Posture for Prayer

https://odb.org/MY/2023/05/04/how-to-pray-2

With Jesus having reconciled us to God, as believers, we have the privilege and the honour to approach God in prayer. Thus, for every seemingly impossible situation we face, help is just a prayer away. As we connect with our Father in heaven, He may unleash forces in heaven to make a difference for us here on earth, in His time, for our petitions and supplications that are in His will.

In this respect, 2 Chronicles 20:1-12 teaches us a posture for prayer in the person of Jehoshaphat that we should all consider when approaching the holy and righteous throne of God.

I think the first point to take note of is Jehoshaphat’s humility in seeking the LORD’s intervention and help. He is seeking help but not demanding. As much as the Israelites in Judah are God’s people and they are all fasting and as much as God should protect His people, it is for Him to decide whether He will and when. If God doesn’t intervene, then He didn’t, and that’s that. He has His reasons, and we mustn’t question or challenge Him, for He is still our creator and Lord as much as He is our friend. It is like at work. We may rationalise and put forth arguments for our point of view, but in the end, the call and accountability lies with our boss. Once he decides, we execute. With God, nothing is as of right since we are relying on His grace and mercy. In fact, grace is defined as being given something that we don’t deserve, and mercy is not being given something unfavourable that we deserve. It is always, in my view, a question of love, compassion, and discretion of God.

Yet as we approach God, we must also be bold and confident because there is now no condemnation in Christ. We may freely approach the throne of God in prayer with the blood of the Lamb covering us, making us unblemished and white as snow before God. In this connection, for our own faith and confidence, we should, like Jehoshaphat, remember the times in the past when we had experienced His goodness, grace, and mercy. Those times when He had answered our prayers in our moments of desperation and hopelessness. Those times when we really felt His love for us. When we remember those milestones, we have confidence but also gratitude and thanksgiving. Thus, even if God, for some reason, doesn’t answer us now, He had answered us before, and we are thankful for His grace and mercy during those tough and difficult times.

Have the right posture within us when approaching God. It is now the era of the church, the new testament time, and yet God is still God, whether in the old or new testaments. He must be given the full reverence that He deserves as it was Him who created the vast universe and all things that are in it. His power, reach, and authority are infinite compared to us. We have no right to demand anything from Him.