Honest Prayer

It seems that prayer is one of the most neglected means of grace. Thomas Watson once remarked: “Christ went more readily to the cross, than we do to the throne of grace.” Watson’s observation in the seventeenth century is still true today. The biggest evidence of this is the small number of people attending prayer meetings. Christian commitment to prayer is ridiculously miniscule. Worse still, even during prayer times in worship gatherings, there are evidences suggesting that many Christians do not know how to pray. Honestly, I often wonder if people in church—whose eyes are closed—are truly praying when someone is “leading the prayer.”

We all remember that on His last week on earth, Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the Temple. He caused quite a scene there because He overturned the tables of the merchants and drove them away. Then He said, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matt 21:13; quoting Isa 56:7). Today, I sincerely do not think that we are guilty of having turned God’s sanctuary into a den of thieves, but I am not quite certain whether our churches will not be judged for failing to make God’s sanctuary a place of prayer.

The Scriptures has a lot of say about prayer. One of the most crucial ones is written by James: “You do not have because you do not ask God” (4:2).

To be honest, reading James 4:2 makes me very uncomfortable for two reasons.

First, it seems to vindicate prosperity gospel. According to Wikipedia, this is a movement teaching that faith, asking, and positive thinking will increase one’s material wealth. The idea is that when humans have faith in God, He will deliver His promise of security and prosperity. If we confess these promises in faith, God will give them to us. It is a “claim it, have it” ideology.

Secondly, it contradicts what I affirm and believe about God’s Godness. I know that God is free. God cannot be forced to do things. He is the Lord of the universe, and I am nothing. But the passage seems to say that I, a mere insignificant creature—a bug, a useless chaff in the wind (Ps 1:4; Job 21:8), a grass or flower that withers (Isa 40:8; 1 Peter 1:24)—have a significance in the universe that my prayer can affect God’s decision. We do not have, because we do not ask. The verse seems to say that my prayer—yes, my simple prayer—can change the condition I am in, particularly of not having something.

Surprisingly, the same thought was expressed by Jesus: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt 7:7-11).

The only thing we must do is ask! But there’s a catch. How should we ask?

We must ask earnestly. The word “ask” refers to pleading with the whole heart. It is asking what we desire with all our hearts. It is not an uncommitted prayer. It is not asking with the lips; it is asking with the whole heart. It is pleading to the point that we are grieved when what we asked for is not given to us. It is like my daughter asking for a Stick-O, and becoming really frustrated when she is denied. It is not asking with an indifferent attitude, or not caring whether our prayers are answered or not.

What is important is not the number of times we pray, but the fact that we mean what we pray and that we really desire what we pray for. When we pray for the healing of a person, and we really do not care about the person and whether he or she is healed, do we think we truly prayed? When we pray for our food out of plain routine, do we think that God will truly bless our food? When we pray with our mouths for God to bless our pastors and our church, and yet we do not really care about things such as ministry and the like, do we think we really prayed?

Genuine prayer is praying out of the depths of the heart, beseeching God to grant us what we really desire. It is a genuine insult to God when we come to Him with words, but we do not really mean them. John Bunyan once wrote, “When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words without heart.”

I remember some of the prayers I uttered while I was a young boy. Night after night, when I was in my elementary years, I prayed that I would get an academic award when the commencement exercises come in March. Even as a small child, I was very specific with my prayers. When I think about them now, they seem childish, but when I was young, they were the honest contents of my heart. Perhaps what we need today as believers is to go back to being an honest child in praying. As we have matured in our intellectual capacities, we have expanded our vocabulary and learned to construct poetic statements. Then we employ these learnings in our prayers, trying to flatter God [and the congregation] with our jargons and complex sentences. But perhaps what God really desires from us is the simplest expressions of what our hearts truly desire. No pretenses. No sugar-coating. No flattery. Just plain and honest utterances coming from the depths of our hearts.

So the important question is this: What is it that we really desire in our hearts? What do we truly desire? Have we told God about them yet, no matter how ridiculous they might sound? Or are we just mumbling things that we do not really care about?

