What Is Prayer?
Prayer is not an
exclusive Christian practice. All men pray,
whether they are heathen, agnostics,
idolaters, Buddhists, or any of other
religion or superstition; men pray and have
always prayed. History records prayers long
before the time of Moses, and the Bible
informs us that men shall pray to the end of
time, even if it be only to the rocks and
mountains.
Most of these ancient
prayers were not, of course, prayers in a
Biblical sense. They were generally offered
only in times of emergencies, such as an
earthquake, an important battle, a
pestilence, prolonged drought, or some other
great calamity. They were motivated by fear,
often the desire for revenge on enemies; for
the Christian concepts of love and concern
for the welfare of others appear to be
completely absent in some primitive peoples.
Their prayers were prayers for themselves and
for the destruction of their enemies. Utter
selfishness lay at the root of such
petitions.
From the beginning of
time, men have found themselves face to face
with forces of nature with which they could
not cope. The thunders roared, the lightening
flashed, evil powers seemed intent on their
destruction, and men stood helpless against
the fury of the elements. A storm at sea
would crush their stoutest boat, an
earthquake would level their buildings, a
volcano would spew out of its molten lava, or
a pestilence might decimate the people.
Utterly helpless, men felt the need of
pacifying the evil powers that were evidently
intent on their destruction, and of imploring
the help of the good gods who sent sunshine
and rain and other blessings. Man has been
called a praying animal, and not without
reason. Prayer is part of man’s nature,
whatever his skin.
We call attention to
this universal practice to stress the fact
that prayer is a natural phenomenon common to
all mankind. Many non-Christians pray
habitually more than do Christians, as
witness the Mohammedans and other Eastern
religions. Prayer is inborn in man, a part of
his nature. Missionaries capitalize on this
implanted prayer habit and find it an
excellent means to approach to uncivilized
people. These people pray already. They need
to have their prayers directed to the God of
all, the One who made the heavens and the
earth.
For the Christian,
love of God is the true motive that leads him
to pray. Fear, hatred of his enemies,
selfishness, love of show, find no place in
his thinking. He prays when he is in danger
and asks God for protection from harm and
accidents; he prays when he is sick or facing
serious problems; but he has in mind that
these are not the primary motives for prayer.
The real ground lies deeper. Therefore, we
find Daniel, when faced with the decree that
under pain of death no one might pray to the
God of heaven, “went into his house; and
kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and
prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as
he did aforetime.” Daniel 6:10. He
did not change his practice because of the
decree. This illustrates Christian prayer at
its best.
An appeal to God for
help in time of crisis is right and proper.
The Bible is filled with examples of this
kind of prayer. However, we have to keep in
mind that this is not to be the prevalent
form of prayer, nor is it of the highest
kind. Prayer should not be dependant on a
crisis. We are not to do as the little
newsboy did. He said he never prayed to God
except at night. In the daytime, he could
take care of himself.
Some are reluctant to
call on God when they face a difficult
situation, because they have neglected prayer
previously. However, God is always pleased to
have us pray; so no one need feel hesitant.
It sometimes takes a special event to start
the prayer habit and supply the needed
incentive; God recognizes this, and there are
occasions when God Himself supplies the
event. Israel “wandered in the
wilderness in a solitary way; they found no
city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their
soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto
the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered
them out of their distresses.” Psalm
107:4-6. When some rebelled against the Lord,
“He brought down their heart with labor;
they fell down, and there was none to help.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and He saved them out of their
distresses.” Verse 12,13.
“Fools because
of their transgression, and because of their
iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul
abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw
near unto the gates of death. Then they cry
unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saveth
them out of their distresses.” Verses
17-19. “They that go down to the sea in
ships, that do business in great waters;
these see the works of the Lord, and His
wonders in the deep. For He commandeth, and
raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the
waves thereof.” Then they cry unto the
Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them
out of their distresses.” Verses 23-25,
28.
These incidents
reveal that the Lord uses all manner of means
to call men to Him. He did that in older
times, and He does this today. Therefore, we
find a man on a raft in the midst of the
ocean with certain death facing him, feeling
after God and finding Him. An ocean liner
goes down in a collision, and thousands pray
while the band plays a church hymn. The
president of a great nation wrestles with the
problem of the emancipation of slaves, facing
a decision that may cost much blood and even
divide the nation; and finds his solution in
prayer. A supreme council of world leaders
gathers to decide questions that mean life or
death to millions of innocent people, and
every head is bowed in devout silence. God
has many ways to incite men to prayer. The
profound issues before the world teach men to
pray as well as to think, and God uses them
to further His aim.
