Taking the Word to the World and the Cross to the Lost

Has anyone ever told you to do something because they said so? I am always one of those people who asks: "Why?" We need to ask why! Some people think that God says, "Don't ask why, just obey." But you know what? God's not that way. God really does want to answer your questions why. With my relationship with God, I always ask the questions; "Why?" Mostly out of a heart that wants to know Him. I asked my boss a work why to a question and he just barked off and said: "Why don't you just do what I tell you to do and quit asking why;" and of course I retorted being the young prideful young buck, not going to take that kind of guff; I looked right back at him and said, "Why don't you give me your reasons why if you really know what you are doing?" Thank God he didn't choose to kill me that day!

     I realized that deep down inside of all of us we ask the questions about prayer! A lot of us ask, why do we need to pray? Does it really make a difference in our lives? Does it really open opportunities? Does it really change things? Especially when we think of a God Who is Sovereign. Especially in the context when I'm looking at a situation where God is saying, "Hey, I'm a sovereign God!" My purposes aren't thwarted. My plans I establish. I thwart the plans of nations. I thwart the plans of people. My purposes endure forever." And you go, "well why in the heck then, do we need to pray?" I found out within me that there has to be, like proverbs said; not just the knowledge about God, but their has to be an understanding of His purposes. That helps me and motivates me to want to do His will.

     I am completely awe stricken by the fact that a God who I was completely separated from has gone to such extremes to put me in a communion relationship with Him and then say some how, I just don't want you Scott, but I need you. Most of us don't think of God needing us. He just didn't purchase you just because He had just some kind of a general plan of salvation for you. There was a deep need within Him to want to interact with humanity, to be able to have humanity interact with Him. There was a deep need to say; "I want to reveal myself to you. But more than that, I need you to do some things while you're on earth, that will make significant difference, that I won't do without you.

     Turn to Ezekiel chapter 22. Never stop asking the questions. God is not afraid of your questions.
          1. Can my prayers actually change things?
          2. Is it God's will for Christians automatically to be guaranteed that his prayers will be answered?
          3. Why does it often take so long to get a prayer answered?
          4. Why do some answer quickly and some take forever?
          5. Does God really want us to wrestle with Him? What about prayer for the lost? Do my prayers for the lost really effectively change what's going on in somebody else's life? What about spiritual warfare? Is Satan really held back by my prayers? Does he really get put down? Does he really get put back in his place? Does my prayer really change that aspect? What am I doing? What exactly is intercessory prayer?? What does it mean when God talks about standing in the gap.

     Ezekiel Chap. 22 How do I bear somebody else's burdens in prayer? Are these any of the questions you've had??? Spend all you can to get understanding. (Proverbs) I've found in America's life, that sometimes we get too busy just being obedient even to stop and really be still and ask God the questions. Until we're so disappointed by the outcome 'till we see the deed that we've been carrying out is so fruitless, that by the time we finally start asking the questions, we really don't care. We're in so much disbelief, and so much disunion with what God's purposes and plans and His will is for our life, that by the time we get there we need more inner healing than we need anything else. We need new faith! I want to be able to give you the divine right to say, "God, these are my questions?" "And I know You want to answer them?" You may take Your time, but like me you might get tired of all the questions, but don't stop asking, because God diligently gives rewards to those who diligently seek after Him.

     I've discovered that, that right answer begins with that right question. Also that God is not offended by sincere questions. If they're sincere, God's not offended by it. He wants to answer those questions. He may want you to seek him out to see how sincere it is. He may want to test whether or not you really believe what you believe. He may walk some things through with you until you've come into the full revelation of that. But God sincerely wants to satisfy your intuition to know. Yes, it sometimes may require some blind obedience for a season.

     A lot of people when they first come into Christianity don't understand why sexual immorality is bad! "What's wrong with it? If there's anybody I love, I love this person. So why is God so against sex outside of marriage? What's the big deal?" How many know, sometimes just because you don't understand the spiritual implications of the whole thing, sometimes you just have to obey, but it's OK to ask the questions. I've also discovered that He won't answer those who are refusing to ask the questions because they've already decided in their heart with unbelief. It's not that I really want to know God; I really want my own way. We see that with the children of Israel all the time. Grumbling, complaining, you know it's funny they never ask the questions "why"; they are more of in a state of grumbling; not because of sincere devotion to want to know, but more out of a complete disregard for the situation they were in. They were more willing and ready to go back to where they came from than really know what His purposes were.

