Future rolodex entries - Prayer

Regardless of our awareness, we’ve already established that God is at work in his creation. It isn’t a leap into the dark to see the reasonableness of his working through prayer. If it is God who is prompting us to pray, then it doesn’t matter whether our words are spoken aloud for them to be heard by Him who gave us the words. In prayer, we are God’s instruments of change for ourselves or for others to reveal his kingdom. If it is God who is working through us in prayer, then neither does it matter whether we immediately recognize the results or not.

From Ole Hallesby:

“Why should we pray?

To many this problem, too, seems easy to solve. We should pray, they say, in order to get God to give us something! So simple does it appear to them. But a moment's reflection will convince us that this view of prayer is pagan and not Christian. We all have so much of the pagan left in us that it is easy for us to look upon prayer as a means whereby we can make God kind and good, and grant our prayer. But the whole revelation of God teaches us that this is to misunderstand both God and prayer completely. God is in Himself good, from eternity and to eternity; He was good before man had any occasion for prayer. The Scriptures also teach us that God is equally kind and good whether He grants our prayers or not. When He grants our prayers, it is because He loves us. When He does not, it is - also because He loves us. Others say. "No, the purpose of prayer is to tell God what we need." But neither is this solution adequate to the problem involved in Christian prayer. By the revelation of God we Christians are convinced that as far as God is concerned it is not at all necessary for us to explain our needs to Him. On the contrary, God alone fully understands what each one of us needs; we make mistakes continually and pray for things which would be harmful to us if we received them. Afterwards we see our mistakes and realize that God is good and wise in not giving us these things, even though we plead ever so earnestly for them. But this again throws us into a quandary as to why we should pray at all.

If God gives us His gifts of His own accord, and if He does not need to be told by us what to
give, why should we pray at all ? This question is not one of mere theoretical interest. It is one of great practical importance because of the way it affects our views both of God and of prayer. The question is in reality this: Why does not God give us His gifts before we pray, even without our prayer, since He is Himself good, and since it is His will to give us these things, and since He does not need any suggestions from us? In answering this question, we must take as our starting point the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:45, "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." In these words Jesus reveals clearly that aspect of God's perfect love according to which He gives everybody all that He can persuade them, in one way or another, to accept. "On the evil and on the good," says Jesus. The evil do not ask Him for it, but He gives it to them nevertheless. The good ask, to be sure; but if they did not receive more than they prayed for, they would not receive very much. Hence both have this in common, that they receive a great deal from God without asking for it.

Why do they receive these things without asking?

Simply because God is love. And the essence of love is to give: give all it has to give, give all
it can give without bringing harm to the loved one, give all it can persuade the loved one to
accept. That God gives some gifts to men without their prayer and other gifts only to those who pray, can be accounted for by the simple fact that there is a wide difference in kind between these gifts. All people accept some of God's gifts; this is true, for instance, of temporal gifts. They are given without our prayer. But men close their hearts to some of God's other gifts; this is true of all the gifts which pertain to our salvation. These gifts God cannot bestow upon us before He can persuade us to open our hearts and receive them voluntarily. And, as we have seen above, prayer is the organ whereby we open our hearts to God and let Him enter in. Here we see why prayer is essential. It is not for the purpose of making God good or generous. He is that from all eternity. Nor is it for the purpose of informing God concerning our needs. He knows what they are better than we do. Nor is it for the purpose of bringing God's gifts down from heaven to us. It is He who bestows the gifts, and by knocking at the door of our hearts, He reminds us that He desires to impart them to us. No, prayer has one function, and that is to answer "Yes," when He knocks, to open the soul and give Him the opportunity to bring us the answer. This throws light on the struggles and strivings, the work and the fasting connected with prayer. All these things have but one purpose: to induce us to open our hearts and to receive all that Jesus is willing to give, to put away all those things which would distract us and prevent us from hearing Jesus knock, that is, from hearing the Spirit of prayer when He tries to tell us what God is waiting to give us if we will only ask for it.

