Prayer review, Part 15: Petition and desire – four possible outcomes; John 15:16.

Title: Prayer review, Part 15: Petition and desire - four possible outcomes; John 15:16.

 

Opening prayer:

 

 

 

Point 4: Petition and desire.

 

There are four categories of petition in prayer.

 

When you offer a petition or prayer for yourself or others to God, there is the thing for which you ask, called the petition, and then behind that petition is your desire or motive for it.

 

The four categories that follow show that God views both parts of your prayer as separate, and answers each part either positively or negatively.

      

1. Positive - Negative. Your petition is answered yes, but your desire behind it is answered no. Usually this is done when it is the only way to reveal the error of your desire.

 

a. In 1 Sam 8:5-9 and 19-20, the Jews wanted to have a human king they could see (petition), so they could be like other nations (desire to be happy).

 

b. In Ps 106:13-15, the Jews were tired of the great divine provision of manna, the greatest health food ever. They longed for the Egyptian meat and food they used to eat.

 

God answered their petition yes; He sent them quail. But the desire for satisfaction or “food happiness” was not answered; instead, they suffered terribly from it and thousands died.

 

This reminds us that the way we treat God’s logistical provisions [the word, pastor, assembly, food, water, shelter, etc.] is how we treat Him.

 

Those who grumble and complain about their lives as they are, are complaining about God.

 

2. Negative - Positive. The answer to the petition is no; the desire behind the petition is answered yes.

 

a. In GEN 17:18, Abraham prayed that Ishmael, the son of Hagar, might be his heir. God said no to Ishmael becoming his heir but yes to the desire for an heir through Isaac.

 

b. In GEN 18:23-33, Abraham prayed that God would spare Sodom with the desire that Lot and his daughters would be spared. Petition - no; desire - yes.

 

After bargaining with God, Abraham uss’d God down to spare Sodom if 10 believers lived within her walls. He was sure there were at least ten believers in that large city of perhaps 200,000 people. He was wrong; there were only three believers. The petition to spare Sodom was answered no; the desire that Lot and his two daughters be preserved was answered yes.

 

GEN 18:23 And Abraham came near and said, "Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

 

GEN 18:24 "Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?

 

GEN 18:25 "Far be it from Thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from Thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"

 

GEN 18:26 So the Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account."

 

GEN 18:27 And Abraham answered and said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.

 

GEN 18:28 Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, wilt Thou destroy the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

 

GEN 18:29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty."

 

GEN 18:30 Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

 

GEN 18:31 And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty."

 

GEN 18:32 Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."

 

GEN 18:33 And as soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed; and Abraham returned to his place.

 

I believe that there is something more here than just Abraham’s bargaining abilities. Abraham is using repetitive prayer, while not just mindless repetition of words. God is patient and Abraham gets to the core of what he really desires - God do anything to spare my nephew, his wife, and his two daughters.

 

In his petition he also exhibits an understanding of God’s character (vs. 25 read). Also, there is an air of humility in his petition (vs. 30). Also, there is an air of acceptance in that God will have the final say, which is very different from his strong but wrong petitions of the past (20 years or so).

 

God is patient with us in our “evolving” petitions when we are humble enough to be willing to accept His final authority on the matter.

 

You might jump to the conclusion that if your petitions are wrong and wrong again that God is ready to clobber your ignorance. Two decades went by before Abraham started petitioning correctly and God was patient.

 

God knows where we are going. He has seen the positive volition of the learners and the negative volition of the arrogant. He is patient and ready to act on both.

 

3. Positive - Positive. Both the petition and desire are answered yes.

 

a. In Judges 16:28, Samson was blinded and tied up in the temple of Dagon. His petition for his strength and his desire, the death of the Philistines, were both answered.

 

God doesn’t approve of revenge unless His justice sees fit to take it. God wanted the defeat of the Philistines.

 

What got Samson here in the first place? A lust for a woman who was beautiful but had not an ounce of virtue. I want to take this moment to dedicate to every man, both single and wed:

 

Prov 31:10

An excellent (virtuous) wife, who can find?

For her worth is far above jewels.

 

Judg 16:23 Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said,

"Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands."

 

Judg 16:24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said,

"Our god has given our enemy into our hands,

Even the destroyer of our country,

Who has slain many of us."

