The Grand Psychosis

"Sin is the ultimate disease, the grand psychosis. You cannot escape it or defeat it on your own. Look around and you will see its mark everywhere. Sin complicates what is already complicated. Life in a fallen world is more arduous than God ever intended, yet our sin makes it worse. We deal with much more than suffering, disease, disappointment, and death. Our deepest problem is not experiential, biological, or relational; it is moral, and it alters everything. It distorts our identity, alters our perspective, derails our behavior, and kidnaps our hope. As Moses noted when he described human culture before the flood, "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time" (Gen 6:5). This is what sin does to us. It is the ultimate disease!" Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, Pages 12-13.

Prayer and The Sovereignty of God

Wack! Wack! (Fists to forehead)

I struggle to remember key theological truths in the midst of my daily toils. I often find myself thinking I've read a lot, I love the process of researching, I am interested in almost everything and I want to keep learning more...and more! But I am starting to shift my passion from always learning more to being skilled at remembering always what I've learned.

Case in point. I've read much on Prayer and I've read much on God's Sovereignty and how the two work together. In order to tell you about it though, I'd have to take some time to refresh my thoughts. This pains me! I just want to know and be able to answer effectively and immediately - for my own sake and for the others I love.

I am always having to remind myself of the answer to this question: If God is Sovereign, Why Pray? Some will scoff the question off and ridicule my theological immaturity. Some will say who cares, it is such a huge question and I don't want to argue with anyone. I believe the lack of understanding of the question and correct answer is, however, at the forefront of why I don't pray enough and why others I love don't pray enough.

The question can literally be approached from many angles. I need to stop gathering information about all the angles and simply answer the question, memorize the answer, and let time help me rework it.

Pulpit Magazine recently put together a series on the very topic of Prayer and the Sovereignty of God. I found it helpful in answering the question Why Pray if God is Sovereign?

There are four parts (Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4) in the series and the answer to the central question is spread across four reasons:

1. God has commanded us to pray.
2. Jesus modeled a life of prayer.
3. God is able to respond to our prayers.
4. God actually does respond to prayer.
5. God has ordained prayer as a means by which He accomplishes His eternal purposes.