| I certainly do believe in the power of agreed
prayer. But I’ve also seen the clamor, caterwauling, chaos and the lack of power in a
so-called believer's feeble attempt to pray. Makes me shudder!
After having been
associated with many believers over the years since my salvation, I have noticed it’s
really high time that we believers or those who profess to be believers realize that we
are giving satan waaaaaaaaaay too much notoriety! He was, after all, thrown out of the
house of God and is a DEFEATED foe. Yes, I know he has been touted as a "worthy
adversary", which in our minds means simply having a healthy respect for his
abilities as you would any opponent...as you would a poisonous snake.
When I was selling cars, some of the training involved was learning about the
competitor’s products. I believe it is healthy to know about satan's antics but
unhealthy to submit yourself to them. Satan’s forte is to twist and deceive. Putting
twisted thoughts in our minds. Then we receive those thoughts, either by purpose or
by ignorance, and allow them to grow into misdirection or unbelief.
We who are supposed to know and that are blood-bought and in the realm of the
protection of Jesus Christ Himself need to keep something in mind... satan was
defeated. The fall of the first Adam was erased by the second Adam. Eden
is back!
Yes, we have a fight to fight. The fight of faith. Standing in the things that
have been done for us by God Himself... not whining about the attacks of the enemy.
I feel that there are real problems out there (i.e. our friend's daughter being
possessed, oppressed, controlled by satan) and then there are what I call "whine
lists" when someone wants you to pray for their Uncle Bill’s sore toe or those
that complain and wonder why their life is full of problems when they don’t
even come close to having an obedient relationship with Jesus.
For one thing, I hear so many ‘prayer requests’ for
things believers ought to be standing up against. Don’t you get tired
of reading ‘whine lists’? I don’t think we need to offer cheese with those
whines! Not that I’m above whining. I wrote the book on whining. But as the
Lord has matured me the whining began to lessen. Sometimes it’s necessary to
have someone stand in my face and remind me that’s what I’m doing. A good friend
can remind me that we all go through tests and trials, and we’re supposed to be
running in a race.... and winning. Standing firm.
Recently my wife did some research for
a painting of the armor of God. The study for the feet being shod with the preparation of
the gospel was really an eye-opener. The shoes a soldier wore back in early Rome had
cleats attached to the soles! So the soldier would not lose his footing! So he could stand
firm and not slip! So he could run toward the enemy with confidence and make that enemy
flee!
I am not one to pamper people’s emotions and oft misguided personal needs. As a
pastor from South Africa once said, "I am not here to change your nappies." So
many people are like this acquaintance of ours that God said was standing in three feet of
water hollering "Help I’m drowning!"
As stated above, I believe in the power in agreed prayer. Intercessory prayer is not
simply responding to people’s prayer requests to console them and let them lay their
burdens on our ears. A prayer list at a church we attended read like a "who’s
who" list of what satan could do. I want to encourage folks to remember how big God
is, rather than simply listen to their recitals of how big their problem is.
Personally I just don’t get involved with many of these prayer list things because
they become a "whine list." But God has called me to a season of intercession on
many occasions which proved, by the leading of His Spirit, to be very productive and
rewarding.
We don't forget what Jesus did for us on the cross but we often
forget the power God gave us in His resurrection. |
"Whine Lists"
by Rev. Robert R. Hervey, MS
