It may be stated truly that G.o.d"s promises to Israel are especially concerning temporal blessing and that his promises to the church have particular reference to spiritual possessions; and they both, the history of Israel and the history of the church, prove that G.o.d will give to us temporally as well as spiritually. These blessings are included in the "anything."
I have been greatly impressed with Paul as a pattern in prayer, and for the outline of this message as well as for many of the suggestions I am indebted to an English clergyman, the Rev. E. W. Moore, who has written, "The Christ Controlled Life," and "Christ in Possession," and has recently sent out a little book ent.i.tled, "The Pattern Prayer Book."
I have noticed in studying Paul that the burden of his prayer was for spiritual blessing rather than for temporal power, and throughout the Epistles at least seven ill.u.s.trations are to be found concerning this subject.
I
_Prayer for Pentecost_. Ephesians 3:17-19, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which pa.s.seth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of G.o.d."
Just what is the burden of this prayer of Paul"s?
First: He is not asking for that indwelling which is ours at conversion; for this he would not need to pray, for at the moment of regeneration Christ is ours and eternal life (which is only another way of saying, "the life of the eternal") is our never failing possession.
Second: He is not asking for the bodily presence of Christ, as some have suggested, for in this scripture he states that it is by faith that Christ is to dwell with us.
Third: It is by no means a figurative expression, for if this were true there would be no comfort in it to G.o.d"s children. Yet, as a matter of fact, this prayer of Paul"s has been an inspiration to G.o.d"s people everywhere. It is rather a special Pentecostal privilege for G.o.d"s children concerning which Paul is praying. In Galatians 4:19 we read, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you."
And this is his pet.i.tion. Let it be noticed that the tense of the verb in this connection denotes singleness of action, so that Paul"s prayer may be answered not gradually but immediately. If this be true then let it be answered now for you and for me.
There are three blessings which would flow out of this answer to prayer.
First: _Constancy of experience_. "That Christ may dwell," pleads the Apostle. It does not mean that he is to come in a fitful experience, but the language of the hymn is true,
"Abide with me; fast falls the even tide, The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me."
Second: _Strength will be our possession_, for the Apostle tells us that we are to be "rooted and grounded in him." As the roots of the tree take hold upon the ground and the giant oak withstands the storms of the Northern coasts, so we may withstand temptation and trial and be more than conquerors if this prayer is answered.
Third: _There will be cleansing_, for we are told that "as a man thinketh in his heart so is he." We are told also that we must keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of them are the issues of life.
It is easy enough to understand how our lives would be pure if Christ were only in possession.
II
_Prayer for Perception_. Colossians 1:9-10, "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of G.o.d." The need of this prayer was not that the Colossians were weak, or that they had been conspicuous in the failure of their Christian experience, for in the third and fourth verses of the first chapter of Colossians, Paul says concerning them, "We give thanks to G.o.d and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints"; and then in the face of this statement he prayed earnestly for them. The subject of his prayer was not that he desired anything, humanly speaking, very great for them; he did not ask honor, nor did he desire that wealth should be theirs, but merely states in the ninth verse that they might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. I have been told that literally, this means that they might have full knowledge, not simply a pa.s.sing opinion concerning him and his work.
If we study this particular scripture in which Paul is praying for the Colossians we will learn how this prayer is to be answered.
First: We must meditate upon G.o.d"s word. He makes himself especially known to his people in his word. There are certain great principles which we must remember if we would know G.o.d"s will.
(1) _We must present our bodies to him_. Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of G.o.d, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto G.o.d, which is your reasonable service."
(2) _We must be delivered from this present evil age_. Galatians 1:4, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of G.o.d and our Father."
(3) _We must separate ourselves from the world_. 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "For this is the will of G.o.d, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication."
(4) _We must be thankful_. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of G.o.d in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(5) _We must continue patiently to serve and follow him_. 1 Peter 2:15, "For so is the will of G.o.d, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men."
All of these things are G.o.d"s will for us. If we but practice them the results can be only beneficial. As a result of such a study of G.o.d"s word the general knowledge of G.o.d and his will shall be ours.
Second: The spiritual perception spoken of in this particular scripture may be ours, as we listen to the Spirit of G.o.d, for he will speak to us G.o.d"s message and make known to us G.o.d"s will. The purpose of this prayer of Paul"s for the Colossians was that they might walk worthy to all pleasing. What a joy it is to know that we may please G.o.d! For this we should be grateful.
III
_Prayer for Purity_. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, "And the very G.o.d of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray G.o.d your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
This prayer is also remarkable if we notice the spiritual condition of the Thessalonians, for of them we read that they had received the word of G.o.d with joy, and had turned from idols to serve the living G.o.d, and yet the Apostle prays for their sanctification. By this he does not mean sinlessness, and a careful study of his position would lead us to know that he does not teach that sanctification may be ever apart from growth. We must day by day come more and more into the likeness of Christ. There are three words which it would be well for us to remember in our study of this subject.
First: _Position_. If we would grow unto his likeness we must be where he can let shine upon us the light of his countenance. Frances Ridley Havergal had an aeolian harp sent to her which she tried to play with her fingers, and failed. At last a friend suggested that she place it in the window, and the music as the wind touched the strings was entrancing. We must be where he can use us.
Second: _Purification_. Sanctification is necessary because G.o.d uses only that which is clean, never an unclean life.
Third: _Possession_. It is really Christ filling us, and he will fill us if we give him the opportunity. The extent of this work is made plain in Paul"s prayer:
(1) The spirit is touched, and the spirit is that part of our nature which is capable of fellowship with G.o.d.
(2) The soul is filled, and the soul is the seat of all our intellectual faculties.
(3) The body is possessed, and since the body is just the servant of the higher powers of man, we can easily understand how necessary the work is. It is needful,
(_a_) For our peace, for the G.o.d of peace is to sanctify us.
(_b_) For our prayers. For Paul is talking about prayer when he praises.
(_c_) For our praise, for we are told that we must rejoice evermore.
IV
_Prayer for Power_. Ephesians 1:15-20, "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the G.o.d of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power; which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places."
The Church at Ephesus was in every way remarkable, but to this people Paul wrote his most spiritual epistle, which in itself is a compliment to them, for as in another instance it was not necessary for him to write unto them as if they were carnal. With this people for the s.p.a.ce of two or three years he labored, as we find recorded in Acts the nineteenth chapter and the tenth verse, "And this continued by the s.p.a.ce of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." Acts 20:31, "Therefore watch, and remember, that by the s.p.a.ce of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears."
There were no divisions in this church as at Corinth; there were no heresies as at Galatia, and no dissensions as at Philippi; and yet, for all that, he prays most earnestly. The natural question for us to ask is, just what is it for which he prays, and the question is easily answered.
First: For advancement in knowledge; he asks G.o.d that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened. Under this general pet.i.tion there are three special requests.
(1) _That they might know the hope of their calling_. We have but to study Paul"s Epistles to realize that this calling involved:
A perfect vision, for one day it is Christ"s promise and teaching that they shall see him as he is. The hope of this would keep them faithful.
It involved, in the next place, a perfect likeness, for, seeing him as he is, they would become like him, and the hope of this would keep them clean.
It involved, in the third place, a perfect union, for when this hope of their calling is fulfilled there is no possibility of anything coming between the believer and Christ; so the fellowship must be perfect.