If I may, consider the context of “two or three”

In Matthew 18;15-19 15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

Jewish tradition required at least 10 men to constitute a synagogue, but our Lord and Savior promised to be present in the midst of a smaller group of agreeing witnesses for the matter of correcting a sinning brother. The goal is restoration.

###############

Prayer is to be done with a humble and a contrite heart.

Consider:

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Psalm 66:18-20 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. 19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by Permission. All rights reserved.]

Again, fading back into the sideline....

 

Did anyone but me notice this: "a heathen and a tax collector"?


Question: Doesn't this make you think "The Boss" does not think much of tax collectors?

Thus, wouldn't the logic follow that if you are a tax collector (IRS Employee?) you can not be much of a Christian?

If you are a politician and you vote FOR any given tax, will you not be a "low life" - Biblically?


Huuuummmmmmmmmm . . . I suspect that is a whole different thread

 

Esso, since you're pondering...

Some people say that when they pray, that they can "feel" God move closer when it's a "good" prayer. Then, on the other hand, they feel God move one or two degrees more remote if they feel they've uttered a 'bad" prayer. This, I believe, is a misconception of who God is.

I believe God does not move backwards or forwards according to our perception of movement. He simply "moves". So, since you are pondering or could be at some point, think on this: When all the String Theories, for example, converge into one, then those who have never believed in a Higher Power may see how God moves...and then they will realize that the blueprint for the Theory was basically a road map to God’s front door.

I am not implying that the String Theory is fact, or should be considered fact, I am just using that as example of our increasing knowledge of how things work and where it could be leading us.

 

Ctfuzzy, He was referring to extortionists and using the name “tax collector”, who were terrorists in those days. As a matter of fact Jesus made himself a friend of the tax collectors and the worst of sinners. He set a new precedent among the Jews by accepting and associating with the tax collectors. He ate with them; offered salvation to them; and He even chose a tax collector (Matthew) as one of His twelve disciples.

Luke 18: 9-14 "Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

I would offer that they may be referring to "A state of Grace" and not so much as God moving back and forth. The more perfect the prayer (and the manner in which is said) the higher the state of Grace.

 

That's one of the reasons I drive a Ford, so I don't have to pray.

 

I'm atheist....

 

Imagine a being who knows EVERYTHING in the universe, not to mention the number of hairs on your head. He knows when a sparrow is about to expire, and remembers every wooly mammoth that ever existed, along with their hair follicle counts and the parameceums that inhabited each hair strand too. Also, he knows what you desire before you request it.

Now imagine you praying to him for rain. It is your opinion that the ground is somewhat parched, and you mean to bring this matter to his attention. After consideration, God agrees with you and relents in the rain department.

Is there anything more absurd than that? Does it not smack of run-amuck egotism to believe you can petition omniscience itself and change his opinion to your way of thinking?

 

Well ,billsco it happened in the Bible, and God is still the same. Many of the Christians I know believe to some degree that our prayers are what releases Gods will. Now you may not agree with this.

For you sceptics I offer this. When you were a child did you understand everything your father did or the reasons behind his decisions? For the sake of the discussion lets just say that you had a really great dad that always had your best interests in mind. It is the same now with us. We can't hope to understand everything that our Father does. Sometimes we just need to back off and accept the fact that God is God and we are not. He knows what is best.

I have had many prayers answered but sometimes the answer is no. Here is once when it wasn't. My wife, 6 kids and my self had been on an extended road trip and started everyday praying for protection and direction. At the end of the road trip we were in Washington with almosat no money. We needed to sell the van and travel trailer for tickets to get back to Alaska. My wife and I got on our knees and had barely begun to pray when the phone rang. It was a guy who wanted the van and trailer. He paid us 100 more than we were asking and hauled us all to Sea-Tac.

 

If my own father had seen his own children suffer as so many millions of children are suffering in the world at this moment he would have done something about it.

If God knows what's best and the world is a reflection of his will I beg to differ.

 

How many of those suffering people know God I wonder. Like I said , we can't hope to understand everything or have all the answers. But if we have the power to alieviat suffering and don't do all we can then why should it be God's job. He sent us here to do His will and he told us that the poor would always be amongst us an it was our duty to care for the needy, the widows and orphans. Americans spend enough money on recreation alone to knock a big chunk out of world hunger. Most housholds in this country throw away enough food to feed several starving people.
And as we watch children starving our children just get more obese every year while we do very little for the needy. And I am not pointing a finger outward because I am just as guilty. Sometimes I am really ashamed at the whole situation and can understand why some other countrys hate us so.
If God rescued us from ourselves every time we thought it was needed then what would we learn and how would we grow.

 

Great question! I agree. I think prayer is a definite help in our communication with God. It also calms you down and gives you a peaceful feeling when times are tough, or even when they aren't tough.