Prayer & The Kingdom
November 18, 2008
“Because of its connection to the coming of the kingdom, prayer brings results. As we pray, we are able to perceive the presence of the kingdom in all areas of life. As we pray, we become the instruments of the Spirit in opening the situations we face to receive the in-breaking of God’s rule in the present. And through prayer, we move history toward that day when the kingdom will arrive in its fullness and God’s work in the world will reach its final goal.”
– Stanley Grenz, Prayer: The Cry For The Kingdom
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How have I not heard of this book before? It’s going onto my Amazon wish list.
Thom, it was first published in 1988 and this revised edition is 2005. It is a great little book on prayer, only 125 pages but it is interesting how Grenz speaks of petitionary prayer as a way for us to be involved with what God is doing in the world.
Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove (Schools of Conversion) and Shane Clairborn have collaborated on “Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: Prayer for Ordinary Radicals.” They take three prayers: The Lord’s prayer, Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17, and Paul’s lengthy prayer in Ephesians 1. From these they make the case that God has chosen to use us in answering the prayers we pray.
In order for us to act on becoming the prayers we pray, it takes a little reflection time after we pray. We could ask: What is my part in the prayers I just prayed to you, O God? Wait, listen, act. This is not a common practice I do. But I believe I should start making it more common.
Thanks for the reminder, Brad.
I really like this quote. It brings prayer into Kingdom perspective.