This is a production of World Video Bible School.
To God be the glory!
When the very first Christians began assembling together right at the start of
their Christian lives,
Luke tells us about their habit, or manner, of behaving:
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the
breaking of bread, and in prayers," Acts 2:42.
From the very beginning of not only their Christian lives,
but the life of Christianity, prayer was a central part.
To study prayer is to look at something that is a part of the public worship
assemblies, but also,
it's to be a vital part of our daily private lives.
"Prayer" is from the Latin word "prex,"
meaning "petition," "entreaty," "request."
And that's what prayer is.
It's "the sincere desire of the heart expressed in words to God,"
Romans 10 and verse 1.
It's not simply an attitude or desire, but an audible expression.
Jesus said in Matthew 7 and verse 7: "Ask and it shall be given unto you..."
Prayer is "pouring out the soul in words expressed to God,"
like Hannah did in 1 Samuel 1 and verse 15.
Long ago, someone beautifully, simply, expressed it this way.
"The Bible is God's way to talk to us;
and prayer is our way of talking to God."
In the days of the Bible, God sometimes spoke to man directly.
You might recall that He spoke to Moses through a burning bush.
He spoke to the prophet Balaam through a donkey.
He spoke to men through visions and angels, and even directly.
We read in Hebrews 1 and verse 1, that: "God, who at various times and in various ways
spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has
in these last days spoken to us by His Son..."
In ancient times, man, at times, was able to speak to God directly.
When Jesus walked the earth, men
who spoke to him were speaking to God in the flesh.
And when we approach God in prayer,
we are engaging in the highest honor that a person could ever hope to achieve.
What if you could speak to the person that you thought was the most powerful
and influential person to ever live?
Maybe Socrates or Einstein,
Thomas Jefferson, or Ronald Reagan.
In prayer you approach One endlessly, more wise, more powerful,
and more able.
It would be a thrill to be able to go back through time
and to visit a worship service of the early church.
To hear the matters of concern that filled those prayers;
to hear the ways that they praised their Heavenly Father; to hear their
dependency
as they pleaded with Him.
Did you know that prayer preceded
the establishment of the church, Acts 1:23 to 26?
It immediately followed the establishment of the church, Acts 2 and verse 42.
And prayer was
center stage
during the church's first crisis.
Luke records in Acts, chapter 4, verse 23:
And being let go, they went to their own companions
and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
So when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord
and said:
"Lord, Thou art God,
Which has made heaven and earth and the sea,
and all that in them is,
who by the mouth of Thy servant David has said:
'Why did the heathen rage,
and the people imagine vain things? The
kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered
together against the Lord and against His Christ.
For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus,
whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod
and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered
together
for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determine before to be done.
And now, Lord, behold their threatening,
and grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy word,
by stretching forth Thine hand to heal,
and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Thy holy child Jesus."
And when they had prayed,
the place was shaken where they were assembled together,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and they spake the word of God with boldness.
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of the one
soul;
neither said any of them
that all of the things which he possessed with his own, but they had all
things common."
Notice that Peter and John had been threatened.
Then the church prayed.
They recognize God for Who He is: the Lord of heaven and earth. Verse 24.
They quoted scripture in their prayer.
Verse 25.
They recognized the eternal purpose of God on the earth. Verse 27
and 28.
They asked for God's help with their enemies, with their own courage,
and in showing that they were preaching the truth. Verse 29 and 30.
And I want you to see
that their prayer brought results.
After the prayer,
they spoke with boldness. Verse 31.
They were united. Verse 32.
And they were generous. Verse 32.
What an example this is for us.
Now, I want us to look at prayer in the life of the church,
and also in our lives as individual Christians. And to do this,
let's ask some questions about this very vital and basic part of our lives as
Christians.
The first question to ask
is: "Who should pray?"
When we're talking about public prayer in the church, then the answer of "who"
is restricted.
Paul wrote to Timothy, in 1 Timothy 3:15, and said:
"But if I am delayed,
I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
This verse reveals the purpose of Paul in writing this letter to Timothy.
Timothy was the preacher for the church in Ephesus and Paul needed to help
a younger preacher to know
how to teach the church how to conduct itself.
