Is There No Balm In Gilead?
“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?” (Jeremiah 8:22)
Is prayer a weapon for us to use? Many Christians seem to think so. I don’t happen to be one of them. I think it is the “balm in Gilead” which, when used, heals our broken spirits.
Don’t get me wrong, I pray, and ask God to do things for me or others. But it is not a weapon. A weapon is a tool used by people to overcome and defeat an enemy. The bigger the weapon, the better chance of winning the battle. Prayer is not like that…at least to me. God is not waiting for me to pray long enough or hard enough to get Him to act on my behalf. Such an assumption is foolish to me. God knows what I need before I ask so prayer is not a weapon to get him to help me defeat an enemy.
“And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)
Our prayers cannot defeat the "devil's schemes", nor influence God to do something He would not otherwise do. But prayer is a way to “stand” in “faith”, putting on the “whole armor of God”. Prayer is submitting to the promise of victory contained in the “Word of God”, the promise of God to ultimately defeat our enemy and reconcile all to Himself, even the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms", for that is His expressed will.
"For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross." (Colossians 1:19-20)
God has created and will defeat the enemy, we are only to "stand firm", trusting and praying in the “Spirit, which is the Word of God”.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, divine utterance may be given me, so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:10-20)
So what is prayer for?
It is a means of surrendering our will to His and trusting Him. It is a privilege He gives us to lay all our burdens upon Him in faith, and in applying that "balm" to our problems.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
So for me, prayer is not a weapon to use to get what I want, it is the "balm in Gilead" that I may freely apply to those circumstances which seem impossible to me from time to time...enabling me to have some peace in the midst of the storms of life.
Is prayer a weapon for us to use? Many Christians seem to think so. I don’t happen to be one of them. I think it is the “balm in Gilead” which, when used, heals our broken spirits.
Don’t get me wrong, I pray, and ask God to do things for me or others. But it is not a weapon. A weapon is a tool used by people to overcome and defeat an enemy. The bigger the weapon, the better chance of winning the battle. Prayer is not like that…at least to me. God is not waiting for me to pray long enough or hard enough to get Him to act on my behalf. Such an assumption is foolish to me. God knows what I need before I ask so prayer is not a weapon to get him to help me defeat an enemy.
“And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)
Our prayers cannot defeat the "devil's schemes", nor influence God to do something He would not otherwise do. But prayer is a way to “stand” in “faith”, putting on the “whole armor of God”. Prayer is submitting to the promise of victory contained in the “Word of God”, the promise of God to ultimately defeat our enemy and reconcile all to Himself, even the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms", for that is His expressed will.
"For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross." (Colossians 1:19-20)
God has created and will defeat the enemy, we are only to "stand firm", trusting and praying in the “Spirit, which is the Word of God”.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, divine utterance may be given me, so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:10-20)
So what is prayer for?
It is a means of surrendering our will to His and trusting Him. It is a privilege He gives us to lay all our burdens upon Him in faith, and in applying that "balm" to our problems.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
So for me, prayer is not a weapon to use to get what I want, it is the "balm in Gilead" that I may freely apply to those circumstances which seem impossible to me from time to time...enabling me to have some peace in the midst of the storms of life.