The worst possible scenario for a Christian is when he or she does not desire anything godly anymore, which is why he or she does not have anything to pray about too. He does not have because he does not ask; and he does not ask because he does not care. To make the questions more focused and general to us:

Could it be that there is no personal growth in us because we do not really seek or desire to grow in our faith? We do not have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control because we do not ask God for these virtues, because we don’t really care. Could it be that we are not asking for more of God because we are already content with our spiritual status as infants? We do not pray much because we do not really care much about God anyway.

Could it be that the reason why the church is not growing is that we are not praying about it, because we don’t really care. We do not have the desire to see our empty seats filled. We do not care whether our attendance is dropping. Anyway, we can find another church if our local church closes down. Could it be that there are not even 5 or 10 who are genuinely praying and desiring for this church to become a sanctuary-filled people whose lives have been transformed by the grace of God?  

Could it be that there is no revival in our church and in our nation because we do not really ask for it from God, because we don’t really care? We do not have the desire for ourselves, for the church, and for the nation to be swept away by the mighty power of God. Yahweh once said, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron 7:14). Could it be that the reason this is not happening in our lifetime is that we do not desire it? There is no intense longing to see our neighbors become transformed by the power of the gospel.

Could it be that there seems to be nothing happening in our lives and in our church because we do not have spiritual desires and aspirations? Could it be that we are already content with where we are? Could it be that our spiritual desires and aspirations are swallowed up by our earthly and worldly desires (James 4:4, 7-10)?

These are really tough questions that every believer should courageously face and answer. We are accountable to God, whether we like it or not and whether now or later.

No Neutral Ground

In my blogpost, Ready to Die, I discussed Simeon’s response when he saw and held Jesus Christ. When he said, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace” (Luke 2:29), he was basically saying that he has seen the One his heart has been waiting for, and so he was ready to die any time. Like Simeon, because we already encountered Jesus Christ, our attitude about life and death should be different. We consider meeting Christ as the greatest joy and privilege in life.

Simeon regarded meeting Christ as the greatest thing in life, but his next statements say something quite disturbing. He said to Mary (quite insensitively, I would say): “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34-35).

The next words of Simeon do not seem to fit his initial assessment of the coming of Christ in the world. He was like: “This is great! I love this guy! He is the one I have been waiting for my whole life. Now that I have seen him, I can die! Ah! By the way, he will be reason for many terrible things to come.” Simeon rings a rather gloomy note. According to Simeon, Jesus will be the reason for many to fall and rise in Israel, He will receive opposition and bad mouthing, and even his own mother Mary will suffer.

What does this mean? Why would the coming of Christ bring about negative things? Later in the life of Jesus, he admitted the same thing about his ministry in Matthew 10:34-40:

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
³⁶     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. ⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me.”

These passages tell us that the coming of Christ cannot be overlooked. Jesus Christ is not like a stranger on the road. He is not like a street vendor. He is not a sales representative. He is not a tele-marketer. He is the Lord and Creator of the universe. We do not have the right to ignore Him. We do not have the right to pass by Him. We do not have the right to avoid Him. He has all the rights in the universe.

And because He has already come, He demands that we make a decision about Him. He invites us to be forgiven. He invites us to be His followers. He invites us to be His worshippers. He invites us to be His servants.

And because we are asked to make personal decisions, the whole world is now divided between those who love Him and those who reject Him, between those who follow Him and oppose Him, and between those who are sheep and those who are goats. We see the divisive character of the coming of decisions for Christ especially in Muslim countries, where converts to Christianity are either killed or denounced by their families, friends, and neighbors.

There is no neutral ground any more. Those who are non-committal will have the contents of their hearts revealed. In the presence of the Jesus Christ, how we respond to Him and His call will reveal the genuine contents of our hearts. We are either for Him or against Him. Those thing they are neutral by not making decisions are to be classified among the unrighteous. As Alan Torrance once said, “to be neutral before God is to be hostile against God.”

This is where even Christians have problems.

First, we do not want to take a side. We do not want to be identified as a conservative or a liberal. We stay in the middle and congratulate ourselves because we do not have the fanaticism of the conservatives and the immorality of the liberals. We want to be nominal in our faith: we do not want to be identified as someone very committed but we also do not want to be known as a backslider. To these people is a relevant warning: “Because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:16).