And among the several things that Paul covers in the letter,
he teaches about prayer.
He says in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 8:
"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere,
lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting..."
Now this verse and the verses that follow, shows God's will that the men
of the church lead in prayer.
Now, this is not because men are superior to women in God's eyes, or in
the eyes of those
who are part of the body of Christ.
But, our Lord specified who it is He wants taking this leadership role,
including in the practice of public prayer and worship.
But you will notice that the Lord's commands are even more specific than just
the male members of the church.
First of all, He says "men with holy hands" should lead us in prayer.
Now, while many find from this guidance for
swaying and raising their hands in worship, they miss
the significance of what Paul is actually urging here.
He's not commanding a certain posture.
He is calling for men who lead pure, committed and righteous lives, to be before
us leading prayer.
A man whose attendance is woefully or willfully inadequate,
should not lead us in worship and prayer.
A man whose sinful habits, his lifestyle, or language away from the building, is known
to a few or some or many, should not lead us in prayer and worship.
Domineering, divisive men
whose attitude in handling a brother is ugly and unChristlike, should not lead
us in prayer and worship.
We have lost sight of what God wants from our worship when who leads us in
prayer is reduced to whatever warm bodies happen to be in the building at that
given service.
God requires men with holy hands
to lead us in prayer and worship.
But second, "men without wrath" should lead us in worship.
Now, wrath is more than anger. It includes the concepts of violence and bullying.
It's from a word meaning "to cause to go up in smoke," and it denotes
"a violent movement of air, water, the ground, or animals, or men."
It's the one who is out of control and without the people skills
needed to lead in any sense.
A wrathful prayer leader negatively impacts not only himself,
but those that he leads.
It would be a major distraction to try and follow such a volatile leader.
And third:
Paul says "men without dissension" should lead us in worship.
The idea is of one feuding and disputing.
We may forget that God sees our conduct when we're not behind the microphone.
God is surely displeased when promoters of strife and disharmony,
have the audacity to stand before us and to try to unite our hearts in worship
to God.
Now, if a man is still leading us in prayer,
it is implied that the rest of us are quietly following that lead.
When you're being led in prayer, then
let your mind be engaged in what is being said.
In this way, you are engaging together in that act of worship.
Acts 4:31 says
that: "They prayed."
Acts 12 and verse 12, mentions that many were gathered together praying,
in somewhat of a prayer service.
It would have been confusing for several to pray at once. And so,
the obvious implication is that one man at a time
led the congregation in prayer, and they silently participated with him.
If we are called on to pray,
even as a new Christian, we should remember that we have
the joyful anticipation of our Heavenly Father receiving that prayer,
and the love and support of our spiritual family who are praying with
us.
A brother in Christ once said that new members of Christ's body, especially the
men,
are especially anxious to learn about public prayer.
And he said,
"Shortly after my own conversion, I was called upon from the pulpit to lead a
closing prayer without prior notice.
I began falteringly but
became so involved in my prayer with the Almighty God,
that I choked up and could not finish.
After an embarrassing silence,
a beautiful brother near me finished the prayer.
This true story I tell to illustrate love and patience
of the brethren."
And how right he is.
Now, when we talk about prayer in the life of the individual Christian,
everyone should be faithful.
The psalmist said in Psalm 32 and verse 6 that: "... everyone who is godly shall
pray to the Lord..."
The New Testament urges the Christian to have a devoted prayer life.
It should be constant. 1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray without ceasing."
Colossians 4 and verse 2 says:
"Devote yourselves to prayer,
keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."
And in Romans 12 and verse 12,
we are admonished to "continue steadfastly in prayer."
Paul, after talking about the
whole armor of God says in Ephesians 6:18:
"... Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
being watchful to this end
with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..."
And then there's the parable of Jesus.
In Luke 18 and verse 1, Jesus spoke a parable to them that: "... Men always
ought to pray and not lose heart..."
God, like any good father,
wants to hear from His children.
He wants to be acknowledged and appreciated,
and addressed lovingly, respectfully, and frequently.
And here's what's going to happen when you invest
in a regular, heartfelt and faithful, prayer life.