 

Judg 16:25 It so happened when they were in high spirits, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may amuse us." So they called for Samson from the prison, and he entertained them. And they made him stand between the pillars.

 

Judg 16:26 Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, "Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them."

 

Judg 16:27 Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them.

 

Judg 16:28 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, "O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

 

Judg 16:29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.

 

Samson was the instrument that God used. So Samson’s petition and desire line up with God’s. He got his strength back, wrapped his arms around two pillars of the temple, and pulled the whole thing down on all of them.

 

Judg 16:30 And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life.

 

Judg 16:31 Then his brothers and all his father's household came down, took him, brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. Thus he had judged Israel twenty years.

 

b. In 1 Kg 18, Elijah prayed that God would light his offering on the altar with fire. God answered yes to the fire and the desire.

 

This occurs during the reign of Ahab, who is the king of Israel, the northern kingdom which split after the death of Solomon. He is married to Jezebel who, being a Canaanite, brought the worship of Baal into Israel with far greater success than it ever had. This occurs around 900 BC.

 

I think it’s beneficial to see the historical place where these events take place.

 

Saul                    1020 - 1000

David                  1000 - 960

Solomon             960 - 931

 

Kingdom’s split

Northern Kingdom (Israel)            Southern Kingdom (Judah)

Jehoboam     931 - 910                  Rehoboam    931 - 914

                                                       Abijah          914 - 910

Nadab

Basaah         911 - 871                  Asa

Elah

Zimri    

 

Omri

Ahab            871 - 848                  Jehoshaphat

Ahaziah

 

1 Kings 18:25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal [450 of them], "Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."

 

1 Kings 18:26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, "O Baal, answer us." But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.

 

1 Kings 18:27 And it came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened."

 

1 Kings 18:28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.

 

1 Kings 18:29 And it came about when midday was past, that they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

 

So why doesn’t satan just light this wood up? Satan cannot create anything. He cannot manipulate matter or energy. He can only deceive, lie, and accuse.

 

 

 

1 Kings 18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down.

 

1 Kings 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name."

 

1 Kings 18:32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed.

 

1 Kings 18:33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, "Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood."

 

1 Kings 18:34 And he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time.

 

1 Kings 18:35 And the water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

 

1 Kings 18:36 Then it came about at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word.

 

1 Kings 18:37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that Thou, O Lord, art God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again."

 

The petition - intense fire. The desire - God known in Israel and Elijah is His servant.

 

1 Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

 

1 Kings 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God."

 

1 Kings 18:40 Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

 

c. In Lk 23:42-43 is the petition of the dying thief.

 

Luke 23:39 And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"

 

Luke 23:40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

 

Luke 23:41 "And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."

 

Luke 23:42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

 

Luke 23:43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

 

God answered both the petition and the desire.

 

d. In Jn 11:41-45, the petition was for the resuscitation of Lazarus, the desire was that the bystanders who witnessed this might be saved.

 

Both petition and desire were answered yes.

 

John 11:41 And so they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me.

 

John 11:42 "And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people standing around I said it, that they may believe that Thou didst send Me." 

 

John 11:43 And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." 

 

John 11:44 He who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings; and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

 

John 11:45  Many therefore of the Jews, who had come to Mary and beheld what He had done, believed in Him.

 

John 11:46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.

 

4. Negative - Negative. The answer is no to both the petition and the desire, God doesn’t answer either.

 

a. Mt 26:36-46 is Jesus’ prayer for the possibility that the cross could be bypassed.

 

This prayer is not according to God’s will and in the tremendous grief of Jesus Christ the question is asked, if there be another way.

 

Prayer not lining up with the will of God cannot be answered. When Jesus went to Gethsemane the night before His death to pray, the answer to His prayer in eternity past by God the Father was “No.”

 

God hears your prayers twice.

Matt 26:36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and  said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 

 

Matt 26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.

 

Matt 26:38 Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." 

 

Matt 26:39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt." 

 

The protasis is a first class condition, meaning that Jesus does think that this may be a possibility. This makes sense, for why else would He be asking?

 

The possibility of passing by the cross does not line up with the reality - there is no other way.

 

Asking this three times solidifies in our Lord’s thinking that there is no other way and the answer to His petition is no.