Disposing is of the Lord
Scripture: Proverbs 16:33Devotional Series: Sovereignty and Prayer
Teaching: Sovereignty and Prayer pt. 1 (WED 2024-11-20) by Pastor Star R Scott
So, what do we do? We pray! We pray, and we give God praise for the finished work and for the victory and what the blood of Jesus has effected in us. We go before Him and don’t try to dictate to Him what should change in our lives. But we pray as Jesus prayed, “Not my will, Thy will, be done” (Luke 22:42). And you say, “Well, I’ve prayed that way. This is something that I’ve prayed, and I’ve really asked the Lord to help me in this area.” Let me just share one other thought with you along these lines. We were talking about Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. And I wanted to get the verse right here in Luke 22, verse 44. You know, we pray, and then we pray. Now, what makes prayer effective is not how loud we pray, not how vehemently we pray, but it says about Jesus that “he prayed more earnestly.” Can you imagine Jesus praying? He told us earlier in His life; He gave the testimony, “Father, I know that when I pray, You hear me” (John 11:41-42). Amen? What a great testimony. And we know that when we pray in Jesus’ name, Father hears us. Amen?
What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? We’re praying as representatives of who He is, what He did, what His will is. When you pray in Jesus’ name, it doesn’t mean you just put “in Jesus’ name” on the end. What we’re saying when we pray in Jesus’ name is, “I’m here on behalf of Jesus. I’m here because He ordained me and sent me forth to continue His work. I’m here saying “Amen” to what He’s already said. Because what I’m asking You for, Father, is what Jesus already prayed for and asked while He was alive on earth. And I am His ambassador, and we’re continuing this work for the kingdom of God, so I’m asking for your will to be done.”
Let me ask the question: are we getting better at leaving our will out of our prayers? When you hear something come out of your mouth, do you catch it? While you’re praying and all of a sudden—whoop! Well, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. There are times when we’re praying and fellowshipping with God, that all of a sudden, something comes out, and you go, “Where did that come from?” We’re praying along; we say, “Father, why won’t You do that for me?” God is good. God is no respecter of persons. God is omniscient and knows exactly what you need at this moment. And in all of your pain, in all of your confusion, in this warfare with dying to our own will and taking up a cross daily and dying to self-will, dying to our own ambition, realizing, as we’ve taught now for these years, that we are the chief of sinners, realizing that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing—and I judge God? I want to put a timetable on God? Yes, it’s difficult living in time and space when He lives in eternity, but from His eternal perspective, you are more than conquerors! Hallelujah!
Let’s pray from God’s perspective. He’s already seen it. No man will pluck us out of His hands. Amen? We’re safe as long as we’re abiding in Him, believing in that finished work. Oh, I might be a little beat up and tattered. I may not smell like the Rose of Sharon right now. But He sees me perfect in the finished work of Jesus. And in my prayer, I will boast on that finished work and declare myself to be what He has revealed me to be. Look down for just a second at verse 33, and we’ll finish with this. “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33). What does that say? Those of us that are in Jesus tonight, there is no such thing as fate to the believer. Amen? Nothing is by chance. Our steps are ordered. He knows our name. And the very moment of your last breath, He’s already been there with you. He’s already been there to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Father, we thank You for Your Word. And we just ask that You would give us confidence in our prayer, a boldness to enter in, knowing that we’re repeating back to You what You’ve already decreed. We’re just here to say “Amen” to all that You’ve declared to be your will. Now, use us, anoint us, empower us to go forth fearlessly, boldly, declaring the mighty name of Jesus. And for that, Father, we’ll give You all the praise and all of the honor, in Jesus’ name, amen.
What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? We’re praying as representatives of who He is, what He did, what His will is. When you pray in Jesus’ name, it doesn’t mean you just put “in Jesus’ name” on the end. What we’re saying when we pray in Jesus’ name is, “I’m here on behalf of Jesus. I’m here because He ordained me and sent me forth to continue His work. I’m here saying “Amen” to what He’s already said. Because what I’m asking You for, Father, is what Jesus already prayed for and asked while He was alive on earth. And I am His ambassador, and we’re continuing this work for the kingdom of God, so I’m asking for your will to be done.”
Let me ask the question: are we getting better at leaving our will out of our prayers? When you hear something come out of your mouth, do you catch it? While you’re praying and all of a sudden—whoop! Well, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. There are times when we’re praying and fellowshipping with God, that all of a sudden, something comes out, and you go, “Where did that come from?” We’re praying along; we say, “Father, why won’t You do that for me?” God is good. God is no respecter of persons. God is omniscient and knows exactly what you need at this moment. And in all of your pain, in all of your confusion, in this warfare with dying to our own will and taking up a cross daily and dying to self-will, dying to our own ambition, realizing, as we’ve taught now for these years, that we are the chief of sinners, realizing that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing—and I judge God? I want to put a timetable on God? Yes, it’s difficult living in time and space when He lives in eternity, but from His eternal perspective, you are more than conquerors! Hallelujah!
Let’s pray from God’s perspective. He’s already seen it. No man will pluck us out of His hands. Amen? We’re safe as long as we’re abiding in Him, believing in that finished work. Oh, I might be a little beat up and tattered. I may not smell like the Rose of Sharon right now. But He sees me perfect in the finished work of Jesus. And in my prayer, I will boast on that finished work and declare myself to be what He has revealed me to be. Look down for just a second at verse 33, and we’ll finish with this. “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33). What does that say? Those of us that are in Jesus tonight, there is no such thing as fate to the believer. Amen? Nothing is by chance. Our steps are ordered. He knows our name. And the very moment of your last breath, He’s already been there with you. He’s already been there to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Father, we thank You for Your Word. And we just ask that You would give us confidence in our prayer, a boldness to enter in, knowing that we’re repeating back to You what You’ve already decreed. We’re just here to say “Amen” to all that You’ve declared to be your will. Now, use us, anoint us, empower us to go forth fearlessly, boldly, declaring the mighty name of Jesus. And for that, Father, we’ll give You all the praise and all of the honor, in Jesus’ name, amen.