Christianity and the Current Political Climate

To say that the entire world has gone crazy is the understatement of a life time. We have come to expect insanity from certain parts of the world, and even certain parts of our own country. Liberals, atheists, socialists, and even worse have propagated an amoral society for better than fifty years now. It would appear that at least for a season they have won the fight. While I loathe our current government administration, I do agree with President Obama when He said that America is no longer a Christian nation. As a majority we have lost sight of where we came from. Christian business owners are sued for not wanting to endorse homosexual marriage by providing their services. Bruce Jenner is hailed as a hero and the epitome of what courage is. He is a “hero” while men like Chris Kyle are held in disdain by the very government they fought to serve. Planned Parenthood is allowed to traffic in aborted body parts, while the folks who are brave enough to expose their murderous debauchery are charged with criminal activity. Edward Snowden is called treasonous for blowing the whistle on serious government overreach and yet our own officials (past and present) are allowed to get away with alleged acts of criminal behavior, and any attempt to get to the truth is blocked by party politics. Our government has for most of the Obama administration been embroiled in controversies and scandals that make Watergate look like a Sunday school picnic. Racism was on it's way to the death it deserves, until this current administration began to divide us with it's over the top responses to crisis situations. As we just witnessed in Oregon among other incidents of the recent past, those who are supposed to protect and serve us, have been militarized against us. Meanwhile we cannot seam to protect ourselves from terrorism because our government refuses to call it what it is. Any reference to Islam in a negative light is met with accusations of racism. Let's be clear about some things. We are in a holy war, and Islam is not a religion of peace. The Koran teaches evangelism by force, and that infidels should be killed. Those moderate Muslims (so called) are no better or different than liberal Christians. They simply do not take their own scripture seriously. As loathsome and detestable as terrorists are, we cannot defeat them until we first respect the fact that they are only living out what their belief system demands of them.

Christianity has been under attack from the outside from it's inception, however the greatest challenge of recent days is the attacks from within. When I refer to the Christian community I must do so lightly. Without judging a particular persons salvation experience, it is also fair to say that a large amount of those professing Christianity do not take the truth of Scripture seriously. When Larry King questioned Joel Osteen about salvation He waffled saying that he believed that Jesus was the way, but that He could not judge others hearts. He finally said, “Jesus is my way.” When Proposed the same manner of questioning from Oprah Winfrey He clearly said that Jesus was the way to God, but that their were many paths to Jesus. Later He even had Her in His church and home, knowing the entire time that she embraces pantheism. T.D. Jakes has said that there are many paths to God, and recently He has come out in support of gay marriage. So, what is being propagated from many pulpits is that we can be anything we want to be, and we can do anything we want to do and still go to heaven. All this is cloaked in the idea of nonjudgmental love and acceptance. It is staged so that those of us who accept the truth of Scripture, can easily be tagged, as UN-loving bigots. We must remember that Satan's oldest and best trick is to disguise evil for something good. In the Garden He extolled the virtues of the fruit, and covered it with half truth's. It would seem to me that to know of impending doom and not warn a person of it would be the most UN-loving thing we can do. The truth may be uncomfortable but it is the most compassionate thing we can say.

What then are Bible believing Christians to do? How are we to do what Christ has called us to do?

There are few things to remember on our journey through this life. The first is that Government and it's authority has been established by God for our own good. Jesus answered [Pilate], “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:11) Paul Said, “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1b) We should wherever We can find a clear conscience submit to the authorities above us, however We are always to place our relationship with Christ first. When being tried for preaching the Gospel Peter declared, “ We ought to obey God rather than men....” (Acts 5:29) Simply put when we see a law that is burdensome and unfair we should make every reasonable attempt to submit unless it requires us to take part in something that is in direct contradiction to Scripture. We must continue to preach and teach the concepts of genuine faith, confession, repentance, Heaven and Hell, whether society and the government likes it or not. We cannot condone nor participate in abortion, gay marriage, and the like, whether society and the government like it or not. We are commanded to pray for those in authority so that we may live peaceful lives. (I Tim. 2:2) This gives us the idea that being Christian may not always be peaceful. In fact Jesus told His disciples to sell there cloaks and buy swords. (Luke 22:36) The second thing to remember is the most exciting to me. All this is necessary to usher in the coming of our Lord. Contrary to popular opinion Jesus did not come the first time to bring peace. He was not a uniter, but a divider. ( Matthew 10:34) His coming in the rapture will divide lost humanity from His children. (Matt. 24:40) In Luke 21 Jesus describes a grim picture of the world prior to His coming. We must keep in mind that in II Cor. 2 Paul describes a great apostasy must happen prior to the coming of the Lord. Take heart that while the world goes crazy, we are just preparing to go home. 

