayers from the Cosmic System. He can interfere with the prayers or answer them.
Prayers are hindered because of sin. That leaves the person out of fellowship with God and in the Cosmic System at the mercy of the world, the flesh, and the devil. First, God hinders and delivers the person into the Cosmic System. Then the enemies of the believer will attack. The attacks from the world, the flesh, and the devil had their origin in lack of domestic (Marital) tranquility. God turns all this loose on the believer because Marriage is the most important human relationship in this life. The hindrance of prayers is a symptom of a much bigger problem. The entire Spiritual life suffers. God cannot deliver the inheritance to a married couple when the Marriage, which is included in the inheritance, is dysfunctional.
Failure to execute the Spiritual life in Marriage means loss of Grace support for the Spiritual life outside of Marriage. Fornicators and adulterers God will Judge (Heb. 13:4). The Grace solution is always available for either party. Either party can Rebound and return to God. The suffering will be turned to blessing (1 Pet 3:14), and the Spiritual life will resume.
So, pastors are beating their brains out trying to teach their congregations the Spiritual life, and Christians are flailing around trying to make heads or tails of it all. Their prayers are being hindered, and they are facing problems on every corner. It all goes back to lack of domestic tranquility – discord in Marriage or the Right Man – Right Woman relationship. The man and woman in the Garden were the first to demonstrate this problem.
Rebound is the biggest help for prayer. When the believer Rebounds, his sins are forgiven and the filling of the Holy Spirit is restored along with fellowship with God. God will not answer prayer if there is unconfessed sin because sin separates from God.
Proverbs 28:13 ReboundThe believer who conceals his transgressions and refuses to Rebound will not prosper. But the one who acknowledges and forsakes his sins will obtain mercy from God.
He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who acknowledges and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Rebound in the 6th Cycle of Discipline
In the sixth Cycle of National Cursing, the Jews in captivity were commanded to Rebound. If they Rebounded, the Lord would restore His covenant relationship with Israel.
Leviticus 26:40-41 ReboundAfter Israel is conquered and the people carried into captivity, the people should Rebound. If they Rebound when they are captives in the land of their enemy, then they can resume their Spiritual life. They must acknowledge their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers. The iniquity of the fathers must be acknowledged because their sins led to the national curse which the children are now under.
40 But if they will acknowledge their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers [in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their walking in opposition to Me,
41 So that I Myself also walked in opposition to them and brought them into the land of their enemies,] if then, their uncircumcised heart is humbled, and then they pay for (take the punishment for) their iniquity,
Iniquities are further explained inside brackets in the two verses. Iniquities included unfaithfulness against the Lord and walking in opposition to Him. Unfaithfulness includes sins which violate the Law, and walking in opposition to the Lord in reversionism. The consequence of their iniquities was that the Lord opposed them and brought them as captives into the land of their enemies.
After Rebound they can resume their Spiritual life. This requires being humble even though they have a hardened heart, and it requires taking their punishment. If they reject their punishment, there is nothing left that the Lord can do for them except take them out under the Sin Leading to Death.
Leviticus 26:42 Abrahamic Covenant and Sabbatical YearsIf the people comply with the requirements of the previous verses, then the Lord will remember His Covenant with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. The Patriarchs are listed in reverse order to symbolize the end of a sequence. The Lord promised them the Land when He gave them the Covenant, and He took the Land away (and gave it to the enemies) at the end of the sequence. If they Rebound and take their punishment, the Lord will remember the Abrahamic Covenant and restore Israel as a Client Nation in the Land.
then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the Land.
"And I will remember the Land" – this refers to the Sabbatical Years (Lev 25:4; 2 Ch 36:21) in which the land was supposed to lie dormant every seventh year. Since Israel did not observe this, the Sabbatical Years that accumulated amounted to 70 years, which were applied when the Land was dormant during the 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple contained this doctrine of Rebound in the Sixth Cycle of National Cursing (2 Chron 6:37-39). Ezra confessed the sins and guilt of the nation of Israel in captivity (Ezra 9:6-15). This included the sin of mixed marriage to non-Jews. Nehemiah confessed his sins and the sins of his father and all Israel while in captivity (Neh 1:6). And Daniel confessed and interceded for Israel while in captivity (Dan 9:4-6). And the unknown poet confessed the sins of Israel as being like the congregation in the wilderness (Psa 106:6).