You will feel a greater sense of dependency upon God
in your daily walk.
You're going to more consciously consider what the will of God is
and the decisions that you make in life.
You're going to
have a better sense of God's providential care in actively working in your daily
Christian life.
Rick Hoight was born with a severe physical disability from birth,
that left him unable to talk or walk or use his hands.
Doctors told his parents that he would never be more than a vegetable.
But his father, Rick, found a computer so he could communicate by tapping a
button with the side of his head.
This helped Rick not only graduate high school,
and go on to college, but even to earn a degree in special education.
One time, a classmate was injured
and the school organized a charity run.
Rick typed out to his dad: "Dad... I
want to do that!"
And so his father prepared to push him in a wheelchair.
To everyone's surprise, Rick's dad ran the entire five miles
pushing his son.
And at the end, Rick typed out:
"Dad, when we were running,
it feels like I'm not even handicapped."
So from there,
they began doing marathons and triathlons together.
Someone suggested that Rick's dad try some races without him since he was
getting in such good shape.
But, Rick's dad would not run without Rick.
And of course, Rick can't run without his dad.
What a beautiful illustration
of the relationship that God wants to have with us.
Without God I would be stuck right where I was.
The strength that I have now is not my own,
but what He gave and what He continues to give today.
How can I hope to draw on His strength
without faithfully approaching Him in prayer,
and listening to Him
as I study the bible?
George Burns and Gracie Allen,
a real-life husband and wife from days gone by,
were also one of the greatest comedy teams of all time.
George was the perfect straight man.
And Gracie was probably the original "dumb blonde."
Once, Gracie called a repairman to fix her electric clock. And, after a quick
look, he told her,
"There's nothing wrong with the clock.
You didn't have it plugged in."
To which Gracie replied,
"Well, I hate to waste electricity,
so I only plug it in when I want to know what time it is."
Now, that's almost as silly as a Christian who only "plugs" into God when he really
needs Him...
in foxholes and waiting rooms, in funeral home foyers.
"Develop the kind of personal prayer life that stays plugged into God!"
A second question to ask with regard to prayer is: "How do we pray?"
When we approach God in prayer, it's important to remember that it is God
that we're approaching.
Understanding that will help us remember the manner in which we must approach Him:
with respect and reverence,
not flippantly or without regard
for His holiness.
As the psalmist put it
in Psalm 89 and verse 7:
"God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in
reverence by all those around Him."
We're also wise to remember that God is not confined by limitations, though we are.
The Godhead--
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--
is omniscient, all-knowing.
All three divine personalities can hear and know and understand
every prayer of every saint at all times.
But, what is the course outlined in Scripture for how we ought to pray?
Jesus tells us to address our prayers to the Father in Matthew 6 and verse 9.
There's an emphasis by Jesus and Paul
that connects prayer with the Father,
in Matthew 6:6 and in Colossians 1, verse 3.
The Bible also tells us that: "Jesus is our mediator," and that "Our prayers are
made to God through Him."
The Hebrews' writer says in Hebrews 7:25:
"Therefore He is able also save forever those who draw near to God through
Him,
since He always lives to make intercession for them."
The Bible also informs us that the Holy Spirit has a part in our prayer life.
Apparently, working as an intercessor, at
especially those times in which we have difficulty finding words to express
the thoughts and feelings of our prayers,
Romans 8, verse 26 and 27.
The late Windell Winkler once offered these helpful suggestions for those who
lead us in prayer during our worship assemblies.
Number one. He says: "Remember that you're leading an assembly." It's not the same
as your home prayer life.
Number two: "Pray loud enough for people to hear you."
Number three: "Be clear enough to be heard when you pray."
Number four:
"Avoid lengthy prayers."
Number five: "Remember that prayer is not an oratorical float." In other words,
not meant to impress others or to sound spiritual.
Number six: "Don't repeat things already prayed for."
Number seven: "Pray about current concerns."
Number eight: "Make your prayers consistent with Bible truth."
Number nine: "Study prayer privately, especially the Book of Psalms."
Number ten: "Be specific where possible."
Call the elders and the preachers by name.
