The sighing of the prisoners

Psalm 79:11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

In doing my daily Bible reading recently, I came across this verse. And, as is usual when the Lord wants to teach me something, a phrase stuck out to me. 

I work 12-14 hours a day, so many times my morning Bible reading is done through a Bible App where I can listen to Max McLean read the King James Version as I'm driving down the road in the early hours while most folks are still asleep. This particular morning that phrase, "The sighing of the prisoners" might as well have been spoken by Mr Max using a bullhorn to speak it into my ear from the backseat of my truck. 

I've both listened to and read that whole Psalm several times since then. This morning it became our Bible lesson in our church. But, here on this blog, we'll cover a few things that were not covered in the study in the church service today. 

There are many types of people in the world. Some are loud and arrogant. Some are quiet and shy. Some are somewhere in between. Some are if you'll indulge my hit song from childhood reference, "From Boston to Denver and every town in between." (Manilow, It's a Miracle) 

But whoever we are and wherever we may be from, we all have one thing in common. We will all, at some point (or several points) in our lives, wind up in prison. Oh, not a literal penitentiary, but rather a mental/spiritual prison. 

Now, there are as many reasons for winding up in these prisons as there are different types of people in the world. 

Some prisons are prisons of circumstance. 

Life happens. Storms hit. Companies close or change plans. Family members die of one thing or another. Or, as we found out with Covid-19, diseases break out and spread. Bad things happen to both good and bad people.

Matthew 5:45

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

And when these things happen, we feel trapped. We feel overwhelmed. We start pulling on bars. We start yelling for the guard and saying there must be some mistake. We start digging at concrete corners with any spoon we can find in a vain effort to try and dig our way out. And we keep saying, "There's got to be a way out of this."

Some prisons are prisons of our own making.

We started digging at something or other and piling our digging around us. So intent are we on our goal that we don't realize that we're slowly building a series of walls around us. Before we know it, we're surprised to find that we've built our own little cell around us. Worse, the floor of our little cell is a hole in the floor and we're standing below ground level, and getting out is not going to be easy- being surrounded by walls, as well. 

Some prisons are made by our enemies.

Supposedly, when some people want to hunt Monkeys, they take small jars and put in something that entices the Monkey to reach in and grab their prize. The problem is, that the neck of the bottle is so small that they cannot pull their hand back out as long as they hold onto their newly gained prize. When the hunter checks the trap, if the Monkey refuses to let go of the prize, it will become captured or killed by the hunter.  This is how temptation works on us. We reach for the shiny thing because we just have to have it. But, when we grab it, the enemy says, "Gotcha!" Only if we let go of our shiny prize (repent) can we escape the clutches of our enemy. 

If we don't let go, then the enemy takes us to a prison, not of our making. And this prison will be very well constructed and extremely hard to get out of. Our enemy doesn't want us to escape, after all. He may or may not have been "kind enough" to allow us to keep our new prize we really don't need. But, even with the prize, we are still well and truly trapped. (Hint: he probably won't let you keep it)

But, in all these situations and more, there are keys that will open the prison doors and let us out. 

Key 1: Repent. 

When we have sinned and gotten ourselves into prison, the first step to finding an exit is not trying to manipulate our situation. It's not begging others to bail us out of the consequences. The very first thing we should do is seek God in prayer, asking where we've sinned (if we are unaware- many times we know). Once we know our sin (or sins), we must honestly and sincerely repent before God and ask for forgiveness. Once we've been forgiven, that's one part of exiting our prison. 

Key 2: Learning the lesson

Now, if we haven't sinned, but find ourselves in prison, then God has allowed us to be attacked and captured by the enemy. If he's done this, then a) God is testing us like he did Job, and b) we have a lesson to learn- or lessons to learn. 

But, you say, Job didn't learn a lesson. 

Really? 

Among other things, God kept saying to him, "Where were you when I did this, or that?" In other words, God was telling Job, "Yes, you are a righteous man, but I am God and I can do or allow anything I wish. You have no right to demand anything from me or demand for me to do anything." (Name it claim it folks please take note)

Sometimes, we as humans have to be reminded that we are not in charge. That God is God alone and truly, as creator, has the right to do whatever he wishes. I have no right to tell God what he can't do or can't allow. The minute I accuse him, I'm out of line and guilty of iniquity- self-willed sin. I'm judging God- something I have no right to do.

