So, over the past couple of months, we have been studying what the Bible, including a lot of what Jesus taught, on prayer. Some of the principles that we have spoke on have been:
1. Don’t pray to be seen of men.
2. Ask in faith because God responds to faith, not to ‘much speaking.’
3. Pray to the Father in Jesus’ Name. (It’s all about personal relationship.)
4. Put the Kingdom of God first. (Fear Not, Worry Not)
5. Ask and you shall receive. (We do have to ask.)
6. Forgive as you have been forgiven.
One thing from all of these that I want to reiterate, is that He needs to be “a Father” to us, not just “a God,” in order for Him to be a Father, and not just a God, we must KNOW Him. We get to know Him through reading His Word and spending time in prayer.
Just like it was for some of the first century Jews, relating to God as a close and intimate and GOOD Father, is hard for some people today. But, we are also taught that though we are to show the love of God to all mankind, in order to spread the “Good News” we are also taught that how we relate to fellow believers within the Family of God, is different from how we relate to and/or with non-believers. We should love them with compassion, but we should not accept their ways, or their realities that are outside of the Kingdom of God.
Luke 11:11-13 (AMP) 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!
“Luke 11:11: The most loving father in the world cannot compare with the love our heavenly Father has for us. And yet many times we find it easier to believe in the willingness of a father or mother or mate to help us than in the willingness of God to use His power on our behalf. Relatively few of us really doubt God’s ability. Rather, we doubt His willingness to use His ability on our behalf, and that causes most of us to do without. Jesus was assuring us that God’s love and His willingness to demonstrate that love are far greater than we can ever experience in any human relationship.”
Note on Luke 11:13
Many Christians have been taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is of the devil, as is the gift of speaking in tongues. Even after they come to the realization that these are true gifts from God, they fear they might get something from the devil instead of these gifts from God. Jesus made it clear in these verses that He will not let that happen.
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
“Note 5 at Luke 11:13: The Holy Spirit is a gift (Acts 2:38). You cannot be good enough to earn the gift of the Holy Spirit, but you do have to ask (this verse). This is speaking of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is subsequent to the born-again experience.”
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.
Moving into Part 2 of Jesus on Prayer. . .
Pray for Your Enemies
Matthew 5:44-45 (KJV) 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 22 at Matthew 5:44: The thrust of Jesus’ statements in Matthew 5:38-48 is simply that we are not to take matters into our own hands and defend ourselves. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19; see also Deuteronomy 32:35-36 and Hebrews 10:30). Striving to vindicate self actually shows a lack of faith in God keeping this promise. It also indicates spiritual “nearsightedness,” which is only looking at the present moment instead of seeing things in view of eternity.
One of the best examples of this was David in 1 Samuel 24 and 26. David had many opportunities to avenge himself against King Saul but refused to do it. He trusted God to avenge and promote him (Psalms 75:6-7). As a result, all of God’s promises to David came to pass, and in his old age, God showed David mercy (2 Samuel 15-18) even as David had shown mercy to Saul.
Even as Christ did not come to condemn the world (John 3:17) and was not holding people’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19), even so, we have been given the same ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). For those who do not receive the love we extend to them but rather take advantage of us because of our “turning the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39), God will repay them (Revelation 13:10 and 14:9-12).
Matthew 5:45
Note on Matthew 5:45
The context of this verse very clearly teaches that we should treat everyone well, not just those who treat us well. Here, Jesus used the way God causes the sun and rain to happen to the evil and the good alike as an example of how we should do good to everyone.
Therefore, we can deduce that God isn’t punishing the evil with lack of rain or other natural calamities. He clearly did things like that under the Old Covenant when He was imputing people’s sins unto them. But this is a New Covenant where He is merciful to our unrighteousness (Hebrews 8:12) and does not impute people’s sins unto them (2 Corinthians 5:19).
This is not to say that people today don’t deserve God’s wrath and punishment. We are more deserving of both than most people who have lived on the earth. But God is being gracious to us, not because we are lovely, but because He is love (1 John 4:8).
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.
Pray for Laborers
Matthew 9:36-38 (AMP) 36 When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.
