TACWASH BLOG: Prayer

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Prayer

No April Fool joke this year but there are plenty of fools out there. Amen? The fool hath said in his heart there is no God.... Psalm 14.

Anyway.

I received a nice little study on prayer the other day from one of my old Bible College teachers who is now Pastor of a church in Ohio. I thought I'd post it here for your study. I'll comment in a moment.

Prayer: In What, For What, and To Whom?
By Pastor Ronnie Wolfe – March 31, 2006

"15 October 2003 The MANTRA study, run from Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, involved 750 patients. Before their operations, they were randomly split into two groups, and half were prayed for by Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Muslims. However, checks revealed they had fared no better than those not prayed for." [BBC]

Isn't this interesting? These folks at Duke University Medical Center think they know how to determine whether prayer is answered–that is just too interesting! However, they have made some very serious mistakes in their estimations.

Notice just a few quick thoughts: first, they surmise that the prayers of Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Muslims are all the same kind of prayers. This is miles from the truth of the matter. Secondly, they assume that all so-called Christians pray alike and believe the same thing about prayer. This is also very far from the real truth. Thirdly, they think that the results of prayer can be measured by scientific means, which is far removed from actual Biblical truth. Let's notice three things about prayer that come into my mind with just a cursory look at this subject.

First, prayer in what? These geniuses of spiritual knowledge seem to know so much about prayer, so let's ask them in what they pray? Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered We must ask by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and he must help our infirmities.

Second, prayer for what? The Bible says in James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. There are so many stipulations to prayer, how can these carnal-minded professionals know anything about it? We may ask that God will do a particular thing, but those who truly pray do so with the idea that that particular thing may not be God's will. That is why we pray, "if the Lord will ..." We may pray for someone to be kept alive or to be healed of a disease, and it may not bring glory to God for that person to be healed. If that were so, then we could pray every time someone were ready to die, and that person would never die. We must consider God's purpose in our lives, especially in our prayer lives. So, how can these professionals measure the effectiveness of our prayer? They cannot! They think that if we pray that God will spare and person he the person dies that God has not answered our prayers. This is the epitome of ignorance. This must be that "science falsely so-called" that Paul tells Timothy about in 1 Timothy 6:20.

Third, prayer to whom? The Bible teaches us that we are to pray in Jesus' name: John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. No one who asks or prays in any other name than the name of Jesus can expect prayer to be answered; he has missed the mark, so this eliminates most of the people engaged in the prayers in this survey done by Duke University. You cannot pray in your own name or in the name of Buddha or Mohammad or even in the name of Jehovah God; it must be in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. He is the only mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

So, don't be alarmed by these "scientific" reports. They may be scientific according to human standards, but they are not very spiritual by God's standards, and these reports do show the world's ignorance of God's divine plan and purpose in our lives and the true faith of believers in Jesus Christ. Just keep praying, and God will keep answering in his own way. Thank God for answered prayer!

_________________________________________________

Ronnie Wolfe
http://www.firstharrison.org/

==================================================

So true brother Wolfe. We see many many answers to our prayers at TLBC. Some of them are documented on the prayer page of our church web site. Click on the TLBC link in the column on the right and go to the Prayer Request link.

One that is fresh in my memory is with sister Teri Hunt. I received a call from her Pastor a couple of weeks ago saying that she was in the hospital intensive care unit and the Doctors said there was nothing more they could do for her and only gave her a short time to live. She had cancer at an earlier age and the treatments had caused damage to her heart. Two of her heart valves were leaking.

We began to pray. We asked God to spare her if He would or give grace to her family and loved ones if He should take her home. (I actually got a sympahy card in anticipation of her death) Unsaved friends and family began to come to console the family. Well, Teri started gaining strength. The medical staff were baffeled at her improvement. Her unsaved friends were also amazed and said, "It is a miracle, KEEP PRAYING!"

