Finding Freedom in Prayer

OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN PRAYER

There is only one passage in the Bible that definitely tells us what to do if we are sick or suffering, and that is James 5:13-18. Notice how this passage begins: ‘Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray’. At least initially in the helping the process, the one that is supposed to be praying. That has to happen because I cannot do the praying for you, nor can anyone else. Don't get me wrong-I believe in intercessory prayer, but not as a replacement for individual’s responsibility to pray.

When I first started to help people resolve their personal and spiritual conflicts and appropriate their freedom in Christ, more often than not I would get stuck in the process. I wouldn't know the cause of the problem, but I did know that God did and that ultimately he was the answer. Over the years, I have told many counselees but I don't know how to help them, but God does, and if they are willing, we will search together for God's answer. However, it is used to be my practice to pray and ask God for wisdom for the other person, because James wrote,’ if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously without reproach, and it will be given’ (1:5).

I remember sitting with one person in silence from about 15 minutes, waiting of God's guidance. Then one day he dawned on me: Why should I ask God for wisdom and direction on behalf on another person and then expect him to tell me what the answer is? Why done I encourage them to ask God for wisdom and direction? The above passage in James says nothing about asking God for wisdom through another person. The instruction is that all believers should ask God for themselves. These people I was trying to help with God's children, and they all have the same access to their heavenly father that I have.

Paul declared,’ There is one God, and one mediator also between God and man, and that man is Jesus Christ’ (1 Timothy 2:5). Christians are never instructed to function as mediums, like New Age channeler’s do. I know of no way of knowing New Testament passage that instructs one believer to enquire of God on behalf of another believer who is in your presence. (There are many passages that teach intercessory prayer, of course, and we'll look at that issue in the next chapter.)

Children of God are invited to see God themselves. To illustrate, suppose you have two sons and the younger son keeps asking his older brother to make requests of you on his behalf.’ Would you ask Dad if I can go to the movies? Would you ask Dad if I can have some money?’ If you were a good father, what would you say to your oldest son? When you say something like this:’ Go tell your younger brother that he needs to come and see me himself’? To here are no such things as meaningful second-hand relationships, and that is certainly none in the family of God. Every born again believe have a personal relationship with his or her heavenly father.

CONFIDENCE TO ENTER GOD'S PRESENCE

Why do some people in the church believe that others have greater access to God then they do? Such thinking could be hold over from the pre-reformation Catholicism. People were actually encouraged to pay someone of higher ecclesiastical position for maturity to pray for them. A further indication of this attitude was the sale of indulgences, through which, supposedly, but a superabundant merit of the ‘Saints’ would compensate for inadequate merit of the lowly individual. Martin Luther opposes the sale of indulgences and taught the priesthood of every believer.

Children of God are by definition saints. There are, however, some Catholic priests and Protestant clergy who think, or allow their people to believe, that they have greater access to the father and their prayers are more efficacious because of their position in the church, their social standing, or giftedness. But according to Paul, ‘we all have boldness and confident access through faith in him’ (Ephesians 3:12). The writer of Hebrews admonished all believers to draw near:

Brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way in which he inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, he is flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from evil conscience and our body was washed with pure water (10:19-22)

CONNECTING AND WITH GOD THROUGH REPENTANCE

For some people it is not ecclesiastical issues but moral ones. Because of their lifestyle or deeds, they do not think God will hear them all answer their prayers. So they asked someone to pray for them, thinking that God will answer the other person's prayers. Actually, they are partly right. The psalmist wrote,’ f I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me’ (Psalm 66:18 NJV). As long as such people hang onto the sin and bitterness, they will not have an effective pray life. But trying to get around their sin by asking someone else to do their praying for them will not work. The only prayer for this person is a prayer from their own repent heart.

Understanding this simple concept about prayer revolutionised my ministry as a pastor. I used to listen to people's stories, tried to explain why they weren’t doing well (if I thought I knew), and encourage them to confess and repent if they were sinning. Sometimes people would be asking only for biblical advice, and I would try to give it to them. I wasn't seeing much fruit, however, because was usually treating just the symptoms are not getting to the root causes.

In those days I didn't understand the battle that was going on for their minds. I knew a little bit about helping those was counselling to submit to God, but not enough to help them fully repent and resist the devil (James 4:7). I had a little knowledge about them-but God knew them perfectly. I could do my best to help them-but God was the source of life, their Redeemer, saviour, Lord, and friend. Somehow I was able to connect with them with God, all else they would never realise their freedom full potential in Christ.

People don't know how to get out of bondage, or they would have a long time ago. And they don't know how or what to pray for in regards to the walked with God. Back then, my prayers certainly were not setting them free, so I asked myself how I could help them pray in such a way that God would answer them. I can still remember that spring afternoon in 1984 when I wrote out seven specific prayers of people who were seeking to resolve their personal and spiritual conflicts. Those prayers have been modified over the years, but they still serve as a basis for the’ steps to Freedom in Christ’ which are being used all over the world in many languages. As people go through the steps, what they are actually doing is petitioning God to reveal to their minds whatever is keeping them from having an intimate relationship with him. In other words, they are asking God to grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of truth so that they may escape the snares of the devil (see Timothy 2:24-26)

SEVEN AREAS OF CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE

Scripture reveals seven categories of sin and iniquities that need to be confess and repented of if a Christian hopes to have an intimate relationship with God. Through the seven steps, believers petition God to show them what they need to repent of it each of these areas.

