In a very significant way, this is a follow-up to a previous study, “Unchurched,” because it deals with very similar themes… the unity of Christ’s Bride on earth, the importance of Yahweh’s Covenant, and those things that identify the Redeemed as being truly among Yahweh’s people – and these based on what the Bible says directly, without any need to interpret, or read between the lines.

From time to time, members of our Church will get prayer requests. Sometimes they are from family, sometimes they are from friends, sometimes from those who attend our studies, and sometimes from those who don’t. It’s a wide variety, and I suppose once you’re known as a Church, your prayers are… available.

In principle, I have no issue with this. Our Father is Love. His people manifest that love to the world, and so obviously, of course, we want what is best for everyone. We want joy, and peace, and food, and clothing, and health, for every person in the world. But ultimately, our priority is the salvation of souls. It is to turn the hearts of sinners away from the things of the world, and from the power of Satan, so that they will recognize Yahweh for who He is, and worship Him because of His infinite worth. Compared to everlasting life, what are the joys or pains of a few brief decades, if even that long?

And so, these two goals do not always line up perfectly. To pray for someone’s immediate relief from challenges is not always in their eternal best-interest, and there are times the Spirit reveals this distinction to us.

We read, for example, of this very important incident between Yahshua and His disciple, Peter: “From that time forth began Yahshua to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto Thee.’” (Mat 16:21, 22)

Let’s pause there. Peter’s reaction seems perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it? Yahshua was his beloved Friend, Teacher, Mentor, Rabbi… and here He was, speaking about suffering and dying… and yes, being raised again, but that part didn’t seem to register with Peter at the moment. The thought of Yahshua suffering was a great burden to the disciple, and he said, “We can’t let this happen to you.”

The natural reaction might be for Yahshua to say, “Peter, thank you for thinking about me. Thank you for caring about my suffering. This has to happen for the salvation of the world.” Instead, let’s read what Yahshua, who is the very image of love manifest in the flesh, said to Peter: “But He turned, and said unto Peter, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’” (Mat 16:21-23)

That’s rather aggressive, isn’t it? I mean, the answer I suggested would have probably gotten the point across, and even have explained why it needed to be that way. Why would Yahshua react with such words?

The Savior knew that Peter loved Him with the sentiments of humanity. He knew that in sympathy, in empathy, in affection, Peter was lacking nothing. But he was lacking in Agape, he needed to see the difference between perfect, divine love, and that which the limited human heart can produce. There was nothing wrong with the feelings Peter experienced when he contemplated Yahshua’s impeding death, but remember that the Enemy, Satan, is without mercy.

He will use even the best of intentions, the best of emotions, to serve his purpose. This is why we say that feelings are indicators of our experience, but they are not reliable guides for our decisions. This is why we say that intentions are not sufficient to produce a Christ-like testimony. There are times when those filled with the Spirit will do things that the world will consider unusual… “counter-intuitive” is the word they may use… because Agape does not always line up with sympathy, with the natural response. It does not always track with phileo, with brotherly love, or even with self-preservation.

The world says that in order to love others, you must first love yourself. This is incorrect. First you must love Yahweh, “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” (Luke 10:27) And then you will love yourself, truly, because you will see yourself through His eyes, and know that even though you are dust, you are worth the death of His very Son. And then you will love your neighbors as yourself, and for the exact same reason, because Yahshua loved them, and gave Himself for their salvation.

When we want the best for someone, we do not always want to deny them suffering. That sounds like a very strange statement, doesn’t it? But we have seen people spoiled for lack of character-building experiences. We have seen coddled children, and selfish adults. We have seen the rich and powerful abuse the poor and helpless, because they could not put themselves into the shoes of another. These evils exist because character was not built. A life in which there is no sacrifice cannot touch the heart of Yahweh.

We do not want pain and suffering for others, let me be perfectly clear about that… but there are times when we recognize that we cannot be too quick to intercede, either physically, or spiritually. It is a hard lesson for the saints to learn sometimes, because our natural instincts, to run to be helpful in any way that we can, are usually correct – but we must beware the sin of officiousness, of pressing unnecessary and unwanted help.

It is possible to be officious in our prayers as well.