After David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he did not Rebound, and his problems compounded. Bathsheba got pregnant. David had Bathsheba's husband, Uriah the Hittite, murdered. David did not Rebound until he was confronted by Nathan, the prophet (2 Samuel 12). Then David acknowledged his sin (2 Sam 12:13).
Psalms 51 and 32 were written by David about this Rebound experience. Psalm 51 was written first.
Psalm 51:3 ReboundDavid acknowledged his transgressions to the Father, and he did not hide his sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
Psalm 51:4David recognized that His sin was against God. And he recognized God's Righteousness in communicating doctrine and that God was blameless in His Judgment. God's judgment is blameless and stands up to criticism by any human judgment. David recognizes God's absolute Righteousness and perfect Justice. God does not get angry at the sinner, nor does His punishment of sin add anything to His Holiness (Integrity).
Against You, against you only, have I sinned
And done that which is evil in Your eyes,
In order that You may be Righteous by Your speaking (doctrine),
And blameless by Your Judging.
Psalm 32:1-4David's punishment was great the year he failed to Rebound. His physical problems were very painful.
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute punishment,
And in his spirit there is no negligence.
3 When I kept silent about my sin, my bones wasted away through my screaming all the day.
4 Therefore, day and night Your hand was heavy on me;
My strength (vitality) was sapped as the heat of the Summer (dehydrated).
Psalm 32:5 ReboundDavid acknowledge his sins to the Lord (the Father) after the Lord forced his hand. After he confessed his transgressions to the Lord, then He forgave the guilt of his sin. "Selah" is a musical rest. After David confessed his sins, he was back in fellowship with God, and he could rest.
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity (wrongdoing) I did not hide;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord (Father)";
Then You did forgive the guilt of my sin. [Selah].
Isaiah's National Confession
Isaiah confessed the national sins and guilt of Israel in an intercessory prayer. In so doing he was admitting collective guilt and appealing for Divine mercy. He knew the nation was headed for destruction, and he was appealing to the Father for Divine intervention to save the nation.
Isaiah 64:6"All of us" refers to the nation of Israel, including Isaiah. All the people of the nation have collectively become impure. "Impure" is the Hebrew am@f* (tame' ), which means unclean, impure, polluted, defiled - ceremonial, religious uncleanness (Lev 5:2; 15:33; Deut 14:19; Isa 30:22; Lam 1:17), medically contagious (Lev 13:45), or immoral (Job 14:4; Ezek 22:5; 36:17). Being "impure" is the result of sin and living in the Cosmic System without Rebound.
All of us have become like those who are impure,
And all of our righteousnesses like a menstrual cloth;
All of us have withered like the leaves;
And our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us away.
"All of our righteousnesses like a menstrual cloth" – "righteousnesses" refers to Human Good, which is production apart from Grace. And "menstrual" is the Hebrew hDu! (`iddah), meaning period, from Arabic, referring to the monthly period of women; menstruation. Comparing good to a menstrual cloth is hyperbole, meaning, even the good in Israel was bad. Human Good is totally unacceptable and reprehensible to God.
"All of us have withered like the leaves." Dead works are like dead leaves or chaff. "And our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us away." Reversionists are led on by their iniquities, like chain smokers. They wander which ever way the wind blows.
Isaiah 64:7There was no one who called upon the Lord in prayer and intercession for the sins of the nation. They did not recognize the Name of the Lord. They had no respect for who and what He is. None would rouse themselves out of slumber to wake up and take hold of the Lord in fellowship with Him.
There is no one who calls on Your Name,
Who arouses himself to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us
And have delivered us into the hand of our iniquities.
The Lord had hidden his face from them, which means that He had withheld Grace. The Lord had delivered them into the hand of their iniquities. He left them in the Cosmic System under the power of their iniquities. There they would be attacked by their enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Isaiah 64:8 Potter and Clay
But now, O LORD, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand.