But, whatever lesson we need to learn in order to gain the second Key to the exit door, we need to ask God to show us and learn it ASAP. In most cases, the quicker we learn the lesson, the quicker we end our imprisonment. 

Key 3: Asking for God (the judge) to let us out.

When we get to the end of ourselves, we need to appeal to the judge.

Psalm 79:11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

Ultimately, in the spirit realm, there's only one Judge- Jesus (God almighty). 

The devil is a prosecutor. The Bible calls him "the accuser of the brethren." (Revelations 12:10)

This is also why Scripture calls "the MAN Christ Jesus" our "advocate (defense attorney)" (1 John 2:1)

So, we need to throw ourselves on the mercy of the court, many times in honest repentance. 1 John 1:9 comes to mind. But, whether we're guilty or not, we still need the judge to release us.

Does it work?

Israel was guilty and cried out to God, and God sent judges at different times to free them from their oppressors. 

Israel was not guilty but was put into slavery by Egypt. They cried out to God, and God sent Moses and the rest is history! 

Joseph was not guilty, but stayed faithful to God and prayed. God sent Pharoah a dream and not only set him free but made him the number 2 ruler in the land. 

It works. God responds to the cries of his people. 

But, one more thing. 

Key 4: If you are innocent, don't lose you're integrity in your frustration. 

Job complained about his situation. He pointed out his righteousness. He had to repeatedly defend his integrity. Even his wife's frustrated attack, "Curse God and die," was an admission on her part that Job was not in the wrong. 

But, one thing Job did not do was sin by accusing God with his words or actions. 

If we find ourselves in a prison and we're innocent, it's normal to be frustrated. But, we cannot allow our frustration to turn to anger at God. This will cause us to say or do things that will be sinful, and then our prison will get worse. 

Joseph stayed faithful and was promoted. 

Job stayed faithful and got back double what he lost.

And remember, Jesus said, "he that endureth until the end, the same shall be saved." 

So hold on my friend. At the end of this prison, there is forgiveness. At the end of this prison, there is joy. At the end of this prison, there is promotion. Just hold on to Jesus with all your might and watch him work.

It's time to carry our cross

 

Matthew 16:24-25

King James Version

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

1 Chronicles13 

And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.

2 And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:

3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.

4 And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

5 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.

6 And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.

7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.

8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.

10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.

David had just become king over the whole land of Israel. His enemies were defeated and dispersed. The people had spoken. It was time for a celebration, right?

But as good as things seemed to have been, something was missing. He thought about it. He must've prayed about it (after all, he was a "man after God's own heart). What was wrong? 

It hit him. 

The Ark of the Covenant wasn't in the capital. It wasn't even in a holy place. It was in the home of Abinadab. (Are our homes holy enough for the Ark of God to dwell there without us being cursed?) Throughout Israel's history, the Ark had been a powerful presence. It was the center of the power of God. It was the seat of God's authority. It led Israel's armies into battle. It was the focus of their religion, which was the core of their national identity. 

Now that David was king, the ark needed to be put back into its proper place in society. 

So, he gathers the leaders and the people together and says, "Let's go get the ark! We'll sing and dance and party our way all the back to Jerusalem!" (My paraphrase)

Problem number one: Apparently, "all Israel" didn't include the priests and Levites who were tasked by God to lead the worship of God. 

So all the singing and playing that was going on was not being led by the godly leadership (or leadership order) that God had established. This was strike one. 

Problem number two: Rather than the priests and Levites carrying the ark as was prescribed by God, they placed it on a new cart for the journey. Sounds reasonable right? No heavy weight to bear. No straining. No stopping to rest. Let the cart and the ox team do the work. 

And why not? 

After all, the Philistines, in sending the ark back, had used a new cart and God hadn't struck them dead for it. In fact, God had stopped a cancer plague in Philistia because they had sent it back. Apparently, God had no problem with the method they used, right?

God didn't see it quite that way. 

Don't get confused by God's healing folks in churches that don't preach the whole truth. Don't be sidetracked by God drawing folks into repentance- even though they don't have the Holy Ghost yet, and know nothing of holiness. Folks who wear ungodly clothes and teach false doctrines. 

