How diligent are you in prayer? Is prayer a reality with you? When last have you really prayed? These are questions that some of us need to ask ourselves. It has been said that Prayer is one of the most neglected duties of some Christians. The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson said, “Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” Prayer is “drawing near to God” and James writes, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Prayer means having confidence in the God to whom you pray. This confirmed in God’s word. “And this is the confidence we have toward Him that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14,15).
Prayer is a sacred “exercise” for all believers in Jesus Christ. It is the God-ordained means to communicate with our heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus has taught us to pray (Matthew 6:9-13), commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer” and was intended to be a “model prayer” for the Lord’s disciples as He said to them “Pray then like this.” Also, to be noted, “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26,27). God is so delighted in our prayers that He has provided the Holy Spirit prompt us and help us to pray telling us what we should pray for.“
C H Spurgeon said. “For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.” And what the Spirit of God knows to be the mind of God, He makes to be also our mind and thus we also pray “according to the will of God.” A true prayer is the echo of the eternal purpose of God. We say that “coming events cast their shadows before them” and our prayers are the shadows before God’s mercies. Who would not pray when prayer becomes to him a consecrated mystery in which one person of the Sacred Trinity operates upon his mind and excites his desires? It ought to lead us to be much in prayer because our prayers are prompted by the Holy Spirit. “Pray, always pray, the Holy Spirit pleads Within you all your daily, hourly needs.” (Excerpted from “Pray, always pray” No. 2800 11.3.1878 by C H Spurgeon).
The activity of prayer is the lifeline of the Christian. The Holy Scriptures have very much to say and teach about the importance of prayer in the lives of believers. Many books have also been written on the subject of prayer. It is futile to think that since God knows all about us and what we are going to pray about, why then should we pray. That is definitely not the case because prayer is the way, the means, and the method God has chosen for His children and His Church to communicate with Him. The hymn writer said it most beautifully, “Oh the pure delight of a single hour That before the throne I spend. When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend with Friend” (Fanny Crosby, 1820-1915).
Many Christians can attest to the power of prayer in their personal lives and in the life of the Church. A.W. Tozer said it best, “God answers our prayers not because we are good but because He is good.” The Bible records the story of the Apostle Peter who was incarcerated and scheduled to be executed the next day but earnest prayer was made for him by the Church which resulted in Peter’s miraculous release from prison and he was spared death. God performed a great miracle because the Church prayed. (Acts 12:5-17). Nothing is impossible with God. Don’t give up or give in. Keep on praying. God will answer you.
During His earthly ministry the Lord Jesus always took time to pray. For example, even as He was facing death on the Cross, He prayed three times saying “My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will” (Acts 26:39). The “cup” Jesus was referring to is His suffering and death. This was the humanity of our Savior. But note what He also prayed, “not as I will but as you will.” This is an important lesson about prayer for us. We must always pray in accordance with God’s will. Remember the Lord’s prayer, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mat. 6:9-13). God certainly knows what is best for us more than we know it ourselves. An important component of prayer is total submission to God His will and His purpose for us.
Our prayers are not only heard but also answered. We are assured of this by God Himself. He said, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3). However, there are important disciplines about prayer we must always be aware of. First and foremost, we must be prepared to wait on God to answer our prayers. This is where some Christians fail. Waiting is a discipline of prayer. King David, a man of great faith, said, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:13,14).
Prayer means trusting and delighting ourselves in the Lord during our prayers and that we will gladly accept the outcome of our petitions. We must also commit our way to the Lord, trusting Him to act for, and on our behalf. And then we must be prepared to wait patiently for the answers. This proves our confidence in the Lord. There are times God will say yes to our requests. Other times He may say wait. And sometimes He may not grant our request because He knows that it would not be in our best interest. Some of us might be disappointed when God says “no.” Remember, God looks at the big picture.
When the children of Israel complained and refused to be content with the provisions God had already made for them, the scripture says, “God gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them” (Psalm 106:15). This may sound harsh, but there is an important lesson to be learnt. When God doesn’t answer our prayers as we expect, thank Him for His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He knows exactly what is best for us.