The Wonderful Results in Prayer (Part 1)

My preceding musings closed with the statement that prayer can do anything that God can do. This is a tremendous statement, and rings true through history and experience. If we abide in Christ, and abide in Him we are living in obedience to His holy will approaching God in His name, then we have opened up the sources of the divine treasure-house.

Now the person (man or woman) that truly prays gets from God many things that are denied to the prayer-less man or woman. The aim of all real praying is to get whatever was prayed for, "as the child's cry for bread has for its end the getting of bread" as stated by Bounds. Therefore this view on prayer goes clear out of the sphere of religious performance. "Prayer is not acting a part or going through religious motions". "Prayer is neither official nor formal nor ceremonial, but direct, hearty, and intense." "Prayer is not religious work that must be gone through, and that avails because it is well done." Bounds continues on to state that prayer is "the helpless and needy child crying to the compassion of the Father's heart and the bounty and power of the Father's hand." "The answer is as sure to come as the Father's heart can be touched and the Father's hand be moved." I have stressed before and I will stress it again, if we do not believe that we can change God's mind , move his mighty hand, or have a conversation with him then we deter from what prayer truly is and what is can do.

The value of prayer does not lie in length and numbers, but rather it is found in knowing that we are privileged by our relationship with the Almighty God to unload and unburden our desires as well as make our request known to God. The example Bounds gives is that of a child asking his earthly parents for something he so desires, as Children of God we must be willing to take the time to ask our Him to grant what we so desire (of course in his time).

D.L, Moody the famous preacher and theologian once told the story of a little child whose father and mother had died, and who was taken in by another family. The first night she requested if she could pray as she used to. The new parents consented with an "Oh Yes!" So in hearing their consent she knelt down and prayed as her mother had taught her, then she tacked on her own prayer "O God make these people as kind to me as Father and Mother were." Then she paused and looked up, as if expecting the answer, and then added "Of course you will." If we could just have this simple and sweet faith of this child according to Moody God will answer or prayers. In other words what Bounds and Moody are trying to point out is that God is an approachable, and when we believe that he can answer HE will.

Prayer-less Prayer

“Prayer-less Praying”

As I reflect upon the thoughts of E.M. Bounds a wonderful author on "Prayer", I would like to share my thoughts and reflections with all who care to read and reflect with me.

What "Prayer-less Prayer" is:
"Prayer-less Praying lacks the essential element of true praying; it is not based on desire, and it is devoid of earnestness and faith. Desire burns the chariot of prayer, faith drives it's wheels. In other words prayerless praying has no burden because it has no sense of need or ardency and has no strength or vision, or "glow" of faith. (Genesis 32.36, and Exodus 32.32.)

Prayer-less Praying stakes nothing on the issue, for it has nothing to stake. It comes with empty hands, indeed, but they are listless as well as empty. They have never learned the lesson of empty hands clinging to the Cross; this lesson, to them has no form or comeliness. In essence as Christians we tend to even skirt around the issues of our lives (trials and tribulations) with a God who knows all of them. He just wants us to take the time to voice them out to HIM. (Isaiah 53.2)

Prayer-less Prayer has no heart in its praying. The lack of heart deprives praying of its reality, and makes it an empty and unfit vessel. Heart, soul, life must be in our praying; the heavens must feel the force of our crying, and must be brought into oppressed sympathy for our bitter and needy state. The needs that oppress us and the only relief we find is to CRY OUT TO GOD and voice it all out to HIM.

Prayer-less Prayer is insincere. It has no honesty at heart. We name in words what we do not want in heart. Our prayers give formal utterance to the things for which our hearts are not only not hungry, but for which they really have not taste.

If God were to shake you and ask you “What did you ask me for?” “What did you pray for”? We can't tell him to save our lives, (whatever prayer we just uttered from our lips)

Prayer has indeed become rather dry and impersonal (I include myself in all of this). So in the end let us live out "prayerful Praying" (prayers with heart, and life, especially since God is the one we must really bare our all to)

I really want to encourage you all by saying in the words of Bounds "the prayer habit is a good habit, but prayer done only by force of habit is a very bad habit. It is not conditioned after God's order nor generated by God's power. "It is not only a waste, a perversion, a delusion, but also a prolific source of unbelief. We get no results from such prayers, for God is not reached and self is not helped. We might as well not pray then to gain no results from our prayers. In the end Religion and God are dishonored and our unbelief is strengthened by these prayers that are loaded with too much asking and not enough getting "results".

But in stark contrast to all of this rather serious talk " Real prayer helps God and Man. God's kingdom is advanced by it. The greatest good comes to man by it. Prayer can do anything that God can do. It is a pity that we don't believe in it as we should, and don't put fervent, prayerful prayer to the test.

Scripture: The Fire that Stirs our Hearts

As the New year approaches I am dwelling and reflecting on my theological and biblical journey. As I listened to my friend and teacher John Selbak share how in this modern world there are many who are biblically illiterate within the 4 walls of the church, it made me wonder whether I was one of the ones mentioned. I a student of the world with a degree in Christian Ministry and Biblical Studies an ILLITERATE shows me that merely browsing through the bible is not what I must do, but rather I must show the richness of my journey as a Christ-follower. If as a child of God I am indeed relating with HIM on a personal stand point I must show the richness, hope, and joy that is found in Christ. I must live out the relationship that I say I stand for.