NUMBER SIX, 2020
In this issue 3
When God Says “No”...Pray
6
Here’s How—and Why—Jesus Says We Should Pray
charles r. swindoll
Derrick G. Jeter
10 Allegory
steve johnson
Bumper Sticker Theology 12 Prayer Changes Things
steve johnson
Beyond the Broadcast 14 Strengthening Your Grip on Prayer
Puzzle 15 Prayer Contest entries are limited to one per household, per puzzle. Open only to legal residents of Canada who are of legal age of majority in the jurisdiction in which they reside, and at least 18 years of age at the time of entry. Not open to Quebec residents. Not open to Insight for Living Canada staff or their immediate family. Mathematical skill testing question to be answered correctly to win. No purchase necessary. Puzzle solutions will be posted at insightforliving.ca/puzzle at a later date. Insights is published by Insight for Living Canada, the Bibleteaching ministry of Charles (Chuck) R. Swindoll. Chuck is the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Texas. His international radio program Insight for Living has aired for more than 40 years. We hope this publication will instruct, inspire, and encourage you in your walk with Christ. Copyright © 2020 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NLT. Unless otherwise noted, photography and illustration by Tim Schellenberg. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Printed in Canada.
WHEN GOD SAYS “NO”...PRAY by charles r. swindoll
Cover & Article Photo: Naassom Azevedo on unsplash.com
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hen nobody is around and when had allowed him to do—to reign as king we're able to be absolutely hon- over Israel, to establish his son Solomon est with ourselves before God, we enter- over the kingdom, and to pass the dream tain certain dreams and hopes. We want on to him (28:4–8). Then, in a beautiful very much by the end of our days to have prayer, an extemporaneous expression ____________________ (fill in the blank). of worship to the Lord God, David praised However, it may well be that we will die the greatness of God, thanking Him for His with that desire unfulfilled. Should that many blessings, and then interceded for occur, it will be one of the hardest things in the people of Israel and for their new king, the world for us to face and accept. David Solomon. Take some extra time to read heard the Lord's "no" and quietly accepted David's prayer slowly and thoughtfully. It's it without resentment. That's awfully hard found in 1 Chronicles 29:10–19. Rather than wallowing in self-pity or to do. But we find in David's final recorded bitterness regarding words a life-sized porPraise leaves his unfulfilled dream, trait of a man after God's humanity out of the David praised God with own heart. a grateful heart. Praise After four decades of picture and focuses humanity out of service to Israel, King fully on the exaltation leaves the picture and focuses David, old and perhaps of the living God. The fully on the exaltation stooped by the years, magnifying glass of of the living God. The looked for the last time into the faces of his praise always looks up. magnifying glass of praise always looks up. trusted followers. Many "Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our of them represented distinct memories father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, in the old man's mind. Those who would is the greatness and the power and the carry on his legacy surrounded him, waitglory and the victory and the majesty, ing to receive his last words of wisdom and indeed everything that is in the heavens instruction. What would the 70-year-old and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O king say? LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head He began with the passion of his heart, over all. Both riches and honor come pulling back the curtain to reveal his from You, and You rule over all, and in deepest desire—the dreams and plans for Your hand is power and might; and it building a temple to the Lord (1 Chronicles lies in Your hand to make great and to 28:2). It was a dream that went unfulfilled strengthen everyone." (29:10–12) in his lifetime. "God said to me," David told As David thought of the lavish grace of his people, "'You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and God that had given the people one good thing after another, his praise then turned have shed blood'" (28:3 NASB). Dreams die hard. But in his parting to thanksgiving. "Now therefore, our God, words, David chose to focus on what God we thank You, and praise Your glorious
