Satan’s Strategy: Three Secrets to Satan’s Strategy

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

Evil seems always to be celebrated on Halloween.  So I will take the opportunity of this day to give you this excerpt from my book Purpose of Prayer, from the chapter entitled Prayer Warfare – Part 1.  Christians: be on your guard today, as always, by knowing Satan’s strategy against us.

 

Yes, Satan has a strategy.  He has defined goals and has considered how he can accomplish them.  In Job 1:7, when Satan told God that he was “…roaming about on the earth and walking around on it” (NAS), he was not just taking a leisurely stroll for recreation.  He was looking over the earth, over its government, and over all the people on the earth, pondering and considering how he could lead the world astray. 

And he is still considering us today, to determine our weaknesses and to figure out how he can do the most damage—how he can tempt us and cause us to sin, and then devour us (1 Pt. 5:8); though, by now (after 6,000 years), he must have us almost figured out.

In his pondering, he especially considers individuals (as well as local churches, communities, and nations); he devises schemes as to how he can hinder their progress.  Consequently, he has a special temptation for each of us, according to what he perceives is our weakness or strength.  I think He focuses most on spiritual leaders and the more godly, but, no doubt, his temptations include everyone.  His objective is to track us down, lead us astray, and destroy us.

Now, when he considers us, and determines how he can trap us into sin, his temptations will be in just three areas: in the area of the flesh, of the eyes, and of our pride.  These areas (sited in 1 John 2:16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life) are really the only three areas or avenues of temptation that exist.  The first area, the lust of the flesh, is that avenue of temptation that appeals to our bodies—such as the lust for food or sex.  The second area, the lust of the eyes, is that area of temptation that brings a delight to the eyes (Gen. 3:6).  It is a lust or a greed for all the beautiful things such as clothes and houses and cars, etc.  The third area, the area of pride, is that area of temptation that appeals to our status, our popularity, or our sense of power.

Therefore, when Satan tempts us, he may temp us in one of these three areas or perhaps in two areas or even all three areas.  When Satan tempted Eve, for example (Gen. 3:6), the temptation to take the fruit was in all three areas: it was “good for food” (lust of the flesh), “a delight to the eyes” (lust of the eyes), and “desirable to make one wise” (pride of life).

Notice that each of these areas of temptation is designed to make us feel better.  For Satan wants us to believe that what he is telling us to do (tempting us to do) will benefit us—so that we will obey him and follow him willfully (wholeheartedly).

And it happens that the more we give into his temptations the more we become trapped.  For Satan has worked in us and with us to build in our minds sinful strongholds.  A stronghold can be defined as an accumulation of thoughts or ideas, which Satan has fed us with that seem to give us a good reason to sin.  It is an accumulation of arguments for evil (Read 2 Cor. 10:4-5).  Consequently, this is how Satan traps us into temptations; he plants beautiful and pleasurable seeds of evil—one at a time—in our mind until they form a stronghold. 

A stronghold is a place of moral darkness.  It is a place in the mind that one has allowed Satan to enter, where he has given the demons legal access, and has even made them feel comfortable.  I suppose we could say that a stronghold is the grip of Satan on one’s mind, compelling him, by his own lusts, to think and do certain sinful things.  To put it simply, it is a sinful habit encouraged by demons.

In some cases, sin and Satan have managed to control us through our lusts, but not totally deceive us; that is, we willfully engage in sinful habits, even though we know (in our mind) that they are wrong.  Thus, sin and the demons overcome us, and we find ourselves doing what we don’t want to do. 

In many other cases, when the stronghold is more built up, people have become totally deceived by Satan’s arguments—so that they don’t believe or even know the truth.  Thus, lies have become truth to them.  In fact, these people like to argue against the truth, saying, for example, that there is nothing wrong with abortion, or homosexuality, or adultery, or lust, or the occult.  Therefore, these people have firm strongholds in their mind because they have believed a lie.  For them, Satan no longer has to tempt them—they sin on their own.  I would say that in most cases these people are non-Christians, who don’t have the Holy Spirit in them to show them the truth.  However, if Christians constantly reinforce Satan’s lies without being repentant, I believe it may be possible for them to be deceived—that is, to believe a lie.  In such cases (since there is no repentance for sins) the Holy Spirit would no longer be effective.

To close this chapter let me leave you with three secrets to Satan’s strategy.

 

Three Secrets to Satan’s Strategy

 

1.  The devil doesn’t care much about you; his battle is against Christ in you.  He hates to see people coming to Christ and people growing in Christ.  On the one who is seeking salvation Satan will bring the worst doubts.  He will attack him with accusations and judgments and say to him, “What, you be saved?  Think of your past life.”  Then, to the newborn, he will tempt him to loose hope, disbelieve the inspiration of scripture, the deity of Christ and his salvation.

2.  Satan hates those who are righteous and prayer warriors.  Thus, if you are righteous and a prayer warrior, like Job, he may hinder you and try to get an advantage over you by afflicting the ones you love.  For he killed all of Job’s children and servants and turned his wife against him.