     How many know that if they would of asked from a sincere heart, God is more than willing to answer them? Anyone who came to Jesus with sincere questions; even Pharisee Mr. Nicodemus in John chapter 3 asked a sincere question; what must you do to get saved? And Jesus takes the time and goes straight to the juggler, and answers the what: the question!

     God, throughout, the New Testament, has never been afraid to answer people's questions, that were sincere in their heart. James 1:5, "Those who lack and ask for wisdom, God does not rebuke." If you just ask and really believe that He's going to answer you, He says He will. So, He doesn't have a problem with questions. A lot of us have had a misnomer that God just looks for blind obedience without the growth of those people who are really seeking Him with divine questions that are inspiring them to do what: grow! There are so many avenues of prayer. There's so much to look at when we're getting ready to learn how to pray. It's not a wonder that the disciples finally after looking at Jesus' life, finally walk up to Him and go, "Hey, we see the prayer, and this thing You got with God the Father, this kind of thing has something to do with every time You pray, things kind of happen!" So hey, could you teach us how to what? Pray!

     Does God really need me to pray? I think if you really truly understood that God needs you to pray; He just doesn't want you to pray, but needs you to pray. If you can truly understand that aspect, then it might stir you just a little bit more that your a lot more involved in this process, than you ever thought before. Not just some little spec on the planet that just kind of trying to survive and exist, but you've really been entered in some kind of eternal existence with Christ and that somehow, more than just His ability to be sovereign, He has somehow involved you in this process by "needing you." For me, when I'm praying, I don't want it to be "Que sera sera"; what will be, will be. When I go to that prayer closet there's something inside me that rises up and says this is making a difference. It's not so much about my needs anymore. As it is somehow, God needs me to do the very thing that I'm doing and I have learned over the years, "Oh gosh, prayer works!" Whether we know it or not, it's almost like He said to Moses that time; "oh Moses you changed My mind." As though God's mind could be changed. That God had a set plan, but that set plan was changed because you knew his heart and somehow your prayer made the difference.

     Ezekiel chapter 22:30 says this: I looked for a man among them. Who will build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land. So I would not have to -what- destroy it. But I found none. I will pour out My wrath on them and consume them with My fiery anger. Bringing down on their own heads all they have done; declares The Sovereign Lord." Those verses changed my life. It changed my prayer life. Why, because for the first time in my life something sprung up inside me and said, "God's looking for a person." He needs a person who has His real heart on things. As much as God has to bring His judgment, how much more He loves His mercy. How much He hates to do anything that is not surrounded around His goodness, because even His goodness has to be justified. Something went off in me with that Scripture that said, "Wait a minute, that means that God needs me." That's when He took hold of me. He needed me. Not in the context of God needs me to meet His needs financially, not that God needs me to cloth him with any splendor or majesty, not that God needs me to call out with certain kinds of praises or anything like that; but God likes involving His work with men. He needs men.

     Somehow in the beginning of eternity He set the plan in place that if you really understood that God does nothing on earth except in answer to believing prayer. That He does absolutely nothing on earth except for saving prayer. Those men and women that He's raised up to begin to stand in the gap! "I've called a few great men and women into My army. You may not be many, but ahh, is anything impossible for Me to do. If I just had someone who knew I needed you." Kind of like, you know, Uncle Sam saying; "I just need a few good men and women, I've chosen you. I need your involvement, I need your heart, I need everything about you to get involved with Me someone who really wants to do something with Me, 'cause I need you."