Teri continued to improve but her heart was not in rythem. They tried to shock it back into rythem but it did not take. We continued to pray. (I decided a Get Well card might be more appropriate) Teri's husband Jim was at her bed side and was reading scripture to her. The passage that he was reading was Psalm 31. When he got to the last verse of the Psalm (verse 24) Teri stopped him and said, "Read that verse again."

"Be of good courage and He shall strenghten your heart all ye that hope in the Lord."

As Teri and Jim thought about that verse, the nurse came rushing in from the nurses station and said, "Something has happened! Your heart is back in rythem!" On further examination the Doctor confirmed that something had happened indeed. They decided to install a pacemaker and that went well. Teri has now been released from the hospital and when she gains a little more weight they are planning to do valve replacement surgery. To me, this is an amazing and wonderful answer to prayer. I do not care what the unbelieving so-called-scientists say. God does indeed answer prayer and I PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME for it. Amen and Amen!

Brother Larry
http://www.thelordsbaptistchurch.com

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Distinctive Doctrine

Distinctive Doctrine by Larry KILLION
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Distinctive Doctrine is my fourth book to be published as a self-published print on demand edition. It deals with a topic that is a passion of mine. After salvation in Christ, the next important thing in a believer's life should be finding a true New Testament local congregation in which to serve the Lord. How do you know which one is the right one? It is simple. Take a look at the doctrine and practice of the churches of the New Testament and look for one that has the same landmarks. Having been a Pastor of a fundamental sovereign grace independent landmark Baptist Church for over 35 years, naturally I write from that position. I hope many readers take many blessings from the reading of this latest effort.

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The Obedience of a Christian Man

The Obedience of a Christian Man by William Tyndale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Obedience of a Christian Man. By William Tyndale.

Most folks know of William Tyndale as the man who translated the first English Bible, which - with certain royal guidelines, was used to transcribe the 1611 edition authorized by King James. The “Obedience of a Christian Man” was a primer on Christian living that was used to spark what is called the English Reformation. It is a practical book on how we are to live as believers. Children are to obey their parents, servants are to obey their masters and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved His Congregation. The wife is to be in subjection to her own husband as the Congregation is to Christ, and the King is to rule in God’s stead over the realm according to the Law of God, not after his own imagination. Tyndale wrote in the days when the “divine right of the King” was the mindset. The idea of Natural Law (which agrees with scripture) is the best rule for the commonwealth of society was only beginning to develop. In America, since 1776, the so-called “divine right of the King” belongs to WE THE PEOPLE. Tyndale taught that if the secular rulers command us to do evil, we are to disobey saying we are commanded otherwise of God. He also exposed the hypocrisy and wickedness of the powerful religious institution in control at that time and how the leaders of that hierarchy set aside the holy scripture for their lies and man made traditions.

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One Vote

One Vote: Make Your Vote Heard by Ben Carson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have liked Dr. Ben Carson from the very first time I heard him speak at the Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. When he criticized the "Affordable Care Act" with Mr. Obama sitting only a few seats away from him, I thought to myself, this Dr. is a true patriot. The more I heard of him the more I liked him. When Americans all across the country started "clamoring" RUN BEN RUN, I joined in with them. His autobiography GIFTED HANDS is a must read (you should at least rent the movie). ONE VOTE is a very practical book with a lot of info in it. You can get a free copy of it in the form of an e-book. I was thrilled to hear the Dr. announce his candidacy in the 2016 race for the White House. If he only gets 17% of the "black vote" he cannot lose. He is my choice and he has my ONE VOTE.

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Gifted Hands

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gifted Hands By Ben Carson, M.D.