First of all, God moves on whosoever will. He tries very hard to bring people to repentance. He will heal folks who are not right with him (contrary to the opinions of some folks) in order to try and get them right with him. 

My first experience of repentance with God happened when I was FIVE YEARS OLD. Did that mean I was born again? NO! But, I had taken a necessary step in my journey toward God. I was not born again, but I had entered the womb. 

But not everyone who repents gets born again. In fact, if we study the parable of the sewer, at the absolute most (and Jesus doesn't give percentages here. He just tells us of four groups of people. Some of the groups could have been larger than others.) if we assume equal numbers in the groups, only 25% of all mankind will make heaven. Many will make the start of repentance and never complete the course. Many will never even repent. Many will get born again, but the roots won't go deep and they won't make it. Only a few (and Jesus says "few there be that FIND IT- you have to be looking for it to find it. If you have to be hungry to be fed. You must bull-headedly continue on the path to complete the journey. And the path can get hard, rocky, very narrow, unpaved, uncomfortable, and require a lot of effort to stay on!

Not everyone who gets a healing or a blessing will end up even being born again. How many folks did Jesus bless and heal in his earthly ministry? MULTITUDES! And how many people were there praying for the spirit to fall in the upper room? 120!

The Philistines weren't God's people. They were wrong to have the ark in the first place. God had cursed them because they had the ark. And the cart was an experiment for them. They basically said, "If, as we think. this plague is from Israel's God, the oxen will carry the ark on the cart back to Israel of their own volition. Israel's God will guide them home without our help. If however, they carry it somewhere else, then our plague is not from Jehovah, but just merely a chance occurrence." So they followed it back to Israel, understood it was God, and left for home in a hurry. 

However, just because God allows an unbeliever to get away with something, doesn't mean he won't punish his kids for not following his clearly stated instructions. Listen. It doesn't matter how we "feel" about something. It doesn't matter if we haven't felt "convicted" of something. If the word of God says it's wrong, it's wrong. If the word of God says it's right, it's right. 

So, just when the Oxen slipped and the Ark shook, in a seemingly kind gesture, a man named Uzza put his hand on it to steady it. Innocent gesture. Even, in most people's minds- including David's, it was a respectful gesture. He was attempting to keep the ark from falling after all. But, only a priest or Levite was supposed to touch the Ark in transport. And God killed him for it. 

Party's over now! 

They were looking for a move of God, but this wasn't what they had been looking for. 

Question: How many times has God moved in negative- even deadly- ways and the action brings revival? But, that was the Old Testament, brother. God doesn't work that way anymore.

Really? 

Remember the couple that lied to the Holy Ghost in the Book of Acts and were struck dead? Remember the Israeli King that accepted the praise of men as if he were a god and God struck him with a disease and he died? 

Both of those were New Testament events and BOTH of them brought the fear of God on the people which led to revival! 

So David is shocked and angry and scared. So, he leaves the ark, everyone flees the area in case God's not done killing yet, and the Ark winds up in the home of a Levite named Obededom. 

But something begins happening after all. God is blessing... Obededom. 

Why was Obededom blessed and Abinadab wasn't? After all, Abinadab means "Father of generosity" and Obededom means "worker of Edom." Edom was a branch of Abraham through Jacob's twin brother Esau. How did Obededom get blessed? Abinadab was right with God or his house would've been just as cursed as the Philistines for having the Ark. But, he wasn't blessed. 

Two answers: 1) One of the root words for Obededom is Adam and it means "to show blood, flush, or turn rosy." In other words, Obededom found his foundation in the blood! He wasn't just religious, he sought God! He knew his fleshly weaknesses and sins and knew he needed God! And when David brought the ark to Jerusalem finally, Obededom didn't just wave goodbye. HE MOVED WITH IT! 

We don't need to just have God's law in our hearts and homes. We need to follow the leading of the God of the Ark. When he moves, we move. When he stops, we stop. If we want the blessings of God in our lives, we need to follow where he leads. 

2 Samuel 6:11-12

King James Version

11 And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.

12 And it was told King David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

So when David heard of God blessing Obededom, he decided that they really needed to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. But, this time he did some praying and studying and found out that the Ark should have been carried by the priests and Levites. The singing should be led by the Levites, and there should be sacrifices to God involved.

