Christian Living

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There are certain Biblical questions that are kept under lock and key in the recesses of our minds. We know that if these questions were expressed outwardly, we would be judged by other Believers. So as to not experience the challenges to our “misguided” questions, we push them from our consciousness. I remember a teacher once told our class there was no such thing as a dumb question. I wish Christians would heed that advice. In our quest to understand Scriptures, we must not be afraid to search out the Truth by asking questions. But so many Believers are afraid to venture into controversial territories that might cause others to question their faith. I am convinced there is so much more in the Scripture that we don’t understand, but are afraid to discover its truths by asking questions.

How effective are our prayers? We have always been taught that God answers our prayers by affirming, denying, or delaying the fulfilling of the request. Let me pull a question from the attic of my mind and see if there is an answer. I am sure the question will undoubtedly cause some Believers to question the validity of my spiritual status.

In the Lord’s Prayer in John 17, Jesus made a plea to God on behalf of His disciples. He prayed that they may be one as He and God were one; in fact, He presented His petition four times. (Verses 11, 21-23) The purpose of this unity would be so the world would believe that God had sent Him. Not only that, but that God has the same love for them as He has for Jesus. Jesus’ earthly ministry was quickly coming to an end and one of His biggest concerns was for the unity of Believers. His request was not only for His disciples, but for all that would believe through their word. (v.20) This would include all those who would be drawn to Christ through the writings of the New Testament Saints. After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, there was almost immediately a division of Believers. What began as a trickle of division, gained momentum through the centuries to a church in full disharmony by the twenty-first century.

The quest for understanding is presented by asking why Jesus’ petition was not answered. Why did not God bring about the unity of the Believers and insure the Church’s unity throughout its expansion? It is almost unthinkable to imagine that a prayer of Jesus was not answered, let alone seeing the opposite of His intended prayer!

One of the great mysteries of God is the granting of freedom to His creations. Man was created with a capacity to endorse or reject God’s plan for his life. God’s love permitted man to be a free agent, capable of making his own choices. He could accept God’s direction or he could pursue his own way; of course, there would be both positive and negative consequences. Prayer releases man’s will and desire to God’s attention. Prayer reaches over and above our capacity to bring about change. Prayer says to God, “I have done everything I can; now it is up to You.” Jesus fulfilled everything God had sent Him to do, and when He completed it, He turned the future events to God’s attention. His desire for the unity of His followers and all the future Believers was expressed to God. It was no longer in His capacity to bring about unity; rather it would rest with God’s intervention. God heard Jesus’ prayer, but God chose to let man decide whether to unify or diversify. When we pray beyond our ability to bring fulfillment, we need to commit it unto God. What He does with that prayer is beyond our control. When we ask, we are saying what we would like to see done, but it is up to His will and desire. Let us have faith to believe God is in control and our prayers are evidence of this belief. Jesus as human/divine made His request and then released the outcome to God’s sovereignty.

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