DEALING WITH PEOPLE AND CRYING OUT TO GOD
Dear Friends,
This is the third post in a series on spiritual principles that help us come through difficulties without being spiritually derailed. The article today deals with Crying out to God when dealing with relational difficulties.
Billy Long
"In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God." Psalm 18:6
Billy Long
Dealing with People and Crying out to God
“Then David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.” 2 Sam 22:1"In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God." Psalm 18:6
Psalm 18:1-6
Psalm 18 can be used to comfort us in our battle against spiritual enemies (Ephesians 6: 11-12), but it primarily speaks of defense, security, and protection from our natural enemies, from wicked and violent men who would give us grief or seek to harm us. In this Psalm we see David praising God for delivering him from wicked men. God delivered him from Saul (a bad leader) and from the people (rebellious followers).
Satan and his forces were defeated at the cross. Demons were made subject to us (Luke 10: 17-21); therefore, we do not fear them. Jesus' blood and Jesus' name give us power and authority over that aspect of the enemy's power. Principalities and rulers in the heavenlies also work to direct pressure and assault upon us. God is our help and defense there also for they were stripped and disarmed by the Lord's work at Calvary (Colossians 2: 15). We deal with these spiritual forces by means of faith and intercession and with the authority God has given us. Man (our human enemies), however, must be dealt with from a different perspective.
We do not have authority over the souls of wicked men. They are not subject to us as demons are. Therefore, the spiritual forces of the enemy work through people in order to assault and injure us. They hide behind and work through human instruments over which we have no control by any command of authority as we would a demon. We cannot command a person to change as we would command a demon to leave. Therefore, in dealing with human antagonists we must call upon God, walk in wisdom, stand in faith and obedience, and trust God to be our salvation. David could play his harp to drive the demons away, but the music of his harp did not change Saul or cause him to leave. David had to flee to his strongholds to find safety from Saul. He had to await God's judgment upon Saul. Dealing with man requires true faith along with obedience and patient endurance.
Psalm 142: 1-7
I have been blessed by the strength, life, comfort, and encouragement I have received from other Christians and from my spiritual leaders. But many times, I have found myself in situations in which nothing would solve the problem, give relief, or provide the answer…except my own ability to cry out to God and touch Him in prayer. Prayer changes the situation or gives me the strength and grace to face it.
We will not always be able to depend on others, or any “religious” solution. We will not be able to manipulate people or circumstances to our favor. When we are in the fires of relational stress, we are stripped down to the reality or lack of reality of our relationship with the Lord Jesus and our ability to trust and obey Him. We must move God in order to move earth. This does not happen without prayer coupled with the word of God.
Studying God’s word and calling upon Him in prayer are necessary to release the fountain of our spiritual life. We cannot depend on environmental Christianity (reflecting and being controlled by those around us). We cannot obtain victories and experience the depths of grace if we only live off the spiritual overflow of others. Casual religious routine will not provide what we need to get through the fire. We need our own inner fountain of spiritual life to navigate relational issues and prevent stumbling and derailment.
Hebrews 10: 22, 38
Relational conflict can hinder prayer. We get a bad attitude and sulk or attack. Often we try to escape the situation by withdrawing. Here is a place for caution. In withdrawing from people and the problem, we tend to withdraw from the Lord too. The answer is not to draw back, but to press into the Lord. We go to our prayer closet, read our Bible, and cry out to God.
Genesis 32: 9-13, 24-31; 33: 1-9
Jacob swindled Esau out of his birthright (Genesis 25: 29-34) and then stole his blessing (Genesis 27: 22-46). Obviously, this created conflict. Esau hated Jacob and was angry to the point of murder (Genesis 27: 41). Jacob then fled to Syria to escape Esau's wrath and to find a wife in the land of his Uncle Laban. Years later when Jacob was returning home to Canaan he was greatly afraid and distressed upon learning that Esau, along with four hundred men, was on his way to meet him. The conflict could potentially have ended with serious destruction to life, family, and property. Jacob, therefore, resorted to prayer. He separated himself and wrestled with God in prayer (Genesis 32: 24-31). There he touched the grace of God that caused even Esau to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7; Genesis 33: 4).
Prior to this night of prayer Jacob had already been at the "gate of heaven" (Gen. 28: 10-17), had already experienced God's presence and blessing on his life (Gen. 30), had received God's call and promise (Gen. 28: 13-15), and had been met by angels at "God's camp" (Gen.32:1). Even though Jacob had experienced all of these glorious things, he still had the unresolved conflict with Esau. It was in the night of Jacob's wrestling with God and prevailing in prayer that God touched him and caused him to enter another level of grace that completed the foundation necessary for the reconciliation. In that prayer time there came a brokenness, a character change, and that extra dimension of grace that caused Jacob and Esau to be reconciled.
