Praying Unknowingly to Manipulate God
Prayer is not something we should use in attempt to manipulate God into giving us what we want or need. There are several passages in the Bible where people and teachers have taken liberty to unjustly make it say something they do not. The verse in John 16:24 is often misunderstood and abused; in this passage people are taught to believe that we do not have what we need and want because we do not ask God enough. Does not the verse say: “you have not because you ask not?”
We can imagine that the disciples asked for things, asked plenty of questions; however, up to this verse they never asked the Father for anything in Jesus’ name: that was something belonging to something new. Jesus, knowing what was about to happen told his disciples, ask and you will receive. His disciples should now look at this considering Jesus earlier promise to them. That is, if the joy is part of consistent obedience by remaining in Jesus and embracing his love and word which brings forth fruit because of prayer.
Again, this verse has nothing to do with our asking for things, help, and more from the Father in Jesus name. Today, people use this verse to justify their manipulative requests to a God that is their creator and savior. This verse was meant for Jesus’ disciples, and I will venture to say for everyone who’s consistent obedience by remaining in Jesus, His love, and His word. This goes back to an earlier post concerning “praying with God’s will in mind.” Our prayers are always what God has willed for us no matter the situation we find ourselves in.
A few examples that will show us the essence of prayer. When we pray it is seldom about ourselves and is always concerning God’s will for His purposes not ours.
Colossians 4:3 “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”
Mark 14:38 “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
2 Thessalonians 3:1 “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.”
Matthew 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”
Too many of us Christians use prayer like shopping on Amazon. We want, want, and want while all along we ignore God’s purpose for us. We pray for healing instead of claiming the healing in Jesus’ name, we doubt because our prayers have not been answered, and we no longer believe in the power of prayer. Prayers are not answered because they are often self-centered, manipulative in essence because we try to bend God to our bidding. Oh, sure we deny this, but subconsciously the truth is, we are being brats.
Story Time
One day during a prayer meeting an individual approached me and was telling me about the his troubles and how the devil was making him do things. I looked at him with sorrow and simply said, listen the devil does make anyone do anything, and neither does God make anyone do anything. The devil does its best to coerce a person to do what they know is wrong. At that point as with any other, it is a matter of choice. So, what happened was you chose to do what you knew was wrong, the devil didn’t make you, you did that on your own. Same goes when you say God told me to pray that way, or act this and that way. You see, God does not coerce people to do anything. God awakens our spirit to His call and offers everyone a choice where a decision is made to either believe and follow, or not to believe and follow. Anything we do in life has a consequence which is based choices. Prayer is a choice we make to communicate with God through Jesus Christ. No one will make you, no one will force you, no one will entice you to pray, only you make that choice. If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, prayer is part of your DNA, there is nothing forcing us to communicate with God through prayer, it is automatic and personal. However, if you are a struggling believer where sin often gains the upper hand in your life, then in your mind the devil is always trying to make you do what you don’t want to. So, with this scenario his prayers are not effective because he does not take responsibility for his choices. His requests are not genuine, empathetic, or congruent: they are not within God’s will for the him, he is some how trying to blame God for allowing the devil to make the individual do things he does not want to do.
In our prayers, the devil constantly attempts to coerce us into asking for things that instinctively we know is wrong to ask or feel that it is, and we decide to do so anyway. Prayer isn’t asking for a new house, car, food, job, money etcetera, prayer is asking the Farther through Jesus Christ to give us knowledge and wisdom. It is about praying for others to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is about praying for those in missions are protected, comforted, strengthened, and encouraged to rely on and trust in the one true God that employed them. Prayer is about revealing God’s glory, not our own. Prayer is about communicating with the Father through Jesus and honestly asking for those things that He knows is proper for us to have. Prayer is about asking the father to protect us from the evil one, and to help us to make sound decisions. Prayer is about claiming a person’s recovery from illness, or sickness with petition to God the Father through Jesus Christ.
Prayer is not about attempting to manipulate God. Prayer is not about believing that Jesus is like a genie in the bottle where you can make three wishes. Prayer is not wishfulness, hopefulness, it is knowing that God will deliver on our petition if it is good for us, and in line with His will for us.
Remember that the Holy Spirit that is within us prays at the same time we do, and I’ll bet you that if your prayers are manipulative, bargaining, self-centered, subversive, or seductive that you will be praying alone, and that means, it will never reach the Father.
I do hope that each one who reads this will take away what I’m trying to get to: That God is our Father, our creator; that Jesus is our mediator between us and the Father. That our prayers are genuine, empathetic, congruent, honest, from a pure heart, out of love for others, for Jesus and his gospel. That God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, not our will, father, but thine will be done.
Mike Kovach
20 November 2021
The Christian Underground Journal
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