Private Prayer

by J.L. Ferguson | Category: Great Spiritual Treasures | Feb 1991

The treasure discussed in this short article is like a pearl of great price: it is prayer - private prayer, lifeline prayer. Our daily quiet time, which may be short or long, spent apart alone with God, falls into this category. Where else could we thank Him for the abundance of all things, or confess how much we fail, or make requests for urgent needs, or intercede for others?

Twice in his Gospel record, Mark tells us how the Lord Jesus and His apostles were so thronged by the multitudes that they could scarcely find time to eat. But we never read of the Lord Jesus that He could not find time to pray. Early in the morning, perhaps in a desert place late at night, perhaps on a mountain side, we read of Him praying. Busy all day long, preaching, healing, comforting, but never too busy for prayer at some time in the day.

It was not only that He felt the need for prayer. No. He loved the opportunity it gave Him for communion with His Father. Prayer is communion, it was so even away back in Abraham's day. You remember how he pleaded with God for Sodom, and when the prayer time was over the scriptural record tells us that the Lord, "left communing with Abraham" (Gen. 18:33). So prayer is two-way, God speaks through His Word - we listen: then responsively, affectionately, we speak to God, and He listens.

Prayer should not be a matter of our always telling God of our needs or of the needs of others, for ever asking, but it is also for telling Him how great we believe Him to be, how we long to see His kingdom increase, how greatly we appreciate His love-gift to us in His Son, how we long personally to do His will more to His pleasure. We speak of the things that concern His glory and ask Him specifically for the things that will honour His Name. Of course we also plead with Him for others, and we tell Him of our own shortcomings too.

The psalmist used a lovely expression in Psalm 65 when he exclaimed, "0 Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come" (v.2). And that is the beauty of prayer, for when we pray we are talking to One who does hear, and who is sovereign in His power and willingness to answer, provided it fits in with His plan for our lives or for that of others. The more we know of the Lord and His will from the Scriptures the more intelligently and acceptably will we be able to pray.

When childless Hannah prayed for a son she addressed God as the Lord of Hosts (1 Sam. 1:11). That is the first time that remarkable title is given

to God in the Bible. Hannah recognized that God had hosts of angels around Him and the hosts of Israel at His command. So she said, "give unto Thine handmaid a man child". That was intelligent prayer and it moved the heart of God.

Perhaps you have found, as I have, that it is best not to rush into God's presence in prayer, but rather to wait, even if but for a moment, and then begin to pray. Some feel the value of a list of matters to be prayed for: it is better when prayer is specific rather than wordy. Our supreme Teacher and Example has told us that we should not ~se what He called "vain repetitions"; that is, simply repeating the same old words idly and meaninglessly. He warned that we would not be heard for much speaking of this sort. Surely the Lord never intended what is commonly called the Lord's prayer to be repeated endlessly. What He said was, "After this manner therefore pray ye" (Mat. 6:9). In that prayer we have His own words given to show us how to model the priorities in our own prayers.

When I was a child I used to say nightly at my mother's knee, "Jesus tender Shepherd hear me, bless Thy little lamb tonight" and so forth. As I look back now it was all rather sweet, but in due course I learned to think it all out for myself. I remember too when as a boy of twelve, I slept in a tent with a great camp leader. As we settled down he asked, "Have you said your prayers". When I said "yes", he said, "Well I did not hear you". When I told him that I had said them to myself, he replied "always say them aloud". I never forgot that. I suggest that you too when possible pray aloud, it will help you to concentrate your thoughts, pray very quietly if need be, and pray often. It is not always easy, for the adversary wants to cut the communication line, but persevere and you will win through.

One of the most remarkable examples of a short prayer is found in 1 Chronicles chapter 4:

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested (v.10).

Perhaps the utter simplicity and sincerity of that little prayer is what commended it to the Lord.

We can also learn much about how to pray by reading Paul's prayers in his prison letters to the Ephesians and the Colossians.

You and I are just ordinary folk, but let us remember that, saved by God's grace we are now His children, and He loves to hear us pray. We must go on praying.

J.L. Ferguson | Feb 1991
Great Spiritual Treasures