3.  One of Satan’s greatest tactics is to leave us alone for awhile.  Then when we think we are so righteous and strong we get lazy and think we don’t need to be vigilant. Consequently, Satan catches us sleeping and he gains victory over us. Spurgeon writes, “A roaring Devil is better than a sleeping devil.  There is no temptation much worse then that of never being tempted at all.”

 

Posted in Prayer A to Z Excerpts, Understanding the Times, Vigilance in Prayer, Prayer Warfare | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Our Heavenly Father’s Role in Intercession – 7 Points

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 

It is not the Father’s role to intercede.  The Father is the one who hears, receives, and answers our prayers.  But I think He should be included in the intercession process, because if it wasn’t for the Father we could not pray at all.  In fact, all prayer comes from the Father.  We will take time now to consider seven things regarding how the Father is involved in intercession.

 

1. He is the head person of the trinity and is in charge over the whole intercession process.  Jesus said that His Father is Lord over heaven and earth (Lu. 10:21) and that He is greater than all (Jn. 10:29).  Jesus also said in John 6:57 that He lives because of the Father.  This does not mean that the Father gave Him existence (Jesus has always existed); however, it means that His special life of power and authority was committed or delegated to Him by God the Father (read John 5:26 for an explanation).  We see this in John 5:22 where it says that the Father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the Son.  Therefore, this verse tells us that God the Father is the one in charge of judgment and that He chose to delegate that duty to His Son Jesus.  We know also that the Father sent the Holy Spirit to us (Jn. 14:26), and that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth that proceeds (or flows continually) from the Father (Jn. 15:26).

Therefore, from these verses and from many others we must conclude that the Father is the head of the trinity and that His own spirit, character, and authority proceed out to Christ His Son and to the Holy Spirit.  Likewise He is in charge over all things, including the whole intercession process.  Therefore, He directs and takes charge of the intercession of Christ and the Holy Spirit, and so also is Lord over our intercession for others.

 

2. He makes plans for us and makes things happen according to His own will and according to the concerns and desires He has for us.  In several passages of scripture we understand that it is the Father who decides things and makes plans by His own will.  For instance, in Matthew 12:50 Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”  Again in John 5:30 Jesus said, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

Guess what kind of plans He has for you?  Well, He has great plans in store for you.  Listen to What God says to us through the prophet Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” 

God also speaks to us and tells us how He feels about us through David.  In Psalms 139:17 David prays, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!”

Therefore, in these few verses we see that God loves us, thinks about us, and makes plans for us for our good.  But He not only makes plans for us, He sets in motion those activities and events, including all the prayers and intercession that will work to make those plans happen according to His will.

 

3.  He is the source of our prayers.  The Father has sent us the Holy Spirit to help us pray.  By that Spirit He reveals to us His love, His plans, and all the desires He has for us.  So when we pray in the Spirit we in effect are really offering back to God the same desires and plans He has given us.  Therefore, our prayers are really His prayers.  In the end we must conclude that all prayer comes from His mind and heart.

 

4. He is the person that we should pray to.  I don’t think there is anything terribly wrong with talking to Jesus or to the Holy Spirit in prayer; but the Bible tells us that we should pray to the Father.  In Matthew 6:6 Jesus said “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

But why are we told to pray just to the Father and not to Jesus or the Holy Spirit?  Well, I think it is because He is the one who watches over us and cares for us.  It is because we are the Fathers children, and children always ask their father for the things they need.

 

5.  He listens to our prayers and to the pleadings of Christ and the Holy Spirit for us.  The Father is the person who sits intently on His throne in heaven and listens to prayers and intercessions.  He listens and hears the prayers of His Son, the prayers of the Holy Spirit, and our prayers.  He always knows our needs, wants, and wishes; but still, He invites us to talk with Him.  He wants to hear all of our problems.  He wants to commune with us.  He loves to just sit and listen to what we have to say to Him.  I think He loves it especially when we ask Him to help a friend who is in need, because He wants to supply every need.

 

6.  He is the person who searches or examines the heart.  In Romans 8:27 God the Father is the “He” who searches the heart.  David says of Him in Psalms 139:1-3, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thoughts afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are aquatinted with all my ways.”

Now why does the Father search our heart?  What is He looking for, or what is His purpose for searching?  Well, from Romans 8:27, we understand that He searches to find the reason why the Spirit groans in us, as He intercedes in us, so that He may supply our need, or some need in the body of Christ.

But I think we can break it down further.  From my study I have come up with three adjoining reasons why the Father searches our heart.

One of the bigger reasons why the Father searches our heart is to expose our sin so that He may sympathize with our weakness and help us (Heb. 4:12-16). For that reason He has commissioned His Son to be our Great High Priest who sits beside Him now in heaven.  In fact the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all working together to discern our heart and to convict us of our sins, causing us to repent.  Then the Father (and the Son, through the Holy Spirit) draws us to Himself, where He (and the Son and Holy Spirit) sympathizes with our weakness.  There at His great throne of grace He (with the Son and Holy Spirit) lovingly gives us mercy and pours out His grace upon us.