     So does a Sovereign, all-powerful God need our involvement or not? As I was reading those scriptures I was going, does He really, need my involvement? Isn't He going to do want He wants anyway?? Isn't He God? What sent me on a life changing study; does God need me, especially in the area of prayer. Does God need me? You're not just wanted; you're needed! How many know that Paul, when he said, "you know what, when the Lord took hold of me, it was not in vain. See, 'cause I know He needed me. He took hold of me and it's not going to be in vain for what He took hold of me. There's a purpose, and a destiny, and in that I am going to finish that. And so when He is going to take a hold of me the need in which He took hold of me for were the purposes here on earth. I'm going to finish." That's what Paul was exactly saying. Even in the midst of a sovereign God Who's in complete control of everything, knowing my decisions, knowing what I'm going to do, knowing how I'm going to respond to Him, knowing how I'm going to act, knowing what I'm going to be doing in every situation. The possibilities with Him, are also dependent on me. The changes that are going to take place in my environment are also dependent on me. I have a vital, important place in God's life of changing things here on earth.

     Genesis 1:26,28 is the answer to why we pray, and why He needs us, and the necessity of that prayer life, lie's in these original plan of God. Because we begin to see it take place and truly be involved in the new testament; but it starts right from the very beginning of creation that God chose to need men and women. Right from the very beginning, as far as this planet is concerned, I don't know about the cosmos, I don't know about the stars, I don't know about if there's another planet with some other people on it; thank God He won't let us get there. We'd corrupt them in no time at all. I'm in firm belief that if there are anybody else on any other planet, God's not going to let them get here, I really believe that He goes, "gosh don't let anybody get to planet earth because of the sin would so corrupt anything else. As a matter of fact I had better send My Savior." The truth is, bad is here! Not out there. God put in place, from the beginning, a need for humanity on earth. He's invested in you, authority, dominion, being an heir with God in His kingdom, by prayer. Like it says in the New Testament; we have become representatives. The same thing Adam was. The very same word in the Hebrews' used, in the Greek there, you have become representatives of Christ. You've become that authority and established place in your prayer life when you're walking in a right relationship with Him; He is going to bring His will through you. How many know that's a good plan!!!

     That puts a little more responsibility on a deepened hunger, I hope, for prayer. James 5:17, Because of the fervent prayers of a righteous man. Notice that, fervent prayer! That person really got into realizing that God needed him. Like me, when I really realized, wait a minute, I'm in needed in this situation. I'm not just kind of throwing up some kind of hopeful type of endeavors that maybe it's God's will maybe it's not. Here He makes a keen example; if there's anything you don't have it's because you don't ask. And if you don't have it because you have asked, it's because you have asked with wrong motives. It's not because you want to represent Christ, but you want to spend it on your own what; pleasures. But, if you're a fervent man in prayer, a righteous man in prayer, it accomplishes what, much! If you're not so consumed in daily living, but really caught up in the purposes of God, how many know He needs you. You're the person He's looking to be in the gap. You can pray about your needs, but be concerned about others. Begin to get faith. I'm needed in this process. God's chosen to need me. And if I'm not praying, salvation's at stake!!! How many of you know what I'm talking about?

     That's just part of the process, I believe. God's mercy has come. His kingdom's come. His establishment comes because of His need for you. You are an important aspect. Your prayers are absolutely and completely valuable. It says they're so valuable that He saves them up to be able to carry them out. In Revelations it says the angel of the Lord handed him the cup of the prayers of the saints. And He poured them out on earth. As 1st John says; "Any man knows that when he has prayed the will of God, he has received it." If I'm walking in that relationship with Him and I'm in my prayer closet and I know this is the will of God, cause God needed me.

     That's what He's saying here about Elijah. Each of you has that place. Not just Elijah, each and every individual believer has become a representative for Jesus Christ. Your prayer is as much needed in your arena, in your home, in your house, and where you are as any other person in the Christian government. And if you are not in that gap, I really truly believe some people don't get saved. Because I believe that God's original plan has always involved men. And needed them. His overall scheme, and plans will never fail, His judgment's going to come one day, and Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's, and Judge of Judges, and He will come back to Judge this earth in the fullness of that gentile faith when it comes around, whatever that looks like, He will be back for His own. But while we're here, we are called to represent Him. Amen

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Last modified: April 27, 2003