Psalm 18 can be used to comfort us in our battle against spiritual enemies (Ephesians 6: 11-12), but it primarily speaks of defense, security, and protection from our natural enemies, from wicked and violent men who would give us grief or seek to harm us. In this Psalm we see David praising God for delivering him from wicked men. God delivered him from Saul (a bad leader) and from the people (rebellious followers).
Satan and his forces were defeated at the cross. Demons were made subject to us (Luke 10: 17-21); therefore, we do not fear them. Jesus' blood and Jesus' name give us power and authority over that aspect of the enemy's power. Principalities and rulers in the heavenlies also work to direct pressure and assault upon us. God is our help and defense there also for they were stripped and disarmed by the Lord's work at Calvary (Colossians 2: 15). We deal with these spiritual forces by means of faith and intercession and with the authority God has given us. Man (our human enemies), however, must be dealt with from a different perspective.
We do not have authority over the souls of wicked men. They are not subject to us as demons are. Therefore, the spiritual forces of the enemy work through people in order to assault and injure us. They hide behind and work through human instruments over which we have no control by any command of authority as we would a demon. We cannot command a person to change as we would command a demon to leave. Therefore, in dealing with human antagonists we must call upon God, walk in wisdom, stand in faith and obedience, and trust God to be our salvation. David could play his harp to drive the demons away, but the music of his harp did not change Saul or cause him to leave. David had to flee to his strongholds to find safety from Saul. He had to await God's judgment upon Saul. Dealing with man requires true faith along with obedience and patient endurance.
Psalm 142: 1-7
I have been blessed by the strength, life, comfort, and encouragement I have received from other Christians and from my spiritual leaders. But many times, I have found myself in situations in which nothing would solve the problem, give relief, or provide the answer…except my own ability to cry out to God and touch Him in prayer. Prayer changes the situation or gives me the strength and grace to face it.
We will not always be able to depend on others, or any “religious” solution. We will not be able to manipulate people or circumstances to our favor. When we are in the fires of relational stress, we are stripped down to the reality or lack of reality of our relationship with the Lord Jesus and our ability to trust and obey Him. We must move God in order to move earth. This does not happen without prayer coupled with the word of God.
Studying God’s word and calling upon Him in prayer are necessary to release the fountain of our spiritual life. We cannot depend on environmental Christianity (reflecting and being controlled by those around us). We cannot obtain victories and experience the depths of grace if we only live off the spiritual overflow of others. Casual religious routine will not provide what we need to get through the fire. We need our own inner fountain of spiritual life to navigate relational issues and prevent stumbling and derailment.
Hebrews 10: 22, 38
Relational conflict can hinder prayer. We get a bad attitude and sulk or attack. Often we try to escape the situation by withdrawing. Here is a place for caution. In withdrawing from people and the problem, we tend to withdraw from the Lord too. The answer is not to draw back, but to press into the Lord. We go to our prayer closet, read our Bible, and cry out to God.
Genesis 32: 9-13, 24-31; 33: 1-9
Jacob swindled Esau out of his birthright (Genesis 25: 29-34) and then stole his blessing (Genesis 27: 22-46). Obviously, this created conflict. Esau hated Jacob and was angry to the point of murder (Genesis 27: 41). Jacob then fled to Syria to escape Esau's wrath and to find a wife in the land of his Uncle Laban. Years later when Jacob was returning home to Canaan he was greatly afraid and distressed upon learning that Esau, along with four hundred men, was on his way to meet him. The conflict could potentially have ended with serious destruction to life, family, and property. Jacob, therefore, resorted to prayer. He separated himself and wrestled with God in prayer (Genesis 32: 24-31). There he touched the grace of God that caused even Esau to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7; Genesis 33: 4).
Prior to this night of prayer Jacob had already been at the "gate of heaven" (Gen. 28: 10-17), had already experienced God's presence and blessing on his life (Gen. 30), had received God's call and promise (Gen. 28: 13-15), and had been met by angels at "God's camp" (Gen.32:1). Even though Jacob had experienced all of these glorious things, he still had the unresolved conflict with Esau. It was in the night of Jacob's wrestling with God and prevailing in prayer that God touched him and caused him to enter another level of grace that completed the foundation necessary for the reconciliation. In that prayer time there came a brokenness, a character change, and that extra dimension of grace that caused Jacob and Esau to be reconciled.
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