Praying to the End

Does it matter that God’s people pray? Such the mention of a question would draw a sharp rebuke if asked in the halls of the local church. We are a people who have been repeatedly instructed that we should pray. We plan entire services devoted specifically to this practice. The church has groups that gather for prayer. Many of the great and memorable hymns and songs of our faith are in reference to prayer. Most of us have been astounded and encouraged by the inspiring prayers of another. Few of us acclaim sufficiency in the skill of this spiritual discipline. But the elephant in the room for which most are afraid to even mention is the legitimate question as to whether or not our prayers really matter.

Does the Bible not teach that God is sovereign over all matters? “I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things. ‘Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it. ‘Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?” (Isaiah 45:7-9). Does the Bible not teach that God knows the end from the beginning and that no other can comprehend His works? “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Surely, we cannot contend that God needs the puny rantings of those formed from the dust in order to accomplish His purposes! As though what we would say to God is worthy of His hearing, how much less to assert that our requests could possibly carry forth His will!

However, the record of Scripture, God’s own Word, paints a very different picture of His willingness to hear us, and, in fact, the amazing effectiveness of our prayers. Of course, this is not because our words hold weight in the court of the King, but rather, because the King’s Son is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5-6). God’s throne of divine judgement is now also a place of grace to all those who have come to faith in Christ (Hebrew 4:14-16). Scripture is replete with instances in which sinful people, redeemed by Christ, have been used mightily by God through their praying. One such example is that of Elijah. Any serious study of his story in the Bible will prove his utter frailty and humanity. He was well-acquainted in the company of sinners. Yet, the Bible says of him, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit” (James 5:17-18).

If you are like me, you have probably grown weary in your praying at some point. It is not that you disbelieve the promises of God regarding prayer, but rather, your experience seems to portray a different reality. Forget praying about the weather; perhaps even the seemingly most minute of your prayers seems to be ineffective. Even prayers which you know to be aligned in God’s will seemingly go unanswered. Facing just such discouragement in this spiritual discipline, I am reminded that every time we pray centered upon God’s revealed will, in Jesus’ name, we are praying toward a certain end that will come to pass. Note the eventual and soon scene in Heaven and how in correlates to our present prayers:

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:1-5)

John here describes that very soon, Jesus will bring His eternal purposes to fulfillment at His coming. The book of Revelation describes this as horrific judgement against this world and against all those who have rejected Christ. Yet, Jesus’ coming will also bring His long-awaited salvation to all those who belong to Him. God’s glory will be revealed and His great purpose in redemption will finally come to fruition. Yet, most astoundingly, John describes that God will use the prayers of His people throughout all redemptive history to bring this about. These prayers are described as “the smoke of incense, rising before the throne of God.” This, of course, a reference to the Old Testament Temple, in which priests would daily burn incense before the altar as directed in their worship. So, now, in Christ, our prayers are rising up to God as an offering. As John describes, one day these prayers will have reached their limit as God sends forth His Son.

Jesus commands His followers to pray. Regardless of the exact circumstance, this prayer is to ultimately be resolved in this request—“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). John reveals that God holds our prayers in bowls (Revelation 5:8) which serve as a pleasing aroma before Him. At the very consummation of the coming of His Kingdom, it will be the prayers of God’s people which will be used by God to accomplish His purposes. There is nothing that could have greater impact upon the why and the way of our praying! While God in His omnipotence may not answer your prayer in His will in the manner you expect, He not only hears it, but He will answer it! Whether you are praying for a lost loved one to come to Christ, a church to be strengthened, a marriage to be restored, or a child to be healed, God will eventually answer that prayer by bringing His Kingdom! Does it matter that we pray?! It has utmost significance because God is filling up those bowls of incense with our prayers. Eventually, those bowls will be full and God will use your prayers to both judge and redeem this broken world!

So, as you pray in your closet or in the assembled gathering of God’s people, rely not upon how weak you feel or even upon how little effectiveness you see. In Christ, God hears us and God is using each and every prayer to eventually accomplish His great purpose of redemption. And it is not because our words are crafted so well or our righteousness is so impressive, but rather, because God is glorious in His power to save and merciful in His love toward us!

Jason