Secondly, we have become ignorant to the real meaning of knowing God. To know is to be transformed. Knowledge of people either deepen or break relationships – but we are unresponsive. The truth must be that those who truly encounter Christ must be humbled by His birth (Luke 2:6-7), must be encouraged by His growth (Luke 2:40, 52), must be challenged by His ministry (John 13:14-15), must be convicted by His death (Mark 15:37-39), must be comforted by His resurrection (1 Cor 15:54-58), must be charged by his ascension (Acts 1:4-8), and must be confronted by His coming again (Matt 24:3-38; Rev 16:15).

No one is exempted from making a personal decision. Even Mary will need to make a decision: “a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35).

The characters of the story of Christmas are from different generations: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna are old. Mary and Joseph are young. This is the nature of the coming of Christ. It is never too late or too early to obey, follow, and be used by God for His purposes. We must make a decision now. There is an urgent call. The words of James are wise for us:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that...”  ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them (James 4:13-17)

Ready to Die

All the Christmas festivities are done. All our Christmas bonuses are probably spent. All the hypes—the busyness and the frantic cramming—are over. For some, Christmas vacation is done. So what now? Where do we go from here?

These questions were probably raised by Joseph and Mary after Jesus was born. Before and during the birth of Jesus, there were supernatural events surrounding them. Angels visited Mary and Joseph (Matt 1:18-21; Luke 1:26-38). Even their cousins experienced the same (Luke 1:5-25). When Jesus was born a star shone brightly in the skies (Matt 2:2). Shepherds have gone around telling stories about a multitude of angels singing (Luke 2:8-20).

But after Jesus was born, what should Joseph and Mary do next? When all the festivities and attention were gone, what were their next agenda in life? Quite shockingly, their next actions seemed to be so ordinary. They were just following a routine required by the law. On the eighth day of Jesus birth, they had Jesus circumcised (Luke 1:21) and on the 40^th day, Jesus was taken into the temple to be presented to the Lord (Luke 2:22-24).

But what happens at the Temple, particularly with Simeon, is quite exhilarating. When Simeon saw Jesus Christ, he exclaimed:  

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32)

Simeon’s response is quite extraordinary, or even weird. Imagine that you are wearing Simeon’s shoes. You have always known that you will meet the promised Messiah. And finally, such a happy occasion happened. What would you do? What would you say? When the magi saw Jesus, they bowed down in worship and gave their presents to Him (Matt 2:11). Shepherds were so overjoyed that they spread the news to everyone (Luke 2:17). But Simeon was different. As soon as he took the baby Jesus in his arms, his first words were: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace” (Luke 2:29). Basically, the first words he said when he saw Jesus was: Kill Me Now!

This response sounds really off, when in the presence of the King. But it is actually quite profound. The birth of Christ allows us to embrace our death. This is crucial because our attitude about death and life affects our whole being. Most people are inactive or are playing things safe or are not prone to take risks because they are afraid. And humanity’s greatest fear is death. Fear of pain and death is a mighty weapon that can be used against us so that we will be timid and petrified in doing God’s offensive work in the world.

Just imagine with me. What changes in our lifestyle will happen—in our giving, in our decision-making, in our service, in our approach to others, in our ministry, in our mission—if like Simeon we have the attitude of readiness to die? Would we be more courageous? Would we be less afraid? Would we try to accomplish more? Would we be completely different from who and where we are right now?

Now how does a simple encounter with Christ change our perspectives about life and death? It is simple. For Simeon, right before His eyes is the Lord of the universe. This, for him, was the greatest thing in the world. Is it not true that we usually do not want to die because we have many things left unaccomplished? We want to see more because we feel that we have not yet seen the best views and locations in the world. We want to enjoy more because we feel that we have not yet experienced true happiness and joy. We want to know more because we feel that the heights and depths and width of knowledge is still far from our grasps. We want to stay alive more because we feel that we have not yet experienced the fullness of life.

But what if seeing Jesus is all our joy? What if knowing Jesus is everything we want (Phil 3:8-10)? What if experiencing Jesus is everything we want in our lives? What if there is nothing in the world anymore that can be offered to us that can outmatch the joy of encountering Jesus?

This is a post-Christmas story. The question is this: what has changed about you and your perspective about life since you encountered Jesus Christ? 

