What should we expect to see?

[sotzo]

The recent prayer for rain by the governor of Georgia has brought to mind questions I've always had regarding prayer and/or God's work in the world.

1. When we pray is it good/right/biblical to pray expecting God will work in the way prayed for? In other words,, in light of the recent example, should we come up from our knees saying "God will send rain. BTW, I'm not referring to instances where someone prays for a BMW, etc. I'm talking about prayers that have at their root and interest in seeing God glorified in the world through answering the prayers of His people.

2. Should we fend off the emotive/intellectual tendency to let unanswered prayer (for example, if the drought in GA continues) discourage us in the faith?

3. Conversely, should we encourage the emotive/intellectual tendency to let answered prayer encourage our faith?

The simply answer seems to be "Thy will be done", but there also seems a real non-consumeristic, faithful desire to see God work in the world in a way that builds up our faith.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

If this gathering had a prayer (or even several) to God,
and a prayer to other gods (and I will leave it at that)...

then I don't think we should expect that God will listen.
(never mind if God chooses to listen and/or act)

The God I encounter in the Bible takes a very dim view of dropping him into a pantheon.
He expressly forbade the worshipping of him under alternate guise (2nd Commandment).
This is (for example) why I long ago predicted no success--absolutely nothing, in fact a negative total--from our "terrorism response" since 9-11. Because the national response was a cognizable refusal to repent of anything, and a blasphemous memorial service a week later.

GOD HATED THAT. He hated that response. And God will not bless us, our armies, or our efforts because of it, you can be absolutely assured of it on the authority of God's Word.


God WILL BE entreated on behalf of drought-stricken Georgia, or for anything of which his repentant and believing people beg of him, provided it is according to his Word we ask him. And his answer will incalculably bless those same repentant and faithful people, regardless of whether he answers as they have specifically asked. The amazing thing is that he often DOES give what they have asked, as a blessing.

I'm preaching in Daniel right now. Daniel was one of the remnant, but he was caught up in the calamity of the nation. But he took heart from a passage like Isaiah 56:3-8:

Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

Daniel was forbidden ever again to come up to the old covenant Temple (Deut. 23:1). He had been literally "cut out" of the messianic line! But here was God promising to include him in Messiah's Temple: "a place and a name [heritage] within my walls." God will bring his people in Georgia through their troubles, and he will deliver them in one way or another. Their end will be greater than the beginning.

God hears us; he hears us on behalf of others. I think he hears a governor on behalf of his state when he worships God, and does no dishonor to his profession. A public prayer to the one true God is nothing to be ashamed of (witness the show of repentance by the Ninevites!). But do not attempt to drag him down among the idols. He will not heed.

 

[A5pointer]

The recent prayer for rain by the governor of Georgia has brought to mind questions I've always had regarding prayer and/or God's work in the world.

1. When we pray is it good/right/biblical to pray expecting God will work in the way prayed for? In other words,, in light of the recent example, should we come up from our knees saying "God will send rain. BTW, I'm not referring to instances where someone prays for a BMW, etc. I'm talking about prayers that have at their root and interest in seeing God glorified in the world through answering the prayers of His people.

2. Should we fend off the emotive/intellectual tendency to let unanswered prayer (for example, if the drought in GA continues) discourage us in the faith?

3. Conversely, should we encourage the emotive/intellectual tendency to let answered prayer encourage our faith?

The simply answer seems to be "Thy will be done", but there also seems a real non-consumeristic, faithful desire to see God work in the world in a way that builds up our faith.

There are no unanswered prayers. The premise that seeing God work in a certain subjective way should build faith is ungrounded. We can only expect with certainty that God is sovereign and what comes to pass is His will. Our faith will be built as we consider over and over the great work done for us on the cross. That alone is to be the faith builder not how we percieve our prayers.

 

[Davidius]

My understanding is that we can only "expect" God to answer the things that he has revealed to us as being in His will. For example:

[bible]1 Thessalonians 4:3[/bible]

We know that sanctification is God's will for us because it is revealed in scripture. This and other things related to God's promises are the things we can pray about and expect to see. We should always remember this in thankfulness and in the knowledge that God's promises are rooted in his mercy toward us, since we only receive that "yes" answer in Christ.

 

[BJClark]

I think these verses would apply...on what we should expect.. I don't believe one will happen without the other..

2Ch 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

But no, I don't think His Not sending rain should cause US to doubt or lose faith in anyway..
I think it should confirm our faith based on what He said..

 

[A5pointer]

Those promises are made to physical covenant Israel not to us.