Many versions say, “He was moved with compassion.” Nowhere in the New Testament are we instructed to pray that the Lord would save the lost, but Jesus does tell us to pray for God to send laborers. By sending Jesus to earth to die for the sins of mankind, God has already done His part, now all a sinner must do is accept the salvation so freely provided by Jesus’ work on the cross, and confess Jesus as Lord (2 Cor. 5:19, 21; Rom. 10:9)
Lost people can’t be saved unless someone takes the gospel to them. Just as we are called/commanded to be laborers, Jesus also instructs us to pray for more people to be laborers. When we have lost friends and loved ones that might not respond to us, we need to be praying for laborers. . . When we are moved with compassion for people that we for whatever reason can’t be the laborer, we need to pray for laborers.
For many years, when I would pray with my boys at bedtime, we would pray that the Lord would put a hedge of protection around our family and friends and that they would come to know Jesus as Lord and put Him first in their lives. . . We saw many of our loved ones get saved and believe in Jesus. Some of them are still streaking (not having put on ALL the armor of God yet), but most all of them have confessed Jesus as Lord.
God is Limited by Our Prayers
We have also discussed in depth the subject of dominion, but I want to point out one more thing that has been brought before me a couple of different times during teachings this week. Which says to me that the Holy Spirit is really trying to drive this message home within our hearts.
Luke 4:5-7 (KJV) 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Did you notice that Jesus did not dispute what the devil said to Him? Jesus did not dispute it when Satan said the power or authority of all the kingdoms of the world belonged to Satan. That’s because Jesus knew Adam had turned over his original dominion in this earth to Satan, and that now Satan was the god of this world. Also, if Satan didn’t have the authority and power over those kingdoms, this would not have been a temptation to Jesus. But the Bible says, “Jesus was tempted forty days by the devil” (Luke 4:2). Therefore, the Bible calls it a bonafide temptation. But notice that Jesus didn’t dispute the fact at all that Satan had that authority to give.
Hagin, Kenneth E. Bible Prayer Study Course . Faith Library Publications. Kindle Edition.
Romans 6:14 (AMP) 14 For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy].
Note on Romans 6:14
Sin can’t dominate us when we are under grace. Grace liberates us from sin, while the Law strengthens sin (see my note at 1 Corinthians 15:56). If we are being dominated by sin, it’s because we are under the Law. And this verse makes it very clear that a true believer is not under the Law.
Grace sets us free from sin, not free to sin. See my note at Titus 2:12.
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 6 at Romans 6:14: The “old man” (sin, see note 9 at Romans 5:21) is dead and gone. Yet there is a “residual old man”, or the un-renewed mind and emotions that the “old man” left behind (see note 8 at Romans 6:6). It is these lingering effects of the “old man,” or sin, to which Paul was referring.
Paul made a very clear statement that the reason this sin shall not have dominion over us is because we are not under Law (see note 3 at Romans 3:19) but under grace (see note 5 at Romans 1:5). However, most Christians today are still operating under the Law, so it’s no surprise that sin still has dominion over them. Understanding our freedom from the Old Testament Law is a prerequisite to breaking the dominion of sin in our lives.
The reason this is so is because the Law strengthened sin by producing guilt that condemned us and killed us (see note 4 at Romans 3:19). The Law also brought the wrath of God against our sins (see note 3 at Romans 4:15). However, once we accept the atonement of Christ for our sins, we no longer need to fear the wrath of God; that was placed on Jesus. We also don’t need the Law to condemn us and kill us. We have already come to Christ for salvation, which is what the Law was designed to do (Galatians 3:24-25).
Knowing this (see note 7 at Romans 6:6) frees us from sin; it doesn’t free us to sin. As Christians, all of us continue to sin to some degree, not because we have to, but because we are still in the process of renewing our minds (see note 4 at Romans 6:12). However, when we aren’t condemned and feeling separated from God because of our sins, we are free to run to God for help instead of away from God in fear. Therefore, understanding God’s grace and our freedom from the Law is the key to breaking the dominance of sin in our lives.
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.
We have to have the faith that we live in and by grace given to us through Jesus’ work on the cross of Calvary in order to be able to “do” the works of Jesus that He commanded us to do.
Doing the Works of Jesus
John 14:12-14 (KJV) 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Jesus is talking about the works that believers are to do here on the earth. How are believers going to do the works of Jesus? Through His Name. Did you ever notice that Jesus didn’t actually pray for people as He ministered to them? We talk about praying for the sick, but Jesus never prayed for the sick. Don’t misunderstand me, it is scriptural also to pray for the sick (James 5:14,15). But that is not the only way to minister to the sick. Jesus said, “. . . the WORKS that I do shall he [the believer] do also. . .” (John 14:12). If we just ministered to the sick through prayer, even though we got results, we still wouldn’t be doing the works that Jesus did in His earthly ministry. He laid hands on the sick, but He never prayed for them. He would command the devil to leave and take his hands off of them. He would just say, for example, “. . . Go your way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee . . .” (Matt. 8:13).