1 Chronicles 15:

2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

3 And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

4 And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:

12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

13 For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

15 And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.

16 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

25 So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obededom with joy.

26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

One of my mentors, Prophet Gordon Winslow Sr, said on several occasions that it was written in the literature of Israel that when the priests and Levites lifted up the ark, usually four carried it (it weighed over five hundred pounds) and they could sometimes carry it for miles- that God would pick it up with them and enable them to do it. 

It sounded right, but he didn't give "thus sayeth the Lord" to back it up. When I saw the phrase here in verse 26, "when God helped the Levites that bare the Ark of the covenant of the Lord," it was as if the Lord says, "There's your proof text." 

God helped them carry the load. And God will help us to carry our load!

There are two crosses involved in Christianity. There are two crosses involved with our salvation. 

We love to talk about the cross of Jesus. The cross of Jesus means blood shed for our sins. The cross of Jesus means God making a way for us when there is no way! It means victory, healing, right relationship with God! 

But, we don't like to talk about the second cross. Yes, there is a burden for us to bear. There is flesh we need to crucify. There are sins we need to kill. There are sacrifices we have to make for others. There is denying ourselves what we want to give God and others what they need. There is bearing each other's burdens (both in prayer and in physical needs). And so on.

Jesus tells us to take up our cross! It's difficult. It's painful. And in our flesh, it's impossible.

Yet, Jesus also says that we are to take HIS YOKE upon us and he will give us rest. 

A yoke bound 2 oxen or mules together so that they shared the load together of whatever they were pulling. Whether that was a cart full of heavy things, or it was pulling the plows through the rocky ground to prepare it for planting. They shared the load together.

When Jesus invites (truly commands) us to take his yoke, he's not saying we have to bear our cross alone, When we try that, we fail. But, when we take his yoke, he's saying, "I know you can't do it by yourself. I know the load is too great for you to bear. But, you're not alone! I will team up with you and I will supply your lack. You give it all you've got and I'll give it all I have. And together, we'll get the job done."

If you're not biblically born again, listen to the scriptural way to do so: 

Acts 2:37-38

King James Version

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Some preach just repentance. This is only part of the new birth.

Some preach repentance and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. This is only part of the new birth. 

To be biblically born again, we must repent of our sins, be baptized in Jesus' name for the forgiveness of those sins, and receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost to empower us to both live for him and be a witness for him. 

If you are born again, don't rely on rules and regulations. Don't think that if we look the part and act the part, we are the part. 

Being born again is not the end all be all. It is the beginning. Jesus says when we are born again, he gives us the "power to become the sons of God." And Paul says that those who are "led by the spirit are the sons of God." 

So work on, as Peter said, "grow(ing) in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Pray, study, and follow him. Let him use you as he sees fit. It may seem like an unbearable load to you, but he will help you carry the load. 

 

When God breaks our bones

Psalm 51:7-8

King James Version

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 

While studying for today's service, I saw this passage in an entirely new light. 

I know the history of this, according to my Bible margin notes, this was a Psalm written in response to the David and Bathsheeba adultery incident. God sent the prophet Nathan to point his long, bony finger at King David's nose and declare, "THOU ART THE MAN." 

At this point, David has a choice. Does he react as most kings did and have Nathan killed for DARING to embarrass the king in front of his royal entourage? Does he react like his predecessor, King Saul, and begin to give a litany of excuses meant to exonerate himself of guilt without the required repentance?  Or does he respond in genuine repentance of heart and humbly bow to the holy God of the universe?

According to this Psalm, David made the right choice. He responded in genuine repentance. He threw himself on the great mercy of his loving God- trusting him to bring the heavenly ruling that only the creator can bring. 

But, the key to his whole response, I believe, is found in verse 8: "that the bones WHICH THOU HAST BROKEN may rejoice."

David had been a shepherd. He understood that sheep wonder sometimes. Sheep go astray sometimes. Hence, the biblical passage, "All we like sheep have gone astray."(Isaiah 53:6)

Sometimes, when a sheep (usually a lamb) habitually strays away from the shepherd's chosen pasture, the shepherd has to take drastic action. The shepherd had 2 different staffs: One with a hook and one with a hard, round end. The one with the hook is used to hook the sheep around the neck and pull the wayward sheep back in the direction the shepherd wishes it to go. The one with the ball is used when the hook has been tried several times and the sheep refuses to be redirected. The shepherd will crack the ball on the hard-headed sheep's head to try and get its attention and redirect it. It's a form of punishment. 

