I KINGS 18:20-40 | DUELING PRAYERS?

DUELING PRAYERS?

I KINGS 18:20-40

MARCH 12, 2017

WE ARE, OF COURSE, ON THE EVE OF ANOTHER MARCH MADNESS, AND I HAVE A PREDICTION FOR YOU.

AT SOME POINT, YOU WILL SEE A GAME THAT WILL BE CLOSE AT THE VERY END.  (NOT MUCH OF A PREDICTION, HUH?)  A PLAYER WILL BE STANDING AT THE FREE THROW LINE WITH THE CHANCE TO WIN THE GAME.

OR A TEAM WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INBOUND THE BALL FOR ONE LAST HALF-COURT, DESPERATION SHOT TO WIN, OR TO TIE AND SEND THE GAME INTO OVERTIME.

ONLY, WHAT I WANT US TO FOCUS ON FOR A MOMENT IS NOT THE ACTION ON THE COURT, BUT IN THE STANDS.

DURING THE TIMEOUT, JUST BEFORE THAT FINAL PLAY, CAMERAS WILL SCAN THE CROWD, AND THERE, DRESSED IN HER COLLEGE SWEATSHIRT, WILL BE A COED, HER HANDS FLAT TOGETHER, BENEATH HER CHIN, HER EYES CLOSED, HER HEAD TILTED UPWARD, PRAYING THAT HER TEAM CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WIN THE GAME.

A SECOND CAMERA, SCANNING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARENA, WILL FIND A FAN OF THE OPPOSING TEAM, ALSO IN HIS TEAM COLORS, HIS HANDS FOLDED, HIS FINGERS INTERLACED, HIS EYES CLOSED, HEAD BOWED, ROCKING BACK AND FORTH, PRAYING THAT HIS TEAM WILL WIN.

DUELING PRAYERS.  ONE FAN, WILL, SUPPOSEDLY, HAVE HER OR HIS PRAYERS ANSWERED; THE OTHER WILL NOT.

BUT WHAT IF THE STAKES ARE HIGHER?  WHAT IF, INSTEAD OF TWO FANS, IT’S TWO NATIONS, OR IN THE CASE OF OUR OWN CIVIL WAR, ONE NATION, TWO SIDES, EACH PRAYING FOR VICTORY IN BATTLE?

THERE ARE WELL DOCUMENTED CASES FROM THE WORLD’S WARS OF OPPOSING SIDES, EACH PRAYING TO GOD, TO WIN THE DAY, AND THE WAR.

OR, PERHAPS, THE SITUATION IS SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THE RIDICULOUS, PRAYING TO WIN A BASKETBALL GAME, AND THE SUBLIME, PRAYING TO WIN A WAR.

I’VE SEEN IT BEFORE, AND PROBABLY, SO HAVE YOU.  ONE SPOUSE PRAYING FOR THEIR MARRIAGE TO NOT BE OVER; THE OTHER PRAYING FOR GUIDANCE AS TO HOW TO GET OUT.

ONE CHURCH PRAYING FOR THE CANDIDATE WHO MOST REFLECTS THEIR VALUES TO WIN; ANOTHER CHURCH PRAYING FOR THE OPPOSING CANDIDATE.

AND HERE, MAYBE THE EARLIER RULE APPLIES; WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR; PERHAPS IT’S ONE CHURCH, WITH PEOPLE ON TWO DIFFERENT SIDES, EACH PRAYING FOR VICTORY.

I’VE EVEN SEEN IT AT THE DEATHBED OF A LOVED ONE; PART OF THE FAMILY, OR AT LEAST ONE MEMBER, STILL PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE TO OCCUR;

ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER, PRAYING FOR A PEACEFUL TRANSITION OF THEIR LOVED ONE INTO ETERNAL LIFE.

DUELING PRAYERS.

AND IF THE TRUTH BE KNOWN, AND IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN THE MOVIE, BRUCE ALMIGHTY, OR THE OPENING SCENE OF IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE;

THEN YOU’VE SEEN THE MORE LIKELY SCENARIO: THOUSANDS OF PRAYERS, MILLIONS OF PRAYERS, BEING OFFERED UP TO GOD, AT ONCE;

A CACOPHONY OF PRAYERS, A VERITABLE SYMPHONY OF PRAYER SENT HEAVENWARD, THROUGH WHICH GOD MUST SORT OUT THE WANTS, NEEDS, AND DESIRES OF GOD’S PEOPLE.