3. Does God need our intercessory prayers? Here, assuredly, we touch the greatest problem in the whole realm of prayer.

We have just seen that prayer is essential to personal fellowship with God. But now we come to
intercessory prayer. And we ask: Are our intercessions necessary as far as God is concerned and the work He would have accomplished in this world? Nor is this problem one of mere theoretical interest; it, too, is one of practical significance because of the manner in which it affects our view of God, of prayer and of the world. We can answer by saying, in the first place, that it is impossible for God to bring the world forward to its goal without man. The attitude which man takes is the vital factor in determining whether the world shall attain its goal or not. God has voluntarily bound Himself to man in His government of the world. From the very beginning of the history of revelation we see that God has established His kingdom only where He could find men who would voluntarily permit themselves to be used by Him. It thus becomes evident that God has voluntarily made Himself dependent also upon our prayer. For, after all, prayer is the deciding factor in the life of every one who surrenders himself to God to be used by Him. What we do in God's kingdom is entirely dependent upon what we are. And what we are, depends again upon what we receive. And what we receive, depends again upon prayer. This applies not only to the work of God in us, but also to the work of God through us. I shall mention in this connection only this one word of Jesus, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). Here Jesus says that it is God who must send forth the workers, but also that He is dependent upon our prayer. He does it through our prayer. In this passage, Jesus flashes a remarkable gleam of light upon God's relation to the world and our intercessions. We know that only by an uninterrupted influx of eternal, soul-saving power into the world can the race be created anew and brought into the kingdom of God. These saving powers are contained in the person of Jesus Christ. But they must be transmitted from Him to man. And God has so ordained it that this transmission of power takes place through those who accept salvation, and thus open their hearts to the saving power of Jesus. In the Old Covenant there were only a few through whom He could transmit this power. Since the day of Pentecost this has been changed. Now He makes use of all who accept salvation. Let us note that every believer represents a daily influx into this world of eternity's powers of salvation. The supernatural influence of God's Spirit upon a believer's personal life results in an accession of eternal power which manifests itself in various ways in his environment and quietly but surely helps to transform this world into God's kingdom. The greatest transmission of power takes place through the believer's prayers and intercessions. Believing prayer is unquestionably the means by which God, in the quickest way, would be able to give to the world those saving powers from the realm of eternity which are necessary before Christ can return and the millennium be ushered in.

Why does God at times grant the petitions even of unconverted people?

Several reasons might be mentioned. I shall, however, confine myself to those nearest at hand. God, at times, grants the prayers of the unconverted for the same reason that He showers other blessings upon them, namely, because He loves them and desires to save them. Answer to prayer becomes one of the gracious means whereby God seeks to bring such people to repentance. I know personally of people who have been converted and saved through such answers to prayer. But I also know of some who, like Cain, have been strengthened in impenitence by such answers. But this is the law of God's salvation, either acceptance or rejection.”

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From Martin Luther:

