Length: 8 Minutes
It’s funny, we will pray for the sick sometimes, as believers, but the second someone dies we usually throw up our hands and think, “Well, we tried.” But there’s no difference between raising the dead and healing the sick. One is not harder than the other. They’re both things Jesus provided for, both situations that need life, and both things that we can pray for just the same.
In our last part, we spoke about how we receive through the knowledge of Jesus only. That is a hard truth that should never be compromised. We receive through this knowledge alone. But there is a purpose for prayer. We can pray for the sick and we can pray for the bodies of people that have died too.
(As a side note: I’m not referring to praying for the dead as some religions teach. I simply mean that we can pray for people to be raised, as there is precedent throughout the Bible).
So, if we receive through the knowledge of Jesus alone (1 Peter 1:2, Romans 5:2), what place is there for prayer? Here is the simple answer: We don’t receive by prayer. Prayer simply helps our faith, but it’s by that faith that we receive.
Anyone who has read the Bible is no stranger to all the examples of people praying and then receiving. Because of this, people have just assumed that prayer is how we receive. People even make up certain kinds of prayer for certain kinds of receiving. But all of this contradicts the fact that one thing is needful, and that is to listen and learn Jesus!
Jesus told Martha that only one thing was needful, and that was for her to simply learn from Him (Luke 10:38-42). Furthermore, the one easy and light yoke that Jesus asked us to perform is to “learn from Him” (Matthew 11:38-40). That confirms everything we’re saying. It’s only through the knowledge of Jesus (a.k.a. faith) that we receive from God.
Jesus was telling Martha that merely listening to Him, to learn from Him, was all that was needful. But if we also need to verbalize a prayer to God before we’re going to receive, that is not one thing, but multiple things. Not to mention the fact that, if we had to pray every time, before we could receive, we would never stop praying, and still would not cover all of the things we need in a day.
God forbid, you forgot to pray for protection on your ride home. God forbid, you forgot to ask God to help pay a bill. Nothing would get done except the things you had had time to pray for. And that’s not an exaggeration. If prayer is how we receive, there would be no receiving without prayer. But it turns out, it’s only the knowledge of Jesus that’s necessary to receive. And there’s no receiving apart from that knowledge.
It’s knowing the truth, not prayer, that sets people free.
It’s through knowledge that grace is multiplied to us.
It’s your faith, not prayer, that makes you well.
It’s by faith that we have access into this grace.
It’s by faith that all men of God in history have received.
And even when you pray, if there’s no faith present, let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord. Why? Because it’s the faith, not the prayer, causing the receiving.
(John 8:32, 2 Peter 1:2, Mark 5:34, Matthew 9:29, Matthew 17:20, Hebrews 11, James 1:6-7)
We gave some examples of this in our last article, but there have been innumerable times when people have received by faith, without a prayer uttered. But there has never been a prayer uttered, without faith, that has caused someone to receive.
One thing is needful! Let that ring in your head. One thing is needful. And that is to learn from Jesus. That’s what faith is, and that’s how you receive.
Yet, we see many men of God praying, giving thanks, and then receiving from God. So why is that? Why does receiving follow prayer so many times? Because prayer helps our faith, and that faith is what causes the receiving.
When you read scriptures that show, not just people praying, but what is happening behind the scenes when they’re praying, you always find that prayer is helping their mind. Prayer is helping their faith. That’s why it can be beneficial in receiving.
This deserves a much longer teaching, so listen to our material on prayer for more, but here is a small sampler of what happens when we pray.
Take the giving of thanks for instance:
When we give thanks to God, that’s actually for our mind’s sake. It’s not for God sake, as though He needed anything (Acts 17:25). Thanksgiving helps us remember what Jesus has done, so we don’t forget.
Psalms 103 says that we bless the Lord (or speak well of Him) so that we don’t forget any of His benefits.
On the other hand, Romans 1:21, 28 says that when people did not glorify or thank God, they did not retain the knowledge of Him, but became foolish in their understanding.
You see, When we bless the Lord, we don’t forget His benefits. But when we don’t thank the Lord, we don’t retain His knowledge. Thanking God is a benefit to us, not the Lord. Thanking God changes our mind.
Think about it. The very essence of giving thanks to someone is acknowledging that they did something for you. When we give thanks to God, we are acknowledging what He did for us, so we don’t forget. It’s for our mind’s sake. Our faith is benefited, and hence our receiving, when we give thanks.
Therefore, people like Jehoshaphat and the apostles received while they were giving thanks — not because of the prayer itself,(remember, one thing is needful), but because of what the prayer was producing in their minds — namely an acknowledgment of what Jesus had done!
So that’s the giving of thanks, but what about asking God for something?
What if someone passes and we want to make request of God for them to be raised? Well, it’s no surprise that asking (or supplication, as it’s called) is also for our mind!
Jesus did everything, but we can certainly request for God to manifest something through us. Pay close attention to this next verse. What happens when we supplicate? What changes?
Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication [which is asking], with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard YOUR hearts and minds [not God’s mind, but yours] through Christ Jesus.
Notice whose mind was changed when we make supplication to God… it’s our minds! Our minds end up being guarded and at peace when we make requests from God.
Think about it: The essence of making a request is asking someone (besides yourself) to do something. God does not want us to take the burden of the fruit in our lives, so He tells us to supplicate to Him for it, so that our minds don’t take the burden and responsibility of the fruit. When we ask God to manifest something, it’s a way of casting our cares, and recognizing his ability to manifest it, instead of us.
The important thing to recognize with all of this, is that, when the Bible speaks about the benefits of prayer, and what is happening when we pray, it speaks about our minds being changed.
Thanksgiving is a recognition of what Jesus has already done. Supplication is a casting of the manifestation over on the Lord. Regardless of how you’re praying, it’s for the sake of helping your mind. But it’s what’s between your ears that’s causing the receiving, not the prayer.
So whether you find yourself praying at a particular point or not, you always receive from God based on what you know about Jesus. It is correct believing about what Jesus has done that produces the results, not the prayer.
If somebody passes, do what Philippians 4 said. Give thanks to God to remind yourself of all that He has done through His Son! Thanksgiving is an all the time thing (Ephesians 1:6)! But also, as you feel led, you can make request of God for the manifestation of this resurrection! This focuses your faith on the Lord to manifest it, rather than leaning on yourself.
Thanksgiving acknowledges what He’s done. Supplication casts the care of the manifestation on the Lord. But you don’t receive by the prayer itself.
Stop worrying about how you’re wording something or whether you have said enough. Remember, one thing is needful! Whether prayer is present or not, you receive through simply knowing Jesus. Hold fast to that principle. Only believe (Mark 5:36). And if you believe, you will surely see the glory of God manifested in your life!
John 11:40 (NKJV) Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
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