Some months ago I promised you that I would write on the subject of prayer. Well beloved, that time has come. We pretend to know how to pray, yet the full grasp and gravity of the concept of prayer escapes most men. We are wretched, sinful beings conversing with the Holy, Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent  Creator of the Universe --- the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, YAHWEH --- the maker and sustainer of everything around you, and the Lord of the Universe. Who are we to come before him? We are as miniscule to him as ants or fruit flies are to us. The way to God was opened to us through Jesus himself who gave us who believe in Him to call God abba, Father. He tore the curtain of the temple which prevented man from approaching the throne room of God, once and for all generations so we might bring our petitions and the cries of our hearts directly to God. O Lord may it be that we finally understand that which your son did for us. O Lord that we might finally appreciate what we have in you through prayer.

As one of my favorite Pastors Alistair Begg puts it, would it impress you if he could pull out his cell phone and call the Queen of England directly to ask her opinion on a subject? You would think --- oh what a connected person he was --- how special was this person that he had the Queen’s direct cell phone number to ask her opinion about things? Well beloved, we each have that connection and more --- we have a direct connection with the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, through prayer --- through supplication via the Holy Spirit. Indeed the Holy Spirit which lives within us enables us to communicate with Him who created us. The Lord God Almighty Himself --- the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Oh what Joy it is to come before the Lord in prayer!

John Bunyan in his book on the subject of prayer “A discourse touching Prayer” states that “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.”

Now, Bunyan’s book is also rather long, and I would bore you to sleep if I stated everything he says in it, but I will collect the gems from his book, as well as Tozer’s book on prayer and attempt to summarize these in the next part on prayer that I post. While many books have been written on the subject of prayer, I will begin with these, and attempt to explain these in  depth but in a simple language so even a child will be able to read and understand.

The prayer life of a Christian can be compared to the heartbeat of a human being. The evidence of life in a human is his heartbeat or his pulse. The evidence of Christianity in a believer is his  prayer life. Whether that prayer be kneeling before our Holy God (Bill Hybels used to call this his knee mail to God) or praying at the dinner table before meals, or simply an unspoken prayer from the heart, the Holy Spirit is able to discern it and convey it. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:26-28

​From James, we know that “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” James 5:16 and that we ought to pray without ceasing “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
 
So I leave you with that to chew on today, with much more to come on the topic of prayer.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone....! I give Thanks today, first of all for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died on the Cross for my sins. Second, I give Thanks for my country, the United States of America which despite all her flaws, is still the Greatest Nation on the face of the earth. Third, I give Thanks for my three families --- my Palatine and Hoffman Estates family, my sweetheart and her family, which has invited me to Thanksgiving dinner at their home in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, and last but not least my Church family --- Christian brothers and sisters all over the world who celebrate the death and resurrection of our elder brother Christ Jesus on the Cross 2000 years ago. (Yes, it is a relationship, and a religion) 

I am also grateful to my employer Citadel, to Ken Griffin for founding one of the greatest Hedge Funds in History, to my managers, directors, my colleagues, and everyone else I have worked with over the past two years. "thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over" Psalm 23. 

Scripture tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of Christ Jesus. "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Beloved, when God promises you something, it is worth waiting upon God, even if the wait is a long one, and you believe with all your earthly experience and wisdom that it will not transpire. In our discussion  today, we will look at Sarah/Sarai and Abraham/Abram. Sarah and Abraham were barren. They could not have children. 

God's promise to Abraham and Sarah

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6

They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. (She had stopped menstruating) So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord (husband) is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” Genesis 18:9-15

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:17-21

Abraham and Sarah's Disobedience (Hagar and Ismael --- Genesis 16) 

​​Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” And the angel of the Lord said to her,
“Behold, you are pregnant
    and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
    because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
    his hand against everyone
    and everyone's hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” Genesis 16:7-12

So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”  Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. Genesis 16

Once Ismael was born, Isaac was foretold again. God doesn't forget his promises even though we disobey him and go about doing our own thing. 

And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” Genesis 17:15-21

The result of disobedience

Not every story of disobedience ends as well as this one. However the long-term result of disobedience to God's will is never good. We pride ourselves on what we can do in our own strength and in our own time, without waiting for God's promises to materialize. We, like Abram, are rebuked for not doing what we could do through faith. With no disrespect meant to any of Ismael's offspring, every imitation of God's work, however well intended, is a poor imitation of God’s BEST. When one does not do things in God’s timing and ways, then all sorts of bad things happen. The long-term consequences of Abraham's 'work of the flesh' is that Ishmael’s descendants became a major threat to Isaac's descendants (Israel) Imagine what the Middle East would have looked like without the  birth of Ismael (the Muslims)? The Jews would have an endless supply of oil and would not have to continue to look behind their backs to see who was waiting to attack them. They would have a safe homeland of their own and oil riches beyond measure. Abraham's disobedience and impatience cost the descendants of Isaac dearly, and while the deed was done thousands of years ago, it's ripple effects continue to this day. ​