This book is the Ben Carson Story, an autobiography. I first learned about Dr. Carson after hearing his remarks at a national prayer breakfast in Washington D.C. in which he warned about the dangers and complications that would come from the passing of the Affordable Care Act commonly called Obama Care. For a while after that prayer breakfast speech Dr. Carson attracted a lot of media attention for his bold remarks in the presence of President Obama. The more questions he answered in interviews the more conservative patriots in America liked what they heard and many asked the question, would you consider running for President in 2016? Dr. Carson responded that he had no desire to do that but if there was a clamoring by the voters for him to do it; he would have to consider it. Soon there was a movement called “Run Ben Run” to show the good Doctor there was indeed a clamoring for him to run. This book also is a movie and is available on DVD. The book however goes into much more detail about events in Ben’s life. Ben was raised in poverty. His mother, a single parent in Detroit, Michigan having only a 3rd grade education, brought him and his brother Curtis up to be an outstanding Engineer and a world renowned Pediatric Neurosurgeon. Dr. Carson is most well known for putting a surgical team together from Johns Hopkins Hospital to successfully separate Patrick and Benjamin Binder, Siamese twins joined at the head in 1987. The book tells of several other surgeries and because they all deal with children in hopeless condition, it is quite an emotional read. After reading Gifted Hands, I am convinced that Dr. Carson is what we need in the White House, to turn America back onto the right path again. When I say that, the first objection usually offered is, “He has no political experience.” My answer to that is, “That is precisely why I like him. It is the professional politicians that have gotten us into the mess we are in today and someone like Ben Carson would be a breath of fresh air.” The bean counters in the “Run Ben Run” campaign have crunched the numbers and determined that if Ben runs for President in 2016 and only gets 17% of the “black vote” he cannot lose.

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Life of Washington

Life of Washington by Anna C. Reed
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Life of Washington. By Anna C. Reed.

Here is 295 pages, including appendixes, of historic biography that is not butchered by modern day secular revisionists. It was originally published in 1842 by the American Sunday School Union and is filled with quotes directly from the very journals of Washington and anecdotes given by eyewitness accounts of events in the life of the father of our nation. If there is one book that gives a true and honest account of the life of Washington, this is it. This volume has tenderness about it even though it is set in very troublesome times. There is often insight as to how the patriotic women of the revolutionary days helped behind the scenes and the relationship between Washington and his revered mother is an aspect of the story that is thoughtfully penned. The story of the treason of Benedict Arnold showed in particular how the providence of God prevented that chapter from being much more harmful to the Colonists than it was at the time. The modern political correct crowd will literally freak out when they read how easy it is to write the truth about the Christian influence in the lives of American founding fathers like General George Washington.

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Politics According to the Bible by Wayne Grudem

Politics - According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture by Wayne A. Grudem
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Politics According to the Bible. by Wayne Grudem.

I have the hard copy of Grudem's book discussed here. It is available now in electronic format. Heard about it at a local non-partisan political activist meetup group I've been involved with. Bought it on the cheap through Alibris. Took it with me to a conference on "Understanding the Times" back in May of 2011 sponsored by Family Research Council and Watchmen on the Wall. Grudem was one of the speakers. Got him to sign my copy. :) I think it is well outlined and a great reference. I think the first chapter is worth the Kindle $4.99 price. It comes from a biblical world view and is therefore more conservative than liberal on several points. The only negative reviews I've seen are from obvious leftists who scoffed at the biblical references and call it a mere Republican 101 Primer. ”

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American Politics

American Politics and the Burden of Voting by Roy Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

American Politics and the burden of voting. By Roy Butler.

I met the author at a local non-partisan politically active meet-up group. We had a lot in common and when I heard he had written this book I grabbed it. Roy is an active duty Army Chaplain and worked on this book while deployed in Afghanistan. The book begins with some dated references to the Presidential campaign of 2012 but has some valid points that lead to the conclusion. Many American conservatives find it incredible that at this late date our country seems blind to the move toward a totalitarian form of government in what was the land of the free. Using scripture and un-rewritten U.S. history, Roy makes the case that God is not a Socialist and approves of a republican form of government. He shows how our founding fathers were God-fearing men who saw the providence of God at work in the establishment of America. The last chapters reveal a domino affect leading to a “last resort” which we are rapidly approaching. This is a passionate and patriotic call to action. When he signed my book, Roy said, “Our freedom wasn’t free. We can either vote or fight to keep it. I’d rather vote.”

