There are several ways we are making God a liar and this is not our first post on the subject. It may not likely be the last either because we are such experts at it. One about which we already wrote is to claim we have no sin. The one way we wish to consider today is how we pray. Whenever we see a promise in the bible and pray that promise for ourselves, we are hypocritical. Because you see, every promise in the bible has a condition attached to it. We actually say the bible is a book of conditions.
Take even salvation as an example. Jesus has paid the price for our ransom from the clutches of the devil. But in John 3.16, which you probably know like the palm of your hand, there is a condition. God gave His son that whoever believes…. Since the whole world does not believe, the whole world is not saved, only those who believe. Similarly, all the other promises have conditions but when we pray and ignore the condition, we are making God a liar. How? You may be wondering.
So glad you asked. Take for example the promise that we shall eat the good of the land if we are willing and obedient. When we pray that we should eat the good of the land, we are saying God is not faithful. We do not trust him to do his own part even when we do our own part. The prayer point in that verse is “Father, the grace for me to be willing and obedient, give to me.”
Don’t Decree Yet Or You Might Be Making God A Liar
How many of us have not received daily prayers from pastors declaring and decreeing one promise or another on us? Very few, I would imagine. Who gave them the authority to be decreeing on you? Someone once opined that they first need to go and study the scripture passage that talks of decreeing. Job 22.21-28 is extremely instructive; find time to read it soon, especially if you love decrees.
You may either stop decreeing or stop saying amen when somebody decrees something for you. Such a decreeing pastor could just be making God a liar and you could be wasting time believing such decrees. In context, Job 22 gives you the conditions under which God will establish what you decree. First, you must acquaint yourself with the Almighty. Can God refer to you as friends the way He did with Abraham or as Jesus did with His disciples?
Secondly, do you receive instruction from God’s mouth or is it from your pastor’s lips? Do you lay up God’s words in your heart? Then when you decree a thing, God will say yes and establish it. There are many other conditions between verse 21 of Job 22 before we come to the decreeing part. Unless we fulfill those conditions, don’t pray about decreeing a thing.
It will fail and unbelievers will Conclude God is unable, whereas we are the ones making God a liar. This is very important if we want to see our prayers answered. Leave God’s part – He is not a liar. Has He said it and will He not do it? He is faithful to perform once you do your part
When You Pray, Focus On Your Part Of God’s Promises.
In the place of prayer, find the condition attached to the prayer and focus on that. Leave God to do His part once you fulfill your part. Take for another example, the promise about how the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. Instead of asking God to order your steps, ask for the grace to be righteous. Otherwise, you are making God a liar, as though He was not faithful to deliver on His promises. And you know there is none as faithful as God.
We could go on and on, but just one more example should suffice. Consider one of our more popular passages, in Deuteronomy 28. Oh, how we love to pray that God should make us the head and not the tail. And oh, how that prayer must annoy God. That part is His own to perform and faithfully, if we are obedient and hearken to His word. So, what do I do with all the promises in Deuteronomy 28.1-13? I pray just one comprehensive prayer. “Father, help me to diligently hearken to your voice and obey you implicitly.”
And just like that, because I have not been party to making God a liar, results begin to manifest. From now on, leave your pastor alone in his prayers that end up proclaiming God as unfaithful. If you know God as faithful, which I hope you do, let him pray as he feels led. On your own part, look for the condition and focus your prayer on that. That is a major way of ensuring you are not making God a liar, of acknowledging you know He is faithful.
Maranatha!