Be Holy, for God is Holy

The command to be holy is found most explicitly in Leviticus 11:44-45: “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy… ⁴⁵ I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” Two interesting this can be said about this passage: (1) the command to be holy is repeated twice, once in each verse; and (2) the commands to be holy are predicated on God’s initial self-description. It seems that the indicative about God is the foundation of the imperative to be holy.

Firstly, there are two ways God describes Himself in these two verses.

a. I am the Lord your God (11:44)

It is interesting that the statement “I am the Lord your God” is repeated several times in the Old Testament (Exo 6:6; 15:26; 20:2, 7; 29:46; Lev 26:1; 26:13; Deut 5:6; Isa 43:3; Jer 34:13). It seems that God needed to remind them about this fact all throughout their history. But we can understand this repeated reminder of Yahweh to the Israelites. Ancient New East offered plenty of gods. In Egypt alone, where they came from, there is a significant number of gods, each in-charge of something. The Israelites were surely influenced by Egypt. Being raised in a culture means that you are influenced by your environment. What you think about right and wrong, what is proper and improper etiquette, what is honorable and disgusting, what is socially approved and not, and other seemingly ordinary thought patterns are conditioned by our environment. So for the Israelites, it was normal for them to think that there were many gods. This was why it was easy for them to rebel against God and worship other gods even when they were already in the promise land.

The implication of God’s reminder that He is the Lord God of the Israelites is simple. If He is the God of the Israelites, then He deserves their worship, their devotion, their offerings, their allegiance, their dedication, their prayers. If He is their God, then He deserves everything. Again, they do not have the right to ignore Him or avoid Him. He is their God, and they have their responsibilities to Him.

This is the same with us. He deserves our love (Mark 12:29-30). He deserves our service (Matt 4:10).

b. I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt (11:45)

This statement is also repeated several time in the Old Testament as well (Exo 6:6; 13:3; 15:26; 29:46; Lev 11:45; 26:13; Deut 5:6; 7:8; Judg 2:1; Jer 2:6; 16:14; 34:13; Amos 2:10). God describes Himself as someone who did something for the Israelites. God met with them as the Redeemer. He is not just the some God who personally manifested Himself to them. No. He is the God who has done great and marvelous things for them. Their history would not be without Him. Yahweh reminds them that He is the Lord to whom they owe their entire existence as a nation.

God’s redeeming self-manifestation with the Israelites is also true in all of God’s dealing with humanity. He does not meet us just for the sake of meeting us. He meets us in order to meet our needs. He meets us in order to give us something. He comes to us and presents Himself because He recognizes our inmost being. He presents Himself and not offers Himself in relationship. He presents Himself because He wants to do something for us. This was what happened to Abraham, who was met by God in order to give Him the promise of blessings (Gen 12:1-3). This was also true to Moses, who was met by God in order to save the Israelites (Exo 3:7-10). Even Mary, when she encountered God through an angel, became the recipient of a great blessing (Luke 1:31-32). We encounter a God who does not just appear in our midst. The God we encounter is One who is gracious, compassionate, and merciful. He is a God who comes to us bearing gifts and blessings.

But God does not only reveal Himself to us. He also does not only come to save us. He wants us to be holy like Him. God’s self-introduction is also coupled by a command. The command is: “be holy, for I am holy.” But this is to be expected. Worshippers of different gods imitate the characters of their gods. Satan worshippers dress up with dark and demonic symbols. Followers of Buddha shave their heads and dress up like Buddha. And they do these things unashamedly. Even followers of famous people dress up like the person they idolize (e.g. Lady Gaga). Meaning: imitation of someone we love and adore is almost spontaneously expected.

So what does the command “be holy, for I am holy” mean? Two things may be mentioned here.

a. Being like God in His character

The identity of the Israelites as people of God must be patterned after the God who saved them and who they serve. God wanted the Israelites to be His reflection on earth. The calling of Israel was for them to reflect the character of God to their neighbors. They have to have a distinct identity in order for them to reflect who God is. This was why the Law was given, because the Law guides them to be the people God wanted them to be. The Ten Commandments reveal not only God’s will, but God’s character also:

1. There is no other worthy God to be worshipped.
2. No image can ever satisfactorily portray His greatness. To contain God is to insult Him.
3. God’s name is holy.
4. God honors rest and contentment.
5. God values those from whom we owe our existence.
6. God values the life that He gave to us.
7. God values single-minded commitment.
8. God values honest hard-work.
9. God values honest interpersonal relationships.
10. God values contentment.