The Bible says of Yahshua, “For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I will declare thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee.’” (Heb 2:10-12)

I could have stopped after the phrase “perfect through sufferings,” but I continued, because I want you to see the connection that the Word of Yah makes between this concept of perfection through suffering, to unity, and then to the Church and its purpose. It is not in the midst of the wilderness, or the ecumenical masses, but in the midst of the Church, that we find favor with our Savior. He loves those in the world, yes, but He calls them to His Bride, and there He comforts them, like the Prophet Hosea comforted his wife in the wilderness. We won’t read that story today, but it’s in the first two chapters of the Book of Hosea; that is a parable for Yahshua and the Church.

Peter’s words tempted Christ when He needed to be focused on the close of His great work on the earth, and in that temptation Yahshua recognized Satan trying one last time to divert Him from the path. So He rebuked Peter, firmly, but with love, and said, “Your affections need to be directed properly, or you become an agent of the Fallen One.” It was a stern rebuke, especially in the moment, but it was one that Peter needed, and it is one that we need as well.

Do you know, there are times the Bible says not to pray? There are multiple verses, but three main individuals who have delivered this message. The first is the prophet Jeremiah, another is John – the disciple who wrote the most about love – and the third is Yahshua Himself.

Let’s look at these. Jeremiah actually receives instructions from Yahweh not to pray in several places, but here is just one: “For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah, and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to bo’sheth (shame, confusion, that shameful thing), even altars to burn incense unto Ba’al. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them, for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.” (Jer 11:13, 14) Here, Yahweh says, “Don’t pray for them, because I will not hear them.” In a parallel passage in Jeremiah 7:16, Yahweh says, “Don’t pray for them, because I will not hear you.” If you intercede for these people, your prayers will not be heard any more than theirs will, who do wickedness with idols. It is a stern warning, and as I have said before in several contexts, the 144,000 have the mind of Christ about these matters. They know, and will know, when Yahweh directs them to refrain from prayer for a people, or for a person, who will not listen.

Here is John’s contribution to the idea: “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he shall pray for it.” (1 John 5:16)

Those who are in willful sin, who know righteousness but reject it, who will not listen to the voice of Yahweh… what shall we say on their behalf? Paul gives us the proper course: “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yahshua.” (1Cor 5:5)

If they are intent on the world, let them have the world. We can reason with those who reject our Father for only so long, and then we have to see if Satan’s ministry of suffering will convert them instead. As I’ve said, sometimes the path of righteousness runs contrary to the inclinations of the human heart. Parents have had to let go of children. Brothers have had to let go of brothers, wives their husbands, and husbands their wives. It is not because they did not love them, but because they realized the light was only deepening their blindness. They were not giving up on them, but they knew their words, even their prayers, would not be appreciated. Perhaps, like the prodigal son in the parable, the smell of pigs would awaken them instead.

Here is what Yahshua said: “For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them.” (John 17:8-10)

Look for those words in the Bible; pay attention to them: “for,” “since,” “because.” Whatsoever follows these words explains what comes before. Yahshua says, “I pray for my disciples for (because) they are Yours. They have heard My words and believed them, so I pray for them.”

You see, they were in Covenant of Yah. He was their God, and they were His people. Because of that, the prayers offered by Christ would be heard, and answered. By contrast, He said, “I pray not for the world.”

We pray for the world in this sense – that they will awaken and join the Covenant. We pray for the world in this sense – that they will understand their need for the Savior, and join themselves to Him and to His people. But beyond that, we have our perfect Example… we may be doing them more harm than good, if we pray they receive the benefits of the Covenant, the promises of peace, and joy, and safety, without the unity that it entails. It is only in the context of the Covenant, that we believe Yah’s words, and receive His Son as our life, that prayer has any meaning.

Prayer is spoken of so often that it has become a causal thing. Every form of Christianity, every religion that has a god, speaks of prayer. But it is no light thing to stand before the Creator of every molecule, and every star. It is no light thing to open one’s self up to the One who judges the deepest thoughts and intentions. It is no casual thing to treat the King of Kings as a Friend, as He invites us to do… but with great reverence, and stillness of spirit.

Those who understand this, who respect what prayer is, these are the ones whose prayers are refined by the Spirit, offered through the Son, and heard by the Father. It is only in this context that prayer has meaning. And we know how to do it. We have spoken about the four steps before, to Ask for what we desire, to Believe that He hears us and answers according to our best good, then to Claim the answer because we have found favor in His eyes, and finally to Declare that we have received that which we have desired of our Father. We had a study about this many years ago, about the “A B C Ds of Prayer.”

