Little Miss Technicality & Prayers that Avail Much

As our Pastor began his sermon this morning on “Is God hearing my prayers? OR yet another reason to lead a Holy Life” from John 9:31. I scanned the outline from the bulletin. My eyes came to rest on Prayer Principle # 1: God does not hear the prayers of sinners! This led me to think of one of my favorite verses in scripture: “The effectual and fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much” James 5:16b. At this point I made a not on the bulletin that simply said… Little Miss Technicality…Jackson…blog

Then I returned to the sermon. Great message Pastor Ken.

 When I was a little girl my father gave me many nicknames. Being born in October I became pumpkin. Sometimes being a little too much my mother’s daughter, I was Little Miss Mary Agnes (my mother names was Mary Agnes). Finally as I grew older I became “Little Miss Technicality.” I seemed to have had a penchant for being very specific and I did not seem to mind correcting someone if perchance they misspoke. Such things as Mom states, “it was around two feet long” and I answer, no,  “it was only 20 inches”

 Now many years later I have an eight and a half year old grandson who could be Master Technicality. It really seems much more offensive when he corrects me then I ever thought I sounded correcting my parents.

This brings me back to James 5:16b. As a new Christian I knew a few basic biblical truths and one was: “there were none found righteous, no not one!!! Ok, so in my best “Little Miss Technicality” role I ask… If none are righteous and if the prayers of a righteous man availeth much; then it stands to reason that none of our prayers avail anything!  But wait. This cannot be. So what does it mean? Well I went back to the beginning of James 5 and read the entire scripture in context. Alas, there was the answer. “Confessing your sins one to another and pray to one another so that you may be healed”

This coupled with the other truth of how our sin separates us from God …made it finally all clear.

As long as there was unconfessed sin in my heart my prayers would not avail what they should. This does not mean that I control God’s will with my sinfulness. God can and will move forward with His will in spite of me.

Working through all of this brings me to the final point of this entry. Ephesians 6: 4, counsels “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.” Fathers: in this scripture refers to parents.

Parents, when that special gift from heaven uses the intellect God gave them and splits hairs and acts like “Mr. or Miss Technicality” Stand firm in their honoring of you as parents and the manner in which they speak to you or others, but please understand that if you only give scolding without also praising the use of their mind, you may well hinder their natural curiosity from which they learn and thus you “provoke them”.

Sometimes as parents and grandparents we do not “see” the entire picture and we will act before we think.  May we endeavor to “be slow to anger” and thus glorify our Father in heaven as we raise our children and grandchildren.

Are you a “Lois”? Then listen up!

 

“ For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your Grandmother Lois and then in your Mother Eunice , for I am sure it is in you as well” 2 Timothy 1:5.

As we read the verse above we look first at the characteristic which Paul is commending in Timothy; “of the sincere faith within you”. Paul has used this particular word pairing previously in 1 Timothy 1:5, “The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith “

The Greek word used in this coupling is anupokritos which in essence means anti-hypocrite, thus inferring the deepest level of sincerity possible. It is this sincere faith which is being commended in Timothy as a much desired characteristic. Paul does not stop there but proceeds to indicate the source of this sincere faith.

The God chosen vehicle for this sincere faith is attributed to having dwelt first in Timothy’s Grandmother Lois and then in his Mother Eunice. In Second Timothy 3:15 Paul indicates that Timothy was taught as a young child “ the sacred writings which are able to give you wisdom unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ” Lois we know from scripture was a Hebrew and took seriously God’s command to Israel in Deuteronomy 6:7;

“teach them (the commandments) diligently to your sons ans shall take of them in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”

Interestingly Paul uses this declaration of Timothy’s upbringing in The Word as a precursor to 2 Timothy 3:16 establishing God’s Word as God breathed & profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.

How interesting is the placement of the declaration of the source and timing of Timothy’s instruction just prior to one of the most quoted scriptures in the Bible as it pertains to the teaching of The Word of God. A coincidence, I think not. God’s Word is very volitional. I believe, considering God’s design for a woman it is a source of instruction for mothers and grandmothers outlining their responsibilities in the diligent teaching of the children in their care. Most specifically their own children and grandchildren.

This entire section of Word4Women is devoted to helping Lois’ everywhere to provide a Godly example and become a source of diligent teaching for their grandchildren.

You may be a Nana, a Grammy, an Oma or Granny but what ever you are called the Lord calls you in the spirit of Lois. You may be a grandmother who became a Christian late in life or you my be a grandmother who was blessed to have been raised in a Godly home. Whichever the case you CAN and MUST teach your grandchildren for the Glory of God.