Conversational Prayer – BT22

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Drawing near, conversational-prayer is most effective when done by the Spirit, which is likely by tongues, to build yourself up on your most holy faith

 

 

 

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In the last BLOG we saw how much the Spirit generally is involved in prayer and in Conversational-Prayer – BT3 we saw how important prayer is for Spirit-Baptism or Filling.  See also The Grace-Gifts of Tongues & Interpretation.  See also Grace-Gifts to see more about the Spirit and Prayer there.

 

In 1 Corinthians 14:14-15, Paul says: “If I presently/ongoingly proseuchomai conversationally-pray in a glossa tongue/language, the [Holy] Spirit (a) of/belonging-to me presently/ongoingly (b) presently/ongoingly proseuchomai conversationally-prays (c), but the mind of/belonging-to me is presently/ongoingly akarpos unfruitful (d). What am I to do? I shall actually proseuchomai conversationally-pray [by-the-means-of] (e) the Spirit (a) of/belonging-to me (c), but also I shall actually proseuchomai conversationally-pray [by-the-means-of] (e) the nous mind (f) of/belonging-to me; I shall actually psalmo sing (g) [by-the-means-of] (e)the Spirit (a) of/belonging-to me (c) kai and/also the nous mind (f) of/belonging-to me” We know from the next 2 verses that these tongues must consist of “eulogeo ‘speaking a good, beneficial logos message, thus blessing’ by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit” are directly related to “your eucharistia thanksgiving” in order for someone to “say Amen (h) to” if it were “eido mentally ‘seen’ to perceived/known,” thus the reason for interpretation within the assembly, especially for the sake of “oikodomeo edifying-building-up” any “idiotes uninformed/uneducated/outsiders” that may be there.

 

<Notes> a) definite article to + pneuma in Paul’s writings always means “The Holy Spirit,b) Paul as a Christian possess the indwelling Spirit within his spirit or “inner being” [Romans 7:22; Ephesians 3:16], “inner self” [2 Corinthians 4:16], “inner person of the heart” [1 Peter 3:4], or “koilia belly/abdomen/womb” [John 7:38] – see Identity, c) “the Spirit intercedes for us when we do not eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know what we should proseuchomai conversationally-pray for” per Romans 8:26-27, d) unyielding what it ought, unproductive, barren, useless, without understanding, e) no preposition but to pneuma is in the dative case of instrument/means, f) Paul sometimes use cardia heart and nous mind synonymously as many Jews do, but either are part of the psyche soul – see Identity, g) psalming can be singing and/or playing an instrument, h) means “so be it” as an affirmation.

 

Despite this point of orderly worship, Paul next says in 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 that “I thank God that I laleo ‘utter sounds, form words with the mouth’ [by-the-means-of] [plural] tongues more than all of you, though in [singular] church I would thelo will/desire/purpose laleo ‘utter sounds, form words with the mouth’ 5 logos messages [by-the-means-of] the mind of/belonging to me to katecheo ‘repetitively-instruct of foundational truths’ others than 10,000 logos messages en by-the-means-of [singular] glossa tongue/language.” That’s why Paul says in v. 14:5 “I presently/ongoingly thelo will/desire/purpose ALL you’all to presently/ongoingly laleo ‘utter sounds, form words with the mouth’ [by-the-means-of] [plural] tongues, but mallon ‘comparatively more’ in order that you should presently/ongoingly prophesy,” because this doesn’t also require the grace-gift of interpretation needed for “idiotes uninformed/uneducated/outsiders.”  It’s just crazy that so many churches ignore all of this, completely disobeying v. 14:39 “Therefore, brethren of mine, [I strongly urge you to] presently/ongoingly zeloo ‘zealously-desire, burning like boiling water’ to presently/ongoingly prophesy kai and/also in-possibility-NOT to koluo ‘hinder, restrain, cut-off, prevent, withhold, refuse, deny, or forbid’ to laleo ‘utter sounds, form words with the mouth’ [by-the-means-of] [plural] tongues.”

 

Concerning spiritual warfare, when Paul talks in Ephesians 6:18 about “routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying in pas all-kinds-of kairos ‘suitable, right, seasonable, opportune seasons/occasions’ by-the-means-of  [singular] Spirit and/coupled eis ‘toward and reaching the goal of’ this, be routinely agrupneo vigilantly-watching by-the-means-of all proskarteresis devoted-relational-perseverance and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer for all the saints” that very like Paul is referring to praying in tongues!  Paul clearly understands that “the one who routinely laleo ‘utter sounds, form words with the mouth’ [by-the-means-of] [singular] tongue presently/ongoingly oikodomeo edifying-building-up oneself” (a) and that if interpreted it can oikodomeo edifying-building-up others in the ekklesia church-assembly (b), especially to accommodate those “idiotes uninformed/uneducated/outsiders.” <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 14:4, b) 1 Corinthians 14:5, 26.

 

Similarly Jude 1:19-21 is likely talking about tongues:  “These [scoffing, ungodly] people are divisive, worldly, not having [singular] Spirit.  But you, beloved, routinely epoikodomeo ‘edifying or building up from a foundation’ [plural] yourselves [by-the-means-of] the most holy Trusting-Relying-Faith of/belonging-to you, routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying en by-the-means-of [singular] Holy Spirit, [I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state,’ yourself in The Unconditional-Love of/belonging-to God, routinely prosdechomai ‘expectantly waiting to interactively welcome’ the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal zoe genuine-life.”

 

The present participles “routinely building…routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying” are the lifestyle-habits of how to do the imperative “tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state’ yourself in The Unconditional-Love of/belonging-to God.” That’s how you keep from “not having [singular] Spirit” like the “divisive, worldly people.” Here, the HOW-TO for “routinely epoikodomeo ‘edifying or building up from a foundation’ [plural] yourselves [by-the-means-of] the most holy Trusting-Relying-Faith of/belonging-to you” is spelled out as by “routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying en by-the-means-of [singular] Holy Spirit,” which again is likely tongues – see Tongues & Interpretation.

 

It’s really sad to see so many Christians not only misunderstand these verses but then resist learning them and enjoying their benefits by practicing them!  A lot of the problem is in our English bibles and the preachers & teachers that build doctrine from them instead of insuring that’s what the original languages say – see Bible Info.

 

I was a Christian for a long time before I learned how to let tongues happen in proseuche conversational-prayer.  It used to really worry me that maybe my tongues weren’t from God, but something I just was making up, until one night I was proseuchomai conversationally-praying a lot in tongues, when it seemed to just be gushing out of me. I expressed my worry to God and suddenly I was praising and thanking God in English with the most beautiful poetry I’ve ever heard, even more elaborately rhyming than the book of Psalms, and I knew it couldn’t be me because I hated poetry in school and really sucked at it!  And as this was occurring I absolutely knew it was an interpretation of what I had been saying in tongues. This went on for about 5 minutes, and afterwards I was sobbing in tears and greatly humbled that I doubted God’s grace-gift.  Any time I’ve ever wondered what I was saying, the Lord reminds me of that night, and all doubt flees!

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT21

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer is where we can “be led by the Spirit as [mature] sons of God” into sanctification/holiness

 

 

 

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer, not bible-study, is the key to starting the whole “personal holiness” ball rolling, and the Spirit of holiness (a), the Holy Spirit (b) takes it from there! It’s like a quarterback handing off the ball to his running back. Hogging the ball with “might and power” self-determination to zealously do the “works of righteousness” for God is nothing more than more Law!  Biblical prayer is all about surrendering-control! Renner.org recognizes proseuche conversational-prayer “demands surrender, consecration (holiness means ‘set apart’ sanctification or consecration), and thanksgiving from us.”  Isn’t it strange that although you find this practice of worshipful, thankful, patiently-waiting, watchful, listening, dialogue of proseuche conversational-prayer a dominant reason that started revivals and actually the dominant practice during revivals – and subsequent holiness throughout the area, you see very little of it in the modern Church today!  If there is any prayer, it’s a 5 minute ritualistic reciting of the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ as if it was something other than the model of how to pray that it actually is – and many Catholics still use the repetition of rosary beads, but in either case completely ignoring Christ’s warning to “not-in-possibility babble repetitiously as the pagans do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” per Matthew 6:7!  <Notes> a) Romans 1:4, b) use only 3 times in the OT [Psalms 51:11, 63:10-11] but 95 times in the NT – this explains Zechariah 4:6’s “not by might nor power but by My Spirit” emphasis of the New Covenant.

 

As we’ve seen all along, “proseuche conversational-prayer” is the only thing we really can “do” and that’s just to get “the ball rolling” towards “genuinely, experientially, relationally epiginosko knowing God’s will by the means of all Spirit-kind of wisdom and understanding” that leads to “walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work” (a). Just as Paul proseuchomai conversationally-prays, so should we in order to be “empowered through His Spirit in our inner being so that . . .we may be definitively/wholly pleroo filled-to-completeness with [the content of] the pleroma abundant-completeness of God” (b).  No amount of “working for righteousness” (c) will work to “be holy and blameless before Him” (d), “be holy without blameless” (e) and “above reproach before Him” (f), “calling us . . . in holiness” (g) for “you shall be holy for I am holy” (h) or “you must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (i).  None of our “might and power” will work as Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, “To this end we ongoingly proseuchomai conversationally-pray always for you, that our God may MAKE you worthy of His calling and may definitively/wholly pleroo fill-to-completion every one [of your] delights/petitions of/belonging-to goodness and/coupled [singular] work of [singular] trusting-relying-faith by the means of His dunamis enabling-power, [in a manner so] that the name/authority of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, kata down-from/according-to the unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Holiness comes from unconditional grace not by works lest anybody boast (j)!  Praise the Lord! <Notes> a) Colossians 1:9-10, b) Ephesians 3:16-19, c) Romans 4:6; Titus 3:5, d) Ephesians 1:4, e) Ephesians 5:27, f) Colossians 1:22, g) 1 Thessalonians 4:7, h) 1 Peter 1:16 citing Leviticus 11:44, i) Matthew 5:48, j) Ephesians 2:9; Romans 3:27, 4:2.

 

Peter and Jude understood this link between theself-control” needed for holiness and “proseuche conversational-prayer” too!  Peter says:  “Now that the end has already [with ongoing effects] eggizo ‘drawn extremely close-beside’ [I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly be sophroneo self-controlled and/coupled nepho sober-minded (b) eis ‘towards and reaching the goal of’ proseuche conversational-prayer” (c). Jude also understood how we can “be definitively/wholly tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state yourself in The Unconditional-Love of/belonging-to God” so as to not be “worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.” How?  The present participles following indicate how most likely sequentially: “routinely be building up yourselves in the most holy Trusting-Relying-Faith of yours, [by] routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying by-the-means-of the Holy Spirit, [by] routinely prosdechomai ‘expectantly waiting to interactively welcome’ for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to zoe genuine-life everlasting (d). <Notes> a) sophroneo means “safety-minded, safe as to what regulates life like our diaphragm, also derived from phroneo, controls our ability to breathe which controls our heartbeat and thus our life.  It also means to have a sober outlook that reflects true balance, truly moderate, controlled to blend the extremities of truth on both side of a matter,” b) nepho:  not intoxicated or drunk, temperate, self-controlled, clear-minded, rational, c) 1 Peter 4:7, d) Jude 1:19-21.

 

The key to spiritual warfare isn’t learning more of the bible to quote back to Satan and his demons, but that’s what so many churches teach. Jesus said NOTHING but this kind of proseuche conversational-prayer would drive out some kinds of demons for healing, not even fasting (a).  James 5:13-18 says proseuche conversational-prayer is the solution to making it through troubles, even sickness!  Paul says in Ephesians 6:17-18, the “sword of the Spirit” to swing against the enemy isn’t bible verses, what churches says is “the Word of God” – but that’s not even what logos means in the NT as Logos Word of God shows!  Instead “the sword” “is presently/ongoing [singular] directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word of/belonging-to God,” and Paul tells you exactly how to get this – not through readying, studying, and memorizing the gramma writings in the logos messages of the bible, and certainly not the OT graphe scripture collection of gramma writings, but “dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of pas all-kinds-of proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer.”  That’s because rhema words are directly-spoken and listened to be heard, not read!

 

<Notes> a) Mark 9:29 – “and fasting” was added in later by Catholic monks who practiced this OT “tradition of the elders” that is not even specified in OT Law – see Conversational-Prayer – BT4 on fasting but see also Net Bible note.  When Paul’s team appointed elders in every church in Acts 14:23 they did so with proseuchomai conversationally-praying.”  The addition of “and fasting” is not found even in textual variants nor is it warranted because in 3 of the 4 other uses of that form in Acts 1:24 choosing of the 12th apostles above, Acts 6:6 laying hands on the 7 chosen deacons above, and Acts 21:5 departing of Paul bellows, there is no implication of fasting.  However, the common rabbinical phrase “fasting and prayer” is found in Acts 13:3 of the early church of Antioch prophets and teachers gathered together to leitourgeo liturgical-worship-serve the Lord and/coupled fasting.  While doing so the Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.  Then after again ‘fasting and praying’ they laid their hands on them [likely for anointing, blessing, and ordination] they sent the off.  Clearly the limited use of leitourgeo liturgical-worship-serving indicates that these Christians were Jewish still following many of the OT “traditions of the elders” like fasting.  As the church became more Gentile you see this fade away until the Catholic Church resurrected many of them after 200 AD.

 

Now let’s see how Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:18 to get “the sword of the Spirit that is presently/ongoing [singular] directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word of/belonging-to God”: by “routinely be proseuchomai conversationally-praying in pas all-kinds-of kairos ‘suitable, right, seasonable, opportune seasons/occassions’ by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit and/coupled eis ‘toward and reaching the goal of’ this, be routinely agrupneo vigilantly-watching by-the-means-of all proskarteresis devoted-relational-perseverance and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer for all the saints.”  Again, it doesn’t come from bible-study!

 

Can you see that even our proseuche conversational-prayer is to be empowered by the Spirit of holiness as a persevering routine lifestyle habit?  And we saw in 1 Corinthians 14:14-16 that “proseuchomai conversationally-praying (and even singing) by-the-means-of The [Holy] Spirit” is likely proseuchomai conversationally-praying in tongues! And when our “minds are unproductive,” when “we don’t dei behoove what to proseuchomai conversationally-pray for as we ought,” then “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us by the means of inexpressible/unspeakable groanings/sighs” per Romans 8:26.  See also The Grace-Gifts of Tongues & Interpretation and Conversational-Prayer – BT22.

 

If we want sanctification/holiness we have to be enmpowered by the Spirit of holiness!  Paul said “for as many as are presently/ongoingly agoled or driven’ by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit of God, these presently/ongoingly are huios ‘matured-sons that can receive their inheritance’ of/belonging-to God” (a). Paul strongly-urges us “to presently/ongoingly peripateo ‘‘walk-all-around or live’ by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit” (b) even routinely (c), and because we already “presently/ongoingly zoa genuine-live by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit, we should also presently/ongoingly stoicheo ‘to walk in a line, in strict accordance to a particular pace or cadence, thus to keep in step’ by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit” (d).  Church growth doesn’t come from evangelism programs, but: “the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria . . . multiplied” exactly because it had “by-the-means of the paraklesis ‘exhortation from an urging by someone close-beside, thus motivation, inspiration, encouragement, comfort, counsel, or instruction’ of the Holy Spirit” and thus “it continually had peace, was routinely built up and/coupled poreuomai journeying-about in the fear/reverential-awe of the Lord” (e).  Let’s not get ‘the cart before the horses’ as many churches do!   <Notes> a) Romans 8:14, b) Galatians 5:16, c) Romans 8:4, d) Galatians 5:25, e) Acts 9:31.

 

This goes way beyond reading, studying, and memorizing commandments from the bible, for “sin, seizing opportunities through the commandments, deceives you and through the commandments will kill you” (a). If you follow human teachers, sooner or later, you will be deceived, for “evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived, but as for you, continue in what you have manthano ‘learned the facts through experiential, reflective knowledge’ and have firmly had trusting-relying-faith in, having already [with ongoingly effects] eido mentally ‘seen’ to perceive/know from [plural] whom you learned it” (b).  In context Paul isn’t telling Timothy to follow synagogue rabbis who taught OT scriptures or the Law, who were “always routinely manthano learning but never able to arrive at a genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of The Truth” (c).  The “whom” is plural, which could include in context his mother Eunice and maybe even his grandmother Lois (d), which were the prophetic portions of the “sacred gramma writings, [specifically] the ones that were able to make him wise for salvation dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of trusting-relying-faith in Christ Jesus” (e).  But it could have the all the reinforcement by Paul since Timothy was his pastor-in-training who he is always writing to in order to instruct him.  All this may be true, but Paul’s use of eido is a word most common to personal prophetic vision acquired from direct contact with the Lord! <Notes> a) Romans 7:11, b) 2 Timothy 3:14, c) 2 Timothy 3:7, d) 2 Timothy 1:5, e) 2 Timothy 3:15.

 

Eido perception-knowledge is the same way all Christians “manthano learned Christ . . . as you were taught by-the-means-of Him, as The Truth is IN Jesus” (a). That’s exactly why the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant Way of the “yada/ginosko knowledge of God” is “absolutely not in possibility or in fact [such] that each one be teaching his neighbor or his brethren,” as was required under the old covenant to disseminate the gramma writings and the gnosis informational-knowledge about God and His will down from the greatest to the least, from Moses all the way down to the household servants and Gentile converts.  Instead God promises it will be now by “eido mentally ‘seeing’ to perceive/know Yahwehfrom the least of them to the greatest” (b)!  <Notes> a) Ephesians 4:20-21, b) Jeremiah 31:34 cited in Hebrews 8:11, cf. Hebrews 10:16-17.

 

Jesus explains clearly what “learning Christ” means:  “Take My yoke (a) and/coupled manthano learn from Me” (b), thus “Everyone who has already manthano learned from the Father comes to Me” (c).  This means the Spirit was teaching!  Learning from God comes from prophesy, which is hearing the directly-spoken prophetic rhema word of the Lord (d).  John warned his readers about teachers who would end up deceiving them, saying instead “you’all have been anointed by the Holy One, and so you’all already [with ongoing effects] eido mentally ‘seen’ to perceive/know all-things . . . The anointing that you already have received from God presently/ongoingly meno ‘abides, remains, lives’ IN you (e), and so you have absolutely-in-fact-NO need that ANYONE should teach you, . . . His anointing actually, presently/ongoingly teaches you ALL things, . . . therefore, just as it has already taught you, presently/ongoing meno ‘abide, remain, live’ in Him” (f). <Notes> a) connecting rod for training animals, b) Matthew 11:29, c) John 6:45, d) 1 Corinthians 14:31, e) a reference to the Holy Spirit, f) 1 John 2:20-27.

 

Despite what Paul and other church leaders have pressed, we are only supposed on have “One Teacher.”  Jesus made that crystal clear in Matthew 23:8 saying “One is presently/ongoing The Teacher of/belonging-to you” – see Teach One Another – BT10, so “that you’all in-possibility-NOT might not be called rabbi,” “which means teacher” (a).  Just as the Spirit led people to come to Christ (b), now that Christ is in heaven, Jesus has given us the promised grace-gift of the Father (c) of “another Parakletos “helper, advocate, counselor, teacher, comforter’ to be with [and especially IN] you forever” (d).  Now for us, the Spirit is still the “One Teacher” to “guide you into ALL The Truth” (e), “who will teach you ALL things” (f). Christians sure go to a lot of trouble finding their favorite teachers to follow, when they could just develop a deep enough proseuche conversational-prayer life to actually akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know the “One Teacher” who will always tell you exactly what you need to hear! <Notes> a) John 1:3, b) John 6:45, c) John 14:16, cf. Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13; Ephesians 1:17, d) John 14:16-17, 26, 15:26, 16:7; 1 John 2:1, e) John 16:13, f) John 14:26.

 

Drawing-near to God is a Hebrew idiom for “seeking, inquiring of, calling on, hearing, delighting in, and ministering to” God through “reverential, trusting, heart-felt, listening, attentive, proseuche conversational-prayer” as we see in:  1 Samuel 14:37; the way to minister to God per Ezekiel 43:19; prayer in the house of God more important than foolish sacrifices per Ecclesiastes 5:1; more important than lip-service and blindly following man-taught commandments per Isaiah 29:13; important to actually hear the Lord per Isaiah 34:1 and 48:16, which is what God’s zeteo diligently-seeking and delighting people do per Isaiah 58:2; but rebellious people won’t listen or have trusting-relying-faith either per Zephaniah 3:1; Psalms 145:18 promises “The Lord is near to all who call on Him” and people experienced this per Lamentations 3:57.

 

In proseuche conversational-prayer James 4:6-8 strongly-urges us to eggizodraw extremely close-beside’ God” by “definitively/wholly hupotasso ‘voluntarily submitting, yielding or falling in line behind a commander’ to God” in order for “God to eggizodraw extremely close-beside’ to you” in order to receive “the present/ongoing giving of unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace from Him to those who are lowly/humble.”  This is how we definitively/wholly anthistemi ‘stand against or opposed to, to resist’ the devil kai and/thus he shall indeed flee from you.”  Otherwise, “God anthistemi ‘stand against or opposed to, to resist’ the proud/arrogant.” It all belongs together in the Greek – I’ve heard some strange doctrines from people pulling verses out of context!

 

Likewise Hebrews 11:6 says: “Without trusting-relying-faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would proserchomai draw near to God must have trusting-relying-faith that He is presently/ongoingly exists and/coupled is presently/ongoingly a Rewarder to those who zeteo diligently-seek Him” – yet another Hebrew idiom for worshipful prayer!   Hebrews 4:15 says, “Because we have a high priest that can sympathize with our weaknesses, having been tempted in every respect but without sin, let us then confidently proserchomai draw near to the throne of unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace.”  Bible verses from the 97.4% of the OT that is Law-based – see Logos Word of God – BT5a – sure won’t help us with holiness, as Hebrews 7:19, 25 says:  “The Law made nothing perfect, but we have been given a better hope through which we presently/ongoingly eggizodraw extremely close-beside’ to God.”  Hebrews 10:21-22 says “Since having a great priest over the house of God we should presently/ongoingly proserchomai draw near with a sincere-truthful heart by the means of the full assurance of trusting-relying-faith.” Hebrews 7:24-25, since Christ “holds His priesthood permanently . . . He is able to save to the uttermost those who presently/ongoingly proserchomai draw near to God through Him, since Christ lives forever to make intercession for them.”

 

Can you see how “devoted, heart-felt, humble seeking, drawing near, attentive-listening in reverential awe, calling on, and delighting in the Lord” are all one-in-the-same “proseuche conversational-prayer” and this does indeed require trusting-relying-faith that God is there to be found and that it’s worth the time and effort to daily practice this habit, especially have you want any hope of sanctification/holiness?

 

Metamorphic transformation won’t come reading the bible, let alone the books of Moses!  Paul warns Jewish-Christians in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 that if they even read the Law of Moses (a), like Jews who atenizo ‘fixed their eyes on or gazing at’ Moses’ face that shown from directly meeting God, than now Jewish-Christians reading Moses will have their hearts be hardened just like the Jews’ were. Metamorphoo ‘metamorphic transformation’ (b) instead comes from kataoptanomai ‘fixing that eyes on or gazing with wide-open eyes [in amazement] as looking in a mirror’ the glory of the Lord [Jesus], who is the Spirit,” not by reading the old covenant of Moses!  Hebrews 12:2 says we should be aphorao ‘turning the eyes away from something toward fixing the eyes on another to observe, perceive-know, or discern it’ eis ‘toward and reaching the goal of’ Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our trusting-relying-faith.” This is where our focused-gaze should be, not on ancient biblical writings, and so watchful proseuche conversational-prayer is a great way to practice this! <Notes> a) technically the first 5 books of the OT, but 97.4% of the OT contains the conditions of obedience for God’s conditional-favor – see Logos Word of God – BT5a, b) Romans 12:2 – it’s highly questionable that Paul meant for “the renewing of the mind” by having your head buried in the bible, and certainly NOT the OT graphe scripture.  Paul’s writings consistently speak of the Holy Spirit renewing the mind through genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge through koinonia intimate-fellowship, not be acquiring gnosis informational-knowledge from books!

 

So much of sin comes from our knee-jerk reactions to “the cares/anxieties of the world.”  Proseuche conversational-prayer is where we can not only cast our anxieties to His personal care by “being still/quiet,” and then desperately cry out, call upon, ask, entreat, beg, plead, require, and even demand for the presence of God Himself, drawing near to God, learning to delight in Him alone, not just bringing our petitions “before God” but asking “for God” Himself, knowing that IN Him, BY Him, and WITH Him all our personal needs are met. This is where healing and strength against temptation is acquired – not by quoting scripture, but by feeding off every directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word that comes from the mouth of God, so the Lord becomes our daily bread! Christ’s directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word is Spirit and zoe genuine-life. Having such a resounding “Yes” within you gives you the strength to say “No” to the distractions of the world, the flesh, and the devil!  Prayer is where we can ask for the ability to forgive others in order to receive our healing and be set free from stronghold bondages in our lives. This is where we learn the gospel logos message of The Truth, who is Christ, who sets us free from every captivity to be able to live righteous and holy lives in an unholy world.

 

Good works?  As the nature or fruit of the Holy Spirit works in us more and more “both to desire and to do His good pleasure,” we experience how “easy Christ’s yoke is and how light His burden is,” and we will naturally find ourselves worshiping and praising the Lord more and more as we experience His awesome wonder. Sharing Christ will also be natural, from the overflow of the Spirit’s unconditional-love and joy in us.  These are certainly the “good works” we were created for!

 

This is where we open ourselves up to experience the grace-gifts, signs, and wonders of the Holy Spirit. This is how we can receive and practice tongues to build ourselves up in our trusting-relying-faith, praising and thanking God by the Spirit – see also Conversational-Prayer – BT22.  This is where we can patiently watch for dreams, visions, and prophecy, in order to be led by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit, and walk by the Spirit All this and much more happens when we are devoted to patiently waiting, watching, listening, worshipful, conversational-prayer.

 

This is what it means to be a disciple of Christ, a follower of the living person of Christ, not others or even the writings about Him. This is when we can learn to be humble, lowly, and “all ears” teachable like trusting, boldly-confident, relentless little children and the other Least Among You so that we can receive more unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace to be lifted up, strengthened, and renewed to walk, run, and even fly.  We will learn like little children do – directly from their parents by what they see and hear!

 

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT20

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer does include giving thanks for His stuff but should lead us to worshipping God Himself

 

 

 

Please follow the BLOG Etiquette to stay on topic and pass the moderator’s check.  Bold, underlined text below = future links to the BLOG pages.

 

See Conversational-Prayer – BT4 for seeking God Himself and not just His stuff or help.

 

We already saw in Conversation-Prayer – BT11 that proseuche conversational-prayer is also more like the Greek noun eucharistia, meaning “an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness expressed chiefly through prayer,” and that we should be devoted to it as Paul strongly-urges:  “be presently/ongoingly proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted-toward (a) proseuche conversational-prayer, routinely gregoreo vigilantly-watching (b) in it with with eucharistia thanksgiving” (c).  He also strongly-urges us to “presently/ongoingly be proseuchomai conversationally-praying without ceasing, presently/ongoingly be giving eucharistia thanksgiving in all (or all-kinds-of) circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (d).  This is one of the few places “the will of God” is explicitly stated!  Paul tells Timothy “[I strongly-urge-you] that deesis supplication, proseuche conversational-prayers, enteuxis confident-approaching-intercessions, [and] eucharistia thanksgiving be made on-behalf-of all people, for kings and those in high positions, that we may lead a eremos ‘undisturbed, placid, tranquil, composed’ and/coupled hesuchios ‘still, quiet, calm, steady, settled’ life” (e). <Notes> a) proskartereo:  “pros towards-and-interacting-with plus kartereo ‘showing of steadfast strength,’ thus to consistently show strength that prevails in spite of difficulties, thus to endure and stay in a fixed direction, continuing to do something with intense effort despite difficulty, and so be persistently-relationally-devoted-to,” b) watching in prayer is the topic of Conversational-Prayer – BT17 and – BT18,  c) Colossians 4:2, d) 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, d) 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

 

Furthermore Paul says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in Him and established in The Trusting-Relying-Faith, just as you were taught, abounding in eucharistia thanksgiving” (a).  So Paul strongly-urges us to:  “Be anxious about nothing but through proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication [both together] with eucharistia thanksgiving, let your aitema specific-subordinately-asked-petitions be made gnorizo experientially, relationally known to God” (b).  That’s the cure for the “cares of this world” that can “choke the gospel logos message so it proves unfruitful” (c), so Peter also strongly-urges us:  “Lower/humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God . . . routinely casting ALL your anxieties upon Him, because He cares for you” (d).  Paul says that when we pray or sing in tongues we are most definitely offering blessing and thanksgiving to God:  “If you are eulogeo ‘speaking a good, beneficial logos message, thus blessing’ God by-the-means-of the Spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed/ignorant say ‘Amen’ (e) at your eucharistia thanksgiving [that tongues must contain] since he does absolutely-in-fact-NOT eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know what you say” (f)?  Obvious blessing-praise as an exuberant form of worship contains thanksgiving, and tongues is a great way to do it all!  This is also what Paul most likely was referring to when he strongly-urges us to “routinely, proseuchomai conversationally-praying in all occasions by the means of the Holy Spirit . . . routinely watching by the means of all persistency” (g) – see also The Grace-Gifts of Tongues & Interpretation and Conversational-Prayer – BT22<Notes> a) Colossians 2:6-7, b) Philippians 4:6, c) Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19, d) 1 Peter 5:6-7, e) Hebrew for “So Be It” agreement, f) 1 Corinthians 14:16, g) Ephesians 6:18.

 

Clearly there is a strong relationship between worship and prayer.  In www.sermonindex.net, the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology writes that “In OT prayer…the suppliant never forgot that he was addressing the holy, almighty God. The frequent use of the verb proskuneo for worship therefore indicated the customary bowing, kneeling, or prostrate posture in prayer.”  Indeed proskuneo means “to kiss another’s hand (as a dog licking the hand), kissing the ground in front of someone, or kissing the hem of one’s garment, kiss one’s hands toward someone, bend one’s waist forward toward someone, fall upon one’s knees toward someone, or prostrate oneself in reverent submission to someone.” In the OT, it showed respect for authority, reverence, submission, and in 75% of the time as worship, and these actions were the customary postures in proseuche conversational-prayer.

 

In the NT we also see the “bowing of knees before the Father” in Paul’s proseuchomai conversational-praying for Christians (a), in worship of Jesus (b), in the mock-worship of Jesus (c), and the worship of Jacob by His sons (d), and the worship of Baal (e). <Notes> a) Ephesians 3:14; Acts 21:5, b) Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10; Luke 5:8; Acts 7:60, c) Matthew 27:27; Mark 15:19, d) Hebrews 11:21, e) Romans 11:4.

