Bullseye (John 8:31-32; Acts 18:18; 21:23; James 5:14-16)

ARCHIE COMICS

Years ago I saw an Archie comic strip, where Reggie came across Jughead shooting arrows at a fence, with targets painted on them. Every single target, though they were at different heights, all had an arrow right in the bullseye. Reggie was amazed, and went away dumbfounded that Jughead was such an expert marksman with a bow and arrow. As soon as Reggie was gone, Jughead shot another arrow at the fence, and wherever the arrow struck, he walked over and painted a target, with a bullseye around the arrow.

NEED TO CHANGE

Sometimes when the answer to biblical reality seems illusive to us, we tend to reinvent or reinterpret the meaning of scripture, or explain away our short-fall, rather than accepting the fact that we need to change, to hit the "bullseye" of what scripture teaches.

EXPLAINS AWAY

When we examine the miraculous events of scripture, rather than accepting the fact that God hasn't changed, and that the change needs to happen with us, much of the church world explains away the miraculous, promoting such erroneous statements as:

"the age of miracles is past" or "that was just for the early church" or "miracles ended when the last apostle died" or "now we have the complete scriptures and don't need miracles"

FAILURE

These, and other extreme fallacies, only demonstrate that we have moved away from God, and are trying to draw the bullseye around our failure to hit the target of God's best for our lives.

PRAYER

Prayer is a huge illustration of this fact. When we pray and don't get results, we come up with foolish statements like:

"God works in mysterious ways" or "Sometimes God says yes; sometimes He says no; and sometimes He says wait awhile" or "Maybe it just wasn't God's will"

TRUE OR FALSE

Though there is an element of truth in all these excuses, the reality is, either the scriptures and God's word is true, or it isn't. If the Word is not true, then we are wasting our life serving someone who doesn't exist, or has become impotent over time, with no relevance in the here and now.

JOHN 8:31-32

Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free".

STANDARD RULE

There are too many tangible examples of supernatural healings; miracles; and medically defying recoveries, to not believe in God's supernatural power at work. However, those that are getting results in prayer, are not meant to be the exception, but the standard rule of Christian life.

TRANSLATED "PRAYER"

The words most commonly translated "prayer", in the NT, are the Greek words (proseuchomai), [4336, Strong's, a verb], and (proseuche), [4335, Strong's, a noun]. The words are derived from the preposition (pros), [4314], and the verb (euchomai), [2172], and the noun (euche), [2171].

UNDERSTAND

To understand "prayer", it would seem logical, to understand what the word actually means; then we will know if what we are doing is actually prayer, or just speaking into the air, with not even our Father God paying attention.

The noun (euche) is only used 3 times in the NT:

ACTS 18:18, "But Paul, yet having remained a fit amount of days, having dismissed the brothers, sailed across unto Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea - for he had a vow (euche)".

ACTS 21:23, "This then do what we tell you! There are with us four men having a vow (euche) upon themselves..."

JAMES 5:15, "...and the vow (euche) of faith will deliver the weary one, and the Lord will raise him up..."

The verb (euchomai) is used only 7 times in the NT, (Acts 26:29; 27:29; Rm.9:3; 2Cor.13:7,9; Ja.5:16; 3 Jn.1:2) and significantly, is found, one of those times, in JAMES 5:16.

"Confess your faults one to another, and make a vow (euchomai) for one another, so that you should be healed!"

ASSERT OUT LOUD

The verb (euchomai), from which the noun is derived, means: "to make confident statements about oneself". It can also mean to boast, brag and assert. (DNTT, Vol.2, p.862). The basic meaning is to assert out loud; to make a solemn declaration; to speak out; utter aloud.

BOLDLY DECLARE

When someone made a vow of consecration to a deity, everyone knew about it, as they boldly declared it, invoking the assistance of their god to their cause.

PRAYER

The most common words, translated "prayer" in the NT are (prosechomai) [verb] and (proseche) [noun], from the root of (euchomai) [verb] and (euche) [noun]. When you see the English word "prayer", in the NT, over 80% of the time, it will be one of these Greek words.

DIRECTION

The preposition of direction, (pros) [4314], is simply added to the root, to emphasize that 'the confession is directed toward someone or something', which in this case is God, but more so, the whole spiritual realm of angels; demons; and obviously, God, our Father too.

JAMES 5:15 says, the bold confession and assertions of faith, about yourself, in this case, by the elders of the church, will heal you, and the Lord will raise you up.

JAMES 5:16 says, when we have repented of our sin, then we can make bold, confident declarations about one another, and we will be healed. In other words, verse 16 is essentially repeating what verse 15 said, but broadening the scope to the fact that any Believer can declare the truth of God's word, over another Believer.

LEGAL RIGHT

Basically, what is happening, is the elders, or other Believers, when we have sinned, are assisting our faith, and boldly; loudly, declaring what the scripture says concerning us: that we are back in right relationship with the Father, and there is a declaration, into the spiritual realm, of who we are, and our legal right to healing.

JAMES 5:14 says, "Is anyone sick among you? [This is in the form of a question, implying that there shouldn't be any sick person among us], Let the sick one call for the elders of the assembly, and let them make bold; loud; confident assertions; declarations (proseuchomai, 4336) concerning them, having anointed them with olive oil in the name of the Lord! [symbolizing, that they are the anointed of God, legally entitled to deliverance from this sickness or disease], because they have repented, and they will be healed.

This revelation concerning "prayer", brings new light to other scriptures:

3 JOHN 2 says, "Beloved, concerning all things, I make a vow (euchomai) for you to prosper and to be in health, as your soul prospers"

SUCCESSFUL

John was boldly declaring what the word of God said, concerning Gaius, that he was to be successful in every area of life, whether financial; health and healing, or any other area, according to the word of God.

BOLD CONFESSION

Prayer is the bold confession of God's word concerning whatever situation or circumstance we may be in, according to the reality of what the scriptures declare to be true.

EINSTEIN

Einstein is credited with saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results"

PRODUCE RESULTS

Conservatively, probably 90% of what we call prayer, is not prayer at all, and 90% of it produces little or no results. If it is not working, rather than changing the target, and drawing our own failed bullseye around what little results we have achieved, let's change what we call prayer, and begin to make bold; loud confessions, of what the Word of God declares concerning us, and start to hit the bullseye, instead of trying to explain away failure.

You are God's Best, and God's Best is Yours