Firstly, you should confess and renounce any involvement with false prophets and teachers, as well at any involvement with the cults and the occult.” He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28: 13 NIV). God does not take false teachers and false guidance lightly. In the Old Testament, false teachers were to be put to death (see Deuteronomy 13:5), and there were serious consequences for those who consulted them: ‘I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people’ (Leviticus 20:6 NIV). Obviously we are not going to have an effective prayer time if God is cutting us off from him and his people.

Second we are warned not to be deceived. Deceived people are living in bondage to the lies they believe, and believing those lies seriously affect their walk with God. If Christians are paying attention to deceiving spirits, they are not paying attention to God. If they believe they need to defend themselves, they are not trusting Christ to be their defence. Certainly, no believer can instantly renew his or her mind, Tear mental strongholds, and overcome old defence mechanisms. But the process of renewing our minds won't even begin unless we are aware of our false beliefs and defences-and God is willing to reveal them to us if we ask.

Third, we need to forgive from our hearts as Christ has forgiven us. We can't have an intimate relationship with God and hold bitterness in our hearts. Jesus said that our heavenly Father would turn us over to the torturers if we do not forgive (Matthew 18:34-35). It is hard to hear from God if our minds are tormented by thoughts about other people who have hurt us. So when we are trying to pray to God and our minds are plagued by thoughts of injustices done to us by other people, we can know that God is allowing the mental torment so that we will be driven to forgive others and seek forgiveness. In fact, some of these kinds of thoughts we struggle with are coming from Satan. Paul urges us to forgive, because we are not ignorant of Satan's schemes (2Corinthians 2:11).

When I encourage people to pray and ask God to reveal to their minds who they need to forgive, God does it. Sometimes people pray and then say there is nobody they need to forgive. When that happens, I just asked them to share with me the names that are coming to their minds-and out will come several names of people they need to forgive. Some may be hardening their hearts because they would rather seek revenge. Others are afraid to face their pain, so they live in denial or try to shove it down into the unconscious ... but God is trying to surface the pain so that they can let go by forgiving.

Fourth, we have to come to terms with our pride. You cannot have a close relationship with God if he is opposed to you, but if you humbly ask, God will show you how prideful you have been. Notice how James connects pride with the world, flesh, and the devil:

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your own pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Therefore whoever wishes to be afraid of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the scripture speaks to no purpose: ‘he jealously desires the spirit which she has made to dwell in us’. But he gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (4:3-7).

We can't pray by the spirit and be prideful.

Fifth, we can't pray by the spirit and be rebellious either. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry (see 1 Samuel 15:23). God requires that all his children submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7), parents (Ephesians 6:1-3), spouses (1 Peter 3: 1-7, Ephesians 5:21-25), employers (1 Peter 2: 18-23), church leaders (Hebrews 13:17), and God himself (Daniel 9: 5, 9).
What happens in our courts of law when are rebellious prisoner approaches the bench disrespectfully? He is thrown out of court for contempt. The judge will not even here from the accused-and neither will I heavenly father hear from us in prayer if we approach him disrespectfully and disobey his Commandments to submit to his established authority. If we ask him, he will reveal our rebelliousness.

Sixth, we can't expect God to hear our prayers if we are living in sin. Rest assured he knows our sins and will bring conviction, so we aren’t fooling anyone when we try to hide them. If they have never been acknowledged, these issues will plague our minds when we try to pray. This is what David tried to do, and he suffered for it. Finally turned to God-and later recorded his experience in Psalm 32:1-6:

How blessed is he whose transgression is our forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I keep silent about my sin, while body wasted away through my growing all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer ... I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord; and You forgave the guilt my sin ... Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found; and surely in the flood of great waters will they not reach him.

Finally we cannot pray effectively if we continue in the sins of our ancestors. Peter urges us,

If you a dress as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on Earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your fertile ways of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood, as of our land unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1: 17-19).

Sometimes we can be torn between our natural heritage and our spiritual heritage. Jesus is the sword that divides the family if our earthly parents and siblings are at odds with our heavenly Father. Our saviour said, ‘he who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me’ (Matthew 10:37-38). Any attempt to hold a marriage or family together at the expense of our relationship with our heavenly Father is not in his plan. Compromising our faith to save a marriage does not work. The marriage won't be any good-and neither will our walk with God.