Number eleven: "Prepare your prayers." Give thought,
the same as the song leader would.
Remember, God wants us to pray to Him when we worship together.
So, let's learn better how to do it--
first at home,
but also in the assemblies.
We should make prayer effective and effectual,
that is beneficial.
But then third: "What do we include in our prayers?"
This is really a continuation of the previous thought.
We have just looked briefly at the One to Whom we are praying.
But, when we come to Him,
about what matters are we to pray?
A late, great gospel preacher named B.C. Goodpasture,
once related to the audience that the "model prayer" of Jesus, in
Luke 11, verse 2 through 4,
lasted only 32 seconds.
"It would be just as possible to live physical life without breathing
as it is to live spiritual life without prayer."
In his sermon that evening, Goodpasture showed 5 aspects of prayer that
Jesus taught in the model prayer of Luke 11.
One aspect is "reverence."
Jesus said to pray:
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name."
A second aspect was "loyalty."
He said to pray: "Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Another aspect is "dependency."
"Give us day by day our daily bread."
Fourth "forgiveness."
"And forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us."
Another aspect was "trust."
"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Well, Jesus certainly gives us so much to consider for our own prayer life in
that 32 second prayer.
And, it causes us to ask the question: "What belongs in our prayers?"
I want us to take a general view of Scripture, and see some of the aspects
of prayer that are revealed in the Bible.
One aspect of prayer is "praise."
If you want to appreciate a good prayer life, read the writings of the Psalms.
And in the New Testament, the most common Greek word translated "praise" means:
"To laud and commend. To
esteem and express a favorable judgment of.
To glorify by recognizing the attributes of perfection."
And that's what we seek to do.
When we praise God in prayer,
we're acknowledging and telling God
how wonderful and great He truly is.
Revealing our adoration for Him.
Listen to the Psalms.
Psalm 150 and verse 1:
"Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty
firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!"
The entire 117 Psalm:
"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!
For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!"
Our prayer needs to be filled with praise.
Another aspect of prayer that's revealed in Scripture is "thanksgiving."
Our prayers literally need to be
filled with the giving of thanks.
God has blessed each of us with a mountain of great blessings,
Ephesians 1 and verse 3, emphasizes this.
And the psalmist declared:
"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..."
There's the privilege of being in the church that was purpose by God
and purchased by the blood of His Son:
the blessing of fellowship and worship and service to God.
There's the loving, caring, and sharing
of fellows saints to inspire our lives,
to warm our hearts, and to encourage our souls.
There's the honor and joy of working together for the good of mankind.
In fact, when we reflect on the multitude of spiritual blessings,
we react by
saying thanks to God.
How long has it been since
you told God "thank You" for health,
for life, and
friends, and food, and
family, and work, and country, and church, and Scripture,
and on and on.
Make your own list today and offer Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
Psalm 116 and verse 17.
Paul said: "Give thanks always for all things unto God the father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..." Ephesians 5 and verse 20.
A third aspect of prayer is "petition."
It means: to "turn to" or to "appeal to."
In prayer, we ask God's help
for the sick, for the lost,
the new Christian;
regarding financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual assistance. We ask
for guidance.
Three times in the New Testament, the Bible calls prayer
"a petition."
In Luke 1:13, in Ephesians 6:18,
and in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 1.
The beautiful picture is not just that Christ, our Intercessor,
tells God all of our good attributes,
but as our High Priest, He stands by our side
assisting us.
Another aspect of prayer
is "confession."
Prayer allows us the opportunity to confess our sins to God
and ask for forgiveness.
John says: "If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive our sins..." 1 John 1 and verse 9.
Long ago, Charles Spurgeon told of an Italian duke who went on board a galley
ship.
As he passed the crew of slaves, he asked several of them
what their offenses were.
Every one of them laid the blame on somebody else
saying, "His brother was to blame,"
or "The judge was bribed."
One sturdy young fellow said, "My lord, I am justly in here. I wanted money and I
stole it.
No one is to blame but myself."
And the duke, when he heard this, seized the man by his shoulder saying,
"You rogue!
What are you doing here among so many honest men? Get out of their company!"
And that young man was set free
while the others were left to tug at the oars.
