Friday,February 7, 2003
Friday,February 7, 2003 |
| Do
not forget the power of prayer, no matter how many are praying
By DAVID EPPS Once in a while even devout and otherwise biblically sound Christians will espouse a false and dangerous understanding of God. The Reverend Ted Haggard is pastor of New Life Church, a "non-denominational, Bible-believing, charismatic church" in Colorado Springs, Colo. The church, which claims some 8,700 people who make up the congregation, has a vibrant ministry and is well known in charismatic circles. Haggard is also president of "The World Prayer Team," a ministry of the church. On Dec. 19, 2002, Haggard wrote on his Web site: "Early morning Tuesday, Nov. 26, the Holy Spirit woke me up and spoke into my spirit. He told me that if we could mobilize one million people to pray for Saddam Hussein, Saddam would simply leave Iraq, thus avoiding war. "Then I saw a series of pictures in my heart: I saw Iraqi moms and dads, I saw a schoolyard full of Iraqi children, and I saw the spouses of Iraqi military personnel. As I saw these people, I realized that they would either be killed or have loved ones killed if we had a war. Then I saw American scenes: I saw American women whose husbands were in military service weeping, I saw American children at funerals for their fathers, and I saw pastors conducting funerals with grieving family members in front of caskets draped with American flags. "Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that if we go to war there will be massive suffering. The point is, though, that this suffering is unnecessary. If we pray, God will respond. If we ask, He will intervene. I know that the United States and its allies will prevail should we go to war. But I know that the Holy Spirit would rather have Saddam Hussein leave and go into exile on his own. As you know better than anyone I know, prayer stimulates the Holy Spirit's activity. If we'll pray as a group for the remainder of this month and in early January, with enough people participating, Saddam will simply leave. I know it. I have no doubt." Then on Jan. 30, Haggard again wrote: "If we can motivate over a million Christians to pray for Saddam, God will deal with him, remove his royal authority, and cause him to leave Iraq." The problem, at least the biggest problem with all this, is the phrase, "If we could mobilize one million people to pray for Saddam Hussein, Saddam would simply leave Iraq, thus avoiding war." If who could mobilize one million people? Haggard? Haggard's church members? Who constitutes "we?" What if "we" don't mobilize a million people? Then, presumably, Saddam will stay and the bloodshed will be massive. If Saddam leaves then "we" must have mobilized million people and "we" get the credit. If there is war then "we" couldn't get "them" (the other believers) to pray and it's "their" fault. Yet, it is in the character and nature of God to listen to the "one" voice that calls upon His name. In the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, God says, "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." (Ez. 22:30. NKJV, emphasis mine) Notice the emphasis on "a man" and "no one?" Not "I sought for a million ... and did not find them." One problem with a theology like this is that it makes God one big terrorist who says, in essence, "If you don't meet these numerical demands, I will not bring peace. In fact, the bloodshed will be unimaginable." But what if "we" mobilize 999,999 people to pray? Oops, sorry, you missed one! It should come as no surprise that, in this day where numbers rule and big means better, someone would make the mistake of believing that God is more moved by the 1,000,000 than he is by the 1. I understand that the Rev. Haggard claims that God "told" him these things. Some will remember that a 900-foot Jesus once "told" Oral Roberts that if he didn't raise a certain number of millions of dollars, God would "take him home." God, it seems, says some strange things these days. In stark contrast, St. James wrote, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." (James 5:16b-18, NIV, emphasis mine) I commend Haggard in his efforts to mobilize people to pray during this perilous time. Nevertheless I must protest the idea that God spoke something to Haggard that would contradict his own nature and his established pattern in such a dramatic fashion. Let the believers pray. But not for one moment let us deny the power of the righteous "one" who faithfully prays and whom God answers. Haggard says that there must be "enough people participating." Fortunately, one righteous man or one righteous woman is enough. [Father David Epps is Rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church, which meets at 10 a.m. Sundays at 4881 E. Hwy 34. He may be contacted at 770-252-2428, at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or at www.ctkcec.org.] |