6.-Hindrances and Helps
BUT besides opposition to the answering of prayer, there are hindrances to prayer itself.
1.-For instance, there are cases in which a person might be sick unto death, and yet in which his recovery could not be prayed for. The apostle John says, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death” (1 John 5:16, 1716If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. (1 John 5:16‑17)). Upon this the first thing which many will ask will be, What is that awful sin which cannot be prayed for? Well, in the text it is indefinite. The very same act may be a thousand times more culpable in one person than another; and under one set of circumstances than in circumstances of a different character. Ananias and Sapphira told a lie; but they did so in the face of such vivid presence of the Holy Ghost; such light and power and grace, that their lie became a sin unto death: it acquired a peculiar enormity from the special circumstances in which the sin was committed. So Scripture does not define what may or may not be a sin unto death.
There is, however, an underlying principle which requires to be seen, in order to the understanding of this and several similar passages in Scripture. That principle is, that the Lord is now judging in the midst of His saints; and in pursuance of that judgment inflicts chastisement—a chief form of which is sickness, and even death. Scripture furnishes a clear illustration of this in the case of the Corinthians. Not only were gross social vice and sin amongst them, but they were profaning the Supper of the Lord, treating it as a secular feast; and some were even drunken at it. The apostle, on this, tells them that those so doing were eating and drinking judgment to themselves, adding, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.... But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:30, 3230For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:30)
32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:32)). This shows that sickness amongst God's people stands upon special ground. It may be on account of sin, and is thus invested with peculiar significance. The deep moral import of sickness in the church is, it is to be feared, but little seen, and less thought of. Thus illness happens to a Christian, and it is at once assumed to be a mere natural event: or, a Christian dies—cut off in the midst of his days, in the full tide of his work, which is left unfinished around him. Now it is a most solemn reflection that both of these events may be the direct hand of the Lord in judgment. If, however, Christians are not spiritual, they do not take a spiritual view of such happenings. Such events were occurring every day at Corinth, and their spiritual meaning was probably quite unperceived, for the saints there were far from spiritual, as Paul says, “I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal” (1 Cor. 3:11And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:1)). But when God is thus moving in solemn judgment, “it would be lack of communion to pray that such souls might live.” One led by the Spirit would surely be with God, in the necessary, though solemn, assertion of His holiness amongst His people. The language of John, however, is not absolute; he does not altogether forbid prayer, but—albeit significantly—says, “I do not say that he shall pray for it.”
The Epistle of James also treats sickness as connected with sin; but, in cases where there is faith to ask for it, says, “The prayer of faith shall save the sick.” “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (chap. 5:14, 15, New Transl.). The anointing with oil here, is, of course, Jewish, consistently with the general scope of the Epistle, which is addressed not to the church, but to the twelve tribes of Israel (chap. 1:1).
Now these three scriptures (1 John 5; 1 Cor. 11; James 5) distinctly teach that sickness amongst Christians may be an infliction because of sin. If this were more recognized there would be more soul-exercise as to the purpose of God's dealings with us, and increased blessing would result.
One point should be cleared up before leaving the text in 1 John 5. When the apostle says, “There is a sin unto death,” the death he refers to is not eternal separation from God, but that temporal death of the body, which the Lord inflicts on His own as chastisement. This is made clear from 1 Cor. 11:3232But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:32), where Paul says, “When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” God's people are judged now; the world will be judged by and bye. Contrast the case of Ananias and Sapphira already referred to, with that of Simon in the eighth of Acts. In both cases the parties sinned, and sinned deeply. Ananias and Sapphira were judged with death. But Simon was perceived to be “in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity"; i.e. really an unchanged man, notwithstanding his nominal belief and his baptism. He is left to be judged with the world; while in the case of Ananias and his wife, awful as was their judgment, it was but temporal judgment, and there is no reason to infer that their spirits will not be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 5:55To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:5)).
It ought not to be supposed, however, that illness, or indeed, other afflictions, are always chastisements. The branch that bears fruit is purged that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15). And in the case of Job, the grand mistake of Job's friends was to suppose that because of his terrible affliction, he must have committed some grievous sins. God allowed Job to be afflicted with painful and humiliating ills for his ultimate blessing, and so he does with many a saint to-day. He may send sickness, bereavements, reverses, to break down the flesh, to wean us from the world, to produce brokenness of our wills, and spirituality, or to give warning to the believer where there is lack of carefulness in walk, or incipient departure from the Lord.
2.-The prayers of husband and wife may be hindered; as is taught in 1 Peter 3:77Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (1 Peter 3:7), which should be read thus, “Ye husbands, likewise, dwell with them according to knowledge, as with a weaker, the female vessel, giving them honor, as also fellow-heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered” (ver. 7). If the husband do not honor the wife as a co-heir of eternal life, communion in prayer must be hindered, and the effect lost of united prayer.
3.-James gives several moral hindrances to prayer. First, there is “double mindedness"; no real godly earnestness or definiteness of purpose. “Let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord” (chap. 1:5-8). Second, asking amiss. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your pleasures” (4:3). The word “pleasures,” given in the margin of the Auth. Vers., is correct. It is not “lusts,” but “pleasures” —and that, not necessarily bad pleasures. What is contemplated is self-pleasing, the mere desire of the natural mind; God's glory or our own spiritual profit, not considered at all; and God's people (see succeeding verse) living in friendship with the world, which is, spiritually, adultery.
The relation, however, to successful prayer, of the moral condition of supplicants, may be appropriately looked at later on when considering “Promises to Prayer.”
Helps to Prayer.—In connection with opposition and hindrances, let us take notice of a great and substantial aid to prayer, namely, thanksgiving— “In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:66Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6)). “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:22Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2)). Probably the advantage of thanksgiving as an aid to the soul is not fully seen. How often when the well of prayer seems dried, thanksgiving will cause the stream to flow! The recollection of mercies received, and blessings in possession, refreshes the soul; begets the sense that we are in communion with a giving God; and imparts new courage to approach Him with our requests. How many answers are received to prayers gone by, which are not recognized as answers, because in the interval the very prayers that were made are forgotten! Thus is lost to the soul opportunity for praise and thanksgiving; a loss of happy and profitable exercise: but besides that, it is a failure in what is becoming towards God. Is it a fit thing to receive a gift and not return thanks? Between man and man it is a breach of manners; and that God takes notice of such failure towards Him is certain from the case of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-1911And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. (Luke 17:11‑19)). Only one of the ten who had been cleansed returned to give thanks, and how touching is the comment of the Lord! “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God save this stranger!” God looks for our gratitude, and that not only in the heart, but the positive expression of it; expression too, not merely in a general way, but definitely as to definite instances. Praise “is pleasant, and it is comely” (Ps. 147:1). A thankful soul is a happy soul. We can never get into circumstances where we have not cause for thanksgiving, and thanksgiving naturally leads to prayer.
Another aid and stimulus to prayer is private reading—reading God's word itself, and the valuable written ministry which in the present day He has supplied to His children so abundantly as to be within reach of all. Such reading, in a proper spirit, begets prayer. It awakes the sense of need, encourages confidence towards God, leading to prayer, with blessing as the consequence. In the word, God is speaking to us; in prayer we are speaking to Him—in both together, the circle of communion with God is completed. Neither will do without the other. The Christian who prays without the word tends to become mystic. He who reads much without a corresponding measure of prayer, will get his head stocked with barren knowledge, but his soul will be shriveled.
(Continued from Vol. VII. 376)
[E. J. T.]