A Brief Thought on Prayer.

Ben (March 2014)
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Prayer in its essence is conflict- ‘watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation’, but communion is delightful as it pertains not to conflict but is much like the peace offering- sharing of thoughts, mutual joys and such like. ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name’- how could any? It is true that ‘they cried unto thee, and were delivered’- I mean the fathers, afore time prayed and did procure the blessing either of deliverance or supply but none, from the days of Adam’s fall ever prayed to God in the name of Jesus Christ. But this is extraordinary love- not just proverbs such as a child asking bread and should he receive a stone? or such as a poor widow praying incessantly to the unjust judge- but no more such-‘but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs’. Proverbs fulfilled their purpose in the times of Christ’s rejected ministry to Israel- Matt 13, Is 6. But, here the hidden counsels of God hitherto not known are made known- ‘that day’ where one could ask in His name- the day, I doubt not is the day of His ascension to the right hand of God.

What then is the essence to ask in His name? Moses lifted up the rod of God- that which properly constitutes the authority of God in securing blessing to His people in conflict. But Moses’ hands were heavy and then Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands. Moses’ rod points to the rod of judgment- to work the fearful wonders in the land of Egypt or to the manner it was stretched over the red sea- type of judgment on Christ at the cross*but this is not all, Aaron’s rod that blossomed speaks of priestly grace and not judgment. In response to the conflict with Am’-a-lek, the Moses’ rod is lifted up, power of God to deliver His people is made known but could not sustain- if it were not of priestly grace and purity (Aaron and Hur). We pray for supply of needs- this too spiritually is a conflict- supply for wants as a result of facing the consequences of a fallen world or if not praying for strength, for help, for deliverance- all subsume the nature of conflict and yea the ‘the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Am’-a-lek from generation to generation’.

*The red sea is Christ’s death and resurrection for us whereas Jordan is our death and resurrection with Him.

It is not that we pray and then Christ will communicate that prayer to the Father-‘and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you’. This is not needed ‘for the Father Himself loves you’-but who can comprehend the effect of His priestly grace on our prayers? Without asking in His name, our prayers would fail to move God- Aaron needs to lift up Moses’ hands and so too Hur. ‘In that day you will ask in My name’- the day came- the day when ‘He ascendeth on high’, as High Priest for us. The first prayer of the Church was in conflict- ‘and now, Lord, behold their threatenings’ but the place was shaken- for the prayer was made ‘by the name of thy holy servant Jesus’.

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