So, you think your going to Heaven just the way you are !!

     Is everyone we would talk to saved and going to heaven, or is the church missing the boat on salvation? I have never seen the Gospel message as watered down as it has become in this modern era. In an effort to reach out to the world with the love of Christ, We have somehow lost sight of the fact that he is also a righteous judge, who has set a very high standard for His children. We've traded in “unless you repent...” (Luke 13:3) for Facebook Christianity. Now we can post and share about how much we love Jesus and post selfies taken at the bar all at the same time. A person now can pretty much do whatever they want and proclaim, “Judge not...” (Matt.7:1) We are then to be absolved from all responsibility and accepted as believers in Christ. Salvation certainly does not automatically and instantly yield perfection. In fact we can find ourselves in some pretty horrible situations when we allow ourselves to drift away from Christ. We do not get up from the alter of salvation to never sin again, but We do receive a new nature in which we hate our sin and seek to change behaviors. Can you remember a time when we were ashamed of our sin and even the sin in the lives of those close to us? An illegitimate child was once a shame on the parents and their families, now the unmarried couple while still unmarried brings the baby for dedication to the Lord. In a recent Facebook post I saw a woman was sharing a post declaring her undying loyalty to Christ, and yet I know that this woman hasn't been in any local church in almost a year. The following statement is taken from a recent article on Facebook: “ Love People... when are we going to stop always talking about a person and how they are? When are we going to take a look at the messes in our own lives instead of the messes in everyone else's? Lead the example of a Christ filled life... To lead someone to the Lord is to just Love them no matter of the mess in their life... Love them right where they are, right how they are. The Lord don't say clean up then come to me... He says come to me and I will clean you up!!!” Everything in this article is true but it leaves out the concept of repentance of sin. It is true that Christ accepts us as we are but it is conditioned on us being repentant for the way we are. He can clean us up only if we repent recognizing that we need cleaning up. We have been sold the idea that to love someone means to fully accept any lifestyle they choose to live, and nothing could be farther from the truth. Would you warn a friend of impending danger? Would you stand idle while they got bit by a deadly snake? Would you not tell them the bridge is out before they drive off the cliff? If you would watch out for your loved ones physical condition then why would you not warn them of the coming destruction of the soul in Hell? We are afraid of offending them. We fear pushing them away. So, we are content to just focus on the one sided truth of love and acceptance to the exclusion of responsibility and repentance. Without repentance we can never experience the awesome power of forgiveness. Unless and until we come to a complete realization that we are miserable, helpless, deviant sinners who are unable to please God in ourselves we can never experience salvation.

