Prayer: A Force that Causes Change

For the Joy Set Before Him David Williamson It was so frustrating. We were a good football team, but we were stopping ourselves from success. On every play we would make a mistake; a penalty, a dropped pass, a fumble, something to keep us from being successful. Throughout the first half of the game we continued to make mistakes and the frustration mounted. At halftime we talked to the team about each man doing his job and not making mistakes and everything began to come together in the second half. We began to have plays where everyone did his job and we had success. Then we began to have several good plays in a row. Everything was coming together; we knew we were going to win. We began a drive and each play you could see the team growing in confidence and assurance that each man would do his job. We had a play where our running back ran the ball for about 20 yards and he almost went for a long touchdown, but he was tripped up by the last defender. Just as he hit the ground all the lights in the stadium went out. It was just as if the crash of him hitting the ground had knocked out the lights. Once we realized what had happened, that there was a power outage causing the lights to go out, despair came crashing down on us with even greater darkness than the stadium lights being out. We had finally gotten everything together and were doing what was needed to win the game and now this. Even if they could get the lights back on, we were concerned; would we still be able to execute our plays or would we revert back to our mistakes? With every moment the lights were out, despair got darker. It took a long time to get the lights back on; we even went back into the locker room and talked to the team for a while. We told them to stay focused and keep their mind on the game; the lights would be back on soon. Finally the lights did come on and we warmed up again and restarted the game. And it turned out very exciting because we continued just where we had left off. Everyone on the team doing their job and we won the game easily. That night we had a time of despair, but think about Jesus’ disciples and their time of despair. Everything was coming together for the ministry. Things had progressed so slowly, however, now progress was at hand. A short time before, the small number of people following Jesus had become masses. Now there never was a quiet moment and the crowds were becoming more and more devoted to Jesus. Why there was a time a few weeks ago when the masses wanted to try and make Jesus king by force. It was all Jesus could do to disperse the crowd. And then a few days ago the crowds had lined the road and thrown palm branches on the road before Him as He rode into Jerusalem. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Surely, this was the time. It was the time they had dreamed about and worked for, everything was coming together, surely now Jesus would be made king. Then with the fearsome thud of finality, the cross brought an end to their dreams and filled the disciples with despair. The Bible records, “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land”. And as dark as this was, the darkness of despair was darker than the darkness of the day. All their plans and dreams were ruined. All their hopes were dashed; there was nothing left, but the fearsome darkness of despair. And yet, even in all this despair, the Bible tells us that Jesus, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross. The coming darkness of despair could not overwhelm Him, because He saw the joy that was to come. He saw the coming joy of the women coming to the tomb and finding that He was no longer bound there. He saw the coming joy of the disciples experiencing flashes of hope as they marveled to themselves about what had happened. He saw the coming joy of walking the road to Emmaus, expounding to the two disciples of things concerning what had and was about to happen and the joy when they understood. He saw the joy of meeting with the disciples and their great joy when they believed that He was alive; and the joy when even Thomas believed. He saw the coming joy of the disciples meeting in Jerusalem as instructed and the Holy Spirit falling on them. And in that day when they were changed and the church was born. He saw the coming joy of millions of moments down through history, when men and women would come to know Him as Lord. Jesus saw the coming joy of His return as King of kings and Lord of lords. He saw the joy that was set before Him! looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) And I would be remiss if I did not ask about us as well. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame. Jesus denied Himself and so we must do the same; discipleship costs. A disciple of Jesus dies daily, not a death of the body as Jesus experienced, but the death of ownership over their life. This is central to the Christian life and it is a key to success in a life of prayer. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24 (NKJV) Paul told the Corinthians that he died daily. How did he die? He no longer had control over what he would do with his life. He was given fully to Jesus, the one he sought to be like, to follow obediently, and served wholeheartedly. Dying daily to self is a cross we all must die upon. If we refuse to take up our cross and follow Jesus, then we limit our usefulness in prayer. If we hold on to the things of this world, pride, unforgiveness, selfishness, and the rest, we cannot pray effective prayers that avail much. The crucified life is a life purchased by God, a life we live for Him. Derek Prince once described the crucified life, by asking three questions. First he asked, “Are you willing not to be in control?” The second question, “Are you willing to not be esteemed?” The third question, “Are you willing to not be secure?” Can you answer, yes, to these three questions? If we are to live the crucified life we must be fully and completely in God’s hands. Jesus endured for the joy that was set before Him. If we endure as he did, there is a great joy set before us as well. As we pray, we can see the coming joy of answers to prayers. We can see the coming joy of men and women won from death to life in Christ Jesus. We can see the coming joy of men and women delivered from bondage. We can see coming joy of nations turning from darkness to light. We can see the coming joy of hastening, the coming of the Kingdom of our Lord. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (NKJV) Let us pray!