A Sermon by W M Hetherington
Philippians 4:6,7. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
In this passage, two important subjects are brought before us: prayer and the answer to prayer. But we may divide the subject into three distinct heads.
- The true nature of prayer.
- The true answer to prayer.
- The proper state of mind in, and encouragement to, prayer.
1. The true nature of prayer. The simplest idea of prayer is the approach of an intelligent creature into the presence of its Creator to make known its needs and requests, expressing its desires and hopes, and looking up humbly and adoringly to Him as both able and willing to grant more than we ask or think. Prayer is primarily an act of homage due from every rational creature to the Eternal God. This view of it tends to give us right conceptions of ourselves and of God – of our weakness and necessities, and of His all-sufficient grace. The language of the Psalmist: “O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come,” conveys to us the idea of the infinite Sovereign of the universe, seated on the throne of grace, listening to the prayers of His creatures, more ready to hear than they are to ask.
Surely if this view were rightly understood, it might suffice to repel some of the objections occasionally used against prayer, for it constrains us to perceive prayer as essentially an act of homage rendered by a dependent creature to his Creator, which it is his duty to render at all times and in all circumstances. But consider such texts as the following: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me”; “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination”. Nothing can be more evident than that they refer to iniquitous desires, to wilful rejection of the law, and therefore to wicked prayers such as the Lord cannot answer unless He has pleasure in iniquity – a blasphemous supposition. But are applications of such a nature entitled to be called prayers, in the right sense of the word? There may be the bended knee, clasped hands, upraised look, and a loud and earnest cry in what are not prayers. But not one of these texts can, by any possibility, have the least reference to the cry for mercy of a contrite sinner, or to the duty of a creature to render homage to his Creator.
The cry of the publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner”, was not rejected because he was a sinner. The prayers of Cornelius were answered while he was unacquainted with the gospel. Simon the sorcerer was exhorted by the inspired Apostle to pray while he was still in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity. The prayers of Nineveh were heard and judgement delayed though they were not worshippers of the true God. The fasting, humiliation and prayers of even Ahab were heard, and the destruction of his house and kingdom postponed, though he continued to adhere to the idolatrous worship of Baal even to the hour of his death. But we need not further refute an objection which is contrary to nature, reason and Scripture.
But revelation shows man not merely as a creature, but as sinful and depraved – in a state of rebellion against God and incapable of recovering His favour. He cannot therefore appear acceptably before God in his natural state of sinfulness and enmity; he needs a Mediator. Scripture also reveals that Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Advocate with the Father, so that this miserable state may not deter man from drawing near to God. Christ not only makes intercession for sinners, pleading His own perfect righteousness and finished work, but sends down the Holy Spirit, as a spirit of grace and supplication, to teach us to pray. This is not in the slightest degree incompatible with the view which regards prayer as the primary act of homage due from man to his Creator, for in the altered circumstances of sinful man it is still his duty to pray. And it is his duty to present those prayers through the Mediator, through whom alone he can now have access to God.
When we understand what Scripture teaches concerning the Mediator, as having taken upon Himself our nature – and in that nature both offered up an atonement for sin and set before us a perfect example – we receive a perfect conception of the true nature of prayer. To the question, What is prayer? we can answer, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies”. This is true prayer, not only the due homage of a creature but the humble adoration of a Christian.
The full view completely answers another class of objections. Men will sometimes gravely ask, “How can the prayers of feeble man change the purposes of the eternal and unchangeable Jehovah?” But who presumes to insinuate that the prayers of man do change the eternal purposes of God. Not the humble Christian, whose language and spirit in prayer to God is, after the example of the Mediator Himself: “Thy will be done”.
But the objector may be met on his own ground and told that there is a previous question. How does he know but that, from all eternity, the prayer offered up for some specific object may have been connected in the divine mind with that object? Certainly, throughout the whole range of nature, we nowhere behold effects produced without adequate causes. It would be considered sheer insanity in anyone to expect the end without the previous use of the right means. The prayer may be the necessary connecting link in the sequence of spiritual things, fore-arranged in the eternal counsels of God. To reply that we cannot understand why prayer should be such a necessary connecting link is not an adequate objection. The very same objection might be urged against the use of means in nature; for we often cannot detect what in the essential nature of a thing enables it to operate on another, producing invariably similar results under similar circumstances. We only know that God has given to material existences certain qualities, the effect of which is that particular results flow from them. And it will not be easy for the objector to prove that a similar law does not regulate the spiritual world and that prayer may form the last connecting link in the chain of invisible agency between humble, dependant and supplicating man and the free bounty of the all-gracious Jehovah. If prayer be thus viewed, the objection before us disappears, for it does not change but complete God’s decree.