By receiving the Law, the Israelites were being molded by God. The analogy of pots being molded by God the Potter is found in Jeremiah 18:1-10: “The pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him… [Yahweh] said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.”

Paul also says the same thing about Christians: “we are God’s handiwork” (Eph 2:10). In Greek, it says that we God’s poiema, a term also used in poetry and art. This means that we God’s careful masterpieces. Like poems, He chooses the best words and the best rhymes to finish a beautiful poem. Like songs, He chooses the best chord and note progression and lyrics to finish a beautiful song. Like a painting, He chooses the best color combination and brush strokes to finish a beautiful painting. Why? Because by shaping us, His character is also revealed and manifested.

b. Being like God in His work

Based on Leviticus 11:45, it seems that the holiness of God also refers to His saving character. Holiness is not just His attribute. Yahweh said: “I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, as I am holy.” To reconstruct the statement, it means “I am the holy Lord who brought you out of Egypt; therefore be holy like I am.”

Holiness, therefore, is also tied to with God’s actions. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus challenged His hearers: “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” If we go back up to verse 43, the perfection or holiness of the Father is described as (1) loving enemies and praying for those who persecute us, (2) causing sun to rise to the evil and good, and (3) sending rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. To be perfect like the Father is to imitate Him in these works.

It seems, therefore, that the holiness of God is evidenced by His saving work and in reaching out to others in need. His holiness is found in His forgiving work (“He is faithful and just,” 1 John 1:9). His holiness is found in delivering the oppressed, proclaiming the good news, giving sight to the blind (Luke 14:18-19). His holiness is found in embracing others, including sinners (Matt 11:19). His holiness is found in his coming to serve (Matt 20:28). His holiness is found in giving His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). His holiness is found in coming to heal the sick (Mark 2:17). His holiness is found in looking for the lost sheep of Israel (Matt 15:24).

To be holy just as God is holy, therefore, is to imitate Him in His reaching out to save others. The hymn written by Thomas O. Chisholm in 1897, “O to be Like Thee,” perfectly illustrates this:

O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

O to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.

O to be like Thee, lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save.

The Harvest is Plentiful

According to a speaker during the Manila International Missions Conference I attended in 2015, there are approximately 180,000 people saved in the world per day. Right now, there are 7.3 billion people alive in the world. If the church reaches out to 180,000 people per day, then there are 65,700,000 people saved every year. This means that it will take 111.111 years to make the 7.3 billion people in the world to become a Christian. This will be in 2127.

Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful.”

The problem is that by 2127, world population will not remain as 7.3 billion. In fact, by 2127, the projected world population, according to the UN, is about 19 billion. This means that if we want the people of the whole world to be Christians by 2127, we need to reach out to 171,000,171 people every year during the next 111 years. This means reaching out to 468,493 people per day for the next 111 years. If we are reaching out to 180,000 people per day, then there are an estimated 288,493 who are lost per day for the next 111 years.

Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful.” 

Let us assume, again, that there are 180,000 people saved every day in the world. Currently, there are approximately 360,000 babies born per day. This means that one half of each baby born in the world everyday will not be saved.

Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful.”

Let us assume, again, that there are 180,000 people saved every day in the world. Currently, there are approximately 151,600 people who die every day. If there are only 31% of Christians (including 50% Roman Catholics) in the world, it means that among the 151,600 who die every day, only 46,996 are saved. The rest—104,604 people—are destined to go to hell. Imagine that: there are 104,604 people who are destined to go to hell every day!

Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful.”

Of the 7.3 billion people in the world, 2,173,180,000 are Christians, which is basically 31% of the total world population (50% are Catholic, 37% Protestant, 12% Orthodox, and 1% other). If there are 180,000 people reached out every day, it means that it takes 12,073.22 Christians to reach out to one non-believer per day; or that there is only one in every 12,073.22 Christians around the world who bear witness to Christ to one person per day.

Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”