A second reason why the Father searches our heart is to discern our motives when we pray and do good works—so that He can reward us accordingly (Jer. 17:10).  For instance, if we pray for a certain thing or do a certain deed, and the Father finds that our heart is selfish, we will go without a reward; but if He finds the our heart is pure and for His glory, then He will reward us.  Yes, the Father is watching and keeping track of what we do so that He can reward us.  Soon He will send his Son Jesus to give us gifts according to our works (Rev. 22:14).  I think Jesus Himself will be the best reward of all!

Thirdly, the Father searches the heart in order to find those who are pure of heart and who are willing to serve Him.  Yes, He has His eyes on every person in the whole world and He searches every heart. He is looking especially for those who are pure and willing workers because He wants to exalt them and give them important jobs and positions in His kingdom.

One example of this is when God sought out and chose David to be the king over Israel (1 Sam. 16:1-13).  In this case, Samuel received wisdom from the Lord that David was to be the one chosen, even though he wasn’t the most likely candidate.  And so, as it happened, Samuel and the elders of the city (Bethlehem) gazed upon the older brothers, especially upon Eliab (who was probably the oldest and tallest), and God said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (v. 7).  Hence, we see that God had examined the heart of Eliab and his brothers and found that they were lacking in the essential qualifications for the office of King and were rejected.  However, after examining the heart of David, God found that his heart was more like his own heart, that he had a heart to do all His will (Acts 13:22).  And so God said to Samuel, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he” (v. 12).

Another example of God’s searching is when the apostles needed to choose a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:24).  They had to choose between two men, Joseph or Matthias.  In their prayer they correctly prayed, “Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two thou has chosen to occupy this ministry.”  Then they drew lots and the lot fell to Matthias.  And so by this method God chose the one who had the best heart for the office.

So these are some of the reasons why God searches the heart.  But how do we tie this into intercession? What does His searching our heart have to do with intercession?  Well, here is the answer, as I understand it.  The Spirit groans and intercedes for us according to the Father’s will (Rom. 8:27).  The Father then searches the heart to find how He can help us, bless us, and reward us.  He also searches our heart so that He can show us our own needs and sins and the needs and sins of others.  And He does this so that we can be involved with the Spirit in the intercession process, moreover, so that we may truly understand the will of God and so that we may groan with the spirit.

 

7.  He is the giver of all good things.  The Father owns and holds all the goods.  As our Father, He cares for us and wants to give us all the things we need and that are good for us.  All we have to do is pray and ask Him for it.  The best gift of all that He offers to us is His Holy Spirit.  When we ask Him for that gift He will never deny us.  And in that gift we receive all the rest (Lu. 11:7-11).

 

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Four Ways to Pray With Importunity

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

Importune prayer is prayer that is aroused and energized by the Holy Spirit.  According to E. M. Bounds,

It [importune prayer] is not an impulse of energy, not a mere earnestness of soul; it is an inwrought force, a faculty implanted and aroused by the Holy Spirit.  Virtually, it is the intercession of the Spirit of God, in us; it is, moreover, “the effectual, fervent prayer, which availeth much.”  The Divine Spirit informing every element within us, with the energy of His own striving, is the essence of the importunity which urges our praying at the mercy-seat, to continue until the fire falls and the blessing descends.

 I think this is right on.  When we pray with importunity it is really the Holy Spirit praying in us.  He moves us and motivates us in our prayers.  Here are four ways the Holy Spirit motivates us to pray with importunity:

 1. By friendship.  The Spirit of God is always moving His heart toward us in friendship (Read John 15:12-17).  He asks us to be His friend and to befriend others.  Andrew Murray has said, “Life as a friend of God gives us the wonderful liberty to say, ‘I have a friend to whom I can go even at midnight.’”  To have God as a friend means that I can share everything with Him, and He will share His heart with me.  Moreover, since God is a friend of the needy, my friendship with the needy draws me closer to God as a friend; and it opens His heart to me for prayer.  Friendship I think is the best and most wonderful motivating factor of importune prayer.

2. By concern for needs.  As we grow in our friendship with God and with others we are touched with concern every time there is a need.  With God we are more and more concerned for His holiness and His reputation.  And for all of our earthly friends, we wish them happiness of course, but most of all we are concerned for their soul and for their peace with God.  Hence, the stronger our friendships develop the more the Holy Spirit will motivate us by concern to pray for them.  He burdens us with their needs so that we will pray for them with importunity.

3. By hope.  We are certainly urged by the Holy Spirit to pray with importunity because of our urgent needs.  But the energy we get to pray with such persistence is based on hope—hope that He as a friend and as a good Father will give us what we need.  For God always wants the best for His children.

Notice in Like 11:9-10 that there is a double emphasis on the answer to our asking, seeking and knocking.  “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”  That is the first emphasis on our receiving.  But He goes on… “For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.”  Our shameless, persistent asking then, if it is true importunity, is always based on this hope—that God will answer!  And surely, in contrast to the so-called friend, in the story in Luke 11:5-8, who said “Go away, I am comfortable and in bed,” God is not and is never in bed sleeping!  If there is a need He will definitely be quick to give us what we need.  This is the great hope we have in God as we pray with importunity.

