Godly Prayer vs. Magic Spells: Avoiding the Misuse of Intercessional Prayer

 

Godly Prayer vs. Magic Spells: Avoiding the Misuse of Intercessional Prayer

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Many evangelical Christians have used prayer for too long as a substitute for action, dumping back on God the responsibility for doing what He has already commanded us to do throughout the Bible. Yet neither is social action a substitute for prayer.

[John D. Robb, “Strategic Prayer,” Chapter 28, pp. 163-? In Winter and Hawthorne, eds., PERSPECTIVES (on the World Christian Movement), William Carey Library, 2013; John D. Robb, Unreached Peoples Program Director with MARC, the Missions Advanced Research and Communications Center of World Vision International.]

Make no mistake: We have a whole lot of work to do. When we roll up our sleeves, our prayers will start to mean something.  But prayer without action is just noise.

[Rev. Matt Mardis-LeCroy (Senior Minister, Plymouth Church in Des Moines), “Bible teaches us that prayer without action is just noise,” Des Moines Register, Nov. 7, 2017]

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Pastor Mark Gregory Karris has coined the term “conspiring prayer” to describe a compassionate form of prayer in which the prayer-maker asks God to cooperate with him, rather than putting all the responsibility for action on God.

Quotations from: Mark Gregory Karris, Divine Echoes: Reconciling Prayer with the Uncontrolling Love of God, Quoir (Orange, Ca.), 2018.

54) The image being projected [by standard petitionary prayer] is that the more we cajole God with prayer, the more likely God will be to cease being passive, get off his throne, and engage in the loving actions desired.

72) Ironically, petitionary prayer can even become an obstacle to the very shalom it seeks to achieve.

78) … the stakes are too high. We cannot afford to spend our time in engaging in immature forms of petitionary prayer and superstitious practices.

118) Conspiring prayer is a reimagined prayer paradigm that avoids placing all the responsibility on God in becoming a blessing to the world.

151) Conspiring prayer is performed with God rather than to God.

152) Conspiring petitions are also a test of true intimacy that uncovers our core motive. Do we seek intimacy (relationship) or utility (goods for prayers rendered) with God? Jewish philosopher Martin Buber differentiates between intimate, sacrificial and relational prayer and utility prayer, or what he prefers to call “magic.”

166) Simply talking to God does not change the world. Prayerful people who commune deeply with God and engage the world around them change the world. Petitioning prayers that seek to woo God to love more actively will do nothing to alter the outcome for loved ones in need.

168) This “God-is-in-control-of-everything” theology lulls Christians into becoming passive observers and siren-induced sleepwalkers.

175) “You do it, God,” types of prayers will never be as transformative as “How can we do it, God?” Types of prayers. This is why it is best to ask God for the grace to repent and the power to heal and live the other unconditionally.

176) “Show us” types of prayers will be more effective in making our corporate petitions a reality.

188) ‘Conspiring prayer’ is a reimagined prayer paradigm that avoids placing all the responsibility on God and instead seeks to actively join God in becoming a blessing to the world.

190) Nothing would be lost if we updated our petitionary prayer operating system. We only have transformation and liberation to gain. The time and energy spent praying to God and believing that he will take care of it all by himself could be used to mobilize people of faith and take risks and love practically. Petitionary prayer for others cannot be an opiate lulling us to lazy living.

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SCRIPTURE

Matthew 5:5-6, NIV

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

James 2:14-26

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

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Prayer without action will not remove physical disease, will not improve social position, will not give mental culture, and will not strengthen moral character. Men must go forward as well as pray. The energetic character will be more likely to neglect the latter, the meditative character will be more likely to neglect the former; — combine both. Progress under difficulty needs strenuous effort. At such times effort must be brave—must go into the waters; obedient — according to the word of God; constant — must not halt in the midst of the sea. [Joseph Samuel Exell (1849-1910), Homiletical Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Volume 221, 1879, p. 273]

Social action without prayer is soulless; but prayer without action lacks integrity. [Walter Wink, Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination, 1992, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, p. 325 in 25th ann. Ed.]

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