Earthly Fathers and "Our Father Which Art in Heaven"

Thankful today for my earthly father and father-in-law (who I knew all too briefly, before he was called home), thankful to be a father to four, thankful for my Father in heaven!

In reflecting on how Jesus taught believers to relate to God as their heavenly Father in prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), I am reminded too of the reverence for and dependence upon our earthly fathers that should be the norm of our experience as children. I think this is part of the way mankind, even in a fallen state, reflects the image of their Creator God. But even if you never knew your earthly father, or did not have one who was holy and cared for your needs, if you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you become a child of the heavenly Father, who is worthy of all honor and praise, and who provides for your needs, pardons your sins, and protects you from evil. If you are a father, the greatest thing you can do for your children is to teach and model for them the character of God.

An Antidote for Self-Centeredness: Sincerely Praying as Jesus Taught

"It is comparatively easy to repeat the words of the Lord's Prayer like a parrot (or indeed a heathen 'babbler'). To pray them with sincerity, however, has revolutionary implications, for it expresses the priorities of a Christian. We are constantly under pressure to conform to the self-centredness of secular culture. When that happens we become concerned about our own little name (liking to see it embossed on our notepaper or hitting the headlines in the press, and defending it when it is attacked), about our own little empire (bossing, 'influencing' and manipulating people to boost our ego), and about our own silly little will (always wanting our own way and getting upset when it is frustrated). But in the Christian counter-culture our top priority concern is not our name, kingdom and will, but God's. Whether we can pray theses petitions with integrity is a searching test of the reality and depth of our Christian profession."

John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, p. 148

"God the All"

O GOD WHOSE WILL CONQUERS ALL,
There is no comfort in anything
apart from enjoying thee
and being engaged in thy service;
Thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what to me
thou makest them, and no more.
I am well pleased with thy will, whatever it is,
or should be in all respects,
And if thou bidst me decide for myself in any affair
I would choose to refer all to thee.
for thou art infinitely wise and cannot do amiss,
as I am in danger of doing.
I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal,
and it delights me to leave them there.
Then prayer turns wholly into praise,
and all I can do is to adore and bless thee.
What shall I give thee for all thy benefits?
I am in a strait betwixt two, knowing not what to do;
I long to make some return, but have nothing to offer,
and can only rejoice that thou doest all,
that none in heaven or on earth shares thy honour;
I can of myself do nothing to glorify thy blessed name,
but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul adn body to thee,
I know that thou art the author and finisher of faith,
that the whole work of redemption is thine alone,
that every good work or thought found in me
is the effect of thy power and grace,
that thy sole motive in working in me to will and to do
is for thy good pleasure.
O God, it is amazing that men can talk so much
about man’s creaturely power and goodness,
when, if thou dist not hold us back every moment,
we should be devils incarnate.
This, by bitter experience, thou hast taught me concerning myself.

from The Valley of Vision: a Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, ed. Arthur Bennett, pg. 4 (published by Banner of Truth Trust)

Some Items Worthy of Note

Here are some worthwhile articles I have come across lately.

Tony Kummer asks, "What's So Great About Seminary?" - and gives some good answers. As I have completed one year of studies, it was an encouragement.

Tim Ashcraft commemorated Calvin's birthday yesterday with a quote on prayer.

Tim Adkins writes about "Our Chief Entangling Sin."

Mike Belcher on "An Unusual Wednesday Night" - a story of God's blessing on perseverance through an inconvenient difficulty.

Jeff Robinson highlights Don Whitney on Church Discipline - an act of love.

Prayer in the Psalter

"Lord, teach us to pray..." (Luke 11:1)

In answer to this request Jesus gave a model and then a philosophy of prayer (11:4-13). I find it interesting that many commentators insist that the disciple was not asking how to pray, but when they get into expositing the prayer they show that it does, in fact, teach us how to pray. Really, I think that there is a bit of both aspects involved here. Prayer was not a foreign practice to the disciples, but who can boast of understanding all of the

mystery bound up in prayer? Even the most seasoned prayer-warrior senses his inadequacy for the task. Along with that, it is true that the greatest trouble is more often motivation than it is know-how. Whatever it was exactly that this disciple had in mind when he made the request to Jesus, I find it fascinating that Jesus decided to answer his request by providing a short, model prayer.

