EFFECTIVE PRAYER

Mike Balloun teaches today. 10/21/23Show more

EFFECTIVE PRAYER

VERSES: Matthew 6:9-13; Romans 8:25-26; Hebrews 4:14-16, 7:25; Galatians 5:7-9

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EFFECTIVE PRAYER…

Fundamentally, prayer is directed towards the Father. Christ in the New Testament Mediates as the High Priest for redeemed man. Christ was called to this office by the Father; He did not appoint Himself. (Hebrews 5) For what purpose? The Father’s foremost revealed will, in the Old and New Testament, is in the first place, to establish His Son as King in this Realm, and to have sons of men to rule with Him in His theocratic government.

Jesus the Christ was sent by the Father, as the incarnate Son of God and Son of Man, (Godhood and manhood together) so that He would be fit to cleanse the heavenly utensils of Worship with His Blood (Hebrews 9:23) and stand in the great gap between the Father and the redeemed. So Christ is at the right hand of God the Father; where He has, ever since His Ascension, been doing this marvelous work only He as Son of God and Son of Man could possibly do. He intercedes namely for those who would answer the High Calling of His future Kingdom inheritance as the Father’s adopted first-born sons out of His ‘Body’; the Nation of the One New Man. This is the purpose that He has been set in that office of High Priest.

The High Priest prays for the redeemed that they might become one together - a spiritual New Creation in resurrection out from among the dead, wherein we are changed in a moment from an earthly being to a new spiritual being that is fit for union with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“I pray for these… that as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, they also may be one in us.” (John 17:21)

To that end, Christ said…
“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth.” [John 14:16-17]

If Christ’s intercession is ours, then so is the Holy Spirit’s… “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he (Christ) that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” [Romans 8:25-26] (Certain it is that there is ‘cause and effect’ here, in that Christ’s intercessions in Heaven stir the quickened hearts unto prayer).

“I pray that thou wouldst keep them from the evil (one).”
In this, the High Priest also answers as our Advocate to all satan’s accusations against us. In this Judicial setting in Heaven’s Throneroom, lies the present struggle for our soul’s salvation. This is the High Priest’s constant labor of love; constant petitions and pleadings and the exercising of pardons for His redeemed. It’s hard to paint the picture of His 24/7 intercession/advocacy, but Hebrews 7:25 is clear that “he ever liveth to make intercession for them (the redeemed).” This is the office He is in and it is non-stop. Being that Satan, our adversary, is not omnipresent, he has angels assigned to the redeemed who gather information and go and report to him that he may accuse the redeemed before the Throne.

Our High Priest prays to the Father on our behalf…
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me…” Here He was speaking of the Disciples but in the same same Chapter He says, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word (us)…” Jesus’ heart was the will of the Father; that we may be united with Him in His glory.

In answer to His prayer to the Father, we read His Word to His faithful… “I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.”
(Where is our longing for this?) As redeemed, our names have been rejoicingly recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life in Heaven by the Angels of God (Luke 15:10). Jesus, having entered the Holiest Place, now carries our written name before God the Father, and that for the entire time we are alive on the Earth where He intercedes for the salvation of our souls (His purpose as High Priest being to make intercession for us that we may yield to the Holy Spirit in us that He may develop Christlikeness in us, that we may share in His glory. And this being only while we are alive whe we are walking through tests and trials by faith and not by sight, being that dying takes us out of the realm of faith and trust. Thus, those prayers of interceding for us to be overcomers cease when we die.) And that intercession being on the all-encompassing basis of His Atonement acts, beyond redemption, wherein He purchased the right to the “so great salvation”; that of the just right for the soul to enter into the union glory with the Godhead. We are forever sealed in redemption’s gift but by His Atonement and Intercession He intends to secure our eternal soul unto glory. At this very moment, while we, whose names are written in His Book of life, His redeemed, are yet alive in this Realm, He is interceding and advocating for us… that His death and resurrection life (Romans 6) might be comprehended and worked out in us, that when this life, like a vapor passes, it will not have been lived in vain, but to the Father’s and Son’s Glory. That is to say, that we being now redeemed and living in this Realm might to His praise overcome the flesh, devil, and World in the power of His Atonement. That at the Judgement Seat of Christ, we are then found worthy, and at the appointed time of the First Resurrection, we are raised up out from among the dead in Hades and instantly filled with His glory and joined with Him in the heavenly part of His Millennial Kingdom.

