Supplication

Summer 2021

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God (Philippians 4:6).

I think I must have been nine or ten years old when I was taught ACTS. I wasn’t learning about the book between John and Romans, but rather a clever acrostic to help guide in prayer–Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. I think it must have helped because I still remember learning it! But supplication? What did that mean?

As I’ve grown in grace, I’ve come to understand that true prayer is founded mostly on ACT. We pray in our relationship with the Lord. We praise and worship. We confess sin and thank the Lord for His mercy. I’m not suggesting that we always do this very well, but this is the essence of prayer. We should do more ACT, but we tend to focus on the "S". Even here we need direction, for as we offer supplications, we battle with praying for the wrong things or right things with the wrong motives.

There is no question that we have biblical warrant for supplication as part of our praying. In Philippians, Paul connects supplication with requests. “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy” (Philippians 1:4). The word for prayer in this verse is the same as is translated supplication in Philippians 4:6. Supplication involves approaching God and presenting requests to Him, yet these texts show that supplication means more than simply making a request or petition to God. This word denotes an approach to God out of a sense of need and urgency. It conveys the idea of our utter inadequacy to do anything and our utter dependence on God for all things. Supplication comes from a heart convinced of the truth of Jesus’ words: “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Presenting requests in our supplications to the Lord must have a biblical warrant. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14). The will of God is revealed for us in the Word of God. This issue of Current is based on the theme of supplication. You’ll find several short articles dealing with various biblical supplications. We need the Word of God to inform us not only how to pray, but also what to pray for. I make supplication to the Lord that their work will be a blessing to you. I pray that we’ll not neglect A-C-T, but that we’ll improve on the "S" component of prayer.

New Moderator

The presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America met via Zoom during the second week of May 2021. Part of the business was to elect officers of the presbytery. Rev. Geoff Banister was elected as the new moderator, replacing Rev. Ian Goligher who served with great dignity and wisdom over the past three years. Rev. Banister has been married to Sandra for forty-five years and they have four children and ten grandchildren. He is in his twentieth year as pastor of the FPC of Indianapolis having graduated from Bob Jones University with a BA in Bible in 1983 and from the Whitefield College of the Bible (now Geneva Reformed Seminary) in 1985. Please keep Rev. Banister in prayer as he assumes this vital role in our denomination.

At the end of the presbytery, many members paid fulsome tribute to the outgoing Clerk of Presbytery, Rev. David Mook. Rev. Mook is retiring from the ministry of Phoenix FPC in June and felt it was time to step down as clerk after thirteen years of service. Words cannot do justice to Rev. Mook’s work. He has given himself for the good of the Lord’s work in presbytery using all of his many skills to ensure the smooth operating of presbytery business. We know that the Lord does not forget such a labor of love (Hebrews 6:10).

The new Executive Committee is Rev. Geoff Banister, Moderator; Rev. Larry Saunders, Deputy Moderator; Rev. Stephen Pollock, Clerk; Rev. Ian Goligher, Deputy Clerk; and Mr. George Robinson, Treasurer. Please pray for these men and the work of the presbytery.