Believers interceding for others by prayer is the topic, today. Also, there is more on whether humans may acquire divinity. A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “CD GF” (Level 2 with 302 points, a member since May 21, 2012) posted the following originally asked on Yahoo Answers Australia:
Why do christians say that they will pray for you?
this has long confused me and frustrated me, i am an atheist so i am under the impression that although offering sympathy is nice its not really doing anything, but yet when a christian talks about praying for me they talk about it as if its important and they are giving something to me, if they really cared why wouldn't they help me instead of praying for me???
its like everyday when they see something bad instead of stopping that bad thing from happening they instead waste their breath and start saying something to empty air.... i always say thank you whenever they offer to do so, however i have never really understood why they needed to in the first place, if there was a god he would already know and if he cared he would be doing something about it without the encouragement of one of his "children".... so why do they feel like they need to pray for me?
THE BATTLE AXE: Able to Become Gods? (01/11/2014)—The transformation of mankind to endure forever in the presence of eternal GOD begins in the regeneration of awareness, comprehension, and self-will in the living, rather than an immediate alteration of flesh, carnal makeup, and the human form. For this reason, healing and resurrection (i.e., restoration of spirit and person from those deceased back to their physical body) often appear to be slow in coming, and delayed. Miracles, divine operations and sacred events must be established in keeping with divine order, not as catastrophe, chaos, confusion, and upheaval. Godliness only appears by the active presence of such imparted sacred content as faith, forgiveness, gratitude, holiness, hope, joy, piety, righteousness, truth, wisdom, and wrath against sin. Consider again: He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1: 11-13, KJV)
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. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (James 5: 13-20, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Prayer on Behalf of Others (11/25/2013); Intercession (12/27/2013); Jesus is GOD’s Word (12/28/2013); Prayer not Enough? (07/12/2013); A Tree Falls To The South (07/13/2013); When Prayer Works (10/11/2012); Double Standard? (10/12/2012)
“CD GF”, many Christian believers at first find it difficult to accept any duty or responsibility to pray for others. They think of salvation, and the things of GOD for their lives as being intimate, personal and private. Rather like Moses, who approached the “burning bush” out of curiosity (we may say, being nosy), and when given assignment insisted he was unfit to serve as a spokesperson for GOD because of his speech impediment, all Christians are called and drawn for various levels of service and sharing as prophets, yet, hesitate to take up their cross. Just as David was anointed to be king by Samuel the prophet, and would not wear the crown until 40 years later, Christians must come into maturity and greater levels of perfection before they fully grasp the scope of fruitful service. All must encounter the presence and reality of GOD, and enter into a relationship that establishes permanent changes.
Many believers first perform intercession and prayer on behalf of others as an act of repentance, to break off a lifestyle and patterns of do-nothing, ignoring the needs of others, and open persecution of others for their spiritual commitments. Others first pray unselfishly while they are in the excitement of their new life and salvation. Just as all human beings must breathe air to live, all believers must connect to GOD, must receive spirit content from divinity (we say, be born again having divine DNA), must grow and mature again, must regularly submit themselves to GOD in prayer, and must maintain their mortal lives by active practice of sacred operations, carrying out and continuing divine processes, and fulfilling eternal purposes.
It is no surprise, then, that as “outsiders” atheists are ignorant of the power and value of prayer even as documented in history, and the sacred events recorded in the Bible: Daniel survived the lion’s den when condemned for offering prayers in the midst of Israel’s captivity in Babylon; GOD delayed judgment and destruction against Sodom in response to the prayers of Abraham for his nephew Lot’s sake; Paul and Silas were delivered from death, earthquake and imprisonment; and Jesus called out from the cross on behalf of all who would believe.
There is far more to be said, properly shared, and spiritually understood. (For example, those offering to pray for others are those having life experiences and faith in GOD that still supports unselfishly bestowing spiritual gifts upon others. The divine love they express is not recognized as conforming to the patterns for carnal, physical, psychological, sexual and social meanings of the world. Believers replicate the prototype in Jesus, and are thereby children of GOD, and joint heirs with Christ.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33: 3, KJV)
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
No comments:
Post a Comment