There are so many Blessings which come with being a Christian! Incredible Blessings! However, if you have been a believer for long, and happen to have attended or tithed at more than one denomination or at more than one Church at the same time, you will find that there is a huge war raging between the different Christian denominations and even within the denominations, between the different Churches in the denominations. I have experienced this first-hand over the past fourteen years as a believer. This war is really bad. This war is really ugly. I have seen Pastors and members of the same denomination, let alone other denominations, call each other horrible things and do horrible things to each other. This war pits Christian against Christian and destroys the Body of Christ.

We are each members of His Body and must remember that, before we tear down other Christians, that we are acting to tear down our own Body. "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

​As believers, we are called to unity in Christ, no matter which denomination we attend, and no matter which Church we go to. "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." 1 Corinthians 1:10 and "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:1-8 "Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11 

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:20-26

​"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." Philippians 2:1-3 "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Romans 12:3-5 "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents." Philippians 1:27 

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-21

Believer, the fundamental basis of our religion is forgiveness. Christ came so he may purchase forgiveness of our sins with His Blood. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."  2 Corinthians 5:21 It is so easy for us as human beings to carry a grudge and unforgiveness towards others in our hearts. I have known people to carry grudges for a decade or more. Some people are unable to forgive and carry grudges their entire lifetime. Some grudges and fights such as those between the sons of Abraham (Isaac and Ismael) have lasted almost 4,500 years and continues to this day in the form of the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.  

Back to Jesus' words regarding forgiveness, Our Lord and Savior specifically commanded us to forgive each other. "For if you forgive others their trespasses (wrongs), your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses (wrongs), neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.(wrongs)" Matthew 6:14-15 Indeed Jesus repeatedly stressed that we should forgive each other "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions." Mark 11:25 Indeed this was echoed by the Apostle Paul who wrote: "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:12-17 

Forgiveness was so important to Jesus that He took the time to narrate an entire parable about this to Peter. 

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother (or anyone) sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven." Matthew 18:21-22 It was Jewish custom at the time Jesus was walking this earth, to forgive someone up to three times if they wronged you. Peter goes a little further and wonders if followers of Christ should forgive each other up to seven times. However, Jesus blows the door wide open and says, not up to seven but seventy times seven (which, if you are bad at math, totals up to 490 times.) Essentially what Jesus was saying was that there was no limit to the number of times one should forgive his fellow man. 

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. (A talent is worth roughly $1.5 Million in today's money.) And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, (roughly worth $40 in today's money) and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother (anyone) from your heart.” Matthew 18:23-35

...then who can be against us? It is so easy for us Christians to get discouraged and down in the mouth when we face difficulties or challenges. We look at challenges and begin to believe they are unsurmountable --- and feel defeated. Believer, God defeated the biggest obstacle in your path. He defeated death itself. So then what possible obstacle could be big enough to challenge you? None. In every circumstance, God is bigger than your biggest problem; your biggest challenge. It is up to us then (easier said than done) to maintain a positive attitude. Think about everything you have already been given as an inheritance in the Kingdom of God....! We are rich beyond measure...beyond the treasures of this earth....! God, the one who created the Heavens and the Earth walks alongside you. Oh what trouble then can man create for you?  

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
for the LORD!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
for our God!
Fill in the valleys,
and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
The LORD has spoken!”
​
A voice said, “Shout!”
I asked, “What should I shout?”
​
“Shout that people are like the grass.
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field.
The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the LORD.
And so it is with people.
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”

O Zion, messenger of good news,
shout from the mountaintops!
Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.
Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
“Your God is coming!”
Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in power.
He will rule with a powerful arm.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
​
The LORD Has No Equal
Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right
or show him the path of justice?

No, for all the nations of the world
are but a drop in the bucket.
They are nothing more
than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth
as though it were a grain of sand.
All the wood in Lebanon’s forests
and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough
to make a burnt offering worthy of our God.
The nations of the world are worth nothing to him.
In his eyes they count for less than nothing--
mere emptiness and froth.

To whom can you compare God?
What image can you find to resemble him?
Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold,
overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?
Or if people are too poor for that,
they might at least choose wood that won’t decay
and a skilled craftsman
to carve an image that won’t fall down!

Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand?
Are you deaf to the words of God--
the words he gave before the world began?
Are you so ignorant?
God sits above the circle of the earth.
The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
and makes his tent from them.
He judges the great people of the world
and brings them all to nothing.
They hardly get started, barely taking root,
when he blows on them and they wither.
The wind carries them off like chaff.

“To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.

Look up into the heavens.
Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
not a single one is missing.
O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint."
--- Isaiah 40:3-31