Praying the IOU’s, Part 3

February, 2008

by: Brodie McClain

Of all the resolutions that sift through our minds during January, none compels us like the call to pray more. Prayer, the incredible privilege to cry out to God with our concerns (Matthew 7:7), our complaints (Psalm 142:1-2), our praises (Psalm 145:2-3), our thanksgiving (Revelation 11:17) and our confessions (Psalm 32:5). Prayer is laden with power (Matthew 21:22) and peace (Philippians 4:6-7) and transports us from the earthly realm to the spiritual realm.

But not if you don’t believe. The role of faith cannot be understated and that brings us to the second verse in our prayer acronym:

• Incline my heart to your testimonies (Psalm 119:36)
• Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law (Ps 119:18)
• Unite my heart to fear Your name (Psalm 86:11)
• Satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness (Psalm 90:14)

The New Century Version translates Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes to see the miracles in your teachings,” and really brings out the heart of the psalmist’s plea. The “wonderful things” (NASB) points in the direction of things which are too wonderful to understand; things which are too amazing to truly grasp with our rational minds. Often the Hebrew word refers to miraculous acts and perhaps as the psalmist cried out to God he had in mind the “unbelievable” plagues on Egypt or the crossing of the Red Sea, or the dashing of Jericho’s walls, or the manna from Heaven. We are left to guess at what miraculous, wonderful things the psalmist had in mind but what we do see clearly is a longing for faith. The psalmist does not appeal to God to open his physical eyes, but rather his spiritual eyes. For what purpose? To behold with eyes of faith the miraculous works of God recorded in the law.

What an appropriate prayer for us as well. As we sit under the teaching of God’s Word week in and week out and as we read for ourselves the revelation of God and His wondrous working may we cry out to God as well for eyes to see, to truly see, the miraculous. May we beg God to awaken faith. It takes faith to buy miracles. It takes the same faith to accept what the Bible says; to choose to be holy rather than indulge that lustful pleasure or that critical word; to live for eternal things rather than this world; to be saved; to live each and every day for a king you can’t see in a kingdom you can’t touch denying all the things around you which you can easily enjoy with your physical senses. It is that faith which we must beg for. Remember the O.