4. By fear.  The Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after that the judgment (Heb. 9:27).  We all will be judged some day.  For believers, our judgment will be according to our works; that is, we will receive rewards according to our works.  For nonbelievers, they will be judged by whether they have received Jesus or not.  If they have not received Him they will be removed forever from the presence of God, to a place called hell, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12).  Every praying believer ought to be motivated to pray for himself and for nonbelievers out off fear of these things.  No one will escape the judgment of God.  With this in mind, let us pray fervently, with importunity, for everyone that God gives us a burden to pray for.

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Four Reasons Why Prayer Takes Time

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 It almost always takes time for prayers to be answered; therefore, prayers need to continue with persistence.  But why is that true?  Why can’t God answer prayers immediately?

Well, He can, and He sometimes does if He wants to perform a miracle.  However, God has chosen to put us, and all His creation, under the law of gradual growth.  Just as the grass, the flowers, and the trees grow slowly and gradually, animals and people also grow slowly and gradually.  Our prayers should be that that process would continue as it was designed, hence, that God would give us the proper sunshine and rain that we need in order to grow and develop properly.  Furthermore, let us pray that He would send His messengers to pull the evil weeds out that hinder our growth.

Now I am not saying that we can’t pray for a miracle, or that God can’t speed up the growth process.  He can, and He has—like the time He caused the sun to stand still for a whole day (Josh. 10:12-13).  But if we pray for that kind of a miracle we shouldn’t be surprised if God doesn’t answer that prayer; because His normal way is the way of gradual growth—even in our spiritual lives.

Yes, our spiritual life is under that law of gradual growth too.  For just as our body takes time to grow and develop, our spirit and our relationship with God takes time too.  Consequently, as our faith grows to maturity and as we grow in His knowledge, we will see more and more answers to prayer.  But prayer answers may not be dependent on just our faith.  They may also depend on three other things: on our will and on the will of others we are praying for, on the accumulation of prayers from others, and on how entrenched Satan is.  I would like to talk now about these four things (above in italics), one at a time.  We may see them as four things that take time.  They are also the reasons why persistence in prayer is necessary.

1. It takes time for man’s will to change.  Whether it is our will that needs changing, or the will of the one’s we are praying for, we must allow God time to work through our prayers to change our will.  Constant prayer will definitely help to soften a person’s heart and strong will.  Just as hard ground needs to be plowed in order for seeds to germinate and grow, we need to pray for ourselves and others that we would seek the Lord and that He would plow up our hard heart and plant His seeds of righteousness.  This process will not transpire without long persistent prayer (Jer. 4:3, Hos. 10:12).

2. It takes time for faith to grow to maturity.  One of the reasons why answers to prayers are delayed is because we have not believed enough to receive what we ask for. Our constant prayer will serve to build up our faith.  The more we pray for a thing the more our faith will grow; hence, the more we will see the will of God and how He is going to answer us.

3. It takes time for prayers to mount up.  The more pray-ers that are enlisted and the more prayers that are offered up to God, the more our faith is build up and the more our prayers work to speed up the answers.  I don’t know why it works that way but it does.  It seems that the more prayers that are heaped up, the greater the power of God is toward us.  I think God just loves to see and hear our prayers, especially if we are sincere.  And so, what we are saying here is that the reason why we must be persistent in prayer and why it takes time for our prayers to be answered is because there are so many people around us who are not praying as they should.  Therefore, since not very many prayers are being offered up to God along with ours, it takes more time for prayer to mount up.  So get with it people!  Pray!  All of your prayers count!

Andrew Murray writes, “Prayers must often be ‘heaped up’ until God sees that its measure is full.  Then the answer comes.  Just as each of ten thousand seeds is a part of the final harvest, frequently repeated, persevering prayer is necessary to acquire a desired blessing.”

4. It takes time to fight against Satan.  The more Satan has been allowed in an area or person, the more he will be entrenched there, and the stronger his hold will be.  Furthermore, the stronger his hold is in an area or person the longer it may take to get rid of him and to see prayer answers.

Do you remember the story of when Daniel fasted and prayed for twenty-one days, until he finally received the answer to his prayer?  Do you remember why he had to pray for twenty-one days?  Well, he found out later from an angel that there was spiritual warfare going on, on all those twenty-one days.  Apparently, while Daniel was praying, God heard his prayer on the very first day and He sent an angel out to give him the answer.  But the angel was delayed for twenty-one days.  He had been ambushed by an evil angel—the prince of the kingdom of Persia (Dan. 10:13)—and he withstood him for twenty-one days until finally the angel Michael came and helped him.  What a story!  But I think this kind of thing goes on a lot without our knowing it.  Hence, this is why sometimes our prayers are delayed—because we have allow Satan to become entrenched and it takes time to fight against him to remove him.

Now let me say one more thing in regard to this section on perseverance.  God is eager to answer our prayers; He does not want anyone to perish; and He loves us all so much.  But in His sovereign will He has put us under the law of gradual growth; and so things take time to come together.  But, when finely, by prayer, the heart is made soft, and when faith is built up enough to receive His answer, and when Satan is put out of the way, hence, when God sees that the time is right, He works speedily!  He will not delay His answer one second more than is needed (Lu. 18:7-8)!

