Prayer and Action

There is a miss-characterization of Christianity, promulgated by some atheists, that we substitute prayer for action. This misrepresentation is seen on the atheist monument that was erected in front of a Florida courthouse, which claims atheists believe an action should be taken instead of a prayer said. However, the Scriptures do not teach that prayer is a substitute for righteous action, nor do obedient and faithful Christians think that it is. In fact, James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, reprimanded the so-called "faith" of those who do not show their faith by taking righteous action in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ (James 2:15-17).  

Prayer has a couple of purposes in the Christian life, but replacing righteous action is not one of them. We do know that our Creator God is the One from whom all blessings, power, and strength originate; and that without Him, no one can do anything. So prayer is a humble acknowledgement of our complete reliance on God for the strength of spirit and body to do what we need to do. Without God's providence, we would all just keel over dead in our tracks. Actually, we couldn't even do that, because we wouldn't even exist in the first place, had we not been created by God. 

And indeed, there are wicked people who use their God-given gifts to do evil, an act of defiance toward God. But their inevitable destination is everlasting ruin unless they repent and reconcile with our Maker (Luke 13:1-5, 2 Corinthians 5:20). And God who is love, in His grace and mercy, patiently allows for everyone to have ample opportunity to seek after Him and find Him. He personally came into the world and taught us about His kingdom; and then He gave His human life on a Roman cross to pay for our sins so that we can be reconciled to Him. And everyone who, in their heart, has heard and learned from God will trust in Jesus Christ for salvation; knowing that we all need to turn from our sin and be reconciled to the heavenly Father by faith in His Son (John 6:45, Romans 3:23-24).

This, too, is why we pray; because we are talking to our heavenly Father. You see, righteousness has never been just about doing good deeds; it's about living in harmony with our good God who is love, (1 John 4:8) and who made humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). And a big part of having a relationship with anyone is to spend time talking to the person. And His Spirit speaks to us through His word, the Bible, as we prayerfully read and study it, and contemplate it in all its context. 

And through this holy conversation He teaches us. And as He teaches us, we learn to love the things that God loves; that which is good and right and pure and holy. And so we learn which actions are good and right for us to take. As the Scriptures say, "for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:9-10). This is more than just an outward change in our behavior. It is an inward change of our hearts and minds as we become harmonized with our heavenly Father. 

Nimrod

In Genesis 10:8-12, we read about a man named Nimrod who was "a mighty one", and "a mighty hunter before (i.e. in the presence of) the LORD". We learn that "the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calnah, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city)". 

In Genesis 11:1-9, we read about how the people of the earth, under Nimrod, endeavored to build "a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens" in order to "make a name" for themselves as a people. The implication is that they wanted to build something that would stand as a testament to their own greatness, and the greatness of their ruler, Nimrod. 

But God took away their ability to communicate with each other.  Up until that time there was only one language. But at the Tower of Babel, the people of the earth became divided by language barriers for the first time. And they were scattered abroad; the Tower of Babel left unfinished. The ability to communicate is a blessing from God, which He has every right to confiscate. When the LORD takes away, He takes what rightfully belongs to Him from start to finish. He is the Creator, and Owner of everything that exists. It is a graciousness on His part that He allows anyone to live and move and be (Acts 17:28). And those who use His gifts for evil will be judged.

The construction of the Tower of Babel was a sort of  humanist endeavor, before the term "humanist" existed. In other words, Nimrod and the people of the earth had forgotten that it was in God's presence that they were mighty. It is God who created humanity and sustains us. God gave Nimrod life and strength to be a "mighty one". But Nimrod took it for granted, as though he had accomplish it all by himself.

Since then, the name of Nimrod has become a term of derision. To call someone a nimrod is an insult. The name of Nimrod has become a synonym for "stupid person". We as humans do behave stupidly when we forget our Creator, when we fail to acknowledge His blessings and His sovereignty over our lives. We act like a bunch of nimrods when we think that we live by our own strength or intelligence. As the O.C. Supertones put it, 

"Lord, I just don't understand

This strange creature You call 'man'

Who thinks he lives by his own hand

But I know - there's no life away from You"

Only fools deny God (Psalm 14:1). And it is also nimrod-like to think that we, by our own efforts, can say or do anything to achieve or earn good standing with God. We are fallen creatures because of sin. Our nature is fallen. All of us fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The prophet of God said, 

"But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

We all fade as a leaf,

And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away"

(Isaiah 64:6).

There is nothing we can do to change the fact that we have sinned. It is only by the grace that comes through Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sin, and has risen from the dead to provide eternal life to all who trust in Him, that we can receive redemption - forgiveness of sin, and reconciliation with the heavenly Father (Acts 4:10-12, Romans 6:23, Colossians 1:12-14, 1 Timothy 2:5).

Let's not be like Nimrod. Let us remember that we are created by, and in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) who is love (1 John 4:8), for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40); and that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Then we will be mindful of our dependence on our heavenly Father, submissive to His sovereignty over our lives, and grateful to Him for His mercy, and His blessings, and His love toward us.

Nothing Is Secular

There is no such thing as secular, since all the universe belongs to its Creator God. Everything was created by Him for His glory. And all we have; the strength of flesh and spirit, and every breath comes from His hand. 

Even our sins are not secular because they are committed against God who alone can forgive our sin and remove our guilt through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Someone might say now, "Wait a minute. Those were the Pharisees, Jesus' critics, who said only God can forgive sin". But be that as it may, they were correct. Only God can forgive sin. 

This is because He is the only real plaintiff in cases of sin. This is because sin is committed against Him. What the Pharisees got wrong was that they failed to recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, equal with the Father.

When we forgive sin, we are only agreeing with Jesus, or leaving the case up to Him to judge.

So there is truly nothing secular. Everything belongs to "the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh" (Numbers 27:16). And all things will be judged by Him.

Psalm 24:1, Hebrews 11:3, Numbers 27:16, James 1:17, Mark 2:5-12, John 1:29, Colossians 1:13-14.