MY TITLE, DUELING PRAYERS, OF COURSE, COMES FROM THAT SCENE IN THE MOVIE DELIVERANCE, WHERE THE BANJO PLAYER AND THE GUITAR PLAYER EACH TRY TO OUTPLAY THE OTHER.  IT’S NOT ONLY A FITTING DESCRIPTION OF WHAT I WAS DESCRIBING EARLIER:

TWO PEOPLE, TWO SIDES, TWO NATIONS PRAYING FOR DIFFERENT RESULTS;

IT’S ALSO AN APT DESCRIPTION OF OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING.

AND SINCE THAT PASSAGE IS NOT ONLY LENGTHY, BUT WELL KNOWN TO MOST OF US, I WILL NOT DWELL ON IT TOO LONG, EXCEPT TO SAY THAT IT SETS UP THE SAME SORT OF SCENARIO WE’VE ALREADY BEEN DESCRIBING.

NOW SOME MAY ARGUE THAT THE PRAYER BATTLE BETWEEN THE PROPHET ELIJAH AND THE PROPHETS OF BAAL WAS NO CONTEST FROM THE OUTSET;

ELIJAH BEING A PROPHET OF THE ONE TRUE GOD, AND THE PROPHETS OF BAAL, BEING PROPHETS OF A FALSE GOD, OR OF NO GOD AT ALL.

AND THAT’S FINE, IF THAT’S HOW YOU CHOOSE TO SEE IT; BUT IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH OF AN INTERPRETIVE LEAP TO SEE HOW THIS SAME SCENE COULD BE PLAYED OUT BETWEEN, SAY; A JEW AND A PALESTINIAN; A CHRISTIAN AND A MUSLIM; A SIKH AND A HINDU; A BUDDHIST AND A TAOIST;

OR MAYBE EVEN MORE TO THE POINT, THE KINDS OF DUELING PRAYERS I WAS DESCRIBING AT THE BEGINNING OF MY SERMON.

THEY ALL BELIEVE, THEY ALL PRAY, THEY ALL SEEK WISDOM AND GUIDANCE AND ANSWERS, AS WELL AS A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR GOD.

I PRAY ALL THE TIME, AND STILL HAVE NO IDEA HOW PRAYER REALLY WORKS.

TO SOME EXTENT, I’M OKAY WITH THAT.  TO SAY THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW PRAYER WORKS IS TO SAY WE UNDERSTAND HOW GOD WORKS, AND A GOD I CAN UNDERSTAND AND EXPLAIN, IS A GOD WHO IS TOO SMALL.

AS J. B. PHILIPS ONCE WROTE IN HIS BOOK, YOUR GOD IS TOO SMALL, ONCE WE CAN EXPLAIN GOD, ONCE WE SAY WE UNDERSTAND GOD WITH OUR FINITE MINDS, IT’S TIME TO FIND ANOTHER GOD; BECAUSE OUR GOD IS NOW SIMPLY TOO SMALL TO SAVE US, OR DO MUCH ELSE.

SO, NO, I DON’T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW PRAYER WORKS.

NATURALLY, THE BIBLE HAS MUCH TO SAY ABOUT PRAYER, BUT WHAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU, IS HOW FREQUENTLY THE MENTION OF PRAYER IN THE BIBLE IS A COMPLAINT.

THE PSALMISTS, THE PROPHETS, EVEN THE APOSTLE PAUL, OFTEN QUESTIONED THE VALUE OF PRAYER, SOMETIMES RATHER BLUNTLY!

LISTEN TO A PORTION OF PSALM 88, “BUT I, O LORD, CRY OUT TO YOU; IN THE MORNING MY PRAYER COMES BEFORE YOU.  O LORD, WHY DO YOU CAST ME OFF?  WHY DO YOU HIDE YOUR FACE FROM ME?”