name" (29:13). David acknowledged there offerings for the temple and to draw their was nothing special about his people. hearts toward Him (29:17–18). David also Their history was one of wandering and prayed for Solomon: "give to my son Solotent-dwelling; their lives were like shifting mon a perfect heart to keep Your commandshadows. Yet, because of God's great good- ments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, ness they were able to supply all that was and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision" (29:19). needed to build God a temple (29:14–16). This magnificent prayer contained David was surrounded by limitless riches, yet all that wealth never captured his heart. David's last recorded words; shortly after, He fought other battles within but never he died "full of days, riches and honor" greed. David was not held hostage by mate- (29:28). What a fitting way to end a life! His rialism. He said, in effect, "Lord, everything death is a fitting reminder that when a man we have is Yours—all these beautiful ele- of God dies, nothing of God dies. Though some dreams remain unfulfilled, ments we offer for your temple, the place where I live, the throne room—all of it is a man or woman of God can respond to His Yours, everything." To David, God owned it "no" with praise, thanksgiving, and intercesall. Perhaps it was this attitude that allowed sion...because when a dream dies, nothing the monarch to cope with God's "no" in his of God's purposes die. life—he was confident that God was in control and that God's plans were best. David Article excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, David: A Man of Passion & Destiny (Dallas: Word, 1997), held everything loosely. Next, David prayed for others. He inter- 285–88, 292–93. Copyright © 1997 Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide ceded for the people he had ruled for 40 years, asking the Lord to remember their
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HERE’S HOW— AND WHY— JESUS SAYS WE SHOULD PRAY by Derrick G. Jeter
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bar was being built in a town that was dry. A group of Christians opposed the construction and began an all-night prayer meeting, asking God to intervene. Lightning struck the building, burning it to the ground. The owner of the bar brought a lawsuit against the Christians, claiming they were responsible. The Christians hired an attorney, claiming they weren’t responsible. The judge said, “No matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear: the bar owner believes in prayer, and the Christians do not.” Do you really believe in prayer? The proof is in the doing, not in the declaring. So, if you ever hope to know God and thereby know yourself, then you must pray. In an article titled “What Jesus Says You Should Pray For” we defined prayer as “asking the Father for the right things in the right way.” But as we also said in that article, this definition doesn’t explain everything about prayer. Prayer is listening, worshipping, and moulding our wills into God’s will. The article discussed the five things we should ask for when praying: 1. We should pray that God’s reputation is revealed as holy in our lives (Luke 11:2) 2. We should pray that God’s love and justice reign on earth (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2) 3. We should pray for daily provisions (Luke 11:3) 4. We should pray for forgiveness of sin (11:4) 5. We should pray for God to protect us from temptation (11:4)
In this article, we’ll look at how we should pray and why we should pray this way. How We Should Pray Having instructed His disciples in what to pray for, Jesus turned their attention by telling them a story about how they should pray. Here’s how The Message tells it: “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’ The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’ But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.” (Luke 11:5–8) Ancient Jewish culture placed a high value on hospitality. Upon entering a house, a host would greet you with a verbal blessing of shalom—“peace”—and then with a kiss of friendship on the cheek. The host would then ensure that your feet were washed, to remove the dirt of the dusty roads of Israel. Finally, your guest would serve a meal. If you showed up after the evening meal, you might only receive bread and olives, but it was expected that guests have something to eat. To get a picture of how important hospitality was in the time of Christ, all we need do is look through the window of Simon the Pharisee’s home in Luke 7. Simon had
The neighbour unbolted the door, lit invited Jesus to a meal, and while Jesus was reclining at the table a woman—a prosti- a lamp, and escorted his friend to the tute—came in and anointed His feet with kitchen to make a M-L-T—a mutton, letperfume, washing them with her tears and tuce, and tomato sandwich. (Jews don’t eat drying them with her hair (7:36–38). Simon B-L-Ts!). The neighbour did so because of said to himself, in verse 39, “If this man were the friend’s “persistence”—his “boldness” a prophet He would know who and what (NIV). The friend was persistent to the point sort of person this woman is who is touching of shamelessness. Shameless. Bold. Audacious. These are Him, that she is a sinner” (NASB). Well, Jesus knew what Simon was thinking, so He gave what characterized the friend who came to Simon a test on forgiveness—a test meant to his neighbour in the middle of the night. When I was growing up, my best buddy, plumb the depths of Simon’s love (7:40–43). Let’s peer over Jesus’ shoulder as He graded Randy, lived just a couple of blocks