If we would have this in view, it would change the whole dynamic of our prayers. Most of the time our prayers are misdirected. If we have God’s will for man in view, in particular for us, we would pray in unity with His will. This is the will of the Great Intercessor/Mediator… Father, thy will is My will, that this redeemed repentant seeking soul’s mind may be opened to all Your Kingdom’s salvation plan, privileges, and power flowing from My Death, Resurrection, and Ordination Glory; that You may give unto this one (you/me) the spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of You. That this one might know the hope of Your calling, and what the riches of the glory of Your Kingdom inheritance in the saints is. And what is the exceeding greatness of your power towards one who is being persuaded in Kingdom worthiness, according to the working of Your mighty power, which You wrought in Me, when You raised Me from among the dead, and set Me at Your right hand, far above all others. And have put all things under My feet, and gave Me to be the head over all things to the Church. That You would grant this humble seeker, according to the riches of Your Glory, to be strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit’s power in the new man, that My revealed nature of Agape may dwell and grow through this one’s renewed mind and spirit by faith, that this one may be empowered by the Holy Spirit, that this one might be rooted and grounded in that love, and comprehend with all the worthies, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of all the deep things related to their Kingdom inheritance; And to know My agape, which passeth knowledge, that this one may be then filled with all your fullness that answers to Your High Calling.

Now let’s move from His prayer to our own personal prayer…
It is communication with God. It is in answer to our need, not His. In that, God does not need us or our prayer, but we need Him and His Word. Generally in Christendom, our prayers are more earthly-minded as opposed to heavenly-minded (heavenly kingdom-minded).

New Testament prayer answers to Christ’s Atonement Who purchased for the redeemed…
access to the Holiest Place in Heaven
enduing power from on high/the Baptism of the Holy Spirit on the Earth (power through Christ in Heaven and power through the Holy Spirit on the earth) in order to attain unto the purposes set forth in the New Testament.

Christ’s instructive prayer to His Disciples on how and what to pray for begins and ends with the Father’s Will. “Our Father Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name (the Greek word hagiázō is to regard to venerate/highly respect). It also refers to the withdrawal from fellowship with the world and selfishness by gaining fellowship with God.) Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. (The thrust of the prayer is about the Kingdom and prayers for these earthly things are secondary. That’s why we are told that if we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, these secondary things such as what we will we eat, wear, etc… will be added unto us). And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever Amen.”

The foremost prayer of the redeemed in Christ is to be in communion (koinonia) with the Father. The prayers of the maturing redeemed soul should always have the Father’s Kingdom coming Will in view.

Our soul is invited unto Heaven, in the power of the Spirit/spirit, to approach the Father in the Name of the LORD. As Christ has gone before as Forerunner into the Holy of Holies to intercede on our behalf… so also we, the redeemed, are invited in the freedom of Christ to follow Him “and enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus.” [Hebrews 10:19]

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (in full assurance) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” [Hebrews 4:14-16]

We the redeemed in Christ ought to know that it is from before the foundation of this world the Father’s great will that Christ and His redeemed be found worthy of His Kingdom glory. (Ephesians 1, Colossians 1:27) And to know that the Holy Spirit revealed the most excellent way of spiritual maturity unto worthiness in faithful service is by perfecting God’s agape within our heart; that which then must become our greatest of pursuits. (1st Corinthians 13) “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

“Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children: And walk in love (the command), as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)

“For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law (of Moses) is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love (the New Testament law to the redeemed unto spiritual maturity for required worthiness to attain unto the Father’s will) thy neighbour as thyself.” (Galatians 5:13)