If, however, it continues to try and stray into dangerous territory, then the shepherd will break one of its legs and reset it. Yes, this causes the sheep pain. But, no it's not done because the shepherd is mean or hateful. It's done out of love. Because the shepherd knows that if the sheep is allowed to continue to stray, it will eventually be harmed much worse than a broken leg. There are poisonous snakes that can bite and kill them. There are bears, wolves, and lions that will kill and eat them. There are treacherous cliffs that the sheep can fall off. 

So, to teach the sheep to stay close to him, the shepherd breaks its leg. This does create more work and hardship for the shepherd. For the next few weeks, while the leg is healing from the break, the shepherd must carry the sheep around with him as he moves the herd from pasture to pasture. He must still tend to the rest of the flock, but this one he must carry. He carries it to the new pasture and makes it lay in the green grass to eat, so it can eat. He carries it to the still waters so it can drink. 

But, an amazing thing happens. Over time, the sheep becomes accustomed to three things: a) being close to the shepherd, b) hearing the heartbeat of the shepherd, and c) hearing the voice of the shepherd. While it's healing, the sheep falls in love with the shepherd in a new and deeper way. Long forgotten is the temptation to wonder. Long forgotten is the fact that it was the shepherd who broke its leg. All the sheep knows now is that it wants to be close to its master and hear his voice and heartbeat.

Finally, when the sheep is healed, the shepherd allows it to walk with the herd. But, the sheep no longer wishes to wander or stray.  (I learned much of this shepherd information from a sermon by Lee Stoneking over 30 years ago)

David had had to do this to his own sheep. So, when God came and broke his spiritual leg, David didn't respond with excuses. David didn't respond with rebellion. David accepted the loving chastening of his shepherd and responded in repentance. 

Was it pleasant to be corrected? No. Did he enjoy being publicly humiliated- especially in front of his own court? No. But scripture tells us, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11)

But God had called David "a man after (God's) own heart." Why? Because David had spent most of his life in hot pursuit of a loving, intimate relationship with his creator. 

So, when David's shepherd broke David's spiritual leg, David was able to immediately respond in true repentance. 

His response resulted in several good things. 

1) Unlike Saul, whose anointing and throne were ripped away from he and his family, David's throne and bloodline were left secure.

2) The penalty for adultery under the law for both parties was stoning- even for a king and a new queen. But, this penalty was never exacted by his loving God because of David's repentance. 

3) David's right standing and relationship with God were restored. 

When we go astray, and God must chastise us (spank us or break our leg), it's not because he's mean. It's not because he is trying to show how in charge or how big and bad he is. It is, quite simply, because God loves us and desires that we are right with him and have the opportunity to make heaven. 

But, in order to do that, we must submit our wills to him and follow his leading. We cannot insist on having our own way and still expect to make heaven. It has never and will never work that way. 

If we do not enjoy being chastised by God, then we need to make up our minds to obey and follow his word and voice. Because if we stray, he will whoop us. He will break our leg if need be, in order to try and lead us from pasture to pasture and eventually to heaven. 

Why don't you pray with me:

"Lord, I love you. I don't enjoy being chastised. So please help me to hear your voice. Illuminate your word to me. Guide me and direct me so I can grow closer and closer to you and avoid causing you to have to whoop me. But, if I do stray, I accept your loving correction- no matter how harsh it may seem to be. I know you have only my best in mind. In Jesus' name!"

A few insights on prayer

 Matthew 7:7-8

King James Version

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

How many of us have heard these verses quoted? How many times have we heard them followed with something like, "Take your requests to the Lord? Take your needs to the savior. Take your desires to the God of the universe. Ask him, Seek him, and if you're not getting a response, beat on the door!"

They may even throw in other verses:

Psalm 37:4

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

                                                         Or:                                                                                 James 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.     

(This last one's quote is usually the last part that's quoted, not the first.)

