Let us pray in full acknowledgement of our fallen nature

“Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on the congregations within the Presbyterian Church in Canada. We may gather in Your name, pray, sing Your praises, read Your word and proclaim Your truth – but something will always be amiss. Have mercy on us. Grant the commissioners to General Assembly adequate time to prepare mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Guide the moderator-elect and the clerks. Help us strive to fulfill Your prayer that the church will all be one – not on a human level but one in Spirit with Your Father, just as You are one with the Father, so that the world may believe. Amen.” (See John 17:20-21)

One of the most insightful scriptures regarding prayer is James 5:16, which takes up two sentences. We tend to focus on the second: “A ^]prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much” (NASB). The key word is “righteous”, which implies being right in the eyes of God or at least striving to conform to the Divine standard. The prayers of one who is earnestly striving to think and live in harmony with God will be more effective.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. – James 5:16

But we tend to overlook the preceding sentence: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” Sin tends to be something we do not like to talk about, let alone acknowledge, even in the church. In our efforts to be more attractive to the secular world, or at least less judgmental, we lean more to uplifting and positive messages. In doing so, we stray from the vitality of the Gospel, whose essential message is how to be right with God. We are reconciled to God through the forgiveness or expiation of sin.

J.I. Packer takes it a step further and suggests that “propitiation” is a better word than expiation. Not only does it acknowledge forgiveness but also the “wrath of God” being satisfied. That’s a side of God we shy away from. No one likes to think of an angry Father. God is love, after all. And He wants everyone to be saved.

(I think we focus too much on the smiley version of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We do not get a balanced and healthy theological diet. Whose God? Whose Jesus? Packer’s 1973 book Knowing God is an enduring masterpiece in this regard. This book is a deep dive into the character of God through an unadulterated examination of scripture. In the book’s Foreword, Packer cites two disturbing trends: “Christian minds have been conformed to the modern spirit . . . [and] confused by modern skepticism.” His book is one response. More than 50 years later, those realities are more glaring than ever.)

Christian minds have been conformed to the modern spirit . . . [and] confused by modern skepticism. – J.I. Packer

Most of us in the church can agree on the need to atone for sin and reconcile with God. But how we understand sin may be the defining issue in the church today. The Presbyterian Church in Canada is deeply divided. Our dual definition of marriage is a hallmark. How do we earnestly pray when our supplications come from markedly different understandings? The  easy answer is that we lift up different prayers from our individual locations.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is an apt illustration. Too many on either side of the theological spectrum tend to pray like the Pharisee: “‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). By contrast, the tax collector “stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ ”

How we understand sin may be the defining issue in the church today.

My humble suggestion is that we pray more like the publican. Let us pray in full acknowledgement of our human nature, in which the Lord did not trust: “No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart” (John 2:25, NLT).

We may hold to our convictions with certainty. We may believe that we are more correct in our theologies. We may think we have the mind of Christ. But note Paul’s caution: “You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse!” (Romans 2:1, NLT). The truth will eventually prevail.

So pray earnestly and humbly, then stand aside and allow the Holy Spirit to work.

In that light, let us proceed on our four-week prayer campaign leading to General Assembly. I will offer a prayer for each week. Feel free to rewrite or come up with your own. The essential ingredients are humble confession of sins (known and especially unknown) and the deep hunger for God’s will to be done.

Let us pray in full acknowledgement of our human nature, which the Lord did not trust.

Assembly Prayer Room – For the second year, Renewal Fellowship will be partnering officially with General Assembly Office on our Prayer Room for commissioners and staff. As RF Executive Director, I will be one of two Assembly chaplains. The Prayer Room will be staffed prior to each sederunt.

Zoom Prayer Room – RF will open its online prayer room prior to each sederunt. The room will remain open during each sederunt for offsite prayer warriors and allies to pray while monitoring the proceedings live. Are you interested in being part of this? Email us at renewalfellowshippcc@gmail.com