Power, Prayer, Blood and Water
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart…will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”” (Luke 18:1,7-8)
Introduction
I have long understood the context of Jesus’ teaching in Luke 18 on prayer to be the End. Given that perspective, the following “plan” (cf. Eph 1:9-10), came, or , was revealed, flying between Brisbane and Melbourne on 19/11/2024. It involves a simple, though not simplistic, pattern, that, if part of God’s “good and acceptable and perfect will” (Rom 12:2 cf. 1 Thess 5:20-21) is infinitely repeatable for the sake of “the healing of the nations” (Rev 22:2). As a plan for the global mission of the Church, it is applicable beyond the action of prayer to all spheres of life and culture. This is because its centre, circumference and catalytic power flow from the ongoing intercessory life of the glorified Jesus. A foundational factor for the poverty of prayer in Western Christianity today is the rarity of energetic public teaching on the ongoing heavenly prayer life of Jesus. Despite much boisterous singing (https://gccsatx.com/hymns/majesty/), our usual perception of the exalted majesty of the Son of God (Heb 1:3; 8:1; Jude 24) remains “according to the flesh” rather than sharing in the “new creation” found in him (2 Cor 5:16-17).
Indestructible Life
Jesus’ primary and principal action in heaven, as he sits on the throne sharing with his Father “Lord(ship) of all” all creation (Acts 10:36 cf. Matt 28:18; Rom 10:12), is intercessory prayer. This will change in emphasis at his glorious appearing (1 John 2:28; 3:2), but not in permanence. We will reign forever with him (Rev 5:10; 11:15; 22:5) because he will forever uphold us as our heavenly Intercessor. Hebrews is a letter emphatic on this. Jesus “has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.” (Heb 7:16). Christ is perfectly at rest (Heb 3-4), in the total dynamism of being the everlastingly energised in prayer. “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermostthose who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb 7:25). The presence and the power of Christ’s ongoing intercessions “in the mystery of godliness” (1 Tim 3:16), are communicated to his Bride by his sharing in the Spirit two almighty realities. These are the life-imparting power of poured forth “blood and water” (John 19:34). The blood and the water issuing from the Lord’s glorified humanity are forever living and totally potent! In Christ, God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph 3:20). On this the biblical testimony is plain.
Cleansed by Blood Filled by Spirit
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses/goes on cleansing us from all sin….how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify ourconscience/hearts from dead works to serve the living God.” (1 John 1:7; Heb 9:14). All believers understand that Christ’s shed blood still speaks to the Father and opens his heart to our prayers. (Did we not discover this when, however clumsily, we came to the Lord!) Through the Mediator of the new covenant “the sprinkled blood…speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Heb 12:24). This is a case in God of “once heard always hearing”. In addition to the all persuasive power of the blood of God’s own Son (Acts 20:28), we have the infinite power of “living water”. “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, asthe Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39) The dynamic of the eternal Holy Spirit (Heb 9:14) placed within ordinary mortals (Rom 8:11) is immeasurable. Within the absolute energy of blood and Spirit we will share in Christ’s triumphant intercessory reign forever and ever (Rom 5:17; 8:34). Thinking strategically, how might these “great things” (Bingham) empower the prayers of the indulgent Western Church today!
The Model
It so happens that an apostolic pioneer I know well is working with a minority group in India in a local language, and that several of the brothers I pray with weekly speak this language fluently. More than this, they are passionate about mission in their homeland and are part of a network of ex-pats who share a similar vision. If the centre and circumference of God’s purposes is the transformation of all things in Christ, moving them from the old world to the new creation (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15; Rev 21:5), a mission-oriented prophetic prayer network can be build using this model (Eph 2:20). A model applicable to “every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9; 7:9). A pattern applicable to the mission of the Church to transform all divine established vocations. The various trades e.g. plumbers, electricians, mechanics, builders etc., plus all the professions e.g. medicine, law, architecture, IT etc., can all become hubs of prayer.
The Vision
Summing up, this will comprise a community vision of a world blanketed by enthusiastic pray-ers moved and motivated to see the coming of “the End, when he (Jesus) delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Cor15:24-25). This end-times vision when “God will be everything to everyone” (1 Cor 15:28) envisions the glorification of all aspects of creation in Christ. This will come to pass as the outcome of divinely appointed “prophetic praying”. As one of the great Early Fathers of the Church was inspired to remark, “Let us therefore recognise in him our words, and his words in us.” (Augustine). In other words, the Incarnation of God in the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:14; 1 Tim 3:16) is continued in the Church to the glory of God.
Conclusion
The centre and circumference of this teaching is not the death or resurrection of Christ, foundational as they are to the work of Christ, but their ongoing fruit, the genius of the intercession of the glorified humanity of Christ. The most towering intellect amongst the Puritans remarked, ‘It is generally acknowledged that sinners could not be saved without the death of Christ; but it is not so much considered that believers could not be saved without the life of Christ following it’ (John Owen). The intercession of Christ at the right hand of the Father is an atoning action which brings creation to its eternal perfection in him. Through it the Father accepts the sacrifice of the Son for sinners and brings all to completion. If the “two hands of God”, the Father, are the Word and Spirit, the intercession of the Holy Spirit in the temple of our bodies (1 Cor 6:19; Rom 8:16, 26f; cf. Eph 6:18) in union with the intercession of the Son in the sanctuary of heaven brings the everlasting joy of heaven into every believing heart. Whereas the Church, at least in the West, has notoriously failed to obey Christ in the “discipling of all people groups” (Matt 28:19) the vision of the “healing of the nations” (Rev 22:2) through the power of prayer via blood and Spirit can our own churchly fragmentations so we may in turn heal the world. “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain…. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (2 Cor 6:1; Phil 2:13).