 

In Conversational-Prayer – BT8, we saw that the Greek word normally used for “drawing near” is proserchomai but eggizo can be used for “drawing extremely close” and both are Hebrew idioms for worship (a).  Notice that proseuchomai conversationally-praying and proserchomai drawing-near sound almost the same, both are used 86 times in the NT, and both have the prefix pros for “the bending, kneeling, throwing, or falling on one’s face toward” because both are nearly the same idea: euchomai is to wish-pray and erchomai is to come-from-one-place-to-another!  <Notes> a) James 4:8 “drawing-extemely-close to God in order that God will draw-extremely-close to us,” Hebrews 7:19, Ezekiel 43:19, Zephaniah 3:2, and Isaiah 58:2 uses eggizo, but other verses use proserchomai:  also a Hebraism for “seeking an audience with, approaching, inquiring of, calling on to visit, or be heard by” God, thus closely akin in spelling and meaning to proseuche conversational-prayer and proskuneo worship, used of approaching God’s grace through full assurance that God exists and rewards those who have trusting-relying-faith in Christ:  Hebrews 4:16, 7:25, 10:22, 11:6; of attaching/connecting oneself to Christ to participate in the benefits procured by Him:  1 Peter 2:4, cf. John 15:1-8 abiding in Christ; warnings of NOT drawing-close-to the  sound-messages of the Lord Jesus Christ but especially not teaching them:  1 Timothy 6:3; of priests about to offer sacrifices: Leviticus 21:17, 21; Deuteronomy 21:5, that can’t make anybody perfect as Jesus can: Hebrews 10:1; of seeking God’s counsel:  1 Samuel 14:36.

 

The Lord’s ‘Prayer model’ starts with adoring worship of The Father:  “[I strongly urge] to be definitively/wholly hagiazo ‘sanctified/dedicated separate/special, consecrate as holy/pure’ Thy name/person/authority” (a). The completely-different-in-kind chadash/kainos New Covenant be definition of chadash/kainos has absolutely nothing to do with latreuo liturgically-worship-serving God through commandments of circumcision, liturgical rituals and sacrifices, but “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us latreuo liturgically-worship-serve God acceptably with reverence and awe” (b), for Paul says:  “We are the [true] circumcision, who are routinely latreuo liturgically-worship-serve by-the-means-of the Spirit of God and/coupled routinely kauchaomai ‘holding the neck high with God-given confidence, boasting/exulting’ in Christ Jesus kai and/thus already having [with ongoing results] absolutely-in-fact-NOT peitho ‘put-confidence or persuasion in what is deemed trustworthy’ (c) in the [context: ritual circumcision or any works of the] flesh” (d).  <Notes> a) Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2, b) Hebrews 12:28, c) this is at the root of pistis trusting-relying-faith in what/who is trustworthy, d) Philippians 3:3.

 

Can you see how Paul has redefined latreuo liturgically-worship-serving, and he does again!  After spending Romans chapter 11 about the place of Israel in God’s plans now that they rejected their Messiah, In Romans 12:1 Paul redefines the “acceptable, pleasing sacrifices to God” NOW under the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant: “I presently/ongoingly parakaleo ‘close-beside call on, exhort, encourage, counsel, and instruct’ you brethren . . . to presently/ongoingly paristemi ‘close-beside standing, ready to present’ your bodies [as a] routinely zoa genuinely-living thusia ‘official, prescribed sacrifice/offering acceptable to God as were many in the OT’, hagios sanctified/holy, euarestos ‘well/good-pleasing because they are fully acceptable’ to The God, this [being] [singular] logikos ‘divinely logical, rational, reasonable from the context of God’s logos message to us’ latreia liturgical-worship-service of/belonging-to you.”  So if you still want to “do something” to liturgical-worship-serve God it should be “routinely by-the-means-of the Spirit of God and/coupled routinely kauchaomai ‘holding the neck high with God-given confidence, boasting/exulting’ in Christ Jesus” – certainly not any of your ‘spiritual disciplines or sacrifices for your church – and “presently/ongoingly paristemi ‘close-beside standing, ready to present’ your bodies [as a] routinely zoa genuinely-living thusia ‘official, prescribed sacrifice/offering acceptable to God as were many in the OT’, hagios sanctified/holy, euarestos ‘well/good-pleasing because they are fully acceptable’ to The God.”  Personally, I like to physically gesture with my hand(s), even “lifting up holy hands” (a), this surrender to the Lord of my mind, emotions, will (psyche – soul) and then various parts or all of my body, thus encompassing all aspects of my flesh – see Identity. <Notes> ) Psalms 28:2, 134:2; 1 Timothy 2:8.

 

According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary and Preceptaustin.org, proseuche means to “an exchange immediately before, facing, or towards (pros) God, indicating close relational contact, of wishes (euche) that includes worshipful, adoring devotion – something not present in the words involving supplication/petition – the act of such prayer being itself an acceptable offering to God.” Hebrew-Streams.org recognizes that “Apostolic worship can be discerned by focusing on words such as prayer (predominantly proseuche and proseuchomai), praise, thanksgiving, blessing, and on the content of hymns.” We see this coming even from God-fearing Jews that act as a memorial before God (a), even the “prayers of the saints that ascend before God” (b). <Notes> a) Acts 10:4, 31, b) Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4.

 

To really bring home the point that it’s not where you worship God that matters but how you worship God under the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant that does, Jesus tells the Samarian woman at the well:  “The hour is coming when neither on this mountain (of Samaria) nor in Jerusalem (Temple) shall you actually routinely proskuneo worship the Father . . . But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true/genuine worshipers shall actually routinely proskuneo worship the Father en by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit and/coupled en by-the-means-of [singular] Truth, for the Father is presently/ongoingly zeteo seeking (a) such people to routinely proskuneo worship Him. God is Spirit kai and/thus those routinely proskuneo worshipping Him are presently/ongoingly necessarily constrained to presently/ongoingly worship en by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit and/coupled en by-the-means-of [singular] Truth” (b). The definite article “the” isn’t necessary in front of “Spirit” or “Truth” because they are both [singular].  In many other places of the NT it’s similarly missing, but always refers to the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, respectively – see Promised Spirit and The Truth pages. It absolutely should not be translated as “in human spirit” and “in sincerity” as some bibles erroneously translate. Also translating the preposition en with words following in the dative case as “in Spirit” or “in Truth” as if it were the ‘dative of location’ ignores the more obvious choice of “by the means/instrument of” called the ‘dative of instrument’ that fits the meaning of the context:  it’s how people are going about worshipping God that Jesus is concerned, not where they do it at.  Wherever you can worship “by-the-means-of Spirit and by-the-means-of Truth” is perfect to God!  Thus by using “in” the translators make it very vague of what Jesus meant – another case of making the bible “mysterious” – see Bible Info<Notes> a) searching diligently in order to find, investigate, desire/crave, aim/strive after, b) John 4:23-24.

 

Religious people love to focus on WHERE they worship God, even on building altars and houses – see Conversational-Prayer – BT4.  It wasn’t God’s idea to even build the first Temple but King David’s and Nathan the priest okayed it without even going to God first (a).  The second Temple sure wasn’t God’s idea either – evil King Herod built it out of pure pride as he did everything in his rule!  The entire priesthood, scribes, and Pharisees made their lavish living from the Temple, not the mention the daily “marketplace” as a “den of robbers” that ‘feasted’ off the profits they could make right outside its door!  There were so many latreia liturgical-worship-services going on every day in the Temple, but that’s not the way Jesus viewed the Temple, but simply as “My bayith/oikos House (b) of tephillah/proseuche Prayer (c)” (d).  The focus is on “the dwelling place of God” but also where His family meets Him and one another.  And we know this prayer is a form of worship to Him.  How so?  By respectfully waiting for Him to speak by listening for Him and then to Him!  <Notes> a) 1 Chronicles 17:1, b) bayith:  a dwelling habitation, abode containing a family or household including servants; oikos: an inhabited house/building/place for dwelling/residence, the inmates forming a working-collective [demons] or family or household including servants, even representing a race of descendants, and only rarely of physical belongings, c) tephillah:  although it can simply refer to prayer in general, or the action of praying in general even as intercession, or can refer to liturgical prayer, it often refers to the attentive “giving of ear to” shama/akouo listening/hearing towards God during prayer or of God listening/hearing our prayers:  1 Kings 8:28, 38-39, 45, 49, 9:3; 2 Chronicles 6:19-20, 35, 39-40, 7:15; Psalms 17:1, 66:19-20, 86:6; Nehemiah 1:6, 11; Daniel 9:17– see also Conversational-Prayer – BT14 and – BT15, d) Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46 citing Isaiah 56:7; proseuche: conversational-prayer that can include supplication – see Conversational-Prayer – BT10, but focuses instead on listening/hearing.

 

Isn’t it strange that although you find this practice of worshipful, thankful, patiently-waiting, watchful, listening, dialogue of proseuche conversational-prayer a dominant reason that started revivals and actually the dominant practice during revivals – and subsequent holiness throughout the area, you see very little of it in the modern Church today!  If there is any prayer, it’s a 5 minute ritualistic reciting of the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ as if it was something other than the model of how to pray that it actually is – and many Catholics still use the repetition of rosary beads, but in either case completely ignoring Christ’s warning to  “not-in-possibility babble repetitiously as the pagans do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” per Matthew 6:7!

 

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT19

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer should be a habit of devotion of relentlessly asking, seeking, and knocking for intimate-fellowship with God Himself

 

 

 

Please follow the BLOG Etiquette to stay on topic and pass the moderator’s check.  Bold, underlined text below = future links to the BLOG pages.

 

See Conversational-Prayer – BT4 for seeking God Himself and not just His stuff or help.

 

All the NT words for the monologue of “asking, seeking, knocking” that indeed can occur within the dialogue of proseuche conversational-prayer in order to “receive, find, and have the door opened” – see Conversational-Prayer – BT10 – are all at least in the Greek present tense, meaning an ongoing action, but often we see a present participle form used to stress that it is to be a lifestyle, routine habit.  The “asking, seeking, knocking, drawing near” word meanings themselves all emphasize a “relentless begging, calling or crying out for, craving, striving after, and driven pursuit of.”  That is the “hungering and thirsting” that Jesus speaks so often of (a). There is so much spoken about “trusting-relying-faith in patience-endurance” or “steadfast-persistence” or “holding fast without wavering” to “inherit the promises” (b) throughout the NT – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16.  Meno “abiding in the Vine of Christ in order to produce much fruit” (c) means “to remain connected to or to dwell together with,” which implies a koinonia intimate-relationship with genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge instead of gnosis head-knowledge. We’ve also already seen in Conversational-Prayer – BT3 the idea of being “devoted to proseuche conversational-prayer” to routinely experience the promised grace-gift of Spirit-Baptism. <Notes> a) Matthew 5:6; John 4:13-15, 6:35, 7:37, b) e.g., Hebrews 6:12-15, 10:23, 36, c) John 15:1-4.

 

Jesus is our example of this kind of devoted, routine proseuche conversational-prayer (a), whether early in the morning (b) or all night (c), whether often alone (d) or sometimes with others (e).  He even blessed little children this way (f)!  In Isaiah 50:4-7, God says He will give the future Messiah [Jesus] “a skilled, trained tongue in order to train (g) by sustaining a logos message to him who is weary.”  How? “Morning by morning He awakens…My ear to presently/ongoingly akouo hear/listen-to-understand/know, as those who are definitively/wholly prostithemi ‘trained as followers/disciples, joined toward-and-reaching the company of the one they follow’ . . . the Lord God has opened My ear and I was not rebellious – I did not turn backwards . . . the Lord God helps Me.” The “opening of our ears” is what we need to proseuche conversational-prayer for if we also want to be a disciple/follower of Christs! <Notes> a) Matthew 14:23, 26:35-36, 39, 42, 44; Mark 6:46, 14:32, 35, 39; Luke 3:21, 5:16, 9:18, 11:1, 22:41, 44-45, b) Mark 1:35, c) Luke 6:12, d) Luke 5:16; Matthew 14:23, e) Luke 9:28-29, f) Matthew 19:13, g) paideia:  gentle, simple children-rearing education – see Least Among You – BT11.

 

Jesus even gave us a model format of how to proseuchomai conversationally-pray – not a ritual recitation like so many babbling pagans who “think by their many words they will be heard” (a). The ‘Lord’s Prayer’ how-to model was simply:  humble adoration and worship, desperate asking/craving for God’s kingdom to come and will to be done, trusting-relying-faith in God for our physical needs for “your Father knows what you need before your aiteo subordinate-asking of Him,” trusting-relying-faith in God for the ability to forgive and then confessing this dependency, and trusting-relying-faith in God to withstand temptation/testing-to-prove-genuine and be delivered from the evil one’s works (b).  Pretty simple but religious people make it complicated or turn it into almost a meaningless ritual, the very thing Jesus warned about! <Notes> a) Ecclesiastes 5:2; Matthew 6:7-15, 32, Luke 11:1-13, b) Matthew 6:13, 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 11:4, 22:40, 46.

 

Jesus taught much about routine habitual proseuche conversational-prayer:  “Presently/ongoingly watch and/coupled routinely proseuchomai conversationally-pray at pas all-kinds-of times” (a).  Instead of “losing heart,” we “ought always to presently/ongoingly proseuchomai conversationally-pray” (b), giving many examples of steadfast-perseverance in proseuche conversational-prayer (c). Jesus even definitively/wholly proseuchomai conversationally-prayed 3 times (d) for His deliverance from His upcoming tribulations (e).  What we presently/ongoingly or definitively/wholly aiteo subordinately-ask in proseuche conversational-prayer for with trusting-relying-faith will then be received (f).  Instead of retaliating against abuse, we are to presently/ongoingly proseuchomai conversationally-pray for and show unconditional-love for “our enemies” (g) and even forgive them when routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying (h).  When we presently/ongoingly [passively being in] proseuche prayer this isn’t supposed to be for show but a “secret” conversation with God (i), not continually proseuchomai conversationally-praying like the Pharisee in the Temple that thanked God he wasn’t like other men, but like the tax collector standing far off, who looked down and beat his chest saying ‘Be merciful to me, a sinner” (j). <Notes> a) Luke 21:36, b) Luke 18:1, c) Luke 11:5-10, 18:1-8, d) possibly as a symbol of completeness, e) Matthew 26:44, f) Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24, g) Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28, h) Mark 11:25, i) Matthew 6:6 – this is the only occurrence of this middle/passive form, j) Luke 18:11, 14.

 

The only time Jesus got angry was when the Jewish religion had turned His “house of proseuche conversational-prayer into a “marketplace” even for dishonest business by robbers (a).  The last verse of the OT is a prophecy in Zechariah 14:21 about the future temple of God after the Lord returns: “And there shall no longer by a Canaanite in the house of Yahweh of host on that Day.” The Canaanites were the peddlers of religion that Jesus drove out 400 years later, possibly a partial fulfillment of this prophecy and certainly completely fulfilling Jeremiah 7:11!  <Notes> a) Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 18:10, 19:46 citing Jeremiah 7:11.

 

The early Christians were also devoted to this kind of routine proseuche conversational-prayer – that’s what they spent much of their time together doing in the ministry of the gospel logos message, not bible-study (a), and “devotion to the ministry/service of the gospel logos message was directly coupled to “devotion to proseuche conversational-prayer” because that’s how they heard from God what to say and do (b). The proseuche conversational-prayer even comes with visions (c) or angelic visitations (d) with supernatural deliverance (e) and healings (f). <Notes> a) Acts 1:14, 24 2:42, 3:1, 9:11, 12:12, 13:13, 14:23, 15:28, 16:16, 21:5, b) Acts 6:4, 6, c) Acts 10:9, 30, 11:5, 22:17, d) Acts 10:30, e) Acts 12:5, 16:25, f) Acts 9:40, 28:8.

 

This is how Christians received Spirit-baptism, even long after their water-baptism (a) – see also Conversational-Prayer – BT3.  This “routine proseuche conversational-praying by-the-means-of the Spirit (b)” and “routine proseuchomai conversationally-praying at pas all-kinds-of times by-the-means-of the Spirit with proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication” (c) is how you are “to build yourself up in your most holy Trusting-Relying-Faith,” which in turn, was directly related to “tereo ‘watching/guarding to maintain/keep’ yourself in The Unconditional-Love of God” (d). <Notes> a) Acts 8:12-19, b) Jude 1:20, likely in tongues as in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15– see also The Grace-Gifts of Tongues & Interpretation and Conversational-Prayer – BT22, c) Ephesians 6:18, d) Jude 1:20-21.

 

Thus Paul strongly-urges: “I boulomai ‘resolutely plan’ then that in every place the men should presently/ongoingly proseuchomai conversationally-pray, lifting up holy hands” (a). Paul tells Christians to “be presently/ongoingly proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted (b) to proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled be routinely gregoreuo watching (c) in this with eucharistia thanksgiving” (d). Paul also strongly-urged Christians to “routinely be proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted (b) in/by/with proseuche conversational-prayer” (e), and “presently/ongoingly be proseuchomai conversationally-praying without ceasing” and rarely stated “God’s will for us” to include this (f). <Notes> a) 1 Timothy 2:8, b) proskartereo: earnest, constant diligence, assiduous attendance, close adherence, c) gregoreuo: be alert, vigilant, cautious, d) Colossians 4:2, e) Romans 12:12, f) 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18.

 

Proseuche conversational-prayer is how Christians dealt with suffering (a), even anointing sick Christians and thus confidently-persisting in proseuche conversational-prayer for healing (b). The prayerful laying on of hands for healing (c) was also for blessing (d), for ordination (e), sending missionaries (f), and to open doors for the logos message (g). <Notes> a) James 5:13, b) James 5:14, 16, 17; Acts 28:8, c) Matthew 9:18; Mark 5:23, 6:5, 7:32, 8:23, 25, 16:18; Luke 4:40, 13:13; Acts 9:12, 17, 28:8, d) Acts 6:4, e) Acts 1:24, 14:23, f) Acts 9:40, 13:13, 20:36, 21:5, g) Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1.

 

One night as I was asking the Lord, “Why do we need to relentlessly pursue You,” as I was drifting off, I heard Him tell me, “You must be like a little child to ‘see’ the kingdom of God.” I knew from all my studies about knowledge that eido mental ‘seeing’ perception/knowing is how the OT prophetsknew” God, and how the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant promises this for us ALL now, “from the least among you to the greatest” (a), since the so-called “last” shall be first, and the so-called “first” shall be last (b). Yes, the secrets of the kingdom will remain hidden from “the wise and learned” but revealed by the Spirit to little children (c). Jesus spoke so much about being like little children and absolutely not desiring to be arche ‘firsts’ or megas big, ‘head honchos’ with authority over others. To be great in God’s kingdom we must be like slaves that only take orders from others, servants like Jesus (d). The OT was all about a hierarchy of leadership and teachers from “the greatest to the least,” but now God has done away with ALL of that, actually turning it upside down – see Coaches and Facilitators and Least Among You.  <Notes> a) Jeremiah 31:34, b) Matthew 19:30, 20:16; Mark 9:35, 10:31; Luke 13:30, c) Matthew 11:25, 13:11; Luke 8:10, 10:21, d) Matthew 20:25-28; Mark 10:42-45; Luke 22:25-27.

 

So, I asked the Lord, “Why a little child?” Then the Lord showed me a little child pulling relentlessly on their parent’s clothes, persistently calling out UNTIL their request was granted. Then the Lord said, “That’s what I meant when I said, ‘If you, not being ‘good,’ give grace-gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father, who is ‘Good,’ give you the Holy Spirit (a) to those who routinely aiteo subordinately-ask Him?” (b). Then I understood, this is the WAY to routinely proseuchomai conversationally-pray “for Thy Kingdom to come, Thy will to be done on earth as it is already in heaven” (c). This is the WAY to “routinely zeteo diligently-seek the Kingdom of God first” (d) – relentlessly like a little child just as with trusting-relying-faith – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16. <Notes> a) or ‘good grace-gifts’ in Matthew 7:11, b) Luke 11:13 and parallel Matthew 7:11, c) Luke 11:2; Matthew 6:10, d) Matthew 6:33.

 

Our NT English bibles use the word “devotion” 15 positive times and 5 negative times for:  2 times for devotion to Christ (a), 2 times for God versus negatively money and the things it can buy (b), 4 times to proseuche conversational-prayer (c), only 1 time to the Apostle’s teaching (d), only 1 time to the public reading (e), only 1 time to the ministry of the gospel logos message (f), only 1 time to the koinonia fellowship (g), only 1 time to ministry/service of the saints (h), only 1 time to the breaking of bread (i) (j), 2 times to good works that Christians were to devote themselves to be beneficially fruitful to others, especially those in urgent need (k), but 1 time negatively of devotion to Jewish myths and endless genealogies (l) or 1 time prosecho giving heed to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (m) or 1 time paraphero being-carried-away to diverse and strange teachings concerning special foods (n). From this we can see 4 references to God or Christ and 4 times to conversational-prayer, eclipsing all other positive uses combined!  <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 7:35; 2 Corinthians 11:3, b) Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13, c) Acts 1:14, 2:42, 6:4; 1 Corinthians 7:5, d) Acts 2:42, e) 1 Timothy 4:13 – “of scripture” is erroneously inserted into the text in many bibles, but the context is that of Paul’s own writings to this new pastor-in-training, and only until Paul returned to return his training of Timothy and/or personal preaching – see Logos Word of God – BT10, f) Acts 6:4, g) Acts 2:42, h) 1 Corinthians 16:15, i) love feast and Lord’s supper, j) Acts 2:42, k) Titus 3:8, 14, l) 1 Timothy 1:4, m) 1 Timothy 4:1, n) Hebrews 13:9.

 

Add to this Christ’s and Paul’s strong urgent calls: “They ought always to proseuchomai conversationally-pray and/coupled not lose heart” (a) and “Stay alert at all times, proseuchomai conversationally-praying” (b) and His teaching on persistently asking, seeking, and knocking until God answers (c).  We’ve already seen above the many strong urgent calls by Paul for that devotion of prayer in: 1 Timothy 2:8, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, Romans 12:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18.  <Notes> a) Luke 18:1, b) Luke 21:36, c) Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10.

 

It’s just so sad to see the modern day Church so devoted to just about everything else other than actual, genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, for Jesus said in John 17:3 that this alone is zoe genuine-life everlasting, by being devoted to patiently-waiting, watching, listening, worshipful, conversational-prayer.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT18

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer is vigilantly-watching for God Himself not just His stuff

 

 

 

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See Conversational-Prayer – BT4 for seeking God Himself and not just His stuff or help.

 

Proseuche conversational-prayer requires watchfulness for “Blessed is the one who eisakouo ‘hears/listens-to-understand/know toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of’ Me, shaqad wakefully-watching or phulasso ‘personally watch with uninterrupted vigilance to keep secure’ daily [for Me] at My gates, shamar keeping-watch beside My doors [for Me]” (a). Passover was to be “a night of watching kept to Yahweh” (b). The psalmists says: “I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night” (c), and “My soul waits for Yahweh more than watchmen [on Jerusalem’s walls] for the morning” (d). <Notes> a) Proverbs 8:34, b) Exodus 12:42, c) Psalms 63:6, d) Psalms 130:5-6.

 

Concerning end times, Jesus also said to “presently/ongoingly agrupneo sleeplessly-watch, routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying at all times that you may have strength to escape these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of man” (a). Similarly, Peter warns: “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and/coupled nephosober-minded, temperate, calm, collected’ eis ‘towards and reaching the goal of’ proseuche conversational-prayer” (b). Also, Jude says to “definitively/wholly tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state yourself in The Unconditional-Love of God, routinely prosdechomai ‘expectantly waiting to interactively welcome’ the [coming] mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings zoe genuine-life everlasting” (c). <Notes> a) Luke 21:36, b) 1 Peter 4:7, c) Jude 1:21.

 

I don’t think it’s coincidence that the Lord chose the Greek word tereo, from teros ‘a guard or watch,’ thus meaning to “carefully-watch, guard, attend-to to maintain/keep” in His ‘Great Commission’ for His apostles to make disciples in Matthew 28:20, “teaching them to tereo ‘carefully-watch, guard, attend-to in order in order to maintain/keep’ all that I have entellomai ‘officially-decreed commanded as universally-binding’,” especially knowing that Jesus gave only 2 commandments of trusting-relying-faith in Him and unconditionally-loving others combined into 1 given by God (a) – see Logos Word of God – BT14. This isn’t trying to “guard to maintain” 5000-plus commandments as I’ve seen some crazy websites say Christians have to be burdened with!  That’s religion for you! <Notes> a) 1 John 3:23.

 

It’s also very sad that so many bibles narrowly translate tereo as only “to observe, keep, or obey,” as if that’s what Jesus is focusing on in Matthew 28:20, though it certainly can have this force elsewhere as with:  “If you [really] unconditionally-love Me, you will tereo ‘observe, keep, or obey’ My commandments” (a) and “If you tereo ‘observe, keep, or obey’ My commandments, you will meno ‘remain connected to or dwell in’ My unconditional-love, just as I have tereo ‘observe, keep, or obey’ My Father’s commandments and meno ‘remain connected to or dwell in’ His unconditional-love” (b) and the proof of “coming to actually experientially, relationally ginosko know is tereo ‘observe, keep, or obey’ His commandments” (c). <Notes> a) John 14:15, b) John 15:10, c) 1 John 2:3.

 

However, the general meaning of every use of tereo is always “carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state” as in Christ’s proseuchomai conversationally-praying for God “to tereo them (Christians) safe from the evil one” (a), or of “jailers to guard others securely” (b), or of “staying within your own place of residence” (c), or “to maintain” (d) as with “The Trusting-Relying-Faith” (e) or our “place in heaven” (f). I could go on, but you get the idea of Jude 1:21 above – “definitively/wholly tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state yourself in The Unconditional-Love of God, routinely prosdechomai ‘expectantly waiting to interactively welcome’ the [coming] mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings zoe genuine-life everlasting” <Notes> a) John 17:15, b) Acts 16:23, 24:23, 25:4, 21; Matthew 27:36, 28:4, c) Jude 1:6, d) Ephesians 4:3, e) 2 Timothy 4:7, f) 1 Peter 1:4.

 

Watchful proseuche conversational-prayer is a great way to fix our eyes on Jesus! Paul warns Jewish-Christians in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 that if they even read the Law of Moses (a), like Jews who atenizo ‘fixed their eyes on or gazing at’ Moses’ face that shown from directly meeting God, than now Jewish-Christians reading Moses will have their hearts be hardened just like the Jews’ were. Metamorphoo ‘metamorphic transformation’ (b) instead comes from kataoptanomai ‘fixing that eyes on or gazing with wide-open eyes [in amazement] as looking in a mirror’ the glory of the Lord [Jesus], who is the Spirit,” not by reading the old covenant of Moses!  Hebrews 12:2 says we should be aphorao ‘turning the eyes away from something toward fixing the eyes on another to observe, perceive-know, or discern it’ eis ‘toward and reaching the goal of’ Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our trusting-relying-faith.” This is where our focused-gaze should be, not on ancient biblical writings, and so watchful proseuche conversational-prayer is a great way to practice this! <Notes> a) technically the first 5 books of the OT, but 97.4% of the OT contains the conditions of obedience for God’s conditional-favor – see Logos Word of God – BT5a, b) Romans 12:2 – it’s highly questionable that Paul meant for “the renewing of the mind” by having your head buried in the bible, and certainly NOT the OT graphe scripture.  Paul’s writings consistently speak of the Holy Spirit renewing the mind through genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge through koinonia intimate-fellowship, not be acquiring gnosis informational-knowledge from books!

 

Paul said “I don’t run aimlessly” (a), but “aim to please Him” (b), “to please the one who enlisted me” (c), for “my aim in life” (d) is the same “the aim of our charge is unconditional-love that issues from an unmixed heart and a good conscience and a sincere trusting-relying-faith” (e), for “I decided to know in-possibility-NO thing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (f), for “the life I now live in the flesh I live by trusting-relying-faith in the Son of God, who unconditionally-loved me and gave Himself for me” (g), for “I count everything [h] as a loss liability (i) because of the surpassing worth of the gnosis informational-knowledge (j) of/belonging-to Christ” (k). Certainly this how we can skopeo ‘attentively observe/watch, contemplate, or take heed with scrutiny’ of heaven in order to “not lose heart” (l). <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 9:26, b) 2 Corinthians 5:9, c) 2 Timothy 2:4, d) 2 Timothy 3:10, e) 1 Timothy 1:5, f) 1 Corinthians 2:2, g) Galatians 2:20, h) All that Paul had before in the Jewish religion, including expert scripture gnosis informational-knowledge, i) as garbage laced with feces, j) a rare occasion when Paul non-derogatorily speaks of gnosis, k) Philippians 3:8, l) 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT17

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer is when we vigilantly-watch for answers from God

 

 

 

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Proseuche conversational-prayer that perserchomai draws near to the Lord is where we watch for the Lord for the answer, just like watchmen (a) on the walls of Jerusalem or the temple (b) during the “watches of the night” (c), and watching the gates into the city (d), looking intensely for enemies approaching (e).  All the people were also to “watch Moses until he had gone into the tent” where the Lord met face-to-face with Moses (f). Passover was to be “a night of watching kept to the Lord” (g).  It is also speaks of the shepherd keeping watch over their flocks at night to keep them safe from wolves (h), or as the Church’s shepherds that should keep watch over their flock’s souls (i).  <Notes> a) 1 Samuel 14:16; 2 Samuel 18:24-27; 2 Kings 9:17-20, b) 2 Kings 11:18; 1 Chronicles 9:27; 2 Chronicles 23:18; Isaiah 62:6; Jeremiah 6:17, c) Matthew 14:24; Mark 6:48; Luke 12:38, d) Nehemiah 11:19, e) 2 Samuel 13:34, f) Exodus 33:8, g) Exodus 12:42, h) Luke 2:8, i) Hebrews 13:17.

 

Ezekiel was a type of Christ, a “Son of Man” Watchman giving warning to His people (a).  Likewise Daniel talks of “a Watcher, a Holy One, coming down-from/according-to heaven” (b).  So the psalmist says: “Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake [against possibility of invasion] in vain” (c).  God told Solomon who to watch for:  “Blessed is the one who shama/eisakouo ‘deeply/intentionally listens/hears-to-understand/know toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of’ Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting beside My doors” (d).  The psalmist understands:  “I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night” (e), and “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promise” (f).  Isaiah speaks not only of their religion’s blindness but of the time of Christ when the bible-study expert scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees would also be blind watchmen:  “God’s watchmen are blind; they are all without experiential, relational yada/ginosko knowing” (g). <Notes> a) Ezekiel 3:17, 33:7, b) Daniel 4:13, c) Psalms 127:1, d) Proverbs 8:34, e) Psalms 63:6, f) Psalms 119:148, g) Isaiah 56:10, cf. Matthew 15:14, 23:16-19, 24, 26; Luke 6:39; John 9:40-41, 12:40; but God’s intention is Romans 2:19.

 

Jesus often strongly urged His disciples to horao ‘watch, be alert, be attentive’ or gregoreo ‘vigilantly watch’ or prosecho ‘set and hold a course toward’ (a), especially gregoreo ‘vigilantly watching’ in proseuche conversational-prayer (b) but especially to keep from falling into peirasmos ‘testing/trying-to-prove-genuineness or temptation’ (c).  Jesus “diastello ‘sent through division by expressly charging’ His disciples, routinely saying, ‘[I strongly urge you to] presently/ongoingly horao ‘watch, be alert, be attentive’!  [I strongly urge you to] blepo ‘physically see or be watchfully observant’ of the leaven of the Pharisees and/coupled/also of the leaven of Herod” (d). <Notes> a) Matthew 16:6, 25:13; Mark 8:15; Luke 21:34, b) Matthew 26:38, 40; Mark 14:34, 37, c) Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38, d) Mark 8:15.