Confessing sin in our lives is often against our nature,
but it's necessary.
We're talking about a full acknowledgment of our errors,
with a heartfelt plea for God's mercy.
Like that tax collector in Luke 18:14,
who said, "God be merciful to me a sinner!"
Notice God's character in this.
1 John 1, in verse 9 says "He is faithful,"
so we can trust that He will forgive us. But, He's also just.
That means that He is inflexibly righteous.
Because Christ's death satisfied God's justice,
we are guaranteed that He will forgive
if we will confess.
"When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there,
who made an end to all my sin;
Because the sinless savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
for God, The Just, is satisfied
to look on Him
and pardon me."
A fourth aspect of prayer for us to consider is "What can hinder our prayers?"
We should take a moment to acknowledge that our prayer lives as Christians can
be hindered, or obstructed.
God wants us to pray to Him, but He will not accept every prayer sent up to Him.
Here's what the Bible teaches.
That, first of all, selfishness hinders prayers.
James said, in James 4 and verse 3:
"You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives,
that you may spend it on your pleasures."
1 John 5:14 says: "... this is the confidence
which we have before Him, that
if we ask anything according to His will,
He hears us."
"Faithlessness" also hinders prayers.
That's why Jesus said in Matthew 21:22,
in all "things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
James begins his letter by saying, in James 1, verse 5:
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let
let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it
will be given to him.
But he must ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like
the surf on the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord;
being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
A third barrier to prayer being answered is "broken relationships."
They hinder prayers.
Christianity is not just about a relationship with God. It's also about a
relationship with each other.
In 1 John 4, in verse 20:
"If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar;
for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen,
cannot love God whom he has not seen."
Even between husbands and wives this is the case,
In 1 Peter 3:7,
Peter says: "You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding
way,
as with someone weaker since she is a woman,
and show her honor as fellow heir of the grace of life, so that
your prayer will not be hindered."
I would challenge you to try and to talk intimately with God,
when you are feuding with your spouse.
It's hypocritical and hollow at best.
We may try to keep up our relationship with God, while neglecting
the relationship with our fellow Christians.
But Jesus says:
"Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember
that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar, and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and
then come and present your offering." Matthew 5:23 and 24.
It is a pretense to try and be united with God
when you're divided with your brother.
In fact, our failure to forgive can hinder our desire to be forgiven when we pray
to God.
Matthew 6, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, beginning at verse 14:
"For if you forgive others for their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."
Obviously, if we are not in a right relationship with our God,
we cannot expect our prayer life to be whole and healthy.
John 15:7,
Jesus said that: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it will be done for you."
It seems the blind man was right when he said, in John 9:31:
"We know that God does not hear sinners;
but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will,
He hears him."
Furthermore, a "failure to understand prayer" hinders prayers.
Prayer is not some mechanical, rehearsed speech.
It's not just a formalized chain of sentences.
Prayer should spring from the inner most part of our being
as a show of our deep sense of love and devotion.
It's not issuing ultimatums to God.
It is not a way to get back at somebody or to inform the All-knowing God.
In Luke 18, verse 11, the Pharisee seemed to have that kind of prayer
life. In fact,
the Bible says that he: "... stood and prayed thus with himself,
'God, I thank Thee
that I am not like other men are--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even
as this tax collector.
I fast twice a week; I give tithes
of all that I possess.'"
But instead,
as Luke says in Acts 15 and verse 18:
"Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world."
He doesn't need us to inform Him.
Prayer is also is not a "parachute" to use only in times of emergency.
Prayer is not a way of a only addressing our selfish needs.
Prayer is not a substitute for obedience.
Why pray for the lost if we aren't going to go out and try to teach them the Word?
Why asked God to bring us back at the next appointed time
and then choose to miss?
And so, we need to be sure to remove any barrier that keeps our prayers
from being heard
and effective before God.
But then finally, I'd like us to notice some practical suggestions for
prayer.
Number one:
"Have a prayer list."
Pray specifically for people, for upcoming activities,
for daily concerns, for church programs,
for elders, and deacons, and missionaries, and the like.
Put that list in a place where you know that you can find it, and consult it
to keep you
from forgetting the specifics that you may wish to pray about.
