"For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds" (Job 33:14-15, NKJV). "I love the LORD, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (Psalm 116:1-2, NKJV). "He is there and He is not silent." (Francis A. Schaeffer, philosophical apologist)
Our problem is being spiritually hard of hearing and turning a deaf ear to God, failing to listen to what He does say to us, not that He doesn't speak clearly enough! Prayer works and Satan laughs at our wisdom, mocks at our toil, but trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees (source unknown). Lincoln is said to have said that he often went to his knees because he simply had nowhere else to go. It isn't our posture, but our attitude and we are to work as if everything depends on us but pray as if everything depends on God. We all have an innate potential, and, though our attempts may be feeble and anemic, they are not ineffectual.
Whenever you can't stand life, kneel, they say! You really don't need a theology of prayer or another lecture on the subject, but just need to apply what you do know and just pray! Don't ever get an inferiority complex or feel you are out of your league, God honors the humblest efforts, even from children. Prayer is a muscle to exercise and the skill atrophies without constant and daily use. The difficulties and trials of life are only meant to keep us on our knees!
A skeptic might wonder how God can hear everyone's prayer at once and possibly answer them simultaneously. The reason we believe in prayer is not that we became convinced by argument or someone's testimony, as if second-hand; no, it's because God answers prayer and prayer works! Billy Graham was asked how he knew God was alive: "Yes, I'm sure because I talked to Him this morning." This kind of postulation baffles the unbeliever who is skeptical about such mystical talk, that could be defined as a gut feeling, to a burning in the bosom, to hearing "a voice." We don't necessarily assert that God is audible, visible, nor tangible to us, but He has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and God's pet peeve is that we don't seek Him out--He is overjoyed to reveal Himself to those who diligently seek Him (cf. Heb. 11:6).
On the other hand, just because God has put His Word into a book and revealed all we need to know, this doesn't preclude Him from speaking through any means He desires, even visions and dreams, which haven't been retired despite having the Bible--but this isn't normative and we are commanded to find God's will and the answers in the Word, because He has promised He will use that and has elevated and magnified the Word, which will not come back void (cf. Isa. 55:11), above all His name, fame, or reputation (cf. Psalm 138:2).
God's best gift to man is the Bible and He expects us to use it and depend on it, not just read it once and put it back on the shelf! The Bible is a lifelong journey with God and has all we need to know for a fulfilling, abundant life in Christ. In it, God speaks to us in sixty-five books, and we speak to God in one book (Psalms)! Prayer is two-way and that means we must be prepared to listen to what God is saying and have the right mental attitude. We need a thirsty soul, needy heart, willing spirit, an open mind; we must also be teachable, humble, and obedient to God! It's not a matter of training or education that brings effective prayer and Bible reading (you don't have to know how to be a good reader, for example), but you must be in the right frame of mind and ready and expectant to hear from God--it is written clear enough that a child can understand its main message and get something out of it. We are only responsible for what we do understand, so take that by faith and God will cause growth so you can understand the deeper truths later. Mark Twain said that it's not the parts of the Bible that he doesn't understand that bother him, but those that he does understand!
God can hear prayer universally and simultaneously because He is miraculous and time is not of the essence for Him, who created the time-space continuum. Time is merely a corollary of space and matter and if those two didn't exist, there would be no time. Time stops in a black hole, by the way. God is outside time and can use it or manipulate it to conform to His will and desires. He has all the time in the world to hear everyone's prayer, just like they are the only one praying at that time. With God there is no such thing as time, which is irrelevant, He existed before time began or in eternity past. God sees history as one episode a view, not in sequence as we do. God had no beginning and will have no end because He is timeless and in another dimension, besides the four we live in (length, width, height, and time). God never tells us to take our turn and never is too busy for us--He's always there, and Christianity is "about the God who is there" according to Francis Schaeffer.
Prayer can be explained away if one is so inclined, and you can always find some excuse not to believe; however, it becomes increasingly incredible to explain away countless prayers as coincidence. The problem is not that our prayers don't get heard, but that we are not praying His will and also that we don't pray at all or even ask for what we want. ("You have not because you ask not.") God wants faith and will not force anyone to believe in prayer, but there is evidence if one is willing to believe, and prayer is only for the believer who has faith in Jesus name, not for some experiment to see if God is out there somewhere--we are not to test God! (Hebrews 11:6, ESV, says, "..[For] whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.") God doesn't have to prove Himself to anyone, but He is not anyone's debtor and will reward sincere seekers--He wants to hear from us more than we desire to fellowship with Him.
In summation, if we feel estranged from God and He seems MIA, it is not God who moved, but us--we are to be blamed for the alienation: "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2, ESV). However, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us (cf. 1 John 1:9). Don't feel alone if God seems distant; even Job pondered: "Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!" (Job 23:3, ESV). Soli Deo Gloria!
