Obedient Steps of Faith – BT27:  Faith thru prayer to start the process of receiving God’s promises

 

 

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From the previous BLOGS you can see the key to receiving any of God’s promises for righteous-living holiness/sanctification for God’s “kingdom to come and His will to be done” (a) in our life “as it already is in heaven,” is simply routinely/habitually having trusting-relying-faith, but the key to having this is to routinely/habitually having a genuine, full, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of the Lord through routinely/habitually having a koinonia communal, sharing relationship of agape unconditional-love with Him, His very nature, but the key to having this is to routinely/habitually be proseuchomai conversationally-praying!  There is definitely a domino-effect chain of events!  See Conversational-Prayer. <Notes> a) Matthew 6:10; cf. Luke 11:2.

 

But even that takes some small level of trusting-relying-faith as Hebrews 11:6 states: “For whoever would routinely/habitually proserchomai draw near/close-beside to God (a) must definitively/wholly have trusting-relying-faith that He presently/ongoingly exists and/coupled that He presently/ongoingly becomes a Rewarder to those who routinely/habitually earnestly seek Him out.”  I know some people who haven’t prayed to God at all because they don’t even have this much trusting-relying-faith!  A big reason more churches and Christians don’t pray is much is that they don’t believe they will be rewarded for it, that it’s just a waste of time.  I struggle to make it a priority because I still think other things are more important than the Reward of prayer! <Notes> a) a Hebrew idiom closely associated to worshipful proseuche conversational-prayer.

 

Faith feeds faith just as Paul said:  “For the righteousness of/belonging-to God is presently/ongoingly uncovered-to-be-revealed from [1 step of] trusting-relying-faith eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of [the next step of] trusting-relying-faith, just as it has been written (a): ‘And The righteous [one] shall-actually zoa genuinely-live ek out-from trusting-relying-faith” (b).  The Christian life is birthed and grows from routinely/habitually having trusting-relying-faith, from one step to the next until our end, and that’s the only way God’s journey of righteousness is accomplished under the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant.  However, faith can feed faith for a snowball effect that can turn into an avalanche of power! <Notes> a) from Habakkuk 2:4, b) Romans 1:17.

 

We have one part to play to get the ball rolling!  It is to draw close-beside to God through Christ who intercedes for us (a) with a non-doubting single-mindedness of trusting-relying-faith that God will also eggizo ‘draw extremely near/close-beside us’ in response (b), doing so with confidence to the throne of unconditionally-loving-favor-of-grace for help in the time of need (c) with a full assurance of trusting-relying-faith (d) or with hope dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of which we presently/ongoingly eggizo ‘draw extremely near/close-beside’ to God (e) for without trusting-relying-faith it is absolutely-in-fact-NOT possible to please/gratify God (f). <Notes> a) Hebrews 7:25, b) James 4:8, c) Hebrews 4:16, d) Hebrews 10:22, e) Hebrews 7:19, f) Hebrews 11:6.

 

Proseuche conversational-prayer is “alert or watchful” (a) similar to the OT “watchmen over the house of the LORD” (b) that Jesus said was “God’s house of prayer” (c), where you “wait for Yahweh” (d).  Proseuche prayer most often talked about in the New Testament (e) and commanded “ought to” or “routinely/habitually be earnest” and “constantly” or “continue steadfastly” or “without ceasing” or “at all times” or “always” (f).  That’s not even counting all the times “ask, seek, or knock” (g) are spoken of regarding prayer that are always in the present participle form to stress a routine, habitual lifestyle.  It’s the most-often-spoken devotion of the early Christians (h) that we must create as a habitual lifestyle. How else are we going to discern the will of God – see below?  With all that said, it’s amazing that it’s practically the last priority of many modern churches and Christians.  No wonder we are so powerless!

 

<Notes> a) Matthew 26:38, 41; Mark 14:38; Colossians 4:2; Ephesians 6:18; cf. Matthew 24:42; Romans 12:12, b) 2 Kings 11:18; 2 Chronicles 23:18, c) Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46, d) 2 Kings 6:33; Psalms 27:14, 31:24, 33:20, 37:9, 34, 130:5-6; Proverbs 20:22; Isaiah 8:17, 40:31, e) 37 times as the noun proseuche and 86 times as the verb proseuchomai, f) Luke 18:1, 21:36; Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, g) together in Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10, h) Acts 1:14, 2:42, 6:4; cf. 1 Corinthians 7:5.

 

Speaking in tongues is likely a form of proseuche conversational-prayer by-the-means-of the Spirit as a grace-gift (a) instead of using your ‘producing mind’ – see The Grace-Gifts of Tongues & Interpretation and Conversational-Prayer – BT22. Jude 1:20-21 says: [How by:] “routinely/habitually building-up yourselves in the most holy trusting-relying-faith of/belonging-to you, [how by:] routinely/habitually proseuchomai conversationally-praying by-the-means-of [singular] Holy Spirit.”  Now he explains the reason for this, as an imperative:  [I strongly urge you to] tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard as a sentinel, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state’ yourself IN [singular] Unconditional-Love of/belonging-to God.”  There is that common coupling of “faith and love!” <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28.

