Walk
327. How Not to Come to God!
Secrets to Prevailing Prayer
From
“Times Square Church Pulpit Series” by Rev. David Wilkerson – January 30, 1995
I believe that most people who call themselves by God’s
name have learned to go to Him in their time of need. Indeed, most Christians
believe in the necessity of prayer. Many seek the Lord diligently, coming to
Him with tears, godly sorrow and repentance. They pour out their hearts to Him
with weeping and heartrending supplications, convinced, as David was, of God’s
Word: “When thou saidst, Seek ye
my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8).
You probably agree with me that many Christians are praying
seekers of God. Yet I have a question for you: Does God hear every child of His
who cries out to Him? Does everyone who comes to the Lord seeking His blessing
and favor get an answer? Do all who ask receive?
What of those who come to God with much fasting and tears?
There are believers who sometimes fast for twenty, thirty or even forty days.
Some African Christians fast for long periods, believing God to raise the
dead. And what of those who spend
long, agonizing hours calling upon God? Are they heard for their diligence,
determination or sincerity alone?
Many Christians have the idea that all they need is “more,
more, more” – more time shut in with God, more tears, more brokenness, more
zeal for His Word. Something within urges them: “If I could just fast more,
pray more, cry more, then I’d be a better Christian, and God would answer my
prayers.”
David testified,
“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple,
and my cry came before him, even into his ears” (Psalm 18:6). Scripture tells us that because David
cried, God came down, thundering from the heavens: “Then the earth shook and trembled... He bowed the heavens
also, and came down... The Lord also thundered in the heavens... He sent from
above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters” (Psalm 18:7, 9, 13, 16).
I ask you: Is that all there is to it? You simply go to
God, cry aloud to Him, and He will hear and deliver you?
I
Believe There Is a “Missing Link” in Our Prayer Life!
There
is a crucial link missing in many of our lives. And often this is why we do not
receive answers to many of our prayers – why our unsaved loved ones still
haven’t come to Jesus, why we go year after year without deliverance or
direction.
Beloved, that missing link is faith! “But without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
James instructs: “But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind
and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the
Lord” (James 1:6-7). If a person
entertains doubt, it doesn’t matter how many rivers of tears he cries. He won’t
receive anything from God!
David was heard and delivered by the Lord not merely because he came to
Him with tears. No – it was because David came with a heart full of confidence
and trust in God! The Psalms abound with this man’s testimony of total trust:
“Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The
Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped…”
(Psalm 28:6-7).
Of course, God wants us to cry out to Him. He calls us to
issue up gut-wrenching cries to Him, from our innermost being. Yet He hears no
such cry unless it is accompanied by faith! David said: “….he is our help and
our shield… because we have trusted…” (Psalm 33:20-21, emphasis mine). “The
Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in
whom I will trust…” (Psalm 18:2). David is saying here, “I will wait on the
Lord – He’s going to deliver me – because I trust in His holy name!” David states clearly that all of
Israel’s fathers – those who were delivered from the very beginning – were heard
by God because they trusted in Him: “Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted,
and thou didst deliver them. They
cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not
confounded” (Psalm 22:4-5). “…I
have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide” (Psalm 26:1).
David determined never to give up, because his trust was
anchored in the Lord. Indeed, it was David’s unwavering trust that moved God to
deliver him: “For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling… In God
have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me” (Psalm
56:13, 11). Nearly every time
David cries out to the Lord in prayer, we hear his testimony of trust: “God
hears me because I trust in Him! I cry out to Him with tears from the
foundation of trust He has put in my heart.”
Beloved, the Holy Spirit made this matter of faith very
real to me during a recent season of brokenness in prayer. I had a week alone
to spend fasting and seeking the Lord. There were certain things I wanted to
pray for – physical needs, more power in my preaching, the burdens of the
church, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in New York City. I wanted to be open
with the Lord about all these needs.
During that week, I quoted all the Scriptures that speak of
crying out to the Lord and laying hold of the horns on the altar. I brought my
flesh under subjection. I spent several days fasting. And I came to the Lord
with great crying – with my heart set on Him, wanting only to please Him. I
paced about the apartment, shouting and crying at God, “Oh Lord, You have to
answer me!”
I spent many futile hours seeking assurance that my prayers
were prevailing. But, finally, the Spirit of God spoke lovingly yet firmly to
my soul: “David, stop it! Wipe your face and stop crying.” I thought, “What?
