If we can rightly divide the Word of Truth, then it stands to reason that we can also wrongly divide it. 

So how do we rightly divide the Word of Truth?  We hold it (the Word we are hearing or reading) up against the true nature and character of God (that we know intimately).  If one seems to contradict the other, then something is wrong. Let me say that again. If the Word you are hearing or reading seems to be in contradiction with the true nature and character of God who you know intimately then something is wrong. This is your red light from the Holy Spirit. Do not proceed any further until you’ve studied it out further as the Bible verses corroborate each other, they do not contradict.

(2 Tim 2:15) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

At times the, seemingly apparent, source of contradiction or conflict can be as simple as the poor translation of a word, which is the issue in the verses below.

Luke 11:5-10 NKJV 
[5] And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; [6] for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; [7] and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? [8] I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. [9] “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

In the passage of scripture above verses 5-7 speak of worldly friendship. Verse 8 is a bridging verse. Verses 9-10 speak of God’s relationship with His sons …that’s us! 

Luke 11:5-10 is an analogy that’s meant to highlight the vast contrast between the world’s way and God’s way, and it would achieve this if it weren’t for the poor translation of a single word. In Luke 11:8 the Greek word anaideia has been poorly translated persistence.  However anaideia can also mean: Shamelessness, impudence, assurance, boldness & forwardness. Verse nine read in this light would sound something like this:  So I say to you, ask (with assurance, boldness & forwardness) and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

How can we ask of God with assurance, boldness & forwardness?  Asking with assurance, boldness & forwardness is to ask in faith (Mark 11:24). 

Mark 11:22-24 NKJV
[22] So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. [23] For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. [24] Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 

To ask God with assurance, boldness & forwardness is not pushing the boundaries with God since the veil was rent from top to bottom by the body of Christ (Heb 10:20) and by the blood of Jesus we now have access to enter boldly into the Holiest (Heb 10:19).  Just as we can now, with boldness, enter the Holiest of Holies we can also commune with and communicate with God and ask Him with assurance, boldness & forwardness “anaideia”.

This story in Luke 11:5-10 is meant to be teaching us is that it’s not because of friendship but rather through relationship with our Father God (we are sons of God (Gal 3:26)) that we can approach Him with assurance, boldness & forwardness.  We can approach our Heavenly Father exactly the same as our children approach us.

Matt 7:11 (NKJV)
If you then, being evil (natural/worldly), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  

This is also how we are to receive from our Heavenly Father …just like children.  

(Ps 56:9 NKJV)
When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.

Psalm 56:9 tells us that God hears us the first time we cry out to Him.  Our enemies turn back at the very moment we pray because God intervenes on our behalf right there and then. If we believe this verse to be true why then would we need to badger Him with repetitive prayers? (James 4:7 NKJV) Therefore submit to God. [agree with the Word which says we are already healed] Resist the devil [use the prayer of faith (Mark 11:23-24)] and he [along with his sickness and disease (John 10:10)] will flee from you.

Let’s rightly divide this verse:

Luke 18:1-8 NKJV
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, [2] saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. [3] Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ [4] And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, [5] yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” [6] Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. [7] And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? [8] I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” 

The key to understanding Luke 18:1-8 is in verse 6. Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said”.  God didn’t say these things.  These were the words of the unjust judge and are set out here for us as a BAD example.  Verses 7 & 8 tell us how God acts. 

However, what is this at the end of verse 8? “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth”?  People read and gloss over this.  Read verse 7 again “…though He bears long with them”. Some Christians (His own elect) cry out to Him day and night pleading for things that the Word tells us He’s already given us. Over and over they pray the same repetitive prayers causing God to “bear long with them”. 

Why do some Christians do this?  Because they don’t know what God has provided by Grace and they don’t know how to appropriate these things (including healing) by faith.  That is why Luke 18:8 finishes with: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Jesus poses this question because of the continuing failure on the part of (most) Christians to understand these basic principles of Grace and faith and how they work together in order for us to have God’s blessings manifest in this earthly realm.

Faith is not something we do to get God to move.  Our faith does not move God. 

God is moved by love …that is His love (not our love).  God is love (1 John 4:8).  Our love towards Him is a positive response to the love He first extended to us (1 John 4:19).  God already made His move over 2000 years ago. It’s our move now and we make our move by faith.  Faith speaks (James 2:20) …speaking our faith is what we do to receive what God has already provided by Grace.

Job 22:28 You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you…
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Rom 8:23-25
Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

When we prophesy and/or speak the Word of God over any situation Kingdom Law is applied with all the authority of heaven backing us up, as spoken out of our mouths, God having given us the keys of the Kingdom of heaven (Matt 16:19).