But while we can ask, we cannot believe on behalf of others. The faulty intercession that those verses from Jeremiah and John speak about fails on step 2 of 4. And I mean true belief. Someone who claims to be Christ’s child, but does not have Christ’s testimony, does not seek Christ’s counsel, does not speak Christ’s words, does not unite with Christ’s people… you see where this is going. Such a one may ask for prayer, and certainly we can try to offer some practical aid if we are so inspired, but we also have the responsibility to hold up a mirror to such an individual and ask, “What do you see here?”

Prayer, within the community and covenant of Yahweh’s love, is not just about using the Creator as a resource. It is not just about getting what we want, or even what we need. It is about growing in love together. It is about uniting in common interests, strengthening the bonds of fellowship while bearing one another’s burdens. Yahweh can hear one saint as easily as He can hear the prayers of many, but He says, “Gather together in My name, and pray to Me.” Why? It doesn’t make the prayer any better… it is for our sakes, so that we learn, even as we pray, what it means to be one, united People. The 144,000 know what I mean by this… they understand the great work that the Father and Son are completing in our hearts.

When we share one another’s concerns, and then, agreeing, we approach the Throne in prayer, there is nothing more powerful in the universe than that. Yahweh hastens to reply. Yahshua says, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:13, 14)

You know, the world, and the worldly churches, do not believe that? And even if they believe it intellectually, they are afraid to claim it, because “What if it turns out not to be true? Does that mean God isn’t hearing us?” But it is no coincidence that the very next verse, the very same breath, says this: “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

Remember, the Faith of Yahshua, and the Commandments of Yahweh… these are elements of the Covenant. Yahshua’s promise is given to those in this Covenant, and what nominal and apostate Christianity have done is they have taken the first part, the promise, and extracted it from the setting, that Yahshua is speaking to, and about, those who are united in worship of the Father because they believe in the Son. Those who wish prayer, those who wish intercession, they need to know that. They need to understand that Yahweh cannot promise them anything… we cannot stand for them for anything… unless they are among those to whom the promise is actually given.

As I said, yes, we can pray for them in the sense that we pray they will understand this, accept the Covenant, and then we can agree together, with one Spirit, concerning their needs and desires. That is the plan Yahweh has for His scattered sheep… and we must be wise agents of this process, not merely compassionate – not compassionate only, but compassionate and truly loving, according to that agape, that divine, all-knowing love. For those outside the covenant, we can only pray that they receive what they need, which are often not the things for which they are asking us to pray.

When Yahshua is speaking of His followers, saying, “I pray for them, and not the world,” or when He says to those who are close to Him in spirit, “When you ask for something in my name, I will do it,” is He being elitist? Is He being classist, or exalting the Church beyond what is appropriate? No. When we speak of the Covenant, we are often accused of focusing too much on the Church, and not on Christ. But it is necessary that we apply the safety of the Covenant’s borders to our prayers, because the creative power in the Word of Yahweh is given to us in our prayers, and that is a very real power that must be carefully guarded from misuse.

Can you imagine if Yahweh were honor bound to answer the prayers of everyone who ended their petition with, “In Jesus’ name, amen?” Imagine the prayers for vengeance. Imagine the prayers for unfair advantages over others, or selfish ambition. Imagine the prayers for short-term benefits that, in the end, will keep souls from salvation. Even the Covenanted must not say “Amen” to a prayer lightly. “Amen” means, “So be it,” and sometimes I hear prayers (not necessarily from those gathered here) with which I cannot agree, and about which I do not want “it” to “be.” And so I stand respectfully, but I cannot always register my agreement in Heaven with the words that are said.

We need to be cautious about how we present these matters, because the Enemy finds it easy to convince His captives to level accusations of pride, “Churchianity,” etc. at those who merely accept the Bible as it reads. This issue of prayer and the last topic about the Church and its Covenant, could seem that way, and even worse, those who hear these words could be persuaded to actually adopt that mindset. But it needs to be understood that these are the Spirit’s response to current problems.

