Give a Real AMEN to Your Words and God's Will in Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Talk is cheap, stick and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me. As if words are inconsequential light things that matter little. On the other side,we have sayings like, “your word is bond.” What you promise to do verbally is what you will do - Saying from the bible like “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”. We have the first act of Adam, Naming, its the idea that words are preformative acts - that actually have power and make things. We have God forming the world by His words. We have an understanding that the threads that weave the fabric of a relationship for good or bad are mostly words. Words build up and give life, or words tear down and destroy…death words. As our catechism closes with the second great tool, after God’s law, prayer - as the tool the Holy Spirit uses to remake us in the image of Christ. The words of Christian prayer - offered in this pattern are to be power words that build up and further the hallowing of God’s name in our lives and the furtherance of His kingdom - and just like helpful to begin and end with prelude and doxology - gives an emotional tie to our prayers to - not just asking but staring into the eyes o f the One we ask, his character! So too this last word of Christian prayer that our catechism explains , a biblical word - that is to fill not only our prayer words but our very lives with with Rock-solid confidence. Let me explain how this one word offered to God in faith should do that to your prayer and to your life!
A. Amen does not mean “All Done”
This may be shocking to you but in line with our OT text , when it comes to the words you pray to God in concentrated spefici time of prayer, or in worship private or public, you are to really really mean and believe and rely on those words. Yes, sincerety is at the heart of this, don’t have to have perfect words, must be heartfelt and honest, even must have words purified, but the number one rulein speaking with God is sincerety - a prayer of faith born of the HOly Spirit is one you yourself believe! In our NT text Paul was outlining that he in his travel plans was not YEs and NO -wishy washy - but as certain as Pefect HOly Self-existent, completely Self-Sufficient God is Deetermined. As certain as He really means every wrod, every plan - as certain a they are all YES and AMen in Christ, so certainly he was meaning what he said to come to them. And then he says, when you get on board with God’s Word, with His Plan in Christ, with His will revealed by Word and Spirit - what do we do?
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
Some people feel that it is enough in terms of our prayer just to know we can ask anything we want, God will sort it out, if in accord with His hidden will - get a yes, if we don’t hit the jackpot get a no, and in the waiting you have a maybe. Now that may have some merit in terms of how we understand how God answers each of our prayers, this has no merit in how we actually ought to pray, or in how we are offer every request everything thanksgiving, every lament, every word - with a true faith-filled amen! After you speak your words to God in faith - how is it possible for you to utter an Amen to the Glory of God! This is super serious matter and really the difference between a prayer of faith and an idle call to God that does not register!
It is interesting in the history of this Hebrew then turned Aramaic Word, into Greek and every other language, that this Word was at one time band as being too dangerous! But before I explain that and how it might be true for some of your and my prayers, you need to know what bibilclally this word really means, then i will let you know why it was banned and for what kindo f prayers we ought bann it. And more importantly why it is reinstated forChristain prayer and how you shoudl rpay it.
B. Amen Means i) My Desire is Sincere & ii)God’s Faithful Answer is Guaranteed
In this first sense, Amen, which literally means “it is true” is us summing up all our prayer saying of each part it is true, I ratify this. It not the last part of prayer and not part of the prayer, It is summarizing everything I’ve said - and saying yes indeed, and how! It is like what we get people to do in court, place a hand on the Bible and say, Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.” Legitimate oath that binds the person to speaking the truth from the heart fully! Sometimes that how the word is used in every day life - indeed the way jesus used it Turly Truly I say unto - Verily Verily - the word is amen amen.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
When used of prayers in the letters of the NT or doxologies, read for peope in public worship - we find that Amen at the end of what is said! In fact, in the OT in corporate worship, an indivdual speaking some words - could never say - Amen my words are true. Never used to verify yourself! More like when Moses had the blessing and the curses of God’s covenant read - the people resonded with AMEN after each of them. Serious business. No it was used by the congregation to say - we agree with every word of what the congregation has just said together, or what another person has lifted up in prayer - its what we want and think, and its in accord with God’s word. In fact, it was for this reason that they made a rule that the word could only be said if the prayer of litany that was being agreed to - And the mishna warned against saying amen when it was a non-Jew or Samaritan leading.
So saying Maenin worship and in prayer - meant you whole heartedly agreed with the words jsut spoken.
But the word meant more, and here is the comfort in concluding your prayers with a real Amen. Amen also means by faith your are leaning on and fully expecting God’s faithful answer! I suggest the first part may be the personal result of this second parto f the meaning which is the heart of it.