“PRAYER

"But I give myself unto prayer." Psalm 109:4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer. He who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit—and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ. "Prayer is offering up our desires;" and therefore called making known our requests. Phil 4:6. In prayer we come as humble petitioners, begging to have our suit granted. It is "offering up our desires to God." Prayer is not to be made to any but God. The Papists pray to saints and angels, who know not our grievances. "Abraham is ignorant of us." Isa 63:16. All angel-worship is forbidden. Col 2:18, 19. We must not pray to any but whom we may believe in. "How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" Rom 10:14. We cannot believe in an angel, therefore we must not pray to him. Why must prayer be made to God alone? (1) Because he only hears prayer. "Oh you who hear prayer." Psalm 65:2. Hereby God is known to be the true God, in that he hears prayer. "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that you are the Lord God." 1 Kings 18:37. (2) Because God only can help. We may look to second causes, and cry, as the woman did, "Help, O king." And he said, "If the Lord does not help you, whence shall I help you?" 2 Kings 6:26, 27. If we are in outward distress, God must send from heaven and save; if we are in inward agonies, he only can pour in the oil of joy; therefore prayer is to be made to him only. We are to pray "for things agreeable to his will." When we pray for outward things, for riches or children, perhaps God sees these things not to be good for us. Our prayers should comport with his will. We may pray absolutely for grace; "For this is the will of God—even your sanctification." 1 Thess 4:3. There must be no strange incense offered. Exodus 30:9. When we pray for things which are not agreeable to God's will, it is offering strange incense. We are to pray "in the name of Christ." To pray in the name of Christ, is not only to mention Christ's name in prayer—but to pray in the hope and confidence of his merits. "Samuel took a lamb and offered it," etc. 1 Sam 7:9. We must carry the lamb Christ in the arms of our faith, and so shall we prevail in prayer. When Uzziah would offer incense without a priest, God was angry, and struck him with leprosy. 2 Chron 26:16. When we do not pray in Christ's name, in the hope of his mediation, we offer up incense without a priest; and what can we expect but to meet with rebukes, and to have God answer us by dreadful things? What are the several PARTS of prayer? (1) Confession—which is the acknowledgment of sin. (2) Supplication—when we either deprecate and pray against some evil— or request the obtaining of some good. (3) Thanksgiving—when we give thanks for mercies received, which is the most excellent part of prayer. In petition, we act like men; in giving thanks, we act like angels. What are the several KINDS of prayer? (1) There is mental prayer, in the mind. 1 Sam 1:13. (2) Vocal prayer. Psalm 77:1. (3) Ejaculatory prayer, which is a sudden and short elevation of the heart to God. "So I prayed to the God of heaven." Neh 2:4. (4) Inspired prayer, when we pray for those things which God puts into our heart. The Spirit helps us with sighs and groans. Rom 8:26. Both the expressions of the tongue, and the impressions of the heart, so far as they are right, are from the Spirit. (5) Prescribed prayer. Our Savior has set us a pattern of prayer. God prescribed a set form of blessing for the priests. Numb 6:23. (6) Public prayer, when we pray in the audience of others. Prayer is more powerful when many join and unite their forces. "A united force is stronger." Matt 18:19. (7) Private prayer; when we pray by ourselves. "Enter into your closet." Matt 6:6. That prayer is most likely to prevail with God which is rightly qualified. That is a good medicine which has the right ingredients; and that prayer is good, and most likely to prevail with God, which has these seven ingredients in it: [1] Prayer must be mixed with FAITH. "But let him ask in faith." James 1:6. Believe that God hears, and will in due time grant; believe his love and truth; believe that he is love, and therefore will not deny you; believe that he is truth, and therefore will not deny himself. Faith sets prayer to work. Faith is to prayer, what the feather is to the arrow; it feathers the arrow of prayer, and makes it fly swifter, and pierce the throne of grace. The prayer which is faithless, is fruitless. [2] It must be a MELTING prayer. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit." Psalm 51:17. The incense was to be beaten—to typify the breaking of the heart in prayer. Oh! says a Christian, I cannot pray with such gifts and elocution as others; as Moses said, "I am not eloquent." But can't you weep? Does your heart melt in prayer? Weeping prayer prevails. Tears drop as pearls from the eye. Jacob wept and made supplication; and "had power over the angel." Hosea 12:4. [3] Prayer must be fired with ZEAL and FERVENCY. "Effectual fervent prayer avails much." James 5:16. Cold prayer, like cold suitors, never prevail. Prayer without fervency, is like a sacrifice without a fire. Prayer is called a "pouring out of the soul," to signify vehemence. 