Author Archives Jbeard

Due to the possible “shock affect” of this post, this post is a bit longer than usual, lest (I love that word) it is taken out of context and I’m misunderstood. It’s also possible that a few people may be tempted to kick the dust up and call me out into the street for a high noon show-down. For this reason, I will set down the Scripture, use essential doctrine as the mortar, and then build one step at a time.

Back to the title, it’s “a grabber,” right? I thought the title might stop traffic for a few minutes. There is a dark side of prayer … from man’s perspective–not God’s. Many people don’t like to mention or even dwell on the side of prayer that I’ll discuss. They’ll ignore it or deny it. Why? Because it offends; to some it’s repulsive. Some would crunch their face up and say, “This isn’t the God of the Bible! This is not the God of love!”

Au contraire, we will see that this is from the His Word, this is from the God of love, and that what God says in these scriptures is in perfect harmony with His nature. We’ll also see that there is a reason for this side of prayer. But before we open this lid and pour out the contents onto your computer screen it is absolutely necessary to stay grounded in what the Scripture has established. Here is a quick reminder; hold on to the following or you may tend to go off into “Extreme-ville” as we travel through this post.

• Psalm 34:15 (NKJV) — 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
  • Our God delights in the prayers of His children, those made JUST by the work of Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) — 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
  • We have been made JUST / RIGHTEOUS in God’s heart.
• 1 John 2:1–2 (NKJV) — 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
  • We have a living Savior who is our Mercy Seat before the Throne of God.
• Romans 5:1 (NKJV) — 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
  • We are made “just” before God through Jesus Christ.
• Colossians 1:21–22 (NKJV) — 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
  • Jesus Christ has made us holy, and blameless, and above reproach in the His [God’s] sight.

If your acceptance and peace with God is relying on ANYTHING other than Christ, including adding your spiritual piousness and/or good efforts to the redemptive work of Christ, then the next part of this post will offend you, to say the least. But if your relationship with God is completely because of and by Jesus Christ, then you are living in the truth of the scriptures above. If that be the case, you are His and He is yours and nothing can change that.

Since our standing with God is eternally settled on earth and in heaven by and through Jesus Christ, let’s take the next step in the scriptures. When you’ve read Psalm 34:15 in your Bible did you ever notice verse 16? The truth in verse 16 is just as absolute as the positive truth of verse 15. Or when you’ve read I Peter 3:12, did you pay attention to the last part of that verse? Here they are:

Psalm 34:16 (NKJV) — 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

1 Peter 3:12b (NKJV) — … But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Not too warm and fuzzy, right? As God’s ear (His attention) is inclined towards the prayers of those whom He has made just and righteous through Christ, He turns away from those that are not. This is as important to our theology as the warm and fuzzy side of our main texts. With most of society, and sadly within some churches, there is a belief that God hears everyone’s prayers; after all “God is Love,” we quote. But the Bible doesn’t teach that view of prayer. Read the following scriptures to make sure that your theology of prayer is biblical.

Proverbs 15:29 (NKJV) — 29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 28:9 (NKJV) — 9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

“The Lord is far from the wicked” in the context of prayer.  … even the attempt at prayer by a person outside of Christ is an abomination.

One of the obvious questions that may come to mind is: “How is a sinner’s prayer of repentance and salvation heard?” The answer is in the Word of God, and we’ll get to that in another post. But an error would be to dismiss or negate what God has clearly said so we can have a theology or belief that makes sense to our minds or makes us feel comfortable about the kind of God we want to believe in. This is idolatry, and a reason why many people ignore and/or reject these verses of Scripture. But the Word of Lord stands. It is pure and refined (Psalm 119:140), and instead of rejecting this, we should pray with the Psalmist,

The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live (Psalm 119:144).

A few other scriptures on this “Other side” of prayer:

Isaiah 1:15; Ezekiel 8:18; Micah 3:4; Zechariah 7:13; John 9:31

Someone may reply:

“But we are all wicked; no one is good, as the scriptures say. No one is guiltless before the perfect, holy God. If we are all still sinning, then how can He listen to some prayers and not others?”