from my house. After school, Randy would run Simon’s exam: Turning to the woman, but speaking home, drop off his books, and then oftento Simon, [Jesus] said, “Do you see this times come over to my house. But Randy woman? I came to your home; you never knocked on our door. He just always walked right in...passing provided no water for my feet, but she rained If you’re a follower of Jesus, by the living room, he’d tears on my feet and adopted into God’s family, say “Hey Jeter, how you doin’?” and just keep dried them with her you’re a child of the King. walking...straight to the hair. You gave me no Hold your head up, and refrigerator to make himgreeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t make your request known. self a sandwich and pour himself a glass of milk. quit kissing my feet. Bold. Audacious. Shameless. That’s how You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Randy treated my family. And we wouldn’t Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, have had it any other way! Neither does God. many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. When you come to the Father in prayer, Jesus If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude said, come audaciously, come shamelessly, come boldly. Don’t come into the presence is minimal.” (7:44–47 MSG) of the Father as a sheep in sheep’s clothing. Ouch! When the midnight guest showed up Don’t talk to Him with a mousy voice, squeakin Luke 11, the host couldn’t just make an ing your requests. If you’re a follower of Jesus, excuse of an empty pantry; he had to feed adopted into God’s family, you’re a child of his guest something. So he pounded on his the King. Hold your head up, and make your neighbour’s door. The neighbour was under request known. Now, don’t confuse God as being like the no obligation to climb out of bed and make a commotion in his kitchen; the midnight grumpy neighbour in the parable. He’s not. guest was not his guest. So why did the God is a gracious and loving father. The neighbour give in? Jesus stated that it’s not point is: if a grumpy neighbour can give good gifts because of the boldness of his because of their friendship (11:8). So why?
friend, how much more will God give good gifts to His children who ask with boldness? Why We Should Pray This Way We can come boldly into God’s presence because Jesus told us that the Father promises to answer our prayers. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened” (Luke 11:9–10). The Message puts it more directly: “Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open. Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-andmouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in.” When you approach God with a need, pray—don’t demand—and God will grant your request. Pursue—but don’t passively wait around—and God will reveal it. Pound— don’t kick in the door—and God will unlock it. What have you been asking for, seeking after, or knocking about? Have you been bold without being obnoxious? Or have you been milquetoast and passionless? This promise isn’t a blank cheque for any and all prayers. God isn’t obligated to answer any of our prayers, though He chooses to answer some...but not always. So what if God doesn’t answer your prayer, what do you do? Well, you check your heart. Is there sin that you haven’t confessed lurking in a corner? Is there someone you need to seek forgiveness from or someone you need to forgive? Check your motives. Are you praying in faith and obedience to God’s Word and the Spirit’s leading? Are you willing to do God’s will, regardless? If all is well with your heart and your motives and your
prayer remains unanswered, then wait patiently and be persistent in asking, seeking, and knocking. Even though God is under no obligations to answer our prayers, why would He choose to do so? Jesus tells us it’s because fathers love to give their children good gifts. “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (11:11–13) If we, who are evil in comparison with God (and we are), love our children enough to give them helpful gifts instead of harmful gifts, then all the more will God give us good gifts—including the gift of the Comforter and Teacher, the gift of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit. God is overjoyed to give Himself when we come to Him in prayer and when we pray for the right things in the right way. Prayer is the greatest and most important conversation we’ll have all day. Through simple human expressions, prayer touches the divine heart. Infant lips may babble and intelligent lips may baffle, but for both, the Lord hears in His heaven and acts on His earth. To pray is to breathe the air of heaven and to whisper into the ear of God. So, take a moment and breathe deeply and whisper a prayer. Adapted from Derrick G. Jeter, “The Spiritual Discipline of Prayer, Part 1,” from the series Building Spiritual Muscles, Coffee House Fellowship, Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, Tex., January 25, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Derrick G. Jeter. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.