     So then, what does separate sinners lost without Christ and those of us who though sinners have received Him for salvation. Paul said in Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus....” This confession is much much more than the simply believing that most are preaching in pulpits today. James said that even the devils believe and they tremble. Make no mistake it takes much more than belief. Confession is admitting that Christ is right. It is seeing ourselves the same way He sees us. It is admitting sin. It is an admission of Guilt. To confess Christ is the public pronouncement that Christ is right in His assessment of Me—I did it, I am guilty. He goes on to say that we must believe that God raised Him from the dead. It is the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross which purchases our salvation and His resurrection secures our eternal life. The telling difference between lost humanity and a Christian is the motivation of the heart. Paul goes on to say that, “with the heart man believes and this results in righteousness.” A lost person sins and can find happiness in it, they might even be delusional enough to think they are OK in the eyes of God, because it is their nature. The nature of a lost person is depraved and evil. When a Christian sins they are convicted almost immediately and hurt within themselves because they have betrayed their own heart. Their heart has been made new and seeks to please God. When a person having the new nature of Christ in them sins, they struggle within themselves. That convicting struggle continues until We confess it to God in repentance. Hear Me very clear. If you can flaunt and make light of the sin in your life it is a good indicator that you are not saved. A genuinely saved person does sin, and left unchecked can lead us in paths that even some unbelievers would not dare go, but we can never be happy in it. Church affiliation, moral conduct, baptism, nor anything else of the sort saves, nor does it keep your salvation. It is only in a personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ that we gain salvation. That faith relationship effects continual change in the lives of the believer, as we seek to forsake sin in our lives.

     If you would see the Sin that separates you from Christ and would come to Him for salvation it is very simple, yet very serious. In your own words simply acknowledge your sin to Christ, asking Him for forgiveness, and salvation. Repent (turn away from) of sin through the power of His forgiveness. 

Actually, Scripture doesn't teach that # 5 : "God never puts more on us than we can handle"

If you have ever gone through some trial, or suffered any form of loss, no doubt you have had some loving, sincere, saint of God put their arms around you and utter the words, “God never puts more on us than we can handle.” You may have even done it to someone else. The problem is that it is not scriptural. Not only is the phrase not found in scripture, but the concept is completely foreign to the Christian Life. We are called to be cross-bearers (matt 16:24) and we are called to suffer (Phil 3). In II Corinthians 1:8 Paul declares His own distress. “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death.” Paul was very clear that His suffering was well beyond His ability to handle it.  In I Kings 19:7 the angel of God came to Elijah with a message that the journey He was preparing to take was too hard for him. These are just examples of God’s people finding themselves over their heads in distress. The idea that God will never place more on us than we can handle comes from a misunderstanding of I Corinthians 10:13 where we are told that no temptation will come  upon us, from which we cannot escape. He is referring to temptation not troubles and trials.

We do need to acknowledge that much of our distress in this world is the direct result of our sin. David said in psalm 38:4 “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.”  Later in verse 8 He says, “I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.” God can and under certain circumstances does relieve us of the consequences of our actions but He is certainly under no obligation to do so. God has set in motion some natural laws which He by his own choice does not intervene. Scripture refers to it as the law of sowing and reaping.

Many times when we are seeking to serve God the most, we find ourselves under the attack of the enemy, Satan. There are times when God allows this to happen so that He can position us to better do His will. In the early chapters of the book of Acts we find the Christian Church under persecution which was so bad that they left Jerusalem and were scattered. As they fled for their lives they carried their faith with them and because of their persecution the Gospel spread over the known world. While Paul was in prison he wrote, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Phil 1:12-14)

Much of our trials and tribulations are allowed in our lives to be a reminder of our need for God and to display His power. The idea that God never allows us to go through things that we cannot handle is not only false but we could make the case that the exact opposite is true. God delights in allowing us to get into impossible situations so that when He intervenes everyone around will know that it is Him.  The apostle Paul said it best after He had prayed to the Lord to remove the thorn in His flesh. These are His words, “Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (II Corinthians 12:8=10) The thorn in His flesh existed for only one reason, So that the power of Christ would dwell in Him.

Probably the most emotionally and spiritually uplifting reason for the distresses in our lives is simply so the church can be the community God has called us to be. If God never places more on us than we can handle, then why would we be admonished to “Bear one another’s burdens.” (Gal 6:2) There are too many scriptures pertaining to the idea of helping one another and praying for one another to deal within this brief article. The entire concept of helping ministries, and the social ministries of the church is to meet needs that an individual cannot meet on their own. If we never faced anything that we could not handle on our own, we would be completely self-sufficient in every way which, and that is simply not God’s plan or will for our lives as believers.

