Have you ever wondered why Jesus expects us to pray even unceasingly? The Bible is loaded with exhortations, even commands for every born-again believer to pray not just for others, but also for their personal needs. This begs the question, “If God is Omniscient, as the Bible declares God to be, why doesn’t He just automatically provide for everything we need or want?” After all, Psalm 23 makes it clear the Lord is my Shepherd, and I shall not want. The sheep cannot communicate to their shepherd that they are thirsty, hungry, cold, or afraid, can they? So how does a shepherd become good at his job?
I’ve quoted below some things a shepherd can do for his flock. I took this from the article written by Nicky Ellis from the website farmandanimals dot com. You can easily relate these to Scriptural truths about good pastoring.
“Keep Your Sheep Healthy and Safe
- If you neglect your sheep’s hooves, you endanger their health, well-being, and welfare. In the long run, hoof neglect will impact productivity.
- In addition to providing your sheep with ample pasture, good nutrition, and consistent care, you’ll also want to be sure to keep them safe.
- This involves installing secure fencing that will keep them in and at least some predators out. Installing lights around your enclosure will also help keep predators away at night.
- It’s a very good idea to install dog-safe fencing that will deter packs of marauding dogs and could also keep in your herd dog.”
The first thing mentioned is sheep’s hooves! This is because animals have to move around otherwise they will languish and become unproductive. It is the same with the Christians. If a believer never takes any effort to be involved in any ministry or share his/her life testimony and even the Gospel with the unsaved, they will be unable to bear the Fruit of the Spirit. The reason for this is that when a believer starts truly living for God, he/she will encounter opposition. It is this opposition that makes our spirit strong and our hearts fertile ground for the Fruit of the Spirit to spring up and mature. Avoiding or evading a manifest Christian walk is like wanting not to be identified as a follower of Christ. This results in a weak and fruitless spiritual life.
The second thing or things named are ample pasture, nutrition, and care (including safety) for the sheep. The spiritual walk mentioned above will naturally involve new areas for the sheep to move around. This is the Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and uttermost parts of the earth mentioned by the Lord, saying, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” in Acts 1:8
Nutrition involves not just providing food but the right food in their season. God speaks to us not just through the Bible but also in our circumstances and what is happening around the world. In other words, the pastor should also preach timely and relevant messages that touch on current events that relate to Bible prophecy. This kind of food gives strength, encouragement, and boldness to believers when they know that the return of Christ is indeed very close judging by what we can see happening everywhere. Care and safety involve showing compassion to believers especially those who are members of one’s local congregation. Telling Christians that you are praying for them does not convey the compassion exhibited by actually visiting them in their homes and praying for them right there and praying for their safety where it really matters.
The third thing is about secure fencing and installing lights to keep predators out. It is not possible to attain this physically or the pastor would be accused of being autocratic or even a dictator wanting to control the lives of church members. But he can propagate what fencing and lighting he is doing in his own family in the family lives of his members. This means being an exemplary father and husband and coaching the men and fathers in the congregation to do the same. This entails equipping the men who are the Scriptural heads of their families and exhorting the wives to submit to their husbands just as the Bible commands. I get angry inside when I see or read memes or stories about husbands subjugated by their wives and the men making fun of it as if that’s just what being married is all about. It angers me more when the women boast about how their husbands are under their thumbs. This is plain and simple witchcraft and is hateful in the sight of God. God’s light will illuminate families, make right the relationships in it according to God’s prescription, and open the floodgates of heavenly blessings into those families if those who are concerned will obey His Word.
All these shepherd functions are the functions of a father. In other words, God wants to father us.
Does the Old Testament Agree?
The concept of God being our Father is clearly brought up in the New Testament but implied in the Old Testament. When God created Adam and Eve, He put them in a garden that He created for them. This garden was built for them. He didn’t just place them in a forest that they would need to clear out and cultivate. The garden already had fruit-bearing trees the fruit of which they only had to pick and eat! God also gave them bodies that were perfect and which would never die, much less suffer any disease or malady. I even venture to suppose those bodies never felt hunger – they ate from the fruits of the trees in the garden simply for the pleasure of it. If it looked good, it must be good!
“And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” – Genesis 2:9
When the subtle serpent deceived Eve, she acted out God’s rule. She thought that if it was pleasing to the eyes it must be good for food! Watch this.
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” – Genesis 3:6
The only thing bad about this decision was her added desire of being wise, something that was deceptively suggested by the serpent. But let’s not digress.
God delights in our pleasure. It was never intended to bear guilt with it. Feeling guilty about enjoying something is what sin has done to our minds and consciences. What father is angry when his child is joyfully running around in the playground and having fun? He would even join in the fun and also see to it that his child is safe.
Full Circle Now
So going back to our opening statement or question, “Why does Jesus expect us to pray unceasingly?” and “If God is Omniscient, as the Bible declares God to be, why doesn’t He just automatically provide for everything we need or want?” Because, unlike the mute sheep, we are able to talk and verbalize what is in our hearts. What we speak out in prayer are those that are really prominent or abundant in our hearts because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. Our prayers to God are the expressions of what things really matter to us.
So why does Jesus want us to pray unceasingly?
- He wants us to be like Him – our Intercessor. Do you think Jesus still needs to pray when after all He has already done His work and paid for humanity’s sins? Wasn’t the priestly prayer in John 17 enough? This topic alone is good for another article on its own, but let me give a short answer by saying that intercession is akin to Christlikeness.
- It reveals to us what is in our hearts and whether or not these are also what is in Christ’s heart at the moment. God already knows what we will bring to Him even before we drop to our knees. But if we are paying any attention to our prayers, the moment we open our lips becomes our revelation of what is abundant in our hearts. A child becomes more lovable to a father when he sees that his child is exactly like him in his inclinations, actions, behavior, and speech. The child also loves himself and values himself all the more when he sees he is becoming like his father.
The good earthly shepherd reads his sheep and acts accordingly. Our heavenly Father knows exactly what is in our hearts and so will, in his sovereignty and omniscience give us what we really need.
“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.”- Isaiah 40:11
Our God is also our Father.
Is He Your Father?
Friend, if you died tonight, where do you think you will end up? If you are unsure of your eternal destiny, now is the time to make your life right with God. You see, all human beings (me included) are sinners! If you would honestly assess yourself right now, you probably have lied to someone. Or have taken something that did not belong to you. You might have looked at someone with lust in your heart. Or hated someone and wished him/her evil. Or, used God’s name as a cuss word. If so, that makes you a lying thief, an adulterer, a murderer, and a blasphemer! I think you know where such kinds of people end up already. You, like me, are in a dangerous position!
But God sent Jesus to Earth on a rescue mission! That’s what it says in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
All who turn to God in humble repentance, coming back to The Creator and asking for forgiveness, believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who gave His life on the cross as payment for sin, Who rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven and is coming back to take all His believers with Him to heaven, you can receive forgiveness for your sins and be restored into a relationship with God!
All you need to do is repent, ask Him to forgive you, and entrust your present and future to Jesus Christ. If you are sincere, the Bible says you are SAVED and made as new again! “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.” (Romans 10:9-11)
You can stop being ashamed of what you’ve made out of your life. Guilt does not have to haunt you until your dying day. Accept the offer from Jesus and the receipt of His Gift of eternal life today. You can make God YOUR Father! Hurry! This offer is good only until the Rapture!
If you’ve decided to believe in Jesus, let me know! I wish to help you grow in your new faith in the God of the Bible Whose promises never fail.
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Until then, God bless you!
Musings of Anax Jos 