Prayer and Perfection

“And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:” (Ne 1:5 AV)

 

“We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.” (Ne 1:7 AV)

 

What we see above is an apparent paradox.  The first phrase is underlined to show the sincerity of the prayer of Nehemiah.  Nehemiah was genuinely concerned over the lack of walls around Jerusalem and the overall condition of the city.  He was moved to pray before he approached the king.  To approach the king with a request without being beckoned meant death.  Nehemiah was the food taster for the king.  He would always be in the presence of the king and therefore, logistically speaking, would never be beckoned.  Nehemiah was not concerned for his life, per se.  Rather, if he lost his life, who else would repair the wall?  At any rate, the next two phrases underlined above may seem as though they are in contradiction.  Nehemiah states God hears the prayers of those who observe the commandments of God.  Yet, the next underlined phrase reveals a confession that they have not kept the commandments.  Does that mean Nehemiah’s prayer is a waste of time?  Does Nehemiah suggest God hears the prayers of the perfect and they are not perfect?  If so, why even bother to pray?

False religion teaches one must make himself or herself worthy to approach a god that is perpetually angry.  These systems are built upon the premise that a god is never pleased with his subjects and intercession must always be made lest this angry god rains terror upon them.  Every bad or negative event is seen as the arm of an angry god.  One would think this belief is limited to cultures in the most remote of all places.  A forest or jungle seems to be the backdrop of such a belief.  Gilligan’s Island was a TV program that I viewed regularly.  Growing up, this show was a breath of laughs that took me away from the troubles that often inflict a youth.  In one of the episodes, some natives had landed on the island.  When they encountered Gilligan for the first time, they immediately bowed in worship to him.  They had come to believe he was their god in human flesh.  They did everything he commanded.  If something happened, they thought Gilligan was angry with them.  Gilligan enjoyed the attention for a while.  Then it got overbearing.  The professor concocted a play to make it appear Gilligan had died.  What the shipwrecked crew failed to realize what the natives practiced cremation.  Laying upon a birth over a fire, Gilligan woke up!  The natives thought Gilligan had come back to life to torment them.  They immediately fled on the canoes in total fear.

The balance above is one that we often forget.  God does desire our perfection.  He desires we follow His law.  But He also knows we do not.  If God knows we do not always follow His law, then seeking our fellowship through prayer would be unrealistic. Paul tells us, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16 AV)  What the LORD did do is provide the means by which imperfect people can be made perfect so that we can approach a holy and benevolent God.  Yes, God does expect and demand perfection.  But He also grants mercy and forgiveness.  Nehemiah is exactly right here.  They have followed the commandments of God.  Generally speaking.  When they do fail in following the commandments, they seek forgiveness and reconciliation.  Trying to be perfect so that we can approach God is not realistic.  As long as we have this old man, although possible, it is highly improbable.  It is what we do after we fail that determines the effectiveness of prayer.  Just a reminder to encourage all those burdened by their own sin to seek the God of mercy that they may obtain grace and mercy in their deepest time of need.