The Preconditions of Prayer (5)

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend iton your pleasures. James 4.3

I, me, mine!
We live in a time of increasing narcissism. Put the word narcissism in your search box, and you’ll receive well over 4,000,000 results. In 1977 Christopher Lasch published the book The Culture of Narcissism to warn about our drift into self-seeking. His observations served to flesh out what the Beatles had surfaced in their 1968 White Album in the song, “I, me, mine.”

What were only warnings nearly a generation ago have now become reality. Fueled by postmodern relativism and existential angst, and goaded into self-seeking by advertising and pop culture, people today tend to think of themselves and what they want and need as of supreme interest and concern to others. Hence the rise of Facebook and entitlement politics.

But when it comes to prayer, if you are thinking about bringing your “I, me, mine” to the Lord as the substance of your conversation, think again. You cannot pray in Jesus’ Name if all you’re really seeking is to add a little comfort, convenience, or pleasure to your life.

When you come to the Lord in prayer, while you’re in the anteroom of confession, you’d better check self-interest at the door, and leave it there when you go.

The example of Jesus
It can be helpful, as we come to prayer, to recall our Lord Jesus Christ. We come to prayer in His Name, after all; thus, it would be appropriate, as we finish our confession and before we begin making our requests known to the Lord, to review in prayer and praise our gratitude to God for Jesus, His work, and His calling on our lives.

Recall that Jesus emptied Himself of divine privileges and perquisites in order to do the work appointed to Him by the Father (Phil. 2.5-11). Thank the Lord for His selflessness in coming among us in the form of a mere Man, and as an obedient servant. Praise the Lord that, though He had no place to lay His head, He never ceased to meet the needs of others for the sake of His Kingdom. Rejoice and give thanks that Jesus endured the scorn and violence of sinners, died to self in order to triumph over sin, and was raised to glory by the Father. Give thanks and praise to the Lord that He has poured out His Spirit for your salvation, and called you to His Kingdom and glory, to be His witness in the world.

Then, linger in meditation on the Lord, exalted in glory. Think of how John saw Him in Revelation 1, as well as in chapters 4 and 5. Let the Psalms guide you to admire and adore the King of Glory and Mysteries – such as Psalms 2, 23, 45, 47, and 110. Focus the eye of your understanding with the Apostle Paul, as he guides you to contemplate the exalted greatness and majesty of King Jesus, Whose Name is above every Name in heaven and on earth, and Who is filling all things with Himself (Eph. 1.15-23; 4.10). Sing a hymn exalting Jesus in His greatness and majesty, and looking forward eagerly to His return. Let the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ set the tone for your prayers, as you come in His Name to make your requests known to the Father.

By reviewing the work of Jesus in an attitude of thanks and praise you may find your own requests, which you have brought with you, will receive clarification and sharper focus concerning what you should seek from the Father in prayer.

Checking self-interest
But you’ll need to be on guard in prayer against the ever-present tendency merely to want to satisfy self-interest. How can you do this? Here are some suggestions:

First, cloak your requests, whatever they may be, in the Name of Christ, and for the cause of His Kingdom and glory. Just as we are commanded to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” for each day’s walk and work, so we can put His Name and glory onto our every request, if only by preceding each request with something like, “For the glory of Jesus and for His Kingdom…” This will help us to phrase our request more in line with Christ’s agenda, and to steer every request away from merely self-serving ends.

Let me also caution you in your prayers from settling too much on yourself, your needs and concerns, and your preferences or desires. Too much thinking about ourselves can be dangerous and even destructive, as King Solomon learned late in life. In Ecclesiastes 2.1-11, where Solomon, in his frustration, misery, and disappointment, is recounting all his many achievements and experiences, I count no less than 36 usages of some form of the first person personal pronoun! No wonder that section ends with Solomon saying, “All indeed was vanity and grasping for the wind.”

Prayer is a time for seeking the Lord and His will, not for gratifying our desires, justifying our shortcomings, pining over our wants, or pleading for our concerns. If you hear yourself referring to yourself too much in prayer, you might begin to question whether more of self and less of the Kingdom and glory of God is beginning to occupy your conversation with the Lord. Then you can seek the mercy and grace of God to help you get your prayers into a proper focus.

We cannot expect the Lord to hear and answers our prayers if our prayers are simply all about us. Come to prayer in Jesus’ Name, then work hard in prayer to keep your focus on Him. God will supply your needs through His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

For reflection
1.  How do you keep watch over your prayers, to make sure they’re not just all about you?

2.  Why would it be a good idea to review in prayer the work of our Lord Jesus Christ? How can this help us to keep focused on the proper goals of prayer?

3.  How can you improve your vision of Jesus – incarnate, exalted, and returning in glory – so that He fills more of your time in prayer?

Next steps – Boasting about the Lord: The more we talk about Jesus with others, the more He will be the focus of all our lives, as well as all our prayers. With whom will you talk about the Lord today?

T. M. Moore

Each of our “next steps” exercises is tied into goals and disciplines involved in working your Personal Mission Field. If you have not yet identified your Personal Mission Field, watch the brief video showing you how to get started right away (click here). Learn how to work your Personal Mission Field by finding a friend and signing-up for our Mission Partners Outreach.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.