 

Paul told Christians to skopeo ‘attentively observe/watch, contemplate, or take heed with scrutiny’ for the false teachers who often cause divisions (a), blepo ‘physically seeing or being watchfully observant’ that divisions among them don’t consume one another (b), but instead “gregoreo ‘vigilantly watch’ that you stand firm in The Trusting-Relying-Faith (c).  In helping to gently restore a brother from sin, Paul advised “routinely being skopeo ‘attentively observant/watchful by contemplating or taking heed with scrutiny’ lest you also be peirasmos ‘tested/tried-to-prove-genuineness or tempted’ (d).  He strongly-urged Timothy, his pastor-in-training, “to presently/ongoingly epecho ‘attentively hold forth to observe’ himself and his teaching (e), but also strongly-urges Christians to “be presently/ongoingly proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted [in/by/with] proseuche conversational-prayer, routinely gregoreo ‘vigilantly watching’ in this in/by/with eucharistia thanksgiving” (f) – shouldn’t that be reason enough to make it a habit? <Notes> a) Romans 16:17, cf. Titus 3:10; Jude 1:19, b) Galatians 5:15, c) 1 Corinthians 16:13, d) Galatians 6:1, e) 1 Timothy 4:16, f) Colossians 4:2.

 

1 Peter 5:8 says: “[I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly be sober-minded.  [I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly gregoreo ‘vigilantly watching,’ for the adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 2 John 1:8 warns Christians to “[I strongly urge you to] presently/ongoingly blepo ‘physically see or be watchfully observant of’ yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.”

 

But in order to ‘see’ God’s answer we find in the desires and prayers of Jesus, Paul, and the other NT writers that we must humbly realize that we are blind and deaf, despite all our human efforts to acquire “wisdom and understanding” as the zealous Jewish bible-students failed at, and to realize we also need Jesus’s prayers to “open our eyes and ears wide” by the enabling-power of the Holy Spirit, so we can also:  1) recognize Jesus for who He really is and not miss Him, 2) be healed of our spiritual blindness and deafness, and even possibly from our own physical illnesses, 3) be able to have “eyes and ears wide open” to receive “wisdom and revelations” through visions, dreams, and directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of prophecy from God directly by His Spirit to directly guide and teach us every single thing we need for life, godliness, and ministry.  This isn’t just for the prophets and apostles, but for us NOW in order to also experientially, relationally ginosko know the Lord, 4) especially to understand the secrets of the kingdom as true disciple-followers instead of only getting parables as the masses did, 5) to have the ability to turn from the darkness of sin to the light of sanctification/holiness, 6) to be equipped to naturally evangelize instead of forced out of obligation, and 7) be empowered in other ways to serve the Lord.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT16

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer is patiently-waiting for God Himself not just His stuff

 

 

 

Please follow the BLOG Etiquette to stay on topic and pass the moderator’s check.  Bold, underlined text below = future links to the BLOG pages.

 

See Conversational-Prayer – BT4 for seeking God Himself and not just His stuff or help.

 

In the Old Testament:

 

“Waiting upon the Lord” was a common Jewish idiom for patiently-waiting through difficulties in proseuche conversational-prayer that came with great promises:

 

In Genesis 49:18 Jacob gathers his sons together before his death to prophesy about their future as the 12 tribes of Israel:  “I have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ (a) qavah/perimeno ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ (b) for your soteria/yeshuah ‘salvation, deliverance, or victory,’ Yahweh.”  This is a Hebrew idiom for diligently staying connected to the Vine of Christ, Yeshua, our Savior and Salvation (c).  That’s a key reason to pray! <Notes> a) Hebrew Piel:  intensive, intentional, or repeated, extended actions;  Hebrew Perfect:  completed action of the past may be continued into the present = looked eagerly for, lie in wait for, linger or tarry for; Greek:  Present Active Indicative for present/ongoing, active, actual action, b) Hebrew qavah:  wait for, originally binding [twisting or stretching] strands into a cord or rope for strength like spider’s threads or web, then later of the tension of enduring, remaining, waiting; Greek perimenoperi all-around as an intensifier + meno ‘abide, remain, cohabitate,’ thus steadiness regardless of the obstacles involved, to endure by putting up with surrounding difficulties, used also in the NT only in Acts 1:4 for waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, c) John 15:4-5; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:10, 2:10, 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Titus 1:4, 2:13, 3:6; 2 Peter 1:1, 11, 2:20, 3:18; Jude 1:25; Revelation 12:10.

 

In Isaiah 33:2, he prophesies:  “Yahweh, be chanan/eleeo ‘gracious or merciful according to covenant’ to us; for (a) we have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ qavah/peitho ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ (b) for/resting-upon (c) You.”  So the Hebrew separates the 2 phrases:  1) a request to be merciful, and 2) they have and will repeat their patient-waiting for Yahweh, presumably to show this mercy.  The Greek connects the 2 phrases:  They plead for mercy because of the ongoing effect of them already having been patiently-waiting on God keeping His covenant promise to delivery them from their enemies, putting their ‘rest’ upon Yahweh.  Can you see why building doctrine on bible verses can be very difficult – see Bible Info.  Isaiah continues:  “Be our arm every morning, our soteria/yeshuah ‘salvation, deliverance, victory’ in the time of trouble.”  The “outstretched arm of God” is associated with God’s “might hand by signs and wonders, war, and great terrors as God did for you in Egypt” (d), “everlasting arms . . . driving out the enemy before you” (e), “scattering your God’s enemies with His might arm” (f), and many other verses.  In prayer, we patiently-wait by resting upon the Lord to keep His covenant promise to save us from our enemies – Satan, his demons, and his angels (g) – “by His own mighty Spirit,” not by our “might and power.” <Notes> a) The Greek use gar to introduce a reason for the previous statement, b) Hebrew qavah is Piel Perfect as notes ‘a’ and ‘b’ explain; Greek peitho: to be confidently persuaded of what is trustworthy” in the Perfect Active Indicative for past action with ongoing results, active, actual action, c) Greek with dative following: epi resting at/on/upon, d) Deuteronomy 4:34, e) Deuteronomy 33:27, f) Psalms 89:10, g) Ephesians 6:12.

 

In Proverbs 20:22, the writer advises: “[I strongly urge you to] Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; but-instead (a) [I strongly urge you to] ‘actively/intensively’ with ‘intention to presently/ongoingly’ or ‘definitively/wholly’ (b) qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ (c) or hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ (d)  for/on (e) Yahweh and He will yasha ‘deliver, liberate, save from perils/troubles/evils’ or boetheo ‘run-to-quickly-meet an urgent distress-call-cry for help’ You.”  As Christians we are to patiently-endure evil done against us, by people and the spiritual forces of darkness behind them (f), by patiently-waiting upon the Lord to deal with the evil, knowing that He is not slow but actually running quickly to answer our cries for help, and that He indeed will “deliver us from the evil one,” just as we routinely pray (g), especially since Jesus “gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age” (h). <Notes> a) Greek inserts “but-instead,” b) Hebrew Piel:  intensive, intentional, or repeated, extended actions; Greek uses Aorist tense to definitive/wholly accomplish, c) Hebrew qavah:  wait for, originally binding [twisting or stretching] strands into a cord or rope for strength like spider’s threads or web, then later of the tension of enduring, remaining, waiting, d) Greek hupomenohupo:  under, often under authority as a subordinate + meno:  abide, cohabitate, remain, continue = remain under the load/tension, bearing/enduring under; to remain or stay or tarry behind, thus not recede or flee but preserve or have fortitude under misfortunes, trials, tribulations; to cleave faithfully or wait for the Lord, to endure or bear bravely and calmly/patiently ill-treatment, e) 35 of 51 bibles translate “for” and only 12 of 51 translate “on,” f) Ephesians 6:12, g) Matthew 6:13, h) Galatians 1:4.

 

In Isaiah 8:17, he says: “And/But I have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ (a) chakah ‘wait, tarry, long for’ (b) or ‘I will actively, actually, sometime in the future’ meno ‘abide, remain, tarry’ (c) for Yahweh, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in Him.”  Their rebellion against God brought them into harms way by their enemies.  When they turned their back on God they no longer had His face of blessing facing them, but this didn’t deter Isaiah from seeking God’s face.  Despite what looked like a hopeless situation where he couldn’t put his “hope in” them, he could still put his “hope in” Yawheh and this is by aggressive intention to continue longing for Yahweh while waiting for Yawheh.  The Hebrew versus the Greek seems to make more sense, because I doubt Isaiah is a “I will get around to it sort of guy” but a “I’ve been doing this and will repeat the action, determined sort of guy.”  We can learn from this prophet’s determination in the midst of troubles! <Notes> a) Hebrew Piel:  intensive, intentional, or repeated, extended actions;  Hebrew Perfect:  completed action of the past may be continued into the present = looked eagerly for, lie in wait for, linger or tarry for; Greek:  Present Active Indicative for present/ongoing, active, actual action, b) Hebrew chakah:  in Piel wait, tarry, long for as here and Isaiah 64:3, Zephaniah 3:8, Psalms 33:20, even for counsel: Psalms 106:13, even for a visions: Habakkuk 2:3, c) Greek Future Active Indicative.

 

In Isaiah 25:9 the prophet says of the coming eternal life by the Messiah when death is swallowed up:  “It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have qavah have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ (a) ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ (b) or eplizo ‘continually-hoped’ for Him that He might yasha/sozo save us.  This is Yahweh; we have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ (a) qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ (d) or hupomeno ‘continually (c) remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ (e) for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” This is speaking of a future kingdom where all peoples will worship Him, all tears wiped away, and the reproach of His people taken away from ALL the earth – a massive persecution against Jews & Christians is coming! Similarly Isaiah 49:23 says: “Kings . . . queens [of nations] . . . with their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you [Israel in the future Millenial kingdom] and lick the dust of your feet.  Then you will experientially, relationally yada/ginosko know that I AM Yahweh; those who continually qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or routinely hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Me shall not be put to shame.”

 

<Notes> a) Hebrew Piel:  intensive, intentional, or repeated, extended actions;  Hebrew Perfect:  completed action of the past may be continued into the present = looked eagerly for, lie in wait for, linger or tarry for; Greek:  Present Active Indicative for present/ongoing, active, actual action, b) Hebrew qavah: wait for, originally binding [twisting or stretching] strands into a cord or rope for strength like spider’s threads or web, then later of the tension of enduring, remaining, waiting, c) rare Greek imperfect tense for continued action, d) Hebrew qavah:  wait for, originally binding [twisting or stretching] strands into a cord or rope for strength like spider’s threads or web, then later of the tension of enduring, remaining, waiting, e) Greek hupomenohupo:  under, often under authority as a subordinate + meno:  abide, cohabitate, remain, continue = remain under the load/tension, bearing/enduring under; to remain or stay or tarry behind, thus not recede or flee but preserve or have fortitude under misfortunes, trials, tribulations; to cleave faithfully or wait for the Lord, to endure or bear bravely and calmly/patiently ill-treatment.

 

Without getting into all the nitty-gritty grammar, here are more OT usages:

 

Isaiah 26:8 says “in the path of your mishpat/krisis equitable-judgments, Yahweh, we have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or definitively/wholly eplizo hoped for or on/upon Him for You; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.”  Isaiah 30:18 says: “For Yahweh is a God of justice; blessed are all those who simply are continually chakah ‘wait, tarry, long for’ or routinely emmeno ‘in a state of steadfastly abiding-in/remaining-with/living-by’ for Him.”  Yes, if we remain connected to the Vine of Christ bears much yummy fruit per John 15:5.  Wow is Isaiah 40:31 encouraging:  “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength . . . but they who continually qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or routinely hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Yahweh shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

 

In Lamentations 3:22-27 “The steadfast checed/eleos ‘covenant-loyal loving-mercy’ of Yahweh never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘Yahweh is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I shall indeed yachal expectantly-waiting-in-hope in Him.’  Yahweh is towb ‘pleasantly good’ or agathos ‘pleasantly good-natured’ to those who continually qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or presently/ongoingly hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Him, to the soul who shall actually zeteo diligently-seeks (b) Him.  It is towb ‘pleasantly good’ or agathos ‘pleasantly good-natured’ that [a person] be yachal expectantly-waiting-in-hope or should be hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ duwmam waiting-quietly-in-silence or definitively/wholly hesuchazo ‘rest-cease from labor, even silently as here’ for the teshuah/soterian deliverance/salvation of Yahweh.” <Notes> a) agathos: “good-natured, pleasantly joyful, excellent or distinguished and thus useful, upright, or honorable,” b) frequently pursue, diligently search, crave, and worship.

 

Micah 7:7 commits: “But as for me, I shall indeed tsaphah/epiblepo ‘turn the eyes of a gaze upon’ Yahweh; I will repetitively yachal expectantly-waiting-in-hope or shall indeed hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for God, my yesha/soter Savior; my God will shama/eisakouo hear-unto me.”  God says in Exodus 24:12 to Moses:  “Come up to Me on the mountain and ‘repeatedly hayah be’ or ‘presently/ongoingly eimi be-present/exist’ there” also the ESV translates this as “wait there” and the NET translates “remain there.”  I really don’t appreciate them translating this as if it were other Hebrew and Greek words.  This is a common problem in bible translations – see Bible Info.

 

Now the Psalms speak of patiently-waiting with endurance for God the most!  In Psalms 27:14 [I strongly urge you to] qavah ‘actively/intensively wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or definitively/wholly hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Yahweh; be strong, and let your heart take courage; [I strongly urge you to] qavah ‘actively/intensively wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or definitively/wholly hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for YahwehAgain in Psalms 31:24, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who are continually yachal expectantly-waiting-in-hope or routinely elpizo expectantly-waiting-in-hope for Yahweh! In Psalms 33:20 “Our soul have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ chakah ‘wait, tarry, long for’ or presently/ongoingly hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Yahweh; He is our help and our shield.

 

Psalms continues with keys to effective prayer.  In Psalms 37:5-9, “Commit (a) your way (b) to Yahweh; trust in Him, and He will act/make-to-do [in your behalf] . . . Be still-and-silent or definitively/wholly submit-by-falling-in-line (c) before Yahweh and/coupled chuwl wait-longingly or yachal expectantly-waiting-in-hope (d) or hikanoo ‘reach the place of sufficiently qualified’ for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices” and promises: “Those who are routinely qavah ‘waiting/lingering with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or routinely hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Yahweh shall inherit the land.”  This being-still before the Lord is also found in Psalms 46:10 that was dissected in Conversational-Prayer – BT13. There it says:  “[I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly become [passive] still (e) kai and/coupled definitively/wholly become [passive] experientially, relationally yada/ginosko knowing that I am God.”  Because yada/ginosko knowledge requires a 2-way relationship, we can become passively still forever without any results whatsoever.  Also we can actively try to relationally know God until we are blue in the face without any results – world religions have been trying forever and are no closer to God.  However, yada/ginosko is also passive, and so it implies that both becoming still and/coupled having a relationship with God are something we have to having trusting-relying-faith in God for.  If we do “passively-wait for Him” while “also passively being still” we stand a good change of actually being in a yada/ginosko relationship with God.  The context bears this out:  stop running around with your head cut off about the cares of this world and instead stop, shut up, and just patiently-wait for the Lord to create an amazing relationship WITH you that will save you from your worse fears and cares.

 

<Notes> a) roll off your burdens/cares onto His back, b) well-trodden course, c) Hebrew damam:  Qal form means to be/grow stupefied, astounded, dumb, silent, still – so both motion & speech or Greek hupotasso:  voluntarily yield, or fall in line behind a commander, d) normally the Hithpoel form in the participle means whirling as in whirlwind tempest per Jeremiah 23:19, 30:23.  The NET Bible says there was a dittography error and that the text should be the Hiphel form of yachal expectantly-waiting-in-hope.  Thus the Greek hikanoo is an odd fit too that bibles translate entreat for some odd reason. Bible translation is fraught with difficulties – see Bible Info, e) raphah, scholazo: take a vacation from your work, relax, rest, quiet yourself

 

So Psalms continues to encourage us:  In Psalms 37:34 “[I strongly urge you to] qavah ‘actively/intensively wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or definitively/wholly hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Yahweh and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.”  In Psalms 38:15, “But for You, Yahweh, do I have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ yachal expectantly-wait-in-hope or definitively/wholly elpizo expectantly-wait-hope; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.”  In Psalms 39:7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I have already ‘actively/intensivily’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or hupomone patient-endurance?  My towcheleth/hupostasis (a) covenant-entitled-hope is in You. In Psalms 40:1, “I have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or routinely hupomeno hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Yahweh; He inclined to me and heard my cry. Finally in Psalms 130:5-6, I have already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intend to presently/ongoingly’ qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or definitively/wholly hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ for Yahweh; my soul has already ‘actively/intensively’ and ‘intends to presently/ongoingly’ qavah ‘wait/linger with endurance despite the tension of difficulties’ or definitively/wholly hupomeno ‘remain/tarry behind subordinately-under the load/tensions of troubles, thus to patiently-endure’ and/couple in his dabar speech/saying or logos message  I yachal expectantly-waiting-in-hope; my soul waits (no Hebrew) or elpizo expectantly-wait-in-hope for the Lord/Master more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.  Looks like words got dropped – see Bible Info for many more problems. <Notes> a) Greek hupostasis: ‘standing under’ a guaranteed agreement, a title-deed or legal claim to precious promises or property, thus entitling someone to what is guaranteed under the particular agreement.

 

The New Testament also speaks of waiting:

  

 

Jesus told the disciples to “not chorizo depart from Jerusalem, but to presently/ongoingly perimenowait by remaining all around’ (a) for The Promise of the Father, … to be baptized by the Holy Spirit” (b).  How did they obey the Lord? “They were all in one accord devoting themselves to proseuche conversational-prayer (c).  They should be a real clue for us, but it’s amazing how few churches do this.  <Notes> a) perimeno only used here in the NT: peri all-around or as an intensifier + meno ‘abide, remain, cohabitate,’ thus to remain steady regardless of the obstacles involved, to endure by putting up with surrounding difficulties; used in Genesis 49:18 above in LXX for waiting for salvation, b) Acts 1:4-5, c) Acts 1:13-14.

 

Another Greek word used for waiting in prayer is apekdechomai (a): Paul says in Romans 8:23-25 that  “we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we are routinely apekdechomai decisively-welcoming [our] divine-adoption as sons . . . But if we hope for what we do not see, we presently/ongoingly apekdechomai decisively-welcome [it] with hupomone patience-endurance.”  Paul is referring to our glorification at Christ’s coming, called “the blessed hope” (b).  Paul says in Galatians 5:5, “For through the Spirit, by trusting-relying-faith, we ourselves presently/ongoingly are apekdechomai decisively-welcoming the hope of righteousness.”  Having Christ’s righteousness is our only hope!  Paul want for these Christians in 1 Corinthians 1:7 to “not be lacking in any grace-gift, as you routinely are apekdechomai decisively-welcoming the coming-revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The Spirit’s grace-gifts are super important even if so many churches are ignorant of them, contrary to Paul’s strong-desire-intention in 1 Corinthians 12:1 for them not to be ignorant.  Similarly in Hebrews 9:28, likely Barnabas who was Paul’s preaching companion writing in a much better Greek than Paul, says:  “so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are routinely apekdechomai decisively-welcoming Him.” <Notes> a) apekdechomai:  “away-from warmly-welcome, waiting that decisively ‘puts away’ all that should remain behind, looking completely away from this world to what is upcoming,” b) Romans 8:23-25; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3.

 

Lastly the Greek word prosdechomai is used to meanpros towards and interfacing with + dechomai warmly-welcome = receive in a personally-interactive, warm, open, welcoming manner; to wait actively, expectantly, ready and willing to give and receive, thus active ‘looking-for-and-waiting,” and since this involves personal interests or motivational, it’s always in the middle reflexive voice.  It’s used in Luke 2:25 “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, prosdechomai ‘expectantly waiting to interactively welcome’ the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”  In Luke 12:35-37, Jesus metaphorically teaches about His second coming:  “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are routinely prosdechomai ‘expectantly waiting to interactively welcome’ for their Master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to Him at once when He comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the Master finds alert when He comes.” Finally, in Luke 23:50-51, “Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was continually prosdechomai ‘expectantly waiting to interactively welcome’ the kingdom of God.”

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT15

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer is stopping our talking, busyness, and works to listen/hear to understand/know God Himself

 

 

 

Please follow the BLOG Etiquette to stay on topic and pass the moderator’s check.  Bold, underlined text below = future links to the BLOG pages.

 

See Conversational-Prayer – BT4 for seeking God Himself and not just His stuff or help.

 

Different from the various words for supplication and thanksgiving, proseuche conversational-prayer we can also stop talking and hear what God has to say!  In the OT, Moses even told the Jews to akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know whatever The Prophet (a) tells you, He who is like me from your brothers, who the Lord God will raise up” (b) where Moses adds “Every soul who does not akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know to that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people.” King David prophesies by the Holy Spirit: “For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep of His hand. Today, if you akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (c). <Notes> a) a reference to the Messiah, b) In Acts 3:22 Peter citing Deuteronomy 18:15-19, c) Psalms 95:7.

 

In the NT, The Father told us to akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know His beloved Son, My Chosen One (a). Jesus repeatedly told people to akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know Him, saying “he who has ears, [I strongly urge them to] presently/ongoingly akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know” but doing more than that with them (b), and lots of people did (c) and still are called to do (d) even to receive the Spirit accompanied by miracles by trusting-relying-faith (e), though some didn’t (f), but especially “to akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know what the Spirit says” (g). <Notes> a) Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 10:39, b) Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35, cf. and “doing them” Matthew 7:24, 26; Luke 6:47, 49, 10:16 versus different responses to hearing:  Matthew 13:20, 22, 23, c) Luke 5:15, 6:18, 15:1, 21:38, d) Hebrews 3:7, 15, 4:7 citing Psalms 95:7, e) Galatians 3:2, 5, cf. Romans 10:17, f) Revelation 2:9, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22, 13:9, cf. John 3:8, g) Romans 11:8.

 

Jesus told Pilate that “Everyone who is of The Truth akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know My Voice” (a). Jesus clearly defines Christian disciples/followers as “His sheep, those who have trusting-relying-faith [in Him], and actively, actually, experientially, relationally ginosko know Me, the Good Shepherd,” sheep who “won’t akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know the thieves and robbers,” but instead the sheep are “those who actually akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know My Voice (b) and actively, actually, ongoingly follow (c) Me” (d). <Notes> a) John 18:37, b) phone: sound of directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words, which absolutely doesn’t refer to reading written logos messages of a bible and certainly not to graphe OT scripture, c) be on the same road with, accompany or follow as a disciple, d) John 10:3, 8, 14-16, 25-27.

 

“Having trusting-relying-faith in, experientially-relationally ginosko knowing, akouo listening/hearing-to-understand/know, and following Christ” are Christ’s definitions of a His disciples. Jesus is looking for people who will “come to Me, akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know My sayings (a), and does them” (b).  Jesus defined who His mothers and brothers (His family) as those who “akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know the gospel logos message of God and does it” (c). <Notes> a) plural of the gospel logos message, b) Luke 6:47, c) Luke 8:21.

 

Jesus says “Truly, whoever akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know My gospel logos message and/coupled has trusting-relying-faith in Him [the Father] who sent Me has zoe genuine-life everlasting, not coming into judgment but has passed from death to zoe genuine-life” (a). You can hear the gospel logos message of God, the Father and Son, preached all day long somewhere (rarely at church nowadays), and never “do it,” that is, come to trusting-relying-faith in Christ alone, the only entole officially-decreed, universally-binding commandment to unbelievers in the New Covenant – see Logos Word of God – BT15, which is “the work of trusting-relying-faith” (b). <Notes> a) John 5:24, b) 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11.

 

Hebrews 4:2 says “the ‘Great News’ gospel [logos message] came to us just as to them (a), but this gospel logos message they heard did not benefit them, because their akouo listening/hearing-to-understand/know was in-possibility-NOT sugkerannumi ‘mixed together with, co-mingled, or united with’ The Trusting-Relying-Faith.” Paul asked the Galatians if they “had received the Spirit ek out-from works of the Law or ek out-from [singular] akouo listening/hearing-to-understand/know of/belonging-to [singular] trusting-relying-faith” (b)? Obviously the coming of the Holy Spirit was an obvious experience – not the non-experiential event that too many churches have preached! <Notes> a) the Jews in the wilderness, b) Galatians 3:2.

 

You can akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know everybody else’s voice preach the gospel logos message of God or even your own voice as you read the gospel, but really counts is if you akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know “the voice of Christ” calling you, even ‘knocking on your door, wanting to come in to you.’ Jesus promises, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with Me…[this is] the one who conquers” (a). Paul says in Romans 10:17 that “trusting-relying-faith comes ek out-from [singular] akouo listening/hearing-to-understand/know” but not hearing his gospel logos message preached, but “akouo listening/hearing-to-understand/know dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of [singular] a directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word of Christ (b). It only takes akouo listening/hearing-to-understand/know 1 word directly from Christ for trusting-relying-faith to come!  Many have attested to completely blanking out a sermon but having an inner conversation all around 1 word stuck in them, and often it wasn’t even on thing said by the preacher! <Notes> a) Revelations 3:20, b) external manuscript evidence strongly favors this reading over “of God.”

 

Jesus said “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him,” and those who “actually have been ‘taught by God,’ who have actually akouo listened/heard-to-understand/know and manthano learned from the Father, come to Me” (a). This has to be “granted to that person by the Father (b). Nevertheless, Jesus said His crucifixion “will draw ALL (c) people toward Myself” (d). <Notes> a) John 6:44-45, b) John 6:65, c) pas: often times doesn’t mean the whole/entirety of” but more often to “every of a category/class/type of,” as here because many people could care less about Christ’s death on the cross, d) John 12:32, a) Acts 2:17-18; Hebrews 8:11 citing Jeremiah 31:33-34; Psalms 32:8; Isaiah 54:13.

 

Are we just to busy?  Was Martha who “was distracted by much serving” choosing “the agathos ‘good, useful, excellent portion” (a) or Mary “who sat at the Lord’s feed and continually (b) akouo listened/heard-to-understand/know His teaching” (c)?  Jesus said “Mary, . . . which will not be taken away from her!” Martha was the one who complained that Mary needed to stop and help her. However, I actually heard a preacher at Vineyard Connections say that “Martha was more spiritual and had more trusting-relying-faith, and that’s why she was busy serving everybody. She was more ‘useful’ to the Lord.” The Spirit within me wept, and we walked out!  They were a new couple hired to ‘whip the church into shape.’  Yikes! <Notes> a) agathos: “good-natured, pleasantly joyful, excellent or distinguished and thus useful, upright, or honorable,” b) rare imperfect tense: continually, repeatedly, c) Luke 10:38-42.

 

Thus proseuche conversational-prayer is unique in that it is the time we can, if we press in, akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know the Voice of Christ, by the supernatural, dynamite-like enabling-power of the Holy Spirit. This is when we manthano learn directly from Christ, as every prophet whoever existed did, just as was “The Promise” for the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant’s Church age (a), so that we can really be a follower/disciple of Christ. <Notes> a) Acts 2:17-18; Hebrews 8:11 citing Jeremiah 31:33-34; Psalms 32:8; Isaiah 54:13.

 

Nowhere in the NT does it say the successful Christian life comes from reading, studying, and memorizing scripture as I was taught by so many churches and 5 bible colleges – see Bible Info.  Instead it says holiness/sanctification comes from akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know the Parakletos Spirit’s parakaleo alongside-counselling/teaching NOW as the phone voice of Jesus by the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of the Lord – see Prophetic Word of God.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT14

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer is stopping our talking, busyness, and works to listen/hear to be taught directly by God – it’s the ‘easy button’ compared to bible-study

 

 

 

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Proseuche conversational-prayer is often the translation of the Hebrew word tephillah.  Although the Hebrew can simply refer to prayer in general, or the action of praying in general even as intercession, or can refer to liturgical prayer, it often refers to the attentive “giving of ear to” shama/akouo listening/hearing towards God during prayer or of God listening/hearing our prayers:  1 Kings 8:28, 38-39, 45, 49, 9:3; 2 Chronicles 6:19-20, 35, 39-40, 7:15; Psalms 17:1, 66:19-20, 86:6; Nehemiah 1:6, 11; Daniel 9:17.  As much as listening-to and hearing-from God is stressed in the OT and especially the NT, you certainly don’t see that many books on conversational-prayer either!  My wife Charlotte and our counselor friend Elizabeth Roberts have found great growth from theophostic prayer now called transformational prayer and especially from 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice by Mark & Patti Virkler, which I’ve had family and friends benefit from greatly!

 

Isaiah 50:4 said the Messiah would be taught by God “how to sustain with a logos message in season to [him who is] weary.” Jesus indeed invited us:  “[I strongly urge you to] You-all duete come-here-NOW pros ‘toward to reach the goal of’ Me all who labor-toil-work and/coupled overburdened (a), kai and/then I will give you ‘peaceful-rest, ease or repose.’ [I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly take My yoke (b) upon you and/coupled/thus [I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly manthano learn apo away-from Me (c) for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and [then] you will find peaceful-rest for your souls, for My yoke [is] easy (d) and/coupled My burden-load presently/ongoingly actually light (e)” (f). He said this right after v. 11:25 “these things” or v. 13:11 “the secrets of the kingdom” (g) remain “hidden from the ‘wise and understanding’” (h) but are “revealed to little children.” The context is the burden of the Jewish religion (a) with its many “works of righteousness” (i) to obey 613 commandments in the OT, more from the Oral Torah, and even the esoteric learning of the Greeks, which are indeed a huge burden to carry. Trying to know God through rules or gnosis book knowledge or philosophy is a lot of work!  The solution is to come to Jesus, take a ‘vacation’ (j) from the book-learning gnosis info-knowledge and works of religion, and instead be directly meno abiding/connected-to the Vine (k) and let Him manthano train us directly by that harness connection – and Jesus said this was gentle, easy, and light – it’s the ‘easy button!’

 

<Notes> a) context: with the load of the Law’s commandments: Luke 11:46, b) training harness, c) manthano:  “increase one’s knowledge, be informed, or hear or learn from” but here in person rather than from books, cf. ‘learned from the Father’ to be ‘taught by God’  per John 6:45, ‘learned Christ’ per Ephesians 4:20, learning by prophecy per 1 Corinthians 14:31, d) chrestos used as an predicate adjective so [is] supplied:  manageable, mild, pleasant, kind, well-fit to the animal, so there’s no chaffing sores, e) in weight, thus easy to carry.  The yoke/harness is not a long, heavy bar like you see in some carriages but ‘light as a feather,” f) Matthew 11:28-30, g) Luke 8:10, h) context: the Jewish experts of the scripture or Gentiles of philosophical writings, i) Titus 3:5; Romans 4:6, j) “Be still” of Psalms 46:10 “in order to yada/ginosko experientially, relationally know God” comes from raphah, scholazo:  “take a vacation from your work, relax, peacefully-rest, quiet yourself, k) John 15:1-4.

 

The ‘yoke/harness method of learning’ directly from Jesus is relatively “manageably-easy (a) and/coupled My burden/requirements light (b)” so much so that we can actually find “peaceful-rest, ease or repose, that is a ‘vacation’ from our work,’ for our souls.”  In context, it has to be significantly ‘easier and lighter’ than the ‘burden/requirements’ of the so-called “wise and understanding ones” of Matthew 11:25, especially since it is to be “revealed to nepios little children.”  Nepios refers to milk-feeding infants or little children that still require the gentleness of a nursing mother per 1 Thessalonians 2:7 and Hebrews 5:13.  Jesus said the ‘easy button’ was simply by obeying: “duete come-here-NOW pros ‘toward to reach the goal of’ Me . . . for I am gentle and lowly in heart” in Matthew 11:28.  You have to ‘harness up’ to the lead-horse on God’s horse-drawn carriage, and that is Jesus.  That is how we “definitively/wholly manthano learn apo away-from Me” in verse 11:29 (c). <Notes> a) chrestos used as an predicate adjective so [is] supplied:  manageable, mild, pleasant, kind, well-fit to the animal, so there’s no chaffing sores, b) from elauno:  wind that drives ships or clouds and from elasson:  younger, smaller. The yoke/harness is not a long, heavy bar like you see in some carriages but ‘light as a feather,” c) manthano:  “increase one’s knowledge, be informed, or hear or learn from” but here in person rather than from books, cf. ‘learned from the Father’ to be ‘taught by God’  per John 6:45, ‘learned Christ’ per Ephesians 4:20, learning by prophecy per 1 Corinthians 14:31.