Answer:

Jesus Christ. The Father listens to the prayers of those who rely on Jesus Christ as their mediator before the righteous God. These individuals are looked upon by God as clean; cleansed thoroughly by the blood of Jesus Christ. God the Father does not see these people, who are in Christ, as sinners, but as saints. To Him we are justified, acquitted, and born of His Spirit. Those who are in Christ are before the throne of heaven arrayed in the righteous robe of the Savior. It is true that these people are imperfect, messed-up, screwed-up, and no more deserving of the love of God than the next person. But the difference is the robe. Are you wearing your own filthy, wretched robe of self-righteousness and condemnation, or the robe of Christ’s righteousness? Am I “in Christ” or “alienated from God” by relying on and trusting in myself? I know that I am a wretched sinner. I know that if I approached the throne of heaven based on who I am that I would be condemned to eternal wrath. That is why I dare not rely on who I am. My faith is in the person and work of Jesus Christ to make me accepted as a child of the living God (I John 3:1-3). Christ has made me holy, blameless, and beyond reproach (Colossians 1:22). So, am I guilty before God? Am I seen by God as wicked; as His enemy; as a vessel deserving wrath and condemnation? NOT if I am covered in the righteousness of my Savior (Romans 8:29-35). For He who knew no sin, became sin that I may be made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). And by faith I stand and live in Christ alone (Romans 5:1-2; Romans 2:21). By faith I trust in Him who made me and keeps me acceptable as one of the beloved.

Jesus said that there are those who are not His sheep because they do not believe in Him. He said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:25-29).” There are others who are not of His fold—He referred to them in one illustration as “goats” to contrast that they are excluded as of a completely different nature and kind. They are not His.

Sheep rely on Christ; goats rely on themselves (their religion or goodness). That means that there are prayers made from man’s righteousness—believing that he is good enough on his own to have God’s favor and acceptance. And there are those prayers that ascend to the Father in Christ’s righteousness—in the sweet aroma of Christ. That is the clear distinction and division between the two types of prayers that are being discussed here. A prayer is rejected by the Father not because one person is less sinful or good enough—or good’r than another person. Prayer is ONLY accepted because it comes in or through the perfect mediator—Christ Jesus.

We’ll pick this up and continue on another post. There are important reasons to have this clear view of the Character of God and how person has access/acceptance to the heart of God. As we consider this “other side” of prayer, it should humble us and remind us that we are wholly dependent upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Each prayer, whether it be verbal, a cry, or mediation, is sanctified and accepted through Him. Oh how we need Him to be our God, Savior, and High Priest. It’s all because of Jesus.

I’ve decided to push the pause button on “the flip-side” (see previous post) of Psalm 34:15 and its companion I Peter 3:12. That will come in another post soon.

I’ve never used one of those metal detectors on the beach, but I have the general idea. I want to stop and dig a little into a statement from my previous posting. I wrote,

As our prayers are personal to us, they are more personal to Him.

Give that some thought, even if it hurts. The One to whom you are praying to is Infinite. He is Perfect. His nature is love; infinite and perfect love. He knows us better (or worse depending on how you look at it) than we know ourselves. He knows things about us that we’ll never know.  This translates into our God being MUCH MORE personally involved with us than we are with ourselves. This is how you can be assured that your God loves you Infinitely. Or you can say it with the adverb in a different place–He Infinitely loves you.

As much as we think we love ourselves, we don’t love ourselves like our heavenly Father does, and it’s so obvious. If we did, well … it’s moot anyway because we can’t love ourselves or anyone or anything infinitely. The point is, God does. He loves you infinitely more than you love yourself. He cares infinitely more than you care about yourself. He cares more about YOU than you are capable of, even if you realized who you are in Christ Jesus. He’s infinitely perfect in love and you’re not. Got it?

Another reason the above statement is true:

He is more intimately involved in what you’re doing and where you’re going than you are. God the Father gave His Son so that you would be acquitted, redeemed, cleansed, adopted and glorified in Christ. I’d say that He has, and is, a bit more involved in your life and your destiny than you do. You think?

Why this is important? How can this help?

The answer could be volumes long, but I’ll restrain myself. A favorite strategy of the enemy is to tell you that God doesn’t love you as much as He says. After all, if He cared more, you’d be more blessed.  If God cared as much as you do, things would be A LOT DIFFERENT, A LOT! He loved you as much as you think He should, you’d be in a much better place in life.  (cough, cough)

I know, such stupid thoughts, right? But we fall for ’em. Eve did; you did; and similar arrows will come bombarding your mind during prayer in the near future.  The truth is, our Lord God cares more about us that we’ll ever know (grasp, comprehend, understand, and fathom). He has proved it in the ultimate demonstration, and He continues to prove it over and over again. Remember the verse:

Romans 5:8   But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We know it; probably memorized it. But we have yet to grasp the love of God demonstrated in and through Christ coming down from heaven and dying for us.  What little of this grand sacrifice that we do understand boggles the brain, yet we should labor at knowing Christ in His suffering, death, and resurrection. Then, perhaps, Romans 5:8 will explode within us and those pathetic arrows that fly over the wall into our minds during prayer will fall to the ground before reaching the walls of the kingdom.

