THE AIM OF PRAYER
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13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
THAT the Father may be glorified in the Son: it is to this end that Jesus on His throne in glory will do all we ask in His Name.
Every answer to prayer He gives will have this as its object: when there is no prospect of this object being obtained, He will not answer. It follows that this must be with us, as with Jesus, the essential element in our petitions: the glory of the Father must be the aim and end, the very soul and life of our prayer.
If it will not be glorifying to God - it should not be prayed
If glorifying God is not our purpose our request can not be answered.
Revelation 1:6: "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
Revelation 4:9: "And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,"
Revelation 4:11: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
Revelation 5:12: "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
Revelation 5:13: "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
Revelation 7:12: "Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."
Revelation 11:13: "And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven."
Revelation 14:7: "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."
Revelation 15:4: "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."
Revelation 15:8: "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."
The Reason for Judgement on this earth:
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Revelation 16:9: "And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory."
Revelation 18:1: "And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory."
Revelation 19:1: "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:"
Revelation 19:7: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready."
Revelation 21:11: "Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;"
Revelation 21:23: "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
Revelation 21:24: "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."
Revelation 21:26: "And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it."
These verses from Revelation emphasize the glory and majesty of God, especially in the context of worship, judgment, and the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom.
It was so with Jesus when He was on earth. I seek not mine own honor: I seek the honor of Him that sent me; we have the keynote of His life. In the first words of the high-priestly prayer, He gives utterance to it: Father! Glorify Thy son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee. I have glorified Thee on earth; glorify me with Thyself.’ The ground on which He asks to be taken up into the glory He had with the Father is the twofold one: He has glorified Him on earth; He will still glorify Him in heaven. What He asks is only to enable Him to glorify the Father more. As we enter into sympathy with Jesus on this point and gratify Him by making the Father’s glory our chief object in prayer, too, our prayer cannot fail of an answer.
Jhn 7:14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
Jhn 7:15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
Jhn 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
Jhn 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
Jhn 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
There is nothing the Beloved Son has said more distinctly that it will glorify the Father than this, His doing what we ask; He will not, therefore, let any opportunity slip of securing this object. Let us make His aim ours: let the glory of the Father be the link between our asking and His doing: such prayer must prevail.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
This word of Jesus comes as a sharp two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. Jesus, in His prayers on earth, in His intercession in heaven, in His promise of an answer to our prayers from there, makes this His first object--the glory of His Father. Is it so with us too? Or are not, in considerable measure, self-interest and self-will the strongest motives urging us to pray? Or, if we cannot see that this is the case, have we not to acknowledge that the distinct, conscious longing for the glory of the Father is not what animates our prayers? And yet it must be so.
Not as if the believer does not at times desire it. But he has to mourn that he has so little attained. And he knows the reason for his failure, too. It was because the separation between the spirit of daily life and the spirit of the hour of prayer was too broad.
We begin to see that the desire for the glory of the Father is not something that we can awake and present to our Lord when we prepare ourselves to pray. No! it is only when the whole life, in all its parts, is given up to God's glory that we can pray to His glory too. Do all to the glory of God, and, Ask all to the glory of God,'--these twin commands are inseparable: obedience to the former is the secret of grace for the latter.
A life to the glory of God is the condition of the prayers that Jesus can answer, that the Father may be glorified.' This demand in connection with prevailing prayer- that it should be to God’s glory- is no more than right and natural.
The concept of God's creation bringing Him glory is expressed in several verses throughout the Bible. Here are the verses that specifically mention this idea:
Psalm 19:1: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
Psalm 148:5: "Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created."
Isaiah 43:7: "Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him."
Isaiah 44:23: "Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel."
Isaiah 60:21: "Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified."
Revelation 4:11: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
These verses collectively highlight the idea that all of creation reflects and declares the glory of God, showcasing His power, craftsmanship, and purpose.
There is none glorious but the Lord: there is no glory but His, and what He lays on His creatures. Creation exists to show forth His glory; all that is not for His glory is sin, darkness, and death: it is only in the glorifying of God that the creatures can find glory. What the Son of Man did, to give
George Muller, at the close of this volume, how he was led to make God's glory his first object.
Himself wholly, His whole life, to glorify the Father, is nothing but the simple duty of every redeemed one.
And Christ's reward will be his too. Because He gave Himself so entirely to the glory of the Father, the Father crowned Him with glory and honor, giving the kingdom into His hands, with the power to ask what He will, and, as Intercessor, to answer our prayers. And just as we become one with Christ in this, and as our prayer is part of a life utterly surrendered to God's glory, will the Saviour be able to glorify the Father to us by the fulfillment of the promise: Whatsoever ye shall ask, I will do it'
To such a life, with God's glory our only aim, we cannot attain by any effort of our own. Only in the man Christ Jesus that such a life is to be seen: in Him it is to be found for us. Yes, blessed be God. His life is our life; He gave Himself for us; He Himself is now our life.
The discovery, confession, and denial of self, as usurping the place of God, of self-seeking and self-trusting, is essential, and yet is what we cannot accomplish in our own strength. It is the incoming and indwelling, the Presence and the Rule in the heart, of our Lord Jesus who glorified the Father on earth, and is now glorified with Him, that thence He might glorify Him in us,-it is Jesus Himself coming in, who can cast out all seif-glorifying, and give us instead His own God-glorifying life and Spirit. Jesus, who longs to glorify the Father by hearing our prayers, will teach us to live and pray for God’s glory.
