Partners in Prayer

2 Kings 6:8-17 and Philippians 4:2-7

 

There is a children's Bible song whose lyrics say, "I'm in-right, out-right, up- right, down-right happy all the time. I'm in-right, out-right, up-right, down-right happy all the time. Since Jesus Christ came in and cleansed my life from sin, I'm in-right, out-right, up-right, down-right happy all the time." Now, this is a children's song. It's a good children's song. But it is not good theology. The lyrics seem to presume a “Stepford” spirituality that denies the ugliness and evil in our world. It denies pain and isolation. It overlooks injustice and oppression. It is not very Presbyterian. I understand that I need to lighten up and give the song a break because, after all, it's a children's song. However, I am referring to it because it is such a clear example of the kind of faith that treats belief in Jesus as a kind of Midas' Touch of the emotions.

 

You remember Midas: he was the king in the fable who was granted the power to turn everything he touched into gold. Well, there is a distorted spirituality among some that says, "If Jesus Christ comes in and cleans my life from sin, then everything I touch will turn to happiness." And if I am not mistaken, they base their belief in Jesus as the Midas Messiah in large part on Paul's words from Philippians chapter four. Paul tells the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice."

 

I was water skiing once with some friends. We were about to head back to the dock when a jet-skier came along side and told us that about 25 minutes ago a guy had jumped from a boat in the middle of the lake to take a swim and now was missing. We immediately joined the search with three other boats and two jet skis to look for the swimmer. We gave up the search after about another 30 minutes when the sun went down and it was too dark to see. The swimmer was a 17 year old boy, who had been drinking. The sheriff's department found him later in the week. As we all know, Christian or not Christian, that boy's mother was not happy that night nor for many nights to come. How can someone be happy in the midst of such a situation? How can one be happy when you've been punched in the stomach so hard you can't even breath? At this point, all we can say is that "Rejoice in the Lord always" does not mean "Be happy all the time."

 

What, then, does it mean to rejoice in the Lord always? For Paul, to rejoice in the Lord always is a habit of the heart. It is a commitment of the will. To rejoice in the Lord is a mind-set that looks beyond the ups and downs of life, that looks beyond the highs and lows we feel, and that looks through the eyes of faith at what is and what will be because we rest in the Lord. For Paul, the emphasis in his words is not on "rejoice" but on "in the Lord." Paul does not say rejoice in the Lord, but rejoice in the Lord. We do not rejoice simply to rejoice, simply to put on a happy face. No, for Paul, we rejoice because in life and in death we belong to the Lord.

 

 

 

Paul is in good company with this notion. The Psalmists says, "Our help is in the name of the Lord." The writer of Proverbs says, "Trust in the Lord and lean not unto your own understanding." Mary, at the prospect of life she did not ask for said, "My soul rejoices in God my savior." Job when confronting deaths he did not deserve said, "Though the Lord slay me, yet will I hope in him." To rest in the Lord is to find the joy of faith.

 

 

The primary means of resting in the Lord is prayer. Paul reminds us that in any and every situation, by prayer and petition and with thanksgiving we can present our requests to God and the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We are led to rejoicing through prayer for through prayer we discover that in life and in death we belong to the Lord. In many ways, we pray ourselves into the state of peace. Now, I don't want to go too far with the idea that we do all the work; after all, this sermon is called "Partners in Prayer." But our part of the partnership in prayer is to allow our consistent, committed practice of prayer to prepare us to receive God's gift of peace.

 

 

I was talking with a school administrator once who was telling me about all the stress and headache of her job. You could not pay me enough to work in the schools; between the kids and their parents there is absolutely no harder job in the world. Well, this school administrator is African-American and she uses some wonderful faith phrases that come out of the Black Church. One day she was telling me about what goes on in her office. She said, "All the other ladies ask me how I deal with people so calmly. I tell them it's because I'm all prayed up." The phrase she used piqued my curiosity: "prayed up." I had never heard the phrase before but I liked it. Prayed up sounded to me like a faith version of putting away for a rainy day so there will be a healthy cushion in her savings account. Prayed up sounds like a faith version of watching what we eat for a few weeks before Thanksgiving so that we can splurge come Turkey Day. Prayed up sounds like someone who can say, "Oh, I don't fret and worry about what comes next. I've been resting in the Lord, and I know from experience that when I'm resting with him he'll see me through whatever comes my way. Don't worry about me. I'm all prayed up."