 

Therefore “coming to [in order] to learn from” Jesus directly, must be the essence of proseuche conversational-prayer, the “easy” and “gentle and lowly/humble in heart” way that Jesus would teach us the “little children” we are to be like (a) – see Least Among You – and not the so-called “wise and understanding” bible-study experts like the scribes and Pharisees “who searched/studied the scriptures diligently [erroneously] dokeo supposing (b) that in them they would hold-to-have zoe genuine-life” but nonetheless “presently/ongoingly refuse to come to Me so that you may hold-to-have zoe genuine-life.” Although they prided themselves in ‘knowing God’s Word,’ as so many Christian scholars and pastors do, Jesus had this to say of them: “You do absolutely-in-fact-NOT have God’s logos message dwelling in you, for you do absolutely-in-fact-NOT have trusting-relying-faith in the One [Christ] whom He [the Father] has sent” (c). <Notes> a) Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16, b) dokeo:  have the opinion of, seem to think, suppose what seems to be, make a subjective mental estimate, which directly reflects the personal values of the person(s), making this a subjective judgment call, c) John 5:38-40.

 

We know from the NT that the “heavy burden that was hard to bear that is laid on people’s shoulders” is what the bible-study expert scribes and Pharisees “presently/ongoingly preach but don’t practice” (a). But this legalism came right into the Church!  Peter challenged the Jewish-Christian “apostles and elders” of Jerusalem Church saying: “Why are you placing a yoke (b) on the neck of the [Gentile] disciples that neither our [Jewish] fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (c), so they prayed to know what to write the Gentile churches to do. God answered: “For it has-already-been dokeo supposed (d) to the Holy Spirit and/coupled to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:  that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols (e) kai and/specifically from blood and/coupled from what has been strangled and/coupled from [temple] prostitution (f). If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell” (h). These were all Gentile practices of temple idol worship (i). <Notes> a) Matthew 23:2-4; Luke 11:46, b) context: of circumcision as the ‘seal of obedience’ to the Law of Torah “instruction,” c) Acts 15:6-10, d) dokeo:  see note ‘b’ above, e) offered to demons, thus co-participating with demons: 1 Corinthians 10:20; Revelation 9:20, f) porneia: sexual intercourse outside of marriage, harlotry common in temple worship, especially Corinth famous for it’s “more than 10,000 beautiful women prostitutes,” g) , h) Acts 15:28-29, i) see Acts 15:20, 21:25, cf. Romans 2:22; 1 Corinthians 5:10-11, 6:9, 8:4, 7, 10, 10:7, 14, 19; Galatians 5:20; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Peter 4:3; 1 John 5:21; Revelation 2:14, 20, 9:20, 21:8, 22:15.

 

By 95-110 AD, John has to remind Christians again of Christ’s only 2 commandments of “trusting-relying-faith in the Son and/coupled unconditional-love reciprocally to one another,” which together is the ONLY commandment of God (a), which are “absolutely-in-fact-NOT burdensome” (b), just as Jesus said in Matthew 11:30 above, “My burden is light [as a feather or clouds driven by wind] to carry.” Christ’s yoke/harness is not a long, heavy bar like you see in some carriages!  Evidently, the teachers of the Law and likely Gentile religions (c) were still “trying to deceive them” (d). So John has to remind them, “you have absolutely-in-fact-NO need that anyone should presently/ongoingly teach you, for as His anointing (e) actually, ongoingly teaches you about ALL things, and is trustworthy, thus is of no lies – just as it has already taught you, meno abide-remain-dwell IN Him” (f). Christians don’t need a book or teachers, only the Holy Spirit to “guide them into ALL truth” (g) as promised in the OT (h). <Notes> a) 1 John 3:23, b) 1 John 5:3, c) both of them “antichrists” who “don’t confess the coming of Christ in the flesh” who are “practicing unrighteousness” and “denying sin”, d) 1 John 1:8, 2:26, 3:7; 2 John 1:7, e) context: Holy Spirit in 1 John 2:20, f) 1 John 2:27, g) Matthew 10:20; Luke 12:12; John 14:26, 16:13, h) Ezekiel 11:19-20, 36:26-27.

 

While Jesus was on earth, He was always defending His ministry to the bible-student scribes and Pharisees, for “it is written in the Prophets (a), ‘And they will be [the ones] ALL taught of/belonging-to God.’  Everyone having akouo listened/heard-to-understand/know para ‘from close beside’ the Father kai and/thus having manthano learned presently/ongoingly comes to Me” (b).  Yes, manthano generally means “increase one’s knowledge, be informed, or hear or learn from” but here in person from God rather than from gramma writings. But what about after Christ ascended?  <Notes> a) Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 31:33-34 the distinction of the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant cited in Hebrew 8:10-11, b) John 6:45.

 

Paul regarding Christians who  “should no longer be walking/living as the Gentiles do . . . because of the agnoeo ignorance (a) that is in them,” because “that is absolutely-in-fact-NOT the way you manthano learned The Christ” (b).  Notice Paul didn’t say “learn about Christ,” which is what you would get from hearing others like himself or reading books.  However, in another letter Paul says there is a place for sharing prophecies, “each in turn” and “letting the allos ‘others of the same/similar kind’ diakrino ‘judge-thru thoroughness’ (c) what was said . . . you can ALL prophesy one by one, so that ALL may presently/ongoingly manthano learn and/coupled ALL be parkaleo encouraged-close-beside” (d).  The Holy Spirit as the close-beside Parakletos “advocate, intercessor, and counsel” thus parkaleo encourages-close-beside the congregation through the prophets.  In context, is is any wonder that Paul said earlier “Now I thelo will-desire-purpose you ALL to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy” (e).  Therefore the allos ‘others of the same/similar kind’ could mean other prophets they should all be, or other Spirit-kind-of people operating in/by/with the grace-gifts of the Spirit, not the agnoeo ignorant (a) and certainly not the idiotes idiot-outsiders that may wander into the church (f).  In another letter, Paul says: Now concerning brotherly-love you have absolutely-in-fact-NO need for [anyone or me] to write to you, for yourselves [are] (i) [the] you-alls theodidaktos taughtofGod (i) to unconditionally-love one another” (j).  This may be referring to the entole officially-decreed, universally-binding commandment to unconditionally-love one another” given to by Christ that some of these Christians may have been fortunate enough to have heard – see Logos Word of God – BT16.  Some scholars believe Paul wrote this 51-52 AD, 19-20 years after Christ’s death, so it’s possible, but Paul’s use of this only-once-occurring word theodidaktos in the NT is saying this is what these Christians are characterized as NOW – people who are NOW taught-of-God. This can must be a reference to the present/ongoing teaching of the Spirit of Christ (k), especially since Paul earlier spoke of the Holy Spirit to these Christians, particularly of its enabling-power during His preaching they witnessed and the joy they experienced of/belonging to the Holy Spirit even in their suffering (l).  Obviously Paul is referencing the same “taught-of-God” that Jesus was in John 6:45 above as prophesied in the OT (m), but here particularly of the Holy Spirit that would dwell in them to do just that (n) after Christ ascended (o). See also Teaching page.

 

<Notes> a) Ephesians 4:18, 1 Corinthians 10:1, 12:1, 14:38, b) Ephesians 4:18-20, c) diakrino: to judge thru-the-realizing-channel-of being thorough, thus to investigate or discriminate thoroughly either rightly by close-reasoning or wrongly by going too far or vacillating back and forth, as determined by the context, d) 1 Corinthians 14:27-31, e) 1 Corinthians 14:5, f) 1 Corinthians 14:16, 23-24, i) theodidaktos is a predicate adjective so the verb [are] is supplied.  In Greek writings the theodidaktos were those who spoke directly with the gods, therefore publishers and interpreters of divine oracles, versed in sacred science, j) 1 Thessalonians 4:9, k) Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19; 1 Peter 1:11; Acts 16:7 l) vv. 1:5-6, 4:8, m) Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 31:33-34 the distinction of the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant cited in Hebrew 8:10-11, n) Matthew 10:20; Luke 12:12; John 14:26, 16:13, o) Ezekiel 11:19-20, 36:26-27

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT13

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Drawing-near conversational-prayer isn’t talking, busyness, or works but peacefully-resting from all of it

 

 

 

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The OT gives a key imperative about prayer: “[I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly become [passive] still (a) before Yahweh and/coupled [I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly become [passive] patiently-waiting for Him” (b) and gives us this amazing promise: “[I strongly urge you to] definitively/wholly become [passive] still (a) kai and/coupled (c) definitively/wholly become [passive] experientially, relationally yada/ginosko knowing that I am God” (d).  Because yada/ginosko knowledge requires a 2-way relationship, we can become passively still forever without any results whatsoever.  Also we can actively try to relationally know God until we are blue in the face without any results – world religions have been trying forever and are no closer to God.  However, yada/ginosko is also passive, and so it implies that both becoming still and/coupled having a relationship with God are something we have to having trusting-relying-faith in God for.  If we do “passively-wait for Him” while “also passively being still” we stand a good change of actually being in a yada/ginosko relationship with God.  The context bears this out:  stop running around with your head cut off about the cares of this world and instead stop, shut up, and just patiently-wait for the Lord to create an amazing relationship WITH you that will save you from your worse fears and cares.  When quieting the storm that caused so much fear among the disciple of “little trusting-relying-faith,” Jesus strongly urged with the imperative: “presently/ongoingly actively siopao Be Silent!  Phimoo Become [passive] Muzzled-Silent!” and “there was a great calm” (e).  We need to be peacefully at rest in order to really know the Lord in order to find peaceful-rest from the threatening-chaos of the world. <Notes> a) raphah, scholazo: take a vacation from your work, relax, rest, quiet yourself, b) Psalms 37:7, c) kai can have many other meaning than “and-coupled or and-related” like “still, besides, also, moreover, likewise, even, indeed, namely, specifically, d) Psalms 46:10, e) Mark 4:39.

 

That’s why Jesus taught, “Come To Me, all who labor/work/toil and/coupled overburdened [a], and I will give you peaceful-rest/ease/repose. Take My yoke (b) upon you, and manthano learn from Me (c) for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and [then] you will find peaceful-rest for your souls, for My yoke [is] easy (d) and My burden (load) is presently/ongoingly actually light (e)” (f).  He said this right after v. 11:25 “these things” or v. 13:11 “secrets of the kingdom” (g) remain “hidden from the ‘wise and understanding’” (h) but are “revealed to little children.” <Notes> a) context: with the load of the Law’s commandments: Luke 11:46, b) training harness, c) manthano:  “increase one’s knowledge, be informed, or hear or learn from” but here in person rather than from books, cf. ‘learned from the Father’ to be ‘taught by God’  per John 6:45, ‘learned Christ’ per Ephesians 4:20, learning by prophecy per 1 Corinthians 14:31, d) manageable, mild, pleasant, kind, e) in weight, thus easy to carry, f) Matthew 11:28-30, g) Luke 8:10, h) context: the Jewish experts of the scripture or Gentiles of philosophical writings.

 

The writer of Hebrews to Jewish-Christians being tempted to go back to the Law of commandments for their security, wrote: “the promise of entering God’s peaceful-rest (a) still stands” (b), “for we who have had trusting-relying-faith [in Christ] enter that peaceful-rest” (c), “so then, there remains a Sabbath Rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s peaceful-rest has also rested from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore strive to enter that peaceful-rest” (d). <Notes> a) from His work on the 7th day of creation: Hebrews 3:11, 4:4, 10, b) v. 4:1, c) v. 4:3, d) v. 11.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT12

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer includes calling or crying out for God Himself not just His stuff

 

 

 

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See Conversational-Prayer – BT4 for seeking God Himself and not just His stuff or help.

 

In this kind of proseuche conversational-prayer we can indeed humbly “call on the Lord.”  Paul promises in Romans 10:12-14, “Everyone who calls on the name/person/authority of the Lord [Jesus] shall actually be saved . . . bestowing His riches on all who call on Him,” but then Paul asks, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not had trusting-relying-faith in?”  Paul tells Timothy to “De and-now flee youthful passions de but-instead-now pursue righteousness (a), trusting-relying-faith, unconditional-love, [and] peace (b) along with those who call on the Lord from a katharos pure (c) heart” (d).  Psalms 116:17 says, “I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and/coupled call on the name/person/authority of the Lord.” <Notes> a) context: right-living, thus sanctification/holiness. Notice how this is associated with trusting-relying-faith, b) context: harmony with others.  Notice how this is associated with unconditional-love, c) katharos:  purged, clean, pure, unmixed – similar to hagios holy, d) 2 Timothy 2:22.

 

“Calling on the name/person/authority of the Lord” is a Jewish idiom (a) equated with “Calling on/to the Lord” Himself (b) that carries a great promise: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in/by/with truth [i.e., sincerely]” (c), “so let us presently/ongoingly proserchomai ‘towards coming-from-one-place-to-another drawing-near’ with a true [sincere] heart in full assurance of trusting-relying-faith” (d).  We saw that “calling on the Lord from a katharos pure-unmixed heart” in 2 Timothy 2:22 above, for “blessed are the katharos pure-unmixed in heart, because they shall horao ‘observe, perceive, discern’ God” (e). <Notes> a) Genesis 12:8, 21:33; Psalms 105:1, 116:4, 13, 17; Joel 2:32; Zephaniah 3:9, 13:9, b) Psalms 99:6, 118:5; Judges 16:28; 2 Kings 20:11; 1 Chronicles 21:26, c) Psalms 145:18, d) Hebrews 10:22, e) Matthew 5:8.

 

“Crying out to the Lord for us” is the proseuche conversational-prayer Moses did for Israel (a). It is equated with “calling upon the Lord” above in 2 Samuel 22:7, “I called upon the Lord . . . He heard my voice, and my cry came to His ears.” It’s equated to proseuche conversational-prayer by the psalmists: “attend to my cry, give ear to my proseuche conversational-prayer” (b), and “hear my proseuche conversational-prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you” (c), and “Have regard to the proseuche conversational-prayer . . . and to his deesis supplication-prayer, O Lord… listening to the cry and to the proseuche conversational-prayer …who proseuchomai conversationally-prays before you” (d).  It is associated with waiting-patiently (see a BLOG below): “I waited-patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry” (e). This ‘crying’ is in the morning, noon, even all day and night (f).  We see Jesus listening to a Canaanite woman who cried out to Him (g) and the blind man that Jesus healed (h) and say, “will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?” (i).  Paul says, “because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, by whom we cry ‘Daddy, Father’” (j). <Notes> a) Exodus 14:15, b) Psalms 17:1, c) Psalms 102:1, d) 1 Kings 8:28 and 2 Chronicles 6:19, e) Psalms 40:1, f) Psalms 22:2, 86:3, 88:1; Lamentations 2:19; Jeremiah 20:16, g) Matthew 15:22-23, h) Mark 10:47, i) Luke 18:7, j) Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6.

 

Therefore, in proseuche conversational-prayer we can indeed wholeheartedly “cry out to the Lord” for mercy, rescue, and with our deesis supplication-prayers, just what Israel asked Samuel to never stop doing for them (a).  Samuel said:  “Gather the elders and land’s inhabitants to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord” (b).  Job realizes that unfortunately man waits until they are at the end of their ropes: “Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out; they call for help” (c).  Hosea accuses the Jews:  “Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! . . . They do not cry to Me from the heart, but they wail while lying in their beds (d)” (e).  David sings “Be merciful to Me, O God…I will take refuge . . . I cry out to God Most High, . . . He will send from heaven and save me . . . God will send out His steadfast unconditional-love and His faithfulness.” He also says, “O Lord, God of My salvation, I cry out day and night before You” (g), and “With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord” (h), and again: “But I, O Yahweh, cry to You; in the morning my proseuche conversational-prayer comes before you” (i), and again:  “Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord” (j), and finally: “In my distress I called upon Yahweh; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears” (k). Can you see why God favored David?  Lamentations says, “Arise, cry out in the night, … pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!  Lift your hands to Him” (l).  Jesus asks: “Will not God give justice to His elect [people], who cry to Him day and night? (m)? <Notes> a) 1 Samuel 7:8, b) Joel 1:14, c) Job 35:9, d) this is a euphemism: yelling out ‘O, God’ during intercourse, just as people often do today, e) Hosea 7:13-14, f) Psalms 57:1-3, g) Psalms 88:1, h) Psalms 142:1, i) Psalms 88:13, j) Psalms 130:1, k) Psalms 18:6, l) Lamentations 2:19 , m) Luke 18:7.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT11

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer includes more child-like confidence but also humility and thankfulness

 

 

 

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Proseuche conversational-prayer is also more like the Greek noun enteuxis, meaning “an attitude of child-like confidence, trust, boldness, and free approach to God that can then boldly intercede for others,” but it’s used only 2 times in the NT:  The OT dietary Laws and Traditions of the Elders were unnecessary because “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with eucharistia thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the gospel logos message of God and [also] by enteuxis confident-approaching-prayer” (a).  Paul also tells Timothy “[I strongly-urge-you] that deesis supplication, proseuche conversational-prayers, enteuxis confident-approaching-intercessions, [and] eucharistia thanksgiving be made on-behalf-of all people, for kings and those in high positions, that we may lead a eremos ‘undisturbed, placid, tranquil, composed’ and/coupled hesuchios ‘still, quiet, calm, steady, settled’ life” (b). Notice again that the monologue of deesis supplication is distinct from proseuche conversational-prayer, intercession, and thanksgiving? How easily we confuse them because so often our English bibles don’t differentiate them! <Notes> a) 1 Timothy 4:4-5, b) 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

 

Proseuche conversational-prayer is also more like the Greek noun hiketeria, meaning “an attitude of lowliness/humility or self-deprecation when approaching God for favor, as with holding out an ‘olive branch’ to signal an approach for supplication,” used only 1 time in the NT:  During Christ’s life, He offered both deesis supplications and/coupled hiketeria ‘lowly/humble requests for favor’ with loud crying and/coupled tears to the One [Father-God] who was able to save Him from death and/coupled having been deeply-heard because of His eulabeia ‘reverently-grabbing of what is good, thus devout caution,’ even though being a Son, He learned this hupakoesurrender to what is akouo heard/listened-to-understand/know from the things He suffered (a). We, too, can be “deeply-heard because of our eulabeia ‘reverently-grabbing of what is good, thus devout caution’ in our lowly-approach to God for favor. <Notes> a) Hebrews 5:7-8, b) Philippians 2:8, c) Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11, 18:14, d) Matthew 18:4.

 

Other words for lowering/humility are the noun/verb tapeinos/tapeinoo of Jesus “tapeinoo lowered/humbled Himself by becoming submissively-obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (b). Thus Jesus taught that “whoever tapeinoo lowers/humbles himself will be exalted” (c) and similarly that “whoever tapeinoo lowers/humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (d). James groups the phrases “God gives unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace to the tapeinos lowly/humble” and “hupotasso ‘assign, put in order/appoint under as with a ‘military’ post/duties’ yourselves therefore to God” and “tapeinoo lower/humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” and associates all this to “eggizodraw extremely close’ to God kai and/then He will eggizodraw extremely close’ to  you” (e).  <Notes> a) Hebrews 5:7-8, b) Philippians 2:8, c) Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11, 18:14, d) Matthew 18:4, e) James 4:6-10.

 

Proseuche conversational-prayer is also more like the Greek noun eucharistia, meaning “an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness expressed chiefly through prayer,” used only 15 times in the NT:  In Paul’s final instructions to the Colossians, he strongly urges them to “be presently/ongoingly proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted-toward (a) proseuche conversational-prayer, routinely gregoreo vigilantly-watching (b) in it with with eucharistia thanksgiving” (c). We saw above that Paul tells Timothy “[I strongly-urge-you] that deesis supplication, proseuche conversational-prayers, enteuxis confident-approaching-intercessions, [and] eucharistia thanksgiving be made on-behalf-of all people, for kings and those in high positions, that we may lead a eremos ‘undisturbed, placid, tranquil, composed’ and/coupled hesuchios ‘still, quiet, calm, steady, settled’ life” (d). Also to Timothy that the OT dietary Laws and Traditions of the Elders were unnecessary because “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with eucharistia thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the gospel logos message of God and [also] by enteuxis confident-approaching-prayer” (e). <Notes> a) proskartereo:  “pros towards-and-interacting-with plus kartereo ‘showing of steadfast strength,’ thus to consistently show strength that prevails in spite of difficulties, thus to endure and stay in a fixed direction, continuing to do something with intense effort despite difficulty, and so be persistently-relationally-devoted-to,” b) watching in prayer is the topic of another BLOG, c) Colossians 4:2, d) 1 Timothy 2:1-2, e) 1 Timothy 4:4-5.

 

Furthermore Paul says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in Him and established in The Trusting-Relying-Faith, just as you were taught, abounding in eucharistia thanksgiving” (a).  So Paul strong urges us to:  “Be anxious about nothing but through proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer [both together] with eucharistia thanksgiving, let your aitema specific-subordinately-asked-petitions be made gnorizo experientially, relationally known to God” (b).  Can you see how many forms of prayer can occur together?  Concerning un-interpreted tongues in public services, Paul writes: “If you are praising God by the means of the Spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed (ignorant) say ‘Amen’ at your eucharistia thanksgiving [that tongues must contain] since he does absolutely-in-fact-NOT eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know what you say” (c) – see The Grace-Gifts of Tongues & Interpretation?  Paul says that those who sow the seed of the gospel logos message are enriching the Corinthian Christians in every way so they call also all be generous to others, especially in their giving, which produces dia thru-the-realizing-channel of us eucharistia thanksgiving to God (d).  Paul exhorts Christians to “be imitators of God . . . and/coupled walk-all-around/live in/by/with unconditional-love . . . [I strongly urge you to] absolutely-in-fact-NOT even let be named among you . . . filthiness and/coupled foolish-talking or crude-joking which are absolutely-in-fact-NOT fitting [for saints] but-instead rather eucharistia thanksgiving” (e). <Notes> a) Colossians 2:6-7, b) Philippians 4:6, c) 1 Corinthians 14:16, d) 2 Corinthians 9:11, e) Ephesians 5:1-4.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT10

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Drawing-near, conversational-prayer can include asking, seeking, and knocking but especially to delight IN God Himself not just His stuff

 

 

 

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See also Conversational-Prayer – BT4 for seeking God Himself and not just His stuff or help.

 

In the OT, Isaiah 58:2 says: “MY people . . . they zeteo diligently-seek (a) delight to daath prophetically or ginosko experientially, relationally know My ways, . . . they ask Me to make just decrees of judgment; they delight to draw near to God.” In Proverbs 8:17, Wisdom personified says, “I unconditionally-love those who unconditionally-love Me, and those who shachar/zeteo ‘look/seek early or diligently for’ me will matsa/heurisko ‘find or attain to/find what was sought after’ Me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 says to the Jewish exiles: “For I yada/logizomai ‘experentially, relationally know or logically/reasonably account/reckon’ the plans I have for you, declares Yahweh, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and/coupled proseuchomai conversationally-pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will-definitively (b) ekzeteo diligently-seek-out (c) Me and/coupled find Me, when you (d) ekzeteo diligently-seek-out (c) Me with your holos whole heart.”  Amos 5:4 says, “[I strongly urge you to] ekzeteo diligently-seek-out (c) Me and [you] shall actually zoe genuinely-live.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 says, “If you (d) ekzeteo diligently-seek-out (c) Him, He shall actually be found by you.”  2 Chronicles 7:14 speaks of “baqash/zeteo (a) ‘seeking to find or diligently-seeking’ My face” and likewise Daniel 9:3 says: “turning/set my face to the Lord God, baqash/zeteo (a) ‘seeking to find or diligently-seeking’ Him by tephillah/proseuche conversational-prayer and deesis supplications with fasting (e) . . . I proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to the Lord,” and Lamentations 3:25-26 says: “the Lord is good to those who wait for Him, . . . who darash (c)/zeteo (a) diligently-seeks Him.  It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  None of this is casual once-in-a-while ‘in a pinch’ proseuchomai conversationally-praying – see also Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16 for the relentless of trusting-relying-faith.

 

<Notes> a) zeteo:  searching diligently in order to find, investigate, desire/crave, aim/strive after, b) perfect tense: definitively, c) ek + zeteo for the Hebrew darash: search out diligently in order to find, investigate, desire/crave, aim/strive after – another Hebraism throughout the OT for diligent worship in order to find God, d) imperfect tense: continually/routinely, e) although fasting is often associated to prayer in the OT, nowhere is it commanded.  The actual NT uses are very infrequent of the earliest Jewish-Christians still struggling to let go of OT “traditions of the elders” and many occurrences are later additions by Catholic Monks under the legalism the Catholic Church brought back in after 225 AD that Origen significantly started.

 

In Christ’s model of how to proseuchomai conversationally-pray in Matthew 6:5-13 and Luke 11:2-4, He uses many illustrations in context to emphasize us “presently/ongoingly aiteo subordinately-asking (a) UNTIL we receive, presently/ongoingly zeteo diligently-seeking (b) UNTIL we find, and presently/ongoingly knocking UNTIL the door is opened.”  A.S.K. – Ask, Seek, Knock. These are actions of trusting-relying-faith that persist UNTIL they get results as Jesus illustrates in several stories (c) – see also Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16 for the relentless of trusting-relying-faith, like a little child trying to get into the cookie jar – see Least Among You – BT12. <Notes> a) aiteo: from a subordinate position to willfully request/call out for/petition, beg, require/desire/crave, b) zeteo: search diligently in order to find, investigate, desire/crave, aim/strive after, c) Luke 11:5-8, 18:1-8.

 

This has nothing to do with asking for our physical needs or wants to be met!  In Matthew 6:19-33 context, Jesus said we aren’t supposed to be “laying up for ourselves treasures on earth . . . but in heaven . . . for where our treasures are, what our ‘eye’ is on, reveals where our hearts really are . . . for you cannot serve 2 masters . . . God and money. Therefore, do not be anxious about your life – what you will eat or drink or . . . clothing.” Nor should we be about “zeteo diligently-seeking after all these THINGS as the Gentiles do, for you heavenly Father already knows that you need them, but presently/ongoingly zeteo diligently-seek foremost the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and these [other] THINGS [then physically require to survive] will be given to you as well.”  But God doesn’t promise anything more here than your basic needs.  Therefore Jesus warns about our asking:  “Don’t heap up empty phrases and . . . many repeating words, like the nations/people do, thinking they will be heard, for your Father already knows what you need before you aiteo subordinately-ask Him” (a).” Instead, Paul says in Romans 8:5, to be “setting your minds on the things of the Spirit (b) instead of the things of the flesh in order to live down-from/according-to the Spirit.”  Much of the ‘name-it-and-claim-it Faith Movement’ is a disguise for “setting your minds on things of the flesh.” <Notes> a) Matthew 6:7-8, b) desires of the Spirit: Galatians 5:17.

 

The real purpose of Christ’s discourse on persistent “asking, seeking, knocking” (A.S.K.) is expressed in His Prayer Model’s thesis recap, as every good teacher leaves their audience with, in Luke 11:13 about routinely-asking for “the good grace-gifts . . . giving the Holy Spirit to those who routinely aiteo subordinately-asks Him,” or in the parallel account in Matthew 7:11 that good Father “give the good things to those who routinely aiteo subordinately-asks Him.” For us to get this grace-gift of the Spirit, let alone the Spirit’s “good things or grace-gifts,” Jesus has to “erotao entreat the Father to give us another [other than Jesus] Parakletos (a) to be with us forever” (b), who is the Holy Spirit. This is “The promised grace-gift” that keeps on giving – the actual dunamis dynamite-like enabling-power of the “kingdom of God to come and His will to be done on earth as it already is in heaven” that was Christ’s thesis statement we should pray for (c). Also, Christ isn’t teaching unbelievers to get the indwelling Holy Spirit once and for all at their conversion, but teaching Christians throughout time, who will already have the deposit of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, to make it a routine lifestyle of aiteo subordinate-asking for the Holy Spirit!  This is how they will “presently/ongoingly zeteo diligently-seek foremost the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (d). God’s “kingdom and righteousness” have nothing to do with a list of commandments to do for God, regardless of how many sermons you’ve heard about this, but seeking The Holy Spirit’s kingly-reigning enabling-power of Jesus, the Kingly Righteous One (e)!  The Lord told me that one night on a long prayer walk – It’s 2 “Who’s to know,” and not 2 “What’s to do.”  <Notes> a) ‘Close-beside’ caller, summoner, or inviter; helper, succorer, or assistant; encouraging teacher, counselor, comforter, or consoler; defense-attorney, judicial-advocate, or court-intercessor, b) John 14:16, c) Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2, d) Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31, e) “the Righteous One” per Acts 3:14, 7:52, 22:14; see also “the Lord our righteousness” per Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16.

 

This is relentless “pauo unceasing proseuchomai conversationally-praying” or routine “present/ongoing having of trusting-relying-faith that you will lambano ‘grab hold of to receive’ what you are proseuchomai conversationally-praying for” (a), “by trusting-relying-faith without doubting” so should be for “wisdom instead of things to satisfy your own passions” (b). Jesus doesn’t teach us to go on and on “as the Gentiles do, heaping up empty phrases, thinking they will be heard for their many words” or even about “giving us this day our daily bread,” but says “do not be like them, for your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him” (c). In fact, proseuchomai conversationally-praying for “our daily bread” may not only be for our physical needs, but for “Christ, the bread of zoe genuine-life” (d) or possibly even for “the bread that man can live on alone – every directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word from the mouth of God” (e), because as Christ says: “My directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words are Spirit and zoe genuine-life” (f), for certainly our “hunger and thirst” should be for “righteousness to be satisfied” (f) by “coming to Me, the bread of zoe genuine-life . . . having trusting-relying-faith in Me” so we can “not hunger and never thirst” (g). <Notes> a) Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; Colossians 1:9, b) James 1:5-6, c) Matthew 6:7-8, 11; Luke 11:3, d) John 6:32-38, 50-51, 55-58, e) Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4, citing Deuteronomy 8:3, f) Matthew 5:6, g) John 6:35.

 

Instead of praying for stuff, Paul’s team ceaselessly prayed for Christians to “be filled [to completion] by the genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of God’s will by the means of all Spirit-kind-of (a) wisdom and/coupled sunesis ‘connect-the-dots’ understanding (b) – this isn’t comprehension of bible gnosis info-knowledge but “’connecting the dots’ insight from discernment of the Spirit” (c). That’s why Jesus’ final teaching on proseuchomai conversationally-praying is to “routinely ask for the good grace-gift of the Holy Spirit” as the enabling-power to accomplish our proseuchomai conversationally-praying for God’s “kingdom to come and will to be done” (d).  Part of that kingdom is “asking God to forgive our sins/debts (e) as we also forgive others theirs (f), and/coupled being delivered from the evil [of sin and unforgiveness] instead of being tested by it to prove our genuineness” (g). <Notes> a) genitive adjective of pneuma, b) Colossians 1:9, c) 1 Corinthians 2:14, d) Matthew 7:7-8, 11; Luke 11:9-13, e) to cleanse us from all unrighteousness: 1 John 1:9, f) Matthew 5:23-24, 6:14-15, even our enemies: Matthew 5:44, lest we stand as “the judge” over others with this “log in our own eye” per Matthew 7:1-15, g) Matthew 6:12-13; Luke 11:4.