If we are under the New Testament Law, then what does this mean?… We are “called unto liberty” and “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” It means that the Galatians were running the race well (as Paul said in Galatians 5:7-9) under the New Testament law of love, and walking in the spirit/Spirit. Until that disqualifying religious leaven of ‘keeping the law of Moses’ as the means for overcoming the flesh and being found pleasing to God was introduced into their thinking, causing them to be “fallen from grace” (grace being that being the divine influence upon their hearts). This divine influence being the power from on high in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; the necessity of spiritual maturity in trusting love. “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit/spirit (divine nature and power from on high) by the (keeping of the) works of the law (of Moses), or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun (the process of holiness/Christlikeness) in the Spirit/spirit, are you now (to be) made perfect (spiritually mature) by the flesh (works of the Law of Moses)?” (Galatians 3:2-3)

It is critical for the effective prayers of the redeemed to understand walking in the ‘spirit/‘Spirit as “faith energized by love” (faith being inward trust that draws upon the virtue of Christ’s word and work).The power to run the race in the spirit for the Kingdom inheritance and overcome altogether are seperate from the religious works of the flesh. Paul is also contrasting the gift of the divine nature with the old nature within. In that you cannot renew the mind to the Words of Christ to perfect the soul (the objective of the ‘spirit/Spirit’), by following the religious flesh’s “foolish” carnal reasoning.

Liberty from the law of Moses is not that the One New Man is without ‘law’, for he is under the more exacting ‘law of love’ unto Christlikeness. (See the standards laid out in Matthew 5-7.) The ‘liberty’ of which Paul speaks has to do with the new spiritual terms of those who are now called to walk according to the spirit/Spirit, who are then under the “law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus”… meaning without the disqualifying condemnation curse from the Kingdom inheritance that accompanied the breaking of the Law of Moses for ‘missing the mark’, and that being in but just one point. (“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” - James 2:10 and Galatians 3:10) This simply means that when the redeemed heart that is humble in walk and contrite and repentant over breaking the New Testament ‘law of love’, he is “kept by the power of God” outside the Law of Moses, in full accord with His Son’s propitiatory Atonement. He is not imputed righteousness, but he yet is able to maintain his state and standing in pursuit of the ‘High Calling’ of the Kingdom inheritance, that he might be “kept in the power of God” and continue in his quest for a personal righteousness unto Christlike worthiness, in loving service to Christ.

To rightly divide the Word of God in this regard is vital (as it relates to liberty from the Law of Moses). We have to especially be on guard against critically appraising the goodness of God, walking in religious flesh, growing spiritually calloused in self-deceit, and being guilty of not rightly reckoning oneself ‘dead unto sin’/followed thereby with a ‘life alive unto God’ through Jesus Christ our Lord. Or letting sin rule in our mortal bodies, thereby again becoming the servant of satan while living this life. And upon death and the Judgement Seat of Christ, being judged unworthy of the High Calling and/or worthy of punishment for neglected or evil service to Christ the Lord. (Romans 6)

HERE IS THE GREAT FOUNDATIONAL NEW TESTAMENT TRUTH IN THE ACCOMPLISHING OF THE WILL OF THE FATHER… That the ‘bringing unto perfection/progressing of spiritual maturity’ and the ‘running well’ the race in the battle of spirit and flesh, which Paul refers to here in the Book of Galatians (Galatians 5:7), is the development of Christlikeness within the soul of the redeemed, which answers to the attaining of the “prize of the high calling”. (Romans 8:9, Galatians 4:19, Colossians 1:27, Philippians 3:14) And that being in the power of the Holy Spirit, in answer to Christ’s Atonement given by the Father from on high. (Luke 24:49)

This religious leaven (Galatians 5:1-9) implanted by the tares of satan have always circumvented/resisted the Holy Spirit’s Work of spiritual maturity in the soul of the redeemed man. (Acts 7:51) They’ve resisted with conflicting and confusing fleshly interjections of false religious doctrines. From the Protestant side, on one hand, they propose the necessity of the redeemed in keeping the law of Moses to be pleasing unto God and fulfill the will of the Father in the New Testament redeemed… or on the other hand, they offer half-truth doctrines of the law of Moses and its Curse having passed away for the redeemed in Christ; being ‘justified’ aside from the Law of Moses by Christ’s substitutionary offering to the Father, believing we redeemed now stand in an imputed righteousness. Which is true as far as our mere justification goes, but it deceivingly goes not nearly far enough, as we are not imputed righteousness concerning our sanctification. Theirs is a doctrine purposefully intended to take away from the redeemed the Higher Calling of the Father and to teach a lying, all-encompassing imputed ‘grace’ gifted to the redeemed for an immediate inheritance discovered at death. It is a thieving proposed ‘liberty’ effectively free from any qualifying law for the attainment of the Kingdom inheritance, and certainly free from any great eternal loss and punishment for unfaithful service. Or the religious leaven of keeping the paganized rituals of Catholicism that are centered around keeping the religious hierarchy intact, not doing the will of God. Protestant and Catholic religious traditional laws or rituals have no Truth basis in Scripture and allows the ‘works’ of flesh to come down off the cross and deter and shipwreck the redeemed one’s faith that was energized by their first love which was spread abroad in their heart by the Holy Spirit.

Note the spiritual law that governs here in the redeemed soul is, “That which is born of THE SPIRIT is spirit and that which is born of the flesh is flesh” (and if what is born in the soul is flesh, it will produce the fruit of the flesh and always remain flesh and what is born in the soul is spirit will produce spiritual fruit). The one is Divine, and the other is but human. One is a futile exercise in time the other is eternal. You cannot improve the flesh, and you cannot overcome the flesh with flesh… you can only crucify the flesh by walking in the spirit/Spirit.

The enemy’s wicked strategy, once one is redeemed, is to stop spiritual maturity by mixing the two natures in worship of God in the soul and thereby “frustrate the grace of God” (Galatians 2:21; the Book of Judges) Which means the foolish- minded (unable to hear Paul’s Galatian message of exhortation) is greatly hindered in reaping from the spirit/Spirit overcoming power unto victory over the carnal flesh while also sowing unwittingly to the religious flesh. (Hosea 8:7) As this is the condition of many sincere but deceived redeemed souls whose faith, hope, and love become shipwrecked, as they have not been taught how to “…be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might…” in the basics of Christian theology and eschatology founded upon the will of the Father in the redeemed capacitating for the Kingdom inheritance, what the rules of engagement are and what it is then to effectively pray and “..put on the whole armor of God… to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Galatians 5:13-26
‘For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty (in walking in the spirit/Spirit that you might overcome the flesh); only use not liberty (from the condemnation of the law of Moses) for an occasion to the flesh, but by love (overcome the disqualifying flesh and) serve one another. For all the law (which has Christ’s Nature and the Father’s Kingdom inheritance in view) is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another (in blindness to your own corrupting flesh which you are charged to overcome), take heed that ye be not consumed (both disqualified as the result) -- one of another.
This I say then, Walk in the spirit/Spirit (walk spiritually circumspectly in the divine nature endued with the power of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s resurrected life, acutely aware we are bound together in the law of love under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, to accomplish the Father’s great salvation will), and ye shall not (in this Truth awareness) fulfill the lust of the flesh. (James 1:14-26) For the flesh lusteth against the (no article in the Greek) spirit, and the spirit (is set) against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other (the appointed state of internal conflict wherein only the redeemed with a new nature find themselves): so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (sinlessness is in no wise in view; neither here or in Romans 7, in that in the conflict, I, the newly redeemed, quickly discover that I cannot immediately do all the good things demanded in Christ’s Words which my new nature in spirit/Spirit desires that I would do {but also I do not do all the bad things which the flesh/Old Man would have me do. But this being of no great solace in the quest to be Christlike} I mournfully cry out in trepidation of disqualification for the High Calling “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?”

But if ye be led of the spirit/Spirit (the new man/the divine nature, but yet sin…), ye are not under the law (of Moses; Romans 8:1-10 - this Passage is no license to sin, but a great provision of Christ’s Blood-bought Atonement to approach in prayer the Throne of Grace, to obtain mercy and find grace, under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The law of Moses from one point of view was educating the man of the flesh, with its provisions, for an earthly inheritance with its commensurate character; whereas the New Testament Law of love in the spirit/Spirit walk under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus is liberating in the capacitating of the soul in its commensurate character for a greater heritage in the heavens).

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they (us who are redeemed) which do (and continue to do) such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (the excluding Judgement not being loss of redemption and eternal damnation, but exclusion from the heavenly Kingdom inheritance. Many in Christendom have thought and still think that these verses, and verses like these, are speaking to the lost who participate in these things and that as a result of this behavior, those participating in them would not be able to go to ‘Heaven’. When in reality, Paul is speaking to the redeemed and these scriptures have everything to do with redeemed believers who are standing in a position to gain or lose the Kingdom of God. That’s why in the Church, there is just as much an abundance of carnality as there is in the world, because they opened the door to religious thinking, believing these verses do not pertain to themselves. But you can’t sow in the flesh and reap in the spirit.

But the (maturing spiritual) fruit (within the yielded repentant watchful and prayerful soul) of the spirit/Spirit is (first and chief) love, joy (in the assurance of anything that befalls the maturing one is ordered for our good unto an inheritance on high), peace (while in the strife of the inward natures), longsuffering (patiently enduring in the World and with babies in Christ), gentleness, goodness (exercising of Christlike kindness and benevolence to others), faith (faithfulness to others), Meekness (quietly bearing injury and insult), temperance (the spirit/Spirit ruling over the flesh’s self-indulgence): against such there is no law (the law was made, but not for the righteous… there is no law set against those who set their minds and hearts and prayers on walking after the spirit/Spirit, and with each mindful step, we are growing closer to the Kingdom of glory).

…And they that are Christ’s (those minding the things of the spirit/Spirit are a part of His entourage/inner circle - Romans 8) have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (It is the spiritual reality that all redeemed Christians are a part of the High Calling, but not all Christians will choose to mind the things of the spirit/Spirit and crucify the flesh, but rather will walk as those in the World. Nevertheless, every redeemed soul may attain unto the power of overcoming the flesh experientially.) If we live in the spirit/Spirit, let us also walk in the spirit/Spirit (many are alive in the spirit, but walk as dead unto Christ, in spiritual suspended animation {although we are always moving one direction or the other; either more spiritual or more fleshly} let us be watchful and prayerful to be moving to the better - 1st Corinthians 3:1, Hebrews 5:12) Let us (Paul includes his own flesh) not be desirous of vain glory (vain glory of the flesh and from men as opposed to seeking the promised approval and glory of Christlikeness that answers to God’s will; in this we cannot be too ambitious), provoking one another, envying one another.

As we read and meditate on Scripture, our minds must be renewed to its main disclosure of the Will of the Father; that of His Kingdom Calling set forth in the Atonement of His Son, and thereby we are able to be endued with the power of the Holy Spirit. We may now, with clearer mind, yield, and serve, and repent, and pray, and walk, and listen, and obey, and watch, and be fruitful in our daily walk, in living a maturing, loving, Christlike life with the hope of glory in His Kingdom. Learning from the Word what must be ‘put on’ and what must be ‘put off’ for qualifying Christlikeness. And praying and watching and wrestling to that end. Knowing we are being capacitated every day in many ways through test and trials and sufferings. (Romans 8) Having a renewed mind and heart like Paul, who once prayed for deliverance from hardship, but to him was revealed the capacitating benefits of hardships and the crucifying of the flesh. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:1-5, 8:18, 12:12, 2nd Corinthians 12:9)

The intent of this lesson was not to discuss actually praying something, but rather to show the backdrop that actually makes our prayers effective. And to show what we should approach Him for and with what heart attitude we should approach Him with as well. If we’re walking in love, then our prayers are effective. But if we are not walking in faith energized by love, or if we are praying in our carnal reasonings, we are stopping the flow of grace to effect Christlikeness in us.

God knows we sin. He’s not looking for sinlessness, but He’s looking for purity of heart - a heart that is panting after Him, one that has the initiative and will and desire to use the provisions/tools given to us by God to overcome the flesh and accomplish the purposes of God. When we are convicted of sin, we aren’t to feel disheartenedly condemned, or maybe even think that we’re not even saved. Rather, when we sin, we are to humbly repent and then stay in the race by yielding to and walking in the spirit. This angers satan - that he can’t derail us. If we maintain our walk in the spirit, then we will overcome. And once we’ve understood the rules of engagement, and use the tools God has provided for us, we can run the race with peace and joy, and with a servant’s heart.