 And there are many who teach "the prosperity doctrine" that key on these verses and others to prop up their "name it, claim it" prayer theology. I confess that there have been times that I myself bought somewhat into this false doctrine. 

But, the Lord's been working on me and showing me a few things. 

First, in Psalms 37 here, we gain our desires only when we "delight (ourselves) in the Lord." If we are indeed in a spiritual state of delighting in the Lord, our desires have been changed to match his desires. So, the desires of our hearts here just ain't talking about winning the lottery. I'm sorry to tell you.

Second, in the James passage, the prayers that God's answering here are a)repentance (confess your faults) and b) for other people's needs (pray one for ANOTHER). Again. It's not about that new job promotion, pay raise, home, or car. And on another note: how many of us have missed out on healing because we were self-focused, rather than praying for the needs of our fellow believers? After all, the biblical principle is that what we help make happen for others, God will make happen for us. (Matthew 7:12)

But, the passage here in Matthew 7:7-8 bears a little more scrutiny. 

We tend to swoop in, quote these 2 verses, and swoop back out. Yet, the simplest way to understand a verse's meaning is still, first and foremost, to understand it within its broader context. If, in fact, God is telling us that this applies to whatever we are praying about, then the verses around it should agree with/back up that concept. If, however, the verses around it teach otherwise, then our understanding has been wrong. 

Let's go back a bit to chapter 6:

Matthew 6:24-34

King James Version

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Jesus starts by pointing out that either we will serve God or Mammon. Mammon, some say, was a Chaldean deity that dealt with money. I don't know if that's true, but the word does mean "treasure, or riches." 

What's funny is how applicable to our western, capitalistic worldview this verse is. 

We spend the majority of our time and effort working, struggling, striving, sweating, stepping on, and shoving people out of our way all in hot pursuit of money.  We spend far more time and effort trying to "make a dollar" than we ever do worshipping God. We may spend a few hours a week trying to worship God. But, we spend far more hours trying to maximize our income and improve our finances. 

Our excuse is that we're trying to provide housing, clothing, and food for our families. And yes, we're supposed to do that. But, when most of our thoughts and efforts are centered around that, the question needs to be asked, who are we really serving?

Continue in Chapter 6 and we discover that Jesus explicitly tells us not to worry about those things that we are trying to gain (food, clothing, shelter, etc). We are supposed to understand that, if we are truly living for God, then God is aware of our needs and will provide them for us as we need them. 

Instead, our focus is to be on seeking his kingdom FIRST and his righteousness! And if we will do that, then he will provide for our needs. That means that we are to pray and work to expand HIS kingdom at every possible opportunity (winning souls, planting seeds, watering seeds, praying for others, etc) by/through allowing him to work in and through us (making us righteous in his eyes) to reach and help others. 

Yes, we still have to work, but if our complete focus is on our work, then we're not serving God- even when we are trying to care for our family. 

But, what about me, you ask? 

7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Chapter 7 begins to explain that rather than us focusing on the faults of others, no matter how good our intentions may be in trying to help other people, we are to begin by allowing God to show us ourselves (in prayer and Bible study). When we see ourselves for who we are, we can repent and get what we see right with God. 

In other words, we allow God to move deeper into us, shining his light on our own sins. Then, we repent and allow him to clean them out. This allows him to move further into our spirits- making us more and more righteous because he is showing up in our actions and attitudes in greater ways. 

Then, once our own beam is removed from our lives, then we can, in the love of God, try and pray and help others remove the speck from their lives. How? Because we have God's compassion working through us. We've been there. We know what it's like to be under the yoke of bondage to sin. So, we are more apt to pray and give our testimony of deliverance to help someone else escape their bondage. 

With all of this in mind, what are we supposed to ask God about? What are we supposed to seek him for? What are we supposed to "bang on the door" for? 

In a word: OTHERS!

We are to ask him to draw others in and set them free. We are to seek him to look for other ways to help them. We are to knock on their prison doors in prayer through the spirit of God- knowing that the prison gates of hell will not prevail against the Biblically
praying saints of God. 

So, don't worry about what you're going to wear or eat, or where you're going to sleep. If we will work hard to work with his spirit to see others made free, then he will take care of all our needs. 

We may not get a mansion here for it, but he's building us one over there- if we will just follow and dwell in his spirit.