The things of God are a mystery. Well that is not me talking, but Paul. In Ephesians we read, “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,” (Ephesians 6:19) Jesus Himself said in Mark, “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:” (Mark 4:11) which is not a place, but a heart condition of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. I wonder why we think we have figured out things in God and even act like we know when in reality they are darkness to our understanding. I wonder why we cannot be content in knowing that God and His ways are a mystery and with each unfolding revelation we get to know Him and allow Him to work in our lives. Believe me my friend He has the ability to open up like flowers the mystery of Godliness if we want them. I thought I had a handle on prayer, but God took me to India and stripped me of my strength and health to show me prayer is, ” . . . not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6) and one of the biggest mysteries of God is prayer. Now I will be honest I do not know how God answers prayer and if we all are honest we all will agree this is true. How does God heal bodies, change lives, and mend souls by our mere words and concerns? I am convinced the longer I go in God it does not matter what I know, but what matters is who I know. I will know what matters if I know the one who answers prayer and that is enough. The how becomes not important. Now God is always good at helping us to understand Him and His ways and as we look at the mystery of prayer He does not fail us. To understand this mystery there must be an understanding of a few other elements moving, like our faith, hearing from God as he speaks to us, and a holding on till we see the answer come forth in our lives. I have written many articles on faith and the perseverance required to see our faith come to an end in whatsoever we are believing for, but the biggest element seldom touched on is God must speak for something to happen. We see this divine spiritual principles from the first verse in Genesis, “God said” something and it came to pass. Without God speaking nothing happens. This is a vein of truth that runs the length of the Scriptures and is a key in our lives if we want to see the supernatural. God must say it, we must believe it, and we shall see the glory of God. In John we find this divine spiritual principle, “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) Here we find the rule of threes how faith operates and the foundational truth,(1) God must speak it for it to happen. Many Christians come to the altar for prayer looking to be healed or delivered when God is not engaged (for whatever reason) yet and they go from the altar unhappy, bewildered, and some even bitter because God has not engaged. It is not about believing that is second God must speak first His intentions and will to us. Then (2) we believe (our faith kicks in) and (3) we shall see the glory of God. One would ask how does our faith kick in? Well Paul helps us here and guess what it is in God speaking. In Romans we read, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Now the word “cometh” was added (why it is italics) during the translation. So let us read Romans 10:17 without “cometh.” So then faith by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Did you get that? Faith by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Now please know there was no Bible (as we know it today) in Paul’s day so Paul was talking about hearing (the Holy Spirit speaking to us) from God not reading the Bible. In the Greek we read the verse, “So then faith by hearing a word of God.” (Romans 10:17 (Greek)) Same concept and application, God must speak. Until God speaks healing (or whatsoever) will not happen. Again it is not about holding on, standing on the Scriptures, or just raw believing, God must speak it. I can believe I am a car and sit in my garage and go beep beep, but that will never make me car. How could things operate outside of God’s will and knowing? Charles Haun (my Bible Teacher) tells the story of one night God spoke to him that one lady would be healed that night at the service so Charles told the pastor. That night the pastor invited all those to the altar who wanted to be healed. A large crowd of people came forward, but Charles remembered the LORD’s word, one lady. With each person the pastor began to pray for them and if it was a lady Charles would step forward. When it was man Charles stayed back and the pastor worked himself up into a good sweat. Finally a lady was the last person in line and Charles stepped forward, laid hands on her, and bang she was healed of her migraine headaches she has had for the last five days. Just that simple. You know the last thing I want (when I cannot hear from God) is someone to pray for me who has not heard from God. The LORD said one woman, all others went back to their seats confused and dismayed. Coming and asking without Him speaking does not move God’s heart to do things for us. Healing and such is His intention, but does not happen outside His purpose and will for our lives. Why does God wait, I do not know. One thing I have learned I am not God. Often times God is working arrangements beyond our knowledge or working things in us or out of us to meet His purpose and plan for our lives. I think in the times we come for prayer (which is not bad) without hearing from God is for our emotional need, uplift, and encouragement till God’s speaks. David did this in hard times when things were not going his way he would encouraged himself in the LORD. We read in 1 Samuel when the people wanted to stone him (rather distressful to me) because the people were grieved. “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6) I think a lot of times we feel we have nowhere to turn so we just beseech the LORD for relief from a burden or problem in our lives and to our surprise God is not engaged, but at times it does make us feel better. And it is not God needs to know what is going on (He knows all things) oh no it is we have a need within us to tell Him. We often think we need to tell Jesus all of our problems as the song says, well guess what Jesus already knows. He may even have been the one to give us that problem. After all problems can be our servants if we allow them to grow us spiritually. The LORD knows “all things” even our problems and wants us to come to know He knows what we are going though and He is right by our side as we go though the shadow of the valley of death. In us there is a desire a need to tell Him, but as we grow in the LORD and are established in Him we will not be so fast to run down to the altar. We will be strengthened with might in the inward man able to withstand some things. Real prayer always ends with inward strength (not needing to be rescued again and again) and an inward peace that says, “if I perish I perish.” Now that is a mystery.
Real Prayer