But when the Christian looks more closely into the Word of God, he obtains a more complete conception of the true nature of prayer. He there finds it invariably represented as a necessary step to avert judgements and procure blessings in the experience of various holy men of old, whose example has been recorded for our instruction. No possible objections, however plausible, can counterbalance God’s sovereign injunctions and gracious encouragements. Still further, a Christian is enabled to apprehend the precious truth that, when “we know not what we should pray for as we ought . . . the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”.
Then how unspeakably sublime must be the character thus imparted to prayer! It is the will of God revealing beforehand in the mind of man its own fulfilment. It is the infinite mind of the Spirit working in the soul of man to will and to ask what it was the eternal purpose of the Almighty God to grant! This prayer was regarded by the omniscient mind of the Father from all eternity; this prayer was included among the objects which the Son of God suffered on the cross to purchase, and which He now sits on the right hand of divine power to present. This prayer the Holy Spirit entered into the soul of the believer to inspire, so that heaven and earth, eternity and time, God and man might meet together. And thus every believing prayer is an earnest of the Spirit, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption, when the rich grace, infinite wisdom and eternal love of God shall be made apparent to the whole adoring universe by the salvation of man.
2. The true answer to prayer. The direct statement of the text is, “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. It will be at once observed that the Apostle does not say that the very object for which we pray will be granted, but he suggests an immeasurably more important line of thought. Let us explore it.
When we reflect on our own ignorance, folly and short-sightedness, we may well shrink from wishing that our prayers should always be granted expressly according to what we ask. Who has not often prayed earnestly that some affliction might be averted, or some advantage gained, and yet has soon had ample reason to rejoice that his prayer was not answered according to his request? Many have been constrained to say with the Psalmist, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted”. And perhaps more have had reason to think that, if they had obtained the object of their intense desire, they would have drawn down upon themselves a judgement rather than a blessing. To receive the very thing for which we pray would not, therefore, be the true answer to prayer, for the proper spirit of prayer is expressed in these words, “Thy will be done”. And it is impossible that a prayer, conceived in such a spirit, can fail to obtain a suitable answer.
The very essence of the Fall is rebellion, and the very essence of sin is “enmity against God”. In this condition it is impossible from the heart to say, “Thy will be done”. So long as we are in a state of rebellious enmity against God, we can have no peace with Him or with our own conscience. Never can a fallen sinner know what true peace is till he knows what it is to be reconciled to God through the mediation of the Prince of Peace. Even after conversion, we are prone to relapse, and every such relapse is injurious to our peace. After recent sin, until we have obtained fresh access to the fountain which washes away all sin, we cannot go to God in prayer with the same filial love as formerly. Should affliction overtake us in this state, we are liable to fret and strive with our Maker. Yet He does not smite us in anger but in mercy. He humbles us till, with deep abhorrence of our guilt and in the spirit of submissive homage to His sovereign authority, the contrite heart exclaims, “Thy will be done”, “Good is the will of the Lord”.
When this is accomplished, the object of the affliction is so far answered, and its removal may be expected speedily to follow. When we kiss the rod of our heavenly Father, He will not continue to smite us. Yet the ending of the chastisement was not the direct object of that prayer; it was peace with God. Perhaps we were not duly conscious of the full extent of our relapse into sin. The chastisement came, and we felt our criminality in the degree to which our peace was lost. And in the very utterance of the words, “Thy will be done”, God’s will is done and our peace is restored.
When a child has done wrong, there must be chastisement – both for the child’s sake, that the offence may not be repeated; and for the sake of the entire family’s peace and welfare, which would be utterly ruined by continued rebellion. But the little culprit’s heart is still too full of guilt and pride, and he will not yield. You must repeat the chastisement. Still he retains his stubborn obstinacy and will not submit. What is now to be done? Your heart bleeds for your child, and refuses to repeat the infliction. Yet let it be repeated. In wise mercy to him and the whole family, we entreat you to persevere till he submit, or else his respect for you and your influence over him are gone for ever. He yields! He does not run from you but to you; he looks up through gushing, submissive tears. He is willing to bear the chastisement but cannot endure the displeasure any longer. And will there not then arise in the hearts of parents and child a stronger love to each other? Even so with the chastened sinner: no sooner can his subdued heart utter the cry, “Father, Thy will be done,” than he is again consciously clasped in the embrace of everlasting love and enjoys anew the very peace of God.