Our problem is being spiritually hard of hearing and turning a deaf ear to God, failing to listen to what He does say to us, not that He doesn't speak clearly enough! Prayer works and Satan laughs at our wisdom, mocks at our toil, but trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees (source unknown). Lincoln is said to have said that he often went to his knees because he simply had nowhere else to go. It isn't our posture, but our attitude and we are to work as if everything depends on us but pray as if everything depends on God. We all have an innate potential, and, though our attempts may be feeble and anemic, they are not ineffectual.
Whenever you can't stand life, kneel, they say! You really don't need a theology of prayer or another lecture on the subject, but just need to apply what you do know and just pray! Don't ever get an inferiority complex or feel you are out of your league, God honors the humblest efforts, even from children. Prayer is a muscle to exercise and the skill atrophies without constant and daily use. The difficulties and trials of life are only meant to keep us on our knees!
A skeptic might wonder how God can hear everyone's prayer at once and possibly answer them simultaneously. The reason we believe in prayer is not that we became convinced by argument or someone's testimony, as if second-hand; no, it's because God answers prayer and prayer works! Billy Graham was asked how he knew God was alive: "Yes, I'm sure because I talked to Him this morning." This kind of postulation baffles the unbeliever who is skeptical about such mystical talk, that could be defined as a gut feeling, to a burning in the bosom, to hearing "a voice." We don't necessarily assert that God is audible, visible, nor tangible to us, but He has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and God's pet peeve is that we don't seek Him out--He is overjoyed to reveal Himself to those who diligently seek Him (cf. Heb. 11:6).
On the other hand, just because God has put His Word into a book and revealed all we need to know, this doesn't preclude Him from speaking through any means He desires, even visions and dreams, which haven't been retired despite having the Bible--but this isn't normative and we are commanded to find God's will and the answers in the Word, because He has promised He will use that and has elevated and magnified the Word, which will not come back void (cf. Isa. 55:11), above all His name, fame, or reputation (cf. Psalm 138:2).
God's best gift to man is the Bible and He expects us to use it and depend on it, not just read it once and put it back on the shelf! The Bible is a lifelong journey with God and has all we need to know for a fulfilling, abundant life in Christ. In it, God speaks to us in sixty-five books, and we speak to God in one book (Psalms)! Prayer is two-way and that means we must be prepared to listen to what God is saying and have the right mental attitude. We need a thirsty soul, needy heart, willing spirit, an open mind; we must also be teachable, humble, and obedient to God! It's not a matter of training or education that brings effective prayer and Bible reading (you don't have to know how to be a good reader, for example), but you must be in the right frame of mind and ready and expectant to hear from God--it is written clear enough that a child can understand its main message and get something out of it. We are only responsible for what we do understand, so take that by faith and God will cause growth so you can understand the deeper truths later. Mark Twain said that it's not the parts of the Bible that he doesn't understand that bother him, but those that he does understand!
God can hear prayer universally and simultaneously because He is miraculous and time is not of the essence for Him, who created the time-space continuum. Time is merely a corollary of space and matter and if those two didn't exist, there would be no time. Time stops in a black hole, by the way. God is outside time and can use it or manipulate it to conform to His will and desires. He has all the time in the world to hear everyone's prayer, just like they are the only one praying at that time. With God there is no such thing as time, which is irrelevant, He existed before time began or in eternity past. God sees history as one episode a view, not in sequence as we do. God had no beginning and will have no end because He is timeless and in another dimension, besides the four we live in (length, width, height, and time). God never tells us to take our turn and never is too busy for us--He's always there, and Christianity is "about the God who is there" according to Francis Schaeffer.
Prayer can be explained away if one is so inclined, and you can always find some excuse not to believe; however, it becomes increasingly incredible to explain away countless prayers as coincidence. The problem is not that our prayers don't get heard, but that we are not praying His will and also that we don't pray at all or even ask for what we want. ("You have not because you ask not.") God wants faith and will not force anyone to believe in prayer, but there is evidence if one is willing to believe, and prayer is only for the believer who has faith in Jesus name, not for some experiment to see if God is out there somewhere--we are not to test God! (Hebrews 11:6, ESV, says, "..[For] whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.") God doesn't have to prove Himself to anyone, but He is not anyone's debtor and will reward sincere seekers--He wants to hear from us more than we desire to fellowship with Him.
In summation, if we feel estranged from God and He seems MIA, it is not God who moved, but us--we are to be blamed for the alienation: "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2, ESV). However, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us (cf. 1 John 1:9). Don't feel alone if God seems distant; even Job pondered: "Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!" (Job 23:3, ESV). Soli Deo Gloria!
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