SECRET SOCIETIES TAKING US INTO THE NEW WORLD ORDER: BY GARY FORD

We have discussed the Illuminati, Bilderberg’s, Club of Rome, Trilateral Commission, and Skull and Bones, as organizations that operate in secret. They are anti-capitalism,   anti-Christian, and believe the one world government is the answer to mankind’s problems. The Federal Reserve, and the United Nations both have been created for the purpose of bringing this about.   

Two of the major organizations in this movement are the Roman Catholic Church and Free Masonry.
Both of these organizations have two presentations. To the regular members they are told one thing about what the organization stands for but the higher one goes in the hierarchy the more he learns something different.
The Catholic Church is a mixture of paganism and Christianity. Paganism worshiped many Gods and had many symbols depicting this. These same symbols can be found in the Catholic Church today. To really see how the church has been led one must look into to the Jesuit Order of which the present pope is a part.  The hierarchy of the church believes the following points.

1.    The Pope is God on earth and has the power to change anything the Catholic Church believes and practices. He as well as his priest can forgive sins. This is a part of Satan’s lie, who himself wants to be God.

2.    Each person has a right to have all that God has created if he as a need of it. If one owns more than he needs, the other, if he has need, can take it for himself, (stealing). The end justifies the means.

3.    All property owned by the church belongs to the pope who has the power to do with it what he wishes.

4.    Wealth redistribution is important and that can best be done in a one world government in which the pope has the power to control. This will be carried out in the NOW.

 In order to help carry out this mission the Jesuits created Free Masonry. It carries the same pagan symbols, such as the double headed eagle, the half moon with an eight pointed star, and many others. One does not learn, until he takes the oath for the 33 degree that it is satanic and that Lucifer is the enlightened one. It is established in many cultures around the world, and adapts to each religion. In Christian countries it presents itself as Christian, and in Muslim cultures or where they worship Buda, it presents accordingly.

Many well known leaders in the world have been high degree Free Masons. Some of these include Putin, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Castro, Arafat, Churchill, Rabin, Blair, Prince Phillip, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Jessie Jackson, J Edgar Hoover, Roosevelt, Ragan, Ford, Bush, and Carter. There are many others.
I suspect that the liberal progressive agenda of our present government is related, ie, wealth redistribution, income inequality, immigration amnesty, etc.   There is a power grab by our government, where everything is being regulated and controlled, executive orders are the rule of the day, rather than working with congress. The Christian influence is being eradicated from the military.  Even the chaplains are not allowed to mention the name of Jesus Christ or display a Bible.  However, a major effort seems to be made to respect the beliefs and practices of the other religions. Many of the military high rank have been replaced because they disagree with the administration. This appears to be a fascist government, not a democracy.
There are many similarities between the Roman Catholic Church, Free Masonry, and Islam. Islam was created around 535 AD by Mohamed when he was inspired while in a cave. Pagan gods are usually displayed coming out of a cave.
Many occult happenings have resulted from man’s encounter with angles. Demons can manifest as angles. Joseph Smith encountered an angle. Mormons believe that man can become as God. They say, “ as we are, God once was. As God is we shall become.”  Genies, (like the genie in the bottle) are spirit beings that give messages to mankind. This is where the word genius comes from. The Bible warns against having dealing with spirits other than the Holly Spirit.
The Catholic Church, Masons, Islam, all have the half moon with the eight pointed star. This symbol goes back to pagan worship and the tower of Babble. The Hittites had the same symbol.  There are many other pagan symbols common to all of these organizations. The all seeing eye is a symbol of all three, and is now a part of the United States seal which is on the dollar bill.  This represents the Egyptian god, Osiris.
In the Catholic Church, Christ was replaced by Mary as the mediator between God and man. Mary was sinless and is deified. Christ was spared death on the cross as someone else was killed in His place.
Monasteries are built high upon a hill. Pagan temples were build high upon hills where they sacrificed to the gods. Cathedrals are built on ancient sites of worship including the Vatican.
In Muslim countries the mosques are built right beside the cathedrals. They contain the same symbols, worship the dead, as it is the same religion. Muslims pray with beads, Catholics pray with a rosary. Both have the priesthood. 
So what is the point for the Catholic Church to be in cahoots with Islam? It is the thesis and anti-thesis which leads to the synthesis. In order to bring about change, chaos must be created. War is justified if it brings about the desired results. The ends Represents the means. Some believe that Obamacare is designed to not work but to disrupt the health care system which will make people accepting of total socialized medicine which was the objective in the beginning.  By using Islam to counter or war with Christianity things will get so bad that the masses will welcome a one world government and religion as a better alternative. At this point it appears that our government expects and is getting prepared for an incident that will call for marshal law. Could gun control be a part of this plan?  Could a situation be created to justify declaring marshal law and the synthesis would become the one world government?
Pope Francis, who is a Jesuit has boldly stated that all one has to do to obtain salvation is to follow his conscience, even if he is an atheist. He plans to bring all the religions together into one. Even though they talk about Jesus Christ being the Son of God that does not seem to be our ticket to heaven.
Once a mason obtains his 33 degree he can become a Shiner. The Shrine Oath is given with the use of the Koran, rather than the Bible.
So what does all this mean. It is obvious this is the spirit of the antichrist in our world which is Satan at work as the present ruler of this world. His lie is that we can be God or as God, which is the same issue for which he was kicked out of heaven and took a third of the angles with him. This lie he also used in the garden of Eden when he enticed Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge. This lie will manifest in the NOW with the antichrist being king over all the world as he will be Satan incarnated. This will climax when Christ returns to earth, subdues Satan, and sets up his kingdom on each. If we want to be a part of Christ’s reign on earth, we must accept Him and Him only, as our way to heaven. We must repent for our sins and ask Him to be our Lord. It is only through him that we can have eternal life rather than eternal damnation.
As Christians we are to be the salt of the earth. Therefore, we need to be knowledgeable and aware of what is really going on in our world through Satan’s influence. To be salt we must proclaim that “Christ is the only way to heaven”, to a world that is lost and confused.

