Prayer meeting on May 31st: Short sharing

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The prayer meeting on May 31st 2009 was organized by the Reformed Resurgence as an alternative to the Global Day of Prayer event. Here is my short sharing (~10 mins) during the event, which was on the subject of prayer.

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We have came together for prayer, in a bid to pray and intercede before the throne of God. Our verse today would be Eph. 6:18. Looking at the larger context:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (Eph. 6:10-18)

As it can be seen from this passage especially in verse 18, we are called to pray at all times in the Spirit. The context of this passage is in the arena of spiritual warfare, and prayer is one of the essential elements in the beievers' armory.

A few other passages of Scripture would help to show us the teaching of Scripture in this regard. Phil. 4:6-7 (which we will come back later) tell us that in prayer and petition, we present our requests to God (NIV). In Paul's epistle to the Colossian Christians (Col. 4:2), we are commanded to 'continue steadfast in prayer'. In 1 Thess.5:17, we are told to 'pray without ceasing'. In context, verse 18 calls us to give thanks, while verse 19 tells us not to quench the [Holy] Spirit. Jas. 5:16 further informs us that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much (KJV), or has great power as it is working as in the ESV. In all these, we can see the command of God to pray, and the power of prayer. Truly God desires for us to come to him in prayer.

What, however, is prayer? As we have seen in Phil. 4:6-7, prayer is the presenting of our requests to God. It is an attitude of humble submission to God in asking of Him, not claiming our "rights" and "privileges". It is furthermore not, as Rick Warren says and I paraphrase, a missile aimed at a person which cannot be evaded. Most of all, it does not function ex opere operato — that is to say, it works by sheer fact of its being acted out. God is sovereign and we are NOT. In Ezekiel 14:12-23, we can see this principle at work. For even IF the three righteous men highlighted by God — Noah, Daniel and Job — were in a wicked city which God destined for destruction in judgment, God would still not spare the city on account of these three righteous men, but only they themselves would be saved. From this passage therefore, we can see that in prayer, although we have the privilege and are in fact commanded to humbly submit our requests to God, ultimately God is sovereign and He does not always have to answer 'yes' to our requests made to Him.

So prayer is humbly submitting our requests to God which we should do frequently. What therefore is the significance of this prayer meeting we are having today?

Now, this prayer meeting is held as an alternative to the Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) event, which is being held now (or perhaps it has ended already). We are convinced of the unbiblical nature of the GDOP, yet desire to pray and intercede before God, and thus we have this prayer meeting.

The Global Day of Prayer was initiated by one South Africa businessman and new convert, Graham Power, in 2001, which then spread out to all parts of the world. The event as it is done has many things that we object to. Firstly, it is ecumenical. According to Dr. Robert O. Bakke, executive director of GDOP North America in the year 2006, Roman Catholics and Protestants in Ghana came together to "pray for the first time". Now, we are not disagreeing with the fact that there may be some Roman Catholics who are in fact born-again Christians, but they are saved in spite of their Roman Catholicism, not due to it. Rome has anathemized the Gospel at the Council of Trent and as such she preaches a false gospel which does not save. How can Christians therefore come together with unbelievers in Ghana in prayer and fellowship?

Secondly, it compromises the Truth, an example we have seen already in the first example. In the 2005 event held at Dallas, Texas, the Sabellian Modalist T.D. Jakes, who denies the Trinity and as such is not Christian, participated as one of the event speakers. One of the themes of the GDOP is that of repentance. Why are unrepentant heretics like T.D. Jakes therefore allowed to share the platform of what is supposedly a Christian and Evangelical prayer event? Why aren't such people, who are not saved and in danger of hellfire, not called to repentance for their idolatry manifested through their heresy?

Thirdly and lastly, the roots of the entire event are found in the New Apostolic and Latter Rain movements, movements that have many aberrational doctrines within them. The Latter Rain movement believes in heretical doctrines such as the Manifest Sons of God doctrine (based upon the phrasing of Rom. 8:19 in the KJV), Dominionism, and the idea of the Church as the Incarnation of Christ in the world to yield authority on His behalf (and thus possess the nations; all nations are to submit themselves to the Church). [Christ's work on the Cross is thus believed to be incomplete since the nations are still rebelling against His authority. The Church who is supposed to be the Incarnation of Christ in the world MUST exercise her dominion mandate and force the nations of the world into submission to Christ through the instrumentality of the Church.]

Needless to say, many new doctrines have came in together with the Latter Rain/ New Apostolic roots of the movement. Strategic-level spiritual warfare, spiritual mapping, prayer evangelism, commitment to the land, to cite a few, are but some of these foreign doctrines introduced into the Church by the movement. (http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/05/sarah-leslie/global-prayer.htm)

It is because of all these reasons that we cannot accept the GDOP event. I must here clarify that it is my understanding that the EFOS (Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore) are indeed sincere in their desire for Christians to unite together in prayer, and certainly I would not expect the radical new doctrines of the Latter Rain to feature prominently in the event as it is held here. Yet 2 Cor. 6:14-18 tell us not to compromise the Faith in being unequally yoked, and despite their well intentions, EFOS has compromised the Faith in this aspect of being unequally yoked with all manner of heretics through participation in this event.

In spite of the error of the GDOP, the idea of coming together as believers to pray and intercede before God is good and necessary indeed. It is due to this need that we are having this prayer meeting this evening. We are here primarily to pray for the needs of the Church and the World. Now, although the GDOP event dishonors God, it is not our intention to pray against the event or the Christians involved in it. On the contrary, we would desire that God answers the prayers of those who are sincerely ignorant of the unbiblical nature of the event despite their sin in going there in the first place. While prayer for EFOS' repentance may be offered, our primary focus will be on the many other needs of the Church, of our nation and of the World (particularly the Persecuted Church). And to this we now turn to, Amen.