And what motive and power is there that can urge our slothful hearts to yield to our Lord to work this in us? Indeed, nothing more is needed than a sight of how glorious, how alone worthy of glory the Father is. Let our faith learn in adoring worship to bow before Him, to ascribe to Him alone the kingdom, the power, and the glory, to dwell in His light as the ever-blessed, ever-loving One.
Indeed, we shall be stirred to say, To Him alone be glory. And we shall look to our lord Jesus with new intensity of desire for life that refuses to see or seek ought but the glory of God.
The Father is not glorified when there is but little prayer that can be answered.
It is a duty, for the glory of God, to live and pray so that our prayer can be answered.
For the sake of God's glory, let us learn to pray well.
What a humbling thought that so often there is earnest prayer for a child or a friend, for a work or a circle, in which the thought of our joy or our pleasure was far stronger than any yearnings for God's glory. No wonder there are so many unanswered prayers: here we have the secret. God would not be glorified when that glory was not our object. He that would pray the prayer of faith will have to give himself to live literally so that the Father in all things may be glorified in him. His aim must be this: without this, there cannot be the prayer of faith.
How can ye believe,' said Jesus, which receive glory of one another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek not?' All seeking of our own glory with men makes faith impossible: it is the profound, intense self-sacrifice that gives up its own glory, and seeks the glory of God alone, that wakens in the soul that spiritual susceptibility of the Divine, which is faith.
The surrender to God to seek His glory and the expectation that He will show His glory in hearing us are one at root: He that seeks God's glory will see it in the answer to his prayer, and he alone.
And how, we ask again, shall we attain to it?
Let us begin with confession. How little has the glory of God been an all-absorbing passion; how little our lives and prayers have been whole of it. How little have we lived in the likeness of the Son, and in sympathy with Him--for God and His glory alone.
Let us take time until the Holy Spirit discovers it for us and we see how wanting we have been in this. True knowledge and confession of sin are the sure path to deliverance.
And then let us look to Jesus. In Him, we can see by what death we can glorify God. In death, He glorified Him; through death, He was glorified with Him. By dying, being dead to self and living to God, we can glorify Him. And this--this death to self, this life to the glory of God--is what Jesus gives and lives in each who can trust Him for it. Let nothing less than these -the desire, the decision to live only for the glory of the Father, even as Christ did; the acceptance of Him with His life and strength working in us; the joyful assurance that we can live to the glory of God because Christ lives in us; -let this be the spirit of our daily life. Jesus stands surety for our living thus: the Holy Spirit is given, and waiting to make it our experience, if we will only trust and let Him; O let us not hold back through unbelief, but confidently take as our watchword-
-All to the glory of God! The Father accepts the will; the sacrifice is well-pleasing; the Holy Spirit will seal us within with the consciousness that we are living for God and His glory.
And then what quiet peace and power there will be in our prayers, as we know ourselves through His grace, in perfect harmony with Him who says to us, when He promises to do what we ask: That the Father may be glorified in the Son.
With our whole being consciously yielded to the inspiration of the Word and Spirit, our desires will be no longer ours but His; their chief end is the glory of God. With increasing liberty, we shall be able in prayer to say: Father! Thou knowest, we ask it only for Thy glory. And the condition of prayer answers, instead of being as a mountain we cannot climb, will only give us the greater confidence that we shall be heard because we have seen that prayer has no higher beauty or blessedness than this, that it glorifies the Father. And the precious privilege of prayer will become doubly precious because it brings us into perfect unison with the Beloved Son in the beautiful partnership He proposes: You ask, and I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.'
Blessed Lord Jesus! I come again to Thee. Every lesson you gave me convinces me more deeply how little I know to pray right. But every lesson also inspires me with hope that Thou art will teach me, that Thou art teaching me not only to know what prayer should be, but actually to pray as I ought.
O my Lord! I look with courage to Thee, the Great Intercessor, who didst pray and dost hear prayer, only that the Father may be glorified, to teach me too to live and to pray to the glory of God.
Saviour! To this end I yield myself to Thee again. I would be nothing. As already crucified with Thee, I have given self to the
death. Through the Spirit, its markings are mortified and made Saviour! To this end, I yield myself to Thee again. I would be nothing. As already crucified with Thee, I have given self to the death. Through the Spirit its workings are mortified and made dead; Thy life and Thy love of the Father are taking possession of me. A new longing begins to fill my soul, that every day, every hour, that in every prayer, the glory of the Father may be everything to me. O my Lord! I am in Thy school to learn this: teach Thou it me.
And do Thou, the God of glory, the Father of glory, my God and my Father, accept the desire of a child who has seen that Thy glory is indeed alone worth living for. O Lord! Show me Thy glory. Let it overshadow me. Let it fill the temple of my heart. Let me dwell in it as revealed in Christ. And do Thou Thyself fulfil in me Thine own good pleasure, that Thy child should find his glory in seeking the glory of his Father. Amen.