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How to Begin To Have a Godlier Lifestyle – 8 Ways

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

I’ve been thinking about what I do with my time.  I go to work, eat meals, sleep, go to church, attend Bible study groups—those things are all good.  But what disturbs me is what I do with the time I use to relax—my own time.  Okay some things are good, but some things are not so good.  I spend far too much time watching TV. 

But it’s not only too much TV watching that’s bad.  It’s a lot of things.  I think I (we) have a lifestyle that is constantly seeking self pleasure, a lifestyle that seeks to escape responsibility and work.  This is what it looks like, at least for me:  I watch TV; I feel hungry so I eat a snack; I watch more TV; I eat more; I think about doing something else more exciting, so I go to the computer: play a game, check my e-mail, look at facebook; I get bored, then I think, ah, I’ve got it, I’ll watch a movie.

And you know, this isn’t just me.  When I go visit a friend or a relative I discover that they do the same thing.  They have the same free-time-lifestyle that I do.  I guess this TV watching, snacking, computer gazing activity is pretty much the same all over.  I wonder how far this lifestyle extends?

 

Here are 8 things I thought of that we can do to help change our lifestyle for the better—to give us a Godlier lifestyle:

 

1. Identify your idols.  All the activities in our life that keep us from doing what God has called us to do I think are our idols.  They are the things that take up our free time, the things that are addicting, that we can’t stop doing, that our flesh seems to crave.  I think for most of us TV is a big Idol, and the computer; or it could be generally materialism.  Maybe you are obsessed with always having to buy the latest fashions.  Whatever it is, identify those things which makes up your lifestyle, that keeps you from having a Godly lifestyle, and look to find ways to change. 

2.  Look for others that have the same concerns.  If you desire a Godlier lifestyle, I’m not sure you can do it alone—at least adequately.  I think it would help to do this as a group or at least with one other person.  However, if you can’t find anyone else, just move ahead on your own and trust that God will give you a partner down the road.  I’m now blogging this, so I’m hoping to find others in the blogosphere with the same desire I have.

3.  Study the history of your idols.  One of my big idols is the TV.  I think I’m going to Google the history of TV to see why people wanted it, and why people were against it—to try to understand the nature of it, to understand why it has worked so powerfully for evil in this world. 

4.  Search the Bible to find what God says a Godly lifestyle is; to try to get a clear picture of it; to lay out some principles. 

5.  Look at the history of people groups in this country and in other countries before people had TV and all the other things that make up our modern lifestyle, to see what their lifestyle was like, to see if we can learn anything.  Perhaps it would be good to cut out some of our modern ways of life—for the sake of having a more godly life. 

6.  Read about and visit other countries with different cultures.  Look to see if they have a better, godlier lifestyle. 

7.  Make lists of what you can change and what you intend to change.  One list would be of things to discontinue in your life.  Another list would be of good things to start doing.  You may also want to list all the things that are good in your life—that don’t need changing. 

8.  Decide how to share your findings.  Change happens a lot quicker I think when we share our discoveries.  When you discover what a godly lifestyle is and you have written down some things that you intend to change in your life, sharing those things may empower you to carry it out.  I like to blog, so maybe I will share my findings in a blog post. Or you could share what you have found in your small group.

 

I sincerely hope and pray that we all will find the lifestyle that God intends for us.

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18 Facets of Importune Prayer

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER

Here, in summary, are eighteen facets of importune prayer that I have written about in my book Principles of Prayer.  Importune prayer… 

  1. is an appeal to the friendship of God for our friends.
  2. goes beyond friendship.
  3. keeps asking with a shameless boldness.
  4. keeps increasing in intensity.
  5. is never discouraged.
  6. is prayer that would wear out and trouble any person of this earth.
  7. is prayer at all times, even in difficult times.
  8. is prayer that cries out in desperation for an urgent need.
  9. persists in asking even when God seems distant.
  10.  is always with great faith.
  11.  is prayers that is made out of a genuine concern for its object.
  12.  is prayer that has a concern for righteousness and for God’s reputation.
  13.  is prayer with a fearless boldness.
  14.  is motivated out of a fear of God’s wrath.
  15.  has a sacrificial passion and love for people.
  16.  is prayer that has an assurance of the answer.
  17.  is prayer that anticipates the answer and is eager for the answer to come.
  18. is prayer that has such a great desire for it’s object and for understanding the will of God concerning that object that it is willing to commit to pray and fast for great lengths of time until God gives the answer.
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Exposing the Error of Preterism

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

 First of all, I want to give credit and thanks to Donald E. Green for his A Critique of Preterism.  I also give thanks to David Larson for his book, Jews Gentiles and the Church.  They were a great help to me in writing this post.

 

WHAT IS PRETERISM?

 Preterist, from the Latin preteristus, means “gone by.”  Preterism, therefore, is a belief that certain things recorded in the Bible that would normally seem to be futuristic have already occurred.  And just as with any religion, preterism has its extremes.  A full preterist for example sees all New Testament eschatology as already happened—including the return of Christ, the resurrection and the final judgment.  Those however who are more moderate believe only that the rapture and the tribulation period are past (which still seems quite extreme to me).  They say that it took place in A. D. 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem.

