Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 65

Prayers of Petition continued...

The fifth and last thing on the list we ought to be asking God for in our prayers of petition, are things of eternal worth and value.

If David desired but one thing of the Lord, Agur, the son of Jakeh desired two things, and petitioned God for them before he passed from this life. Very little is known about this man Agur, and other than the fact that he was the son of Jakeh, we know that his name means one who is brave in the pursuit of wisdom. We also know that his father’s name, Jakeh, means he who is free from sin.

So it wouldn’t be a stretch to conclude that Agur, son of Jakeh, could be translated to mean, he who is brave in the pursuit of wisdom, is free from sin.

So what is it that this man, of whom we know so little, desired of God?

Proverbs 30:7-9, “Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches – feed me with the food You prescribe for me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

At first glance this prayer might seem strange and out of place. Who among us goes before God, and petitions Him to give us neither poverty nor riches? Our evangelists and preachers all tell us we’re supposed to not only ask, but demand of God, that He prosper us, and bless us, and give us so much money we won’t know what to do with it. Yet here is a man who prays a simple prayer, and asks for God to make him average.

If we boil down this man’s prayer, he asked God to keep falsehood and lies far from him, meaning he asked God to make him tell the truth, always, and have truth reside in his heart. The second thing Agur asked of the Lord was to make him average as far as resources or finances are concerned.

Although Agur identifies himself as being ‘more stupid than any man’, and declares that he does not possess the understanding of a man, there is much wisdom in his prayer of petition to God.

Agur realized that the enemy can use poverty, as well as riches toward our destruction, and as a wedge between us and God. As such, he prays God feed him with the food He prescribed for him, and give him just enough wherein he will not have to steal, and profane the name of his God, but not so much that he be full and deny God.

Remaining faithful to God was this man’s preeminent desire. It was the cry of his heart, and as such he did not care about the earthly things. He just wanted to speak the truth, and have enough wherein he wouldn’t be tempted to go and steal, but no more than was necessary, lest he forget God in his excess, and say, ‘who is the Lord?’

‘Lord give me what I need, not what I want! Feed me with the food you prescribe for me, for I know the value of that which you prescribe for me is beyond my understanding and ability to discern. I trust you my God, and I know that you will not lead me astray.’

This was the essence of Agur’s prayer, a man whose very name defines him as one who is brave in pursuit of wisdom.

Poverty can be just as much of a snare as riches, excess just as much of a trial as need, because in the end it all comes back to the condition of our heart, and what the heart truly desires.

If we desire God, and Him alone, then when we have excess, we give to others who are in need, and when we have poverty, we trust God to provide and make a way for us.

It’s all about God and a relationship with Him. This is the sum of human existence, establishing, maintaining, and growing a relationship with God, through Christ Jesus our Lord, the only way into the kingdom of heaven.

The word of God encourages us to ask, to come before Him with prayers of petition, but it is wisdom itself to petition God for the worthwhile things of life, and not the worthless ones.

Men will tell you to petition God for positions, or for possessions, but such men have not come to the understanding of the deeper things of God. Only one who is immature in the faith, only one who has not come to understand the great and wondrous things God has reserved for His children will encourage you to petition Him for earthly things.

What God has in store for His children goes beyond some trinkets, or some green paper. It goes beyond a bigger house or a fancier car. What God has in store for His children is of eternal worth, reserved exclusively for them, and unavailable to the world at large.

I do not want what the world already has; I do not desire what the world already possesses. I want something from the hand of God exclusively for me. I want the food He prescribes that I might be full and know He is my provider in all things great and small.

When we petition God wisely, our petitions are answered, our faith is strengthened, and we see the wondrous hand of our God at work. Nothing is impossible to our God! Trust in Him, and He will see you through. Go to Him, and He will answer you.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.

P.S. To the couple who reads this blog, who came to the meeting last night, thank you for coming. It was lovely meeting you.