Apostolic Prayers Part 2
APOSTOLIC PRAYERS Day 2
Tuesday May 7, 2024
WHY SHOULD WE PRAY APOSTOLIC PRAYERS?
Limiting ourselves to welfare prayers is risky for our spiritual well being.
The ultimate goal of welfare prayers is the peace and prosperity of man.
3 John 1:2 LSB
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
Limiting ourselves to welfare prayers leads to one of two possible outcomes: greed or prayerlessness.
Greed:
Even after all our needs have been met, greed will keep us asking more for ourselves rather than for our neighbors.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NLT) Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!
2 Peter 2:14-15 (NLT) 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.
Prayerlessness:
If we manage to overcome greed, then we devolve into the prayerlessness of Christianity in the developed world.
Revelation 3:14-17 (NLT) 14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen--the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
Apostolic prayers are a safeguard for our spiritual health.
The goal of Apostolic prayers is the execution of God's will and purpose.
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
If we stray from apostolic prayers, even when we pray a lot, we will often be praying amiss.
James 4:3 (NLT) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure.
If we pray amiss, are we truly praying?
Proverbs 15:8 (KJV) The sacrifice of the wicked [is] an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright [is] his delight.
Prayerlessness is both the disease and the symptom.
We are powerless because we are prayerless. We are prayerless, because we are powerless.
We grow weak when we stop praying. When we stop praying, we grow weaker.
Prayerfulness is both the prevention and the cure.
When we start praying, we will grow stronger. When we grow stronger, we will pray more.
Apostolic Prayers Fix our gaze on God, rather than on self.
1 Samuel 1:11 (NLT) And she made this vow: “O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut.”
Hannah changed the focus of her prayers from herself, and her need as a wife to become a mother. She became focused on God and His need in the land. We pray apostolic prayers when we are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit instead of our human needs.
Matthew 5:44 (ESV) But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Intercessory prayers are a form of Apostolic prayers.
The true intercessors are moved to prayer by compassion for people. This compassion is a grace granted by the Holy Spirit.
They will be made to pray against their own parochial interests, for the benefit of enemies all with a view to bringing glory to God.
Luke 23:34 (NKJV)
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide His garments.
Because of our fallen human nature, every gift and calling of God can be corrupted.
It is possible to be moved to apostolic prayers by pride, a desire to appear more spiritual than others, to draw attention to one’s self, to gain some advantage over people.When that happens, one is no longer serving God who calls but one is now serving self in the worst possible way.
1 Corinthians 14:13 (ESV) Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.
By their fruits, you shall know them, not by their claims or titles.
Better to be an apostle and not claim it, than claim to be an apostle and not be it.
John 14:16 (NLT) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
Praying apostolic prayers is not natural. It is spiritual. It cannot be sustained for long without the help of the Holy Spirit. The help of the Holy Spirit is available but accessible only by those who are completely surrendered to God. Many praying people are prideful, stubborn, and selfish. Such attitudes will keep the help of the Holy Spirit out of reach.