When the next arrow of doubt sails into your prayer closet, pull the sword out and quote Romans 5:8. In the meantime, begin praying Ephesians 3:18-19 for the saints and yourself. Perhaps by the Holy Spirit, you “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Yes, though our prayers are personal to us, they are more personal to Him.

Psalm 34:15 (NKJV) — 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.

The second part of this verse continues to give us a look at the heart of our God.

“His ears are open to our prayers”

As our prayers are personal to us, they are more personal to Him. He isn’t merely hearing our words; He is listening with a Father’s loving heart. Here are some additional scriptures that paint the same vivid picture of God’s Fatherly love and listening heart:

Job 36:7 — He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted.

Psalm 33:18 — Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,

Psalm 145:18–19 — The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.

Matthew 7:11 — If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Who are These People Who Have God’s Ear?

Psalm 34:15 and I Peter 3:12 tell us that God is involved in the prayers of a particular people. We must be clear on this point for the simple reason that God has made it clear and specific in these passages and the reason of scripture. God is attentive to the prayers of “the just” or “the righteous.” Who are the “the just” and “the righteous?” Are these general terms? The Spirit of God has carefully defined them so that we can know what God is promising to whom, and therefore have confidence in our prayers.

According to the Bible, these terms do not refer to people who are kind-hearted or who do charitable deeds (Luke 18:19). They are not religious labels that are earned from keeping the Ten Commandments (as if anyone could), or from attending and/or joining a local church (Galatians 2:16). These terms have nothing to do with a physical, intellectual, ethnic, or social category (Philippians 3:3-9). No one can spiritually evolve to a sinless or esoteric state of righteousness (Luke 18:9–14). Being made “just” is a gift of God’s love for those redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ (Romans 5:8-11; 18-19). Jesus Christ is the One who makes a person “just” and “righteous” (I Corinthians 1:30). By the way, if you try to add to His salvific work, “you are severed from Christ … you have fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5:4). Salvation is from Christ alone; by faith alone; through His grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-10).

I recommend looking each of the scripture references up and feeding on the manna that the Lord is saying to you.

Okay, I think the scriptures hit that nail on the head and hammered the truth into us too far to be pulled out and misconstrued. So be careful not to add your own considerations and opinions to what God’s Word says. On the lighter side, Mark Twain’s humorous understanding of meriting heaven is a reminder that we’re not as righteous as we think we are.

Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.

Twain was closer to orthodoxy than he knew. Heaven does go by favor. You’re in by Jesus’ favor or not at all. If by faith you have embraced the righteousness of Christ as your spiritual position and identity, then you are “the just” and “the righteous” referred to in Psalm 34:15 and I Peter 3:12. Pretty simple, wouldn’t you say? No working, just believing and trusting. Now let that faith and trust work out in a life that follows Him.

There’s a flip-side to our texts–Psalm 34:15 & I Peter 3:12. It isn’t so warm and fuzzy. That’s coming in the next post.

As those whom have been made righteous by Christ Jesus, let us rejoice in Him. Let our hearts be filled with thanksgiving. Let this joy of salvation flow like a river out of our souls. As II Corinthians 2:15 says, let us be “the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” We have something to joyful about, a joy that should sustain for a life-time … and beyond. Amen?!

A caution flag for the reader:

Do not let familiarity with the simplicity of Psalm 34:15 allow your mind to “check-off” this verse from your theological “got-it” list. This verse of scripture (as with I Peter 3:12) is the Gospel. It is because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that this is real and can be believed and can be stood upon. The Spirit of God wants us to burn the message of this verse(s) into our minds, souls, into our view of God, and our view of ourselves. My advice is to put this verse before you and recite it to yourself daily when you begin praying. Remind yourself of the depth of what Jesus Christ has made you and accomplished for you. Let the Gospel of Jesus Christ within this verse(s) direct, establish, and motivate your fellowship with God the Father.  These verses are life-changers, because the truth of the Gospel changes lives.