MOST PSALMS THAT BEGIN THIS WAY, DON’T END THIS WAY, AND IT’S WORTH NOTING THAT EVEN WHEN COMPLAINING ABOUT PRAYER, THERE IS STILL THE BELIEF THAT SOMETHING CAN BE EXPECTED FROM PRAYING.

PRAYER IS NEVER GIVEN UP ON IN THE BIBLE, NEVER DISMISSED AS NOT BEING OF ANY USE.

WHAT MAKES EACH OF THOSE WRESTLING WITH PRAYER IN THE BIBLE, AND US, AMAZING, IS THE CONFIDENCE WITH WHICH WE PRAY;

THE BELIEF THAT GOD CAN SOMEHOW DISRUPT AT ANY MOMENT THE ORDINARY WITH THE EXTRAORDINARY.

STILL, THOSE IN BIBLICAL TIMES, AND WE TODAY, ARE MYSTIFIED BY PRAYER, AND ARE NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW IT WORKS.

JESUS’ DISCIPLES, UPON SEEING HIM PRAYING ALONE, FERVENTLY, THOUGHTFULLY, ASK JESUS TO TEACH THEM HOW TO PRAY.

HOWEVER, IT’S NOT SIMPLY THE MECHANICS OF PRAYING, I THINK THEY WERE AFTER;

BUT THE CONCENTRATION, THE FOCUS, THE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, I THINK THEY SAW IN HIM, WHICH THEY WERE AFTER.

PERHAPS, THIS IS THE BETTER WAY TO UNDERSTAND PRAYER: AS A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD; A CONVERSATION WITH AN OLD FRIEND; A DIALOGUE – TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION, BETWEEN US AND GOD.

OUR PROBLEM, AND, PERHAPS, I SHOULDN’T SPEAK FOR YOU HERE, BUT THE PROBLEM FOR MANY OF US, WITH PRAYER, HAS TO DO WITH THE ANSWERS.

WE WANT TO KNOW WHY SOME PRAYERS APPEAR TO BE ANSWERED AND OTHERS NOT.

WE WANT TO KNOW WHY THAT PERSON FOR WHOM WE WERE PRAYING WAS HEALED, AND OUR LOVED ONE WAS NOT.

WE WANT TO KNOW WHY ONE BEING PRAYED FOR GETS A MIRACLE, AND OTHERS DO NOT.

DOES HOW MUCH OR HOW LITTLE A PERSON BELIEVES, DETERMINE THE ANSWER?  DO THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE PRAYING MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

IS UNANSWERED PRAYER THE RESULT OF DOING IT WRONG?  OF TOO LITTLE FAITH?

THEN THERE’S THE “STICKY-WICKET” WHEN THE ANSWER TO OUR PRAYERS IS “NO.”

THESE SORTS OF BELIEFS CAN BE TROUBLING; THEY CAN EVEN BE DOWNRIGHT HARMFUL TO BELIEVERS.

TOO MANY OF US PRACTICE PRAYER AS IF A MAGIC LAMP; REDUCING PRAYER TO GETTING WHAT WE WANT; A “THREE-WISHES” KIND OF PRAYING;

BY DOING SO, I BELIEVE WE ALSO REDUCE GOD; IF NOT TO A MAGIC GENIE, THEN TO SOME SORT OF COSMIC VENDING MACHINE.

PICTURE IT LIKE ONE OF THOSE VENDING MACHINES THAT DISPENSES CHIPS, COOKIES, AND CRACKERS.  YOU PUT YOUR MONEY IN THE SLOT, PUNCH IN THE CORRECT LETTER AND NUMBER, THAT CORKSCREW THING HOLDING YOUR PURCHASE TURNS AND TURNS, AND DROPS THE PRODUCT IN THE BIN BELOW.

TOO OFTEN, THIS IS HOW WE BELIEVE PRAYER WORKS.  WE OFFER GOD OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, OUR WANTS AND NEEDS, THE NEEDS OF OTHERS;

OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT GOD WILL TURN SOME SORT OF COSMIC CORKSCREW, AND DROP THE ANSWER IN OUR LAP.

PERHAPS, IT’S THIS WHOLE CAUSE AND EFFECT WAY IN WHICH WE PRAY AT TIMES THAT IS THE PROBLEM;

THAT WE BELIEVE SUCCESS IN PRAYING IS BASED SOLELY ON OUR DESIRED OUTCOME OCCURRING.