This
is the potter and clay analogy. It recognizes that the Lord is the
potter and we are the clay. He has Sovereign power in His Design
to make us into what He wishes. This analogy is used in intercessory
prayer as recognition of the Sovereign power of God to make of us what
He wishes. That's good, except we also have a volition, which means
we will reap what we have sown. The people of Israel have rejected
God. He has not rejected them. If they don't Rebound, God must
oppose them. God's opposition of sin is symbolized by the color orange
in the Divine order of Creation.
Isaiah 64:9 Have MercyThis is an appeal to the Lord to have mercy and not punish exceedingly. It is an appeal to shorten the length of punishment. And it is an appeal to the Lord to remember that Israel is His chosen people. Perhaps these considerations will cause Him to lighten the punishment.
Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Behold, consider, we pray, all of us are Your people.
Next is a appeal for the Lord to consider the destruction of the holy cities, including Jerusalem (Isa 64:10). Even the Temple had been burned and the sacred furnishing taken (Isa 64:11). The prayer ends with two rhetorical questions. The first question is how long will the Lord be silent and not come to the rescue? And the second question is will the Lord continue to punish Israel exceedingly?
Jeremiah Calls for Rebound
In the midst of the apostasy of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, the Lord sent Jeremiah to tell the people to return to Him and Rebound.
Jeremiah 3:12The Lord sent Jeremiah to tell the people, "Return, faithless Israel." This is the Hebrew shubah meshubah Israel, which has a syncopated rhythm. "Faithless" is the Hebrew hb*Wvm+, (meshubah), which means apostasy, backsliding, faithlessness. The Lord was calling for the people, who had turned away from Him into reversionism, to return to Him. He promised not to be angry but to be gracious.
Go and proclaim these words toward the North and say,
"Return, faithless Israel," declares the LORD;
"I will not look upon you in anger.
For I am gracious," declares the LORD;
"I will not be angry forever."
Jeremiah 3:13 Rebound"Acknowledge your iniquity" is a call to Rebound. In order to return to fellowship with the Lord, they must Rebound. They had turned away from the Lord and gone into reversionism. "Scattered you ways for strangers" is an idiom for running off to worship Baal with various groups of strangers. In Baal worship they practiced ritual prostitution under every green tree that afforded a good shade.
"Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have turned away from the LORD your God
And have scattered your ways for strangers under every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice," declares the LORD.
"You have not obeyed My voice." This means they have disobeyed Bible Doctrine.
Jeremiah said:
Jeremiah 3:25Jeremiah recognized the shame and humiliation of the nation of Judah. He confessed for the people collectively, "We have sinned." He recognized the sins of the fathers. Four generations of negative volition to Bible Doctrine can lead to the Four Generation Curse. That was about to happen to Judah. Jeremiah admitted that the nation had "not obeyed the voice of the LORD" (Bible Doctrine).
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
Necessity of Rebound
Everyone is a sinner, and every believer should use Rebound. There is no other way to be restored to the filling of the Holy Spirit and fellowship with God.
1 John 1:8Anyone who says that he does not have sin is deceiving himself. Everyone who is descended from Adam has an Old Sin Nature, and everyone sins. If a person thinks otherwise, the truth, based on Bible Doctrine, is not in him.
If we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth (Bible Doctrine) is not in us.
1 John 1:9 Rebound"Acknowledge our sins" means to name them to the Father (ref. 1 Jn 1:9 explanation). If we do this, the Father is faithful to always forgive our sins. And He is Righteous. His Righteousness is not compromised in forgiving us because our sins were paid for on the Cross. Post Salvation sins knock out the filling of the Holy Spirit. To restore it, the sins must be forgiven. When we acknowledge our sins, the Father forgives our sins and purifies us from all wrongdoing. Wrongdoing is the production of dead works of sin, lust, human good, and evil that results from being in the Cosmic System under the power of the Old Sin Nature.
If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and Righteous with the result that He forgives us our sins and He purifies us from all wrongdoing.
Rebound restores the filling of the Holy Spirit and fellowship with God.
