God in Us John 14:16-24

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him’” (Jn. 14:23, NASB).

This article comes from my reflections of a post that I read on Facebook. The author of the post writes to advocate prayer in public schools. The author goes on to say, “We need to put God back into our schools, government, homes and churches.” When I read this post my first thoughts were about the pros and cons of prayer in our schools. I personally know the author of the post and therefore I am familiar with the mindset of people that share her thoughts and sentiments on the subject. Before we become too critical of this thought process, it would be helpful if we know something about this person, including their age and the world that they were raised in.

The author is in her early 70s. The author of the post was raised in a Christian family that attended church on a regular basis. In addition, we must remember that when this person was a child in school the teacher led the class in a devotional period that included a song, the Lord’s Prayer, and sometimes the Psalm 23. The author is an African American and attended a segregated school in the south. In those days it was usually the case that the family sat at a table together for the meal. Before eating, prayer was offered. In church prayers were offered. This person’s entire life was centered on prayer. Then, something changed. Prayer in school is ruled unconstitutional.

I go to Google to find out when prayer in school was ruled unconstitutional. It says, “In two landmark decisions-Engel v. Vitale on June 25, 1962, and Abington School District v. Schempp on June 17, 1963 – the Supreme Court declared school-sponsored prayer and bible readings unconstitutional.” However, the ruling of the Supreme Court does not remove all prayer and Bible reading in the schools. It says that it is unconstitutional for prayer and Bible reading to be sponsored by the schools. This means that when a teacher, who is a school employee, leads the prayer and bible study they become school-sponsored. There is no law that prevents students from getting together in their free time to pray together and study the Bible together. It is taking place in our schools every day. The students need only to find an open space and at an appropriate time.

As time goes by the author of the post has seen a decrease in prayer in public gatherings and to a degree in many churches. In the minds of many people God has been removed from public life and the results have been an increase in problem in society. So, if removal of prayer results in increased problem, it can be concluded that God needs to be put back into public and private life. My contention with this post is not that I disagree with the validity of prayer. Rather, I assert that the idea that we can put God back into anything is biblically and theologically wrong. Let me explain.

First, the statement says that “we need to put God back into” our lives. Now, the verb “need” is in the active voice. This means that we have the power to remove God from something, and we have the power to put God into something. This notion does not take into account the sovereignty of God. When we say that God is sovereign, we mean that God alone determines what God does. God has the right to do whatever God wants to do without any input from any source. Also, God has the knowledge and the power to do what God determines to do. There is nothing that we can do to make God do anything.

Secondly, God is holy. This means that God is separate from anything and anybody in the universe. This is the reason that the first verse in Scripture says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1, NASB). God exist and lives before anything comes into being. Therefore the scriptures say this about God. “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways’ declares the LORD” (Isa. 55:8, NASB). Even when we pray, we cannot determine what God will do. Prayer is not so much that God will do for us; rather prayer is communion with God hearing His words and discovering what He desires for us to do in every situation in our life. Thus, it is not a matter of whether we take God out of our public spaces or put God into our public spaces, instead it is a matter of whether God is in us or whether God removes Himself for us. If God is in us, and if we truly know what it means to pray, then we can pray anytime, anyplace, and in any and every circumstance.

The story of Joseph found in the Old Testament that affirms this truth. Joseph has dreams and he wears a coat given to him by his father that shows that Joseph is his father’s favorite son. This makes Joseph’s brothers jealous. They sell him to merchants on their way to Egypt. Joseph becomes a slave in Egypt. In the story, we read, “Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard” (Gen. 37:36, NASB). Potiphar buys Joseph and the writer tells us, “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man” (Gen. 39:2, NASB). Potiphar sees that Joseph prospered in everything. So, Potiphar gives Joseph authority over everything in his household except his wife. Potiphar’s wife finds Joseph attractive and she tries to get Joseph to have sex with her. Joseph refuses (39:8-9). Joseph says to the wife of Potiphar, “How then can I do this great evil and sin against God” (v. 9)? Although we do not read that Joseph prays, and we do not hear the Lord say a word, we can see that God is in Joseph. So do we need prayer? Do we need to pray? The answer is “yes.” However we cannot put God in the school, but God can be in us.

In the Gospel of John Jesus tells His disciples that God lives in those that abide in Him. In chapters 14-17, Jesus gives His disciples the assurance that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. The Father is also in the disciples. In chapter fifteen He compares this union between God and the Disciples to that of a vine and its branches. They Abide in Him by being obedient to His commands. He says, “‘If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love’” (Jn. 15:10, NASB). His commandment is that we love one another. He says, “‘This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you’” (v. 12).

We cannot put God anywhere, but if God is in us, then, God is everywhere that we are. Should there be school-sponsored prayer? The author of the Facebook attended a public school in which almost, if not all, students were raised in a Christian centered home. Today, our schools have many students that come from various ethnicities, nations, and religious backgrounds. If the school sponsors prayer, or stated differently, if prayer and God are put back in the schools and other public spaces what religion will determine the kind of prayer offered. The school is not a religious institution. The school should not sponsor prayer. The school cannot control God. The fact is this: Both God and prayer are in the schools and in our public spaces. God is in us, and therefore God is wherever we are.