Greetings,
During my teenage years I had this ridiculous saying that I can only groan at in remembrance. I actually used to say, “I don’t get hit by cars, cars get hit by me.” This was in reference to the thought that my muscles were so great, not even a car could hurt me. Can you imagine? What I have learned is that I can be quickly broken. However, there is something that is not quickly broken—a threefold cord.
“Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:11-12)
What does this have to do with spiritual warfare? Over the next three weeks I am going to present to you the threefold cord of prayer, fasting, and giving. Put together, these three elements of our faith produce a work in our lives that is not quickly broken. They are all necessary elements of our faith, yet many people utilize only one or two. Some so-called Christians do not practice any of these essentials. It’s no wonder that people have some of the problems that they do.
Let me be very clear here. Praying, fasting and giving are not optional when it comes to the Christian faith. Sure, you may exercise your right of choice and refrain from these activities. However, when you weaken the “cord” by removing strands, it’s much easier for the cord to break.
I like to think about floss. Healthy gums and healthy teeth require regular flossing. Any dentist will tell you that brushing is not enough. If your gums bleed when you floss, your gums are not in good shape. In any case, not all floss is created equal. I once purchased discount floss, which initially turned out to be brutal. It felt like tree bark. As a matter of fact, it was so horrible my wife started to get concerned when I would floss. Why didn’t I stop using it? Who knows? The benefit was that it never broke while I was cleaning my teeth. Although it was initially uncomfortable, it proved itself to be solid and powerful.
On another occasion I bought some classier floss. Sure it felt great as it easily glided through my teeth. Unfortunately, it would constantly break. As I made my way through my mouth the floss would get shorter and shorter. When I arrived at the end of my flossing I would literally be pinching the ends of the floss because so much had broken off. It would be too short to wrap around my fingers.
Some of you may have a walk with Christ that resembles crumbling floss. It just never seems to stay together. You find yourself holding on for dear life, always wondering why things just keep falling apart. What you may need to realize is that you’ve been taking the “easy” road of the faith and exercising your right of choice. Instead of choosing life, you’ve been choosing death.
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Choosing life is always a harder road. It’s kind of like flossing with terrible generic floss. Sure it feels like tree bark, but man does it get the job done. The fact of the matter is that eventually, I got used to it. Now, my gums have the strength of a thousand elephants (just kidding). Seriously though, when you ponder on your walk with Christ, would others comment that it displays power and intimacy? If not, maybe it’s time to incorporate another strand to your faith.
The difference between strong floss and the weak floss is the amount of reinforcement that the floss has. The strong floss is thick and made out of coarse material. The weak floss is thin and flimsy. Spiritually, Christians that don’t incorporate prayer, fasting, and giving into their walk with Christ tend to be flimsy. Christians that do incorporate all of these things are stronger, reinforced, and maintain greater intimacy and relationship with God. They also reap the spiritual benefits.
In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus is in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount. Notice how he phrases some of His wisdom.
1. “Therefore when thou doest thine alms…” (Matthew 6:2)
2. “And when thou prayest…” (Matthew 6:5)
3. “Moreover when ye fast…” (Matthew 6:16)
Notice how Jesus presents these concepts. He does not present them as possibilities. He does not use the word “if.” He uses the word “when.” The assumption is being made that Christians WILL do these things. Therefore, Jesus is giving instruction so that when we do these things, we will do them with wisdom and understanding. This is extremely important to understand.
This week we are going to focus in on prayer. Since so much of spiritual warfare has to do with prayer techniques, I am not going to go into as much detail in this letter. Specifically regarding prayer, this is what Jesus says:
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:5-7)
The first thing that we need to take away from this is that prayer is not an option, it is a requirement. Two, we should not pray like hypocrites. Unfortunately, some have taken this passage to mean that anyone that prays in public is automatically a hypocrite. This is not true. Jesus is speaking to this because that’s what the Pharisees and Sadducees (the hypocrites) did in that time. The drive behind their public prayers was pride and arrogance, therefore Jesus said don’t be like them.
Three, we should take away the understanding that the Father is in the “secret place”. This is not a physical location in your bedroom. This is a spiritual location that we must enter into in spirit. When we enter this place, we will openly receive the rewards of God. Dwelling in the secret place of God most certainly has its benefits.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” (Psalm 91:1-4)
Four, we should not use vain repetitions. Repetitive prayers do not invoke relationship and intimacy with God. Instead, they root us in tradition and keep us away from true relationship. God desperately desires deep and intimate relationship with us. Therefore, Jesus says to toss the vain repetitions out in favor of heartfelt prayers. God wants us to come boldly before His throne of grace.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)
Next week we are going to resume our discussion on the threefold cord of prayer, fasting, and giving. I am firmly convinced (as one who practices all three) that Christians who incorporate all of these elements into their walk with Christ will not be easily broken. This is what I want for you.
Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!
