Approaching The Lord

 

This morning on the reservation there was an invitation for members of our community to join together in prayer over the COVID-19 pandemic. The invitation said, “All denominations of faith are welcome to join whether it be traditional Jicarilla, Christian or other faiths.”

In response to the invitation here is what I shared on our congregation’s Facebook page:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for nearly one year. Edward Velarde, President of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the JAN Legislative Council have asked members of the community to join in a time of prayer today, from 9-10 AM and again at 7 PM. They ask for prayer for the safety of the community, our state, our country, and the world, particularly as the vaccine for the virus is now being made available.

The call for prayer is made as an open invitation to people of all faiths. What I want to say here, as a Christian pastor of a Christian church, is that there is just one God, who reveals Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This God shows Himself, to us and the world, most clearly and powerfully as the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only God who hears and answers prayer. The idea that the people of our community would seek God is a good one. Let us pray being mindful not so much of what we are praying for but Whom we are praying to.”

I believe that the sentiment for members of our community to join together in prayer is a good thing, but that what we believe about the nature of God makes a very significant difference in how our prayers are received by Him, and if we might expect any kind of particular response from Him.

Psalm 145:18 says:

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

Our congregation is a part of the Reformed Church in America, and one of our denomination’s statements of belief is the Nicene Creed, which is used by many Christian denominations and churches. The Creed says this:

We believe in one God,
      the Father almighty,
      maker of heaven and earth,
      of all things visible and invisible. 

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only Son of God,
      begotten from the Father before all ages,
           God from God,
           Light from Light,
           true God from true God,
      begotten, not made;
      of the same essence as the Father.
      Through him all things were made.
      For us and for our salvation
           he came down from heaven;
           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
           and was made human.
           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
           he suffered and was buried.
           The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
           He ascended to heaven
           and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
           He will come again with glory
           to judge the living and the dead.
           His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the Lord, the giver of life.
      He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
      and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
      He spoke through the prophets.
      We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
      We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
      We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
      and to life in the world to come. Amen.

To “call on God in truth,” in this time after the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, means to move beyond understanding God as being merely a Creator but knowing and loving Him as Father, Son and Spirit. People may find it easy to believe in the existence of God but falter at what to do about the person of Jesus. If we say that there is a God, and we pray to this God, but have no time or place in our belief system for the person of Jesus, then we are simply praying to a god, and not the Real and True God.

Take a look back at the middle section of the creed and see what it says about Jesus. Who He is. What He has done. What He is doing. What He will do. God, without Jesus, is nothing. God, with Jesus, is the pathway to everything.

Approaching the Lord is always a good thing. So  lift your prayers, to the Lord, in truth, through faith in the person and work of His Son Jesus.

 

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo credit: EmmausBibleChurch.org