{"id":308,"date":"2020-01-03T15:05:02","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T15:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/?p=308"},"modified":"2026-02-12T15:11:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T15:11:50","slug":"the-eight-reasons-christians-pray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/2020\/01\/03\/the-eight-reasons-christians-pray\/","title":{"rendered":"The Eight Reasons Christians Pray"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In the Litany there are eight events from Jesus\u2019 life that cause us to cry to him for help. These eight mysteries are the foundation for our conviction that Jesus can hear and mercifully answer us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By the mystery of Thy holy incarnation;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Isaiah 7:14a \u2013 Behold the virgin shall conceive\u2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Luke 1:31-33 \u2013 \u201cAnd behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t have a God that is so transcendent and far away that we can\u2019t hope for either understanding him or catching his ear by our prayers. We don\u2019t have a God that\u2019s so high and holy that he has nothing to do with his time-bound, mortal creatures. How much more so since we\u2019re fallen and stand under the shadow of divine judgment because of our sin! Instead, our God is pleased to be our brother, according to the flesh, in the person of Christ. Nine months before Jesus\u2019 birth, the infinite and almighty Son of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, became an embryo in Mary\u2019s womb. This miracle exceeds all others in terms of both its scope and glory. The parting of the Red Sea is but dust compared to the fact that God is conceived in a woman. The falling of God\u2019s fire on Mt. Carmel is but a shadow compared to the fact that from within Mary\u2019s womb, God\u2019s Son ruled and upheld the heavens and earth by his mighty power, though for a time he was pleased to veil that power in the humility of human flesh. What men can fathom about infinity and finitude breaks down at this mystery. The boxes we\u2019ve conceptualized for God and creation, we discover, aren\u2019t adequate to describe the lengths to which God will go to save us from our sins. The feast for this event in the Church\u2019s year is the <strong>Annunciation of Our Lord<\/strong> on March the 25th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Thy holy nativity;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Luke 2:7 \u2013 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in the manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Galatians 4:4 \u2013 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that they might receive adoption as sons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What was hidden in Mary\u2019s womb for nine months is revealed to the world. The almighty Word of God, who in the beginning was with God and is called God by nature (John 1:1), stepped forth, as St. Ambrose says in his hymn (LSB 332, 4th Stanza), from his pure and kingly hall. When mortal eyes looked upon the child, they saw a baby like any other. But heaven wouldn\u2019t let the earth pass the Son of God\u2019s birth by in ignorance. For that reason, angels appeared to shepherds to direct their eyes away from the glory of heaven and its hosts so they could worship their Savior in the flesh of a baby lying in a manger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our minds seek God in his glory. We strive to conceptualize the light and majesty of heaven. God wants, however, to be worshiped by faith in his Word. That\u2019s why he takes our eyes off the stars and puts them on a feeding trough for animals. He wants us to worship him by trust in the promise. Though our eyes see but a child, God promises that this is our Savior and Redeemer. The feast for Christ\u2019s birth is, of course, <strong>Christmas<\/strong> which is celebrated for twelve days starting on December the 25th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Thy baptism, fasting, and temptation;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Matthew 3:16-4:2 \u2013 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold,\u00a0the heavens were opened to him, and he\u00a0saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold,\u00a0a voice from heaven said,\u00a0\u201cThis is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.\u201d Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness\u00a0to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting\u00a0forty days and forty nights, he\u00a0was hungry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hebrews 4:15 \u2013 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Having \u201cincreased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man\u201d (Luke 2:52), Jesus made his public appearance on the banks of the Jordan river where his cousin John had been preparing his way. As Jesus rose out of the water, the Father announced from heaven that this is his Son. The Holy Spirit descended on him to show his office as the true and only Christ, which means \u2018Anointed\u2019 in Greek. What\u2019s surprising is that instead of taking up his preaching and teaching right away, Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. What\u2019s the point of that? This is the mystery of your redemption. Where man failed, Christ prevailed. In Baptism, Jesus stood with sinners. He showed himself to be our sin bearer. With the weight of our sins, with the