1 Sam 1:15. Formality starves prayer. Prayer is compared to incense. "Let my prayer be set forth as incense." Psalm 141:2. Hot coals were to be put to the incense, to make it odoriferous and fragrant; so fervency of affection is like coals to the incense; it makes prayer ascend as a sweet perfume. Christ prayed with strong cries. Heb 5:7. "Such a cry pierces the clouds." Luther. Fervent prayer makes heaven's gates fly open. To cause holy fervor and ardor of soul in prayer, consider, (1) Prayer without fervency is no prayer; it is speaking—not praying. Lifeless prayer is no more prayer, than the picture of a man is a man. One may say as Pharaoh, "I have dreamed a dream." Gen 41:15. It is dreaming, not praying. Life and fervency baptize a duty, and give it a name. (2) Consider in what need we stand, of those things which we ask in prayer. We come to ask the favor of God; and if we have not his love all we enjoy is cursed to us. We pray that our souls may be washed in Christ's blood; if he does not wash us—we have no part in him. John 13:8. When will we be in earnest, if not when we are praying for the life of our souls? (3) It is only fervent prayer, which has the promise of mercy affixed to it. "You shall find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart." Jer 29:13. It is dead praying without a promise; and the promise is made only to ardency. God's heart is ever open to fervent prayer. [4] Prayer must be SINCERE. Sincerity is the silver thread which must run through the whole duties of religion. Sincerity in prayer, is when we have gracious holy ends; when our prayer is not so much for temporal mercies as for spiritual. We send out prayer as our merchant ship, that we may have large returns of spiritual blessings. Our aim in it is, that our hearts may be more holy, that we may have more communion with God and that we may increase our stock of grace. The prayer which lacks a good aim—lacks a good outcome. [5] The prayer that will prevail with God must have a FIXEDNESS of mind. "My heart is fixed, O God." Psalm 57:7. Since the fall, the mind is like quicksilver, which will not fix; it has "a principle of restlessness, not of peace." The thoughts will be roving and dancing up and down in prayer, just as if a man who is traveling to a certain place should run out of the road, and wander he knows not where. In prayer we are traveling to the throne of grace—but how often do we, by vain cogitations, turn out of the road! This is rather wandering, than praying. How shall we cure these vain impertinent thoughts, which distract us in prayer, and, we fear, hinder its acceptance? (1) Be very apprehensive in prayer of the infiniteness of God's majesty and purity. His eye is upon us in prayer, and we may say as David, "You see my wanderings." Psalm 56:8. The thoughts of this, would make us mind the duty we are about. If a man were to deliver a petition to an earthly king, would he at the same time be playing with a feather? Set yourselves, when you pray, as in God's presence. Could you but look through the keyhole of heaven, and see how devout and intent the angels are in their worshiping God, surely you would be ready to blush at your vain thoughts and vile impertinences in prayer. (2) If you would keep your mind fixed in prayer, keep your eye fixed. "Unto you lift I up my eyes, O you who dwell in the heavens." Psalm 123:1. Much vanity comes in at the eye. When the eye wanders in prayer, the heart wanders. To think to keep the heart fixed in prayer, and yet let the eye gaze, is as if one should think to keep his house safe, and yet let the windows be open. (3) If you would have your thoughts fixed in prayer, get more love to God. Love is a great fixer of the thoughts. He who is in love cannot keep his thoughts off the object. He who loves the world has his thoughts upon the world. Did we love God more, our minds would be more intent upon him in prayer. Were there more delight in duty, there would be less distraction. (4) Implore the help of God's Spirit to fix your minds, and make them intent and serious in prayer. The ship without a pilot rather floats, than sails. That our thoughts do not float up and down in prayer, we need the blessed Spirit to be our pilot to steer us. Only God's Spirit can bound the thoughts. A shaking hand may as well write a line steadily, as we can keep our hearts fixed in prayer without the Spirit of God. (5) Make holy thoughts familiar to you in your ordinary course of life. David was often musing on God. "When I am awake, I am still with you." Psalm 139:18. He who gives himself liberty to have vain thoughts out of prayer, will scarcely have serious thoughts in prayer. (6) If you would keep your mind fixed on God, watch your hearts, not only after prayer—but in prayer. The heart will be apt to give you the slip, and have a thousand vagaries in prayer. We read of angels ascending and descending on Jacob's ladder; so in prayer you shall find your hearts ascending to heaven, and in a moment descending upon earthly objects. O Christians, watch your hearts in prayer. What a shame is it to think, that when we are speaking to God—that our hearts should be in the fields, or in our counting-houses, or one way or other—running upon the devil's errand! (7) Labor