 

How much “watching and listening/hearing” should we do compared to supplication? Paul clarifies in Ephesians 6:18, “routinely be proseuchomai conversationally-praying in pas all-kinds-of kairos ‘suitable, right, seasonable, opportune seasons/occasions’ by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit and/coupled eis ‘toward and reaching the goal of’ this, be routinely agrupneo vigilantly-watching by-the-means-of all proskarteresis devoted-relational-perseverance and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer for all the saints.”

 

Proseuchomai conversationally-praying by trusting-relying-faith” is eido “mentally ‘seeing’ to perceive/know that God hears us” (a), addressing “the Father in Christ’s name/person/authority” (b), even trusting that we have already received it (c), confident that Jesus “will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (d), especially since Jesus doesn’t have to erotao entreat our aiteo subordinate-askings to the Father for us (e). However, Jesus says we must “meno ‘remain-connect-to or co-habitate’ in Me and/coupled My directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words meno ‘remain-connect-to or co-habitate’ in you” (f) for us to be confident about receiving from God. This absolutely doesn’t mean stuffing ourselves with bible verses (g), as I was taught for so many years. It’s means akouo hearing/listening-to-understand/know Jesus through proseuche conversational-prayer!   Then we can have trusting-relying-faith that “God can do far more abundantly than we can ask or even imagine, kata down-from/according-to the dunamis dynamite-like enabling-power at work within us (h). 1 John 3:22-23 tells us we can have this confidence when we are “tereo ‘carefully watching/guarding to maintain’ God’s entole ‘universally-binding, officially-decreed commandments’ and/coupled doing those things that are pleasing to Him, and this is His [singular, compound] commandment: that we presently/ongoingly have trusting-relying-faith in the name/person/authority of His Son Jesus Christ and/coupled unconditionally-love one another, just as He [Christ] has already given us [singular] commandment” – see Only 2 Commandments. Also, proseuchomai conversationally-praying “in agreement” with others is very effective (i). <Notes> a) 1 John 5:14-15, b) John 15:16, 16:23, 24, 26, c) Mark 11:24; later, less reliable texts have “are asking for,” d) John 14:13, e) John 16:23-26, f) John 15:7, g) logos messages buried in 2000-3500 year old gramma writings compiled hundreds of years later by mere men into graphe scripture, h) Ephesians 3:20, i) Matthew 18:19.

 

Proseuche conversational-prayer also comes with a reward. We know Jesus said in His Prayer model to proseuchomai conversationally-pray privately in secret, not for show, and “your Father who sees in secret will apodidomi ‘give back from what you gave, thus return as payment to’ you” (a). Hebrews 11:6 says, “Whoever would routinely proserchomai draw near to God must have trusting-relying-faith that He presently/ongoingly exists and/coupled [that] He is a misthapodotes ‘rewarder, paying what is of due value’ to those who routinely ekzeteo diligently seek-out (b) Him.” <Notes> a) Matthew 6:4-6, 18, b) ek out-from + zeteo:  search out diligently in order to find, investigate, desire/crave, aim/strive after – yet another Hebraism for worship.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT9

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What drawing-near, conversational-prayer is mostly NOT

 

 

 

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How do we get wisdom, understanding, and revelation from the Holy Spirit? By doing what Paul and others did – being devoted to proseuche conversational-prayer!  This is really the only way we can personally “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our trusting-relying-faith” (a) and skopeo “fix our attention’ on the unseen things” of heaven in order to “not lose heart” (b). This focus of proseuche conversational-prayer is the essence of trusting-relying-faith and hope, keeping our eyes forward and not looking back, as Lot’s wife did upon Sodom and Gomorrah as God was destroying them, turning her into a pillar of salt (c). <Notes> a) Hebrews 12:2, b) 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, c) Genesis 19:26.

 

But what exactly is proseuche conversational-prayer? It’s really sad that so many English translations treat all the many completely-different-in-kind Greek words for our conversation with God practically the same by lumping them into the words “prayer” or “pray.”  However, some words focus on man, others on God – some on the monologue of our speaking TO God, but many more on the dialogue of God speaking WITH us. Now we’ll explore the ‘monologue’ words!

 

The main word used for a monologue TO God is deesis “supplication in which we make our personal requests or petitions of need to God.” For many Christians and churches, that’s all prayer turns out to be!  The NT uses the word 18 times for supplication to God so we won’t be “anxious about anything but also with eucharistia thanksgiving, by offering our aitema petitions to God” (a), just as Jesus did with “loud cries and tears,” and us doing so even by the means of the Spirit. According to the NT, this supplication should include:  remembering/interceding for other Christians for deliverance and healing, for Israel’s peace and salvation, and for “all people, including rulers and all those in authority for peaceful lives in godliness and honesty” (b), especially because “the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears open to their supplication” (c). And the NT says Christians are “the righteous, who are filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ,” because of living by trusting-relying-faith in Jesus Christ, the only Holy and Righteous One (d), thus ending and abolishing the Law that defined righteousness (e). <Notes> a) Philippians 4:6, b) 1 Timothy 2:1-2, c) 1 Peter 3:12 citing Psalms 34:15 “their cry”, d) Acts 3:14, 7:52, 22:14; Romans 1:17, 3:22, 5:17-19, 10:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 2:20, 3:11; Philippians 1:11, 3:9; Hebrews 10:38; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Peter 1:1; 1 John 2:1, e) Romans 10:4; Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 7:18, 8:13.

 

The Greek word deomai is the verb form of deesis above, meaning “to want out of lack, to desire or long for out of need, to entreat, plead or beg for, thus to supplicate out of recognized need,” used only 9 times concerning prayer. Christians are to entreat God to send out workers into His harvest (a), and at all times being watchfully-alert and/coupled entreating God to have strength to escape the judgments to come (b) – we will see in a later BLOG about “watching in prayer.”  Deomai is also used of Christ’s supplicating for Peter’s trusting-relying-faith not to fail” (c) and Peter telling Simon the magician to repent/turn-to and/coupled plead/beg the Lord to forgive his attempt to buy the Holy Spirit’s enabling-power (d) – can you see the need to surrender-control in prayer?  It is used of Cornelius, a God-fearing man, who supplicated to God regularly (e) and of Paul’s pleading/begging to God to visit the Roman church (f), like Paul’s team pleading/begging God night and day to see the Thessalonian church in person (g).  We may not even know it’s the will of God but out of our great need, we are hoping it is, like the Christians who pleaded/begged to God for boldness to preach the gospel logos message and found out it was God’s will because they were then Spirit-baptized with enabling-power to do what they just prayed for (h).  Many deesis/deomai prayers are NOT answered because the person’s monologue excluded finding out from God whether it’s even His will what they are praying for, because that takes the dialogue of proseuche conversational-prayer.  Monologue-type prayer can really be ‘hit or miss’ and unanswered prayers of this type discourage many people from praying! <Notes> a) Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2, b) Luke 21:36, c) Luke 22:32, d) Acts 8:22- 24, e) Acts 10:2, f) Romans 1:10, g) 1 Thessalonians 3:10, h) Acts 4:31.

 

Another Greek verb erotao is used to mean: “to form a question, ask, request, entreat, or even beg” as often used concerning supplication.  It is used only 5 times in the NT:  of Jesus “entreating the Father to send the Holy Spirit” (a), of Jesus “entreating the Father to NOT take His disciples out of the world” (b), and of Jesus “entreating NOT only on their behalf but also on the behalf of all those who will have trusting-relying-faith” (c).  Once again you can see that Jesus had that questioning, subservient attitude of “Not My will but Thy will be done” (d), but there is a confident-assuredness implied that this is the will of God.  Erotao is also used of a Christian’s confident-requests of the Father in Christ’s name/authority – there’s the source of our confidence – that are answered directly by the Father, not as a request by Jesus to the Father in our behalf (e) that is another kind of prayer called intercession.  Note this is somewhat synonymous with aiteo below:  Christians can certainly aiteo ‘subordinately ask/petition’ God to grant zoe genuine-life to another Christian found in sin as long as it isn’t currently life-threatening (f), but John isn’t telling them to eroteo entreat God concerning life-threatening sin (g) (h).  Again, it seems that eroteo has more confident-assuredness than aiteo subordinate-asking. <Notes> a) John 14:16, b) John 17:15, c) John 17:20, d) Luke 22:42, cf. John 5:30, 6:38, e) John 16:23-26, f) in other words, you have time to ongoingly ‘aiteo ask’ for deliverance from their sin, g) it’s time to act, for you to help, not go home to ‘aiteo ask’ God to help, h) 1 John 5:16.

 

However, the Greek noun euche by itself has much less ‘confident-assuredness’ because it means “a wish expressed as a petition to God” but in James 5:15 the euche wish-petition of/belonging-to The-Trusting-Relying-Faith would eliminate any such doubt, and this would heal the sick.  However, it can also mean “a vow that obligates oneself” as in Acts 18:18, 21:23.  When the prefix pros meaning “towards and interacting with another, or before another in time or place, even of bending or lying prostrate before” is added to euche to create proseuche, the meaning is thus greatly intensified and expanded, which we will talk about in the next BLOG, but you can still see the surrendering-control aspect to God we see both in euche and proseuche.

 

The Greek verb from of euche is euchomai, meaning “to wish, will, or wish-petition,” used only 5 times in the NT:  of Paul’s shipmates lost in a storm at night where they dragged 4 anchors from their ship fearing that they would run aground into the rocks, wish-petitioning for the day to come [to be able to see the rocks]” (a).  It’s used of Paul wish-petitioning that the Corinthian church wouldn’t do wrong but instead what is right, being strong, and thus restored (b).  It’s used of John wish-petitioning for his friend Gaius that all will go well with him, for good health, even with his soul (c).  It’s used of Paul defending himself before King Agrippa concerning his gospel of bodily resurrection, a doctrine that the Jewish king should agree with, so he isn’t embarrassed to preach this truth of Christ’s resurrection and for the king to be a Christian whether in a short or long time.  In fact, he wish-petitions to God that ALL who were hearing him that day would become like him, except for these chains (d). Based on its limited usage, and the element of doubt because it’s so difficult to have trusting-relying-faith about it as in James 5:15 above for euche, maybe a bulk of our praying should be more than just wish-petitioning? <Notes> a) Acts 27:29, b) 2 Corinthians 13:7, 9, c) 3 John 2, d) Acts 26:29.

 

The Greek noun form of aiteo below is aitema and thus refers to “a specificpetition or request for a specific thing, either of God or man, but from a subordinate position,” used only 3 times in the NT:  The Jews’ specific-subordinately-asked-petition of Pilate to crucify Christ (a), and of Paul encouraging Christians: “Be anxious about nothing but through proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer [both together] with eucharistia thanksgiving, let your specific-subordinately-asked-petitions be made gnorizo experientially, relationally known to God” (b) – yes, there is a place of monologue within dialogue as long as it is in kononia relationship with God.  Finally, John tells us that “This is the confidence that we have toward God:  If we should aiteo subordinately-ask anything kata down-from/according-to His will, [then] He presently/ongoingly akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know us, and/coupled then-if we eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know that He akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know us, [then] if whatever we might aiteo subordinately-ask, [then] we have already [with ongoing results] eido mentally ‘seen’ to perceive/know that we echo hold-to-have those aitema specificpetitions that we have already [with ongoing results] aiteo subordinately-asked from Him” (c).  But that’s the trick isn’t it – you have to know beyond a shadow of doubt that your aitema specific-subordinately-asked-petitions are “down-from/according-to His will” or you “must in-possibility-NOT suppose that he will lambano ‘grab hold of to receive’ anything from the Lord” (d).  But how are you going to know this unless you akouo hear-to-understand/know from the Lord His will in proseuche conversational-prayer – see also New Covenant Ways – BT16.  Without this, much of our aiteo subordinate-asking isn’t being answered by God because we are so self-centered in our asking (e). <Notes> a) Luke 23:24, b) Philippians 4:6, c) 1 John 5:14-15, d) James 1:6-8, cf. Matthew 21:21, e) James 4:2-3.

 

Now the most common word for petitioning is the Greek verb aiteo, meaning “to ask or petition from a subordinate position, to willfully crave, call or cry out for, require or demand, or beg for?” It’s used in the NT only 27 times:  of Christians strongly-urged to ongoingly be subordinately-asking the-one-routinely-giving-God for wisdom, but subordinately-asking in/by/with trusting-relying-faith thus without doubting, and “it shall actually be given to him kai and/because” this “one-routinely-giving-God’ does so “to ALL generously and/coupled in-possibility-NOT finding fault” (a).  “The subordinately-asking for wisdom” is one of the few explicitly-stated prayers that God will always answer – that’s exactly what Solomon did and “it pleased the Lord that Solomon had shaal/aiteo subordinately-asked this, saying ‘Because you have asked THIS . . . behold I now do according to your dabar/rhema directly-spoken-words, behold I give you a wise and discerning mind greater than all before or after you.  I give you also what you have not shaal/aiteo subordinately-asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king king shall compare with you in all your days’ ” (b).  Solomon didn’t fall into the asking-trap James warns of: “you presently/ongoingly are absolutely-in-fact-NOT echo ‘holding to have’ because you presently/ongoingly are in-possibility-NOT subordinately-asking,” and “if you are presently/ongoingly subordinately-asking kai then you absolutely-in-fact-NOT presently/ongoingly lambano ‘grabbing hold of to receive’ because you wrongly are presently/ongoingly subordinately-asking in order that you might ‘spend or squander’ in/by/with your-own passions” (c).  If Solomon would have asked for the other things that God gave to him, he would have got nothing. The whole ‘name it and claim it faith movement’ is bogus! <Notes> a) James 1:5-6, b) 1 Kings 3:5, 7-13, c) James 4:2-3.

 

Nevertheless, aiteo is used of subordinately-asking the Father directly in Christ’s name/authority to lambano ‘grabbing hold of to receive’ (a) or “directly subordinately-asking Jesus in His name/authority” (b), but do you really want to involve Christ’s authority in something that’s not God’s will?  We already saw above that John says we can only have confidence before God:  “This is the confidence that we have toward God:  If we should aiteo subordinately-ask anything kata down-from/according-to His will, [then] He presently/ongoingly akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know us, and/coupled then-if we eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know that He akouo listens/hears-to-understand/know us, [then] if whatever we might aiteo subordinately-ask, [then] we have already [with ongoing results] eido mentally ‘seen’ to perceive/know that we echo hold-to-have those aitema specificpetitions that we have already [with ongoing results] aiteo subordinately-asked from Him” (c).  The question really is whether we have that eido prophetic-visionary knowledge from God?   Martha had this kind of confidence by involving Christ in the possible raising of her brother Lazarus from the dead:  “Even now I eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know that whatever you subordinately-ask from God, God will give you” (d).  John also gives us this confidence:  “If whatever we might be presently/ongoingly aiteo subordinately-asking [then] we presently/ongoingly actually are lambano ‘grabbing hold of to receive’ from Him [only] because we presently/ongoingly actually are tereo carefully-watching/guarding-to-maintain The Entole ‘officially-decreed, universally-binding commandments’ of Him (e) and/coupled we presently/ongoingly poieo do to make occur’ the things pleasing before Him” (f).  It’s that simple! <Notes> a) John 16:23, 24, 26, 15:16, b) John 14:13-14, c) 1 John 5:14-15, d) John 11:22, e) there are only 2 commandments in context, integrated into 1, per v. 3:23, of trusting-relying-faith and/coupled unconditional-loving, f) 1 John 3:22.

 

Jesus preached the same confidence: “Whatever we might definitively/wholly subordinately-ask by-the-means-of proseuchomai conversationally-praying, [if] we routinely have trusting-relying-faith, then we shall actually lambano ‘grab hold of to receive’ it” (a).  Christ only gives us this confidence if:  “you meno abide/remain/live in Me and/coupled My directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words (b) meno abide/remain/live in you” (c).  If we have the same goal as Christ does:  “I chose you and/coupled appointed you that you should go and/coupled bear fruit and/coupled that your fruit should meno abide/remain/live” then we can also have this confidence: “so whatever you might definitively/wholly subordinately-ask the Father in My name/authority, [then] He might definitively/wholly give it to you” (d).  There’s also enabling-power in numbers, just as the evidence of 2-3 witnesses are needed for just judgments (e), when 2-3 Christians are gathered in Christ’s name/authority insuring Christ’s presence so that if even if two sumphoneo ‘agree harmoniously together like a symphony’ about-about any matter, if they definitively/wholly subordinately-ask [then] it shall actually ginomai ‘come into being or birthed’ for them para from-close-beside My Father, the [One] in [singular] Heavens” (f). <Notes> a) Matthew 21:22; cf. Mark 11:24, b) these are not written logos messages, even of the gospel, and definitely not graphe OT scripture of gramma writings that can only produce gnosis informational-knowledge of the bible, c) John 15:7, d) John 15:16, e) Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15; Hebrews 10:28; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19, f) Matthew 18:19.

 

In ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ model follow-up teaching about prayer, Jesus strongly urges using the imperative: “Ongoingly subordinately-ask and it shall [some indefinite future time] actually be given . . . [same for seeking and knocking] . . . for everyone who routinely is subordinately-asking actually, ongoingly lambano ‘grabs hold of to receive’.”  We have to have trusting-relying-faith that “the Father shall actually give good things to those who are routinely subordinately-asking Him” (a), where Jesus clarifies what these are referring to: “give the Holy Spirit to them that routinely ask Him” (b), who then gives the “good things” to the Church, this being the grace-gifts of/belonging to the Holy Spirit (c). <Notes> a) Matthew 7:7-8, 11; Luke 11:9-11, b) Luke 11:13, cf. Acts 2:38, 10:45; Hebrews 6:4, c) Ephesians 4:8; Hebrews 2:4.

 

Finally, Paul has confidence that “God can do far more by His enabling-power than we can subordinately-ask or even imagine” (a).  Therefore, Paul’s team ceaselessly routinely proseuchomai conversationally-prays to God and/coupled routinely subordinately-asking to fill the Colossians with the genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of God’s will by-the-means-of pas ‘all-kinds-of’ wisdom and/coupled understanding (b) Spirit (c).  We already saw John encouraging Christians to aiteo ‘subordinately ask/petition’ God to grant zoe genuine-life to another Christian found in sin as long as it isn’t currently life-threatening (d), but John isn’t telling them to eroteo entreat God concerning life-threatening sin (e) (f).  From all this study, we can see that our monologue of relaying our craving, our needs, our requiring, our begging, and our demands as subordinately-asking from God can be within the practice of proseuchomai conversational-praying, but we will find that the latter involves much more of a dialogue where we listen more than talk! <Notes> a) Ephesians 3:20, b) adjectively: that belongs to the Spirit, thus Spirit-kind-of, c) Colossians 1:9, d) in other words, you have time to ongoingly ‘aiteo ask’ for deliverance from their sin, e) it’s time to act, for you to help, not go home to ‘aiteo ask’ God to help, f) 1 John 5:16.

 

Proseuche conversational-prayer is so much more than asking, petitioning, wishing, our giving or supplications to God.  Proseuche conversational-prayer doesn’t necessarily involve petition or supplication, though this asking can certainly happen during it (a), as with petitions to remember Christians (b), for travel (c), and for needs to be met to give us hope (d). This is in keeping with the trusting-relying-faith we see that Paul has in proseuche conversational-prayer for practically everything in Christianity (e). <Notes> a) Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; Romans 1:10; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 1:9, b) Ephesians 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; Philemon 1:4; Romans 15:30; Acts 12:5; Colossians 4:12, c) Philemon 1:22; Romans 1:10, d) 1 Timothy 5:5, e) Ephesians 1:15- 16, 3:14, 6:18; Romans 1:10, 8:26, 10:1, 15:30; 1 Corinthians 7:5, 11:4-5, 13; 2 Corinthians 1:11, 9:14, 13:7-9; Philippians 1:3, 4, 9, 1:19, 4:2; Colossians 1:3, 9, 4:3, 12; 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3:10, 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 3:1; 1 Timothy 2:1, 8, 4:5, 5:5; 2 Timothy 1:3; Philemon 1:4, 6, 22.

 

However sadly, many Christians think that proseuche conversational-prayer is primarily giving God our needful requests or begging pleas, as “God-fearing” Jews often did (a), when that is what supplication entirely is as we saw above, even though it is important to do so “with thanksgiving” in order to “not be anxious about anything” (b), especially to petition God to send out workers (c), before going on a mission (d), or for boldness to preach the gospel logos message (e). Nevertheless, proseuche conversational-prayer than aiteo/aitema subordinate-asking that can be synonymous with deomai/deesis supplication (f), though we need to still confidently eido ‘see’ to perceive-to-understand/know what is God is hearing from us (g).  Proseuche conversational-prayer is more than erotao entreating, even if confidently because it’s in Christ’s name/authority (h). Proseuche conversational-prayer is certainly more than euche wish-petition God, even if with trusting-relying-faith to heal the sick and deliver them from sin (i) or the verb form euchomai used to wish-petition during frightening storms that you won’t die (j). <Notes> a) Acts 10:2, b) Philippians 4:6, c) Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2, d) Romans 1:10, e) Acts 4:31, f) Philippians 4:6, g) 1 John 5:14-15, h) John 16:23-26, i) James 5:15, cf. 3 John 2, j) Acts 13:7, 9.

 

‘Asking’ prayer has a lot of qualifications in order to be answered.  We’ve already touched on some of this.  Jesus says “you shall receive if you remain/dwell in Me and/coupled My directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words remain/dwell in you” (a) and especially in order to bear fruit for God (b).  James says, “You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your own passions” (c).  John says, “This is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything down-from/according-to His will He hears us, and if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him” (d). Jesus teaches much about what to “seek/strive foremost” and what to “treasure in our hearts” – it’s not our “stuff” to “worry about” or to “seek/strive after like the godless Gentiles do” but for “the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (e) and to be “laying up treasures in heaven not on earth” (f) and to be “serving God not money” (g), which is, as Paul says, just “setting your mind on things of the flesh” rather than “things of the Spirit” (h), for the “cravings of the flesh oppose the cravings of the Spirit” (i). Instead we are “not to be anxious about our lives” (j), but to have trusting-relying-faith in God to meet our “daily bread” needs (k), knowing that “your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (l). The very last thing Jesus said we should ask for ‘Lord’s Prayer model,’ the last thing is that is often a recap of the first thing as every good speaker does, is routinely ask the Father for “the good things/grace-gift of the Holy Spirit” (m), which is the “how-to” enabling-power for the first thing we ask for “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” (n). <Notes> a) John 15:7, b) John 15:16, c) James 4:3, d) 1 John 5:14, e) Matthew 6:32-33, f) Matthew 6:19-20, g) or the things it can buy: Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13, h) Romans 8:5, i) Galatians 5:17, j) Matthew 6:25, 31, 34; Luke 12:22, 26, k) Matthew 6:11; Luke 11:3; Philippians 4:6, l) Matthew 6:8, m) Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13, n) Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2.

 

Just as the religion of the Jews had turned God’s “house of proseuche conversational-prayer” (a) into something else – even a market place (b), the religion of church-ianity and even bible translation has turned much of biblical prayer from a proseuche conversational-prayer dialogue into primarily a monologue of many Greek words for giving God our ‘shopping list’ or ‘honey-do list.’  However, we will see the NT uses of proseuche/proseuchomai dialogue-prayer far outweigh all uses by all words combined for monologue-prayer.  Yet, you would never know because of most of our English bible translations.  There is something wrong with this – see Bible Info. Because of this many Christians think of God as a ‘cosmic vending machine’ or a ‘cosmic Santa Clause,’ when this is hardly the NT view of even the relatively few mentions of monologue-prayer!  Can you imagine how you would feel if every time your kids came up to you, it was simply to ask for something?  Well, let’s look more into what biblical prayer really is! <Notes> a) Acts 3:1, b) Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46; John 2:16.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT8

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Conversational-prayer includes proserchomai drawing near, even eggizo very close-beside to God Himself

 

 

 

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See also Conversational-Prayer – BT4 for seeking God Himself and not just His stuff or help.

 

Proserchomai “drawing near” is a Hebraism for “seeking an audience with, approaching, inquiring of, calling on to visit, or being heard by” God, thus a Hebraism for worship, and so closely akin in spelling and meaning to proseuchomai conversational-prayer and proskuneo worship.  It was the way prophets heard from God (a) and the way the people should listen to the prophets to hear from God (b), the way priests ministered to God (c).  This was the careful way people were to listen to God in the Jewish Temple, which was supposed to be a “house of God, [people] ready to akouo ‘hear/listen to understand/know’” (d) instead of a “house of trade” or “den of robbers” (e).  People weren’t supposed to just ‘give lip-service’ to an OT commandment to worship/fear God (f), as Isaiah 29:13 says:  “This people draws near with their mouth and/coupled honors Me with their lips, while their hearts are far from Me, and/coupled their reverential-fear of Me is [only] a commandment taught by men.” Instead Isaiah 58:2 says that it should be:  “My people . . . they zeteo diligently-seek (g) Me daily and/coupled delight to daath prophetically or ginosko experientially, relationally know My ways, . . . they ask Me to make just decrees of judgment; they delight to draw near to God.” Can’t you see so many elements of prayer in here:  delight in getting near God and His ways? <Notes> a) 1 Samuel 14:37, b) Isaiah 34:1, 48:16, c) Ezekiel 43:19, d) Ecclesiastes 5:1, e) John 2:16; Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46, f) Exodus 20:3-5, 34:14, g) zeteo: frequently pursue, diligently search, crave, and worship.

 

Proseuchomai conversationally-praying is only 1 letter difference from the Hebraism of proserchomai “drawing near to God to worship.”  Hebrews 11:6 warns and promises: “Without trusting-relying-faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would routinely proserchomai draw near to Him must have trusting-relying-faith that He exists (that He is really there to ‘call on to visit’) and that He rewards those who routinely ekzeteo diligently-seek-out (a) Him.” It certainly does take trusting-relying-faith to “listen for the voice” of God and “delight to draw near to God” (b) – a lot more than just doing bible-study! <Notes> a) ek out-from + zeteo:  search out diligently in order to find, investigate, desire/crave, aim/strive after – yet another Hebraism for worship, b) Zephaniah 3:1.

 

Drawing-near to God, whether by eggizo or proserchomai, is indeed Hebrew idiom for “seeking, inquiring of, calling on, hearing, delighting in, and ministering to” God through “reverential, trusting, heart-felt, listening, attentive, proseuche conversational-prayer” as we see throughout the OT:  1 Samuel 14:37; the way to minister to God per Ezekiel 43:19; prayer in the house of God more important than foolish sacrifices per Ecclesiastes 5:1; more important than lip-service and blindly following man-taught commandments per Isaiah 29:13; important to actually hear the Lord per Isaiah 34:1 and 48:16, which is what God’s zeteo diligently-seeking and delighting people do per Isaiah 58:2; but rebellious people won’t listen or have trusting-relying-faith either per Zephaniah 3:1; Psalms 145:18 promises “The Lord is near to all who call on Him” and people experienced this per Lamentations 3:57.

 

In proseuche conversational-prayer James 4:6-8 strongly-urges us to eggizodraw extremely close-beside’ God” by “definitively/wholly hupotasso ‘voluntarily submitting, yielding or falling in line behind a commander’ to God” in order for “God to eggizodraw extremely close-beside’ to you” in order to receive “the present/ongoing giving of unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace from Him to those who are lowly/humble.”  This is how we definitively/wholly anthistemi ‘stand against or opposed to, to resist’ the devil kai and/thus he shall indeed flee from you.”  Otherwise, “God anthistemi ‘stand against or opposed to, to resist’ the proud/arrogant.” It all belongs together in the Greek – I’ve heard some strange doctrines from people pulling verses out of context!

 

Likewise Hebrews 11:6 says: “Without trusting-relying-faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would proserchomai draw near to God must have trusting-relying-faith that He is presently/ongoingly exists and/coupled is presently/ongoingly a Rewarder to those who zeteo diligently-seek Him” – yet another Hebrew idiom for worshipful prayer!   Hebrews 4:15 says, “Because we have a high priest that can sympathize with our weaknesses, having been tempted in every respect but without sin, let us then confidently proserchomai draw near to the throne of unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace.”  Bible verses from the 97.4% of the OT that is Law-based – see Logos Word of God – BT5a – sure won’t help us with holiness, as Hebrews 7:19, 25 says:  “The Law made nothing perfect, but we have been given a better hope through which we presently/ongoingly eggizodraw extremely close-beside’ to God.”  Hebrews 10:21-22 says “Since having a great priest ove the house of God we should presently/ongoingly proserchomai draw near with a sincere-truthful heart by the means of the full assurance of trusting-relying-faith.” Hebrews 7:24-25, since Christ “holds His priesthood permanently . . . He is able to save to the uttermost those who presently/ongoingly proserchomai draw near to God through Him, since Christ lives forever to make intercession for them.”

 

Can you see how “devoted, heart-felt, humble seeking, drawing near, attentive listening in reverential awe, calling on, and delighting in the Lord” are all one-in-the-same “proseuche conversational-prayer” and this does indeed require trusting-relying-faith that God is there to be found and that it’s worth the time and effort to daily practice this habit?

 

I can’t overemphasize that Jesus is the better Way than the OT to the Father as Hebrews 7:19-25 says:  giving us a “better hope through which we presently/ongoingly eggizo draw extremely-near (a) to God,” because “Jesus is the guarantor of a [exceedingly] better [New] covenant . . . and because He holds His priesthood permanently since He is eternal, He is able to save to the uttermost those who proserchomai draw near to God [the Father] through Him [Christ] since He lives forever to make intercession for them.”  Hebrews 4:15-16 says “we have a high priest who is able to sympathized with our feeble-impotent-weaknesses . . . so let us confidently-boldly proserchomai  draw near to the throne of unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace to received mercy and find unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace to help in our time of need.” Reading and studying the Law of commandments will only destroy our confidence!  <Notes> a) eggizo: bring extremely near or close-beside, approach to join.

 

Hebrews 10:1, 19-22 says, “For since the Law has [contained in it] but a skia backward-shadow (a) of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can NEVER . . . make complete-perfect those who routinely proserchomai draw near . . . NOW we have bold-confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the kainos ‘completely-different-in-kind New’ and Living Way that He [Christ] opened for us through the [separating] curtain (b), that is, through His [Christ’s] flesh, and/coupled since we have a great Priest [Christ] over the House of God (c), let us presently/ongoingly proserchomai draw near with a true [sincere] heart in full assurance of trusting-relying-faith – with our hearts sprinkled clean (d) from an evil [sinful soul] conscience and/coupled our bodies [sinful flesh] washed with pure water (e).” Unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace, not Law, is our ticket! <Notes> a) skia: shade cast backward from an object, cf. Hebrews 8:5, Colossians 2:8, b) into the Holy of Holies, God’s presence, c) Christ’s Body, the Church, is NOW the house or temple of God:  Ephesians 2:19, 22; 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5, 4:17; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16, d) ceremonially purified by sacrificial blood, e) ceremonially of OT ablutions and water-baptism but likely also a reference to Christian water-baptism.

