In the Old Testament we have a character whose name was Samuel. We don’t have time to get into the details about Samuel right now, but just quickly, Samuel was a person who eventually knew the Word of God and the speaking of God. He was a person who knew God, he knew the Word of God, and he was a person who knew the voice of God.
Author Archives: Drew Haninger
Prayer in the Lord’s Name (8) – Psalm 119 on God’s Word
I don’t want to read about Samuel right now, but I actually want to go through one of the Psalms, Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Old Testament. There is one thing in this psalm that really stands out, and that is the phrase, “The Word” or, “The Word of God”. This refers to God’s written word in the Bible and also to God’s speaking to us. Several years ago I went through Psalm 119 and underlined the word, “word” because it is mentioned so many times in that psalm. So right now I want to go through Psalm 119 and mention some of the places where the word, “word” is used and give you just a little commentary, but not much. Okay, the first place in Psalm 119 where the word, “word” appears is in verse 9, “How shall a young man cleanse his way?” Then it says, “By taking heed according to Thy word.” So how do we cleanse our way, or how do we know the right way to go? We know the right way to go by the Word of the Lord. It says, “Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven.” In other words, in heaven, there is no problem with the Word of God, yet on the earth we know there is some problem. That is why the Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus taught us to pray to bring the will of God from the heavens to the earth. This little verse says, “Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven.” Yet it was God’s intention that His will also be established on the earth. We also come to this verse in Psalm 119. It says, “The entrance of Thy word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Notice it does not just say that the reading of Thy words gives light, or the study of the Word gives light. We do need to read and study the Word, but it says, “The entrance of Thy words give light.” This passage always reminds me of John 6. There Jesus is speaking and He is talking to the disciples about a lot of things. He was talking about Himself being the Bread that came down from heaven to give life. At the end of that important portion He says, “The words that I speak unto you are spirit and life.” Listen, in order for the Word of God to have entrance into us, number one, our hearts have to be prepared to listen to the Word. Number two, we need to have the attitude that we are going to obey the Word of God. Then the Word of God needs to be spirit and life to us, because when it is spirit and life, it can enter into our heart. So Psalm 119 says, “The entrance of thy Word gives light.”
As an eBook on Olive Tree see Prayer in the Lord’s Name by Drew Haninger.
Taken from a Cable TV broadcast called In the Beginning by Drew Haninger Message number: TV0024web site: www.DrewHaninger.com
God’s Servants Pray
Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: That is from Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8:28.
Also note this quote from Mary Slessor – “Prayer is the greatest power God has put into our hands for service” Mary was a Scottish Christian worker to the people in Nigeria.
Secret Prayer
Through the ages there is much secret prayer, there is no announcement, it did not make the books of Church history, very few know what was prayed. God hears every prayer, He notices. Every prayer, short prayers, long prayers will be heard by God.
Another great quote from Hidden Life of Prayer by David MacIntyre
… the inner sanctuary. A solitary worshipper has entered within the veil, and hushed and lowly in the presence of God, bends before the glancing Shekinah. This represents the hidden life of prayer of which the Master spoke in the familiar words, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall recompense thee” (Matt. 6:6).
Prayer is an Always Thing
“Men ought always to pray, and “-although faintness of spirit attends on prayer like a shadow-“not faint.” The soil in which the prayer of faith takes root is a life of unbroken communion with God, a life in which the windows of the soul are always open towards the City of Rest. We do not know the true potency of prayer until our hearts are so steadfastly inclined to God that our thoughts turn to Him, as by a Divine instinct, whenever they are set free from the consideration of earthly things. It has been said of Origen (in his own words) that his life was “one unceasing supplication.” By this means above all others the perfect idea of the Christian life is realized. Intercourse between the believer and his Lord ought never to be interrupted.
“The vision of God,” says Bishop Westcott, “makes life a continuous prayer.” And in that vision all fleeting things resolve themselves, and appear in relation to things unseen. In a broad use of the term, prayer is the sum of all the service that we render to God,8 so that all fulfillment of duty is, in one sense, the performance of Divine service, and the familiar saying, “Work is worship,” is justified. “I am prayer,” said a Psalmist (Psa. cix. 4). “In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,” said an Apostle.
This is a quote from Hidden Life of Prayer by David MacIntyre
Moses the Man of Prayer
These are quotes from The Inner Chamber by Andrew Murray on Moses the man of prayer.
Moses’ Prayers—In Egypt, from his first call, Moses prayed. He asked God what he was to say to the people, Exodus 3:11-13. He told Him all his weakness, and besought Him to be relieved of his mission, 4:1-13. When the people reproached him that their burdens were increased, he went and told God, 5:22, and he made known to Him all his fears, 6:12. This was his first training. Out of this was born his power in prayer when, time after time, Pharaoh asked him to entreat the Lord for him, and deliverance came at Moses’ request (8:8-9, 12,etc)
Think of the place God had in Moses’ life, as the God who had sent him, the God to whom he was totally devoted, the God who had promised to be with him, and who would and did always help him when he prayed.
Now for the practical application: How to learn to pray like Moses? We cannot secure this grace by an act of the will. Out first lesson must be the sense of impotence. Then grace will work it in us, slowly and surely, if we give ourselves into its training. But though the training will be gradual, there is one thing that can be done at once. We can at once decide to give ourselves to this life and take up the right position. Do this now. Take the decision, to LIVE ENTIRELY TO BE A CHANNEL FOR GOD’S BLESSING TO FLOW THROUGH YOU TO THE WORLD. TAKE THE STEP. If need be, take ten minutes for deliberate thought. Accept the Divine appointment, and take up some object of intercession.
Prayer is the best way to start the day
The following is a quote from Robert Murray M’Cheyne:
“I ought to pray before seeing any one. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o’clock before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system. It is unscriptural. Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: ‘Early will I seek thee’; ‘Thou shalt early hear my voice.’ Family prayer loses much of its power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek from me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed. Then when in secret prayer the soul is often out of tune, I feel it is far better to begin with God—to see his face first, to get my soul near him before it is near another.”
Prayer sets the direction for the day and lines up the day with God’s interests, God’s will and God’s purposes. Also consider the verse in
Psalms 88:13 But to You I have cried out, O LORD, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. The morning time is the best time to get started with God.
Here’s another quote from Robert M’Cheyne “Rose early to seek God and found Him whom my soul loveth. Who would not rise early to meet such company?”
God’s Word is a Treasure to be Pursued
The Bible is the Word of God. Few things can change your life for the better than the time you spend studying God’s Word. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said this of God’s wisdom, “13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.” Again in Proverbs 8:10-11 where wisdom personified is speaking, “Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.” Read those verses again! God’s wisdom is a treasure. Who doesn’t love the thought of going on a treasure hunt? If we knew the location of some buried treasure, we would spare no effort to find it. If we have to miss a meal or two while we dig for treasure—no problem! Job felt that way, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” Job didn’t just say God’s Word was more important to him than food but more important than his necessary food. Think about! The importance of God’s Word wasn’t lost on Jeremiah either, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.”