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If It Is'nt Close, They Can't Cheat.

If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat: Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It by Hugh Hewitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat. By Hugh Hewitt.

“First of all, this book is dated because it was written in the heat of the 2004 United States Election. But it has some very good information in it, none the less. You should read it for the sake of knowing the basics of modern day politics in America. The basic difference between a D and a R is this: one will get us killed and the other wants to kill those that are trying to kill us. The Culture of Corruption is blatant in D.C. but it is particularly championed by the party that
proclaimed in 2000 that they will do ANYTHING to win. The people have an uphill battle keeping good officials in office when our elections are unfairly tallied due to rigged ballot boxes and intimidation at the poles by leftist thugs, big labor, Community activist organizations, misleading left of center main stream media polls and the likes. Look where the six main political persuasions fall in the two main parties: three in one and three in the other. See them lined up side by side to get the big picture of modern politics.”

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BIAS by Bernard Goldberg

Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News by Bernard Goldberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

BIAS by Bernard Goldberg

Bernie states the obvious in this book. The book is ten years old and although the truth of it is generally seen in all quarters, even today it is still ignored or denied by Bernie’s old friends in the main stream media. Goldberg himself confesses that he has been a lifetime voter on the left side of the ticket. As a journalist however, he is willing to speak out regarding the fact that a liberal bias is the mindset of most of our media elite. He tried many times to show the need for a less slanted view of the news from within the machinery of CBS but finally resorted to writing and editorial article on the subject in the Wall Street Journal. His career at CBS was doomed. They blackballed him right away. Then dabbled with him for a while and finally let him retire with his pension. I highly recommend this book not because of the obvious truth of it but that we may better understand why the elite of the media continue as they do. They honestly do not think that they are leftists. To understand that statement, you must read the explanation in the words of a career liberal journalist who only wants people to face the facts.

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Common Sense, The Rights of Man

Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine by Thomas Paine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Common Sense, Rights of Man. and other essential writings of Thomas Paine.
Signet Classics 200th Anniversary Edition.

378 pages of very enlightened and inspiring words. Paine was friends with Ben Franklin and other great men of that era. Even Edmond Burke in England was a friend of Paine until 1790 and their debate on the French Revolution. Common Sense was originally published in pamphlet form and was used greatly to inspire the American Colonialists to sever ties with England. The Crisis begins with the famous quote, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” It was read by George Washington, and the American soldiers, by order of the General, to help bolster moral in some of the dark days of the revolution. The Rights of Man was the lengthiest piece in the book and was a defense of the French Revolution against remarks made by Edmund Burke in England. The Age of Reason was the most discouraging piece in the book for me as Paine acclaims his deism, and although raised as a Quaker, his skepticism becomes overbearing.

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The Anti-Federalist Papers

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates by Ralph Ketcham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Anti-Federalist Papers. By Ralph Ketcham.

Here is 406 pages about some of the most important events in the history of America. The decade of 1770 – 1780 was a crucial time. After the Revolutionary War and the break from Briton, most modern Americans do not realize how much thought, discussion and debate occurred in the establishment of the founding documents of the Constitution. After the Declaration of Independence and the Colonial Rebellion, a Constitutional Convention was held by our founding fathers to draft the founding documents of our nation in 1787. Until that time, our national politics was based on the Articles of Confederation 1777. A copy of this document is in the appendix of this book. The draft of the Constitution that came out of the convention was the result of great debate and that was only the beginning. Some of our founders saw the need for a stronger central government. They were called Federalists. Their arguments in favor of the immediate ratification of the draft presented by the Constitutional Convention are found in The Federalist Papers. These are articles written and published in newspapers and sometimes in pamphlets for the citizens to read. Not having radio & television this is how we learned about the political issues in those days. In answer to the Federalist articles, there were the Anti-Federalists who also wrote responses called the Anti-Federalist Papers against the immediate ratification of the Constitution voicing concern of the loss of liberty to a government that might turn into what we fought to free ourselves from in the revolution. Federalists like Alexander Hamilton wrote articles under the pen name Publius and Anti-Federalists like Patrick Henry wrote under other names like Brutus. Although the Anti-Federalists lost the debate, we have them to thank for the Bill of Rights being added as amendments our Constitution.