“It is YOUR PRAYER that He listens for,” Paul encouraged. “WHAT IF … the Lord is always waiting for you to pray to Him? WHAT IF … when you put your mind on Him and reached out to Him, He was right there waiting, listening, and welcoming you to share from your heart? Mark, what if?” (from:  A Reason to Pray at Mountainview)

In the novel Mark Terrell had more doubt than faith when it came to prayer. He was convinced by his feelings, physical senses, and his circumstances that the Father God didn’t care about what he had to say. To Mark, God had checked out of his personal life years ago. Mark’s new friend countered the doubt with scripture. After all, faith comes when we accept and embrace the promises of God from the scriptures (Romans 10:17).

Knowing God’s heart towards prayer should give us a ground breaking reason to make time to pray. The promises that were shared with Mark Terrell swallowed the doubts and fears that haunted him when he wanted to pray. The promises were simple, but Mark found them to be deep and powerful enough to awaken his heart with fresh hope. The promises are found in Psalm 34:15.

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.”

The priceless message in Psalm 34:15 is quoted in the New Testament by the Apostle Peter in his first letter to the early Church—I Peter 3:12. The message remains for the NT Christian as it was for saints of the OT.

A Picture of God’s Heart – Psalm 34:15

The ancient Hebrew language is a picture language. The intent of the writer is to create a picture in our minds to help convey his message. Our scripture text gives a wonderful picture of how much God delights in our prayers and how personal our prayers are to Him. The two descriptive phrases in that text tell us about God’s love towards His righteous ones. Each phrase holds a promise from God. The first one is:

“The eyes of the Lord are upon the just”

We are always before His eyes. We always have His attention. He never turns His back on us or has a lapse of interest in us. His attention is constantly towards you and for you. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:168, “…for all my ways are before You.” For many people, knowing that everything that they do, think, and say is before God is uncomfortable. But if you are In Christ–cleansed and made whole by His redeeming work, then this verse should have the opposite effect.  Our ways are before Him not as a condemning judge watching and waiting for us to mess up (that’s a giv’me). He is our God, Father, Savior, Comforter, and Keeper. I don’t want to be outside of His eyes for one second, and neither should you if you’re His beloved. I need His ever-watchful eye; His ever-caring heart; His ever-covering grace when I am awake and when I am asleep.

Seeing the picture in Psalm 34:15 should bring peace and joy. It reassures us that God will never lose interest in who we are or with our company. When you sit down to pray, remind yourself of the promise from God the Father in Psalm 34:15.

“Father, I am so grateful that Your eyes are on me, and as I pray You are ever-present in love and grace. This is all because of Jesus Christ. Bless the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!”

“Maybe I have been bringing my own agenda to the table when I’ve prayed. Maybe that’s a part of the reason it’s like talking to the ceiling. Maybe that’s why I struggle to make time to pray. It’s too much about me!”    (from my novel:  A Reason to Pray at Mountainview)

When examining your prayers and devotional time, ask:

• How much (quality and quantity) is about me and how much is about God and His will? For instance, when you pray, how much of it is a one-way conversation?
• How much is spent on a list of temporary wants or circumstances that you want God to change?
• How much is spent on learning about Him through the Scripture?

We can easily forget that prayer is more than taking requests to God. Petitions and intercession for others are important and He desires us to do that, after all we need Him to meet our needs and give us mercy and grace in times of need. Yet there is more, much more in this spiritual exercise called prayer. Since God is infinite in all that He is—His attributes and character—it would be reasonable to conclude that He has created prayer for more than making requests. There is more, much more.

What? Prayer isn’t about me? Nope! Prayer isn’t all about me .. or you! Most of us are too full of ourselves the rest of day. Yep, I said that. It is a good thing that prayer isn’t about me. The living God, our God, wants us to focus on Him. God created us to fully enjoy Him and prayer is a part of fully enjoying Him. From prayer we learn to grow and tap into His grace which molds us into the glorious image of the Son. From Scripture we discover His promises and in prayer we embrace them. From prayer we find joy and peace that is unearthly and exists only in the Prince of Peace. Prayer is about Him.

This may sound simplistic, but I would challenge you to take the time to search your faith and how you express it–especially in devotional time with Him, and note how much of your will and your agenda is promoted over His will and Name. Jesus reminded us in His teaching on how to pray to put the Father at the beginning, through every step, and then Jesus reminds us at the end that it is still about the Father.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed by Your name.”

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

It’s all about Him–the Eternal One; the Sovereign One; the Perfect One.

“Father, help us to move ourselves from the forefront and make You and Your kingdom first in our prayers. I am sorry that we keep telling You want we want You to do instead of seeking Your will and purpose in our situations. All that we ask, whether it is a need or Your favor, we surrender all to Your perfect will and good pleasure. May Your Spirit continue to conform us into the image of the Son. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”