Allegory
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n allegory is an extended metaphor in which the characters and/or events are symbols representing other events, ideas, or people. While a typical parable is told in order to teach one important matter, an allegory teaches numerous hidden truths throughout the story. It is a beautiful way of explaining spiritual matters and difficult concepts in easily understood terms and in a relatable context. Interpreting allegory is not the same as allegorical interpretation. The former refers to a type of literature and the latter refers to a type of interpretation. Allegorical interpretation, also called allegorizing, treats a text as an allegory even though it isn’t one. This renders the historical meaning of the Bible and what the author intended meaningless and results in the interpreter reading his or her own ideas into the Scripture. People want to get at the broader theological realities and spiritual truths expressed in biblical allegory, but they are going about it the wrong way when they allegorize Scripture. The first step in interpreting Scripture is determining the type of writing we are
dealing with. Each type has its own guidelines for interpretation. In this instance, once we know we are dealing with an allegory then we must apply the rules for interpreting allegory. How can we tell if we are dealing with an allegory? • There is something in the text or in the cultural background of the original readers that indicates allegory • There are at least two stories—one presented in the straightforward reading of the surface story and one in the way the writer intends the reader to interpret the surface story • Words are used figuratively to make direct comparisons with a plurality of main verbs and mixture of tenses • There are several points of comparison, such as in John 10 where the gate and the good shepherd represent Christ • The story blends factual experience with non-factual experience to emphasize spiritual truths • There may be an accompanying explanation Since allegory is essentially an extended metaphor, the same general rules that
Article Photo: Annie Spratt on unsplash.com
by steve johnson
apply to interpreting metaphors and 2. Determine the main thought intended and why the allegory was told parables will apply to allegories. We must guard against trying to find minute analo- 3. Search out the basic points of comparison in reference to the main thought. In gies and hidden meanings in all the details some cases they will be explicit as when of the imagery. Jesus said, “I am the true grapevine, and All Scripture, including allegories, my Father is the gardener” (John 15:1) must first be considered in the grammatical and historical context in which it was 4. Observe the application and accompanying explanation if there is one written and based in what the original 5. Ask the question “What are the timeless author intended. principles?” to build a Even though an allegory While a typical bridge from when the pasuses figurative language parable is told in sage was written to today we must still interpret the While the specifics of an Bible literally. This means order to teach one allegory may only apply reading the Bible in its important matter, to the particular situation grammatical and historian allegory teaches of the biblical audience, cal context and according numerous hidden the timeless theological to the intent of its authors and the literary conventruths throughout principles revealed in it are applicable to all of tions of the particular the story. God’s people at all times. literary style being used, in this case, allegory. Once we determine Therefore, timeless theological principles those we are able to build a “theological have meaning and application both to the bridge” to the rest of the Scripture, the ancient biblical audience and to Chrisfinished work of Christ on the cross, and tians today. So while we rightly downplay allegorizing as defined above, let’s not the application for today. To interpret an allegory we shy away from reading and analyzing passages in the Bible that are allegories. should: 1. Determine who were the original hearers and the context, occasion, and Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for Living Canada. circumstances
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Bumper Sticker
Theology
by steve johnson
Prayer Changes Things Is it true, prayer changes things? That depends on what “things” we are talking about. We could get into a raging theological debate, and many do, about whether prayer changes God’s mind, will, or plans. On the one hand the Lord says in Malachi 3:6 “I am the LORD, and I do not change,” and James, speaking of God our Father, wrote “He never changes…” (1:17). On the other hand, we have passages like Exodus 32:14, “So the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people” and Jonah 3:10, “When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.”
In view of these seeming contradictions some people argue that when we see God changing His mind, we are seeing it from a human perspective. They reason that since God knows all things from all eternity, He has always known the ultimate plan that He would carry out—even the plan to "change His mind." In Jonah's account of Nineveh, the people repented and God relented from the destruction that was to come upon the inhabitants. Of course, they say, God knew this would happen and instituted the warning to them in order to bring about their repentance. Others say these verses refer to the character and nature of God, not His actions and plans. God’s actions and dealings with humanity may vary or change because He is not static but is active.