command from his Father to carry them in fulfillment of his office as Savior, Jesus endured worldly trials without setting his burden down. He endured the spiritual trails of Satan that had caused our whole human race to fall into corruption and death. Jesus never flinched. He never doubted. Where Adam was weak and failed, Jesus was strong and succeeded. He didn\u2019t do it for himself. He did it for you. This is Gospel. \u201cFor as by the one man\u2019s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man\u2019s obedience the many will be made righteous\u201d (Rom. 5:19). The <strong>Baptism of our Lord<\/strong> is celebrated on the 13th of January and the readings for Jesus\u2019 fasting and temptation are from the first Sunday in Lent commonly called <strong>Invocavit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Thine agony and bloody sweat;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Luke 22:44 \u2013 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Isaiah 53:10 \u2013 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The work of redemption wasn\u2019t cheap. It\u2019s not as if God waved his hand and it was done. Having appeared in the flesh, God\u2019s Son suffered the spiritual pain of bearing the sins of the world. He suffered every ounce of God\u2019s wrath. He paid the price we could not. Though Jesus asked, if possible, for the cup to pass from him (Matt. 26:39), four our sakes, to make perfect satisfaction for our sins, Jesus submitted himself to the Father\u2019s will. We struggle to say, \u201cThy will be done\u201d in prayer. We\u2019re afraid of what worldly pleasures and comforts that prayer might cost us. But no amount of cross and suffering will come close to the agony Jesus felt when in perfect obedience he submitted himself to his Fathers will, to suffer all of God\u2019s wrath against our sin. The spiritual sufferings were so profound that he sweat blood. Reason can\u2019t understand why God would pay the price for our sin himself.&nbsp; Only faith can look upon Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, see his victory over the temptation to resist his Father\u2019s will, and marvel at God\u2019s compassion and mercy for sinners. The sufferings of Christ are the subject of our meditation during the final portion of <strong>Lent<\/strong> commonly called <strong>Passiontide<\/strong> which starts on <strong>Judica<\/strong> and concludes on <strong>Good Friday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Thy cross and Passion;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Colossians 2:13-14 \u2013 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God\u00a0made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by\u00a0canceling\u00a0the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 John 4:10 \u2013 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 Corinthians 1:18 \u2013 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 Corinthians 5:21 \u2013 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>John 19:30 \u2013 \u201cIt is finished.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>That God would become a man to die for his enemies is a mystery that exceeds the imaginations of the angels (1 Peter 1:12). Why the cross? Why the blood and stripes? It offends our eyes that want to see spirituality as pure, untainted by worldly pain and sorrow. It offends our minds that think that God could have thought up a better way to save us. In our wisdom, we would call Jesus\u2019 cross and sufferings folly. In our modern moral reasoning, we would desire a similarly advanced spirituality. But God\u2019s thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways (Is. 58:8). \u201cCome now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool\u201d (Is. 1:18). Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away your sin (John 1:29). Your sins are carved on his back. Your transgressions pierce his hands and feet. Your iniquity stabs his side. Your transgressions crown his head. Bearing the punishment your sins deserve, Jesus cries out, \u201cMy God, my God why have you forsaken me\u201d (Ps. 22:1)? He is forsaken, and you are found. He is pierced, and you are made whole. Jesus suffers God\u2019s wrath, and you are made God\u2019s child. Whenever the devil harries you into doubting God\u2019s love, remember Jesus\u2019 cross and know the truth. Your Lord says, \u201cBehold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands\u201d (Is. 49:16). The crucifixion of our Lord is celebrated on <strong>Good Friday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Thy precious death and burial;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Matthew 26:10-13 \u2013 But\u00a0Jesus, aware of this, said to them,\u00a0\u201cWhy do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For\u00a0you always have the poor with you, but\u00a0you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it\u00a0to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever\u00a0this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told\u00a0in memory of her.