The Treasures of Prayer

Meditation for the day taken from "Everyday Prayer with John Calvin" written by Donald McKim:

Scripture: Matthew 21:18-22

The passage before us today is an odd narrative of Jesus cursing the fig tree. However, the fundamental issue in the actions of the Savior predicts those events that will soon take place for the temple and the old covenant system. However, the focus for today's meditation is on the words of the Savior in 21:21-22: "And Jesus answered them, 'Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." These words of the Lord have been often abused by those who seek to advance the "prosperity gospel." They argue that if we have enough faith, we can ask anything, and it will happen. Yet, what is often missing in their argument is that our faith is not in faith but the sovereign will of God. That is, as we pray, we must ask those things that are agreeable to God's will. If it is God's will to toss a mountain into the sea, it will be answered. In cases where we are not sure of God's will, we must lean upon his sovereign providence and trust his answers, even if they are contrary to what we asked. You see, true faith wants what God wants for us. We cannot manipulate God in our prayers, and we must resist the temptation to do so.

The point of the Savior is relatively simple: As we pray, we must believe that what God has told us is true. That is, as we plead with him in prayer and ask for things that are agreeable to his will, we can be confident that he hears us and will work those things according to the counsel of his own will. McKim writes, "When we pray, we can claim the promises God has made to people of faith and can ask him to fulfill them." (79). Where do we find the promises of God? In his Word. Calvin wrote, "we see that to us nothing is promised to be expected from the Lord, which we are not also bidden to ask of him in prayers. So true is it that we dig up by prayer the treasures that were pointed out by the Lord's gospel, and which our faith has gazed upon." (79). Those treasures are spread across the pages of the Bible. Those are the things that we can pray confidently and assuredly, knowing that our God, who cannot lie, has promised to his people. Therefore, pray. Pray the promises of your heavenly Father, and as you do, believe and trust that they are for you and come from a Father who loves his people and offers them marvelous things.