Under the old covenant, the Israelites confess their sins and the sins of their fathers. This was necessary because people have a tendency to live according on how they've been taught. As Jesus noted,’ pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher’ (Luke 6: 40). Nobody has more influence on us in our first five years in our parents, unless we repent, we will live out the beliefs and values we been taught that ... or get caught from the environment of our homes. We are never guilty of our parents’ sins, but because all our parents have sinned, we have picked up some of their attitudes and actions that are not consistent with our Christianity.

PRAYER THAT IS EFFECTIVE

When Christians are encouraged to pray for God's guidance themselves, the results are dramatic. The Lord brings godly sorrow, and the Holy Spirit leads them into all truth, which is what set them free. If they don't harden their hearts, they will respond in repentance, which results in a tremendous change in their lives.
James offers additional insight concerning effective prayer.’ Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so you that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much’ (James 5:16). Notice the order of Scripture. The righteous person’s prayer is effective after the person has confessed.
Suppose you are an elder or pastor of a church, and a member of your congregation who was ill calls for elders to come and pray. So you dutifully respond to the request, and several elders joining in prayer, asking that God would intervene and healed the person. Later he discovered that the person is sexually promiscuous and is deeply bitter over a failed relationship. Do you expect God to answer those prayers? Actually, there is a very good chance that the sickness is a result of the person's sin. Most people are sick for psychosomatic reasons, and that is probably what the apostle James is privately addressing in the passage from his epistle. In fact, psychosomatic illnesses are often related to sin (as David illness mentioned earlier).

Now suppose further that you have a son who was very rebellious. There is a lot of tension in your relationship. One day you tell him to mow the lawn, and he doesn't do it. Then later he comes and asks you are $20 and the keys to the car because of a hot date. Would you give him the money and the keys? Would God? I don't think so. He would probably say,’ son, there are many unresolved issues between us. If you are willing to resolve them and by the lawn what I told you to, then we will talk about your date is evening’. I believe God allows his children to experience the natural consequences of their sin even though those sins are forgiven. I also believe he always stands ready to receive their prayers if they are willing to repent.

AMAZING ANSWERS

If people are willing to get right with God, then their prayers will accomplish much. I have seen incredible answers to prayer after people have gone through the steps or repented in some other way. One woman shared that she had she had 200 doctors certified allergies and that her children had more than 100. There were places they could not go, food they could not eat, and clothing they could not wear. All that disappeared when they pray three those seven issues and found their freedom in Christ. This woman is now showing many others how too can pray effectively.
An undergraduate student stopped by my office one day to ask questions about her research project on Satanism. I answered a few of the questions, and then told her,’ I don't think you should be researching the subject’. She asked me why not. I answered, ‘Because you're not experiencing your freedom in Christ. Surprised by my straightforwardness, she asked what I meant by that. I responded, ‘I'm sure your own devotional life and pray lives are practically non-existent. You probably have difficulty paying attention in your Bible classes, and I would suspect that you have a very low sense of worth. You probably entertain a lot of suicidal thoughts’.
This student thought I had read her mind, which of course I hadn’t. But I have had enough experience working with people so that I can discern their level of maturity and to what degree they are experiencing their freedom in Christ. I encouraged her to take my class on resolving personal and spiritual conflicts that coming summer. After class, she wrote me this letter:

What I discovered this last week is a feeling of control, like my mind is my own. I haven't had my usual strung out periods of thought and contemplation. My mind simply feels quieted. It's a really strange feeling. My emotions have been stable I haven't felt oppressed once this week. My will is mine. I feel like I have been able to choose to live my life abiding in Christ. Scripture seems different. I have a totally new perspective. I actually understand what it is saying. I feel left alone, but not in a bad way. I am not lonely, just a single person. For the first time, I believe I actually understand what it means to be a Christian, who Christ is, and who I am in him. I feel capable of helping people and capable of handling myself. I have been co-dependent for many years, but this last week I haven't had the slightest feeling or need for someone. I guess I'm describing what it is like to be at peace. I feel this quiet, soft joy in my heart. I have been more friendly and comfortable with strangers. It hasn't been a struggle to get through the day and I have been participating actively in life and not merely passively, critically watching it. Thank you for leading me your hope. I believe I have my own now in Christ.

Because of her mental peace, this young woman is now able to hear from God in her daily life. Appropriating our identity and fighting freedom in Christ through genuine repentance is what allow people to relate personally to God in prayer. Our ministry has the privilege of helping people all over the world find their identity and freedom in Christ. When they do, they're pray and their devotional life comes alive. If you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts. Deal with the issues, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION

1. Can we ask others to do our praying for us? Why or why not?

2. Why do you think most people ask others to do their praying for them?

3. Why does seeking false guidance hinder our prayers?

4. Why do deception, bitterness, pride, rebellion, and thinking that our prayers?

5. How can iniquities passed on from one generation to the next hinder our prayers?

6. How does the Holy Spirit lead us into all truth, and why does that set us free?

7. What kind of results can we expect if God reveals our sins and we repeat?

8. Can we expect God to answer the prayers of spiritual leaders on our behalf if we are living in sin?

9. Why are we not seen more answers to prayer in our churches?