American Reformation Church Prayer Journal 111
ARC Prayer Meeting:
This past Sunday brother Jason Storms preached a powerful sermon. It plowed up my heart and brought me to tears. He expounded on 1 Corinthians 2:1-7. He compared the messiness of the church at Corinth with the struggles going on in our midst today. Jason pulled no punches. He gave it to us straight.
I was particularly grateful that Jason addressed the rise of Christian Nationalism and was blessed how he Biblically separated the wheat from the chaff. If Christian Nationalism promotes the Great Commission that calls us to disciple America and advance the Kingdom of God, we need to be all in brethren. Anything that deviates from that must be rejected by the church of the living God.
In light of this, how do we coincide the message Sunday with our call to prayer on Wednesday. Clearly, the teaching demonstrated that God’s wisdom and power is greater than human abilities. The very act of prayer reveals we understand that truth and we depend on God's Wisdom and power and not our own.
One of the greatest temptations in the Christian life is to rely upon ourselves instead of God. We trust our education, our experience, our personalities, our strategies, and even our ministries. Yet Paul reminds the Corinthians that the Gospel was never intended to be carried forward by human brilliance but by divine power.
Prayer is the practical expression of that dependence. Martin Luther once said, "To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Paul's own ministry proves that truth, Ephesians 6:18, 19.
Prayer begins with humble dependence upon God. Paul admits, "And I, brethren, when I came to you... came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom..." As Jason taught, he pointed out that Corinth loved eloquent philosophers. The Greeks prized rhetoric. Public speakers competed to impress crowds with polished arguments. Paul deliberately rejected that approach.
He was certainly educated. He had studied under the famous rabbi Gamaliel. He could debate philosophers in Athens. Yet when he entered Corinth, he refused to place confidence in his own gifts.
Notice verse 3: "I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." This wasn't cowardice. It was holy dependence. Paul understood that no amount of human ability can regenerate a dead sinner. Only God can. Prayer begins when we admit we cannot accomplish God's work without God Himself.
Next, prayer rejects confidence in human wisdom. "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom..." Paul did not manipulate emotions. He did not rely upon clever marketing. He depended upon "the demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
Notice the purpose: "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Prayer continually reminds us where true power resides. Charles Spurgeon once observed, "Prayer pulls the rope below, and the great bell rings above in the ears of God."
The church has never lacked programs. It has often lacked prayer. Many churches today know how to entertain crowds but struggle to produce transformed lives. Why? Because methods can attract people but only the Holy Spirit can transform a soul, touch minds, and change hearts. Prayer invites God's power into what human efforts alone cannot accomplish.
Lastly, prayer opens our hearts to God's wisdom. Paul now explains that there is wisdom beyond human understanding. "We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery..." God's wisdom cannot be discovered merely through intelligence. And as we just learned just recently in our teaching of Proverbs, it must be granted by God.
Prayer places us in a position to receive what God delights to give. James would later write, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God..." (James 1:5).
Keep in mind, the greatest decisions of Scripture were preceded by prayer. Jesus prayed before choosing the Apostles. The early church prayed before sending missionaries. The Apostles prayed before appointing leaders.
Prayer is not informing God. Prayer is aligning ourselves with God's wisdom and power and concludes with God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven.
