By Faith Enterprises

Real Prayer is Communion with God so that there will be Common Thoughts between His Mind and Ours - Part 1

Tip! “Supplication” is the very soul of prayer in the way of pleading for some one thing, very much needed, and the need intensely felt.

Our views respecting prayer need to be revised and brought into harmony with the teaching of Holy Scripture on this subject. The prevailing ideas seems to be that I come to God and ask Him for something that I want, and that I expect Him to give me that which I have asked. But this is a most dishonoring and degrading belief. This popular conviction reduces God to a servant, our servant: doing our bidding, performing our pleasure, granting our desires. No; prayer is a coming to God, telling Him my need, committing my ways to the Lord, and allowing Him to deal with it as He sees best. This makes my will subject to His, instead of, as in this former case, seeking to bring His will into subjection to mine. We can not pray in a way pleasing to God unless our spirit triggering our prayer is able to say "not my will, but Thine be done."

"When God gives blessings on a praying people, it is not for the sake of their prayers, as if He was revised or changed by them; but it is for His own sake, and of His own Sovereign will and pleasure. Should it be asked then, to what purpose is prayer? The answer must be, this is the way and means God has appointed for the communication of the blessing of His goodness to His people. For though He has purposed, provided, and promised them, yet He will be sought unto, to give them, and it is (our) duty and privilege to ask (for them). When they are blessed with a spirit of prayer it forebodes well, and looks as if God intended to bestow the good things asked, which should be asked always with submission to the will of God, saying, Not my will but Thine be done" (John Gill).

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The attribute of prayer that was just noted above is of great sensible importance for our peace of heart and mind. Perhaps the one thing that exercises a Christians' faith as much as anything else is that of unanswered prayers. They have asked God for something, and as far as they are able to judge they have asked in true faith believing they would receive that for which they had prayed for from the Lord: and they have asked earnestly and repeatedly, but the answer has not come. The result is, in many cases, their faith in the effectiveness of prayer becomes weakened, so much so until hope gives way to despair and then the time and place of prayer is altogether abandoned. They stop praying when all's said and done, giving up, defeated. Isn't this the way it happens?

Tip! The whole lesson culminates in asking for the Holy Spirit as the great objective point of all praying.

Now will it surprise you then, my readers, when I say that every real prayer of faith that has ever been offered to God has always been answered? I unhesitatingly confirm this with all my heart. But in saying this I must refer back to the definition of prayer. Please allow me repeat it. Prayer is a coming to God, telling Him my need (or the need of others), committing my ways to the Lord, and then leaving Him to deal with the case as He sees best for us. This leaves God to answer the prayer in whatever way He sees fit, and more times then not, His answer may be the very opposite of what would be acceptable to us. But then, if we have really LEFT our need in His hands it will be His answer, nevertheless. Let us look at two examples from the Holy Bible.

In John 11 we read of the sickness of Lazarus. The Lord "loved" him, but He was not present at Bethany during this time. The sisters, Mary and Martha, sent a messenger to the Lord acquainting Him of their brother's condition. And note here particularly how their petition was worded-"Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick." That was all. They did not ask Him to heal Lazarus. They did not request Him to hurry at once to Bethany. They simply spread their need before Him, committed the case into His hands, and left Him to act as He deemed best! And what was our Lord's reply? Did He respond to their appeal and answer their mute request? Certainly He did, though not, perhaps, in the way they had hoped. He answered by remaining "two days still in the same place where He was" (John 11:6), and allowing Lazarus to die! But in this instance that was not all. Later, He traveled to Bethany and raised Lazarus from the dead. Our purpose in referring here to this case is to illustrate the proper attitude for the believer to take before God in their hour of need. The next example will emphasize rather, God's method of responding to His needy child.

Tip! Note how frequently prayer is brought to are attention in the Holy Bible’s New Testament: “Continuing instant in prayer”; “Pray without ceasing”; “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving”; “Be ye sober and watch unto prayer”; Christ’s clear call was “watch and pray.” What are all these and others, if it is not the will of God that men should pray?

Turn to 2 Corinthians 12. The Apostle Paul had received an unheard-of privilege. He had been transported into Paradise. His ears had listened to and his eyes had seen all of which no other person had heard or seen this side of death. The wondrous revelation was more than the Apostle could endure. He was in danger of becoming "puffed up" by his extraordinary experience. Therefore, a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, was sent to agitate him in case he became proud above measure. And the Apostle spreads his need before the Lord; he asked three different times of Him; that this thorn in the flesh should be removed. Was his prayer answered? Most assuredly, though not in the manner he had desired. The "thorn" was not removed but grace was given to bear it. The burden was not lifted but strength was given to submit to it and to deal with it. In our weakness God is strong. We are all-weak He is Almighty.

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