 

Psalms 145:18 gives us a great promise: “The Lord is qarob/eggus near to all who call on Him . . . in truth,” and Lamentations 3:57 says, “You qarab/eggizodrew extremely-near or close-beside’ when I called on You.” James 4:6-8 echoes this: “God stands-firmly-in-opposition-to (a) the proud but gives unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace to the lowly/humble. Submit-by-falling-in-line (b) yourselves therefore to God . . . [definitively/wholly] eggizodraw extremely-near or close-beside’ to God, and He will [then] eggizodraw extremely-near or close-beside’ to you.” In the missing . . . verse, James says, “stand-against (c) the devil, kai and/then he will flee from you,” but I’ve always heard this taken out of context to mean, “fight against the temptations of sinful passions.” However, in all likelihood, James isn’t jumping all around with his train of thought.  More likely, James is saying ‘stand against’ the devil’s temptations to keep you from eggizodraw extremely-near to God in proseuche conversational-prayer, his temptations for you to be too proud to admit that we desperately need God, his temptations for you to not be humbly teachable to listen to God, and not voluntarily fall in line behind God as Supreme Commander.  If we don’t ‘stand against’ Satan, then God’s ‘stands firmly against’ us!<Notes> a) antitassomai: stands at a post firmly against, resists, b) hupotasso:  voluntarily yield, or fall in line behind a commander, c) anthistemi: stand against.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT7

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What proseuchomai conversational-praying exactly IS

 

 

 

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Proseuche/proseuchomai conversationally-prayer seems to be the clear emphasis of the NT, fully eclipsing all other Greek words used for prayer. Although these 2 words can include the ideas of a one-way conversation or monologue of wishing, asking, entreating, petitioning, or supplicating, or even the attitudes of child-like confident trust or self-deprecating humility, or even grateful thanksgiving that the others words for prayer focus on, these 2 words evidently include much, much, much more:  1)worshipful devotion” (according to Vines) and more importantly, 2) “an exchange (pros) of wishes (euche) towards or facing (pros) one another.”

 

In other words, this kind of prayer is a dialogue conversation WITH God “immediately before and facing Him” (pros), hence involves “adoration, devotion, and worship” that is in itself an “offering to God.” In early Greek, a physical offering was brought to make the prayer more acceptable to God, but later the prayer itself became the acceptable offering.  Www.preceptaustin.org also notes that Vines indicates that “proseuchomai/proseuche carries with it a notion of worship that is not present in the other words involving supplication. Thus, this kind of prayer is meant to bring us face to face or in close, relational contact with God.” Www.renner.org recognizes this kind of prayer “demands surrender, consecration/sanctification/holiness, and thanksgiving from us as we come face to face with God.” Www.hebrew-streams.org recognizes that “Jewish apostolic worship can be discerned by focusing on words such as prayer (predominantly proseuche and proseuchomai in that section), praise, thanksgiving, blessing, and on the content of hymns.”

 

Biblical prayer uses the Greek verb form proseuchomai nearly 3 times more than the noun proseuche, actually 86 times in the NT, and together with proseuche is used nearly 2 times more than all the other words in the previous BLOG for the monologue of asking, petition, entreaty, or supplication combined. That should tell you something about the priority of having a prayer-dialogue WITH God instead of a prayer-monologue AT God.  As before, I will just include the key verses here.

 

Jesus is our example of proseuchomai prayer:  frequently withdrawing to the wilderness (a), getting up very early in deserted places (b), going up into quiet mountains (c), where He was once transfigured (d), proseuchomai conversationally-praying the whole night (e), proseuchomai conversationally-praying in a mountain garden in anguish (f).  Jesus blessed children with hands and proseuche conversational-prayed for them (g).  Jesus “told His disciples a parable to the effect that they ought always to proseuchomai conversationally-pray and/coupled not lose heart,” using an illustration of a widow that keeps coming to a judge to demand justice, where the judge gives into her saying “because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice.” Jesus then asks, “Will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?” (h) – see also Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16.  Jesus told His sleepy disciples, “proseuchomai conversationally-pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (i).  Jesus was trained by God to prayer;  In Isaiah 50:4-7, God says He will given His future Messiah a skilled tongue to train [as with little children], personally training His Messiah-Servant to sustain a logos message to the weary. How? Every morning God woke Him, waking His ear to really akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know God’s teaching as a true disciple. Not only was Christ equipped to teach well, but was also helped to not turn back, always confidently going forward despite great suffering and disgrace. If we do the same, we will not get the same results? Can you see the key words above: “frequently, deserted or quiet places, all night, every morning, ought always to do so, demanding, insisting, even bothering, crying out all day and night, all in order to withstand temptation and to really akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know God in order to be a disciple?” Jesus is our example to follow!  <Notes> a) Luke 5:16, b) Mark 1:35, c) Matthew 14:23, d) Luke 9:28-29, e) Luke 6:12, f) Luke 22:41, 44; Matthew 26:35, 36, 39, 42, g) Matthew 19:13, h) Luke 18:1-7, i) Luke 22:40; Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:46.

 

‘The Lord’s Prayer’ is also a model of how Jesus proseuchomai conversationally-prayed (a), not a teaching on how to recite a 5-minute prayer like a religious ritual, for certainly this constitutes the warning Christ gave about prayer: “Now-when/if routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying in-possibility-NOT definitively/wholly battalogeo ‘chatter many repetitions of logos words/messages’ (b) just as the pagans, for they suppose that in/by/with their polulogia ‘many logos words/messages eisakouo ‘they shall actually be heard/listened-to in order to be understood/known’.  Therefore, in-possibility-NOT be like them, for God, your Father, already [with ongoing results] eido mentally ‘sees’ to perceive/know what things you echo hold-to-have need of before this aiteo subordinate-asking Him” (c).” Yet, that’s what I hear in so many churches – religious babble of recitation of ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ but how is that any different from pagan Catholic recitation in so many of their rituals or the Muslim prayers or the Hindu mantras?  <Notes> a) Matthew 26:44; Luke 11:1, 2, Matthew 6:9, b) battalogeo:  “blubber/chatter many, long-winded, empty/idle/vain, nonsensical repetitions of logos messages like King Battus of Cyrene who stuttered or the author Battus of tedious, wordy poems,” c) Matthew 6:7-8.

 

Instead Jesus simply gave us an outline HOW to proseuchomai conversationally-pray – even if all night long (a) or every early-morning (b) as also King David often practiced (c):  1) HOW to first show humble adoring worship of God, 2) HOW to then desire God’s kingdom will to be done on earth as it already is in heaven, 3) HOW to aiteo subordinate-ask for our physical needs to be met but NOT in a “vain repetitious manner as the pagans do, because “God, your Father, already [with ongoing results] eido mentally ‘sees’ to perceive/know what things you echo hold-to-have need of before this aiteo subordinate-asking Him.”  However, this asking for God to “grant us today the bread, the daily, of/belonging-to us” very well may have nothing to do with our physical needs, but instead refer to Jesus Christ Himself because “I AM presently/ongoing the bread of zoe genuine-life that came down from heaven . . . whoever feeds on this bread will zoa genuinely-live forever” (d).  Or it could refer to Christ’s prophetic rhema words that are presently/ongoingly Spirit and/coupled zoe genuine-life” (e), that is “every prophetic rhema words that comes from the mouth of God that man shall zoa genuinely-live by and absolutely-in-fact-NOT by [physical] bread alone” (f).  Christ’s subsequent teaching on prayer does seem to be leading us away from praying for even our physical needs (g) that is explored further below, 4) HOW to ask for God to forgive our sin, implying confession, 5) HOW to decide right here and now to also forgive other peoples’ sins against us since this definitely hinders our forgiveness of our sins and/or our receiving forgiveness and healing and the effectiveness of our proseuche conversational-prayers (h), and finally 6) being kept from peirasmos  ‘testing/trials/temptation that try our character to see if genuine’  but-instead by delivered from the evil [one].”  <Notes> a) Luke 6:12, b) Isaiah 50:4, c) Psalms 63:1, d) John 6:35, 41, 48, 51, 58, e) John 6:63, f) Jesus in Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4 likely remembering the logos message He gave to Moses, since He is the “Logos Word/Message of God that became flesh” per John 1:1, 14, g) Matthew 6:19-34, h) Matthew 5:23-25, cf. 1 Peter 3:7.

 

But Jesus taught elsewhere on HOW to pray:  1) HOW to proseuchomai conversationally-pray secretly and not hypocritically for show (a), 2) HOW to proseuchomai conversationally-pray for our enemies (b), and 3) by thru several illustrations HOW to not give up in our supplication, but persevering by routinely (c) be aiteo subordinately-asking (d) UNTIL we receive and knocking on His door UNTIL it is opened. These absolutely are not passive, casual, intermittent, nonchalant actions! Are we spending enough time waiting, watching, and listening in worshiping, submitting, begging, pleading, even demanding, forgiving, and incessantly-knocking proseuche conversational-prayer for koinonia fellowship, deliverance, and enabling-power?  I know that I’m not! <Notes> a) Matthew 6:6, b) Matthew 5:44, c) Jesus always uses the present active participle to stress routine, habitual action on our part, d) aiteo: subordinately ask, petition, crave, call or cry out for, require or demand, or beg for.

 

Jesus taught even more on HOW to pray!  He strongly-urged “presently/ongoingly zeteo diligently-seek (a) foremost the kingdom of God and/coupled His righteousness, kai and/thus all these things will be added to you” (b), but doesn’t in context “these things” mean all the “treasures that are stored up” (c) that “the nations/peoples epizeteo intensely-seek” (b)?  But that’s what the ‘name it claim it’ Faith movement would have you believe that Christians should now use God to get, like He is a ‘cosmic vending machine or Santa Clause.’  NO! In context, Jesus tells His disciples to instead “Lay up treasures in heaven” (d), because your “treasures” indicate where your “heart will be also” (e). It really reveals where your “eye” (or “heart”) is focused – toward light or toward darkness, toward God or toward money, to things of the Spirit or the things of the flesh (f). Jesus even tells His disciples to “not worry” about how their basic needs will be met, and certainly to not “epizeteo intensely-seek these things like the nations/peoples do,” because that’s their preoccupation, what their “eye” is set on and what their “hearts treasure!”  Instead, Jesus tells His disciples to keep their “eye” and “hearts” on the kingdom of God and simply trust God to meet their basic needs, as God does for all His dependent creatures (g).  That’s why it’s doubtful if Jesus teaching about HOW to ask God for “the bread, the daily” is even referring to basic needs (h). <Notes> a) zeteo: search out diligently in order to find, investigate, desire/crave, aim/strive after, and even a Hebraism for worship, b) Matthew 6:32-33, c) Matthew 6:19, d) v. 6:20, e) v. 6:21, f) vv. 6:22-24; cf. Romans 8:5; Galatians 5:17, g) vv. 6:25-34, h) v. 6:11.

 

One night on a long walk with my dog, I asked the Lord “What His kingdom and His righteousness” meant in Matthew 6:33 above, because after 5 bibles schools and serving in 15 churches, I’ve always believed they referred to ‘ministry things to do,’ like more bible-study, more church, and more evangelism. Then I saw the words come into my mind saying, “It’s not a what and a what.” That really confused me, so I asked “What?” Then I saw “It’s a Who and a Who.” Now I was really baffled and I rattled off my “ministry” list above. Then I saw “My kingdom is the Holy Spirit reigning within you; My righteousness is Jesus, the Righteous One. These are Who you should seek!” Then He downloaded verse after verse that said the same things (a), including 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name/authority lower/humble themselves, and proseuchomai conversationally-pray and seek My face and turn-from (= repent) their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” In Daniel 9:3-6, he said, “I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking Him by proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer for mercy . . . And I proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying “O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and/coupled did wrong and/coupled acted wickedly and/coupled rebelled, turning away from your commandments and rules.  We have not listened to your servants the Prophets.”  Notice the focus in proseuche/proseuchomai conversational-prayer is primarily on and for the person of God, and can include both monologue and dialogue-prayer, including confession of God’s greatness and repentance of sin. <Notes> a) like Romans 14:17; Matthew 5:3, 12:28; John 3:5; Acts 3:14, 7:52, 22:14; Romans 5:18-19; Hebrews 4:15.

 

The last thing Jesus taught on HOW to pray in His ‘Prayer Model’ was not the least important, but the most important!  Just as every effective speaker leaves the best for last, Jesus then gave the most important point, a point that completes His teaching on prayer by showing us HOW to get the enabling-power for the 1st supplication in His ‘Prayer Model’ prayer’s first supplication of “Thy kingdom and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  So what is the key action item?  “If you then, who are poneros ‘pain-ridden from evil’ [fathers], know how to give agathos ‘good (a) grace-gifts’ to your children, how much more shall actually your Father (b) who is in heaven give agathos ‘good (a) things’ (c) to those who routinely aiteo subordinately-ask Him” (d).  Notice Luke 11:13’s parallel text that says: “how much more shall actually the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those to those who routinely aiteo subordinately-ask Him.” So if you are routinely aiteo subordinately-asking for the Holy Spirit you are certainly going to get the Spirit’s plural “good things” or “good grace-gifts.”  THIS is the HOW to get “the kingdom of God and His will on earth as it is in heaven!” <Notes> a) agathos:  “good-natured, pleasantly joyful, excellent or distinguished and thus useful, upright, or honorable,” b) “good gifts” would definitely comes from a non-poneros ‘good father” for certainly “Absolutely-in-fact-NO one is agathos good except God alone” per Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19, c) by parallelism, the “good things” are grace-gifts , d) Matthew 7:11.

 

James 1:13-17 says we can’t blame God for our ‘testing/temptation’ that Jesus said to pray we should be “in-possibility-NOT being led into [by God] peirasmos ‘testing/trials/temptation that try our character to see if genuine’ . . . but delivered from” (a), because James says “God presently/ongoingly peirazo ‘tests/tries/tempts to see if genuine’ absolutely-in-fact-NO one, but each person is presently/ongoingly peirazo tempted when he is routinely lured-away and/coupled routinely enticed by his own desire . . . every act of giving agathos good (b) and/coupled every teleios perfected (c) grace-gift is presently/ongoing from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is absolutely-in-fact-NO variation or show of shifting.”  One again, it’s impossible for a “Good God” who is “perfect” by definition to give anything but what is good and perfect!  Evil certainly can’t come from God! <Notes> a) Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4, b) agathos: “good-natured, pleasantly joyful, excellent or distinguished and thus useful, upright, or honorable,” c) teleios: “consummated or mature from going through the necessary stages to reach the end-goal, thus developed into a consummating completion by fulfilling the necessary process or spiritual journey.”

 

There’s that mention of “every good . . . grace-gift” again that Jesus says we should pray for!  On Pentecost, Peter’s 1st sermon says “the [singular] promise of the [singular] grace-gift of the Holy Spirit” is for “all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself,” to those who “repent/turn and/coupled are water-baptized in the name/authority of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins” (a). Acts 10:45 says, “the [singular] grace-gift of the [singular] Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.” However, Paul talks about “imparting some grace-gift to you of the [b] Spirit to strengthen you” (c), implying there are plural grace-gifts. We know from 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 that indeed there are many:  that the “things of the [b] Spirit” refer to “varieties of grace-gifts” but from the same [singular] Spirit.”  Hebrews 2:4 also says that: “God also testified/bore-witness by signs, wonders, and various miracles and/coupled by grace-gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed down-from/according-to His will” and that these same Jewish-Christians “having already been enlightened, who have tasted the [singular] heavenly grace-gift, and/coupled have metochos shared-to-be-changed by of [singular] Holy Spirit and/coupled have tasted the goodness of the [gospel] logos message of God and/coupled the dunamis enabling-power (d) of the age coming” in Hebrews 6:4-5.  <Notes> a) Acts 2:27-39, b) adjectival: belonging to the, thus Spirit-kind-of things,  c) Romans 1:11, d) dunamis: a common reference to the working of the Holy Spirit – see Spirit-Power.

 

Therefore, it’s very likely that Matthew 7:11’s “good things” or “good grace-gifts” also spoken of in Luke 11:13’s ‘Lord’s Prayer Model’ is the content of the “goodness of the [gospel] logos message” that is the “heavenly grace-gift” that they “shared-to-be-changed by of the Holy Spirit” that is the “dunamis enabling-power of the age coming,” even the Church Age, which they witnessed by the Spirit’s manifestations that is Paul’s “things of the Spirit” such as “signs, wonders, miracles, and grace-gifts given to the Church” From Hebrew 2:4.

 

Paul also testifies elsewhere: “For those who live down-from/according-to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (a), and “The natural person (of the flesh) does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are discerned [of/belonging to] the Spirit” (b). The book of Hebrews Jewish-Christians had only “tasted the goodness of the . . . dunamis enabling-power of the age coming.”  The writer of Hebrews desperately wants these Jewish-Christians to continue onto the “solid meat” that comes from the Holy Spirit’sdunamis  enabling-powers of discernment trained into them by constant practice” (c) – see New Covenant Ways – BT16, just as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 3:2, encouraging them to no longer rely simply on the “elementary abc’s” or “milk” of the OT prophetic writings that lead them to trusting-relying-faith in Christ – see Logos Word of God – BT6, saying “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it.” <Notes> a) Romans 8:5, b) 1 Corinthians 2:14, c) Hebrews 5:12-14.

 

That’s also why Jesus ended His ‘Prayer Model’ with HOW to “routinely be aiteo subordinately-asking God” for God’s “Holy Spirit who gives good things or good gifts.” That’s because no matter how much human understanding, insight, or wisdom we stuff into our heads to acquire gnosis information-knowledge of God’s will, and no matter how much we ‘work for God’ through our own “might and power” according to Zechariah 4:6 to obey God’s will, and no matter how much we “serve or minister” to God by the “palaiotes ‘old, antiquated, worn-out, useless, obsolete’ ways of the gramma writing” of graphe scripture (a), it will never be enough to “bring the kingdom of God and His will from heaven to earth” – to make us truly “holy/sanctified” no matter how long and hard we try. Anyone teaching otherwise is still stuck in the old covenant’s “might and power” and self-deceived, unable to move onto the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant Way of “by-the-means-of My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” The only way that any of the asking/supplications in the ‘Lord’s Prayer Model” are even possible is if we routinely lambano ‘grab hold of to receive’ the dunamis enabling-power of the Holy Spirit (b) that can alone make us holy in an unholy world!  Jesus says, the only way this will happen is if we routinely keep on asking for the ‘Holy Spirit’ to be given to us – it the only ways to get the “the good things/gifts of the Holy Spirit.” <Notes> a) Romans 7:6, b) Acts 1:8.

 

However, Christ’s ‘Prayer Model’ is not teaching Christians to ask for the Holy Spirit 1 time or even a few times, nor to stop once you get Spirit-baptized once, or that this somehow unnoticeably occurs during salvation at water-baptism, contrary to what too many churches teach, if they even teach about the Holy Spirit at all.  No!  The book of Acts shows the same Christians routinely being filled by Spirit or Spirit-baptized (a), even imperatively strongly-urged to with all the pleroma abundant-fullness of God by the means of the Holy Spirit” (b). This is the only way Christians can routinely pray for God’s kingdom to actually come into their lives!  Jesus is teaching ALL Christians for ALL ages throughout ALL their lives to make ALL of these asking-supplications in His ‘Prayer Model’ lifestyle requests, but especially to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to have the enabling-power to do any of it!  This is “The Normal Christians Life!” <Notes> a) Acts 1:5, 2:4, 4:8, 31, 10:47, 11:16, 13:52, b) Ephesians 3:19, 5:18.

 

Regarding the Holy Spirit and the routine practice of proseuchomai conversationally-praying, Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit during His water-baptism while proseuchomai conversationally-praying (a), so wouldn’t that be key?  Nevertheless, Paul says even when we don’t know how to proseuchomai conversationally-pray, the Holy Spirit helps us by interceding for us with inexpressible groaning (b). Yet Paul says he will continue to pray in tongues: “If I proseuchomai conversationally-pray in a tongue, The Spirit of/belonging-to me (c) proseuchomai conversationally-prays, but the mind of/belonging-to me is ‘unfruitful-unproductive of what it normally would produce’.  What should I do? I shall, in the future, actually proseuchomai conversationally-pray by-the-means-of-the [singular] Spirit  (d) but kai also by-the-means-of-the [singular] mind (e) kai and/also I shall, in the future, actually sing praises by-the-means-of-the [singular] Spirit  (d) but kai also by-the-means-of-the [singular] mind (e)” (f).  Jude is also like referring to tongues:  “But you, beloved, routinely building yourselves up in your most holy Trusting-Relying-Faith and/coupled routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit, [I strongly urge you to] tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state yourselves in The Unconditional-Love of God” (g) – the 2-part participle phrase is HOW you “tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state yourselves IN the essence of the LORD!  See also The Grace-Gifts of Tongues & Interpretation and Conversational-Prayer – BT22.  Paul’s team ceaselessly proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to God and/coupled aiteo subordinately-asked God [implying the first is listening and the second is talking] to fill the Colossian church with the genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of God’s will by the means of pas all-kinds-of wisdom and/coupled sunesis ‘connect-the-dots’ understanding of [h] [singular] Spirit (i).  <Notes> a) Luke 3:21, b) Romans 8:26, c) The Spirit is always a reference to the Holy Spirit that Christians possess, not our human spirits or mind, and certainly in 1 Corinthians:  2:4, 20, 11-14, 6:11, 7:40, 12:3, 7-8, 14:2, 12, certainly giving no reason why Paul would suddenly deviate from this, d) there is no need to repeat the definite article ‘the’ for the singular to mean “The Holy Spirit,” e) there is no need to repeat the definite article ‘the’ for the singular to mean “the mind of me,” f) 1 Corinthians 14:14, 15, g) Jude 1:20-21, h) adjectively: that belongs to the, thus Spirit-kind-of wisdom and/coupled understanding, i) Colossians 1:9.

 

Paul also strongly urged Christians about prayer:Dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of pas all-kinds-of proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer, routinely be proseuchomai conversationally-praying in pas all-kinds-of kairos ‘suitable, right, seasonable, opportune seasons/occasions’ by-the-means-of  [singular] Spirit and/coupled eis ‘toward and reaching the goal of’ this, be routinely agrupneo vigilantly-watching by-the-means-of all proskarteresis devoted-relational-perseverance and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer for all the saints” (a). Again, ‘listening’ proseuche conversational-prayer and deesis ‘talking’ supplication are parts of routine proseuchomai conversational-praying, and the recommended way to do this is by the Holy Spirit, which may very well be by tongues as we saw above, not just with your ‘producing’ mind, in order to build one’s trusting-relying-faith up in order to stay in The Unconditional-Love of God, yet still being routinely attentive and watchful to persevere in supplication for all the saints – see also Conversational-Prayer – BT20.  In other words, it’s NOT all about you:  prayer is NOT all about our focus on our vertical koinonia fellowship with God through greater experience of trusting-relying-faith and unconditional-love by the Holy Spirit, but also horizontally unconditionally-loving others, particularly fellow Christians, also by the enabling-power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why “Faith and Love” are the only 2 commandments in the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant. <Notes> a) Ephesians 6:18.

 

It’s God’s will to be proseuchomai praying!  Paul says that 1 of only 3 things that is explicitly-stated as “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” other than “always rejoicing and giving thanks in all circumstances” is: “presently/ongoingly be proseuchomai conversationally-praying adialeiptos ‘not thru-the-realizing-channel-of leaving, thus without any time-gap’” – giving a double-emphasis (a). Paul says, “I parakaleo ‘close-beside encourage’ first of all that deesis supplications, proseuche conversational-prayers, enteuxis confident-intercessions, and eucharistia thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men . . . I boulomai ‘resolutely plan’ then that in every place the men should proseuchomai conversationally-pray, lifting up holy/sanctified hands apart from anger and dissension” (b). <Notes> a) 1 Thessalonians 5:17, b) 1 Timothy 2:1, 8.

 

Proseuchomai praying was an early church devotion.  “They were routinely proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted in/by/with the teaching of the apostles and/coupled the koinonia fellowship – the breaking of the bread – and/coupled the proseuche prayers” (a).  We see this later in the gathering in Mary’s house with her son Mark and many other disciples had been ongoingly proseuchomai conversationally-praying together (b). <Notes> a) Acts 2:42, b) Acts 12:12.

 

The apostles laid hands on church-chosen servant-deacons, having proseuchomai conversationally-prayed for them, likely for anointing and leadership ordination as OT Prophets did for succession (a).  The original 11 apostles also proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to find out from the Lord through lots who the 12th replacement apostle would be (b).  When Paul’s team appointed elders in every church in Acts 14:23 they did so with proseuchomai conversationally-praying.”  The addition of “and fasting” is not found even in textual variants nor is it warranted because in 3 of the 4 other uses of that form in Acts 1:24 choosing of the 12th apostles above, Acts 6:6 laying hands on the 7 chosen deacons above, and Acts 21:5 departing of Paul bellows, there is no implication of fasting.  However, the common rabbinical phrase “fasting and prayer” is found in Acts 13:3 of the early church of Antioch prophets and teachers gathered together to leitourgeo liturgical-worship-serve the Lord and/coupled fasting.  While doing so the Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.  Then after again ‘fasting and praying’ they laid their hands on them [likely for anointing, blessing, and ordination] they sent the off.  Clearly the limited use of leitourgeo liturgical-worship-serving indicates that these Christians were Jewish still following many of the OT “traditions of the elders” like fasting.  As the church became more Gentile you see this fade away until the Catholic Church resurrected many of them after 200 AD.  Paul knelt down and/coupled proseuchomai conversationally-prayed with the Ephesus elders before departing (c). Before leaving the disciples in Tyre, Paul & Barnabas knelt down on the beach and they all proseuchomai conversationally-prayed together before saying farewell (d).  It was also common for Jews to “stand proseuchomai conversationally-pray,” which Jesus acknowledge in His teaching on prayer (e).  God directed Peter’s ministry when he fell into a trance and had a vision while proseuchomai conversationally-praying (f).  Paul asks Christians to routinely proseuchomai conversationally-pray for them for success in the preaching of the gospel logos message (g), even strongly-urged using the imperative (h).   <Notes> a) Acts 6:6, b) Acts 1:24, c) Acts 20:36-38, d) Acts 21:3-6, e) Mark 11:25, f) Acts 10:9, 30, 11:5, 22:17, g) Colossians 4:3, h) 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1.

 

Proseuchomai conversationally-praying was important for suffering and healing.  Suffering individuals were to proseuchomai conversationally-pray, and church elders were to proseuchomai conversationally-pray and anoint sick Christians requesting this in order to be healed, but they should do so with the fervent-intensity that Elijah did for rain who “proseuchomai conversationally-prayed with proseuche conversational-prayer” and thus saw miracles – the repetition be a Hebrew idiom to show intensity (a). Paul and Silas were routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying and singing praises to God while suffering in prison and that’s when angels miraculously delivered them (b). Peter knelt down and/coupled proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to raise the disciple Tabitha/Dorcas from the dead (c). Paul did laid hands on and proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to heal the father of Publius (d).  <Notes> a) James 5:13-17, b) Acts 16:25-26, c) Acts 9:40, d) Acts 28:8.

 

Proseuchomai conversationally-praying was important to receive the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 8:14-15, Jerusalem’s apostles sent Peter and John to the Samaritans that had dechomai ‘warmly welcomed to receive’ the gospel logos message of God so they could also be proseuchomai conversationally-prayed for in order that they might lambano ‘grab hold of to receive’ the Holy Spirit.”

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT6

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What proseuche conversation-prayer exactly IS

 

 

 

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Proseuche/proseuchomai conversationally-prayer seems to be the clear emphasis of the NT, fully eclipsing all other Greek words used for prayer. Although these 2 words can include the ideas of a one-way conversation or monologue of wishing, asking, entreating, petitioning, or supplicating, or even the attitudes of child-like confident trust or self-deprecating humility, or even grateful thanksgiving that the others words for prayer focus on, these 2 words evidently include much, much, much more:  1)worshipful devotion” (according to Vines) and more importantly, 2) “an exchange (pros) of wishes (euche) towards or facing (pros) one another.”

 

In other words, this kind of prayer is a dialogue conversation WITH God “immediately before and facing Him” (pros), hence involves “adoration, devotion, and worship” that is in itself an “offering to God.” In early Greek, a physical offering was brought to make the prayer more acceptable to God, but later the prayer itself became the acceptable offering.  Www.preceptaustin.org also notes that Vines indicates that “proseuchomai/proseuche carries with it a notion of worship that is not present in the other words involving supplication. Thus, this kind of prayer is meant to bring us face to face or in close, relational contact with God.” Www.renner.org recognizes this kind of prayer “demands surrender, consecration/sanctification/holiness, and thanksgiving from us as we come face to face with God.” Www.hebrew-streams.org recognizes that “Jewish apostolic worship can be discerned by focusing on words such as prayer (predominantly proseuche and proseuchomai in that section), praise, thanksgiving, blessing, and on the content of hymns.”

 

Specifically, biblical prayer predominantly uses the Greek noun proseuche, meaning “properly, an exchange (pros) of wish-petitions (euche) towards or before (pros) another, but particularly of holy prayer of worshipful devotion specifically towards God.”  The ‘exchange’ aspect means it is a dialogue, not a monologue.  Therefore, it doesn’t necessarily involve the monologue of asking, entreaty, or supplication as we saw in the previous BLOG.  However, proseuche can also refer to “a place set apart or suited for the offering of holy prayer, such as a synagogue, or the bank of a stream or shore of a sea where Jews could wash their hands before holy prayer (a).”  Proseuche is used 37 times in the NT:  “If you have trusting-relying-faith, whatever we aiteo subordinately-ask in proseuche conversational-prayer, you will lambano ‘grab hold of to receive’” (b).  Deacons (c) were chosen so that the apostles could “proskartereo persistently-relationally-be-devoted-to proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled the service/ministry of the gospel logos message (d) – this absolutely is not a reference to bible-study, but prophetically hearing from God ‘what, when, where, and how’ to spread the gospel logos message. <Notes> a) Acts 16:13, 16, b) Matthew 21:22, c) servants of physical needs, d) Acts 6:4.

 

This devotion wasn’t so different than what the earliest Christians enjoyed: “They were proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted-to together in proseuche conversational-prayer with one mind” (a), and “themselves proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted-to . . . proseuche conversational-prayer” (b).  Paul tells Christians as “members of the Body-of-Christ, using the grace-gifts given to them” how to “present their bodies as living sacrifices, . . .  which is their logical liturgical-worship-service” and then giving a list of imperatives for strong-urgings, including “routinely being proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted-to [in/by] proseuche conversational-prayer” (c). In Paul’s final instructions to the Colossians, he strongly urges them to “ongoingly-be proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted-to proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled be routinely gregoreo vigilantly-watching in this with eucharistia thanksgiving” (d). Paul tells Timothy “[I strongly urge you] that deesis supplication-prayers, proseuche conversational-prayers, enteuxis confident-approaching-intercessions, and eucharistia thanksgiving be made on-behalf-of all people, for kings and those in high positions, that we may lead a eremos ‘undisturbed, placid, tranquil, composed’ and/coupled hesuchios ‘still, quiet, calm, steady, settled’ life” (e).  Peter believed the end was near, saying: “So be sophroneo sound/temperate-minded (f) and/coupled nepho sober-minded (g) eis ‘towards and reaching the goal of’ proseuche conversational-prayer” (h). <Notes> a) Acts 1:14, b) Acts 2:42, c) Romans 12:1-12, d) Colossians 4:2, e) 1 Timothy 2:1-2, f) sophroneo means “safety-minded, safe as to what regulates life like our diaphragm, also derived from phroneo, controls our ability to breathe which controls our heartbeat and thus our life.  It also means to have a sober outlook that reflects true balance, truly moderate, controlled to blend the extremities of truth on both side of a matter,” g) nepho:  not intoxicated or drunk, temperate, self-controlled, clear-minded, rational, h) 1 Peter 4:7.