"Extraordinary Crisis" Needed To Preserve Hopes Of A New World Order: By Gary Ford

A new lament is percolating up from the depths of another DC think tank, this time, from the Atlantic Council, which is considered to be an organization of some influence, being headed by General Brent Scowcroft, the former National Security Advisor under Presidents Ford and H. W. Bush, and who also advised sitting President Obama.

In this particular instance, the message coming from the Atlantic Council is Harlan K. Ullman, current Chairman of the Killowen Group which advises government leaders, and one of the authors of the “shock and awe” doctrine that was so prominent in the opening days of the Iraq war.
Ullman writes that an “extraordinary crisis” is needed to preserve the “New World Order,” which he sees as being under threat by non-state actors of the Edward Snowden stripe.

Writing in an article called War on Terror is not the Only Threat, Ullman asserts that the biggest, most fundamental forces that are reshaping the international geostrategic system are not rising military powers like China, but rather, non-governmental actors like the hacker group, Anonymous, Bradley Manning, and most recently, Edward Snowden, because they encourage individual empowerment, which hobbles state control.

“Very few have taken note and fewer have acted on this realization,” notes Ullman, who further complains that the “information revolution and instantaneous global communications” are thwarting the “new world order” that President George H.W. Bush announced more than twenty years ago. He continues that in the absence of an “extraordinary crisis,” there isn’t much that can be done to limit, much less reverse the damage to the new world order by failed or failing governance.

The implication could not be clearer. The only way to get the plans for the new world order “back on track” is another 9/11-style cataclysm that will enable the state to re-assert its dominance while “containing, reducing and eliminating the dangers posed by newly empowered non-state actors.”
Ullman’s ultimate conclusion then is that the “elimination” of these non-state actors and empowered individuals is simply necessary in order to preserve the new world order. An overview of their material seems to suggest that the Atlantic Council’s definition of a “new world order” is a global technocracy run by some sort of synthesis of big government and big business under which individuality is replaced by transhumanist singularity.