But it is the Holy Spirit alone that works such contrite submissiveness in the otherwise-stubborn heart of rebellious man. Mere chastisement would never produce so gracious a result. Do we not often see men rousing all the energy of their proud hearts to stern endurance under some severe affliction? They will cry neither to man or to God for help. But when the Holy Spirit enters into the soul, He humbles its pride, inspires the hope of forgiveness, and teaches the reclaimed penitent to pray. And, since the Mediator sends the Spirit who inspired the prayer, the prayer is its own answer to a very great extent. No humble believer could wish for more than to have his own will in perfect harmony with the will of his great God and Saviour.
How perfect is the peace which consists in entire submission to the will of God! Nothing can then distress us greatly; there is nothing which we can with sinful eagerness desire. Are we in health? We are the more able to labour in His service. Are we in sickness? His grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is perfected in our weakness. We ought not intensely to desire either prosperity or adversity, enjoyment or affliction; for we could endure none of them without Him; and we need dread none of them, for with Him we can endure all things. Therefore, while a Christian can freely state to God what he thinks he needs, he will at the same time cheerfully leave it to God Himself to grant or refuse, according to His infinite wisdom and goodness, making “Thy will be done” the ruling spirit of every petition, and this will certainly be granted. Why should he ever repine or doubt or dread while the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth? Let even the sternest trials and severest sufferings come, so long as they are under His control. If He sees that to be necessary, it must be well. It must be for His glory, and for the good of those who truly love Him. He cannot wrong, He will not injure them.
3. The proper state of mind in, and encouragement to, prayer. In the first clause of these verses, “Be careful for nothing”, the word careful implies such a degree of care as amounts to distracting anxiety. It might be rendered, “Let nothing disturb or distract your minds”. Such a state of mind could not be suitable for appearing before God in prayer. Why are you so disturbed and distracted? Can you doubt His power, His wisdom, or His goodness? Banish all such improper thoughts and feelings. God is the hearer of prayer; and the proper spirit in which to appear before Him is one of deep humility, acknowledging unworthiness and confessing sin; yet, in the name of Christ, supplicating forgiveness. And if the true spirit of prayer be best expressed by the words, “Thy will be done”, there ought to be no such distracting anxiety in prayer; for the will of God cannot but be done. And if we truly love and trust Him, we can have no wish that it should be otherwise.
But this very idea gives the highest encouragements to prayer. We are indeed helpless creatures who cannot protect ourselves from innumerable dangers around us. But let this not disturb God’s children, for their protection does not depend on themselves. The arm of Omnipotence is around them, and why should their minds be distracted with idle fears? We are sinful creatures, utterly unfit to appear in the presence of the high and holy God, but the Son of God has, in our nature, by one sacrifice, finished transgression and brought in an everlasting righteousness. And we are invited to come to God through Him with the blessed assurance that God will in no wise reject those who thus come. We are ignorant creatures and know not what to ask. But the Spirit helps our infirmities, and is sent to be in us a spirit of grace and supplication, so that we may by His teaching ask, in a spirit of entire submissiveness, only what is agreeable to the will of God – and, so asking, never ask in vain.
We are naturally in rebellion against God and might therefore dread to enter His presence. But the Holy Spirit, sent by the Redeemer to complete His great conquest, quickens sinners, who are dead in trespasses and sins, takes away the stony, rebellious heart and gives them hearts of flesh, writes in those hearts the laws of God, and gives the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father. Thus they can come to God in prayer, dismissing all distracting anxiety, and submitting to His holy and all-wise will. This is the peace of God which passeth all understanding, and it will keep the heart and mind through Christ Jesus, our Redeemer and intercessor. To pray is itself the very essence of peace, for it hands over every suffering, every sorrow and every care to God, looking up to Him in calm confidence for all that they can require in time, and for all that they can enjoy throughout eternity.
The encouragements to prayer arising out of this view of the subject are as innumerable as the needs of man; rather they are as boundless as the unsearchable riches of Christ. God has been pleased to let us know how we may be elevated to the dignity of being fellow labourers with Him in accomplishing His glorious work on earth. Shall we then sit in indolent contemplation of the wonderful dignity wherewith human prayer is invested without attempting to put it into practice?