Faith speaks putting substance to things hoped for with perseverance.  However faith can only take hold of (in the spirit realm) what God has already provided by Grace.

Hebrews 11:1 KJV
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen …key words being ‘not seen’. They do exist in the spirit realm however they are not yet seen in this natural earthly realm. Until they are seen, Bible hope and faith work together. 

Look now at what Jesus says:

Matt 6:7-9
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray…  

These verses immediately precede the Lord’s Prayer.  This is a commandment not a suggestion. 

Extract from a Charis Bible College Teaching:
Faith is accompanied by peace.  When a person is truly convinced that God is acting on their behalf, there is a perfect peace that surpasses all understanding. There is no turmoil, anxiety or fear, but a quiet confidence.

Jesus told us to receive just like little children (Luke 18:17).  A little child will ask his mum or dad (probably both) for a bike for Christmas but once they say “yes” he stops asking.  He is excited and in expectancy from that moment on …waiting for the promise.  He believes and has full confidence in his parent’s promise because he knows their word is good.  And guess what: That child never asks his parents for that bike again …why? Because the child is fully persuaded that his parent’s word is good and he knows they will deliver on their promise.

Romans 4:21 KJV
And [Abraham] being fully persuaded that, what he [God] had promised, he was able also to perform.

God also has said “yes” to His children in His Word but key to us receiving is that we must know and be fully persuaded that God’s Word is good:

2 Cor 1:20
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 

So how can we know that God’s Word is good?  Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17).  It is imperative that we know the reality of: 

Psalm 56:9
When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. 

Now I want to immunize you against a wrong teaching that was used in an attempt to counter my teaching, this teaching, regarding ‘badgering God with repetitive prayer or prayer chains’. These are the verses those in opposition used:

Mark 8:22-25 (NKJV)
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” 25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

The argument presented was that even Jesus had to pray twice for this man to receive his healing and therefore we should not expect any different. Well true I don’t expect any different than Jesus as I have the Spirit of Christ in me (Rom 8:9-11). However I dispute the statement that Jesus prayed twice (asking) in these verses.  The fact is that Jesus didn’t even pray asking once.  Read it for yourself and see if you see Jesus praying asking …no asking at all is there?  So how many times does the Bible record Jesus praying to the Father to heal anyone at all?  Well the answer is a big fat zero …that’s how many.

So what was Jesus doing in this verse?  Firstly He led the man out of the town that was filled with unbelief.  Jesus had many times to take a person from unbelief to faith before He could heal them.  

He did this by speaking to them …asking questions mainly as He looked for a faith statement from their mouth that He could work with. Jesus asked the blind man, “if he saw anything” this action shows Jesus positioning the man to receive. Jesus asked him leading questions which resulted in the man making a positive confession as he said “I see men as trees walking” – “I SEE” – KAPOW – Jesus had a faith statement from the blind man to work with.

If we are going to demonstrate the power of God through signs wonders and miracles (Mark 16:15-18) we need to understand that everything Jesus did (except for going to the cross) had to be duplicatable.  This was so that He could say to us: 

John 14:12 (KJV)
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

I encourage corporate prayer.  My wife, Gloria and I regularly come into agreement with others and pray to God for an agreed outcome.  This is commonly called ‘prayer of agreement’ (Matt 18:18-20).  However, some Christians attempt to badger God with repetitive prayer or prayer chains? This is not ‘prayer of agreement’ but rather prayer of manipulation.  The difference is the heart motivation behind the prayer.  The logic driving this negative form of prayer is that they (incorrectly) think: the more people praying the more inclined God will be to answer the prayer.  This is completely wrong logic and couldn’t be further from the truth.  It shows a lack of knowledge of the true nature and character of God on the part of those Christians who partake in such things.  It shows a lack of understanding of grace. It also shows they lack confidence in their own prayers being answered or even heard by God. In fact they have more confidence in the prayers of others than they do in their own prayers.

I once asked the leader of a prayer group I attended (for a short time) why we were praying repetitive prayers. He replied, “Pressing in brother”. No, I thought, that’s badgering God with repetitive prayer.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

I reiterate – the two ingredients required to have confidence in God are (a) we must know His will and (b) know that He hears us when we ask in line with His will. 

Knowing these two things will give us confidence in God and His faithfulness to keep His promises to us.  God’s will is found, written/declared in the Bible and is manifest in the life of Jesus.  Only when we know God’s will (relating to a matter such as healing) can we pray with confidence and assurance.

(Ps 56:9 NKJV)
When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. 

This verse tells us that God hears us the first time we cry out to Him.  Our enemies turn back at the very moment we pray because God intervenes on our behalf right there and then.

________________

Garry Preston
Grace Faith Christian Discipleship