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Romans 6:3 \u2013 Do you not know that all of us\u00a0who have been baptized\u00a0into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 Corinthians 15:6 \u2013 The sting of death is sin, and\u00a0the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God,\u00a0who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Psalm 118:20 \u2013 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The eternal death used to be our destiny. Bodily and spiritual death are the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23). But now the sting of death is gone. Jesus\u2019 death has atoned for every sin you have committed and will ever commit. In the same way as death had no claim on Jesus who both paid the price and is sinless, so also your grave will not end you. Death for the Christian is sleep (Luke 8:52). Death is temporary. Death gives way to resurrection and life. This is why Jesus\u2019 death and burial are precious. He takes the sting, teeth, and claws out of the object of our deepest and darkest fears. He shows us the way through which his saints will pass to share in his eternal victory. We remember Jesus\u2019 burial and give thanks for it during every Christian funeral and <strong>Holy Saturday<\/strong> the second day of the <strong>Trivium<\/strong> between<strong> Good Friday <\/strong>and <strong>Easter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Thy glorious resurrection and ascension;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1 Corinthians 15:20 \u2013 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ephesians 4:9-12 \u2013 Therefore it says, \u201cWhen he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.\u201d (In saying, \u201cHe ascended,\u201d what does it mean but that he had also descended into\u00a0the lower regions, the earth?<strong> <\/strong>He who descended is the one who also\u00a0ascended\u00a0far above all the heavens, that he might\u00a0fill all things.) And\u00a0he gave the\u00a0apostles, the prophets, the\u00a0evangelists, the\u00a0shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints, for the work of ministry, for\u00a0building up\u00a0the body of Christ.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus is Lord of life! After his short rest in the tomb, the jaws of death\u2019s maw are burst apart. Jesus rises victorious over death. The devil can\u2019t use it as a weapon anymore (Heb. 2:15). His chains of fear are broken. Whatever belonged to the old order of sin, whatever belonged to the old dying order of this world, it ends when Jesus rises to never die again. Having paid the price for sin, having kicked out death\u2019s teeth, Jesus bears the tidings of \u201cPeace!\u201d There is peace between God and men. There is redemption for the lost. The old things pass away. The new has come. Jesus takes this redemption and victory to the Father\u2019s right hand. There he reigns eternally as our Mediator and Intercessor. There enthrones the testimony of his death and resurrection. At the Father\u2019s right hand, Jesus is our Advocate and he will come again to subject all things to himself (Phil. 3:21). The season of <strong>Easter<\/strong> lasts 40 days from <strong>Easter Day<\/strong> to the <strong>Ascension<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And by the coming of the Holy Ghost the Comforter:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>John 16:7-11 \u2013 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for\u00a0if I do not go away,\u00a0the Helper will not come to you. But\u00a0if\u00a0I go,\u00a0I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will\u00a0convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin,\u00a0because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness,\u00a0because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;\u00a0concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world\u00a0is judged.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The final and eighth mystery of redemption is all about the revelation of Christ among us. The grace of God isn\u2019t beamed directly into your hearts. Jesus works through means. In Baptism, the Lord\u2019s Supper, and the preaching of the Word the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son to create saving faith in all of Jesus saving works. He teaches about our sins and our great need for a Savior. He teaches about righteousness and how Jesus alone has accomplished it. He teaches about judgement which falls, not on us because of our sins, but on the devil. The Spirit comes to tell us through the Scriptures that the devil\u2019s time is done. His power is but an empty show. The time of Christ and his kingdom has come. <strong>Pentecost,<\/strong> fifty days after <strong>Easter<\/strong>, is the feast for celebrating the Holy Spirit\u2019s coming to the church in Word and sacrament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In hearing about these great mysteries of redemption, the Holy Spirit has caused us to lift up the eyes of faith to our merciful Lord Jesus in heaven. No sin, death, or devil can stand between us and his saving works. Nothing can prevent his conception, birth, temptation, agony, cross, burial, and resurrection from helping us. For these reasons we cry out in the certain trust that our God hears and will answer\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Help us, good Lord.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the Litany there are eight events from Jesus\u2019 life that cause us to cry to him for help. These eight mysteries are the foundation for our conviction that Jesus can hear and mercifully answer us. By the mystery of Thy holy incarnation; We don\u2019t have a God that is so transcendent and far away [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-teach"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":309,"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions\/309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/church.immanuelroswell.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}