I was taught this prayer as a child and it proved helpful to me as I learned how to speak with God. I remember being taught that it was merely a model and that I should learn to construct my prayers in a similar fashion. In the end, I was taught to pray using my own words. In the tradition in which I was reared we never used a prayer book or any other source of prescribed prayers. When men in the church prayed, their prayers were always impromptu, and often very simple and repetitive.

I've since had the privilege of visiting other churches and participating in worship services with a more obvious and intentional liturgy. I remember sitting in a conference at a Presbyterian seminary and wondering in amazement at the majesty and grandeur of the prayers prayed by the ministers. They were more deliberate, premeditated, and Scripture-saturated than I had ever heard before. I recently became aware of The Valley of Vision: a collection of puritan prayers and found this little book to be very helpful not only in my own prayer life, but also as I began to look into the Psalter to consider the model prayers it supplies. I've come to realize how beneficial a model prayer can be, and that impromptu praying can sometimes leave a lot to be desired. All in all, I believe that Jesus' answer to this disciple began by showing him that prayer ought to be deliberate, not haphazard and sloppy. Prayer is a great privilege and addressed to the God of the universe, the Savior of our souls. Our God is ready and willing to listen to our cry at any time, in any situation, and by means of a very liberal range of words, but as you will see as you look into the prayers contained in the Psalter, even the most immediate and hasty prayers where based upon a very deliberate structure.

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the major genres of psalms is that of lament. A lament is a form of speech that is full of mourning, grief, and sorrow. It is the speech of one who is in trouble or great distress. As the psalmists found themselves in great distress they presented their situations to God, asked for relief, and stated their confidence that he was able to do for them what they could not do for themselves. This is a form of prayer, but this is not the only form of prayer. There are also prayers of intercession, thanksgiving, and praise.

In the Psalter all of these types of prayers can be found, and there is a basic structure that underlies them all. Granted, the structure is flexible in that the elements may not always appear in the same order, and sometimes elements may not appear in a prayer at all. Some psalms combine aspects of laments and praise which make it difficult to label the psalm as one or the other. Most commentators just call them mixed psalms.

Beyond these characteristics, the reader ought to recognize when a prayer is given as that of an individual or of the community. Prayers of the individual employ the first person singular (I, me, my) style of direct address to God. Prayers of the community (I call them corporate prayers) employ the first person plural (we, us, our) style of address to God.

Basic Elements of Prayer Psalms -

So, what are the basic elements of Prayer Psalms? The following is a simplified list.

1. Invocation – Prayer psalms frequently open with the vocative “O Lord”.
2. Description of Trouble – Trouble in terms of a relation to God, to others, or to self.
3. Petition – The basic component of prayer psalms is a request to be heard and/or helped.
4. Motivation – Here the psalmist offers reasons why the petition should be heard. You will notice that the psalmists appeal to the character of God, the petitioners relation to God, and the dimensions and implications of the petitioner’s predicament.
5. Statement of Confidence (Assurance) – The psalmists frequently confess their complete trust in the LORD.
6. Vow to Praise - If the psalmist doesn't conclude with words of praise, he often concludes with a vow to praise. This often refers to the psalmists desire to tell others of what God has done, either in the sanctuary or among the nations.

(NOTE: I would highly recommend the ESV Literary Study Bible to you for many reasons and here specifically. Before each psalm is an introductory paragraph in which the editors identify the genre of the psalm and outline the basic elements that appear in it. This is and INVALUABLE resource which is especially helpful when studying the Book of Psalms!)

Prayer Psalms -

The following is a list of the Prayer psalms.