 

THE HISTORY OF PRETERISM

 According to Donald Green, preterism began with Eusebius (A.D. 263-339), and, according to my understanding, it penetrated much of Christianity—exactly how much, I don’t know.  In my reading of Greens critique, I was surprised to see great men such as John Calvin, John Lightfoot, Matthew Henry, Adam Clark, and Albert Barns all having preterist leanings (according to what modern preterits’ say).  However, we can’t be sure to what extent they believed in it.  In these modern times the names that stand out as preterist, according to Green, are R.C. Sproul, Kenneth Gentry and Gary DeMar.  And I would also add Hank Hanegraaff.  None of these are extreme preterist, yet they do believe that the rapture and the 7 year tribulation referred to in Matthew 24 and Revelation are history. 

In contrast to these men, a few of the great futurists of our day I would say are John Halvarood, Dwight Pentecost, Hall Lindsay, and Tim Lahaye.  These all believe (as I do) that the rapture of the church followed by the 7 year tribulation and the 1000 year reign of Christ are ahead of us.

 

THE BASIC BELIEFS OF THE MODERATE PRETERIST

Preterits’ believe that Matthew 24 (and much of Biblical prophecy) has already past, that it happened in A.D. 70.  Their key verse to explain their belief is Matthew 24:34, where Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (NKJV).  According to R.C. Sproul, Gary DeMar and Kenneth Gentry, “this generation” in that verse was in Jesus’ lifetime.  So they say that since Jesus was speaking around A.D. 30, and since a Biblical generation is about 40 years in length, the fulfillment must have occurred before A.D. 70.

R.C. Sproul is quite adamant about this interpretation and says that it is “so plain.”  Gary DeMar agrees and has said that “an honest assessment of scripture can lead to no other conclusion.”  Gentry, in his writings, has 7 points to support this view.

But a normal rendering of “this generation,” according to the context of this passage, could not have been in their lifetime (around A.D. 70), because the description of all the catastrophic and apocalyptic events do not support it. 

But that doesn’t seem to stop them from what they believe.  The way they justify it is this way:  they let their preterist understanding of “this generation” determine how to interpret all of Matthew 24.  They say, since “this generation” is back in that time period (A.D. 70), all the verses that seem futuristic are really not.  They would say it is figurative or poetic language.

For example, Gentry has said that the apocalyptic and seemingly futuristic language in the text is a way of expressing national calamity.  He said that Jesus is not literally speaking of an upheaval of the heavens; he is using poetic language to speak of Jerusalem’s coming destruction in A.D. 70. 

Their explanation of Matthew 24:30, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (NKJV), is this: that Jerusalem’s destruction is the sign that Jesus is in heaven and rules over all; hence that Jesus’ rejection by the Jews was finally vindicated. 

Preterists get support for their interpretation of Matthew 24 through their understanding of what they say the theme of Matthew is: a judgment on the Jews.  Hence they will point out how Jewish leaders are constantly rebuked by Jesus for their lack of faith and for their hypocrisy, and in contrast how the faith of gentiles was exalted (Matthew 3:29; 11:16-24; 15:8).

Yes, this is somewhat true of the book of Matthew, nevertheless, they can’t use this for a justification of how they interpret Matthew 24, nor can we conclude that God has pronounced a final judgment on the Jew.  For soon all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26), and in the final days they will be the rulers of the earth under Jesus’ reign.  The books of prophecy, esp. Isaiah, confirm it.

  

WHY PRETERISM IS FALSE

 History proves it.  If we look at some of the early church records, they will indicate that the people at that time (A.D. 100-200) understood Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 in a futuristic sense—that is, in their future.  The Didache, written about A.D. 100-150, speaks of Matthew 24 as futuristic.  If they thought that Matthew 24 was describing the fall of Jerusalem, we can certainly surmise that they would have known it and mentioned it, since it happened only a few decades earlier.  The writings of Justin Martyn (A.D. 140-150) and of Josephus also described Matthew 24 as in their future and leave no mention of A.D. 70 as being part of that Matthew 24 prophecy.        

Bad hermeneutics.  Preterists err when they allow Matthew 24:34 (“this generation shall not pass away”) to dominate their interpretation of the other verses in Matthew 24.  The context must always weigh heavily on the interpretation of all the verses within that context.  Their idea of making passages that are clearly futuristic and apocalyptic into figurative and poetic language is very bad hermeneutics.  There is no reason for it except to satisfy their own interpretation of Matthew 24:34.

Bad theology.  A preterist believes wrongly that most of prophecy is past, and therefore that both the rapture and the tribulation is behind us.  To explain their beliefs they also err in seeing most of prophecy as poetic and figurative.  The result of there hermeneutical and theological errors are quite devastating:

 1.  Since they don’t believe in an imminent rapture and that the tribulation is also past, that means that they probably believe that we live now in the millennium and that Christ’s reign is not literal.  I’m not sure where this leaves them, but I don’t see that they would have much hope for the future, since things aren’t going so well on earth now.

