Why does that matter? A true believer should not worry about sickness or death. If we truly believe "Thy will be done" then what happens to us is God's just decision, and on His time.
From God's POV, it doesn't matter. But from mine it does. When I or a loved one, friend, whatever, get sick I absolutely pray for healing. I also pray for God's will on the matter, regardless. This is EXACTLY what Jesus did concerning the cup. How can I go wrong by imitating Jesus? This does not violate Reformed theology because God tells us that He WANTS us to bring our petitions to Him, even if He has other plans, as in the case of Jesus. Clearly, Jesus was not trying to change the Father's mind, Jesus knew that God's plan was God's plan regardless of Jesus' prayer, yet He prayed anyway. We Reformed emulate that.
... He knows what's in your heart. However, prayer is the right approach, because we must submit to God and never be proud and arrogant to think that we are His "buddies," that we somehow deserve rewards, or – as is often the case – that we are gods ourselves.
Not sure what your implication is, but I certainly agree with all of your words. :)
But do I detect a ray of free will in your statement? Or would you say that you don't let Him be in charge because He wants it so?
I would say that while I am a slave to righteousness now, I still have a certain amount of free will to sin under the remnant of my former nature. And, as a general principle, God certainly does not want me to be in control, however, it is "possible" that on specific occasions, He will leave me alone to sin in such a way that furthers His greater plan. One example of that would be letting me fall flat on my face to both learn from my mistakes, and remind me that I need to be dependent on Him. I still need the reminder thing. :)
Like I said, your theology does not seem to correspond to how you describe your faith, which seems very Apostolic to me.
That's probably because of the way I handle free will. I'm sure there are many Reformers with whom I actually do agree 99% with on theology who would say something like "there is no such thing as free will". When I know the person, I know exactly what he means by this, and I agree theologically. I just take a slightly different road in explanation to arrive at the same end.
When I say things that might be taken as Apostolic sounding, that might be due to my affection for many of the writings by Orthodox Fathers you and Kolo have showed me. While I do not pretend that the real underlying theology is "very close", I still appreciate the precision of the words chosen to express an idea (at least as respects me since it allows me to participate in the language used). So, maybe some of that has rubbed off. :)
God never laughs at you or anyone else for that matter. I hope you laugh at yourself not almost always, but always. Don't laugh at others.
The way I look at it is that God invented the sense of humor, so I figure He has one. Now, did you ever laugh at anything your (then) two-year-old did? Of course. At the same time you weren't laughing AT her to belittle her, it was just funny so you laughed. That's how I imagine it with God. That is, for things that are appropriately funny to God. I'm not talking about sin or anything.
The operant words are "according to His will." That depends on our intent, which is almost never pure.
I think that is often true, but I would not say always. To reuse a recent example, I can go to a job interview, love the company and earnestly pray for the job in all honesty and purity. I am seeking a Godly thing in wanting to provide for my family. However, God may have some other job in mind for me so I won't get this one. While I "lose" on the first prayer, I think it still could have been made with good intent.
FK: "Do not these and other passages tell us that if we have a pure heart we can have anything we want? These appear to encourage a fully mature Christian to ask for things."
Yes, but he doesn't need to. A fully mature Christian has everything he could possibly want. The saint is too busy unceasingly praying for others.
To use your own line of reasoning (we want God to listen to us) the saint is praying for something "HE" wants when he prays for others. If the other is a lost person, then that person does not want the object of the prayer, leaving only the saint to have his prayer answered. "Please Lord, I want you to touch this lost person". That is something only the saint wants, and God wants to hear that prayer. Now, you might say that this is different from praying for oneself. But as I noted above, Jesus prayed for Himself, so it must be OK for us to do likewise.
What exactly did He do concerning the cup? He spoke the way He felt (in His human nature), but He immediately gave it all to Father's will. Obedience, FK, unquestionable obedience from the bottom of one's heart, is the true prayer: giving yourself completely to God, no matter what.
The way I look at it is that God invented the sense of humor
I don't remember reading that in any of the Scriptures (including Apocrypha). Maybe you have verses you can share?
While I "lose" on the first prayer, I think it still could have been made with good intent.
No, it wasn't because you wanted God to give you that job rather than saying "Whatever your will is, Lord, I accept." Back to the cup...
Aha, it's working! :)
To use your own line of reasoning (we want God to listen to us) the saint is praying for something "HE" wants when he prays for others. If the other is a lost person, then that person does not want the object of the prayer, leaving only the saint to have his prayer answered.
It's not wanting as in "I pray, you give" but asking. The intent is different. The saint is perfectly content that the final result, whether his prayers are fulfilled or not, is a merciful and just decision. He does not place a condition of expectation, but leaves everything to God, realizing that his own prayers may be unworthy.
If the other is a lost person, then that person does not want the object of the prayer, leaving only the saint to have his prayer answered.
You also don't know if the lost person does not want or doesn't know how to ask for God's help. Most people who are lost simply don't know how to pray. That doesn't mean they don't want to pray.
I believe the prayer Jesus taught His disciples (the Our Father) is our most perfect platform of prayer. How could it fail to be? I add, are we not His disciples? (:
The Interceding One
We are not left alone in this interceding work of ours. our little prayers of intercession are backed up and reinforced by the eternal Intercessor. Paul assures us that it is "Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us" (Rom. 8:34). As if to intensify the truth of this, the writer to the Hebrews declares Jesus an eternal priest after the order of Melchizedek who "always lives to make intercession" (Heb. 7:25).
In the Upper Room discourse recorded in John's Gospel, Jesus made it unmistakably clear to his disciples that his going to the Father would catapult them into a new dimension of prayer. He explained to his mystified band: than he is in the Father and the Father is in him, that he is going to the Father in order to prepare a place for them, that they will be enabled to do greater works because he is going to the Father, that they will not be left orphaned but that the Spirit of Truth will come to guide them, that they are to abide in him as branches abide in the vine, that he will do anything they ask in his name, and so much more (John 13-17).
What is it about Jesus going to the Father that so radically changes the equation? Why would that make such a difference in their - and our - prayer experience? The new dimension is this: Jesus is entering his eternal work as Intercessor before the throne of God, and, as a result, we are enabled to pray for others with an entirely new authority.
What I am trying to say is that our ministry of intercession is made possible only because of Christ's continuing ministry of intercession. It is a wonderful truth to know that we are saved by faith alone, that there is nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable to God. Likewise, we pray by faith alone - Jesus Christ our eternal Intercessor is responsible for our prayer life. "Unless he intercedes," writes Ambrose of Milan, "there is no intercourse with God either for us or for all saints."
By ourselves we have no entree to the court of heaven. It would be like ants speaking to humans. We need an interpreter, an intermediary, a go-between. This is what Jesus Christ does for us in his role as eternal Intercessor - "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus " (1 Tim. 2:5, RSV). He opens the door and grants us access into the heavenlies. Even more: he straightens out and cleanses our feeble, misguided intercessions and makes them acceptable before a holy God. Even more still: his prayers sustain our desires to pray, urging us on and giving us hope of being heard. The sight of Jesus in his heavenly intercession gives us strength to pray in his name.
~Richard Foster, Prayer, pp.192-193.