We unhesitatingly believe that the lack of unity and earnestness in the prayers of Christians is a cause of the slow progress of vital Christianity. Because we do not adequately understand the nature of prayer, we pray as if we do not expect to be heard. And we dismiss our supplications so entirely from our minds that we often could not recognise the answer, should it be granted. How different would the spirit of our prayers be if we really felt our humble voice mingling with the counsels of eternity! With what solemn awe would we weigh every petition so that we might never ask anything contrary to the will of God, or likely to harm our neighbours or ourselves! With what fervency would we pray for the promotion of the Redeemer’s kingdom and glory! By means of this idea, the saints might even now become rulers and judges of the world. For the Lord Jesus Christ, who governs all things for the good of His Church, will answer the cry of His own elect.
The welfare of any individual congregation must depend in a great measure on the efficiency of its pastor. And God may have suspended the prosperity of His Church on its own prayers on its pastor’s behalf. This, at least, is certain: when people pray for their pastor, their petition is in its own nature such as it must be consistent with God’s will to grant – not, perhaps, in the very way they prayed for, but in some way best for him and them. And would not the pastor engage in his arduous duties with increased energy by being conscious that many pious souls were interceding for him?
Again, if our hearts were filled with ardent longings for the universal extension of the Messiah’s kingdom, our prayers would be warm and constant, not only for those who labour at home, but also for those among the heathen. By this we would both secure the blessing and contribute our proportion of the means. What almost incredible difficulties have been surmounted by men who were upheld by the hope of future applause! And to the tried heart of the suffering missionary, when the human weakness of his nature droops, would it not be a great comfort for him to know that the prayers of the whole household of faith were with him?
It is also our duty and privilege to make specific supplication in our private prayers for particular objects in our own lives. When trials and afflictions assail us, we may spread the black page of our calamities before the Lord, as Hezekiah did Sennacherib’s threatening letter. We may ask in faith for strength and direction from on high. Although we may not receive the precise answer for which we prayed, our prayer itself is part of its answer – perhaps the most important part. The whole of a Christian’s life is a process of training into conformity with the will of God. If his trial have occasioned a prayer in which this conformity was strongly felt, that may be the entire object for which the trial was sent. But every prayer ought to be offered up in the strong conviction that it will be answered in the most suitable manner. Sorrows beset the path of the Christian, for “whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth”. And many such can tell that, but for the privilege of casting their burden upon the Lord, they would have perished in the midst of their pilgrimage. O blessed be God that in the fiercest of their trials – even when death tears from them those whom they could have died to save – the Spirit makes intercession for them and fills their souls with humble acquiescence in God’s will and with the peace of God which passeth all understanding.
But are there not some here to whom this is unintelligible – some who have never raised their souls in earnest prayer to God and have no idea of its inestimable value? It is not regular attendance on public worship, or joining in the words of public or private prayer, that can constitute the true prayer of faith. “God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” “Be not deceived, God is not mocked.” You may deceive yourselves and others, but your most secret thoughts are known to God. Are you not alarmed when you think that your guilty soul stands ever exposed to the eye of its Judge? Flee then from the wrath to come. Flee to His mercy-seat; throw yourselves prostrate before His throne of grace; cling to the cross of Christ; do not leave it without pardon and a blessing. Raise to Him the earnest cry of urgent necessity for mercy through the blood of Jesus. You complain that you are a guilty sinner, and so you continue to stand aloof. Strange infatuation! It was for guilty sinners that Christ died. Come then to Him polluted as you are, and He will make you whiter than the snow.
Do you still hesitate? Read the warrant we have for proclaiming this full, free and unconditional invitation in the language of our Lord Himself in Matthew 7:7,8. Place full confidence in this ample invitation, and yield at once a willing and thankful obedience; thus you shall both render glory to God and become partakers of His grace. You shall escape the coming judgement and obtain a portion of heaven’s everlasting blessedness. May God forbid that your refusal this day to obey should be numbered among the aggravations of your guilt and contribute to plunging your souls deeper, deeper, deeper into the gulf of unutterable, unimaginable woe!
1Taken from The Free Church Pulpit, vol 2, and abridged. Hetherington (1803-65) was then a minister in St Andrews. He later became Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology in the Free Church College in Glasgow. He is perhaps best known as the author of a History of the Westminster Assembly.