• Individual Lament – 3-7, 13, 17, 22, 25, 26, 28, 35, 38, 43, 51, 52, 54-57, 59, 61, 62, 64, 69, 70, 71, 77, 86, 88, 89, 102, 109, 120:2, 123, 126, 130, 139-144
• Individual or Communal Lament – 10, 12
• Communal Lament – 44, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 90
• Penitential Psalms – 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143 (see also 39)
• Simple Prayer - 131
• Prayer of Praise – 16, 21, 63, 67, 89
• Prayer Psalms that feature extensive confidence – 4, 16, 23, 27, 56, 62
• Intercessory Prayers – 20, 61, 72, 84:8-9
• Significant mix of Lament and Praise – 25, 31, 36, 40, 71, 77, 89, 126
• Imprecatory Psalms – 35, 58, 69, 104:35, 109, 137, 139:19-22

Problems of Interpretation -

Noting the pronouns is crucial to identifying whether or not the psalm is constructed from the vantage point of the individual or the community. That's obvious. But it is also important to note the pronouns in order to properly understand how to interpret the various elements (listed above).

• Who is the "I" in the psalms?
• The psalmists do not identify themselves. However, the superscriptions and the descriptions of trouble provide clues to the psalmists identity.
• We don't normally pray in third person, so we shouldn't expect a name to be stated.
• The anonymity of the speakers allow these prayers to be more accessible adaptable to successive generations of worshipers.
• While you not the first person singular "I", notice also the corresponding pronouns, me, my, and mine.
• Notice also the nouns and adjectives used to describe the "I", such as your servant.
• Notice also the groups with which the "I" identifies, such as the righteous, the faithful, the lowly, and the poor and needy.
• Who is the "You" in the psalms?
• This is the One to whom the psalmists cry.
• This is the One in whom they take refuge.
• This is the One whom they long to see.
• This is the One whom they love.
• This is Yahweh, the self-existent, eternal God, full of mercy, grace, longsuffering, loyal love, faithfulness, and forgiveness.
• Who is the "They" in the psalms?
• Similarly to the "I", the "they" is normally described, but unnamed.
• "They" are the adversaries of the LORD and his servants.
• "They" are the ones who oppress the poor and lowly, who mock the righteous, who slander the truthful, who plot against the faithful, who seek to destroy the godly.
• Although the identity of the adversary remains ambiguous, the identity of our Helper is clearly proclaimed. The LORD is able to deliver his saints from every form of evil.

In summary, the identity of the psalmist is assumed by the one who prays the prayer, the source of trouble is a common foe come in various forms, and the Deliverer remains to same yesterday, today, and forever!

The Language of the Petitions -

One final issue that must be considered is the language of the petitions. The psalmists form their petitions and the statements of motivation in light of The LORD's self-revelation. How has the LORD revealed himself to mankind. In many ways, but propositionally in the Law, and then in a very intimate way to his servant Moses. To Moses the LORD proclaimed who he is and what he delights to do and this is recorded for us in Exodus 34:6-7.

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (ESV)

If you will keep this self-revelation, this primitive creed, in mind as you read and study the prayer psalms you will notice that the petitions and motivations for God to hear and act are based explicitly upon this proclamation. Jesus gave to his disciples a fresh model of prayer fashioned according to the who God is and what he delights in. This is exactly what the psalmists provide for us; prayers constructed and offered up according to the character and desires of the one to whom they are addressed. (See an excellent example in the short Psalm 117.)

In closing, let's look at a couple of psalm and identify some of their basic elements. First, consider Psalm 13. This psalm contains all of the basic elements.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? [VOCATIVE & PETITION TO HEAR]

How long will you hide your face from me? [DESCRIPTION OF TROUBLE]

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; [PETITION TO ACT]

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” [STATEMENT OF MOTIVATION]

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; [STATEMENT OF CONFIDENCE (Notice the reference to the character of God.)]

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord, [VOW TO PRAISE]

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Finally, consider Psalm 61. This is a petitionary psalm which includes intercession for the king.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God, [VOCATIVE & PETITION TO HEAR]

listen to my prayer;

2 from the end of the earth I call to you [DESCRIPTION OF TROUBLE]

when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock [PETITION TO ACT]

that is higher than I,

3 for you have been my refuge, [MOTIVATION/STATEMENT OF CONFIDENCE]

a strong tower against the enemy.

4 Let me dwell in your tent forever! [PETITION TO ACT]

Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah [PETITION]

5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; [MOTIVATION]

you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6 Prolong the life of the king; [INTERCESSION]

may his years endure to all generations!