Lord, I thought You desired a broken, contrite spirit.” The Spirit continued: “Stop crying –
stop walking around this apartment! Go, sit down. I have something to say to
you: Don’t ever again come into My presence with unbelief! I will not hear your
weeping, crying or pleading until you believe My Word. You are begging Me to do
what I have already promised. You are not taking Me at My Word!”
“You can weep till there are no tears left – but it’s not
going to do you any good. No prayer, tears or fasting you offer Me without
faith can ever please Me. None of your struggles or strivings for answers will
work, David – until you come to Me in faith!” “But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
This brings me directly to my subject: how not to
come to God!
I feel compelled of the Spirit to share
with you several things not to do when you come to the Lord in prayer:
1.
Do Not Come to God
Expecting Him to Do Any Good Thing for You Unless You Come to Him With
Childlike Faith in His Promises!
We hear
so much preaching about the need for prayer. And we come under condemnation
when we neglect to pray. So we grapple with our flesh, bring it under
subjection, discipline ourselves to pray, and get alone with God to call upon
Him. Yet we cannot conceive that God could be displeased with our hours spent
in prayer, our days of fasting, our many tears. It is unthinkable that He would
not hear us after such great struggles – that all of it could be in vain,
giving Him no pleasure whatsoever.
However, the Word of the Lord is clear: “But let him ask in
faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the
wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of
the Lord” (James 1:6-7).
Beloved, grab hold of this word: It is impossible for you
to please God without faith! Abraham is one man who developed a faith that
didn’t stagger at what God promised him: “And being not weak in faith, he
considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old,
neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: he staggered not at the promise of
God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being
fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4:19-21).
Now we are talking about “impossibilities” – believing God
for what seems humanly impossible. The Lord promised a child to these two people
who had “dead” bodies. What a challenge to faith! It was a humanly hopeless
situation. Abraham was now
ninety-nine years old, his reproductive glands were dead, and his wife Sarah’s
womb was dead. “And God said… Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her,
and give thee a son also of her… she shall be a mother of nations; kings of
people shall be of her… Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed…” (Genesis
17:15-19). God was saying, “Even though your bodies are dead, you are going to
have a baby boy. And all My promises of faith are going to come through this
child. Abraham, you’re going to be
the father of many nations!”
Why Did God Wait Until Abraham and Sarah Were Too Old
to Give Them a Son? Why didn’t God
give them Isaac thirteen years before, when Ishmael was born – when the
couple’s bodies were still very much alive? Why did He wait until the situation
had become humanly impossible – and only absolute faith in Him could bring
about the promise? It was because this seed was to be one “of faith” – birthed
completely in faith. Abraham’s
faith was not yet ripe. He staggered at God’s promise!
Yet Sarah knew
the promise. And after waiting ten years with still no children, she got
impatient and devised a plan. She said to Abraham, “I will give you my maid,
Hagar, as your second wife. Go into her and bear me a child by her.” Abraham
agreed, reasoning, “After all, the promise is to come out of my seed.” So he
went into Hagar, and she bore him a son, Ishmael. But Sarah raged at her husband with jealousy: “My wrong be
upon thee” (Genesis 16:5), meaning, “It’s all your fault.” And she was right!
Abraham should have trusted the Word of the Lord that Sarah would bear his
child. But he didn’t wait on God – and he bought into the shortcut, trying to
make the promise come about himself. He sinned against the light He had been
given. And God flatly denied his
request that Ishmael be the heir.
You see, Abraham had yet to develop a faith that didn’t
stagger, that was unshakable. And that would come only through testing and
trial. In the end, God’s Word testifies of him: “…he staggered not at the
promise of God through
unbelief…” (Romans 4:20). Yet the promise God made to Abraham didn’t
come to pass for another nineteen years. This time, however, Abraham believed
God “…against hope…” (Romans 4:18). Scripture says, “…he considered not his own
body now dead…” (verse 19). Abraham now trusted that God “…quickeneth the
dead…” (verse 17) and he had no doubts whatsoever. He was “…fully persuaded…”
(verse 21) that what God promised, He would do. He and Sarah were given their
miracle child – born in the womb of faith alone!
Have you stopped “considering” your circumstances, as
Abraham did? Have you stopped trying to reason and figure out how God will meet
your need? Or are you still bogged down, thinking about all the impossibilities
and hindrances? Do not come to the Lord in prayer until you have stopped
“considering” all the impossibilities! Don’t come to Him until you are “fully
persuaded” He is able and willing to do all He has promised. You don’t have to
live in fear or the bondage of unbelief any longer. God has given us everything
pertaining to life and godliness: “According as his divine power hath given
unto us all things that
pertain unto life and godliness… Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…”
(2 Peter 1:3-4).