2.  Since they wrongly believe that God is finished with the Jews and has permanently replaced them with the church, I think this belief may badly influence their regard for the Jew. 

3.  Since they see most prophecy as poetic and figurative, this leaves them in a quandary as how to understand any prophecy passage.  Hence, you will find that most people who sit under preterist leaders will skip over most prophetic passages, thinking that it is too deep to ever be able to understand.  This is sad because some of the most encouraging passages for us are in those prophetic scriptures and they give us hope for the future.

  

WORDS OF CORRECTION

According to Bernard Ramm, an expert in Bible interpretation, we cannot abandon the literal meaning whenever we deal with prophecy.  We should allow each verse equal weight.  Each verse is inspired and speaks on its own.

Also, God is not finished with Israel.  For the time being Israel (the natural branch) has been cut off and the gentile church (the wild olive branch) has been grafted in (Rom. 11:17).  The church now shares the blessings promised through Abraham.  But many Jews (those who believe) will be grafted in again (Rom. 11:23).  Israel as a nation will be saved and will rule the earth in the final days (in the Millennium).  Yes, now is the time of the gentiles.  But soon, when Jesus comes to reign, the time of the gentiles will be over and God will turn to Israel (Rom. 11:25). 

In the Millennium both Israel and the church will have a part.  The church, consisting of both Jews and gentiles, will have heavenly bodies and will reign with Christ in the heavens and over the earth.  Israel, consisting of all those Jews who were saved in the tribulation, will reign on earth.  They will have improved bodies (that will live for hundreds of years) but not heavenly—like those of the church.  Hence, Israel and the church will be two distinct people groups and will be exalted for a literal 1000 years in God’s kingdom.

 

This is how I see it.  Agree or disagree?

 

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Persistent Prayer (Importune Prayer) Demonstrated In the Parable of the Persistent Widow – Luke 18:1-8

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

Luke 18:1-8

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

           

Here are three things from this parable that tells us what importune prayer is:

1.  Importune prayer is never discouraged.  Verse one begins by telling us what this parable teaches: “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”  This was the attitude of the widow in the parable; thus, with this attitude she kept coming back to the judge.  She did not get discouraged when the judge at first denied her.  No, she kept coming back with renewed energy; and the judge was the one who got weary!  Importune prayer then is prayer that has strength of heart; it never faints, never grows weary, and never gets discouraged.

2.  Importune prayer is prayer that would wear out and trouble any person of this earth.  Here we see that the woman was so persistent that she troubled and wore out the judge by her continual coming and asking.  Now I don’t believe that our objective in prayer is to wear out God or to trouble Him.  That would be impossible.  But nevertheless, this is what importune prayer is; it is a prayer that would trouble any person on this earth—as it did the judge.  But even though God is not going to be troubled by our persistent prayer, He always knows our heart, recognizes our need, and is touched by our persistence.  For that reason, He will give us what we ask for even more speedily than the judge gave to the woman.  For if the cruel and unrighteous judge gave justice to the strange widow who was persistent in her asking, God who is fair and righteous will surely give us, who are His children, what we ask for when we pray with importunity, and even more speedily (v. 8).

3.  Importune prayer is prayer at all times, even in difficult times.  Just before Jesus gave this parable He was talking to his disciples about the last days and about living in a time of great difficulty.  I believe these are the last days (the age of the church), and so this parable is directed at us, that we ought to pray at all times, “day and night” (v. 7).  This of course means that we should pray for urgent things over and over again, but I think that Jesus also means that our heart should be continually lifted up to God.  Hence I believe that importune prayer is prayer without words, prayer of the mind, or having a mind that is always set on things above (Col. 3:2).

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Importunity in Prayer Demonstrated In the Parable of the Importunate Friend – from Luke 11:5-10

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

The simplest definition of importunity is persistent and urgent asking.  Importune prayer then is persistent and urgent; it is prayer that pleads with God and asks Him repeatedly for the things we need.           

This kind of praying may seem selfish and perhaps childish, but it really isn’t because it is prayer in the will of God and is usually for others instead of self.  In fact, the source of this kind of prayer is right from the heart of God.  It is how the Holy Spirit pleads and prays for us (Rom. 8:26).  It is how God persistently and urgently seeks us out, speaks to us, and constantly seeks to help us and love us (Jer. 31:3, Jn. 6:44).  Thus, when I pray with importunity, I pray for myself and for others the same way and with the same heart as the Holy Spirit does.  I follow after His prayers.  I pray after His desire and heart.  True importune prayer then is prayer that is drawn by God and that follows after God.  It is prayer that is aroused and energized by the Holy Spirit and that moves our soul toward God and presses our desires upon Him repeatedly with urgency and perseverance, but also with patience and waiting until our prayers are heard and answered.            

That in a nutshell is the definition and source of importunity in prayer.  Now we will broaden that definition as we look at how it is described and demonstrated in scripture. 

 

The Parable of the Importunate Friend (Luke 11:5-10)

And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

 

I picked this parable first because I believe it best describes what importunity is.  There are at least four different facets of importunity in this parable.  Let’s take a look at them.