7 May he be enthroned forever before God;

appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! [Notice the attributes of God. The same is desired or the king.]

8 So will I ever sing praises to your name, [VOW TO PRAISE]

as I perform my vows day after day.

Bible Intake in 2008

Here are some resources to help us profit from God's Word in the new year:

• Robert Murray M'Cheyne's Daily Bible Reading Calendar (this .pdf file would be great for distribution among church members; it is one page that easily folds in two and would fit inside the Bible)
  

• D. A. Carson's two volumes of For the Love of God go through the Bible using M'Cheyne's calendar and add Carson's devotional (usually on one of the passages read) - Volume 1 - Volume 2.  A free email version is also available:  visit http://www.christwaymedia.com/sampledevotional.htm to sign up for a free daily email.

• Bible Reading Record and Bible Reading Plan from Don Whitney

• Read and Meditate and Methods of Meditation on Scripture from Don Whitney (MS Word .doc) (.pdf)
  

• Memorizing Extended Passages of Scripture by Andy Davis
  

If you want to get on a fast track, check out the plan at Said at Southern to read through the Bible in a month.

How to Pray Through Scripture

A Simple, Helpful Lesson Learned in Don Whitney's Class

by Doug Smith

In the recent course on Biblical Spirituality I took, Dr. Don Whitney showed us how and why we should pray through Scripture. This practice has benefited me greatly, and I have been able to share it with some others. I requested Dr. Whitney's permission to post handouts I have prepared for use in sharing this material, which he has granted.

After Dr. Whitney instructed us on praying through Scripture, he said that if we ever taught this to others we must be sure to do two things:

1) Give people time to pray Scripture themselves.

2) Give time for people to give testimonies about their experience.

This fastens the truth to their minds and hearts better than simply lecturing and moving on to other things. If a person is told how to use a tool, he should then get some practice in utilizing it. People need the experience of praying through Scripture in order to have its advantages driven home to them. As Dr. Whitney put it, many people will be likely to get "hooked" on praying Scripture if you explain how to do it and then let them do it and give testimonies.

Let me explain the handouts. There are three pages I have posted.

• The first is the outline of the need, method and reasons to pray through Scripture. This can be used for individual study or in a group setting. I hope it is simple enough for a Christian to view it alone and then understand how to practice it. If you teach this, be sure you go through it on your own first. In the blanks, list all the benefits you can think of for praying through Scripture after you have tried it. Then, if you teach it, do not share those benefits until after you have given others a chance to try it for themselves and given testimonies about their experience. You will likely be gratified to find that they will mention many of the things you have already thought of, and it has more effect if you let them express it first.

• The second handout is an explanation of the Psalms of the day (point IV. A. 1. in the outline). The formula of using today's date and adding 30 until you get 5 Psalms is an alternative to the practice some have of reading 5 consecutive Psalms each day. There is nothing wrong with using 5 consecutive Psalms (since this would take one through the whole book of Psalms in a month), but the idea of the Psalms of the day on the handout gives more freedom and is more flexible if you miss a day, because you don't have to feel like you need to catch up.

• The third and final handout is a quote from George Müller, a man known for his devoted prayer life who had some of the same struggles many of us face (such as a wandering mind). His prayer life was transformed for the good by praying Scripture. In the outline this example comes after the Scriptural precedent, for which you should look up the references and read them to show the connection of Scripture and prayer in the life of Jesus and the apostles.

I cannot overemphasize the value of praying Scripture. Please contact me at glorygazer@gmail.com if you have any questions about the handouts. For additional information about this practice, I commend to you Dr. Whitney's book Simplify Your Spiritual Life: Spiritual Disciplines for the Overwhelmed (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2003), especially pages 60 and 80.

Handouts for Praying Through Scripture:

• # 1 – Outline (click here for MS Word .doc)
• # 2 – Psalms of the Day (click here for MS Word.doc)
• # 3 – George Müller's Experience (click here for MS Word .doc)

UPDATE (12/20/07): Listen to Don Whitney teach on this topic from a seminar at Omaha Bible Church:

• Session 2 : Praying through Scripture
• Session 3 : Praying through Scripture