Category: Prayer

“. . . They ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).

We are living in troubled times. It seems like the present pandemic is more lethal than we could imagine. There is fear everywhere. What can we do when the entire world is suffering? One of the things that believers can do is, pray.

Often, prayer is considered to be a hard discipline. I agree with Martyn Lloyd Jones, who had said that

“Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.”

But we pray most when we are in difficult times. 

While many believers around the world are engaged in prayer, at the same time, we find many believers are not yet serious. Because, in times of ease, many of us hardly prayed. Many did not cultivate the habit of interceding for others and pleading God for others. Many of us have taken prayer for granted. However, in the time of crisis, they remain the same. People are busy elsewhere. Some are busy on Whats App, forwarding videos to one another, discussing the current crisis, updating their status and others are active on other social media platforms like Facebook. At the same time, many are taking good initiatives to help the needy and others are busy promoting themselves by bragging about their good works.

Many have fallen prey to the global epidemic, and it remains a threat. The global economic situation has changed. It has changed our regular lifestyle. The poor and the needy are greatly affected. But many of us are still insensitive. These situations should humble us, but many casually pass their time during this lock-down. I think many of us wouldn’t move unless we are affected. God forbid that this should happen. Shouldn’t situations like these bring us on to our knees? Shouldn’t we look to the Sovereign one who is in control? Shouldn’t we plead for His mercy? Shouldn’t we rest in His sovereign care?

Struggling to pray is an age-old problem. Our Lord’s first disciples struggled to pray. Our Lord was in a difficult hour. Prayer was very vital in our Lord’s life. In the garden of Gethsemane, He asked His disciples to watch and pray. They dozed off. They were unable to pray even in his difficult hour. Long before this incident, our Lord taught the importance of prayer to His disciples. Our Lord encouraged fervency in prayer, knowing that we would neglect prayer.

“. . . They ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).

Are we trying to establish that we are self-sufficient through our negligence of prayer? Can we manage our lives by ourselves? Are we self-sufficient? The present crisis is proof that we are dependent on many things for our survival. We need air, food, water, money, people, medicines and many more for our survival. We need to know that Only God is self-sufficient. He alone is independent of anyone or anything outside of Himself. According to the words of Herman Bavinck, 

“He is independent in everything, in his existence, in his perfections, in his decrees, and his works.” 

His self-sufficiency is His essential quality. He is the source of all things, and we owe our existence to Him. Our abilities are from Him. He is the source of all our life and godliness. We depend on Him for everything, and we should not imagine a life free from Him. Therefore, we pray and cry to Him.

One of the distinctive qualities of God’s people is they depend on Him. “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God” (Psalms 20:7). We see many examples in the Bible:

• Abraham often communed with God. He was called a friend of God.
• Moses was a man of prayer. Many times, unable to handle the Israelites, Moses often fell on His face to intercede for his people.
• David was a powerful king. He fought many battles. He never made his army as his strength. Be it the enemies of Israel, or Saul, or his son, David cried to God. God was His Shield and His buckler.
• When Nehemiah learned that the wall of Jerusalem was broken and the gates were destroyed by fire, he set himself to fast and pray for days. 
• Consider our Lord Jesus while on earth, He is a man of prayer. Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days and 40 nights. What was the need for him to fast and pray? He prayed before choosing his disciples (Luke 6:12). He often prayed alone (Luke 5:16; 9:18). He prayed along with others (Luke 9:28-29). He prayed even when he was busy (Mark 1:35). He prayed before going to the Cross (Luke 22:40-44). He prayed even on the Cross (Luke 23:46).
• Later, His disciples learned from him the importance of prayer. We see in the book of Acts that before the Church began, the disciples prayed in the upper room. After Church began, they prayed steadfastly. They prayed at all times. Not only they prayed, but they also taught the believers to be devoted to prayer. They mobilized the Church to pray. Prayer was an integral part of their gatherings (Acts 2:42, 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

We see from the above examples that prayer was always important and necessary for God’s people. God’s people look to Him because God is the source of all things, the means of all things and also the goal of all things (Romans 11:36).

We also look to God because He is Sovereign. Which means nothing happens in this universe without His permission. He has absolute control of all things past, present and future. Everything is either caused by Him or allowed by Him for His purposes according to His timing and will. Our God is not only in control, but He also is good, kind, compassionate, gracious and merciful. Therefore, our prayers must flow from this understanding of God, that He is sovereign over all things, and He always desires good of all His people (Rom. 8:28).

Therefore, our prayerlessness shows that we have lost the sight of who our God is. Are you praying? When we focus on our God, we have nothing to do but to bow down before him in simple trust and confidence because He desires the best for His people.

Therefore, as God’s people continue to study God’s Word to know Him and continue to pray at all times and even more in these troubled times.

Read or listen to this hymn:

A Sovereign Protector I have Unseen, yet for ever at hand, Unchangeably faithful to save, Almighty to rule and command. He smiles, and my comforts abound; His grace as the dew shall descend, And walls of salvation surround The soul He delights to defend.

Kind Author and ground of my hope, Thee, Thee for my God I avow; My glad Ebenezer set up, And own Thou hast helped me till now. I muse on the years that are past, Wherein my defence Thou hast proved; Nor wilt Thou relinquish at last A sinner so faithfully loved.

Inspirer and Hearer of prayer, Thou Shepherd and Guardian of Thine, My all to Thy covenant care I sleeping and waking resign. If Thou art my Shield and my Sun, The night is no darkness to me; And, fast as my moments roll on, They bring me but nearer to Thee

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ONBRS1683I