Today,
reply is on the character and content of prayer requesting life when
one is approaching the time of their own death. To pray for the
health of ones own body, mind, and spirit becomes selfish by having
its origin in exaggerated desires for pleasure, idolatry, excessive
pride, and lawlessness. Many of us have had to pray to GOD for
strength to endure congenital sickness in our offspring, the
incurable illness of a parent or spouse, and a diagnosis foretelling
our own death. It is not an offense to GOD that men affirm the
divine purpose and putting forth of life; however, throughout our
being in relationship with GOD by the death of his son Jesus Christ,
there must be correct recognition that obedience to sacred law is not
sufficient either to justify or provide all our needs from GOD; that
there must be willing submission to the sentence of divine law that
rebukes and warns against sin; and there must be the firm, unshakable
acknowledgment of resurrection, final judgment, and the second
death. The fighter in the “Yahoo! Answers” public forum on
Religion and Spirituality who uses the ID “MeMe MeMe tikle”
(Level 7 with 50,810 points, a member since July 31, 2012) posted the
following:
Is
it wrong to pray for God to extend someone's life like Hezekiah did?
Update:
God knows what is best for us and we must accept His will concerning
the length of our lives?
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any
merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for
the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed
sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to
another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was
a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space
of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven
gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. (James 5: 13-18,
King James Version, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: Believers Must Receive Gifts (09/30/2018); Christian
Beliefs Are Forward-looking (09/23/2018); Doctrine, Dropsy, and Sin
(09/07/2018); Sacred Operations By GOD (04/12/2018); Conditions Set
By Covenant? (09/13/2017); Holy Writings and Spirit? (12/16/2016);
The Forms of Prophecy? (04/26/2016); About The End Of The World
(08/30/2015)
“MeMe
MeMe tikle” among mature Christian believers, prayer may
communicate and give expression to the divine spirit within a
collective body (e.g., a congregation; a family; a nation), or
provide intimate expression from a single individual. Only divinity
may lawfully assess or assign (judge) the content, meaning, and value
of praise and prayer, for those appeals, expressions, and petitions
must be directed exclusively to GOD. Hezekiah did not fast, pray
for, and receive the blessing poured forth at Pentecost. Hezekiah
acted in response to a fresh prophetic exhortation, Get your house in
order; yet, the sentence that mankind should be mortal already had
been spoken and was in effect against the living on earth since the
time of Adam. Acknowledging the prayer of Solomon in the dedication
of the first Temple, Hezekiah turned to pray toward Jerusalem and the
Temple wall. Hezekiah did not appear before GOD “empty-handed”
having no offering of (1) acknowledgment of the Spirit of Prophecy
(we also say, the Comforter; the Holy Ghost; the Holy Spirit; the
Spirit of Truth); (2) acknowledgment that Isaiah was a true prophet
and spokesperson sent from GOD; (3) fervor (some would say, passion;
tears; heartfelt truth); and (4) works of obedience to sacred law.
Even so, Hezekiah acted in ignorance not understanding the
distinction that healing is not the same as a sacred event (we say,
miracle); and the dying king required a sign that would authenticate
the integrity of the prophet’s
words. Hezekiah’s prayer was
heard and answered, however, the divine response should be seen as
more than duration, longsuffering, more time, and one man’s
survival. Hezekiah could obtain compassion from those of the
kingdom, favor, and respect as GOD’s
anointed without entering into final judgment; however, it is in
sacred judgment that mercy toward those who are guilty and lacking
appears most clearly as divine prerogative, eternal purpose,
righteousness, and the sovereign will of GOD. Consider again the
following that uses language from the Bible:
1.
2nd
Kings 20: 1-3, King James Version (KJV): 1 In those days was
Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came
to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD,
Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then
he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
saying, 3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now
how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and
have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept
sore.
2.
2nd Kings 20: 8-11, KJV: 8 And Hezekiah said unto
Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD
will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD
the third day? 9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the
LORD, that the LORD will do
the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten
degrees, or go back ten degrees? 10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a
light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the
shadow return backward ten degrees. 11 And Isaiah the prophet cried
unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten
degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.
3.
Romans 8: 22-27, KJV: 22 For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are
saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man
seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see
not, then do we with patience wait for it. 26 Likewise
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. 27 And
he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the
Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to
the will of God.
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example, 4. Romans 8: 3-9, KJV: 3 For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending
his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;
but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For
to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be
useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
Washington,
DC
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