God calls all men and
uses all means. Men of erudition and
scientific attainments, who never prayed
before, are learning to seek God today.
Working on weapons that threaten the
annihilation of the human race, these leaders
are appalled as they contemplate the use to
which their inventions will be put.
Therefore, God calls them, and some respond.
Men are discovering
that human wisdom is insufficient for the
world issues; that mankind is doomed unless
some remedy is found. Humanity gropes for
light. God is doing His part in awakening
men’s consciences as they realize the
way the world is going. Scientists have
released forces that they can no longer
control, and men are making a desperate
attempt to save themselves from themselves.
In their dilemma, they are turning to prayer
in the hope that some higher power will come
to their rescue. In doing this, they are
admitting their own failure and demonstrating
that man cannot save himself – a lesson
that is being deeply impressed in current
events.
At a time such as
this, it is well for the people of God to
take stock of themselves. Have they any power
in prayer that the world does not have? Are
they taking advantage of the power that is at
their command? Have they learned to pray?
Have they learned to wrestle with god in
prayer? And are they finding in prayer their
stay and help? “Men ought always to
pray.” In a special sense, this applies
to our present time.
Prayer is the highest
spiritual exercise of the soul. In its deeper
form it passes into communication and
fellowship with God, opens the doors to the
throne room of the universe, and converses
with God as with a friend. In the earthly
temple, the Mosaic priest came nearest to God
when morning and evening he offered incense
on the altar. Likewise, the Christian comes
closest to God in his daily devotions, as his
prayers ascend with sweet incense of
Christ’s righteousness to the throne of
the Almighty.
Some Christians
consider prayer a duty to be discharged at
stated times to please God. When they have
performed their devotions, they rest content
that they have done what is required of them.
They feel that they have reminded God of what
He might otherwise forget or neglect, but to
which He will now doubtless give attention.
God loves these dear souls who daily call
upon Him as a matter of duty; and from
heaven, He sends the answer to their prayers
when it is most needed. He knows the sincere
desire of their hearts and overlooks their
imperfect approach.
Nevertheless, most
Christians pray not as a matter of duty but
because they feel the need of communion with
their Maker. Some use prayer books and recite
the beautifully worded prayers prepared for
their use. Others pray extemporaneously,
pouring out their soul’s desire in their
heart language that God understands. They
pray for loved ones, for missionaries in
far-off fields, for the sick and afflicted,
for persecuted ones and those that suffer
reproach for the Lord’s sake; they
humbly petition God for forgiveness for their
many shortcomings and for daily strength, and
then leave their case with God. God loves to
hear them pray.
More Than a Duty
The Bible not only
encourages us to pray, but commands it.
“Men ought always to pray,” says
the Savior, “and not to faint.”
Luke 18:1. This makes prayer a Christian duty
that should on no account be neglected.
Nevertheless, to the
true Christian, prayer is more than a duty:
it is a high and blessed privilege. Paul
speaks of love, as a duty when he says,
“So ought men to love their wives.”
Ephesians 5:28. There is indeed an
“ought” phase to love as there is
to prayer. However, in both cases the
privilege phase far exceeds the duty aspect.
No man truly loves his wife considers it his
duty to do so. To him it is not a duty or a
task; it is a privilege.
There are some vital
questions that come to mind as we consider
prayer. Some doubt that prayer accomplishes
anything aside from the reflex influence it
has on the one who prays. Does prayer ever
change the mind of God and make Him altar His
intent? Are answers to prayer only wishful
thinking? Is prayer effective in the field of
bodily infirmities? Is anyone ever healed of
organic difficulty? Are souls saved because
we pray? Is real communion with God possible?
We shall consider these and other questions
as we proceed. It is time that we face the
subject of prayer realistically. This we
shall do.
Memory Verse:
“For the eyes
of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears
are attentive to their prayer, but the face
of the Lord is against those who do
evil.” 1 Peter 3:12
Questions:
1. In your own
words, what is prayer?
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2. Give
an example of a prayer that you felt in your
heart was answered by God.
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