But also consider organizing this prayer list.
John Tracy, a preacher long ago, recommended this example of how you
organize your prayer list.
He said, "Sunday."
Make that
the Saints.
Pray for fellow Christians, for church leaders, for
the local church, and for the church all over the world.
And then he said, "Monday."
Make that for the missionaries,
for those in the field, for
evangelism in general,
for the lost--and pray for them by name.
And then, "Tuesday." Make that
prayers for teachers,
Bible class teachers,
those who organize it, the deacons who are over it.
"Wednesday."
Pray about Washington,
our government, our leaders at all levels, for world peace.
"Thursday."
Let that be prayers of thanksgiving,
thanking God for specific
material and spiritual blessings.
"Friday" can be prayers about the family.
Pray for all of your family, your friends, and your relatives.
And then "Saturday,"
let that be prayers for shut-ins and the sick,
those who are poor, those who are afflicted,
and the ones who are grieving.
Review your prayer lists.
It will increase your faith in prayer
as you see how God has answered your prayers in the past.
Another suggestion is:
"Have a prayer schedule."
Try to set aside a set time to pray each day,
and be faithful.
You know what? You will find that the more you pray each day
the more often it will be on your mind,
and the more spontaneously and frequently you will pray.
Pray immediately upon rising.
Pray before every meal.
Pray at times when you're doing something where your body is involved, but
your mind is free...
maybe cutting the grass, or driving, or doing your dishes.
But, another suggestion is to: "Pray as a family."
Nothing is more beautiful than a family united in the practice of prayer. It will
help you to grow together, spiritually.
Another suggestion is to: "Pray fervently."
Batsell Barrett Baxter once said: "We must feel deeply that things that we say to
God."
Truly, prayer should come from the root of our heart not just
the root of our mouth.
Another suggestion is to "Pray when discouraged
and when happy."
You need to pray when you're discouraged because you need to remember that God
knows and cares when you're in times of crisis and difficulty. But, you
need to pray when you're happy because we're prone to forget God when life is
good. "... but a grateful heart remembers Who gives every good and perfect gift..."
James 1:17.
Another suggestion is to: "Pray persistently."
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before He died,
Jesus prayed three times "... let this cup pass from Me..."
Eight-ninths
of the bulk of an iceberg is below the waterline and out of site. Only
one-ninth is visible.
Our prayer life should be like that shouldn't it?
With only a fraction showing in public prayer,
and the bulk of it
in personal prayer time.
Almost 200 years ago in this country, a preacher named Jacob Creath, Jr.,
didn't see much humor in his life, but he was remarkable.
When he prayed in public, people felt that if they opened their eyes, they would see
God standing right in front of them.
He had the power to pray that earnestly.
Creath lived in Missouri during the Civil War. And,
early in that war, the report came to the little town where he preached that it
was going to be attacked by union forces.
Creath left the town in the wee hours of the morning, went into the woods and
started praying.
During that night, a union officer came and heard a noise in the thicket.
He stepped over to listen for a moment, and he heard Creath praying for the whole
town:
its protection,
the church,
and the brethren.
As the story goes, the officer went back and reported,
"I don't want to attack the town of a man
who prays as earnestly as that man has been praying tonight."
Well, perhaps it has not been often that our prayers
have ever produced that dramatic a physical result,
but prayer influences the very heart and the very will of God.
Prayer is powerful
both in what it does to move and motivated us
when done publicly as part of worship,
and just as importantly as we practice it privately each day.
Prayer is a means
of receiving great blessings.
The great church historian, Earl West, said:
"We don't know how many people have been converted to Christ because of our
prayers.
We don't know the tragedies that have been averted in our lives because of the
prayers we have offered.
We don't know the guidance that we have brought to our children, our parents,
or our loved ones because of the prayers we've offered.
We have no way of ascertaining how much our prayers have changed the course of
life,
not just for ourselves but for many others as well."
Prayer will put us to work.
Prayer will change us.
As part of your daily growth as a Christian, include faithful prayer.
And remember. It's hard to stumble on your knees.
Make prayer a vital part
of your life as a child of God.