Open-ended Answers
So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:23 (NIV)
Petitioned – Ezra’s statement shows us the proper protocol for answered prayer. It does not guarantee that the answer we receive is the answer we hope to receive, but it tells us that answers do come. The proper protocol is captured in two Hebrew words.
The first word is baqash. We petitioned. Baqash “basically connotes a person’s earnest seeking of something or someone which exists or is thought to exist. Its intention is that its object be found (māṣāʾ) or acquired (Ex 4:19).”[1] baqash is more than requesting. It is asking with full submission. It is coming to God as His completely obedient servants, ready to do whatever He decides, without argument. It is the word for the full reign and rule of God’s authority. “We fasted and came to God fully surrendered to His will” is the essence of Ezra’s statement. Why fast? Because denying my physical well-being is a symbol of my submission. I show that I am willing to go to extreme measures in order to be obedient. Without baqash, prayer is just mouthing religious words.
The second word is athar; the seldom used official word for prayer. Here is it used reflexively. The verse doesn’t actually say that God “answered our prayer.” What it says is that God was “entreated on behalf of us.” In other words, this verse simply says that God heard and acted. When His people come before Him with a demonstration of full commitment and the willingness of total surrender, God hears and acts. How God acts is entirely up to Him. But since we know that God is good, we know that all of His actions are destined for the completion of His good purposes. For those who are fully surrendered, that is enough! Prayer is completed when God hears and acts. Nothing more is needed. Prayer does not demand any specific action. It does not dictate to God what must occur. It simply calls on God to hear and act, leaving the nature of the response entirely in His hands.
There is a deep, theological reason to leave your prayers open-ended like this. You don’t know what is the best course of action for the purposes of God. You don’t have an eternal perspective on things. You don’t see the full picture. You are a very limited creature. He is the Creator, the Ruler, the Almighty and Omniscient One. So asking Him to act with an open-ended agenda is trusting His decisions. Furthermore, God is full of surprises. He is the constantly creative God, not limited to the solutions that men devise. He is glorified when His answers are something we could never have imagined. Prayer is total surrender, evidenced by action; then open-ended acceptance. God hears those prayers – and acts! To pray is to commit myself to obedience, no matter what happens.
Topical Index: Ezra 8:23, baqash, athar, pray, petition, answer
[1] Coppes, L. J. (1999). 276 בָּקַשׁ. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (126). Chicago: Moody Press.
1 John 5:15 KJV
I John 5:15 confirms this. ” If we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
I have often felt that some people’s prayer for me was more a form of witchcraft than an entreaty to Yah and I would either politely refuse it or silently rebuke it. Now I know why theologically. Thanks.
Michael, I have had that experience, too. I am learning to ask people to agree with me that His will be done in whatever the object of my prayers may be.
I have come to liken prayer as a re-opening of the line between myself and heaven and that INCLUDES whatever or whomever I may be praying for. Praying is giving and receiving love, essentially. When you are distraught and confused and need answers and help, that is not necessarily the time to start dictating the help and answers; it is the time to receive love and to trust the Lover. How do we receive His love? By becoming obedient. “Whatsoever He asks of you, do it” is the best way to get the wine into the pot. Setting terms, conditions, stipulations and constraints is, like, just about backwards.
It is pretty easy to get caught up in what I want or what I think would be best. This word today seems to turn the light on brighter for me.
I have been in both frames of mind. Funny how when my prayers are open-ended I have peace about whatever the answer. Not so much when self is on the throne as ruler!
Truly trusting Y-H is a complex but yet simple choice. The world sure doesn’t not trust anything but its own notions and ways and we see the utter chaos that rules the day. Yet the choice to follow after the world is a VERY tempting one in many ways.
I listen to some prayers and I wonder to myself if this isn’t the very thing Jesus warned about when He talked of loud prayers mostly so those listening would think the one praying was very pious and correct. I think a lot of folks intend well but do not understand that we are to trust no matter the outcome. It does seem to be all backwards in many ways.
I prefer simple and to trust Y-H with my life. This does not mean I sit around and do nothing either. Life goes on and He walks with me!
My husband was informed on Friday that he is losing his job. The company is closing this location (which had been rumored for a while) and relocating certain operations elsewhere. It wasn’t known until Friday who would keep their jobs and who would not. Well now we know he won’t. The thing is… we only just moved here a year ago. When he was hired a year ago, there was no talk of this change, and it looked so promising. He loved the job and excelled at it and was finally pretty happy after a long, harrowing job search and years of jobs with companies that kept shutting down or laying off. We both felt so strongly that this job and this move was orchestrated by God. So many things happened that were so unusual, things we couldn’t credit to our own resources… from the months preceding the job interview all the way through to finding and buying this house. And now… finding out that he won’t have this job for much longer… it’s hard not to question everything that happened in the past in the light of this devastating news. It’s hard to know what to pray for. I want to pray that we won’t have to move. I want to pray that he will find a comparable job locally (it’s a small town – that really would be a miracle). I want to pray that my family has stability, that we don’t have to walk away from our home and wander like it felt like we were doing for the three years prior to this. And yet I know I should just pray for His will to be done, whatever it is. But I keep trying to guess what His will might be, if not what *I* want, and none of it makes sense. I should know by now that you can never guess, you can never really imagine what He’s up to. And I should know and trust that it’s better than my will, it’s GOOD, no matter what. But I am sad, and scared, and weary. And maybe angry. I have no right to feel any of that. Everything I have, He gave me. I’m trying daily, hourly, to surrender my will to His and not worry.
I am concerned to hear your news. If there is something we as a group can do, please let me know. But I want to assure you that you have every right to FEEL this way. Feelings are not wrong. They just are. It’s what we do with them that matters and now YHVH had provided you with an opportunity to make those choices. Please keep us informed so that we may pray AND do what we can do.
Thank you, Skip.
I will proclaim the name YHVH: ascribe greatness unto our God.
The Rock: His work is perfect for all His ways are just; a faithful God Who does no wrong, righteous and just is He. Deut. 32:3 & 4
The Rock: perfect in every deed: Who can say to Him, “What have You done?”
He rules below and above. He brings death and gives life, bringing down to the grave and raising up again. 1 Sam. 2:6
The Rock: perfect in every act: Who can say to Him, “Why do You do so?” You Who spoke and the world came into being, show us kindness that we do not deserve and in the merit of the one who was bound like a lamb, hear us. Is. 45:9 & John 1:29
Righteous in all His ways, the Rock Who is perfect, slow to anger and full of compassion, please have pity on us all, for Yours, YHVH, are forgiveness and compassion. You are righteous, YHVH, in bringing death and giving life. Your eyes are open to all the ways of humanity; Give to each according to the fruit of our deeds.
Far be it from You to erase our remembrance. May Your eyes be open to us in compassion, for Yours, YHVH, are mercy and forgiveness. Blessed is He for His judgment is true. He repays humanity in accord with our accounts, and all must render acknowledgement to His name. Blessed is the True Judge. We proclaim that YHVH is upright, He is our Rock, in Whom there is no wrong. Ps. 92:15
YHVH has given and YHVH has taken away: Blessed be the name YHVH. Job 1:21b