 

 

Elisha was all prayed up. But Elisha's servant was not. Elisha may or may not have seen the army of angels that surrounded the Arameans, but he knew in faith that they were there. Elisha's servant neither saw them nor believed they were there nor had any inkling that they might be. Elisha was in peace while in mortal danger, while surrounded by his enemies. Elisha's servant was not. He was afraid. The difference between Elisha and his servant is the difference between spiritual confidence and spiritual doubt.

 

 

Spiritual confidence comes through prayer as we experience the grace and provision of God, the granting of our prayers and petitions and requests made with thanksgiving. John Calvin gave six reasons why we should pray. Reasons three through six revolve around spiritual confidence. He says that we should pray so that "we be prepared to receive his benefits with true gratitude of heart and thanksgiving.” Pray so that "having obtained what we were seeking, and being convinced that he has answered our prayers, we should be led to meditate upon his kindness more ardently." Pray so that "we embrace with greater delight those things which we acknowledge to have been obtained by prayers." Pray so that "use and experience may...confirm God's providence toward us." Spiritual confidence comes through prayer as we experience the grace and provision of God.

 

There are many folks who teach about prayer. There are many different methods of prayer. There are some folks who say, "We must ask specifically for what we want from God." There are other folks who say, "We need only pray 'Thy will be done.'" There are some folks who say, "All true prayer begins with adoration of God." There are other folks who say, "All true prayer begins with honest and forthright confession of our sins." Sometimes all these teachings on prayer can get a little confusing. But I will tell you what I think is the best teaching on prayer I have ever heard: "Pray as you can, not as you can't...but pray." If words catch in your throat, then pray in silence before the Lord. If silence drives you nuts, then let the words flow. If sitting still is difficult, then take a walk and pray. If music is the key that unlocks your soul, then sing your prayers. Pray as you can, not as you can't. The Nike commercials were right after all: just do it.

 

It isn't that I am against teaching on methods of prayer. Such teachings can be very helpful. In fact, I have led workshops myself on methods of prayer. But to say these methods are the way we ought to pray misses something essential about the character of our God. Our God is our Father and like any good father God cares more that we are resting in him than how we are resting in him. I have a colleague in Texas whose son had just graduated from college. A couple of months after graduation the son called his dad at home and asked if he was free to go with him somewhere on the third weekend in October. The dad immediately said, "I'm free that weekend." The son was puzzled, "Dad, don't you have to check your calendar?" And the father said, "Son, for 23 years I raised you and watched you grow up, and now for the rest of my life, no matter what else is going on, any time you want to spend time with me I am available." God cares more that we are resting in him than how we are resting in him.

 

When we rest in God we prepare ourselves to receive his grace and provision. We open the door for the Lord to come in.  We till fertile ground into which the seeds of God’s peace are planted.  God created us and has watched us grow up.  Now for the rest of all eternity, no matter what else is going on, any time we want to spend time with him he is available.  Not that we want to abuse this privilege but we want to joyfully acknowledge it.  And God will gladly and joyfully fulfill his part of the partnership in prayer, which is to give us the gift of his peace that passes all understanding.

 

The peace God gives is God's gift to us. No one can explain this gift. But we can rejoice that we are found in One who desires to give us such a gift. We can rejoice that we are found in the Lord who gives us the gift of a peace that passes understanding in life and in death. We can rejoice in the Lord because we know that on our frightening trip into eternity we are not alone. And it is not only our trip into eternity for which this is true. It can also be said that on our frightening trip into adolescence, or our frightening trip into being the parent of an adolescent, or our frightening trip into a new job, or into retirement, or into eternity...we are not alone, for we belong to God.

 

I would like to close with words from St. Francis de Sales. Francis de Sales was the Catholic bishop in Geneva, Switzerland who opposed Calvin's Protestantism. What is interesting is that, although these two were adversaries, yet were they kindred spirits. He says:

 

Do not look forward to the trials and crosses of this life with fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God, to whom you belong, will deliver you from them.

 

He has guided and guarded you thus far in life. Do you but hold fast to his hand, and He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand, He will carry you lovingly in His arms.

 

Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same Eternal Father who cares for you today will take good care of you tomorrow and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you the unfailing strength to bear it.

So be at peace, my brothers and sisters, be at peace, be at peace, be at peace.