B. Amen Means i) My Desire is Sincere & ii)God’s Faithful Answer is Guaranteed
Look how this word is used in the OT:
The root meaning of the verb: is to prop up, to stand, to sustain; to make something frim, to carry someon on the arm:
Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
Metaphorically used with a friend, it meant faithful, trustworthy and sure. So yo think about a friend giving you some constructive criticism but you know that their words are both true, but also meant for your good! So we read that familiar
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
And when you nkow God with His will, the promtping of his Spirit, the fulfiling of the promises he has given us - then Amen applied to God in the OT meant:
therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
That word whoever believes is AMN - he will not be in haste , he will not flee away - he willl be established in God’s Will.
Elsewhere Paul says, all of God’s promises are yes and amen in Christ. The book of calls Jesus:
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
Elsewhere Paul says, all of God’s promises are yes and amen in Christ. The book of calls Jesus:
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
In the Ot
so that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.
The GOD of AMEN - relying on His truth and follow through for his people. And Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that reality on earth!
So when we say Amen, not to be mumbled but spoken clearly and loudly with meaning. It is professing that not only do I really mean what I’ve prayed, I belive I am praying according to God’s word and will and promsies. That his Holy Spirit has promitpete these prayers tothe One who is ablsolutely faithful. I am praying carried on the hip of my God, leaning and trusting His great movmemnt for His Kingdom but also for my needs to serve in his kingdom. Amen is professing I am trusting God’s faithful answers in his time and his way but aabsoltuely heard and will answer. And the mystery of prayer is that the unfoldingo f Christ’s kingdom for good in my life and in this world - uses the prayer of God’s people to activeate and move His plans. We wait for God’s answers - but God in one sense has sent His Holy Spirit through Christ and motivates true prayer in us, so that we would GIVE our Amen to God for His glory!
In other words, though he didn’t have to God has planned it that our prayers matter and further His gloruy - and so our Amen is regnozing this and that is by His promsies claimed and prayed , His will sought and longed for, that we have certain answer from teh Faihtful One comnig our way!
C. Include Your Real Amen in Your Worship & Prayer Life
This is why the OT people of God went from using Amenas responses to oath, blessings and curses, descrtiption of firmness., to incorpoarting into their worship and prayer life! We see this development in the Book of Psalms: The last psalms in books one through four conclude with the doxology “bless Yahweh” or “bless His Name” followed by “Amen, and Amen” (; , ) or “Amen, Praise Yah” ().
We see that in the period between exile and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Second Temple period, that God’s people when in syngagoue or elsewhere saying a liturgy or prayer together - it was not necessary to say Amen, but if one person lead them then tindividuals can speak an amen -showing agreement.
And this brings to the moment in Jewish worship when Amen was banned. The decision to discontinue the “Amen” in the temple likely arose after the death of Alexander Jannaeus in 76 BC, when the Pharisees gained judicial power over the Sadducees in temple proceedings. Eliminating the response “amen” could prevent the assembly from affirming what the Pharisees would consider Sadducean error (Lachs, “Why Was,” 230–40).
Do you get their concern don’t say Amen unless you really mean what you pray and that your prayer is based on truth! Paul in the same way, even though he ends his prayers in the NT letters and he ends his doxolgyies in the NT letters all with this one word Amen. He gives a similar type warning:
Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
Well Jesus the One who is God’s Faithfulness, His Answer to every promise of God for His people. And of the 129 occurence of Amen in the NT , 99 are on his lips with what he says. His truly truly, amen amen, is basically saying THUS SAITH THE LORD of the OT. And As he leaves, having received and now poured out the Holy Spirit, he says, so far you have not asked anything in my name. But now ask anything in my name and you will receive it! Jesus is inviting us to pray i His Name the true Amen, by His Spirit, He is saying you are to add your belief that in Christ according to His will as you pray - almost saying Thus Saith thee LORD - so I believe what I’ve asked and guaranteed to get Your Good Word accomplished by Christ, applied by Your Spirit in our lives!
And so we see inthe churchin our worship and in the life of prayer individually and corporately the full meaningof finsihing our rprayers wiht this all-most -oath! AMEN The remaining AMENS in the NT are most in prayer and in doxolgoy praise we utter to God. Our Christain Amens are an affirmation of a blessing, prayer, song, or praise to God by the assembly.
"Amen" means, This is sure to be! It is even more sure that God listens to my prayer, than that I
Ingrid Spellnes Faro, “Amen,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
Ingrid Spellnes Faro, “Amen,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
This is sure to be!
It is even more sure that God
listens to my prayer, than that I
really desire what I pray for. QA 129
Ingrid Spellnes Faro, “Amen,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
Think about the conifience taht outght to give us to offer all prayer on all occassions with … Remember these tools God’s Law and Prayer - part of the third part of the catechism we doing good works not as the ground of our faith, but fruit, result of our union with Christ, and prayer is how the HOly Spirit grows us to be more iek Christ and as we ask in his name according to this pattern and really asking in faith, saying amen ito each reuqest we know we are guaranteed his answers!
