Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear friends.

I just saw Becki drive in. If all has gone as planned, she has little Nicholas aboard. That will put us back on schedule to have him here two day’s per week. After I send this and stop in the house to greet Nick, I think I’ll try to sneak off and do a jog with Dandy. I already know that Dandy’s raring to go.

I’m still not sure which way to jump this morning—deciding between sign stuff, sawmill stuff, or even a tree removal. Perhaps prayers and ponderings while jogging will jog my mind into decisive order.

Blessings on your day.

Love and prayers—Ray.

There are those who present and promote prayer as though they have it all figured out and completely understand it. I don’t. Although prayer is a mysterious commodity for me, I agree that it is essential to a sound Biblical worldview. This passage with its description of prayer does not reduce the mystery. It does, however, help to reinforce and confirm its importance and effectiveness.

Is it appropriate to regard prayer as being mysterious? I think so. Consider the statement of mystery composed by Agur in Proverbs 30:18-19: “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden.” I resonate with Agur’s expression. I don’t have to look far to find marvels—realities that can too easily be passed by, taken for granted, and never given the rating of MARVELOUS. And I reason this way in regards to the last reality Agur mentions: If we don’t fully understand everything about the intimate love relationship between a man and a woman, how can we expect to fully understand the intimate love relationship between a man and God?!?! All that is required to understand is that loving God is extremely important, and prayer is the human side of that relationship.

The two basic components of prayer are PRAISE and PETITION. I suppose that “the prayers of all the saints” as symbolically pictured as being burnt upon “the golden altar before the throne” are of the PETITION type. I’ve never felt inspired to petition God to do thunder, lightning, and earthquakes. But when the angel symbolically casts the contents of the golden sensor onto the earth, which includes the “prayers of the saints,” that is the symbolic result. I think the bottom line idea is this: prayers processed in heaven have an effect on earth—whether we understand it all or not.

The modern world with its ever-expanding technology brings a lot of change our way. But I quite like the stabilizing truth that says, “Two things never change: God still speaks to men through His Word, and men still speak to God through prayer.” As for me, I have chosen to love God and sure have a lot to talk to Him about.