1.  Importunity is an appeal to the friendship of God for our friends.  As we see in this story, a man goes to his friend at midnight to ask for bread for another friend in need.  Here God represents the friend that the man goes to for bread.  Therefore, when we go to prayer on behalf of a friend, we must always appeal to God as a friend. 

And we go to Him and have hope in our importune prayers not only because we believe He is our friend but also because we are confident that He is a friend of our friend—the one we care about and are asking Him to help.  He in fact is a better and more faithful friend to the needy then we are.  As Andrew Murray has said, “When we go to God as a friend of the poor and the perishing, we can count on His friendliness.”  This knowledge of the friendship of God is the hope and endurance of our importunity.  It is what keeps us asking.  

2.  Importune prayer goes beyond friendship.  We can certainly place our hope in God as a friend; we can rely on Him to answer our prayers because He is our friend and because we have befriended the poor.  But importune prayer doesn’t have its primary basis on friendship.  Its real basis comes from the urgency of the need and the persistence of our asking on behalf of that need.  Hence, in the story the friend did not get up and give to the man on the basis of his friendship but because of his persistence based on his great need.  Therefore, I believe that the teaching here is that we ought not to place our hope in answers to prayers solely on the basis that God is our friend, but rather on the basis of our importunity.

3.  Importune prayer keeps asking with a shameless boldness.  In the parable, the man went to his friend at midnight and kept asking him for bread until, finely, he got up and gave him as much as he needed.  I think we can see clearly here that when the man came asking for bread he didn’t come with any reluctance, that is, with any guilt, embarrassment, or unworthiness because of the lateness of the night.  No, he didn’t think of himself at all.  He thought only of his poor friend in need of food.  So he came boldly, without shame, expecting food from a good friend.  This I believe is the heart of importunity—to have no regard for ourselves, but to be so caught up with the needs of another that we think only of that need and how our friend God can fill it. 

4.  Importune prayer keeps increasing in intensity.  Immediately after Jesus told the parable He explained the meaning of persistence in prayer—to keep asking, seeking, and knocking (vv. 9 and 10).  Hence, He explained that this was how the man asked for bread, with this kind of intense persistence.  Therefore this is what true importunity is: to first ask; then with more persistence, to seek; then with even more persistence and intensity, to knock.  Asking is where prayer begins.  Seeking intensifies our prayer and keeps it going.  Knocking keeps it going even stronger until we receive what we ask for.

 

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How to Use the Lord’s Prayer to Aid You in Prayer

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Stephen Nielsen

If you are struggling in prayer and are not sure that you are praying as you ought to (as God wants you to), I suggest that you use The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) as an outline for your prayer.  Start with the address—“Our Father in heaven.”  Take one or two minutes to meditate on those words (depending on how much time you have).  Then pray in your own words anything that comes to your mind.  No doubt, if you have meditated on “Our Father in heaven” that is the topic the Holy Spirit will bring to your mind.  Next, read and meditate on the first petition—“Hallowed be Your name.”  Then pray according to how the Holy Spirit leads you on that topic.  Meditate and pray through each petition and also the doxology.

If you like you can break the prayer up differently.  For example, instead of taking each petition separately, you can break the prayer into just two parts.  First read and meditate on the address and the first three petitions, followed by prayer; then read and meditate on the last three petitions and the doxology, followed by prayer.  Some will like this idea better because it may be shorter and less broken up.  You can also read and mediate on the entire prayer and then pray.  This way your prayer time won’t be broken up at all.  Do whatever you like.  The idea is to let the prayer guide you so that you pray better and more according to how the Holy Spirit desires to lead you.

Here are some benefits to this use of the prayer:

1.  As you read and pray through the prayer, especially over the address and the first three petitions, the Holy Spirit will teach you God’s desires.

2.  As you meditate and pray through the last three petitions the Holy Spirit will show you what your most important needs are.

3.  This prayer will guide you in praying for others.  With the words “our” and “us” in this prayer you will realize that you are not alone, but that all believers are praying too.  Moreover, if you have a list of people you want to pray for, you can pray for them as you pray for yourself under each section.  For instance, as you pray for your own daily bread (for the things you need), you can also at that time pray for the needs of a friend.  Then as you pray for forgiveness, you can also pray for a friend who needs forgiveness.

4.  By praying this way your prayers will not wander.  You will be forced to pray for what is most important and in the right priority.

5.  By this method you will be able to pray longer and for more things.    It will be easy to pray for an hour at a time (with short breaks to meditate on each section according to how you decide to break it up).

6.  This method of praying will help to keep you in the spirit of prayer and to define that spirit in which you are to pray.

John MacArthur writes:

The prayer…defines the spirit in which we are to pray.  “Our” reflects an unselfish spirit; “Father,” a family spirit; “hallowed be thy name,” a reverent spirit; “thy kingdom come,” a loyal spirit; “thy will be done,” a submissive spirit; “forgive us,” a penitent spirit; “lead us not into temptation,” a humble spirit;  “thine is the kingdom,” a triumphant spirit; “and the glory,” and exultant spirit;  “forever,” and eternal spirit.

 

 

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