We as men have a propensity to prolong our won perfection through GODS Afflictions or put another way we prolong our own trials. It is these that we will look at today and because prayer is our resource and supply of GODS Grace as needed for all things spiritual we will again look to Pastor Hoekstra's teaching on continuous prayer, with some editing on my part. And again I will make use of the ESV translation.
"Call to Pray without Ceasing"
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:18)
"Through His word, GOD calls us to lives of continual prayerfulness. "Pray without ceasing" (1Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus as the Son of man also called us to this life of prayer, both by His teaching and His example. This pattern is carried over into our spiritual life with Him. "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart . . . in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed" (Luke 18:1 and Mark 1:35). Our present verse is another call to praying without ceasing.
The context concerns appropriating by faith the powerful spiritual resources that are ours in and through the LORD. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of GOD, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:10-11). These heavenly provisions are put on by looking to the LORD unceasingly in prayer: "praying always." This constancy in prayer can be done with "all prayer and supplication." GOD has arranged many appropriate ways for us to pray to Him: such as, confession, repentence, request, thanksgiving, rejoicing, praise, adoration, and more. Note however, that every type of praying is to be done "in the Spirit." As in all areas of life, we must depend upon the Spirit. He will grant us guidance and wisdom for praying according to the Will of GOD. Unlike the Hebrews who prayed without aid of the Spirit except the few who were His Prophets. The average person on the streets may not have had it to accure to them that they were able to pray to GOD at all. Because they thought it sacrilege to do so without them being in the temple. The priest's had so brain washed them to the point that it was believed that only the priest could pray for the needs of the people. Keeping mind that all were of the constant opinion of fear, their consciousness was that great of their sin. As this was the effect of the Laws that had been imposed upon them by the priesthood.
Godly praying also includes spiritual alertness: "being watchful to this end." When prayer is especially needed, we can be tempted to slumber. In Gethsemane, the disciples were not alert to the great need to pray. "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Mark 14:38). Again, this highlights our need to be led of the Spirit. Further, a part of our need for the Spirit pertains to perseverance: "with all perseverance." Praying requires all kinds of spiritual persistence. Praying amounts to demanding spiritual labor. The Holy Spirit must sustain us in GOD's strength, if we are to engage in prayer to the extent that our LORD often desires. Some of this call to persevering prayer involves the battles and needs that others are facing: "with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." It is not wrong for us to cry out to GOD though our LORD Christ concerning our own needs. Our LORD invites us to do such. "Let your requests be made known to GOD" (Philippians 4:6). Still, the LORD Christ wants to use us in the lives of people near and far through the wonderful avenue of intercession. The vision for prayer given here is quite expansive: "Praying always . . . all prayer . . . all perseverance . . . all the saints."
Our Afflictions sometimes are Delayed or Prolonged:
Psalm 6:1-3, 4 "O LORD, rebuke me not in Your anger, nor discipline me in Your wrath. Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long?
Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of Your steadfast love."
Psalm 13:1-2, 3 "How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O LORD my GOD; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death."
Psalm 35:17-21 "How long, O LORD, will You look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! I will thank You in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise You. Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause. For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit. They open wide their mouths against me; they say, "Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!"
Psalm 79:1-7, 8-13 "O GOD, the nations have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the bodies of Your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of Your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out Your anger on the nations that do not know You, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon Your name! For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.
Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let Your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O GOD of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for Your name's sake! Why should the nations say, "Where is their GOD?" Let the avenging of the out poured blood of Your servants be known among the nations before our eyes! Let the groans of the prisoners come before You; according to Your great power, preserve those doomed to die! Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted You, O LORD! But we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will give thanks to You forever; from generation to generation we will recount Your praise."
Psalm 80:4-7 "O LORD GOD of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O GOD of hosts; let Your face shine, that we may be saved!"
Psalm 89:46-48 "How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? How long will Your wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is! For what vanity You have created all the children of man! What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?"
Psalm 90:13-17 "Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on Your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let Your work be shown to Your servants, and Your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the LORD our GOD be upon us, and establish the work of Your hands upon us; yes, establish the work of Your hands!"
Psalm 94:1-7, 8-11, 12-13 "O LORD, GOD of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush Your people, O LORD, and afflict Your heritage. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; and they say, "The LORD does not see; the GOD of Jacob does not perceive."
Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He Who planted the ear, does He not hear? He Who formed the eye, does He not see? He Who disciplines the nations, does He not rebuke? He Who teaches man knowledge—the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.
Blessed is the man whom You discipline, O LORD, and whom You teach out of Your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug deeper and wider for the wicked."
Habakkuk 1:1-4 "The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and You will not hear? Or cry to You "Violence!" and You will not save? Why do You make me see iniquity, and why do You idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed (made ineffective), and justice never goes forth (is withheld). For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted."
Zechariah 1:12-17 "Then the angel (messenger) of the LORD said, 'O LORD of Hosts, how long will You have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which You have been angry these seventy years?' The LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. So the angel who talked with me said to me, 'Cry out, Thus says the LORD of Hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of Hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of Hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'"
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