Hagin, Kenneth E. Bible Prayer Study Course . Faith Library Publications. Kindle Edition.
When we look at how Jesus ministered in the scriptures, we find that He ministered directly and to the point. He ministered effectively and concisely, and He spoke directly to the issue with authority.
Mark 1:25 (NLT2) 25 Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered.
Luke 4:39 (KJV) 39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
Luke 8:54 (KJV) 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
Mark 2:11 (KJV) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
Jesus was saying in John 14:13-14 that we can do these same works in His Name. For example, we have a right to demand, “Satan take your hands off my finances in the Name of Jesus.” “Devil you are a liar and are defeated, my arm is healed in Jesus Name.”
What Are the Greater Works of Jesus?
When we look back again at John 14:12 we see also “greater works than these shall he do:” and immediately followed by “because I go unto my Father.”
John 16:7-11 (AMP) 7 However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. 8 And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God) and about judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me [trust in, rely on, and adhere to Me]; 10 About righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God), because I go to My Father, and you will see Me no longer; 11 About judgment, because the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world [Satan] is judged and condemned and sentence already is passed upon him.
The greater works we do are getting people born again.
Acts 2:47 (AMP) 47 Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death].
Besides the new birth, another “greater work” is getting people filled with the Holy Spirit because Jesus went unto the Father.
God’s Word Should Abide in Us
John 15:7-8 (AMP) 7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.
Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Psalm 119:105 (KJV) 105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:130 (AMP) 130 The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.
1 John 5:7-8 (KJV) 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
John 6:63 (AMP) 63 It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life.
Note on John 6:63
This statement, “the flesh profiteth nothing,” has to be taken in a relative sense. Compared to spiritual things, spiritual things are much more important. Spiritual things are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Jesus had just made all of these hard statements that the crowd had interpreted as speaking of cannibalism. Then He spoke of His ascending up into heaven. Here, He revealed that the words He was speaking were spirit and life. This reveals that He was speaking metaphorically, and it also makes reference to the fact that the Holy Spirit had to quicken these words to the people’s hearts (John 6:44 and 1 Corinthians 2:14). Jesus wasn’t going to explain Himself. He left that job to the Holy Spirit.
Billy Graham said that one of the greatest turning points in his ministry was when he quit trying to convict people, and he just let the Holy Spirit do His job. This doesn’t mean that we don’t speak plainly and try to impart understanding. But ultimately, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can enlighten a person’s heart. We need to let Him do His job as Jesus did here.
God’s Word is spirit and life. Therefore, being spiritually minded (Romans 8:6) is being Word minded. God’s Word is like a window that lets us peer into the spiritual world.
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 13 at John 6:63: Jesus was stating that our spirits, not our flesh, are where our life comes from. These people were so dominated by their physical lives that they were missing all the spiritual significance of His words. Although God’s Word does benefit our physical man, the Word is spiritual and must be understood through the spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). God’s Word is spirit, and it takes our spirits to illuminate its truths to our minds (Proverbs 20:27).
The Word of God is not paper and ink. Jesus is the Word (John 1:1), and He existed in spiritual form long before any words were inspired by the Holy Ghost to be written down (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible is simply a physical representation of Jesus and spiritual truth. It is inspired of God and, therefore, totally accurate and reliable. Yet until we receive the spirit that these words express, the Bible will not profit us (Hebrews 4:2). This is why many people have read the Word and may even have memorized it and yet aren’t reaping its benefits.
If we want to know what spiritual truth is, we must believe the Bible, for it is spirit and life. If we want to be led by the Spirit, then we must follow God’s Word. If we want to hear from the Spirit of God, then we must listen to what God says in His Word. The Spirit (Holy Spirit) and the Word (Jesus, John 1:1) are one (1 John 5:7).
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.
Walking in the Light of the Word
God’s Word is a light unto the path that we walk. To walk implies action—faith. God can’t quicken us to His Word, unless His words abide in us—unless we walk in the light of the Word. Be persistent in your faith and never give up in prayer. Ask in Jesus’ Name for those rights and privileges that are yours as a child of God. Then as you abide in Jesus and allow His Word to abide in you, you can ask of the Father and know that you have received the answers to your prayers.
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