 

Jesus educated His disciples much about the need for proseuche conversational-prayer.  Some demons “come out only by proseuche conversational-prayer” for healing (a).  Jesus led the way:  He would spend the whole night in proseuche conversational-prayer upon a mountain (b), and “got up from proseuche conversational-prayer” in the garden before His death (c).  The earliest Jewish Church before 70 AD, as was their Jewish custom, went to the temple for proseuche conversational-prayer (d).  Before this Jesus drove the merchants out of the temple, because they had turned God’s “house of proseuche conversational-prayer for all nations” into a “house of trade (e),” not just a “den of robbers” (f).  Many of today’s churches have also turned their building into ‘a marketplace’ with every thing possible for sale, even equipped with a full-blown coffee shop, right outside the door to the inner sanctuary!  I went to a Christian concert at a Calvary Chapel in Tucson, Arizona and there were tables of stuff for sale from the entrance all the way past their bookstore right up to their coffee shop, but although it cost more than Starbucks, I was not allowed to drink it in their sanctuary for the concert.  “Agent Smith” from the Matrix, complete with wires sticking out of his ear, immediately told me I had to take it out to sit at a few tables among all the merchandise and watch the concert from big screen TVs, even though I paid good money at the entrance.  Had I known all this would take place, I would have done a U-turn.  I could feel the Lord’s heart inside me weeping the whole time.  When I finally got inside the sanctuary to watch the artist, he didn’t even have a band, and despite all his theatrics could not get anybody to worship except the first few rows.  The rest of the people were looking at their phones.  Man, I about cried!  Were are these people:  God-fearing Jews like Cornelius had their “proseuche conversational-prayers heard by God” (g).  Christians were ektenos ‘extended-out without let-up’ making of proseuche conversational-prayer for Peter while in prison (h).  This important because “the proseuche conversational-prayers of the saints ascend before God” (i). I sure didn’t see much from this supposedly ‘on-fire’ church! <Notes> a) Mark 9:29 – “and fasting” was added in later by Catholic monks who practiced this OT “tradition of the elders” that is not even specified in OT Law, b) Luke 6:12, c) Luke 22:45, d) Acts 3:1, e) a marketplace, emporium of merchandise, f) Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46; John 2:16, g) Acts 10:4, 31, h) Acts 12:5, i) Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4.

 

Paul encouraged a devotion to prayer: “Thru-the-realizing-channel-of pas all-kinds-of proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer, routinely be proseuchomai conversationally-praying in all kairos ‘suitable, right, seasonable, opportune seasons/occassions’ by-the-means-of  [singular] Spirit and/coupled eis ‘toward and reaching the goal of’ this, be routinely agrupneo vigilantly-watching by-the-means-of all proskarteresis devoted-relational-perseverance and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer for all the saints” (a).  Evidently “proseuche conversational-prayer and supplication-prayer” are distinct parts of “praying” and this can be done by the means of the Holy Spirit, especially being vigilantly-watching to entreat God for others.  Paul encourages:  “Be anxious about nothing but through proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer [both together] with eucharistia thanksgiving, let your specific-aitema subordinately-asked-petitions be made gnorizo experientially, relationally known to God” (b).  Paul advises Christians married couples to not abstain from sex except for specific mutually-agreed-upon times of sholazo ‘being still devotion’ (c) to proseuche conversational-prayer d)” (e). Paul remembers Christians in his own proseuche conversational-prayers (f) and included God in his travel plans (g), even asking Christians to do so on his behalf (h).  It’s not easy doing this:  Paul “agonizoma agonized in proseuche conversational-prayer” for others (i).  You have to endure in prayer:  Widows truly in need have set their hope on God, having continued in their deesis supplication-prayers and proseuche conversational-prayers night and days (j). <Notes> a) Ephesians 6:18, b) Philippians 4:6, c) sholazo: being still, ceasing activity, taking a vacation, in order to give oneself to, d) “And fasting” was added by Catholic monks in later manuscripts because of their assimilation of OT “traditions of elders” not even found in the OT Law – see Net Bible note.  This ‘borrowing’ from the OT is shameful but part of The Great Wall quenching the Holy Spirit, e) 1 Corinthians 7:5, f) Ephesians 1:16, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:4, g) Philemon 1:22; Romans 1:10, h) Romans 15:30, i) Colossians 4:12, j) 1 Timothy 5:5.

 

James encouraged prayer in the midst of suffering too:  These suffering Christians should proseuchomai conversationally-pray (a) just as Church elders were to proseuchomai conversationally-pray and anoint sick Christians with the same confident-persistence that Elijah did for rain, who “proseuchomai conversationally-prayed with proseuche conversational-prayer” (b) (c). <Notes> a) James 5:13, b) a Hebraic structure found here in the Greek to show intensity, c) James 5:14, 16, 17. 

 

Peter speaks of proseuche conversational-prayer too:  He tells Christian husbands to treat their wives with time perceived-value/honor, as a fragile vessel so nothing will hinder their proseuche conversational-prayers (a).  “Therefore since the end of all has already [with ongoing results] eggizo ‘drawn extremely close’, definitively/wholly be sophroneo sound/temperate-minded (b) and/coupled definitively/wholly be nepho sober-minded (c) eis ‘towards and reaching the goal of’ proseuche conversational-prayer” (d). <Notes> a) 1 Peter 3:7, b) sophroneo means “safety-minded, safe as to what regulates life like our diaphragm, also derived from phroneo, controls our ability to breathe which controls our heartbeat and thus our life.  It also means to have a sober outlook that reflects true balance, truly moderate, controlled to blend the extremities of truth on both side of a matter,” c) nepho:  not intoxicated or drunk, temperate, self-controlled, clear-minded, rational, d) 1 Peter 4:7.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT5

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What would Jesus say to so many religious Christians today?

 

 

 

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The same thing He did to all those stuck in religion:  “You really don’t eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know God nor do you genuinely, experientially, relationally epiginosko Him as I do, though you gnosis informationally-know a lot about God from the scriptures you diligently search/study, erroneously supposing that in them you will take hold of zoe genuine-life everlasting.  However, they simply testify/bear-witness all around Me. My sheep akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know My Voice and these directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of Mine are Spirit and zoe genuine-life.  So without God’s Spirit within you, you ongoingly look for zoe genuine-life somewhere else and thus ongoingly refuse to Come to Me and/coupled learn-directly from Me.  You are stuck in your faith, O you of little trusting-relying-faith!  You have ‘fallen into the trap and snare of the table’ that bible-students rolled out the scrolls on to study, ‘always learning but never coming to a knowledge of The Truth,’ and so ‘your backs will be bent forever,’ and your hearts hardened, always resisting the Holy Spirit.’  You really don’t have God’s unconditional-love within you, because you really don’t have the Spirit of God within you.  You really don’t have intimate koinonia fellowship with God, where the Holy Spirit becomes your ‘One Teacher’ and writes My ways on your heart.  Instead you put your trusting-relying-faith in writings on stone or paper. And because you don’t have the enabling-power of the Spirit within you, you ergo ‘do/work’ for God, even trying to ‘ergo do/work your salvation out with fear and trembling.’  But I didn’t say that!  I said, ‘You are My workmanship to will and to do My good pleasure – this is what you are to ‘work out,’ just as exercising in a gym doesn’t actually build muscle – it tears it down and I rebuild it at night when you are peacefully-resting from your ergon doings/works.”

 

It sounds too good to be true, that NOT doing any “might or power” – even bible-study – but simply being together WITH the Lord and carefully-listening to Him in conversational-prayer will actually accomplish far more “by-the-means-of My Spirit” than ALL one’s learning, understanding, wisdom-application, plans, strategies, skills, time, money, and sweat will ever accomplish – if only we will simply surrender-control by loosening our grip, ‘letting God by letting go’ of our rope, falling into God’s arms, and spending time getting to genuinely, experientially, relationally epiginosko know Him through a conversational-prayer fellowship with Him!  But that’s what God’s ‘Plan A’ promises!  That’s what Jesus came to restore:

 

An intimately experiential, abundantly fulfilling, powerfully transforming, and abiding fellowship with God by: 

 

 

  • Devoted, restfully-waiting, stillfully-watching, quietly-listening, worshipful, conversational-prayer dialogue where any routine asking, seeking, and knocking is for God’s Promised Holy Spirit to fill us with all the fullness of God Himself!

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT4

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Religion concerns itself with more than an intimate relationship with God Himself

 

 

 

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If the subject of our prayers is God Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit instead of just the stuff He can give us or to help us try to do “works done by us in/by/with righteousness” (a) like religionists would, or even to do the “good works that were created in Christ Jesus for” and even to be “zealous for” and “devoted to” (b), then our prayers can’t go wrong!  Psalms 37:3-4 says, “Trust . . . and [exquisitely] delight in Yahweh, kai and/then He will give you the mishalah/aitema [specific prayerful] ‘desires expressed as subordinately-asking petitions’ of your heart.” We need our priorities straight!  We were created primary to have koinonia intimate fellowship with God, literally walking/living humbly with God to dwell with His people (c). <Notes> a) Titus 3:5, cf. Romans 4:6, b) Ephesians 2:10, cf. Matthew 5:16; Acts 9:36; 1 Timothy 2:10, 5:10, 25, 6:10; Titus 2:7, 14, 3:8, 14; Hebrews 10:24 – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT15 and – BT17, c) Genesis 3:8, 5:22, 24, 6:9; Hosea 11:12; Micah 6:8; Ezekiel 37:27; 2 Corinthians 6:16 citing Leviticus 26:11-12 because Christians are NOW God’s rightful Temple; Revelation 2:1, 13; cf. 2 Chronicles 6:18 not in a temple, and according to rules:  Deuteronomy 5:33, 10:12; Joshua 22:5; 1 Kings 8:23; 2 Kings 10:31; 2 Chronicles 6:14; Nehemiah 10:29; Isaiah 8:11; Jeremiah 7:23.

 

Once during a long proseuche conversational-prayer walk I heard the Lord tell me that “the kingdom of God and His righteousness to seek foremost” (a) was actually “The Holy Spirit and Jesus” – 2 “Who’s to know,” and not 2 “What’s to do,” and then downloaded so many verses about seeking God’s face (b). The Lord once changed my words before coming to Him in proseuche conversational-prayer 3 times from: “I come before You” to: “I come for You.” This baffled me, but I soon understood that all I sought was within the Lord Himself – only 3 letters make all the difference! <Notes> a) Matthew 6:32-33, b) like Deuteronomy 4:29; Daniel 9:3; 2 Chronicles 15:4, 7:14; Isaiah 55:5-7; Jeremiah 29:13; Acts 15:17, 17:27; Romans 3:11; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 11:6.

 

This reminds me of a time in 2008 when my pancreas was malfunctioning so much that I feared the reaction I would have eating even simple foods, even with digestive enzymes. I was so afraid that I would proseuchomai conversationally-pray for 5 minutes before every meal asking God to help me digest it, and giving Him thanks for doing so. One time as I was doing this, He kept changing the words in my mouth from “I thank You for this food” to “I trust You for this food.” Again, I thought I was going mad, but eventually understood He was trying to help be really have trusting-relying-faith in Him. So that day I ate without my pancreatic enzymes and I had no problems whatsoever!  This was a turning point for my healing, because I found out much later that my enzymes were laced with too much calcium which was throwing my electrolytes out of balance. However, God knew this and was helping me take “Obedient Steps of Faith” (a) to eliminate some of my problems!  Reading and studying the bible would have never led me to this truth, but “the Spirit of The Truth . . . will guide you into ALL The Truth” (b). <Notes> a) Romans 1:17, b) John 16:13.

 

Religion concerns itself with the “what, where, when, why, and how” ABOUT God and His will.  Plan A doesn’t because “the righteous ones” are those who are preoccupied with the “WHO” of God!  I was told directly by God on a proseuche conversational-prayer walk that “The Kingdom of God and His Righteousness” that I was to seek wasn’t “a what and a what” of things to do as I had been taught by so many churches, but “The WHO and The WHO of The Holy Spirit and The Son” to genuinely, experientially, relationally epiginosko know, to ask for until we receive, to seek for UNTIL we find, to knock on the door for until it is opened!  You will never find that in the bible or its study notes, even though the bible says over and over that the Holy Spirit is the enabling-power of the reigning King and that King Jesus is The Righteous and Holy One of Israel!  That is vast difference of prophetic rhema words directly from the Lord.

 

Every religion, even the OT, is about might and power” – man’s inherent flesh external and internal abilities or ergon ‘doings/works,’ even about how to worship – see also Identity.  Religion makes the walls to God tall and difficult to climb, giving us only a small window for outside light to shine through onto your “bible-study table and chair” – a vision God showed me.  Plan A doesn’t have a tall ladder because God says in Zechariah 4:6 the completely different-in-kind New Covenant will “absolutely no longer be by might or power, but by My Spirit, says Yahweh of hosts!”  Jesus says that “God is Spirit and the true worshipers are those who worship Him by [singular] Spirit and/coupled [singular] The Truth,” which because of the kai coupling is the same as “The Spirit of/belonging-to The Truth” found in 4 other verses because “The Spirit is The Truth” in another. That’s why Jesus said, “Absolutely nobody can come to the Father except through Me – I AM The Way to the Father, because I AM The Truth, and My directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words are The Spirit and The zoe genuine-life because I AM the zoe Genuine-Life.  God once said in prayer, “Speak to the wall in the name/authority of Jesus 7 days and I will make it fall.”  But now in the vision I mentioned, He said:  “Get up out of your chair, walk away from the study table, and open the door who is Christ and go outside.”  When I did I saw the bluest sky, greenest vegetation, and brightest flowers ever, and sparkling bread floating down from heaven like floating diamonds and I was filled with incredible joy!  In another dream, God said the more accurate books about God, the theology of God, were on the oldest top shelf of the Library of Congress long before 1452’s printing of the Guttenberg bible, but there was no ladder to reach them but an old rugged cross.  Nevertheless, no matter how you use the cross to climb up, you will never reach the true theology of God, because even if you read the old scrolls, they are still second-hand knowledge from mere men, and only handwritten copies by later scribes at that – see Bible Info!  The True Theology can only be received humbly at the foot of the old rugged cross as the angels descend and ascend upon it to deliver it to us by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said, unlike all the “other rabbis, His yoke of instruction to learn from Him would be kindly-useful and His burdens of commandments/works forever light to carry, as a cloud is blown by the wind.”

 

Every religion elects some people to be “special leaders” or mediators, translators, scribes-scholars-lawyers, or clergy to “learn about God” and then relay this knowledge down a hierarchy of leaders (Sadducees) and teachers (Pharisees, Levite priests) to everyone else, the ‘laity,’ but by then all this becomes nothing more than second-hand gnosis info-knowledge about God.  Churches have even redefined the “equippers” that really are only coaches and facilitator to be the ministers, when it actually “the saints who do the work of ministry.”  Talk about usurping power!  What’s worse, is that the “leaders” or “equippers” often have never actually heard from God directly, but are just passing down something they read or devised from their own thinking.  Plan A doesn’t because God says “to be still in order to [or resulting in] experientially, relationally yada/ginosko know God” such that “you have absolutely-in-fact-NOT need of any other teacher!”  The first thing Paul said about having a “renewed mind for God’s kingdom” is “that no man should think of himself higher than others, for we are all brethren of one Body-of-Christ, each member equally important with different praxis functions” – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT21, Skill – BT5, Teach One Another – BT8, and Coaches & Facilitators.  Furthermore, Jesus said: “The greatest among you shall be the slave of others, just as I came to serve and not be served,” and He strongly warned His disciples on more than one occasion to: “never in fact desire to have authority over others, but to follow His example of being a servant, even a slave.”

 

Every religion has “special titles for special offices for special people” signifying their level of authority, even within the modern Church whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, such as Catholic or Eastern Orthodox ‘Fathers,’ Eastern Orthodox or Mormon ‘Patriarchs,’ Anglican ‘Lords’ or University ‘Masters,’ Protestant ‘Head Pastors,’ and Messianic-Church ‘Rabbis or Chief Rabbis’ or with great honor ‘Our Master-Our Teacher-Our Rabbi.’  Plan A doesn’t use them because Jesus warned about using titles or offices of authority like: “Father, Lord/Master/Head, or rabbi Teacher” because “you are ALL brethren,” and respectively, “there is only One Heavenly Father, One Lord Jesus Christ, and One Spirit of The Truth who guides you into ALL truth.” See also Teaching and Coaches & Facilitators.

 

All the places in the NT that talk about church assembly never say anything about 1 or 2 authoritative men doing all the teaching or even a “worship music team,” but instead about the “gospel logos message dwelling/residing among them richly by addressing/teaching and admonishing ONE ANOTHER…EACH OF YOU bringing an instrumental psalm, a composed hymn, a spontaneous song by the Spirit, a teaching, prophecy, revelation, logos message of wisdom, logos message of knowledge, a tongue, its interpretation, all submitting to one another for the building up of the Body.”  Body-of-Christ ministry was the only prescribed ministry!  Everything else is “self-prescribed worship-service, made and taught by men,” no different from the “traditions of the elders” the Jews came up with.  The “apostles, prophets, evangelists-preachers, and shepherds-who-are-able-to-teach” weren’t supposed to be the “special people/offices who to the work of ministry” but simply “praxis functioning grace-gifts of Christ’s Spirit that equip/coach/facilitate the saints who are the ones who are supposed to do the work of ministry!”  That makes them the “ministers” not the “equippers!”  Once again, the modern Church thinks it’s all about “special people” when instead it’s about a multitude of grace-gifts given to the entire Body-of-Christ, which even change due to the particular situation, ALL that should be working equally together to build up the Body into the likeness of Christ. What has happened to 1 Corinthians 14:26-39 where all the people in a congregation are encouraged to prophesy or give a message in tongues with some one giving an interpretation, but doing it orderly one after another, listening to each other, and everybody else weighing in on what was said?  That’s what Paul meant about “orderly worship!”

 

Religious people even try to correlate the lists of the Spirit’s different grace-gifts and then believe that it’s somehow complete. Good luck, because Paul’s lists evolved over time with his experiences with the Spirit, we are missing letters of Pauls, and that was never his point anyway – they are only examples of God’s unlimited enabling-power to get His work done through “a diversity of grace-gifts and manifestations,” through a Body that should be treating each other equally, just as “God shows now partiality or favoritism!”  A careful study of “authority” will also show that the top-down, vertical, hierarchal structure of religion (and many churches) is actually patterned after Satan’s angelic/demonic kingdom, externalized in the world of fallen men, and not God’s horizontally-flat kingdom structure where there is “only 1 Head over ALL of us WHO is given ALL authority, WHO is Jesus, and we are ALL brethren, reciprocally one belonging to the other, equal children of God.” The same metron ‘measuring-cup’ of The-Trusting-Relying-Faith and The-Unconditionally-Loving-Favor-of-Grace was used to insure equity from a Just, Equitable God.  Again, what differs is the praxis function of the grace-gifts so nobody “can think more highly of themselves.”

 

Every religion erects “special buildings” for prayer and worship. The Jews and half-breed Samaritans had their temples or “places of worship,” and invariably they become “marketplaces, places of business, even by robbers and thieves” by the peddlers of religion, the Canaanites.  Plan A doesn’t because there are no Christian “building programs” in the early Church after the Jewish temple was destroyed in 70 AD, unlike every church today that seem to have an “edifice complex,” until Catholicism was made institutionalized by Emperor Constantine 300 years later, when he patterned the basilicas after pagan Greek and Roman temples.  Please don’t try to use the argument that Christians were persecuted until then so they couldn’t build churches.  That is ‘fake news’ because there were long periods of time when there was tolerance and no persecution.  If it was a priority of Christians, they would have built as they do in other tolerant nations today dominantly controlled by hostile religions, but we don’t have any writings or archeology to indicate any church buildings other than a few homes with inner walls knocked down for gatherings up to 35 people.  Jesus called the Jerusalem temple, “My Father’s house of proseuche conversational-prayer,” but told the Samaritan woman that “the true worship of God would no longer take place in a place, either in Jerusalem or Samaria, where they routinely carried out liturgical-ritual-worship-services FOR God, because God is Spirit so the true worshippers that the Father seeks are those who will worship by [singular] Spirit and/coupled [singular] Truth,” which Jesus says concerning:  “The Spirit of The Truth, WHO I AM, will dwell in you, WHO will bear witness about Me, and WHO will guide you into ALL The Truth.”  Because of the indwelling Spirit of Christ, Christians, even their individual and corporate Bodies, are now “God’s Temple,” and so we are now God’s actual “house of proseuche conversational-prayer” and “offering our bodies as living sacrifice is NOW our logical liturgical-ritual-worship-service FOR God.”  Plan A reverts everything back to God’s original design.

 

Every religion also looks intently or gazes at or studies holy gramma letters as writings” and the collection of these into “holy graphe books” that the Jews called “scriptures,” in order to learn about God and His will to then “take hold of zoe genuine-life.”  It really does take Greek and Hebrew scholars, the so-called “wise and understanding ones,” to adequately translate or understand the bible, and they argue constantly on which manuscripts are more accurate and what the words really mean – see Bible Info.  There are 1000s of manuscripts with 1000s of textual variants – 400,000 just in the NT – and the scholars are always changing their minds!  There are many college courses on textual, literary, and biblical criticism, biblical archeology, biblical languages and interpretation (hermeneutics), biblical and church history, and theology – and I’ve taken too many!  It’s exhausting and our English bibles don’t come close to even relaying the meaning of any agreed upon text!  Plan A doesn’t rely on any of this, but tells us to be like little children with their parents, to optanomai fix our wide-open eyes and ears of our hearts on God Himself.  To these God promised revealed prophetic knowledge, clear sunesis connect-the-dots understanding that goes beyond left-to-right sequitar reasoning, and gives us zoe genuine-life through the experiential, relational ginosko knowledge of the Father and the Son.  Paul says, God “thwarts and destroys the wisdom of the  ‘wise and understanding ones’.”  Jesus ridicules their “diligent searching/studying of the scriptures to take hold of zoe genuine-life.”  Isaiah mocks their “line upon line, precept upon precept” expositional approach as elementary ‘abc’ gibberish, while giving God’s wisdom and understanding to those the Prophets who will simply be like little children and just relentlessly aiteo ask their Heavenly Father, wait, and listen – see also Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16 for the patient-endurance of trusting-relying-faith.

 

Jesus doesn’t train disciples any other way than He was discipled by God.  Isaiah’s prophecy said that Jesus learned through His devotion to proseuche conversational-prayer and that’s the only “spiritual discipline” we see Jesus devoted to while on earth!  Only once did the NT say that Jesus read scripture – once in a synagogue to say He had fulfilled it. We have to remember that He was the eternal Logos Message of God, so everything that Moses and the Prophets wrote was told to them by the Son!  That’s why at 14 years old Jesus could debate the socks off the scribes and Pharisees!  His disciples never read scripture and there is no indication as a carpenter Jesus would have had access to them outside of the synagogue!  Although all rabbis had scribes to write down their sayings, Jesus never did nor did He ask His disciples to.  Instead He and the apostle John said the Holy Spirit, The Anointing of the Holy One, would be their “One Teacher of ALL truth” after Jesus left them, because the Spirit would be Him now living in them, not just close-beside them!  The “kingdom of God is within” and that is where the “One Teacher” does the teaching!

 

Every religion promises that the reading and study of their “special books” will lead us to knowing The Truth that will transform us into God’s glory and set us free from sin, but it actually hides God’s glory from them behind a veil/covering and their hearts become hardened and sin multiplies.  Plan A doesn’t promise this.  It removes the veil or curtain for direct access to God to find that The Truth isn’t a “what, where, when, why, and how” to read, study, analyze, memorize, and debate in order to acquire gnosis info-knowledge about God and His will.  It doesn’t come through the “sophia wisdom and sunesis connect-the-dots understanding” of logos “second-hand communication of content in a message” through “holy gramma letters” collected into grapheholy books” called “scripture,” which can only be accurately done by the so-called “wise and understanding ones” – the scribe-scholars and clergy or rabbiteachers and Pharisee leaders, who were the very people Jesus mocked as “diligently searched/studying the scriptures” who were “the blind watchmen leading the blind, who never akouo heard/listened-to-understand/know God’s actual Voice [as the Prophets did], never eido mentally ‘seen’ to perceive/know God or His will [as the Prophets did], and thus never experientially, relationally ginosko knew God [as the Prophets did], and so they couldn’t possibly have God’s unconditional-love meno abiding/living within them [as the Prophets did].”

 

However, Jesus came to bring God’s people back to Plan A of genuinely, experientially, relationally epiginosko knowing “The WHO of The Truth, the Son WHO can actually set them free from the practice of sin.” All the so-called NT proof texts for “studying the bible” completely fall apart when you read them from the original Greek in context!  The KJV “spoudoza study to shew thyself an approved workman” is a deceptively bad translation that kept the 70 bible translators gainfully employed at their universities by King James in 1611!  Politics, money, and power have had much effect on bible translations!  Spoudoza means “to be diligent or zealous” as the better translations have noted  – see Logos Word of God – BT19!    So much of church-ianity is perpetuating ‘the way’ of the other religions, especially the OT one, when the New (a) Covenant calls for the completely-different-in-kind new (a) ‘way’ of the Spirit!  <Notes> a) chadash, kainos: fresh, completely-different-in-kind, unprecedented, sharing nothing with its predecessors, unique, and superior.

 

Every religion has “special truths” to read, study, and memorize about God!  Plan A doesn’t because the NT says that the OT is NOT “The Truth or even The Unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace” but only “shadows, figures, outlines, sketches, prototypes, copies, or elementary ‘abc’ principles of good things to come.”  Instead, Jesus Christ is “The Truth” and “The Unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace” that came into existence – “The aletheia Absolute Reality” of God!  Jesus “fulfilled/completed” the “first covenant in order to establish the second,” so that the first’s “glory vanished away, ended, and was finished, done away with, and abolished because it was nailed to the cross,” so that the second’s glory will be an “everlasting covenant.” Christians should have “died to the Law and been freed/liberated from the Law’s yoke of slavery” – the first covenant should be history – in order “to belong to another – Christ,” and thus “absolutely no longer serving God by the way of the gramma writings!”  The old covenant “absolutely cannot perfect those who draw near to it,” but the New Covenant can!  “Christians are now the epistles hand-written-personal-letters of God, gramma written absolutely-in-fact-NOT by letters on stone tables or ink on paper but by the Spirit of God on tablets of human hearts!”

 

Every religion has “special statements of The Faith” or “creeds” they recite that prove by confession that you are saved.  The Catholic Church created one after another from 180 AD on – see Salvation – BT9, as did the Protestants from 1517 AD on.  All through history you will find that when the Church falls away from trusting-relying-faith in the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His supernatural prophetic grace-gifts, it looks to bible-study, apologetics, dogma, theology, and creeds to articulate this for the people to adhere to, feel secure and confident, especially in the Church, and also differentiate themselves from what the Church will then label as “heretics” to excommunicate or persecute, even by torture and death!  Many godly men, Spirit-baptized, even theologians and bible translators were tortured, hung, or burned alive. Plan A doesn’t do this!  Although historians try to find creeds in the NT like “Jesus is the Christ,” which means Messiah, the Anointed One of God, or “Jesus Christ is Lord,” which means “Supreme Master,” or “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh,” or “Jesus is the Son of God,” there is only one occurrence of each of these, and John only says to “Confess Jesus” or “Confess the Son.”  Can you see how religious people can’t just let the Holy Spirit guide people?

 

The closest we get to a saving creed to confess at water-baptism below is Paul’s in Romans 10:9, but notice the emphasis:  “If you confess with your mouth that ‘Jesus is Lord (Supreme Master) and/coupled have trusting-relying-faith in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall actually be saved.”  However, Paul may have been adding “raised from the dead” because of the current heresy going through the Church that Jesus wasn’t even human in the flesh – see Identity, so He couldn’t die, let alone resurrect.  That’s because the Greeks and Romans believed in ‘dualism’ that said the world of flesh and the spiritual world are completely separate.  The NT was written to address specific needs for specific groups of people, and never conceived of as new set of universally-binding graphe “scripture!”

 

The NT was never intended to be more graphe scripture – a term applied by the Catholic theologian Tertullian around 200 AD when arguing against the Jews that Christians also had authoritative writings – what a desperate knee-jerk reaction!   Jesus instead teaches:  “For out of the heart, speaks the mouth” – words aren’t that important except to reveal the heart!  That’s what confession of sin and confession of The-Trusting-Relying-Faith does – see Surrender-Control.  Peter says: “This water-baptism, which corresponds to Noah’s family being saved by the ark dia through-the-medium-of flood waters, [to safely land on shore even though it buried a world of people] now saves you also, …because it’s a ‘request-appeal or profession-pledge’ of/for a good/sincere conscience toward God – this water-baptism saving you dia through-the-medium-of  the resurrection of Christ.”  Water-baptism is the “reality/substance/type that corresponded to the antitype” OT shadow of Noah’s flood.  The “request-appeal or profession-pledge” was the common public confession all Gentile proselytes to Judaism made before their full-body Spirit-baptisms, which they believed saved them also!  The Greek really says “the request . . . conscience” phrase is really more about “the Holy Spirit working together with the person because of their surrender to help them mentally experience their reaching toward God” – it’s a communal, epignosis experiential-knowledge not a ritual.  This is what Jesus and the early Church also taught, just as Paul does in all his writings, like Romans 6:3-5.  They didn’t try to separate the confession “request-appeal or profession-pledge” from the waters of baptism because both were part of “one baptism that now saves you also.”  But it only saves anyone because of Christ’s resurrection, so it isn’t a work to earn favor, but an act of trusting-relying-faith to take hold of the free grace-gift of God’s unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace given to us.

 

Every religion has “special wisdom sayings” or “Proverbs” to read, study, and memorize to become “wise and understanding.”  Plan A doesn’t because God mocks the so-called “wise and understanding ones” who acquired it this way, “thwarting and destroying” their efforts, but instead gives the “directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of wisdom, understanding, insight-enlightenment, and gnosis info-knowledge through revelation by the Spirit to ‘little children’ and the other “least among you” through a genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of God – even to those that can’t hear, see or read!”  God shows no favoritism except to favor the least before the greatest!  Again, the ability to “walk in a manner worthy, fully pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work” comes from what I just described, not from books, not even from the bible!

 

Every religion has “special prayers” to recite as an ergon ‘doing/work’ to please God or to earn something from Him.  They even “pray the promises of God” from the bible, but the bible never says to do that.  Then there was the fad of “declaring blessings,” taken from the OT.  Then there was the fad of “declaring bible verses” to defeat Satan or unlock God’s promises.  Then there was the fad of finding the few explicit statements of “the will of God” that would certainly be answered.  Now there is the fad of gleaning from the prayers of people in the bible what we should pray!  All of this is just religious ergon ‘doings/works’ that again requires reading, studying, and memorizing the bible, just like other religions do of their “holy gramma writings” to use them in similar fashion.  Paul says, it’s all nonsense!  It all shows favoritism!  Plan A doesn’t because the Lord’s Prayer isn’t a ritual prayer as most churches treat it – it’s simply a brief model or outline of how to practice proseuchomai conversationally-praying “the way or in this manner,” and it behooves us to treat it this way!  Jesus said that pagan Gentiles pray with “many repetitive words or phrases like someone stuttering or stammering, which is vain babble, supposing that by their many words that God will hear them.”  This recitation of prayers is simply a ritual like Eastern religions reciting Mantras or the Catholics praying the Rosary Beads or the Muslims their many daily prayers!  Superstitious pagans!

 

The NT says God already knows what we will ask; that our words should be few; that we can groan or sigh without words and the Spirit will intercede for us, and that we can even proseuchomai conversationally-pray by the Spirit in supernatural tongues the perfect will of God.  God sees what’s in our hearts and cares more about us surrendering-control and listening than our monologue of words.  The “Word of God that never comes back void but accomplishes what it was sent out to do” is not bible verses, it is prophetic rhema – the directly-spoken/heard words of God that is the “bread that man can actually live on!”