 

This sounds much like Ephesians 6:17-18 that admonishes us to “put on the whole armor of God” that includes “taking-up the sword of the Spirit, which is the directly-spoken/heard-rhema-word of God, dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of proseuche conversation-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer, routinely/habitually proseuchomai conversationally-praying in every season by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit and/coupled eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of watching this-very-thing.”

 

But we also know from Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 that “if I proseuchomai conversationally-pray in a glossa tongue, The Spirit (a) of/belonging-to me proseuchomai conversationally-prays, o de but-now/thus-the [singular] mind of/belonging-to me (b) is unfruitful-unproductive.  What am I to do?  I will proseuchomai conversationally-pray by-the-means-of The Spirit of/belonging-to me, de kai however also by-the-means-of the [singular] mind of/belonging-to me . . . [and the same for psalming].”  <Notes> a) singular pneuma with the definite article is always a reference to the Holy Spirit, b) no article, also indicates a different party.

 

This prayer in tongues (a) shouldn’t be confused with addressing the congregation to deliver a logos message in tongues that should then be interpreted in order to build everybody up (b) because it’s actually a sign for unbelievers (c) (d), as with “all Spirit-kind-of grace-gifts should be earnestly-desired” (e). <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 13:8, 14:16, b) 1 Corinthians 12:30, 14:6, 23, c) as missionaries can attest, d) to1 Corinthians 14:22, e) 1 Corinthians 14:1.

 

Therefore Paul brags:  “I thank God that I presently/ongoingly speak in tongues more than all of you” (a), so he encourages them: “now I presently/ongoingly desire-what-is-best-for you ALL to presently/ongoingly speak in tongues” (b) and “to in-possibility-NOT to presently/ongoingly forbid presently/ongoingly speaking in tongues” (c).  It’s absolutely insane so many churches have blatantly disobeyed Paul’s clear teaching and warnings on praying in tongues and publicly giving logos messages by tongues!  Nevertheless the key signs of the Holy Spirit coming upon Christians was tongues and prophesy (d) that are often related (e).  <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 14:18, b) 1 Corinthians 14:5, c) 1 Corinthians 14:39, d) Acts 2:4, 10:44-46, 19:6, e) 1 Corinthians 14:6.

 

Proseuche conversational-prayer, NOT bible-study is how the apostles discerned what, when, where, and how they were going to preach the gospel to fulfill the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” (a) and “going into all the world to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (b) – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT7.  A key to “being metamorphically-transformed by the renewal of your mind in order that by practice-testing you may dokimazo scrutinize-to-discern what is the will of God is routinely/habitually being proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted to proseuche conversational-prayer” (c).  Paul also said:  “Ongoingly peirazo test/try-to-prove yourselves to see whether you are in The-Trusting-Relying-Faith (The Christian Faith).  Now, you can see why I created an entire BLOG on proseuche Conversation-Prayer and several on prayerful discernment – see Bible Info – BT2, Least Among You – BT8, and New Covenant Ways – BT16.   Through this devotion everything else grows, especially your trusting-relying-faith! <Notes> a) Matthew 28:19, b) Mark 16:15-16, c) Romans 12:2, 12.

 

In Colossians 4:2 Paul says, “[I strongly urge you to be] ongoingly be earnest towards (a) proseuche conversational-prayer, routinely/habitually watching (b) in it with thanksgiving.”  Why?  Because he understands that if we pray like he did, we can also be filled with the genuine, full, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of God’s will, as Paul said earlier in Colossians 1:9-12, “We have not ceased to proseuchomai conversationally-pray for you and/coupled asking [God] in order that you might be filled-to-completion with the genuine, full, experiential, relational, epignosis knowledge of God’s will by all ‘of a kind/class of’ Spirit-kind-of sophia wisdom and/coupled sunesis ‘connect-the-dots’ understanding/knowledge.”  Clearly this is how we “learn, discern, or understand” God’s will – through revelation by-the-means-of the Spirit!  But the whole process starts with proseuche conversational-prayer! <Notes> a) persevere, diligent, attend assiduously, b) staying awake, alert, attentive, vigilant.

 

That’s why Paul realizes in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, that although the road to the final judgment of God is very long and there is much affliction and suffering expected from persecution meanwhile, the only way these Christians were going to get through it is by God’s enabling-power and this requires proseuche conversational-prayer:  “To this end we always proseuchomai conversationally-pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every one [of your] heart-delights of/belonging-to God-like-goodness and/coupled [singular] work of/belonging-to [singular] trusting-relying-faith by-the-means-of His dunamis enabling-power, [in a manner so] that the name/reputation of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in/among you, and you in Him, kata down-from/according-to the unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  In Romans 15:13, Paul knows how Christians are going to get the things they need:  “May the God of hope pleroo fill-to-completion you with all joy and peace by-the-means-of routinely/habitually having The-Trusting-Relying-Faith (The Christian Faith), in order that by-the-means-of the dunamis dynamite-like enabling-power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

 

 

 

 

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