"The Benefactor"
Part 2
Our Heavenly Benefactor calls us to come and "let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). He leads us to view the needs of our lives, the lives of others, and the circumstances of the world as opportunity to approach the throne of grace with supplications and intercessions. He promises to respond in accordance with His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, as based upon "the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:11).
"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (I John 5:14-15).
How blessed is the calling of prayer, especially for others as our Heavenly Father executes His process of redeeming us from the self centeredness that characterized our pre-Christian experience. We possess the privilege and responsibility of influencing others for their benefit, or rather seeking the power of God's mighty influence. The Holy Spirit reveals the praying heart of the Lord Jesus in us as we trust and submit ourselves to Him. Thus, we see the needs of others always as our holy commission to do something about them. If we can help with our hands, we certainly engage outwardly to "bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Often, however, our Lord calls us to help with our hearts by seeking His heart and hand for the benefit of others in need. We've likely all said it: "I wish there was something I could do!" There is, or rather, there is always something God can do. He leads us to see the challenges, difficulties, pains, sorrows, and losses of life not merely to mourn them. Pity only goes so far. Prayer, however, reaches the throne of grace where the Lord "full of compassion" promises to respond as we make our requests (Psalm 86:15).
We will frequently not know how to pray in specific terms about the matters of need we witness. Our ignorance is of little significance, and often actually helps. By definition, prayer seeks the Benefactor's wise application of His unsearchable riches according to His determinations. "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26). We pray no wiser prayers than those which acknowledge our complete lack of knowledge regarding how God should answer. "Heavenly Father, I come to You for Joe. As You know far better than me, He requires Your mighty working in His heart and life. I therefore trust You to work in accordance with Your glory, will, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom." Certainly we can pray about details of which we are aware, and in accordance with Biblical truth. However, we rarely get to the heart of the matter because we cannot see the heart of the matter. God can and does. Thus, we pray not only for the Benefactor's provision, but for His application thereof in accordance with His perfect awareness of Joe's condition, circumstance, and situation.
Our Heavenly Father does not need us to tell Him how to do His work. He does, however, call us to participate by asking Him to do it. The One who sees all and everything beckons us to the throne to "let your requests be made known." Such truth greatly motivates and strengthens us to come often, perhaps with fewer words, but with a more fervent heart of confidence and the determination to seek both the Benefactor's abundant supply and perfect application thereof.
"When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him."
(Matthew 6:7-8)
"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Weekly Memory Verse
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
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