Prayer
Well, this is my third post on prayer. You can tell that anytime a discussion arises involving prayer that it really peaks my interest. Studying prayer always makes me feel guilty. I always realize how far short I fall in this area in my life. I can always pray more. I should always pray more. I know at the Judgment Seat of Christ that I will look back on my life and wish that I would have prayed more.
The Apostle Paul gives us some pretty serious insight on prayer in Romans 15:30-32. (I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.)
Paul asks for prayer in 2 serious areas. He asks to be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and he asks that his service will be acceptable in Jerusalem. Notice that Paul is saying that prayer can change both the hearts of believers and unbelievers.
Paul tells us that prayer is a struggle. The NIV does not capture this as well as other translations do. The NASB says, “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me…” Prayer is a spiritual battleground. It is a struggle against sin and evil around us.
So, why don’t we pray? I think there are several reasons.
- We do not realize the seriousness of what is going on around us.
- We are irresponsible to our calling
- We have no passion for the souls of lost men and women.
- We have no passion to see ourself and others grow to be more Christ-like.
- We have a general unbelief about God, His power, heaven, and hell.
- We don’t understand our part in this world.
- God ordains the ends as well as the means.
- Prayer is God’s appointed means to act in this world. (Our finite minds can not reconcile the power of prayer with God’s absolute sovereignty.)
- When we do not pray, there is no praise from God’s people because we have no idea of what God is doing around us.
Prayer enlivens ministry! Prayer enlivens life!