Praying Through the Gospel: Embracing Grace, Not Earning?Favor
Introduction
In my experience as a pastor, I’ve often found myself in a somewhat disheartening situation after our Bible studies. Despite spending time delving into the profound truths of the gospel, the prayers that followed seemed disconnected from the richness of what we had just explored. The prayers often felt limited, focusing primarily on the immediate needs of those present, such as healing for the sick, rather than reflecting the broader and deeper themes of the gospel we had just discussed. This disconnect, I believe, is common in many churches today, where our prayers are often shaped more by our circumstances than by the gospel itself. This leads to a crucial question: how should the gospel influence and shape our prayers??
The Privilege of Prayer
One of the reasons we might leave the gospel behind in our prayers is that we forget the immense privilege it is to pray. Prayer is not just a religious duty or a spiritual routine; it is a direct result of the gospel itself. Through the gospel, we have the privilege to approach God and communicate with Him. The gospel not only encourages us to pray but also opens the very door for us to enter into God’s presence.
The Essence of Prayer
In its simplest form, prayer means to ask. While prayer can involve adoration, thanksgiving, and confession, at its core, it is about asking God to intervene in our lives and in the world. This concept of prayer is not unique to Christianity; people of various religions pray and ask for things from their deities. However, what sets Christian prayer apart is the foundation on which it rests: the gospel.
The Gospel: The Foundation of Prayer
In his Institutes, John Calvin emphasizes that our ability to pray is directly tied to the gospel. Calvin writes, “Just as faith is born through the gospel, through the gospel our hearts are trained to call on God’s name.” This statement is profound because it shifts the focus from what we bring to God to what God has already done for us through Christ. Our prayers are not dependent on our righteousness, our deeds, or our worthiness. Instead, they are rooted in the finished work of Christ. This is the heart of the gospel: we come to God not on the basis of our merits but on the basis of Christ’s accomplishments.
Prayer as a Gift of Grace
The gospel teaches us that we have nothing to offer God, yet He invites us to come and ask. This is the essence of grace, and it fundamentally transforms the way we approach prayer. We do not pray to earn God’s favor or to prove our worthiness. Instead, we pray as recipients of grace, knowing that God hears us because of what Christ has done on our behalf.
The Revolutionary Nature of Gospel-Shaped Prayer
This understanding of prayer is revolutionary because it distinguishes Christian prayer from any other form of prayer in the world. In many religious traditions, prayer is seen as a way to earn divine favor or to fulfill religious obligations. But in Christianity, prayer is a gift, a privilege granted to us because of the gospel. This changes everything about how we pray.
Prayers Made Possible by the Gospel
Our prayers are made possible because we are united with Christ through faith. In prayer, we are participating in the ongoing conversation between the Son and the Father. As Paul writes in Galatians 4:6–7, “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Our prayers are “insider prayers,” prayed from the position of being God’s children.
Jesus reinforces this when He says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9–10). This invitation to pray is grounded in our relationship with God as our Father, a relationship made possible by the gospel.
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The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer
Moreover, our prayers are not only made possible by the gospel, but they are also empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God, who dwells within us, prompts us to pray and intercedes for us when we don’t know what to say. This means that our prayers are not just our own efforts; they are a collaboration with the Holy Spirit, who aligns our hearts with the will of God.
Gospel-Shaped Prayers
If our prayers are made possible by the gospel, it follows that they should also be shaped by the gospel. Gospel-shaped prayers are those that are rooted in the grace of God, focused on His promises, and aligned with His purposes. When we pray, we should do so with a deep awareness of who God is and what He has done for us in Christ.
Praying in the Light of the Gospel
When we pray in the light of the gospel, our prayers will naturally reflect the themes of the gospel. We will find ourselves praying for the advancement of God’s kingdom, for the spread of the gospel, and for the transformation of lives through the power of Christ. We will also pray with gratitude, acknowledging the countless blessings we have received through the gospel.
The Impact of Gospel-Shaped Prayers
Gospel-shaped prayers have a profound impact on our lives and on the world around us. When our prayers are aligned with the gospel, we pray with confidence, knowing that we are asking for things that are in accordance with God’s will. We also pray with a sense of expectation, trusting that God will answer our prayers in ways that bring glory to His name.
Examples of Gospel-Shaped Prayers
John Piper’s IOUS prayers provide a helpful model for how we can pray in a gospel-shaped way:
These prayers are rooted in Scripture and reflect a deep longing for God to work in our hearts and lives in ways that are consistent with the gospel.
Conclusion
In conclusion, prayer is a gift made possible by the gospel, and it should be shaped by the gospel. When we pray, we do so as recipients of God’s grace, not as people trying to earn His favor. Our prayers are grounded in the finished work of Christ, and they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. As we grow in our understanding of the gospel, our prayers will increasingly reflect the themes of the gospel, and we will pray with a greater sense of confidence, expectation, and gratitude. Let us, therefore, approach prayer with a renewed sense of awe and wonder, knowing that we have the privilege of communicating with the God of the universe because of what Christ has done for us.