Key takeaways:
- Pray based on what God has done, His unchanging attributes and character, and His promises.
- Bring your mess to God. He will work through it for your eternal good in Christ Jesus.
I’ve read some great books on prayer. The most recent book was written by Charles Spurgeon. In that book he shares about a “Believer’s Rule of Three.” The “Believer’s Rule of Three” comes from 2 Corinthians 1:9-11. In that text, Spurgeon argues that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians from the past to the present, and from the present to things yet to come. In other words, God had helped Paul in the past, God is helping Paul in the present, and God will be with Paul in the future.
“Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:9-11, ESV)
Where did Paul find the conviction to assume such deliverances? Paul’s source of conviction was not in himself, but in God’s word, in God’s present mercies, and don’t forget that he had witnessed the risen and exalted Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9)! Paul also grounded himself in God’s immutability; God is unchanging (Hebrews 13:8).
Do you feel like a mess today? Are you going through a messy season of life or a situation that just doesn’t make sense? Don’t linger by the pools of discouragement looking at your reflection. Look to Jesus. Think back to what He has done. Remember that Jesus healed the blind man’s eyes with spit and mud (John 9:6). And remember that God formed you in the womb; You turned out beautifully (Psalm 139:13-16). God works with dirt and mud. God isn’t limited to easy prayer requests—you must also confidently bring him the hard stuff of life.
Spurgeon further encourages readers from 2 Corinthians 1:9-11, “… if we argue by the rule of He has, He does, He will, our comfort can never be destroyed¹.”
This season, may you find incredible comfort and confidence as you pray according to Scripture, encouraged by what He has done for you through His cross … before you were even born.
¹ Spurgeon, C. (2012). The Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life (Christian Living Classics) [Kindle iOS version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