And this is so good because even when I wonder do I really know His will , do I really pray that right things, I can rest assured that in Christ, god hears my true prayer even more than I want to pray it - in my weakness.
And isn’t that the whole compofrt of beloing to jesus: I am not my own but belng blody and soul in life and death to my faithful to my Amen Saviour Jersus Christ -will i have forgiveness and receive grace to forgive others, will I be set free from slavery of the devil - all temptation i specifically lift up - will God grant me real deiverarnce, grant us - daily bread - and Why because I belong to HIm and together even through my believeing prayer - we are working together to have His name furthered and His Kingdom to come and His will to be done!
This is why Packer closes his teaching on the LP this way. offer your loud and emphatic amen - because you mean what you pray and are identifying completely with the attitudes, hopes, and goals that the prayer expresses. He says then take the check list when you say AMEN to our prayers here and to your prayers each day:
So the fittest way to end these brief studies in the prayer that takes a lifetime (and more) to master is with a checklist of the main items involved; and therefore I ask:
Do you identify with the trust in Jesus Christ as your own Savior, and the faith in God as your own God through him, and the recognition of every Christian as your own brother in God’s family, that is expressed by “Our Father”?
Is the hallowing of God’s name in and through you, whatever that may cost, your own controlling purpose in life? Do you want to see God triumph in his kingdom, and to see everything that does not match his perfection come to an end?
Will you labor and suffer for the kingdom, if need be, so as to become its agent, the means of bringing it into lives and situations where the gates have been locked against God?
Do you happily take God’s will of command for your rule, and God’s will of events for your destiny, knowing (by faith) that both are supremely good?
Is there any matter in which you are flying in the face of God’s will of command, excusing yourself on the grounds of there being other commands that you faithfully keep? If so, what will you now do about it?
Do you see and know that unless God acts to provide for today’s needs, and to pardon today’s sins, and to protect you in today’s temptations, you are lost?
Do you make it an issue of conscience never to bear a grudge or cherish bitterness against anyone, but to show forgiving mercy always, because of the forgiving mercy that God always shows you?
Is there any person whom hitherto you have refused to forgive for what he or she did to you? Will you ask the Lord this moment to help you change your attitude, and get right with that person?
Do you make it your habit to watch and pray against temptation? Will you make it your habit from now on?
Is the Lord’s Prayer really in your heart? Are you being honest when you say “amen” to it? “O God, make clean our hearts within us; and take not thy Holy Spirit from us.” Lord, teach me how to pray, by teaching me how to live; for Jesus’ sake; amen. J.I. Packer “Praying the Lord’s Prayer”
Praying the Lord’s Prayer Your Prayer?
So the fittest way to end these brief studies in the prayer that takes a lifetime (and more) to master is with a checklist of the main items involved; and therefore I ask:
Do you identify with the trust in Jesus Christ as your own Savior, and the faith in God as your own God through him, and the recognition of every Christian as your own brother in God’s family, that is expressed by “Our Father”?
Is the hallowing of God’s name in and through you, whatever that may cost, your own controlling purpose in life? Do you want to see God triumph in his kingdom, and to see everything that does not match his perfection come to an end?
Will you labor and suffer for the kingdom, if need be, so as to become its agent, the means of bringing it into lives and situations where the gates have been locked against God?
Do you happily take God’s will of command for your rule, and God’s will of events for your destiny, knowing (by faith) that both are supremely good?
Is there any matter in which you are flying in the face of God’s will of command, excusing yourself on the grounds of there being other commands that you faithfully keep? If so, what will you now do about it?
Do you see and know that unless God acts to provide for today’s needs, and to pardon today’s sins, and to protect you in today’s temptations, you are lost?
Do you make it an issue of conscience never to bear a grudge or cherish bitterness against anyone, but to show forgiving mercy always, because of the forgiving mercy that God always shows you?
Is there any person whom hitherto you have refused to forgive for what he or she did to you? Will you ask the Lord this moment to help you change your attitude, and get right with that person?
Do you make it your habit to watch and pray against temptation? Will you make it your habit from now on?
Is the Lord’s Prayer really in your heart? Are you being honest when you say “amen” to it? “O God, make clean our hearts within us; and take not thy Holy Spirit from us.” Lord, teach me how to pray, by teaching me how to live; for Jesus’ sake; amen.
J. I. Packer, Praying the Lord’s Prayer (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007), 118–120.
J. I. Packer, Praying the Lord’s Prayer (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007), 118.