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Original Intent

Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion by David Barton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Original Intent. By David Barton.

This is a very important book for people of faith to read regarding what has happened to the religious climate of public modern America. Unbelieving haters of biblical standards have taken over America from within. By rewriting and or ignoring the original intent of the authors of the founding documents of America, a so-called politically correct movement has corrupted the American way by usurping every branch of our government and is turning our constitutional republic of free citizens into a socialist democracy that is subservient to the elitists of globalism. Learn about the misleading metaphor used in this arena and read the actual quotes of the founding fathers in contrast to what modern politicians, activists and justices say about Christianity in the public square.

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Backfired

Backfired: A Nation Born For Religious Tolerance No Longer Tolerates Religion by William J. Federer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Back Fired by William J. Federer.

This is a great book for showing how the doctrine and practice of “Tolerance” began in the Colonies of what became the United States of America. In modern thought, tolerance is putting up with somebody or something that is irritating or unpleasant to you. However, as surely as historical revisionists have rewritten American History, the original definition of tolerance has changed too. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of The English Language defined it as – Allowance of religious opinions and modes of worship in a State when they are different from those of the established church… For example, the Protestant religion might be tolerated in France and the Roman Catholic religion might be tolerated in England.
Tolerance did not begin in Saudi Arabia where it still means the death penalty if someone converts from Islam to another religion. Nor did it come out of Communist China or the former atheistic Soviet Union where those who believed differently than the State had to meet in underground groups or be killed or imprisoned. It did not come from Medieval Europe, the Middle East, Africa or the Far East. Tolerance is an American Judeo-Christian contribution to the world. The reason the old definition of tolerance is important is because in the 15-1700’s, what ever the King believed the kingdom had to practice or be persecuted or flee. Many of those who fled came to North America where the concept of toleration began to grow. The first Colonists were Separatists and Puritans from England who did not immediately start to offer toleration to others mainly because they still feared that if others gained power it would rekindle the persecution from which they had fled. More and more pilgrims began to flee the religious persecution of Europe and slowly but surely the Colonists began to realize that if they expected others to tolerate them then they must also tolerate others. The book shows a list of where different denominations had settlements in the Colonies of the 1600’s.
In early America, the Puritans began to tolerate other Protestants and Separatists, then Catholics, then any who professed Christianity, then Jews, and in time, all Monotheists, then polytheists and other non-Christian religions, and eventually anti-religionists and atheists. This, of course, all took time but here is the rub. Our tolerance has evolved to where the modern “Politically Correct” crowd has taken control of our government and reversed the role of tolerance. We are at the place now where God, the Bible and Christianity are banned from the public square in America, especially in our public schools. Even worse, people of faith are being forced to legitimatize acts like abortion and immoral lifestyles that are offensive to their conscience or else be branded as “intolerant” and suffer penalty under new laws that pervert the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
As the early Pilgrims feared, the government has once again become tyrannical, this time, not by the so-called divine right of the King but in the name of pseudo tolerance. Those who brought tolerance to the world are no longer tolerated. Where did we go wrong? How did this all BACK FIRE on the people of God and the Bible? Those that attack the Bible, public prayer and the display of religious symbols say they are doing it in the name of tolerance but the real question is – Are they not the ones that are being intolerant? Tolerance does not come by lowering our standards or forcing people to approve what is wrong in their heart.

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TACWASH BLOG

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Prayer

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