for larger degrees of grace. The more ballast the ship has—the better it sails; so the more the heart is ballasted with grace—the steadier it will sail to heaven in prayer. [6] Prayer that is likely to prevail with God must be argumentative. God loves to have us plead with him, and use arguments in prayer. See how many arguments Jacob used in prayer. "Deliver me, I pray you, from the hand of my brother." Gen 32:11. The arguments he used are from God's command "You said to me, Return to your country;" ver 9; as if he had said, I did not take this journey of my own head—but by your direction; therefore you can not but in honor protect me. And he uses another argument. "You said, I will surely do you good;" ver 12. Lord, will you go back from your own promise? Thus he was argumentative in prayer; and he got not only a new blessing—but a new name. "Your name shall no more be called Jacob—but Israel: for as a prince have you power with God, and have prevailed;" ver 28. God loves to be overcome with strength of argument. Thus, when we come to God in prayer for grace, let us be argumentative. "Lord, you call yourself the God of all grace; and where should we go with our vessel—but to the fountain? Lord, your grace may be imparted—yet not impaired." Has not Christ purchased grace for poor indigent creatures? Every grain of grace costs a drop of blood. Shall Christ die to purchase grace for us, and shall not we have the fruit of his purchase? Lord, it is your delight to milk out the breast of mercy and grace, and will you abridge yourself of your own delight? You have promised to give your Spirit to implant grace; can truth lie? can faithfulness deceive? God loves thus to be overcome with arguments in prayer. [7] Prayer which prevails with God, must be joined with holiness of life. "If you stretch out your hands toward him; if iniquity is in your hand, put it far away." Job 11:13, 14. Sin, lived in—makes the heart hard, and God's ear deaf. It is foolish to pray against sin, and then sin against prayer. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm 66:18. The loadstone loses its virtue when bespread with garlic; so does prayer when polluted with sin. The incense of prayer must be offered upon the altar of a holy heart. Thus you see what is the prayer which is most likely to prevail with God. Use one. (1) It reproves such as do not pray at all. It is made the mark of a reprobate—that he calls not upon God. Psalm 14:4. Does he think to have an alms—who never asks it? Do they think to have mercy from God—who never seek it? Then God would befriend them more than he did his own Son. Christ offered up prayers with strong cries. Heb 5:7. None of God's children are born dumb! Gal 4:6. (2) It reproves such as have left off prayer, which is a sign that they never felt the fruit and comfort of it. He who leaves off prayer leaves off to fear God. "You cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God." Job 15:4. A man who has left off prayer, is fit for any wickedness. When Saul had given over inquiring after God—he went to the witch of Endor. Use two. Be people given to prayer. "I give myself," says David, "to prayer." Pray for pardon and purity. Prayer is the golden key which opens heaven! The tree of the promise will not drop its fruit, unless shaken by the hand of prayer. All the benefits of Christ's redemption, are handed over to us by prayer. I have prayed a long time for mercy, and have no answer. "I am weary of crying." Ps 69:3. (1) God may hear us when we do not hear from him; as soon as prayer is made, God hears it, though he does not presently answer. A friend may receive our letter, though he does not presently send us an answer. (2) God may delay prayer—yet he will not deny it. Why does God delay an answer to prayer? (1) Because he loves to hear the voice of prayer. "The prayer of the upright is his delight." Proverbs 15:8. You let the musician play a great while before you throw him money, because you love to hear his music. Canticles 2:14. (2) God may delay prayer when he will not deny it, that he may humble us. He has spoken to us long in his Word to leave our sins—but we would not hear him; therefore he lets us speak to him in prayer and seems not to hear us. (3) He may delay to answer prayer when he will not deny it, because he sees we are not yet fit for the mercy we ask. Perhaps we pray for deliverance when we are not fit for it—our scum is not yet boiled away. We would have God swift to deliver—yet we are slow to repent. (4) God may delay to answer prayer, that the mercy we pray for may be more prized, and may be sweeter when it comes. The longer the merchant's ships stay abroad, the more he rejoices when they come home laden with spices and jewels. Therefore be not discouraged—but follow God with prayer. Though God delays, he will not deny. Prayer "conquers the invincible"—it overcomes the Omnipotent. Hos 12:4. The Syrians tied their god Hercules fast with a golden chain, that he should not move. The Lord was held by Moses' prayer—as with a golden chain. "Let me alone;" why, what did Moses do? he only prayed. Exodus 32:10. Prayer ushers in mercy. Be your case ever so sad—if you can but pray you need not fear. Psalm 10:17. Therefore give yourself to prayer.”