Prayer

by G. Jarvie | Category: Training For Service | Jan 1961

The servant of Christ must be a man of prayer. Weakness or failure in prayer will inevitably lead to powerless service. What we are in secret with God is what we will be in public. But prayer, to be effective, must be according to the will of God, and the servant of God must seek to know what the will of God is.

The Christian soldier is to take up the whole armour of God, "with all prayer and supplication," wrote Paul, "praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6. 18). Prayer, all prayer, prevailing prayer, is not easy, but it is this kind of prayer that the servant of Christ must learn to engage in. Prayer like this will take more than a few minutes each day. Time must be taken from other things so that we may be in true alignment with God's purposes in the world. "And supplication." In this we have the bending low of our spirits before God. Prayer is what we wish, supplication is our humble petition. When we think of the high and holy character of God, we realize that it is right that we should bend low in supplication before Him. "At all seasons." Prayer must be a habitual thing with the servant of God. He must live close to God. "Watching... in all perseverance." Some things God will grant whenever they are asked, but in many things He will prove the earnest desire of His servant, who would walk and work for Him. Hence the need for watching in all perseverance.

The servant of God must remember that God's way is perfect (Psalm 18. 80); His work is perfect (Deuteronomy 32. 4); and His will is perfect (Romans 12.2). He should ask what is according to the perfect will of God. He should also abound in thanksgiving, whether in sickness or health; in prosperity or adversity. This is important in prayer. Our ways are imperfect, and so are our desires, but God's way and God's will are perfect. His will is not only perfect, it is good, and when we see it being worked out in our lives, we see how good it is, and how much better it is than our stumbling imperfect desires.

In Psalm 106.15, we read that God granted Israel what they longed for, although it was not His desire to give it, but he sent leanness into their souls. In 2 Kings 20, we find God granting Hezekiah an extension to his life, because he prayed and wept sore, but it would have been to his eternal profit, if he had yielded to the will of God regarding his life. God's way is always better than ours, and His servants should always rejoice in it.

There are three conditions which must be fulfilled before prayer will be answered:

Firstly - there must be no iniquity in our hearts (Psalm 66.18-20). We must cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, if we call upon God who is holy (1 Peter 1.15-17). There must be no unconfessed sin against God, nor any unconfessed faults against others.

There must be no grudge in our hearts against others, nor a spirit of unforgiveness. This will hinder prayer. "Search me, 0 God," said David "and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts" (Psalm 139. 28, 24). Effective prayer is costly, but without it service is powerless.

Secondly - prayer must be according to the will of God, if it is to be fulfilled (1 John 5.14, 15). God will reveal His will to us if we wait upon Him.

Thirdly - we must believe the promises of God (Mark 11.22-25). When we know the will of God, then we must ask in faith, believing that what God has promised, He will certainly do.

If we fulfil these conditions of prayer, then God will answer us, and thus glorify His name.

We must also remember in prayer the need of earnestness and fervency. Isaiah lamented that there was none that stirred up himself to take hold of God (Isaiah 64. 1-7). We remember Jacob at Peniel (Genesis 32.22-82), and how the Angel was pleased to bless Jacob, because he laid hold upon Him, and wrestled as he did. God loves the man who seeks Him earnestly. We read of Elijah that "he prayed fervently." We should be fervent when we are pleading with God.

There are occasions when we will feel the need of longer seasons of prayer and waiting upon God, it may be with fasting. It is likely that the more we engage in the spiritual conflict, so much the more will we require such seasons of prayer. In Psalm 62.5-8, David speaks of a time like this when He writes, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; (be thou silent unto God) "for my expectation is from Him... Trust in Him at all times, ye people; pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us." Such seasons of prayer, though times of spiritual conflict, may be times of restoration of soul, when the servant of God is led in prayer by the Holy Spirit (Jude 20).

Then there is the very precious promise of Isaiah 40.80, 81, 50 well known by all the servants of Christ. "They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint." There is an equally precious promise in Isaiah 30.18. "Therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgement; blessed are all they that wait for Him."

It should be remembered that the prayer of two, who are agreed in what they will ask, shall be done for them by the Father. The servants of Christ should remember this (Matthew 18.19).

Perhaps more important still is the prayer of the whole church, when all are of one mind (Acts 4.81-83). The servants of Christ will not be absent from the prayer meeting. It is a great opportunity. We read, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all-filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness " (Acts 4. 31-33). In collective prayer, it is most important that all should be of one mind and heart, and that all should say the Amen. Division in heart, or secret grudges one against another, may render the prayer meeting ineffective.

Knowing the vital importance of prayer, the servant of Christ should set himself to have power with God and to prevail.

G. Jarvie | Jan 1961
Training For Service