1 John 1:10If a person says he has not sinned, he is a liar, and what he says is contrary to the Word of God. It is impossible to reach sinless perfection with an Old Sin Nature. Satan is the one who contends that he has not sinned, even though he is the author of sin. The Holiness movement was founded on the lies of the Prostitute of Babylon. It was and is demonic.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Humility toward God is not only respect for Divine authority, but it is also respect for His Holy Name. It is recognition of God's holy, wise, and Sovereign will and willingness to submit to it. It is recognition of God's strength and our weakness. It is realization of our helpless and hopeless condition as a candidate for the Father's Grace. A humble person is a candidate for Grace.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14When the Client Nation is under cursing and the people humble themselves and pray, the Lord will answer their prayer. Humbling themselves includes Rebound. "Seek My face" means to seek fellowship with the Lord, i.e. to come into His presence. "Turn from their evil ways" means to turn away from reversionism. When the people, humble themselves and pray, seek the Lord's face (return to fellowship), and turn away from evil, then the Father will hear from Heaven, forgive their sin, and restore their Land. "Forgive their sin" is the result of Rebound. God will forgive the sins the people committed when they were out of fellowship. "And restore their Land" means the Lord will restore Client Nation status.
13 If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,
14 and My people (Believers in a Client Nation) who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face (fellowship with the Lord) and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and I will restore their Land (Client Nation status).
Thus, we see that after national cursing, the Client Nation can be restored by believers who humble themselves and pray. When Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves, God withheld His punishment of the nation (2 Chron 32:26). The humble believer is a candidate for Grace, and God will hear his prayers.
Manasseh was an Evil King of Judah.4 He introduced idolatry into Judah as Ahab had done in the Northern Kingdom. He was so evil that the Lord decided to destroy Judah because of him. The Lord spoke to Manasseh and the people, but they would not listen (2 Chron 33:10).
2 Chronicles 33:11The Lord brought the Assyrian army against Judah. They captured Manasseh and took him back to Babylon. "Hooks" refers to nose rings used to subdue animals (2 Kings 19:28; Ezek 19:4). "Bronze chains," which is dual, means double fetters of bronze or brass used to bind the feet of prisoners (2 Sam 3:34; Judg 16:21; 2 Chron 36:6).
Therefore, the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
2 Chronicles 33:12-13After Manasseh had been subdued, he lost his arrogance and became humble. He humbled himself before God in prayer and supplication, and the Lord heard his prayers and restored him to his kingdom in Jerusalem. Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah. He had some parental training, which he later remembered (Prov 22:6).
12 When he (Manasseh) was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
13 When he prayed to Him, He granted his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD Himself was God.
Tax Collector
Another example of humility in prayer is the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, which has been previously explained (ref. Luk 18:13-14).
Fasting is doing without food because of a higher priority in the Spiritual life. That priority may be prayer or something else. A legitimate priority is when God does not provide the daily bread. The reason for such a fast usually has nothing to do with prayer. The believer may also decide to forego food because of a higher priority. He may have pressing problems, and in the course of sorting out his Spiritual problems, he may need to spend time in prayer. In a crisis eating is not usually a priority. And in a crisis that requires prayer, eating would not usually be a priority.
For those who are well fed, missing a meal or two occasionally is more symbolic than significant. Missing a meal is not going to do much for the Spiritual life or the prayer life. However, extended fasting, where there is hunger and bodily weakness, is a different matter. Fasting from necessity is different from fasting by choice. But, if there is fasting, it must be genuine or it is of no value. If a person doesn't even know how to obey God in his eating,1 how can he legitimately fast?
Fasting is an issue in the Spiritual life, and so is prayer. Legitimate fasting may be a sign of humility or Spiritual weakness. It may be necessary, and it may be associated with prayer. In such cases, it helps put the person on praying ground. Daniel's intercessory prayer for Israel was such an example (ref. Dan 9:3). On the other hand, fasting for selfish reasons will not help prayer (ref. Isa 58:4). And fasting is a private matter between the individual and the Lord (Matt 6:16-18). It is no one else's business.
Elihu, who tried to help Job in his distress, recognized the need for a mediator to help in prayer.
Job 33:23 MediatorElihu proposed an angel as a mediator for the man in need. The angels are near God, but this angelic mediator would have to be equal with God to be a mediator with God. The Angel of the Lord, the preincarnate Christ, could be such a mediator. He is our Mediator (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6) and Defense Attorney (1 Jn 2:1).
If there is an angel as a mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To declare to a man what is right for him.
