God expects man to face his problems, but He does not expect man to resolve those problems independently. Ultimately, God desires to hear the burdens of the heart even if the burdens or cares have been brought upon man by his own wrongdoing. God, knowing the condition of Adam and Eve, made a point to visit them. He obviously knew Adam’s location but knew it was best for Adam to acknowledge the problem. He wanted Adam to tell Him about the problems brought on by sin. In like manner, God knows what man has need of before it is ever brought to Him in prayer (Matthew 6:8), but He still desires for man to come to Him for help.
Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah remained barren. Peninnah used this opportunity of Hannah’s barren state to provoke her, hoping that she could trouble her rival. The Christian’s primary adversary is much different from Peninnah, but Satan’s goal and resolve is identical to this example. The adversary, the Devil (1 Peter 5:8), wants believers to live troubled, fretful, and defeated lives. If he can cause a believer to fret and to worry and to complain, he has a much greater chance of turning that believer’s heart against the Lord (Proverbs 19:3). The Devil knows that if he turns the heart, he might be able to cause that believer to curse the Lord (Isaiah 8:21). Satan uses worry as one of the foundational elements in his multipronged attack to bring about his greater objective. He wants to turn hearts against God! Those believers who struggle most with worry offer Satan the greatest chance of success
The Bible clearly emphasizes that the Christian warfare is a “fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) against spiritual foes (Ephesians 6:12). With this in mind, it only makes sense that the weapons used in this warfare would also be spiritual in nature. The Christian’s fight needs no physical arms, swords, or weaponry of any kind, yet the weapons of this warfare are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Those religions (and cults) who use physical weaponry to convert others to their “faiths” have never done this at the Lord’s bidding or direction. The Christian faith never has nor ever will convert one single person through use of a physical sword or threat. Instead, God’s people are completely reliant upon the words of God and the God of those words.
Only a foolish man thinks he can hide anything from the Lord. This includes his thought life. The Lord knows all man’s thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9) which includes the good (Malachi 3:16) and the bad (Psalm 94:11). David expressed this truth to the Lord when he said, “Thou knowest . . . my thought afar off. . . . For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether” (Psalm 139:2-4). The Lord Jesus Christ often exhibited this capability during His earthly ministry (Matthew 12:25; Luke 5:22; Luke 6:8; Luke 9:47; Luke 11:17). Even the written word of God reveals this ability by being “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Many believers have made it a practice to end their prayers with the phrase “in Jesus’ name.” They do so because of the Saviour’s command to pray in His name. However, the command carries a far deeper relevance than simply a formula habitually added at the end of a prayer. This phrase added at the end of the prayer serves as a reminder that we are performing the action in the name of another. It is also taking place at the request of and under the authority of another person. By coming to the Father in the name of the Son, believers are approaching the Father under the Son’s authority and at His request. Because of Christ’s request and authority, believers can approach the throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). Without Christ’s request and authority, our boldness would be turned into presumptuousness.
One might think that prayer has always existed in the exact manner in which it presently exists, but such is not the case. It appears that the first major shift in prayer took place in Genesis 4:26. We know that Adam and Eve freely spoke with the Lord face-to-face in the garden (Genesis 3:8). However, it seems that the fall of man caused men to have to begin “to call upon the name of the LORD.” Even then, prayer was not as it is today. The very fact that prayer has not always existed parallels a time in the future when prayer as we know it will not exist. When man had full access to the Lord, there was no need for prayer. In eternity, the same will be true. For now, the Lord has given us access to Him through prayer (Hebrews 4:16).
The devotions on the subject of counsel have thus far dealt specifically with counsel received from another person. Yet counsel received from the Lord is the greatest counsel. In Joshua 9:14, the people refused to seek counsel from the Lord and made decisions that caused them trouble for many years. Though God does not speak to us audibly, we are not left to our own devices. We find a more sure word of consultation through His written word. This is why each decision should be carefully checked against the word of God. The Bible is able to discern our thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12) and can determine if we are making the right choices. No better counsel can be received than that which you will find in God’s word.
We are to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). This battle makes it imperative that we understand “we do not war after the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3). Unlike many of the cults, we do not use physical weaponry in our attempts to accomplish the will of God. No physical sword or weaponry can convert the lost to Christ; however, the Bible does instruct us to use the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). In like manner, we do not have to resort to using physical weaponry to bring about our desired results during the spiritual battles. Instead, we flee to God's throne to find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). We must insure that we do not carelessly allow ourselves to believe that the spiritual weapons are inferior to carnal weaponry. The Bible enforces this thought by reminding us that our weapons are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
God wants to answer prayer. As a loving, compassionate Father, God wants to regularly hear from His children. Prayer is a matter of life and death for believers. Yet, sin hinders prayers and operates as the enemy to getting prayers answered. Though several sins are identified as hindrances, unbelief stands as prayer’s chief opponent. Believers should approach God’s throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16) knowing that God can and will reward the diligent seeker (Hebrews 11:6). In today’s passage, the believer is challenged to come to God in faith without wavering. A man who comes to the Lord with a wavering heart should realize that his double minded ways hinder his prayers and directly impact his relationship to the Lord (James 1:7). Ask and receive in faith.
The scripture plainly declares that God was compassionate prior tothe coming of Christ. Hiscoming to earth in a body of flesh simply confirmed that He is a compassionate Saviour. The coming of Christ, in the likeness of sinful flesh, enabled God the Son to experience the temptations and struggles of mankind (Romans 8:3, Hebrews 5:8). His compassion on earth reveals that He suffered with man, but more importantly, He suffered for man. He took the sins of the world upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24), and gave man His own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). One of the greatest demonstrationsof His compassion is the fact that God Himself loved us enough to be housed in a body of flesh (Hebrews 10:5).
