How Does This Read to You?

[bookslover]

This was written by Herman Hoeksema (1886-1965) -

"Be not rash with your tongue when you pray, and be not hasty to utter a thousand requests that might arise from your heart.

"When He sends heavy rains at the time of harvest or drought in the springtime, do not instruct Him to change His government. When sickness enters your family, do not request that He remove it. When war ravages the whole world and His judgments are in the earth, neither clamor for peace because you do not like war and judgments nor instruct Him as to whose cause is righteous and must have the victory. When hundreds and thousands of young men are killed in battle, do not insist that your son or husband must be kept unharmed.

"Rather, say, 'O God, Thy will be done. Give us grace to will that will.'"

From: an essay in All Glory to the Only Good God: Reformed Spirituality by Herman Hoeksema; edited by David J. Engelsma (Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing Association, 2013), p. 312. The essay that makes up the chapter quoted from was originally written during World War II.

I understand that we must all submit to God's will, but isn't he taking it a little too far? I think it's perfectly legitimate, for example, to pray for healing when one is ill. What he's written sounds almost like he's advocating a Christian version of Stoicism.

What do you guys think?

 

[Deleted member 6112]

I prefer the encouraging words of Christ to the discouraging words of Hoeksema:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matt 7:7-11)

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11:22-24)

 

[arapahoepark]

I prefer the encouraging words of Christ to the discouraging words of Hoeksema:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matt 7:7-11)

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11:22-24)

Indeed.
Or the cries of David knowing he was heard.

 

[CasualWestminsterEnjoyer]

How many people plead with Christ to heal them or their loved ones, and he heard their pleas?

 

[davejonescue]

I second using David as a model for prayer. I fall into the same rut as Hoeksema, in fact I was meditating on this at work tonight. Even though God is the best giver of gifts, and his will is infallible, he commands that we request from him our desires no matter how fallible they may be. Yet I am so tempted to spill the 10 second prayer "God I only will what you will for me." We have the story of Hezekiah, who finding out he would die, humbled himself and God extended his life 15 years. How many of us would settle for "let your will be done," like Eli, in our Reformed holiness? Could Eli have received mercy if he acknowledged God is indeed merciful instead of ignoring that mercy and taking what he knew he deserved? I know I am very tempted too on a daily basis. Especially considering I don't deserve common, let alone special grace. I think it may be hard for a convinced determinist to sometimes approach God in a relational way, to wrestle with God like Jacob, to take all of our problems to God like David, to come naked before God like the small children we are in his sight; and feel as if, even in his omniscience, he desires to hear our dilemmas, our pleads, our praises, our worries, our doubts. I know this is a struggle for me, that is prayer, because I am fully convinced GOD KNOWS, period. Yet, he beckons us to make our request known and lay all of our burdens on him.

 

[CathH]

If it's meant to discourage people from peremptorily demanding that God does their will ('insist', 'instruct') then that's a valid point. But he also says not to 'request' which seems to broaden out his prohibition to any kind of asking.

In times of trouble especially, we need to face down the unbelief that says God doesn't care about our difficulties, and the faux humility that refuses to ask anything on the suspicious-minded assumption that God's will is bound to be something unpleasant for us.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

I think that it is a bad quote which sets up a false dichotomy. We may submit to God's providence while also praying for the removal of evils and the prevention of harm.

 

[PointyHaired Calvinist]

Sounds like his congregational prayers were far far shorter than everyone else’s. Why bother to pray if what he says is true?