This angelic mediator would be able "to declare to a man what is right for him." This refers to the right way, Salvation. So, if the Angel of the Lord were Job's mediator, He would be able to declare the right way, and God the Father would listen because the way would be right. And Job would be delivered. Thus, Elihu's proposal of the Angel of the Lord as a mediator was quite brilliant. Later, the Lord Jesus Christ became that Mediator.
Job 33:24 RedeemerThe angelic mediator would be gracious to Job and say to God that Job should be spared from going to the grave (the pit). The reason Job should be spared was because there had been found a ransom (or Redeemer) for him (Psa 34:7). The "Ransom" (Redeemer) is Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:6) and the Blood of Christ (Matt 20:28; Mk 10:45; 1 Pet 1:18-19).
He is gracious to him and says,
"Spare him from going down to the pit;
I have found a ransom (Redeemer)."
Job 33:25After he is delivered from Satan, Job will be restored to health in youthful vigor.
His flesh swells with the freshness of youth,
He is restored to the days of his youthful vigor;
Job 33:26 Restored to FellowshipAfter the mediator intercedes for Job, then Job will be restored to fellowship with God. Job will be able to pray to God and receive favorable answers to payer. He will see God's face, which was previously hidden (Job 34:29). This means he will receive Grace from God. He will have Divine Happiness. And God will restore Job's Righteousness. This corresponds to being purified from all wrongdoing in Rebound (1 Jn 1:9).
Then he will pray to God, and he will find favor with Him,
He will see His (God's) face with a shout of joy,
For He will restore to man His Righteousness.
An intercessor is also a help to prayer. After Hannah poured out her heart to God, her prayer for a child was not answered until Eli interceded for her (ref. 1 Sam 1:17). Job's friends could not be delivered from the Lord's punishment until Job interceded for them (Job 42:7, 8, 10). When Peter was asleep in prison, his friends interceded for him, and he was freed by an angel (ref. Supplication for Peter).
Praying in private is another help to prayer. Concentration is important in prayer, and other people are a distraction. In addition, our privacy is protected from others in private prayer. This is why Jesus recommended going into an inner room to pray privately (ref. Matt 6:6).
When Elijah discovered that the widow's son had died, he took the child from her and carried him up to his room and laid him on his own bed (1 Ki 17:19). In private, Elijah began to pray for the child (1 Ki 17:20).
1 Kings 17:21Elijah first stretched himself upon the child's body three times. Three is the number for the Justice of the Holy Spirit. By stretching himself upon the child, Elijah was placing his spiritual body over the child's body. He was also incubating the child. And he may have been breathing into him, although that is not stated. This was all preparing the child to receive the spirit of life from God and with it, biological life. Then Elijah prayed to God to let the child's soul return to the body. The soul departs at death.
Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child's soul return into his body."
1 Kings 17:22The Lord answered Elijah's prayer, and the boy revived.
The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child returned into his body and he revived.
1 Kings 17:23Elijah took the child back down to his mother. He showed her that her son was alive. So God answered Elijah's prayer privately, and the child was resuscitated.
Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, "See, your son is alive."
Elisha Raises the Shunammite's Child
After the Shunammite woman provided Elisha with a room, he asked what he could do for her (2 Ki 4:12, 13). Then Elisha foretold that she would bear a son the next year (2 Ki 4:16). After she had the son and he grew into a young boy, he had a severe headache and died on his mother's lap (2 Ki 4:18-20). A headache is indicative of an authority problem. She took the boy up and laid him on the bed in Elisha's room (2 Ki 4:21). Then she went immediately to Elisha at Mt. Carmel (2 Ki 4:25).
She told Elisha what had happened, and reminded him that she had asked not to be deceived when he originally told her that she would bear a son (2 Ki 4:28). The Lord gave and the Lord took away. So, Elisha sent his servant Gehazi to go to the boy in haste and told him to place his staff on the boy's face (2 Ki 4:29), but the mother refused to leave Elisha's side. Gehazi reached the boy and placed Elisha's staff on the boy's face, but he did not respond (2 Ki 4:31). Then he returned to tell Elisha, who was on his way.
2 Kings 4:32-33Elisha went into the room where the dead child lay and closed the door behind him so he was alone with the child in the room. Then he prayed to the Lord.