If all of this sounds eerily familiar, it is because it is strikingly similar to the line advanced by Trilateral Commission co-founder and regular Bilderberg attendee Zbigniew Brzezinski, who in 2010 told the members of the Council on Foreign Relations that a “global political awakening,” combined with infighting amongst the elite, was threatening to derail the move towards a one world government.

The Department Of Homeland Security's Purchase in 2013 of 1.6 Billion rounds of ammunition have added fuel to conspiratorial fire that the US government is actively preparing for civil discord on a massive scale, that should it come to pass will bring new meaning to the words "New World Order".

Whom Will You Serve? : Division Designed By God

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  Joshua 24:15 NIV

It would seem an understatement to say that we are living in divisive times. Probably the only thing that the majority of us could agree on is how divided we are. For years politicians have promised they had the answer. Recently our current administration has divided us more than ever before. The race problem that had seemingly been brought under control has been exploited and exploded to a point that is worse than I remember in my life time. The progressive liberal, anti-God movement has made greater advances than at any other time in our history. Satan has done what he specializes in to the point that even in the Christian community we are divided on very serious issues. Have you ever noticed how Satan cloaks sinful behavior in the disguise of freedom of choice, and alternate lifestyles? It’s like the billboard advertising beer. On a hot day the picture of the ice rolling off of the top, and the foam oozing off the top make it look so refreshing. They never show you the picture of the drunk in the gutter, or the broken homes that have been created by it. So now we can fully understand the warning Isaiah issued in chapter 50:20. We live in a society that calls good, evil and evil, good. Toward the end of His life Joshua issued a final address, and challenged the elders and leaders of Israel to choose, whom they would serve. He understood that God does not allow for neutrality. With the divisiveness of our day and age, there is a feeling that something huge is about to happen. Some have suggested that our nation is headed for another civil war others interpret circumstances as leading rapidly to the coming of the Lord. Some have even suggested that Barak Obama is the anti-Christ. I don’t think he is because He couldn’t get that much of the world to follow Him, but I do think He is a forerunner to the anti-Christ. He along with His cohorts is certainly setting the stage where the public at large would follow and even worship the person who could fix our problems. Regardless of where this all ends up there are some things that we need to understand.

Division is by divine design. The very fact that man is by nature a sinful creature makes unity a more dangerous thing than division. God himself confused the people’s languages, and scattered them over all the earth. He himself recognized that while they remained unified in their effort that, “nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” (Gen 11:6) Jesus himself said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (Matt. 10:34) Jesus was not advocating violence, nor did He automatically intend for us to turn away from our families, but he did understand that His message is divisive, and that faith is not compatible with unbelief. The fact that we are divided is not the problem. The problem comes when we become unified in the acceptance and promotion of evil behavior. In the Christian community we even respectfully maintain a certain level of separation. I love my charismatic friends and have preached and sang in their churches, however there are serious reasons of faith that prevent me from being one. In II Corinthians when Paul forbids the intermarrying of believers to non-believers, He asks the question of what we have in common with them. And then speaking of the unbelieving and idolaters he commands us to come out from them and be separate. (II Cor. 6:17) The time for separation has come. Christians and the Church have been partakers of the world’s delights for long enough that we have become dull in our senses. We have allowed Hollywood, Politicians, and a Godless education system to distort our world view. We have exercised a politically correct, live and let live mentality, and we have become partakers of their sin. Romans 1:32 suggests that by simple approval of another’s sinful lifestyle, we ourselves deserve the same punishment. Silence is consent. It is time for Christians everywhere band together in community, and stand up against Satan, and proclaim the truth of the Gospel. If the love of Christ is in us we must proclaim the truth of Scripture. Love is not silent in the face of imminent danger.

Unspoken Prayer Requests

Most of us at some point have shared an “unspoken prayer request” with a Christian friend or in our church. In almost any church prayer time in virtually every church, someone will have that prayer request that they do not want to share publicly. These become the “Unspoken Requests”. I have often referred to them as those things which lay on the back of our hearts that are so ultimately personal that we dare not even mention them. My pastor and great friend recently challenged me on whether the concept is actually Biblical. I had to admit that I really hadn’t thought much about it. Of all the study I’ve done of the Scripture and on various topics this one wasn’t even on my radar. It was simply one of those traditions we’ve just always done without questioning. Well my brother sparked that “need to know” inside me, so I found myself digging in.