Just as the name “Seventh-day Adventist” is an appropriate name because of misunderstandings and ignorance of Yahweh's Law, so studies like these are a response from Heaven to prevailing errors about what it means to be “in Christ,” and the lack of any real desire for unity among those who otherwise have the most sound doctrinal positions.

Just recently I was answering a question on Facebook about Church unity, and I received the anticipated follow-up from one of the participants, essentially asking, “So are you saying only your group will be saved? That only those who join your Church will be accepted by God in the judgment?” If he heard this study he might add, “Are you saying God only hears the prayers of Creation Seventh Day Adventists?”

My reply was diplomatic, I think, and applicable to all three facets. God reaches out to those in the world. His rain falls on the just and unjust alike, but He has a special, deliberate, relationship with those who have the Faith of His Son without dilution, and who obey His commandments because they love the principles of His Law.

Those who learn the truth will recognize it in God’s united people. And yes, some will be saved through the grave without removing every flaw from their character and misunderstanding from their set of beliefs, but the 144,000 will be perfectly united as one, and this is the destiny to which we are called in this last generation.

But we don't want to give people false comfort either – we must give a balanced apply, both mercy and judgment. If any hear of a “higher calling,” of a greater standard, of perfection - and perfect unity in Yahweh’s Covenant – but they say, “No, what I have now is good enough,” they are demonstrating a lack of love for righteousness. The little that they would have had is taken away, just as in the parable of the talents. (Mat 25:14-30)

Those who love Yahshua want ALL of Him. Not just a “passing grade,” to use a very imperfect analogy. A student who says, “I know an A is possible, but all I need is a C,” is a poor student, not because of his ability, but because of his character. The Bible says we are not to presume on Yah’s mercy, but that is exactly what this thinking reveals: “I know what Yah wants me to do, but I don't need to do ALL of it, and He will let me into the Kingdom anyway.” That is presumption, and reveals a heart that is doing NONE of what Yahweh wants it to do.

Remember, Christianity is not a works-based religion, or a religion of degrees, of grading. The academic example is imperfect, as I’ve said, and deliberately so... because that is how some people think of eternal life. Everyone in Heaven gets an “A,” as it were, because they answered all the questions that they could see correctly.

This applies also to Christianity in general, but to prayer as well, and specifically prayer-requests. Those who say, “Pray for me,” but a) make no efforts to address the issue that led to the need, or b) stand off to the side in isolation while the group prays for them, violate the very purpose of community prayer, of a people, standing as one spiritual entity, requesting a blessing from the Father. Should Yahweh grant this blessing – understand this well – He would be endorsing the request in its lack of unity. It’s like “salvation in sin;” it doesn’t belong there. He would be saying, “This is acceptable. You do not need the Church I have given you. You do not need the Covenant I have prepared for you. You do not need the gifts I have provided for your very own eternal benefit.” No, such a prayer cannot be answered, because it would validate the “works of the flesh” that led to the creation and maintenance of the separated state, and that is directly counter to the purpose of the Eli-Yah people, to turn the hearts of sinners to their Father in Heaven.

So let me conclude with this: How is this message Gospel? How is it good news, that Yahweh’s promises of answered prayer are specifically for those in His Covenant? It is good news, because we understand how to educate those who come to us for prayer. We do not need to turn them away. We should hear of their suffering, sympathize with their challenges, and of course, if the Spirit so inclines you, pray for them – but pray for them ultimately, that they will be saved through an acceptance of the Salvation we have been offered at infinite cost. Pray for what they need, not what they ask. The prayers of the saints are the prayers of faith, and when we pray according to our Father’s will, He will answer – quickly, and mightily, from Heaven.

Do not neglect the opportunity that this provides, to minister to the eternal needs of those who seek you out. Do not think that if you are praying for their earthly comfort alone, you are helping them. There is a greater love to experience and to express, and we shall not be like Peter, who savored the things of earth, and not of Heaven.

The Scripture says of our needs, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of Yahweh, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mat 6:33)

Seek FIRST the Kingdom of Heaven. We have to hold up that mirror. Ask them, “Are you seeking financial aid? Are you seeking restoration of health? Are you interceding for the safety of another? What is your goal?” And then say, “Let me introduce you to Someone who loves you more than you love yourself, Who knows your needs and desires better than you do, and Who is longing, eager, to give you that which will be for your greatest good.” This is how we will win hearts for our Father, and bring His people home.

David.

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