32 When Elisha came into the house, behold the child was dead and laid on his bed.
33 So he entered and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD.
2 Kings 4:34Then Elisha performed a form of artificial resuscitation. He understood that the spiritual body from the spirit of human life resides in the physical body. So Elisha lay on top of the boy with his mouth upon his mouth. Although it doesn't say that he breathed into the boy's mouth, he may have. Elisha's eyes were on the boy's eyes. The eyes symbolize Grace and Light. And Elisha's hands were on the boy's hands. The spirit of human life exits the hands. This is a form of laying on of hands, which is used for spiritual jump starting. As Elisha lay on the child, the boy's body was incubated.
Then he went up and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth and his eyes upon his eyes and his hands upon his hands; and he bowed down over him, and the flesh of the child became warm.
Then Elisha bowed down over the child as he continued to pray, and the boy's body became warm. Body heat indicates the presence of the spirit of life that enables metabolism in biological life, but the body was not yet strong enough to sustain involuntary control of breathing and heartbeat.
2 Kings 4:35Then Elisha took a break. The child's body had biological life from the spirit of life; but like a baby in the womb, only God can provide soul life. Elisha left the boy in the Lord's hands and went down stairs into the house. He walked back and forth once. He was waiting for the Lord. He had done all that he could do. The Lord must provide soul life.
Then he returned and walked in the house, once back and forth, and went up and bowed down over him; and the child sneezed seven times and the child opened his eyes.
Then Elisha went back and bowed down over the child in prayer. Then the soul from God entered the child, and he sneezed seven times. The Lord takes away, and the Lord gives soul life. Seven is the number for Categorical Punishment. And sneezing is a reaction to the overpowering presence of the soul of Elisha in the child's life. It indicates that the child had a separate identity from Elisha.
Then the child opened his eyes. This was a sign of waking up, or being resuscitated. The eyes symbolize Grace. Open eyes are open to Grace, and closed eyes are shut off from Grace. The eyes were filled with the light of life.
2 Kings 4:36Raising of Tabitha
He (Elisha) called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Take up your son."
During the early days of the Church Age, a disciple named Tabitha, who abounded in good deeds, fell sick and died (Acts 9:36, 37). Tabitha is the Aramaic equivalent of the Greek Dorcas, for a gazelle. Since Peter was nearby, the disciples sent for him to come at once (Acts 9:38). When Peter arrived, they brought him to see the body. The widows were all crying (Acts 9:39).
Acts 9:40 Tabitha Raised from the DeadPeter prayed for Tabitha after he had sent all the people out of the room. Then Peter told Tabitha to arise, and she awoke from the dead.
40 But after sending them all out and kneeling down, Peter prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
Acts 9:41Peter extended his hand and raised her up. Then he called the others and presented her to them.
And after giving her his hand, he raised her up; and having called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Imprecation is calling down a curse, invoking evil, or seeking harm on another. Imprecatory prayers exist in the Psalms, e.g . Psalm 35, 59, 69, 109. However, imprecatory prayers should not be offered in the Church Age. Jesus taught that believers should love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matt 5:43-44; Luk 6:27-35). Christians should live under the Royal Law with impersonal Love for all mankind (Jas 2:8). If one is wronged, he should leave the matter in the hands of the Supreme Court of Heaven and not take his own revenge (Rom 12:18-20). He should overcome evil with Good (Rom 12:21).
Cursing
Cursing is a form of retaliation for wrongs suffered. Christians are prohibited from cursing in prayers or any other way (ref. Rom 12:14). Job did not curse his enemies (Job 31:29-30).
Cursing begins with mental attitude sins or ill will toward others. Holding a grudge, being implacable, bitter, or jealous is the prelude to a curse. Looking down on another in snobbery is the beginning of a curse. These sins actually affect other people and curse them. Those who practice cursing begin with these mental attitude sins and weave them into overt curses. Sins of the tongue bring out the curses. It is therefore, very important to have impersonal Love for all mankind.
Sin Leading to Death
Prayer for a person dying the Sin Leading to Death is prohibited (ref. 1 Jn 5:16).5 Intercessory prayer will not work for a person dying the Sin Leading to Death.
Author: Larry Wood, Released - September 12, 2013 - Revised May 25, 2014
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