PRAYER TAKES IN THE WHOLE PERSON

“Henry Clay Trumbull spoke forth the Infinite in the terms of our world and the Eternal in the forms of our human life. Some years ago, on a ferry-boat, I met a gentleman who knew him, and I told him that when I had last seen Dr. Trumbull, a fortnight before, he had spoken of him. ‘Oh, yes,’ said my friend, ‘he was a great Christian, so real, so intense. He was at my home years ago and we were talking about prayer.’ ‘Why, Trumbull,’ I said, ‘you don’t mean to say if you lost a pencil you would pray about it, and ask God to help you find it’ ‘Of course I would; of course I would,’ was his instant and excited reply. Of course he would. Was not his faith a real thing? Like the Saviour, he put his doctrine strongly by taking an extreme illustration to embody his principle, but the principle was fundamental. He did trust God in everything. And the Father honored the trust of His child.”-ROBERT E. SPEER

PRAYER has to do with the entire person. Prayers take in the person’s complete being, mind, soul and body. It takes the whole person to pray, and prayer affects the entire person in its gracious outcome. As the whole nature of the person enters into prayer, so as well all that belongs to this person is the recipient of prayer. The entire praying person receives benefits in prayer. The whole person must be given to God in praying. The greatest results of praying come to the ones who give of themselves completely all that belongs to them, to God. This is the secret of full dedication, and this is a condition of successful praying, and the sort of praying which brings the largest fruits.

The men and women of past times who produced well in prayer, who brought the major things to pass, who moved God to do great things, were those who were entirely given over to God in their praying. God wants, and must have, all that there is in a person in order to answering their prayers. He must have whole-hearted one through whom to work out His purposes and plans concerning people. God must have the person in their entirety. No double-minded person need apply. No hesitant person can be used. No person with a divided allegiance to God, and the world and self, can do the praying that is needed.

Holiness is wholeness, and so God wants holy men and women, who are whole-hearted and true, for His service and for the work of praying. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” These are the sort of people God wants for leaders of the people of this world, and these are the kind out of which the praying class is formed. Are you in the praying class? It isn’t an option!

We are required to pray for one another at all times. Jesus is praying for you right now at the right hand of God the Father. If you are a Christian, that is were you are also. Think about it, pray about it, and God will open your eyes and show you His glory if you ask Him to.