ARE ANSWERS – (AFFIRMATIVE ANSWERS ONLY, OF COURSE), THE DETERMINATION OF SUCCESSFUL PRAYING?

ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING WHEN WE ENGAGE ONLY IN RESULT-BASED-PRAYING?

IF DUELING PRAYERS ARE AN ISSUE, AND RESULT-BASED PRAYING ISN’T ALWAYS THE BEST INDICATOR OF SUCCESS, IS THERE A BETTER WAY OF UNDERSTANDING PRAYER?

FAITH IN PRAYER DOES NOT EXCLUDE EXPECTATIONS OF THE MIRACULOUS, OF COURSE.  GOD IS STILL IN THE MIRACLE BUSINESS.

BUT WE OUGHT NOT COMMIT THE ERROR OF RESULT-BASED-PRAYING ALONE.

I THINK WE GET TOO HUNG UP ON THE ANSWERS, AND SPEND TOO LITTLE TIME THINKING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP WE SHARE WITH GOD IN PRAYER.

IF WE CAN DISPENSE WITH THE NOTION THAT PRAYER IS ONLY ABOUT ANSWERS; THAT PRAYER IS SIMPLY PRESENTING OUR PLEAS TO GOD WHEN WE ARE IN NEED, IN DANGER, OR IN CRISIS; PERHAPS, OUR EYES MAY BE OPENED TO SEEING WHAT THE DISCIPLES SAW IN JESUS AT PRAYER.

THE RELATIONSHIP JESUS THE SON, SHARED WITH GOD THE FATHER.

CHRISTIAN PRAYER, I BELIEVE, IS ALWAYS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH GOD.

IT’S ABOUT BELIEVING THAT GOD IS WITH US IN LIFE, CALLING US INTO FAITH AND ACTION; INTO WORSHIP AND SERVICE; INTO LIVING OUT OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE.

GOD CONTINUALLY INVITES US TO SEEK GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE; TO ALLOW FOR THE INFLOWING OF GOD’S SPIRIT INTO OUR LIVES; TO BE IN A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

“I WILL BE YOUR GOD, AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE.”

PERHAPS, THE GREATEST DIFFICULTY WITH PRAYER TODAY IS THAT MANY ARE SIMPLY OUT OF TOUCH WITH GOD.

PRAYER HAS BEEN REDUCED TO AN “ON AS NEEDED BASIS” RATHER THAN A HABIT OF REGULARLY APPROACHING THE GOD WITH WHOM WE ARE IN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.

AND THIS MAY BE OUR DEEPEST NEED – THE NEED TO RENEW OUR ACQUAINTANCE WITH GOD.

PRAYERS THAT FLOW OUT OF NEED TEND TO BE SELF-CENTERED.

PRAYERS THAT FLOW OUT OF A NATURAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TEND TO BE GOD-CENTERED.

NOW, I BELIEVE GOD’S “BIG ENOUGH” TO HEAR, AND ANSWER BOTH KINDS OF PRAYERS; AND THAT GOD WON’T HOLD OUR MORE “NEEDY” PRAYERS AGAINST US;

BUT FROM OUR SIDE OF THINGS, ON A REGULAR BASIS, PRAYER IS SOMETHING WE CAN BE DOING ALL THE TIME, JUST AS JESUS SUGGESTED.

IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, YOU MAY REMEMBER, JESUS TELLS US TO “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING…” “CONTINUOUSLY.”

RATHER THAN SUGGESTING IT AS JUST ANOTHER FORMULA FOR PRAYING – “PRAY ALL THE TIME” – I BELIEVE JESUS IS INVITING US INTO A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

LIKE THE IMPORTUNATE WIDOW IN JESUS’ PARABLE, WHEN IT COMES TO PRAYING, WE ARE TO KEEP AT IT; FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OTHERS.

WE BELONG TO GOD, AND IT IS FOR GOD, AND IN GOD, THAT WE LIVE;

PRAYER IS OUR WAY OF COMMUNICATING THAT TO GOD; AND GOD’S WAY OF TELLING US: IT’S TRUE!