Beloved, any “staggering” you have comes from unbelief. To
stagger means “to dispute” – to compute, figure it out, argue your merits,
debate the issue. The meaning of
“…staggered not…” in Romans 4:20 is this: “Abraham offered no debate; he raised
no arguments or reasonings that would have weakened his confidence.”
Having faith means you’ve settled all your arguments. When
you come to God, you must leave behind all debate, all reasoning, all
hopelessness, all questioning, all doubt. And you must be fully persuaded He
will keep His Word. God wants to do the impossible – because the more
impossible the situation, the more glory He receives!
2.
Do Not Come to God
With Any “Ifs”!
We are
afraid to step out in faith to believe God’s promises. So we add this phrase to
our prayers: “If it be Thy will, Lord…” That phrase is mentioned only once in
the Scriptures. It was spoken by Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane: “…O my
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I
will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39).
Now, some say God did not hear this prayer – that Jesus did drink the
cup. But I believe – as did Finney
and others – that God did hear Jesus’ prayer, and that the cup did pass from
Him. Let me explain: The cup Jesus mentions has nothing to do with the
Cross. Rather, the cup was His
fear of dying in the Garden from anguish. “…My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death…” (verse 38).
You see, Christ always embraced the Cross. For three years
He told His disciples He was headed there, and He never tried to shun or avoid
it. He knew humankind could not be saved without the Cross and without the
shedding of His own blood.
So He could not have been asking to “pass” the Cross.
Rather, the cup He spoke of was anguish, a sorrow unto death. It was sorrow
over humankind’s rejection of God’s offer of grace – sorrow so deep it caused
Him to weep bloody tears. And this cup did pass. Jesus came out of His prayer
agony with a peace, a calm, a readiness to go to the Cross. Something wonderful
came over Him, and He knew He would be sacrificed on the Cross. The cup had
passed – because God had answered His prayer! The apostle John states: “…if we
ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14). I believe we
may substitute the word promise in this verse for will. Why? Any promise of God
is a revelation of His will!
Take, for example, God’s promise to “…keep you from
falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy” (Jude 24). Why
would you go to God asking, “If it be Thy will, Father, keep me from falling” –
when He has already promised to do this for you? That kind of prayer is a
disgrace!
Yet we think we give God an “out” when we pray this way.
And later, after we’ve given up on praying because we lack faith, we explain,
“It must not have been the Lord’s will.” We give God a safe exit – an excuse not
to answer!
Beloved, we dare not come to God praying, “Lord, if it be
Thy will, meet my needs.” God’s Word states clearly: “But my God shall supply
all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians
4:19).
And we dare not come to Him praying, “Lord, if it be Thy
will, give me Your Spirit” – because God promises to pour out His Spirit upon
all who ask! Indeed, God gives us great and precious promises so that we will
learn to trust Him with boldness: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”
(Hebrews 4:19).
To many Christians it sounds very spiritual to pray, “Lord,
if it be Thy will…” But too often this attitude is born of unbelief. Such
people become weak and tentative in their faith. Though they possess a great,
glorious promise – with God’s will perfectly clear in it – they are afraid to
take a stand on it! The truly spiritual way to pray is to dig into God’s Word
and find His revealed will in His promises to you. Then pray His will, His
promise. Hold it up to Him!
What I have just said may sound like error to some. But the
truth is we have become very lazy in teaching God’s Word to know His will. All
I am saying is that His will can be known by studying His promises – and in
knowing them, we will know God’s will and will truly be praying “according to
His will.”
3.
Don’t Come to God
Until You Are Ready to Believe for Exactly What You Ask for!
“…What
things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye
shall have them” (Mark 11:24). God
is not a tease, a “come on” God.
He’s not like those department stores that advertise a huge sale on an
item but tell you when you arrive, “Sorry, we’re sold out” – and then try to
sell you a more expensive item. No
– God makes no substitutes! If you
ask Him for bread, He will not substitute a stone. If you ask Him for fish, He won’t surprise you with a snake
(see Matthew 7:9-10).
When the blind man was asked what he wanted, he shouted, “That
I might see!” Jesus didn’t answer, “Here, let me do something even better for
you. Let me give you spiritual insight, so you can read people’s minds and know
the deep things of God. That will be much better.” No! The Bible says Jesus
gave him specifically what he asked for – his eyesight!