I think when most of us wonder whether ever we ask—we know that we have what or not prayer changes things, we’re really we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15 NIV). asking if God will intervene in a specific In other words, if we are praying for the situation. We wonder if He’ll hear us when Lord to help us become more thankful, I believe He will answer that prayer with a we pray and if it’s worth the effort. When considering the issue of whether positive outcome. If we are praying for something that God prayer changes things, it’s helpful to consider it from Scripture’s teaching on the will hasn’t revealed as His moral will, there are of God. It teaches us that God’s will is to be no guarantees anything will change. We can’t know if He will intervene because that understood in two ways. First, God’s moral will is revealed in the falls into the realm of His secret sovereign Bible in all the commands, precepts, and will where we don’t know what His plans are. laws. For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Some things may or may not change. Even though we don’t know says, “Be thankful in all When we pray what our heavenly Father circumstances, for this according to God’s has planned, as God’s chilis God’s will for you who dren we should still pray. belong to Christ Jesus.” will as revealed in the I h ave t wo f i n a l But even though God Bible, and we wonder if thoughts. wants us to be thankGod will intervene, the The first is that in the ful in all circumstances His will for this doesn’t answer to the question, final analysis, it isn’t prayer that changes always happen. “Does prayer change things. God changes The second way the things?” is yes. things, should He so Bible speaks of the will of God is as the secret, predetermined please, and in accordance with His plans plan for everything that happens in the and purposes. The power for change universe. This is His sovereign will. “Our resides in God, not in us and not in the God is in the heavens, and he does as he words we pray. My second thought is this: I know wishes” (Psalm 115:3). God’s sovereign will praying changes us. Our attitude and always come to pass. Because we don’t know God’s sovereign perspective on things change when we plan we don’t know if our prayer will change talk to God about them and consider how things. But we should pray anyway, because His will and Word bear on what we’re God has ordained that our prayers are part praying about. And then because we have of the means by which He accomplishes His changed we can be a change agent in our own situation. If we’re dealing with a sovereign purposes. When we pray according to God’s will as relationship issue and we have changed revealed in the Bible, and we wonder if God our attitude, or how we relate to others, will intervene, the answer to the question, through prayer, then the relationships change because we are now different. “Does prayer change things?” is yes. The Lord assures us, “that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for And if we know that he hears us—what- Living Canada.
Strengthening Your Grip on Prayer
“That which will keep a ministry on target is a faithful commitment to the Word of God.” - CHUCK SWINDOLL
The goal of this lesson is to help us see prayer as a way to lighten our burdens, not add to them; to relieve anxiety, not to increase it. What Everyone Wants but Few of Us Have (Philippians 4:1–9) Stability...harmony...joy...patience... pure thoughts...consistency. What spiritually minded person wouldn’t want such things? Yet because we don’t achieve these in our lives, we become anxious. Add to our imperfect walk with God the unforeseen tragedies, temptations, and pressures that assault us, and our worry needle goes off the scale. The answer is, of course, to pray—to exchange our anxiety with the inexhaustible peace that comes from time spent with the Lord. No complicated formula. No rigid schedule. Just talk to God. It sounds so simple. But we have the tendency to take the simple things of God and complicate them with religious formulas and ritualistic drudgery. What Jesus Taught to Set Things Right (Matthew 6:5–15) By the time Jesus stepped on the scene, prayer had degenerated in at least four ways:
1. It had become formal and ritualistic 2. It had become long and verbose 3. It had become repetitious 4. It had become prideful Into this pharisaic system of dos and don’ts came Jesus with His own instructions on prayer. He irritated the selfimpressed religious leaders of His time by offering freedom instead of legalism and teaching that prayer was made for God’s ears, not man’s applause. Jesus taught that we must pray to be heard by God, not to be admired by people. We must pray from our hearts, not with meaningless repetition. And we must forgive others before approaching God. If we follow these simple instructions, we will draw closer to God and to others. As we share with God every worry that weighs us down, our circumstances may not change but we will. We begin to let Him carry the heavy loads that we can’t bear. We start to trust Him to handle the problems that we can’t control. And our anxiety lessens as we learn to wait on His timing and His provision.
“Strengthening Your Grip on Prayer” is from Chuck Swindoll’s series Strengthening Your Grip. You can stream this message online anytime at insightforliving.ca/audiolibrary.
Puzzle — Crossword
PRAYER
Difficulty ● ● ● ○
ACROSS 2. Pray with ____ (Matthew 21:21-22)
DOWN 1. Prayed for a son (1 Samual 1)
5. Prayer of repentance
3. Prayed for victory (2 Kings 19)
6. Attitude of prayer (Luke 18:13-14)
4. Pray for ____ (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
8. Pray without ____ (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
7. Don’t pray with bad ____ (James 4:3)
11. Prayer of gratitude
9. Prayer of praise
14. Prayed for church plants
10. Ask according to ____ (2) (1 John 5:14)
15. The ____ Prayer (2) (John 17 ESV)
12. Prayer of need
16. Manna (2) (Matthew 6:9-13)
13. Benediction
19. Pray for ____ (Matthew 5:44-45)
17. Arrested for praying
20. Prayer for others.
18. Prayed for his killers (Acts 7:54-60)
____________________
____________________
____________________
First and last name
Email address
Phone number
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