 

Jesus preached and taught then – and still does – by His Spirit with His directly-spoken/heard rhema words.  The NT writers say much more about examining, discerning, or scrutinizing the will of God through continual practice in renewing one’s mind via routine listening proseuche conversational-prayer, as given by the Wonderful Counsel of the Spirit, than they ever do explicitly stating the will of God as logos messages for Christians to read-to-understand – see Least Among You – BT8 and New Covenant Ways – BT16.  Nevertheless, you can see Christ’s priorities within His ‘Lord’s Prayer’ model, so it’s a great idea to use this to guide your proseuche conversational-prayer as He intended!  The number of words are very small, so evidently proseuche conversational-prayer has much more to do with listening than talking!  After all, what did Jesus do all night long – say the same things over and over?

 

Now “the logos Word of God that is to meno abide/live in” new believers to make them true disciples isn’t OT scripture or any “holy gramma writings” but the gospel logos message of Jesus Christ they akouo heard/listened to preached.  And regarding this preached logos message of The Truth, who is Jesus, Paul says, “Trusting-relying-faith comes from akouo hearing/listening-to-understand/know the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of God.”  Jesus said that “people can’t even come to Him unless the Father first draws them and teaches them” – by His Spirit!  You have to akouo hear/listen-to-understand/know “Jesus knock on your door to come in and intimately dine with Him” in order to say “Yes” to His logos message to you!  The sermon isn’t what you are answering – it can only provoke you to be open to akouo hear/listen-to-understand/know Christ speak through His gospel logos message directly to your heart!  John says “If you let what you akouo heard/listened-to-understand/know to from the beginning meno abide/live in you, then you will meno abide/live in the Father and Son.”  That’s why Jesus said we had to have His directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words meno abiding/living in us if we want our aiteo asked-prayers answered!  See Prophetic Rhema Words.

 

Every religion creates “special commandments, ordinances, precepts, rules, and regulations” to ergo ‘do/work’ in order to “curb the indulgence of the flesh” to stop sinning and become more holy/sanctified. But the OT Law of 613 commandments “cannot make anything perfect” and not only “reveals sin, it multiplies sin to make us exceeding sinful, and then kills us to be dead as a doornail!”  I’ve read on the internet that there are 500 or 1000 commandments for Christians to obey!  Lies!  Plan A doesn’t put this “heavy burden on us to carry.”  The Messiah has already sanctified or “set us apart or consecrated us as ‘special’ for God’s use, making us ‘clean’ and thus holy by His own sacrificial work to blot out or wash away all our sins forever to give us His Holiness in exchange for our sin – this atoning exchange called “propitiation” – and then instills within us His Holy Spirit to transform and renew us daily as we follow Him in intimate koinonia fellowship!  We can stop working for it and starting having trusting-relying-faith and instead thanking Him for it!

 

The completely-different-in-kind New Covenant Way or ministry of the Spirit has absolutely nothing to do with the old, antiquated, feeble, useless way, or ministry of the holy gramma writings. The NT says this so often because it was hard for Jews and religious Gentiles to believe it!  The Spirit alone can set us free from “the Law of sin and death!”  Now God’s instruction or Torah is the completely-different-in-kind New Law of only 2 commandments integrally connected into ONE from God:  “Trusting-relying-faith in the son He sent,” the “work of the Father that saves you,” and “unconditionally-loving one another as I have unconditionally-loved you,” “the completely-different-in-kind New Commandment or Law of Christ” that Jesus “gave My or His commandment to us,” written on our hearts, no longer on stone tablets or with ink on scrolls, so “there is absolutely-in-fact-NO need for anyone to write you concerning unconditional-love for the brethren, because you have already been taught by God.”  John says, “because of the Anointing of the Holy One, you have absolutely-in-fact-NO no need of any other teacher, because He actually, ongoingly teaches you about ALL things, especially to continue meno abiding/living in Christ.”  The OT prophetic “oracles of God” used to convert Jews to Christ, only 2.6% of the OT, were “infant’s milk” and “elementary ‘abc’ fundamentals” compared to the “solid food” of the Spirit’s teaching!   “The Wonderful Counselor” is within us as the Spirit of wisdom, revelation, discernment, enlightening-insight, and understanding given through prophecy, dreams, and visions and most often as a result of routine conversational-prayer – for certainly this is the will of God that He will be eager to answer! For this is “The Promise” of the New Covenant, not more graphe scripture that didn’t even work for the Jews in the old covenant!

 

Every religion creates “special ergon doings/works” to be ergo ‘done/worked’ into order to earn God’s favor, blessing, and unconditional-love or to avoid His just wrath and judgment. This is the old covenant or Law that saturates the 97.4% of OT such that Jesus, the NT writers, and modern Jews consider them the OT and Law as synonymous.  Plan A doesn’t because instead we are to simply ergo ‘do/work’ by “obedient steps of faith” in God’s unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace and unconditional-love through Christ, so that we can finally “rest from our ergon doing/works.”  We are to instead have trusting-relying-faith that surrenders control to God’s Spirit “to will and do His good pleasure IN us.”

 

Every religion puts God in a box to be taken out when we aiteo ask-pray or for a worship-service during “special events” like holy festivals, or taken out for “special days” like holy days, New Moons, Sabbaths, or Sundays at church, or taken out for “special times” like saying ‘grace’ for our food, or taken out for “special religious liturgical-ritual-services for God” like circumcisions, sacrifices, ordinations, consecrations, and water-baptisms.  Most churches call these “worship services!”  Plan A doesn’t!  Jesus and the NT writers practiced and taughtproseuche conversational-prayer at all times and/coupled places” because fellowship with God requires cultivation ‘of the garden’ by regular visitation, communication, and sharing of each other’s lives.  Christ’s conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well was to move her away from “special times and places” to “true worship by [singular] Spirit and/coupled [singular] Truth.”  Every day is “special” when we spend it together WITH the The Truth Son and His Holy Spirit!  Paul says “We are the true circumcision, whose liturgical-worship-service is by the Spirit of God and thus are putting no confidence in the flesh [of man-made religious liturgical-worship-services], now offering our bodies as living sacrifices to God, which is now the logical-way to liturgically-worship-serve God.”  The NT returns us back to biblical proseuche conversational-prayer which has always been considered the true worship of God that all the Prophets enjoyed.

 

Every religion has “special foods and drinks” and “spiritual disciples like fasting and asceticism.”  Plan A doesn’t!  Paul writes extensively of the “weak-in-The-Trusting-Relying-Faith” Jewish-Christians who practice such things, still enslaved by the yoke of the Law, and that such severities to the body, though appearing wise, are but man-taught rules, like ‘elementary abc fundamentals’ common to all self-imposed religion, which are of absolutely-in-fact-NO value in curbing the indulgence of the flesh.  They are “zealous, ceremonial, rituals and disciplines of holiness that are self-prescribed,” because Jesus doesn’t prescribe them!  Instead Jesus said that fasting is “the old wineskin that you can’t pour new wine in, or the old garment you can’t put a new unshrunk patch on, or both will ruined.” All the NT ‘proof texts’ for fasting crumble when examined carefully from the Greek manuscripts – see New Covenant Ways – BT2b.  These “fasting” references either pertain to Jewish-Christians struggling to break free from Judaism, as Paul kept urging them to do, or were from Catholic monks who added these into the later texts to justify their church laws – we can see their earlier additions in the margins later being added to the text – shame on them!  The OT never actually commanded fasting, but found only in the “tradition of the elders,” yet this shows up in later NT writings.  The fasting of Jesus in the wilderness was only mentioned in one account by a very Jewish Matthew and the idiom may actually mean “eating only of desert foods.”  Jesus and His disciples were accused of NOT fasting like John’s disciples and other Jews!  Jesus said, “It’s not what goes into a man that makes him unclean” and He and the other writers teach to “give thanks for ALL that God provides!”

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT3

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Relentless, devoted conversational-prayer is often required to experience Spirit-baptism for enabling-power

 

 

 

Please follow the BLOG Etiquette to stay on topic and pass the moderator’s check.  Bold, underlined text below = future links to the BLOG pages.

 

Spirit-baptism is the enabling-power for metamorphic transformation, and this is only through the renewal of our hearts and minds by a habitual lifestyle of conversational-prayer!  The overwhelming teaching and historical evidence of the NT and subsequent early Church history, as well as the history of subsequent revivals, is that the outpouring, immersion, or filling of Spirit-baptism didn’t just occur once at Pentecost to start the Church or even once at a person’s water-baptism when they proseuchomai conversationally-prayed for this “promised grace-gift,” but occurred repetitively to the same Christians because of individual and corporate obedient steps of faith to clear NT imperatives to “be routinely filled by the Spirit” (a) and to be devoted to “routinely asking for this in proseuche conversational-prayer until they received this grace-gift of the Father” (b). It’s the only way to experience “Thy kingdom come…Thy will be done” (c)!  If your trusting-relying-faith is stuck in the bible, that’s all you get! <Notes> a) Ephesians 5:18, b) Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13, c) Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2.

 

Cessationism is a “doctrine of demons” taught by powerless men to keep Christians powerless! The early Church writers said you can’t separate the grace-gifts or signs & wonders from the fruit of the Spirit, because excluding the former is “cutting yourself off from the Vine so that you cannot bear fruit” (a).  The indwelling Spirit wasn’t a doctrine that you had to simply take by trusting-relying-faith – simply confessing the creeds and dogma that a later powerless Church came up with!  When the Spirit came into a new believer, there were visible signs of overwhelming unconditional-love, joy, peace, and exuberate worship, often with supernatural tongues and prophecy – hearing prophetic rhema words directly-spoken to you from God and then speaking them to God and others.  This was the evidence that a person actually does have Christ and is saved!  There was no wishing or guessing involved.  It was obvious to you and everybody else!  A lot of so-called Christians are not saved at all, though they may say they are. The NT is full of people saying one thing, but the NT writers saying they were tragically deceived. <Notes> a) John 15:4-7.

 

Paul “wants all Christians to earnestly desire the Spirit’s grace-gifts, all to proseuchomai conversationally-pray and sing by the Spirit in tongues, just like he does, but especially to prophecy.” “Apostling, prophesying, evangelizing/preaching, and shepherd-teaching” are the Spirit’s ongoing “grace-gifts to simply equip – coach and facilitate – the saints to do the ergon ‘doing/work’ of ministry,” according to Paul (a).  This is about Body-Ministry, not watching the referees and coaches play the football game!  Peter quoted the Prophet Joel on Pentecost (b) that said only “prophecy, even thru dreams and visions,” was the singular way God would speak to His “men and woman servants in the Last Days/Church Age.”  <Notes> a) Ephesians 4:7-12, b) Acts 2:17-19.

 

Many so-called ‘Christians’ are not only NOT saved, but they don’t have the supernatural enabling-power to stop practicing sin, because only The Truth, Jesus, by His indwelling Spirit “can set you free from the slavery of sin!  ONLY God’s Spirit poured into our hearts will cause us to keep His statutes and obey His ways” (a).  For the unconditional-love of/belonging-to God constrains or controls us; we unconditionally-love because He first unconditionally-loved us – this is not a doctrine but genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge!  “Self-control” is the end result or final ‘flavor’ of the [singular] fruit of the Spirit presently/ongoingly is-defined-as/exists-as Unconditional-Love!  It isn’t a word to study and try to do – you will fail miserably!  I actually heard 1 preacher say that you need to study and master the fruit of Unconditional-Love, and then study and master the fruit of joy, and then study and master the fruit of peaceful-rest, and keep doing this until you finally get to the 9th fruit of self-control. This is insane!  Karpos fruit is singular, not plural, and the first word agape Unconditional-Love is the direct object, just as 1 John 4:8, 16 says “God is-defined-as/exists-as agape Unconditional-Love” period, and the other 8 words are simply adjective-nouns describing the flavors of the singular fruit.  Also, what vine or tree have you ever seen that has 9 different kinds of fruit on it?  Insane!  Only after we filled by the Spirit of Unconditional-Love will we have peaceful-rest from our ergon ‘doing/works’ of holiness/sanctification attempts to be free from sin. Only then will we have food and drink for our hungering and thirsting for righteousness. <Notes> a) Ezekiel 11:20, 36:27; Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 13:21; 1 Corinthians 12:6, 15:10.

 

Plan A simply relies on a routine lifestyle habit of conversational-prayer, but every religion insists on something else or tries to put the cart before the horses by trying to do the ergon ‘doing/works’ ourselves through “spiritual disciplines” or “church programs” to get the “3 results that God promises” in the previous BLOG without following the “4 Parts of 1 obedient step of faith” also in the previous BLOG.  Religious people work to acquire the grace-gifts on their own or to earn it from God, but then they would NOT be by the unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace, and thus religious people won’t have enough trusting-relying-faith to follow these “4 Parts of 1 obedient step of faith” that “the righteous ones shall live by.” For more about the relentlessness of trusting-relying-faith, see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16.  For more about the relentlessness of conversational-prayer, see Conversational-Prayer – BT19..

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT2

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A short summary of the study that led me to understand God’s simple ‘PLAN A’ from the previous BLOG – 4 Parts of 1 Obedient-Step with 3 Results

 

 

 

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Jesus ‘saved or restored’ God’s original ‘Plan A’ given even for the “least among you,” that God had spelled out to Moses to present to His people in Exodus 19 and 20 at Mt. Sinai, a plan that the people rejected but Moses obeyed. Thus only Moses received the benefits of a direct personal fellowship, and the people got what they wanted instead – a religion of indirect communication with God, “commandments expressed in ordinances” (a) through gramma writings (b), collected many years later as graphe scripture, and secondarily taught by a hierarchy of mere humans. But Jesus restored how God’s children were to relate to their Heavenly Father, by the “obedience of faith,” where the righteous ones live by trusting-relying-faith, from one obedient step of faith to another” (c), thus the thesis statement of Paul’s “Book of Romans,” the gospel explained to Gentiles. For the full 34 page documentation fo this summary, Contact Us.   <Notes> a) Ephesians 2:15, b) with ink:  Romans 2:27, 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:7; 2 Timothy 3:15, versus by the Spirit:  2 Corinthians 3:3, 6; Romans 2:29, c) Romans 1:5, 17, 16:26.

 

Jesus calls us to “repent or return” to Exodus’ ‘Plan A’ of 1 simple “step of faith” – for purposes of explanation I’ve broken it into 4 parts – to enjoy a genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of God through intimate koinonia fellowship, where God comes near/close-beside us to get a close-up look at us or to quiz/examine His disciples/students to ascertain what they really know and to help them to learn it better:

 

Part 1:  No longer continue to stand far off in doubt and fear as the Israelites did at Mt. Sinai, but instead have child-like, trusting-relying-faith with reverential submission, yet with the child-like confidence to boldly claim what God desires to freely give His beloved children – that’s the actual meaning of routine aiteo “asking” in prayer!

 

Part 2:  Truly be Christ’s “disciple or follower” by being presently, ongoingly, repeatedly, persistently, routinely-as-a-lifestyle, relentlessly like a little child continually crying out to their parents, abidingly, always-at-all-times, unceasingly, without-wavering, and patiently-enduring, and thus being single-mindedly, whole-heartedly, sincerely, truthfully, delightfully, urgently cravingly with a hunger and thirst, and earnestly or diligently taking the “obedient step of faith” that Jesus and the early Church were singularly devoted to, which is:

 

Part 3:  A dialogue of proseuche conversational-prayer, not just a monologue of petitioning God with deesis prayer-supplications, by simply doing:

 

Part 4:  Going up, coming toward, or drawing near to God through Mt. Sinai’s darkness, i.e., past our doubts and fears, “to where God is,” and then calling on, crying out to, asking, seeking, searching for, pursuing, knocking, waiting-patiently upon, being still or quiet or taking a vacation or resting from our works, watching attentively with the eyes of our heart to see the Lord’s prophetic visions and dreams (a), fixing our eyes upon, gazing with wide-open eyes at, setting our minds on, listening with our inner man’s ears carefully to understand the Lord’s voice of directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words. <Notes> a) the oldest book of Job says this is where God “opens the ears of men to give warnings.”

 

That’s what biblical proseuche conversational-prayer really is, which Jesus says is the “true worship of the Father by [singular] Spirit and/coupled [singular] The Truth,” where Paul’s teaching about the “renewing of our minds/hearts” actually does occur – not by reading the bible or hearing a sermon preached from it!

 

These 4 Parts are simply ONEobedient step of faith” asked of us in the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant.  Radically simple!  Don’t get hung up on all the words the bible uses above to describe the same thing!  The title of the study really boils it all down.  God’s PLAN A for us is simply to have:

 

An intimately experiential, abundantly fulfilling, powerfully transforming, and abiding fellowship with God by: 

 

 

  • Devoted, restfully-waiting, stillfully-watching, quietly-listening, worshipful, conversational-prayer dialogue where any routine asking, seeking, and knocking is for God’s Promised Holy Spirit to fill us with all the fullness of God Himself!

 

I, like many others, have had the hardest time with Part 2 above: “routinely-as-a-lifestyle, relentlessly like a little child . . . patiently-enduring . . . and thus being single-mindedly, whole-heartedly . . .  proseuchomai conversationally-praying” – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16, for these 4 reasons:

 

  1. Mistaking this for a “performance-work” to earn God’s favor and thus falling into a Law-mentality – see Obedience Steps of Faith – BT17.

 

  1. Not fully believing that Part 3 above of “a conversational dialogue of devoted relational prayer” is the only NT “spiritual discipline or devotion” that will accomplish the “3 results that God promises” below – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT27.

 

  1. Being easily distracted and preoccupied instead with accumulating religious gnosis info-knowledge through much bible reading, study, and sermons as so many bible colleges, books, and churches have drilled into me – see Bible Info.

 

  1. Being easily distracted by the many worries, pleasures, and comforts of this world!

 

 

Here are 3 results that God promises for ergon ‘doing/working’ the 4 Parts above of ONEobedient step of faith.” If we relentlessly draw near as a little child to our Father UNTIL He comes near/close-beside us to ascertain what His disciples/students really know in order to help them learn it better, then we really are Christ’s disciples/followers – not just ‘believers’ – and these supernatural things will actually be done BY God ergo ‘doing/working’ in us – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT21:

 

  1. The adoring, reverential awe or true worship of God by the Spirit of The Truth will come over or shine upon us as the glory of God, because we will have found WHO we are looking for, received WHO we are asking for, and the door to this “intimate, dining-together koinonia fellowship” was opened by the WHO of Jesus! “The kingdom of God and His righteousness we seek” are not 2 ‘what’s, where’s, or how’s’ of religion to zealously do but instead 2 “WHO’s to intimately know” – the Spirit and The Son, for they represent and serve the Father.” The object of our proseuche conversational-prayer is the presence of God Himself.

 

  1. In addition to Himself, God desires to give whatever we routinely aiteo ask for, but only if it is according to “the will of God.” However, the NT doesn’t often explicitly state in gramma writings what that is for a reason, and when it does it’s usually very broad, because “holy gramma writings” are “the way” of the OT.  Instead the NT’s way is “discerned through revelation by the wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and insight of the Holy Spirit particularly through a genuine, experential, relational epignosis knowledge of God” as cultivated only by proseuche conversational-prayer.  Jesus said you can only be confident that your deesis prayer-supplications will be answered if you are meno abiding/living in Him and/coupled His directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words are meno abiding/living in you – not bible verses of “holy gramma writings!”  You can’t really follow Jesus as one of His sheep unless you first can akouo hear/listen-to-understand/know His Voice!  There is no indication that Jesus is speaking figuratively – He means His sheep are defined as those who actually akouo hear/listen-to-understand/know His Voice and consequently follow Him!

 

  1. Finally God promises all the riches of His glory as well, but this is God’s ergon ‘doing/work’ so that we can “peacefully-rest from our ergon doings/works” to receive the “peaceful-rest of the Holy Spirit that is beyond understanding.” Then this glory of the Spirit, whose [singular] fruit/productive-essence is Unconditional-Love, the essential-nature of God, will Spirit-baptize us with all the abundant-fullness of God in order to:

 

  • Genuinely, experientially, relationally epiginosko know God and mentally grasp The Unconditional-Love of/belonging to Christ, which is actually The Truth of God, through the enabling-power of the Spirit’s revelational wisdom, discernment, understanding, and insight within our innermost being, which exceeding surpasses all gnosis info-knowledge, as Paul often declared.

 

  • Only then will the darkness of doubts and fear of judgment flee with the coming of Christ’s light and unconditional-love, because Christ’s “perfect/complete unconditional-love casts out all fear, because fear has to do with judgment.”

 

  • Only by being connected to and by meno abiding/living in the Vine of Christ will we experience the zoe genuine-life of Christ from the Breath of God, the Holy Spirit. I can’t forget that dream where the Massive Head of Christ was hovering over an ADHD-busy robotic body, always moving to its next “thing to do,” much like Martha serving Jesus and the apostles, but when it stayed still long enough for the Head to connect to it, like Mary at the feet of Jesus, I then felt an intoxicating surge of life as I inhaled my first breath, like I had never been alive before, but before long the Body-of-Christ would move to the next “to-do” of its programs and schedules. The “equippers” pushing the saints into these are part of The Great Wall quenching the Holy Spirit in the Church.

 

  • Only then will we bear much fruit unto God, because not only will we intimately know the [singular] fruit/essence of God’s Spirit who is Unconditional-Love, but we will be filled with the enabling-power of God to actually “both desire and do God’s will.” Jesus says, “Apart from Me you can absolutely-in-fact-NOT do anything!” The Greek is clear that “If we are meno abiding/living in/by/with Christ’s unconditional-love, then we will have the enabling-power’s self- constraint/control to obey God’s commandments” – and there are only 2 – not vice-versa as too many English bibles say, putting the cart before the horses!

 

  • “Resisting the devil so that he will flee from us” is a by-product of a surrendering koinonia communion with Jesus. “Resisting” doesn’t mean “standing or moving forward to fight.” God showed me in a vision that I must turn/repent and flee/retreat from the repetitive waves of the world’s sin crashing up against me, running to a sea-cave in the Massive Rock – Jesus, “the Petra Rock He builds His Church on” – that created a cliff along the seashore. But then He told me to continue walking deep inside it until I was in the middle, safe from the drowning waters near the entrance, but that it would take even more “obedient steps of faith” to walk into “the thick darkness” of the cave.  No amount of Zechariah 4:6’s “might or power” human way to relate to that towering Rock Wall of God’s holiness would save me!  Jesus told me that this is what He meant by “meno abiding in/by/with the Vine for zoe genuine-life or enabling-power to bear any fruit” – continuing until you are in the middle of, living in relation to, living by the means of, and living with the instrumentality of the Vine, who is Christ. Remember that Jesus said we could only expect to receive answers to deesis prayer-supplications if we were meno dwelling ‘in the middle’ of Christ and Christ’s directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words were meno living ‘in the middle’ of us – that’s the only way to genuinely, experientially, relationally epiginosko know the will of God!  The deeper in the cave I travelled the quieter it got, until there was no outside noise.  That’s when I could really akouo hear-to-understand/know God talking to me!  See also 11-21-2021 Vision on Feeling meno connected to Jesus.  That’s the secret of answered proseuche conversational-prayer – going deeper to actually akouo hearing-to-understand/knowing the will of God for yourself!

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer – BT1

 

 

 

 

PLAN A of God for an intimate relationship is simple enough for little children and the other least among us

 

 

 

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God’s original PLAN A is still to have:

 

 

An intimately experiential, abundantly fulfilling, powerfully transforming, and abiding fellowship with God by: 

 

 

  • Devoted, restfully-waiting, stillfully-watching, quietly-listening, worshipful, conversational-prayer dialogue where any routine asking, seeking, and knocking is for God’s Promised Holy Spirit to fill us with all the fullness of God Himself!

 

There is really nothing “new” in this study that hasn’t been said a 1000 times by Jesus and the apostles, but you may find much of it quite shocking as I did after researching every verse I could find on the subject, translating from the original Greek and Hebrew languages!  Yet, it may seem “new” to you, because you haven’t come across these verses, or seen them all pulled together in order to see “the whole counsel of God” (a) on the subject, or even because most English bibles for the sake of readability and saving expensive print space, don’t translate the full meaning of the original text – after all, it can really get wordy and messy to read – see Bible Info<Notes> a) Acts 20:27.

 

If you want more expansion on this you can read my 19 page Long Summary of this BLOG or you can read the full 34 page documentationContact Us for these.  If you don’t believe something you read in these, be like the “Berean Jews who were more nobler than those in Thessalonica because they examined the OT scriptures daily to see if the things Paul preached were actually so” (a).  If you are still scratching your head, just keep asking and listening in proseuche conversational-prayer and God will surely tell you the truth! <Notes> a) Acts 17:11.

 

The impetus for this study was to answer a nagging question I’ve had since receiving many dreams and visions from God, and doing a comprehensive study on divine Unconditional-Love. God is forever infinitely no-strings-attached unconditional-love – period.  Every other word in the bible about God is simply trying to describe a ‘facet’ of that beautiful diamond or a ‘flavor’ of that “[singular] fruit of the Spirit” (a).  <Notes> a) Galatians 5:22-23.

 

I also had my socks blown off when I discovered the New Covenant was “completely-different-in-kind, unprecedented, and superior to the old covenant” and by definition and all the verse contexts couldn’t include anything from the old covenant, contrary to so many “traditions of men” in the Church today.  After having more visions and dreams and another equally comprehensive study on Knowing God to find out that God “keeps Himself hidden from the so-called ‘wise and understanding ones’ but reveals Himself to little children,” I followed up with a comprehensive study on The Least Among You to find out that God’s New Covenant Way of the Promised Holy Spirit’s enabling-power per Zechariah 4:6 bypasses all of man’s “might and power” that he could pride himself in, his external and internal abilities that “separate” people into “different piles,” which is the definition of inequity or partiality, that a just judge cannot show.  And so God cannot show any of this.  Thus Jesus comes as a slave, not a boss, to “the least before the greatest” – to “the least among you.”  God’s ‘PLAN A’ has to be so simple that a little child (a), a poor ignorant person, a blind person, a deaf person, or a mute person can understand and take obedient steps for salvation in Jesus!  Other studies spun out of these as I pulled on one thread after another from the unraveling tapestry of Christianity’s “traditions of men,” which turns out to be mostly man-made, self-prescribed, and man-taught religion that really has no biblical support in the original languages of the bible, context, or earliest Christian history. <Notes> a) means “before reading age.”

 

From all these studies, I could clearly see Jesus was the actual “bread to eat and water to drink for zoe genuine-life that would satisfy my “hungering and thirsting for righteousness.” But then I became frustrated that, although I knew that Jesus was “The Vine of Abundant Life,” aside from past connections to “The Vine” throughout my Christian life – some so intense that I felt I had stuck my finger into an outlet and been shocked by heaven itself  – I nevertheless was “hungry and thirsty” more often than “satisfied” and had really not consistently seen the “bearing of much fruit” and “freedom from the slavery of sin” that Jesus promised for those who “routinely abide in the Vine.”

 

After having more dreams and visions and doing a comprehensive study on Spirit-baptism, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my “tastings of the heavenly grace-gift that transformed me” in my past “fillings” were “The Real Thing” that answered my questions above.  So now I could clearly see “Who the Water of Life is” (Jesus) and “The zoe genuine-life and enabling-power of God” as the Promised Spirit of Jesus to “fill me with all the fullness of the Father,” and that “knowing God” could never be accomplished through book-learned religious gnosis info-knowledge, even though I have spent so much time acquiring it from “holy gramma letters” collected into graphe scripture, just as the scribes and Pharisees – the bible students of Christ’s day – erroneously “supposed they could take hold of by diligently searching/studying the scriptures” in John 5:39-40.  God told me in a dream that “the actual “theology of God can only be humbly received at the foot of the old rugged cross as God’s angels descend and ascend to deliver this revealed knowledge by the enabling-power of the Spirit,” and my studies confirmed this to be a “full, genuine, progressive, experiential, intimate, relational epignosis knowledge of God.”

 

Although my studies on proseuche conversational-prayer, worship, and directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words and my own prophetic dreams and visions versus second-hand communicated logos messages, even if these are of the gospel, all of this should have answered my lingering question:  “How do I get to the watering trough and how do I drink from it?” 

 

However, I think I had either lost the forest through the trees, or just wasn’t convinced, or more likely, still “trapped and snared by the table (a) that cursed the scribes and Pharisee bible-students, cursed with bent backs forever” (b).  I feel the same frustration of gnosis knowing about something so well, like how to effectively study the bible after 5 bible colleges and so many language studies, but then being challenged by Jesus “that all this flesh (c) absolutely-in-fact profits nothing” (d) because He say says that all this is still “apart from Me, so you can absolutely do nothing” (e)!  As back-breaking and time-consuming as it is, it’s hard to let it go!  Paul calls this a “different spirit” (f) and “an elemental spirit” (g) common to every world religion, a fixation on the “shadows, figures, outlines, sketches, prototypes, copies, and elementary abc principles” (h) instead of the “reality that is Christ,” and he includes holy gramma writings, rituals, and so many other “special things” of all religions, even the OT one. <Notes> a) that the scrolls were rolled out on to read and study, b) Romans 11:19 cites from Psalms 69:22, c) of Zechariah 4:6 ‘might and power’ – man’s external and internal abilities – see also Identity, d) John 6:63 – in context Jesus is definitely referring to the Jewish religious system, e) John 15:5, f) 2 Corinthians 11:4, g) Colossian 2:8, 20, h) Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5, 10:1; Galatians 4:3, 9.

 

I also did this incredible study called “One is your Teacher” that convinced me that the Father draws people and teaches by His Spirit, that Christ did the same when He was here, and that now since He ascended to the right-hand of the Father, Jesus relies on the Spirit He first sent on Pentecost to continue this “teaching of ALL things” (a) to Christians who have been Spirit-baptized, so that they “have absolutely no need that anyone write you or teach you because you have the Anointing” (b).  Nevertheless, I have still found myself having trusting-relying-faith on bible-study more than my dreams and visions, even though my wife and dad receive clear instruction from the Lord through proseuche conversational-prayer on a daily and weekly basis – steno pads full of it! <Notes> a) John 14:26, 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10, b) 1 John 2:20, 27.

 

So after some more visions and dreams, I decided once again to do another bible study – this one to answer that lingering question of “How do I get to the watering trough and how do I drink from it?”, and it really did pull together all of my studies, confirmed all my previous answers, and answered all my new ones, especially this lingering question.  The only way that Jesus, Moses, the OT Prophets, the apostles, and the earliest Christians were able to “get to the watering trough and drink from it” was by:

 

An intimately experiential, abundantly fulfilling, powerfully transforming, and abiding fellowship with God by: 

 

 

  • Devoted, restfully-waiting, stillfully-watching, quietly-listening, worshipful, conversational-prayer dialogue where any routine asking, seeking, and knocking is for God’s Promised Holy Spirit to fill us with all the fullness of God Himself!

 

If I am “obedient in this step of faith,” then God will powerfully work everything else out, “working in me both to desire and to do His good pleasure.”  Wow, what a simple-to-do step for little children or other Least Among Us to take!  What a “Great News” promise for God to keep!  It seems too good to be true, but the crazy thing is – it is!  I sure hope this is my last study, finally surrendering the “what, when, where, why, and how” of gnosis info-knowledge religion and being fully satisfied with the “WHO I am seeking” and finally knowing how to “abide in the Vine” the way Jesus did with His Father!

 

See Conversational-Prayer – BT2 for a short summary of the study that led me to this conclusion.

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer