KEY 10, 11 & 12

Key  10: Ask God to Fashion and Mold You

A genuine man or woman of God is one who has totally sur- rendered to the will of the Creator.  Through  the prophet  Isaiah, God tells us: “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (66:2).

This attitude of seeking God’s will rather than our own—of total submission to our Heavenly Father—is vital to our prayer life if we are to receive constant and powerful answers. Note again Jesus’ atti- tude in one of His final prayers to God while He was still in this human flesh: “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Do you want to truly grow spiritually—“till we all come to the unity  of the faith and of the knowledge  of the Son of God, to a perfect man,  to the  measure  of the  stature  of the  fullness of Christ”  (Ephesians  4:13)? If so, you need to spiritually  “wrestle with God” in your prayers as Jacob literally wrestled  with Him and prevailed (cf. Genesis 32:24–32). We need to engage Him in long, thoughtful  conversation  about how we can more fully yield to Him, walk with Him and honor  Him in our lives. We need to constantly  ask God to help us fulfill the great purpose for which we were born  (please write for our free booklet  on this subject, titled Your Ultimate Destiny).

It is fine—within limits—to pray for “physical things.” But the ultimate purpose of prayer is to help us focus on God, yield to Him and surrender  our will to His as we cultivate a vital, interactive relationship.  In this way, He becomes increasingly real to us. Through constant  and heartfelt Bible study and prayer we must seek God’s will. We must grasp that our past ideas and attitudes about God and religion in general need much improvement. God tells us through Isaiah: “For My thoughts  are not your thoughts,  nor are your ways My ways.… For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts  than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9). And the Apostle Paul instructed:  “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Learn to walk with Him, talk with Him, quietly “commune” with Him off and on all day long. Sincerely ask Him to mold you into  His own image. The prophet  Isaiah was inspired  to write: “But now, O LORD, You are our Father;  we are the clay, and You our potter;  and all we are the work of Your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). The approach  of yielding to God as you pray, of asking Him to rebuke  and chasten  and fashion you, is one of the vital keys to really powerful prayer.

Key 11: Give Praise and Thanks to Almighty God

Another  of the qualities  that  made King David a man after “God’s  own heart”  was the sincere love, worship  and adoration that  he continually  expressed  toward  the  great Creator who blessed him, sustained  him and guided him. The entire  book of Psalms is literally filled with David’s prayers of worship and adora- tion. Notice Psalm 18: “I will love You, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength,  in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my sal- vation, my stronghold.  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (vv. 1–3).

Clearly, God—in  the  person  of Jesus Christ,  who was the “Rock” of Israel (1 Corinthians  10:4)—was  David’s personal “Hero,” his Champion,  his Protector  and personal  Friend.  David rejoiced and exulted in the wisdom, power and majesty of the Great  God!  Today, when  tens  of millions  in our  “civilized” Western  world  tend  to virtually  worship rock  stars, rap stars, movie or television “idols” (aptly named!)  and sports celebrities, it has become unfashionable  to worship and adore our Creator as David did. But rather  than worshiping  these vain, often misguid- ed, human  “stars,” why not  give praise to the Great God, who gives us life and breath—the  “Father of lights,” who, as we have seen, is the Giver of “every good gift and every perfect gift” (James 1:17)?

Why not truly worship Jesus Christ—through whom God the Father created everything that is (cf. John 1:1–3; Ephesians 3:9)? Why not worship  the One who “emptied” Himself of His divine glory in order  to set us a perfect example (cf. Philippians  2:7–9, NRSV)? Why not  worship  our  merciful and faithful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17–18), who willingly died for us on the cross? Why not worship Him?

It is true  that  human  beings want someone  to “look up to.” But we are guilty of idolatry when we pervert this desire to wor- ship, using it to idolize or sometimes  even to shout  and scream and stand in awe of degenerate, God-rejecting men and women.

Rather, we all need to redirect  this hero  worship,  including the  awe and  sense of excitement it sometimes  engenders,  and rather  worship the most truly “exciting” Personality in the entire universe—Almighty God! We need to picture how God “flung out the stars” across the blackness of space, how He made this earth, put man upon  it and made us in His image to be His full sons— literal brothers of Jesus Christ forever (Romans 8:29)! We need to appreciate every beautiful sunrise and sunset, every moving work of music, art or literature,  every beautiful  human  being and the talents and love they possess—and realize that they all came from God! And He has a lot more in store for us!

We need to constantly  thank  and praise God for every good g i f t  a n d  f o r  H i s  h e l p  a n d  b l e s s i n g  i n  e v e r y  s i t u a t i o n  ( 1 Thessalonians  5:18). Instead  of losing control in our enthusiasm for sports  figures, rock stars or any other  human  “idols,” let us unashamedly  pour out our  whole being in thanking,  praising and worshiping the  God who made us and  who gives us life and breath.  This is the God who forgives us time and time and time again, who guides and blesses us, and who in the end—plans  to share His eternal glory with us if we will only respond  and learn to love Him as He loves us!

Key 12: Pray in  the Name of Jesus Christ

In ancient Israel, the high priest alone was allowed to go into the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle or temple—which  pictured entering  into the direct presence of God. And even he was com- manded  to go there only once a year—on the Day of Atonement (cf. Leviticus 16). With this sole exception on but one single day, anyone  entering  this sacred room would  be immediately  put  to death by God Himself! Likewise, mankind,  as a whole, has been cut off from direct contact with God.

But today, because Jesus of Nazareth  died for our sins, true Christians  have direct  access to the  Father.  Instead  of fearing death in coming before God, we are rather  instructed:  “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne  of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”! (Hebrews 4:16).

Through  the  “name”—the  office and  authority  of Jesus Christ—we can directly approach God in prayer and worship. We do not  need any human priest  as a kind  of intercessor.  For we already have the greatest High Priest—Jesus Christ (v. 14). And He taught His true followers: “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father  in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing  in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23–24).

Of course, many misuse the name of Christ. For, citing Isaiah, Jesus described the religious leaders of His day: “In vain they wor- ship  Me, teaching  as doctrines  the  commandments  of men” (Matthew 15:9). Again Jesus said: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

To truly and correctly use Jesus’ name, we must obey Him and ask according  to His will. Remember that  in the Sermon on the Mount,  Christ  warned:  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’  shall enter  the kingdom  of heaven, but  he who does the will of My Father  in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that  day,

‘Lord, Lord, have we not  prophesied  in Your name,  cast out demons  in Your  name, and done many wonders  in Your  name?’ And then  I will declare to them,  ‘I never knew you; depart  from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”’ (Matthew 7:21–23).

Frankly,  those who teach or practice lawlessness—preaching that  obedience  to the Ten Commandments is not necessary—are not authorized to use the name of Jesus Christ. For they are teach- ing and practicing a false Christianity  that is completely contrary to everything that Jesus lived and died for!

The Apostle John explained: “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments,  is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). One does not genuinely “know” God—is not acquainted with God—unless he truly surrenders to let Christ live in him, practicing the Ten Commandments as a way of life. Like- wise, you cannot  know God unless you are growing, overcoming and experiencing within  your own life the very character of God that is expressed in these commandments!

Those who do not really know the true  God or His way are simply not capable of properly coming before Him in the name of Jesus Christ. However, as we have seen a merciful God will some- times even hear the prayers of sinners  if they are sincerely igno- rant  and if they turn  to Him with all their  hearts.  But for those who want consistent answers to their  prayers, we must serve and obey the true  God. As God’s  Word  tells us: “Therefore, to him who knows  to do good and  does not  do it, to him  it is sin” (James 4:17).

So as you approach  God in heartfelt,  regular prayer, be sure you are obeying your Lord and Master Jesus Christ.  Though  He does not  expect instant  spiritual  maturity,  He does want us to walk in this way through  the help of the Holy Spirit. Then come to the Father  through  Christ  alone to make the direct  contact  of effective prayer.  And remember  that  coming through  Christ’s name—that  is, through  His office or authority—includes most of the other  keys to prayer given in this booklet.  For coming fully and perfectly in Christ’s name would certainly include praying to the true God, being filled with the Scriptures, obeying God, forgiv-ing others,  having deep faith in God, being persistent and fervent, learning  to yield as malleable clay in God’s hands  and heartily worshiping and adoring your Creator.

Finally, for your own good, please study and review all of these vital keys! Learn to constantly  pray to God—communing  and walking with Him. Then,  as the end of this age approaches  and the awesome trials and tests of the full Christian  life come upon you—as they surely will—you will know exactly what to do and how to do it. In fact, you will be able to follow Christ’s own foot- steps. Since He had cried out to God for strength and courage, He was not afraid when  His time had come to die. In fact, as Judas and an entire detachment  of troops came to seize Him, Jesus calm- ly “went forward” and asked them:  “Whom  are you seeking?” (John  18:4). For Jesus had done what He always did. Earlier, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He had fallen on his face and fervently prayed, calling out: “O My Father…” (Matthew 26:39).

God grant that  you will learn to pray as Jesus did! For you should now understand how to use one of the most powerful tools in the entire  universe.  You have now been given real answers to unanswered prayer—12 keys to answered prayer!