Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Orange Moon Tuesday, December 14, 2021. “The First LIght of Prayer”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…


"The First Light of Prayer"


    Why does God answer prayer?   We do well to consistently seek Biblical answers whereby we gain better understanding that leads to the "effectual fervent " prayer that "availeth much" (James 5:16).  The first light of Scripture shines upon our Heavenly Father's ultimate intentions centered in His Son, referred to by the Apostle Paul as  God's "eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:11).

    Everything God does flows with the current of revealing and glorifying His Son, "that in all things He might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).  Indeed, by the Lord Jesus, "He made the worlds."  By the Lord Jesus, He sustains all things.  By the Lord Jesus, He provides redemption from sin for all who believe.  By the Lord Jesus, He leads and empowers us through the indwelling Holy Spirit.  By the Lord Jesus, He will judge every human being.  By the Lord Jesus, He will redeem all creation.  And by the Lord Jesus, God will rule and reign forever (Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:17; Ephesians 1:5-7; Philippians 4:13; John 5:22; Colossians 1:20; Luke 1:33).  Our Father wills that His Son and our Savior must be honored and revealed in all things, both now and forevermore.

   "And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you" (John 16:23).

   Of all the aspects of relationship and fellowship with God wherein we must be Christ-centered, none surpass the blessed gift and responsibility of prayer.  God will answer no prayer that conflicts with His aforementioned eternal purpose in Christ.  Indeed, consider  the Lord Jesus Himself, tempted so sorely in the garden of Gethsemane that He asked, "O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me" (Matthew 26:39).  God could not provide such deliverance, of course, because the cup of sorrow He called our Savior to drink so vitally correlated with His ultimate intentions for the redemption of creation.  Only through Christ's death, resurrection, ascension, and subsequent glory could the Father's purpose be fulfilled.  Thus, even in the Lord Jesus' own prayers, the "eternal purpose" applied.

      Why does God answer prayer?  The answer, amid many other reasons, will always begin with the alignment of our requests and His historical intentions centered in Christ.  Our response to this truth must involve our dedication to pray with the glory of the Lord Jesus established in heart and mind.  We ask God to lead us accordingly, understanding that if He does not answer, the reason may well be that our prayers do not align with His purpose.  Thankfully, sincere devotion to pray in context of Christ's revelation and glory goes far in aligning our prayers with God's purpose.  Why does our Father answer prayer?  His light shines first upon His eternal purpose in Christ...

""Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him."
 (Ephesians 1:9-10)
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
(Matthew 3:17)
"God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
(Philippians 2:9-11)

Weekly Memory Verse
  By Him all things consist.
(Colossians 1:17)





























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