It was no shock to find out that Scripture is silent on the issue. Let me suggest a few things at the outset. There are no Biblical examples of anyone who ever requested prayer without divulging what that need actually was. While there are no Scriptures which show the practice there are also none that forbid its practice. In a moment we will look at some Scriptural reasons why using “unspoken requests” may not be such a good idea. So, is it a Biblically acceptable practice? The answer is both yes and no. The Good news is that is not wrong or sinful to ask for prayer while withholding the sordid details. The Bad news is that this type of praying is not likely to achieve results, and I think you’ll have to agree later.

It would seem that since the Bible is silent on the issue, the next logical question would be, why even do it? Why speak up in a church or other public setting and say to them, “I have an unspoken request.”  Obviously there are a lot of issues which take place in the lives of the believers that do not need to be hashed out in public. I really don’t want to know about dear sweet Julie’s bladder infection. There are sins which if made public would do more damage to the body of Christ than any good that telling it might achieve. What is ironical to say the least is that in using the concept of an unspoken prayer request we often defeat our own purpose. We attempt to reach out to our brothers and sisters about our needs, all the while, not giving the gossips anything concrete to talk about. In reality all we are doing is giving them something to wonder about. I wonder what’s wrong with her. What did He do? Let’s put it in terms of sinful behavior. If I ask for unspoken prayer, the implication is there. I may just as well have said, “Guys I’m kind of stupid and I need your prayer, but I don’t want you to know how stupid I really am.” At the same time I say these things I also understand that it is so often the unspoken requests that we need prayer and support in the most. They most often represent things in our lives that we do not feel comfortable sharing with any one. They are the hurts, trials, struggles and even the sins that harm us the most, and there is no one with whom we can share. They remain burdens that we carry alone, so we ask for general unspecific prayer, knowing that God already knows our need. In fact it could be said that if we pray for one another as we are told to do, then we pray for unspoken requests almost daily. Ephesians 6:18 and I Timothy 2:1 are a couple examples of the command to pray for everyone, but I do not know what those people need. I pray for my pastor and church leaders and while I understand from experience more about their needs than the average church member, I really don’t know what they each need in their lives.

I would be remiss if I failed to point out a few problems you get into with invoking the unspoken request. Galatians 6:2 commands us to bear one another’s burdens. This is impossible if we do not know what the burden is that we are carrying. If you ask me to carry your baggage I would like to have some idea of what is in it first. We cannot be vessels to meet needs that we do not know exist. Jesus said that if at least two of us agree on anything we would receive it. Matt 18:19 Can we agree on things we know nothing about? It is certain that when we come to the church for healing prayer we cannot hold anything back. There can be no secrets. James even goes so far as to say that we should confess our sins to one another. James 5:16 I remember one night while serving as the on-site-director of a local homeless shelter, a man showed up in my office. I knew him well. He had floated in and out for a while, and admittedly I liked this guy. This particular night He was beaten and bloody. I had never seen him like this. I wanted to take him to the emergency room, but he refused. There had apparently been drinking and possibly some drugs that led to a fight that night, and He was afraid the doctors would call the police. He refused healing help that night because He feared possible consequences. We miss out on so many blessings, and many times forfeit our healing, because we withhold our true selves from the people who are supposed to care the most.  

Is it Biblical? It is not in the sense that we are given command, or example of it. Is it wrong to do? It is not in the sense that Scripture forbids it. We do a lot of good things which Scripture is silent on. Scripture does not tell us how often to have church services, but I tend to gravitate to the ones who still hold three a week. Scripture does not speak of a series of meetings called a revival, but it is still one of the best evangelistic tools we have. Continue to use the unspoken request when it is appropriate, but let it become rare. Never let it be a wall behind which we hide our true selves. When we do, we deny ourselves the support we need so much, and we are denying Godly people the opportunity to come along with us to bear those burdens.