TEACH US TO PRAY
“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." — Luke 11:1
Of all in this world that is available to man in general and believers in particular there is no resource greater nor more underutilized (or misused) than prayer.
Prayer gives us access to the throne of the living God, audience with the King of Glory, and opens to us His infinite resources. Whatever their prior exercise in prayer may have been, when the disciples heard the Savior pray they immediately sensed a need in their own lives which prompted this earnest plea, “Lord, teach us to pray…” And it is worthy of note that it was their association with Him that gave rise to their sense of need to pray and to pray more effectively. We will never long to pray until we have spent time with Him, and we will never learn really to pray until we have consulted Him.
Our objective over the next few weeks will be to considera the Savior’s remarkable response to the disciples’ impassioned plea, affording what is popularly referred to as “the Lord’s Prayer.” But for today we may reflect upon the subject of prayer in a more general way, observing some of the New Testament references indicative of the importance of meaningful prayer.
The Lord Jesus Himself underscored the priority of prayer when He “spake a parable unto [the Pharisees] to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint [Lk. 18:1].” The clear inference here is that we may be crushed beneath life’s heavy load if we do not avail ourselves of the resources to which prayer gives us access. Whether we need guidance or undergirding, it is from God that real help must come, and it is by prayer that we tap into His gracious resources. His emphasis is reiterated and amplified for the church in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, “Pray without ceasing [I Thess. 5:17].” Clearly there is prayer that is particular and addresses specific matters, but this verse suggests an aspect of prayer that might be called an “atmosphere” in which we are to live. Years ago I read an article that referred to prayer as “spiritual breathing.” The inference was that we may develop the exercise of prayer in a way that becomes autonomic, affording an unconscious and unbroken communion with God. It is quite different from the crises praying with which we are more familiar, and far more rewarding.
On another occasion Jesus exhorted His disciples, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. [Mt. 26:41].” In a world where temptations abound, prayer is the believer’s first line of defense. Those who do not cultivate it leave themselves vulnerable. Effective praying can not only keep us from fainting, but it can also keep us from falling.
Later, in the epistles, the Holy Spirit instructs us, “Be careful [anxious] for nothing;l but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God,” and assures us, “and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep [secure] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus [Phil 4:6-7].” The inference here is that in bringing specific matters before God we may, indeed, find “grace to help in time of need,” so that we can live a stress-free life in a stressful world. Most believers know the verse; how well do we apply it—in “everything!”
Nowhere are these truths more significantly emphasized than in the life of the Savior Himself. Though He was “God manifest in the flesh,” He made prayer a priority. “In the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place and there prayed [Mk. 1:35].” Prayer was more important than sleep. When multiplying loaves and fishes He acknowledged the Father’s power and goodness with prayers of thanksgiving [Cf. Mt. 15:36, Mk. 8:6, Mt. 14:19]. After the feeding of the five thousand at the close of the day “He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when evening was come, He was there alone [Mt. 14:23].” Morning, before His busy day and evening at the close thereof, it would appear He engaged in prayer.
The Savior prayed when healing the deaf and dumb man (Mk. 7:33); as a preface to the transfiguration (Lk. 9:29); when about to raise Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11:41-43); He prayed for the sustenance of Peter’s faith (Lk. 22:32); and He agonized in prayer when anticipating the incomprehensible crisis of the crucifixion (Mt. 26:36-46), remonstrating His disciples for their failure to stand with Him in prayer in that crucial hour (v40, 41).
If the only begotten Son of God needed thus to incorporate prayer in His daily life, how crucial must it be for those of us who are children of God by adoption—and mere mortals at that? LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY!
"Pastor" Frasier
No comments:
Post a Comment