James says that if any person asks wisdom of God, He will
give him wisdom – not patience, nor longsuffering, nor discernment, but wisdom!
(see James 1:5). When you get specific with God, He gets specific with you. Why?
He wants to answer us exactly as we ask – so that we will watch for it in
faith!
Often we reason to ourselves, “If God doesn’t grant me what
I asked for, then whatever He does give me must be as good or better.” A
favorite saying of mine used to be, “If God shuts one door, then He has a
better one to open.” No! This is not right theology. It sounds spiritual, but it is based in
doubt!
Jesus tells us:
·
“And all things, whatsoever
ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22).
·
“And whatsoever ye shall ask
in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye
shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14).
·
“If ye abide in me, and my
words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”
(John 15:7).
God wants you to be specific with Him. So, I ask you:
Exactly what is it you are praying for?
Is it the salvation of your family? Then lay hold of His promise to save
you and your household (see Acts 16:31). Go to God boldly with His
promise. And don’t be satisfied
until you are heard specifically!
An entire city may get saved. Unsaved friends all around
you may come to Jesus. But that cannot be enough for you! You must hold on,
believing, until your request is heard and answered. You must say, “Lord,
that’s all wonderful – but it’s my loved one You need to save!” Be specific
with Him – and keep asking until it happens!
Do you have financial needs, debts? A hundred people may
testify to you that their needs are being supplied, and that’s fine. But you
have to hold onto God in prayer until your needs are met! You have to say,
“That’s not an answer to my prayer, Lord. I want You to do it for me!” Yet you cannot ask with a heart of
lust. “Ye lust, and have not… Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:2-3).
God’s desire is to have you so walk with Him that you seek
those things He births in your spirit. Over time, you’ll find yourself seeking
His kingdom first, praying for lost souls. And suddenly, you’ll see other
things happening that you haven’t even prayed for.
God blesses you when you don’t ask selfishly – when you ask
for things close to His heart!
4.
Let Me Show You How To Come to God Rightly!
1. Come to God with a forgiving heart. If you have a grudge against someone, you can forget all
about faith, fasting or prayer. It is impossible for God to hear you if you do
not forgive. “But if ye forgive
not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”
(Matthew 6:15).
God has dealt with me on this issue. I know what it’s like
to be hurt and wounded without any provoking. Yet if I go to the Lord while
holding something against someone, I know my prayers won’t even rise above my
head. Now I don’t even try to pray until it’s all settled in my heart.
2. Obey God’s Word. Do what He says. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep
his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John
3:22). The Holy Spirit will show
you anything in your life that is displeasing to God. He promises to reveal it
all to you, if you’ll simply go to Him in faith.
3. If you’re married, treat your mate lovingly,
intelligently and with honor, “…that
your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). If you go to God while fighting with your wife, you can
forget about ever being heard by Him. Your prayers will be hindered by your
unjust heart!
4. Come to God in simple, childlike faith. “…Except ye
be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). This verse does not mean you will be lost
for eternity. Rather, Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven on earth.
Without childlike faith, He says, you will never appropriate or enter into all
the provisions He has made. You will never know heaven on earth – the things
God has prepared for them that love Him – unless you come to Him believing as a
little child. By God’s grace, I
intend to go to God every day during this new year, taking His promises to the
throne of grace and laying them before Him. I want to tell Him, “Here’s what
You said, Lord – Your revealed will. And I believe what You said. So I’m going
to start thanking You for my answer right now. I’m not going to beg You to do
what You’ve already promised. I’m going to thank You for fulfilling Your Word
to me!”
Dear saint, let this year be your year of faith, of
believing. Appropriate God’s promises. They’re all yours! Jesus promises,
“…whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John
15:16).
Believe God for your loved ones’ souls. Believe Him for His
Spirit to be poured out in your life. Believe Him for your physical condition,
your financial situation. He will not abandon you. Stand on His promises to
you, though a million people say otherwise. Let God’s Word be true and every
man a liar! He promises, “I’m taking care of all things. And I will meet your
every need.” Amen!
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you...” (1
Peter 5:7).
COPYRIGHT/REPRODUCTION LIMITATIONS:
This data file is the
sole property of World Challenge. It may not be altered or edited in any way.
It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as
"freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must
contain the copyright notice [i.e., "Copyright (C)1995 by World
Challenge"]. This data file may not be used without the permission World
Challenge for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This includes
all of its content with the exception of a few brief quotations. Please give
the following source credit: Copyright (C)1995 by World Challenge, Lindale
Texas.