"...you who fear God, listen..." Acts 13:16
Paul's exhortation to the people focused on God's redemptive plan of action. He connected the dots for them, giving an overview of how the hand of God had been on the people of Israel to reveal His love for them, through Jesus Christ.
He reminded them...
God chose our fathers and made the people great...
God led them...
God put up with them...
God destroyed seven nations...
God distributed their land...
God gave them judges...
God gave them a king...
God removed the king...
God raised up David...
God testified...
God brought a Savior...
God raised Him from the dead...
God fulfilled His promise...
God forgives sin through Jesus...
God gives grace to continue...
(see Acts 13:17-43)
Last night I watched a Will Smith and son movie. One of the more thought provoking statements made by the character portrayed by the elder Smith was... "Fear is not real. Danger is real." The point being that fear is generated by a person's insecurities about the future. When one's mind runs wild, imagining things that may never happen, it will require a person to periodically "take a knee."
Fear must be controlled if the danger is going to be faced. Good advice. Paul's advice was "FEAR GOD AND LISTEN." When prayer deteriorates into giving God advice, rather than take His advice, it is no longer prayer. Pious Whiners posing as Prayer Warriors rarely engage the enemy. If they do, they are defeated.
The point of prayer is to fear God, and to listen to His voice, not give Him a piece of one's mind. Venting is not praying. It is whining. Praying people and praying preachers build praying churches, filled with those who seek God's direction, protection and correction. Note to self: Whining your way through your next crisis is no way to take your prayer life to the next level. Take a knee. To fear God means to respect Him, and to expect the consequences.
The Blue Letter Bible identifies fear with the same word that is commonly used for phobia. It defines it, when applied to God, as the willingness to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience. There are consequences to obedience, and there are consequences to disobedience. God is not some permissive parent seeking to be a pal to His children. He intends for His children to exhibit His character and bring honor and glory to Him, if they bear His name. God Almighty has a redemptive plan and His children not only receive the benefits of it, but engage in the battle for it. The danger is real. Too many of God's children fear the enemy, more than they fear God. They hide in the tall grass when they should be standing in the battle line. Fearing God begins with listening to Him. Hearing His Word leads to reading His Word. Reading His Word leads to studying His Word.
Studying leads to memorizing His Word. Memorizing leads to meditating on His Word. Meditating leads to living His Word. You may be the only Bible someone ever reads. Don't be a misprint. Fearing God establishes Him as Your final proof-reader and ultimate Auto-correct. The point of prayer is to lead a person to fear God. Prayer has the capacity to create a bond, and an intimacy between man and God. It is this intimacy that draws a person to an ever deepening conversation with God, and an ever-widening sphere of influence on others.
"Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child." Don Miller
When we were little ones in Sunday School we sang, "DEEP and WIDE." I'm not sure what that was all about, but I find myself humming it today, as I dwell on the thought of intensifying, and deepening my fear of God, and widening my influence on those who seek Him. Sing it loud. Sing it proud. Listen. Some preachers use this word to recall a congregation's attention to the point of the message. Parents use it make sure a rebellious child is not ignoring their counsel. TV commentators and pundits lead with the word to add gravitas to what they are about to say in their meaningless, meandering monologue. Listen is a good word, used 400 times in the New Testament.
Again, The Blue Letter Bible provides a wide definition of this Greek word used to form the word acoustics. It means to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf...to hear...to attend to, consider what is or has been said...to understand, perceive the sense of what is said...to hear something...to perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence...to get by hearing learn...a thing comes to one's ears, to find out, learn...to give ear to a teaching or a teacher...to comprehend, to understand. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice." Listen, indeed.
The Point of the Christian life, is to be on point. Prayer is the tip of the spear, and the world class weapon in the battle against evil. The enemy fears a praying preacher and a praying church. Give him both. To fear God, and listen, take a knee. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." Samuel Chadwick - English revivalist preacher (1860-1932)